"Craig, this painting is awful!" Ashley laughed as she pointed to the
one they were standing in front of. It was large with ugly dark green
colors and what looked like a brown figure in the middle.
"Oh, sorry." He said, looking at her sideways. She shook her head, and Ellie laughed.
"Hey, are you guys hungry? There are some booths up here!" He pointed to a row of people in their tents, cooking up food for fundraisers.
"Okay." Ellie said, walking beside Ashley. Once they got up there, they ordered. Ashley reached for her money and Craig touched her hand.
"I'll buy." He told her, looking into her eyes.
"Okay," she said, a little wierded out. She put her hand slowly back into her pocket once Craig let go. She slightly smiled and looked away. Craig paid for Ashley and Ellie's food and they sat on some picnic tables.
"Thanks." Ellie turned to look at Craig, not quite smiling.
"No prob." He told them as he slyly sat beside Ash, closer then a friend would. She scooted away a little and gave Ellie a look. She shrugged. They ate and talked, Craig staring intently at Ashley and agreeing every time she made a point. She made the mistake of patting Craig on the back after their conversation and saying,
"It's nice to have an intellectual conversation once in awhile." She paused, and Craig smirked a little. "I'll be right back. Bathroom." She said, and motioned to Ellie. Quietly Craig said,
"Hurry back." Once they turned the corner, he grabbed Ashley's jacket and turned it on, deleting the message that said 'One New Call' and grabbed Ellie's jacket, searching for a cell, and accidentally on purpose, turned it off.
JIMMY'S HOUSE
"You and Me. Great." Jimmy said, moving away from Paige.
"You know," Paige said, fluttering her eyelids a little as she walked from behind Jimmy to in front of him, leaning on the counter, "Ashley appreciates deeper stuff then just parties." She was talking slowly, being sure to accentuate every syllable. Jimmy shot her a questioning look. "I mean, look who you hang out with." She pointed to Spinner, who was dancing like a drunk. He probably was. Jimmy backed away until he couldn't back away anymore. He was against a wall. "Ashley," She said, putting her arm close to his and leaning over a bit, showing way more then she should, "Doesn't like this sort of stuff." She shot him a look and ran her tongue over her lips provocatively. "But I do."
Jimmy was mesmerized. One side of his brain was screaming that Paige was right. The other was telling him to leave, now.
"Jimmy." Paige murmured, not giving up. She breathed his name quickly, in a whisper. She never dropped eye contact with him as she slowly moved closer, her body centimeters from his. She moved her face closer to his, their lips almost touching. He was paralyzed. He couldn't move or he would touch her. He didn't want to. Or did he? She breathed his name again, barely audible. He closed his eyes, imagining this wasn't happening. Just move! His brain said. Go away! Slap her! Run! But the other side was telling him it was so right. Suddenly, he felt soft lips on top of his. Her lips smelled exactly like Ashley's. Wishing it were she, instead of Paige, he welcomed the kiss with an open mouth.
AT THE ART FAIR. . .
"I can't believe Jimmy hasn't called yet." Ashley said, checking her watch. "Can I check my messages?" Craig nodded, handing Ashley her cell, which was on again. (surprise, surprise!) "Huh." She said, wondering. "Ell, did you get any calls?" Ellie checked her cell, too, and low and behold, no calls there.
"Maybe they're having too much fun." Craig said, "you know, Jimmy was quite the party animal over the summer."
"Oh really?" Ashley asked him, moving closer.
"Oh, yeah." Craig became sweaty and nervous. "Parties ever, uh, weekend. Beer, too. Yeah, you know, I'm surprised he and Paige aren't going out after all they did over the summer." He said slyly.
"Him? Paige?" She spat Paige's name out in disgust. "I thought Jimmy really cared about me! He said he hated Paige."
"Oh yeah. That's what he said." Craig, what are you saying? His brain was screaming at him. He was making stuff up word by word. Ellie was now listening intently.
"What do you mean?" Ellie asked.
"You know," he paused. "Paige took it too far and they broke up. Just in time for school and to see you, Ash. Imagine that." Good one! He was praising himself. It really sounded believable. He almost believed it.
