Chapter 2: First Kiss
May 1990
"Mom I can't find my mitt" 12 year old Ashley yelled.
Our mother Lisa sighed. I knew she would never admit it but she wished Ashley was more like a little lady and less like a tomboy. Unlike me Ashley preferred to be friends with boys, the Cena boys to be exact. Although she loved all of them, John was her best friend. They told each other everything.
"Ashley you can't play baseball today we are going to visit your grandmother" our mother reminded her.
Ashley opened her mouth to argue with mom but decided against it.
Our mother smiled "Go change into the dress I laid out for you."
I snickered a little knowing very well that Ashley hated dresses almost as much as she hated going to visit our grandmother. Grandmother Cabot was a very strict old woman who believed that children should be seen and not heard and that young girls were to grow up to be respectful women. She was really old fashioned, and it took all Ashley's self control to contain herself even for a little while.
"What are you laughing at dumbass?" Ashley asked.
"Mom! Ashley called me a dumbass" I yelled.
"Ashley Michelle what did I tell you about cursing" mom had her hands on her hips.
"That it isn't lady like" Ashley spat.
"You are lucky I am not going to go and get the soap" mom threatened.
Oh yes Ashley was an experienced veteran when it came to the soap. But hanging around with all boys tends to do that to a girl. Ashley didn't even flinch at the threat. But then again Ashley wasn't the type of person to be afraid of anything. She was too stubborn to be scared. Ashley just went to go change into her outfit.
"Sweetie can you go check on Damian and Lucas?" my mother asked me.
Damian was our cousin who lived with us. He was 14 then and acted like our older brother. Lucas actually was our brother, he was 6. Damian and Lucas were in the living room playing a videogame. Ashley came downstairs sulking, she had a seat on the couch next to Lucas.
"Aww Luke you beat me again" Damian yelled. He was letting Lucas win and everybody but Lucas knew it.
The doorbell rang, Ashley got up to answer it. I followed because I was bored and had nothing else to do.
John was standing in the doorway with an amused smirk on his face.
"You look pretty Ash" John said in a mocking tone.
"Shut it Cena" Ashley retorted.
"You know sometimes I forget you are a girl" he said. A clouded look came over Ashley's features. It was only for a brief second but I had seen it.
"Well I am one!" she yelled "and it is obvious that I can't go and play baseball today… so just leave!"
John looked a little shocked, Ashley had never yelled at him like that before. I knew that Ashley had developed a crush on John but I didn't call her on it right then and there because she would have denied it anyways.
Later that night Ashley and I were lying in our beds.
"Ash, you asleep" I asked.
"No" she replied. She turned to face me.
"You like John don't you?" I asked.
"Yeah, he's my best friend" she replied.
"That's not what I mean and you know it" I said.
"I don't know" she said "sometimes I just wish he would look at me the way he looks at other girls". She sighed.
"I really don't know what to tell you" I said.
"Then don't try" Ashley commented.
She turned away from me so she was facing the wall.
"What do you hate me so much?" I asked.
"I don't hate you" she said "… it's… never mind"
Ashley stayed in her bad mood for about a week. Our parents were really worried about her, even John seemed depressed. It was about 4 days into her "little vacation from the rest of the world", I found myself on the porch swing. John had the seat next to me.
"Hey" he said.
"Hi" I replied. I wasn't really sure what to say next because John and I didn't really have one on one conversations.
"How are you?" he asked.
"John is there something you want because you and I don't talk" I commented.
"Is Ashley alright?" he asked. "I haven't seen her since she yelled at me."
"She's ok" I replied "we don't really talk"
"Why is that?" he asked.
"We are just too different" I answered.
"Could you do me a favor?" he asked.
"Sure what is it?"
"Can you ask Ashley to meet me in my backyard at 10?"
"Ok?" I said.
He smiled and thanked me before walking away. I sighed it was obvious that he cared about and maybe even had feelings for my younger sister.
"I love you John" I whispered to his retreating form.
I went into the house and then up to the room I shared with my sister. Ashley was reading a book, I laid down on my bed staring at the ceiling.
"John wants you to meet him tonight" I told her.
