"What are you doing this afternoon?" Jasper asks me as I sell our last paper.
"Shopping," I smile, "I need some new clothes,"
"Can I come?" he asks cheekily. It takes me a few minutes to think and realize that Elsie sells with Les. Guess I forgot a little. I look up at his face, pink from embarrassment as he got called some names while trying to sell. I almost had to pick a fight for him, but that's life. Hype tells me that Sketch had to stick up for Davey when he stuttered a lot when he was eleven. Grew out of it at twelve, but you can still hear it if you listen very close.
"Alright, you may get bored after a while," I laugh.
"As long as I get to stare at you, I'll be fine," he says cheekily.
"Wait, what?" I ask. He shakes his red face in reply. We start to the end of the park and dodge the carriages as we cross the street.
"Nothing," he says as I pull him into a store. I browse the racks as Jasper does too. As we reach the end, I come up with nothing as he has an armful of clothes.
"Try all of this on and let me see," he smiles. I take the clothes and go change, it takes a bit of time to pick out the first thing, and I pick out half the pile and smile as I probably should have told him my size.
"Number one," I announce as I come into the open, his eyes light up as he sees me.
"Get that one," he says quickly.
"I'm going to need more than one, Jasper, I'll try on one dress then we'll go somewhere else."
"Okay," he mutters as I give him the pile that doesn't fit.
"Then put these back," I say. He lets out a sigh as he scavenges where he found them. He takes a while as I look into the mirror.
"Okay, here I come," I laugh as I walk out again in a blue sundress.
"Let's get that too," he says as he picks me up and spins me in the store.
"Jasper, if we do this, I might as well just buy the whole store," I laugh. He puts me down and I pay for the clothes and walk out.
"By the way, I wear small sizes, so yea, just keep that in mind while picking out clothes," I laugh as we go into another store. Again as we browse the racks, I come up with nothing as he has another armful. I give him a puppy dog face.
"Not trying on all of it," I laugh.
"Don't have too," he responds, "it's all your size so pick out the ones you like and get those."
"I have three dollars left," I respond as he pulls out his wallet.
"I have ten," he comments.
"Since when did you become the king of New York?" I kid as I pick out the ones I like. I do some simple math in my head as I finger numbers in the air.
"This all should cost three dollars including tax so; I should be able to pay for it." I smile, taking them to the register. The lady smiles at his pink cheeks as I take the giant bags filled with skirts, blouses and a few sundresses as she knows I didn't pick out any of them. We walk out of the store as we see Hype walk over to us.
"Hey Hype," Jasper says timidly. She cocks her head to the side and smiles, coaxing her little girl to come out from behind her.
"Hi Lucy," I say as she finally comes out. "What are you guys doing?"
"We are going to the market to get a few things for a tea party," she says as Lucy hands me a piece of paper shaped as a teacup. "Do you think you could come?" I look over at Jasper, gazing at the ground. "Jasper, you can come too, I think Sketch and Davey are coming. Elsie and Les can come as well."
"Maybe," I reply as I look at Lucy's big eyes, a classic puppy dog face.
"Great, and if you can, bring a box of tea, but everything you need to know is on that piece of paper, thanks" she smiles as Lucy drags her to the store.
"What do you want to do now?" he asks, still a bit shy around Hype, we know her temper and that she can be a hothead, but she's nice enough to make everyone feel accepted. I look at him and he cracks a smile as we both make a mad dash to our tree. We get there about the same time and start to climb as I have shopping bags make it a bit harder to climb. We reach the top as a breeze greats us.
"I know I may have asked this a thousand times, but why do you like me?" I smiles.
"Well, first off, you hold my hand, you're my best friend. You know everything about me; you don't care if I'm a mess. Even when I'm not my best you make me better I couldn't ask for anything more, you never give any less." He finally finishes. I kiss him quickly on the cheek.
"Black and white, all I see Is a silent movie, and I'm stuck inside the scene And I saw you, and the color came through And I don't know what I'm doing, But I'm doing it with you." I smile. He looks into my eyes as he wraps his arms around my waist. "I've got a lot to say, and you'll listen When I go away, you're still missing me, missing me we lay around the house doing' nothing But you've got a way of making' it something I've never felt before." I kiss him again, "that's why I like you," I whisper into his ear. I feel him blush as the breeze picks up my hair, surrounding us with the scent of apples. I kiss him gently for a long time, not even recognizing the familiar cat call.
"Hey Ella," Race screeches up, breaking our kiss, I roll my eyes as jasper gives me a funny face.
"What in the world do you want?" I yell at him, chunking a small green apple in his direction.
"Thanks," he catches it and bites it as he gives a sour face.
"Great, leave," I yell as I notice him sitting on the branch below us. He notices a faint residue of Chap Stick on jasper's face and smirks. He looks at me for a second.
"Why even bother getting Chap Stick? Just lick your lips like your gazing at a cupcake or something, thinking of Jasper." Race smirks. I laugh silently as Jasper holds me by the waist; I can't look either of them in the eye because they both know it's true.
"Watch where you put that hand Mister," Race smirks, "That's how Davey got Sketch pregnant."
"No," Jasper responds, "He got her pregnant by."
"You guys are both what? Fourteen, how do you know this?" Race directs at Jasper as I can sense him turning scarlet.
"Race," I say calmly. "Would you like to come to a tea party?"
"Tea, no way, that is how," he starts.
"I know that's how you get girls pregnant, I get it." I mumble.
"No, that's how you get an addiction, it's like getting too much coffee from the nuns," he explains. I make a face at Jasper as Race keeps talking about tea.
"Leave already," Jasper mumbles, losing his temper a bit.
"Can't I just stay for a few more minutes?" he whines.
"You can use those minutes to get a girlfriend," I sass.
"Whatever," race replies as we see him hit the ground.
"Hey Hype, what are you doing tomorrow?" he smiles.
"Race, go away," we hear her smirk.
"Rejection hurts," he yells to us.
"Leave," I scream my loudest. We watch him stalk off and hit on some lady by the fountain.
"How about we try that kiss again?" I ask as I take Jasper's hand. He nods slowly as we both lean in for the lip lock.