"Oh. My. God." She said slowly.
"Are you sure this is true?" Ellie asked, eyes wide.
"Well, I think so. I mean, I walked in on them once when I was trying to find the bathroom. I think you had a reason to know." He said the last part to Ashley.
"Oh my God!" She exclaimed loudly.
AT JIMMY'S . . .
Jimmy stopped breathing and pulled away from Paige. He never kissed her before. He loved Ash, remember? He tried to remind himself but all he could think about is she having too much fun with Manning at the art fair. He was filled with anger and wanted to make her jealous now. They got back together. This party was supposed to be 'them' time. But now, Paige was here and he discovered that she's a really great kisser. But he was still debating with himself. Paige had a little more seducing to go.
She pouted, biting her lip. "C'mon Jimmy. It's just a little fun. Besides, Ashley's still is hanging out with Craig. You know you want to kiss me." She was close now. Too close. And she was right, he did want to kiss her. He was cornered! He wished Spinner would barf or something so he could go out there. But he was here, with Paige standing right in front of him, thrusting her chest in his face. She kissed him again, and he kissed her back.
Meanwhile, the door sprang open to the house, but no one really noticed. Ashley was running in, black eyeliner leaving streams of muddy color down her cheeks. Spinner was dirty dancing with a few cheerleaders and he was drunk. He wasn't going to be any help. She searched the room for Jimmy or Paige. When she didn't find them, she moved to the kitchen, where she saw. . . well, she saw them alright.
"Jimmy?" She spat out like it was a curse word. He shot her a dirty look and pushed Paige away.
"Having fun with Manning?" He sneered.
"Obviously not as much fun as you and Paige are." She held back tears.
"Well, when you decided not to come, it didn't really matter anymore."
"When **I** decided not to come? No, no, it's when **You** decided to throw another big party and get down with Paige like you did all last summer!" She retorted.
"I didn't have any parties last summer!"
"Give me a break, Jimmy. Craig told me everything." She shot smug Paige and confused Jimmy evil looks and grabbed Ellie by the elbow when she turned away towards the door.
"I hope you both are happy." Ellie said.
"Oh, sorry." He said, looking at her sideways. She shook her head, and Ellie laughed.
"Hey, are you guys hungry? There are some booths up here!" He pointed to a row of people in their tents, cooking up food for fundraisers.
"Okay." Ellie said, walking beside Ashley. Once they got up there, they ordered. Ashley reached for her money and Craig touched her hand.
"I'll buy." He told her, looking into her eyes.
"Okay," she said, a little wierded out. She put her hand slowly back into her pocket once Craig let go. She slightly smiled and looked away. Craig paid for Ashley and Ellie's food and they sat on some picnic tables.
"Thanks." Ellie turned to look at Craig, not quite smiling.
"No prob." He told them as he slyly sat beside Ash, closer then a friend would. She scooted away a little and gave Ellie a look. She shrugged. They ate and talked, Craig staring intently at Ashley and agreeing every time she made a point. She made the mistake of patting Craig on the back after their conversation and saying,
"It's nice to have an intellectual conversation once in awhile." She paused, and Craig smirked a little. "I'll be right back. Bathroom." She said, and motioned to Ellie. Quietly Craig said,
"Hurry back." Once they turned the corner, he grabbed Ashley's jacket and turned it on, deleting the message that said 'One New Call' and grabbed Ellie's jacket, searching for a cell, and accidentally on purpose, turned it off.
JIMMY'S HOUSE
"You and Me. Great." Jimmy said, moving away from Paige.
"You know," Paige said, fluttering her eyelids a little as she walked from behind Jimmy to in front of him, leaning on the counter, "Ashley appreciates deeper stuff then just parties." She was talking slowly, being sure to accentuate every syllable. Jimmy shot her a questioning look. "I mean, look who you hang out with." She pointed to Spinner, who was dancing like a drunk. He probably was. Jimmy backed away until he couldn't back away anymore. He was against a wall. "Ashley," She said, putting her arm close to his and leaning over a bit, showing way more then she should, "Doesn't like this sort of stuff." She shot him a look and ran her tongue over her lips provocatively. "But I do."