"And?" she asked.
"He's really worried about you, and from how lost he sounded I think he might even really care about you" I said "you'd be a fool not to go"
She looked at me for a moment and then turned off the light.
How could she not see how lucky she was, John cared about her deeply and she was too foolish to see it. Well if she wanted to be that way let her, which is what I did. The next morning Ashley was as moody as ever. Today was the end of the long weekend we had been enjoying, Tuesday meant school. I dragged myself out of bed. Ashley was in the bathroom putting on what I believed to be MY makeup.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
She turned towards me "What do you think?"
"I think you are perfect if you are trying to get a job as a clown" I replied.
"This is useless!" she threw her hands up in the air.
"Relax I can fix this" I said grabbing some tissues.
It took me about 20 minutes but I have to say she looked really good.
"You clean up real nice" I said.
"Yeah well don't get used to this because I am only trying this out" she said.
"I hope you aren't planning to wear that" I said pointing to her outfit.
"What is the matter with what I am wearing?" Ashley asked.
"Well for starters the baseball hat has to be removed and I think you should wear your hair down" I suggested as I took her hair out of the ponytail she had it in. "next you need to wear something more flattering to your figure".
Ashley crossed her arms over her chest.
"Now I know you hate dresses so let's go for a skirt and a nice blouse"
"You sound like mom" Ashley said.
"And I have no idea who you sound like so let's go and get you a new outfit" I said.
Ashley looked very nice when I was finished. Now we really did look like twins, people wouldn't be able to tell us apart which could be so much fun.
"Morning mom" I said grabbing an orange.
"Good morning sweetie" mom replied.
Ah yes the nicknames I was always sweetie and Ashley was slugger.
"Morning people who I am forced to call family" Ashley sat down next to me at the breakfast table.
"Ashley you look very nice today" our mother said happily.
"Thanks" Ashley said.
"Well come on Ash were gonna be late if we don't hurry" I said.
We grabbed our books and left. John and Matt were waiting for us in front of our house.
"Jesus Ash you look hot" Matt said. Matt was the same age as Damian.
"Ash can we talk?" John asked.
"Yeah sure" Ashley said.
"Go ahead guys we'll meet up with you later" John assured us.
"Ok, but if you are gonna cut school which I have a feeling you two are going to do I know nothing about it" I said.
We walked away, I'm not sure about all of what happened next because all I know is what Ashley wrote down in her diary.
"Hey" John said swinging his arms aimlessly.
"Umm hi" Ashley replied.
"Why didn't you meet me the other night?" John asked.
"I don't know" Ashley replied.
"I want to show you something" he said grabbing her hand.
"John where are we going?" Ashley asked.
"You'll see" he said.
She followed behind him for about 20 minutes before they finally got to their destination. They were sitting in front of a small stream, wildflowers were growing everywhere.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"In the back of the woods behind our houses" John replied "last night there was a meteor shower and I wanted to watch it with you from here".
"Oh" was all Ashley could say.
"What's been going on with you?" John asked.
"Nothing I'm fine" Ashley answered.
"Come on you are like my little sister you should be able to tell me anything" John said.
"That is just it I'm not your little sister" Ashley said "why do you have to think of me that way?"
"What do you mean?" John asked.
"What do you see when you look at me?"
"I see you, the same girl who has been my best friend since I was 6" John replied.
Ashley bit her bottom lip. She could clearly see that this conversation was going nowhere fast. That is when she got an idea.
She grabbed John's hand and pulled him to her. Her lips met his for a brief second but Ashley later went on to say that there was a shock of electricity when their lips met. She backed off quickly. John was surprised he never would have though his best friend would be the one to give him his first kiss.
"Where did that come from?" he asked.
That wasn't the first thing Ashley had expected to come out of his mouth.
"Just forget about it" she said before she started walking away from him.
"Where are you going" he called after her.
She ran all the way home. Our parents were surprised to see her. She told them she didn't feel well, they accepted this. My mother sent Ashley up to our room, she went without a fuss. As soon as the door closed behind her the tears began to fall. She had made a fool of herself in front of John and now she feared it would never be the same.