Jimmy was mesmerized. One side of his brain was screaming that Paige was right. The other was telling him to leave, now.
"Jimmy." Paige murmured, not giving up. She breathed his name quickly, in a whisper. She never dropped eye contact with him as she slowly moved closer, her body centimeters from his. She moved her face closer to his, their lips almost touching. He was paralyzed. He couldn't move or he would touch her. He didn't want to. Or did he? She breathed his name again, barely audible. He closed his eyes, imagining this wasn't happening. Just move! His brain said. Go away! Slap her! Run! But the other side was telling him it was so right. Suddenly, he felt soft lips on top of his. Her lips smelled exactly like Ashley's. Wishing it were she, instead of Paige, he welcomed the kiss with an open mouth.
AT THE ART FAIR. . .
"I can't believe Jimmy hasn't called yet." Ashley said, checking her watch. "Can I check my messages?" Craig nodded, handing Ashley her cell, which was on again. (surprise, surprise!) "Huh." She said, wondering. "Ell, did you get any calls?" Ellie checked her cell, too, and low and behold, no calls there.
"Maybe they're having too much fun." Craig said, "you know, Jimmy was quite the party animal over the summer."
"Oh really?" Ashley asked him, moving closer.
"Oh, yeah." Craig became sweaty and nervous. "Parties ever, uh, weekend. Beer, too. Yeah, you know, I'm surprised he and Paige aren't going out after all they did over the summer." He said slyly.
"Him? Paige?" She spat Paige's name out in disgust. "I thought Jimmy really cared about me! He said he hated Paige."
"Oh yeah. That's what he said." Craig, what are you saying? His brain was screaming at him. He was making stuff up word by word. Ellie was now listening intently.
"What do you mean?" Ellie asked.
"You know," he paused. "Paige took it too far and they broke up. Just in time for school and to see you, Ash. Imagine that." Good one! He was praising himself. It really sounded believable. He almost believed it.
"Oh. My. God." She said slowly.
"Are you sure this is true?" Ellie asked, eyes wide.
"Well, I think so. I mean, I walked in on them once when I was trying to find the bathroom. I think you had a reason to know." He said the last part to Ashley.
"Oh my God!" She exclaimed loudly.
AT JIMMY'S . . .
Jimmy stopped breathing and pulled away from Paige. He never kissed her before. He loved Ash, remember? He tried to remind himself but all he could think about is she having too much fun with Manning at the art fair. He was filled with anger and wanted to make her jealous now. They got back together. This party was supposed to be 'them' time. But now, Paige was here and he discovered that she's a really great kisser. But he was still debating with himself. Paige had a little more seducing to go.
She pouted, biting her lip. "C'mon Jimmy. It's just a little fun. Besides, Ashley's still is hanging out with Craig. You know you want to kiss me." She was close now. Too close. And she was right, he did want to kiss her. He was cornered! He wished Spinner would barf or something so he could go out there. But he was here, with Paige standing right in front of him, thrusting her chest in his face. She kissed him again, and he kissed her back.
Meanwhile, the door sprang open to the house, but no one really noticed. Ashley was running in, black eyeliner leaving streams of muddy color down her cheeks. Spinner was dirty dancing with a few cheerleaders and he was drunk. He wasn't going to be any help. She searched the room for Jimmy or Paige. When she didn't find them, she moved to the kitchen, where she saw. . . well, she saw them alright.
"Jimmy?" She spat out like it was a curse word. He shot her a dirty look and pushed Paige away.
"Having fun with Manning?" He sneered.
"Obviously not as much fun as you and Paige are." She held back tears.
"Well, when you decided not to come, it didn't really matter anymore."
"When **I** decided not to come? No, no, it's when **You** decided to throw another big party and get down with Paige like you did all last summer!" She retorted.
"I didn't have any parties last summer!"
"Give me a break, Jimmy. Craig told me everything." She shot smug Paige and confused Jimmy evil looks and grabbed Ellie by the elbow when she turned away towards the door.
"I hope you both are happy." Ellie said.