11~ Old Memories

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It's been two weeks since Alex and I kissed at homecoming and we haven't talked about it at all. It's not awkward between us and that's what bothers me.

The Haywood boys and I have become really close. I see them as my brothers, well most of them.

It's Halloween this week and Del is freaking out about our costumes. She wants everyone to match somewhat. So Sav and Del both came over to my house after school.

"Ugh I hate picking group costumes" Savannah groaned and flopped on my bed. "Every year I get stuck with it and there's not a lot of big group costumes you can do"

"What about toy story characters? There's a million of them" I suggested sitting on my swinging chair.

"We did that two years ago" she groaned.

Well damn. I see what Savannah meant. We've been thinking for what felt like hours. We've been moving around my room trying to think of something.

"What about power rangers? I think there's enough of them"

"I'm not feeling that" Del said. She sat on my beak chair.

"What about we each have a partner and do Disney characters?" I said. "We'd all the corresponding and it'll be supper cute for the couples, well couple"

Del stood up and said, "Yeah but the boys would never agree to that." She began pacing around the room for the hundredth time.

"You're right" I sighed leaning back in the chair mopey.

Savannah suddenly popped up and smiled like crazy. We both looked at her with quizzical looks.

She thought for another minute before actually saying anything.

"Sav spit it out already" I groaned when she still didn't say anything.

"Okay okay. Staying on the topic of Disney. Snow White and the seven dwarfs. There's eight of us it's perfect."

"Go Sav!" I cheered and high fived her.

"Looks like we just found our Halloween costumes" Del smiled.

Sav stayed over for a little longer before she had to get to work. We worked out the rest of the costumes, choosing who would be what character, before she left.

"So have you talked to Alex yet?" Del asked once Sav left. No one knows that Alex and I kissed, at least I don't think they do. I didn't tell anyone except Del.

I groaned and flipped over stuffing my face in a pillow.

"I'll take that as a no" she giggled. "You need to talk to him, he can't just kiss you and not say anything about it for two weeks"

I sat back up and put the pillow in my lap. "It's not like I even tried to say anything either, but he acts like everything is normal."

"I told you this when you first came and I'll tell you again. The Haywood twins are major players. It's what they do." She looked at my frowning face apologetically. She got up from her spot on my swinging chair and walked over to me. "I'm not saying you two shouldn't date or anything like that. I think you two are good for each other. All I'm saying is I want you to be careful. I don't want you to get hurt"

"And I won't, I will be very careful" I looked up at her. She threw her arms around me and gave me a big hug. I hugged her back.

"I love you Aspen"

"I love you to Delilah"

After our talk we started talking about other things, including her friendship with Briar.

Delilah left and I was left with nothing to do. I could my homework that's due on Thursday but I don't want to.

I looked over at my desk filled with unfinished sketchbooks and random sketches.

I haven't painted in a while. So that's what I decided to do.

I grabbed a blanket, a canvas, my mini easel, my paints and brushes, and headed to the back yard.

I put the blanket under the shade of the big oak tree. It reminded me of my favorite place in Kansas. A big open meadow with the single oak tree in the middle. I've been to that meadow millions of times in my life. The girls and I had picnics, we stargazed at night, we danced in the rain. It was our place.

My mind wandered as I painted the meadow from memory.

I sat in the meadow lost in thought as I sketched the beautiful world around me. Tears brimmed my eyes as I remembered the fight Larissa and I had only hours ago.

A tear fell onto the paper taking the ink and flowing down the paper. I tried to save it, but I knew it was too late. I smudged the paper ultimately ruining the drawing.

"Aspen?" Her voice broke me out of my trance and I remembered I was mad at her. I turned away from her angrily.

I could feel her presence as she took a seat next to me. She picked at the grass letting the small pieces fly away in the breeze.

"Aspen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything I said I was just angry when I found out my parents were getting a divorce. I took it out on you and I shouldn't have." She apologized and hung he head low.

"Larissa, I know you're parents getting a divorce is hard on you, it would be for anybody. Just know that I'm always here for you no matter what, don't push me away again I couldn't handle it"

I hugged my best friend as we forgave each other for the fight that occurred only hours earlier. I can never stay mad at her long.

I always had the best memories from that meadow, but they weren't always good memories.

"Maya don't!" I screamed as she went after Sam. Larissa stood in between them.

"She stole my boyfriend! She stole my happiness! She stole my friends!" She cried as she fell to the ground.

"Maya we're always going to be your friends. She didn't know that Jake was your boyfriend. He came up to her, remember?" I tried to reason with her.

"She's not the one to blame Maya and you know it" Larissa said calmly.

Maya calmed down. Samantha pushed trough Larissa.

Larissa looked at me with a worried look. I nodded making sure she knows everything is okay.

"Maya" Sam said softly kneeling down to her level. "I had no idea you and Jake were dating. As soon as I found out I ended anything that could've happened. And I didn't mean to steal your friends. All of you were just so nice to me."

Maya looked up at her with apologetic eyes. "You didn't steal my friends" she sniffled. "I overreacted, I'm sorry. I know, now, that Jake is a player and you didn't steal him. It's just when I saw you two together something came over me"

Larissa and I stayed back listening to the conversation.

"Friends?" Sam asked, opening up her arms.

"Friends" Maya nodded hugging Sam. Larissa and I got in and created a group hug.

"What are you doing?" I heard someone ask. I shook out of my trance and looked up to see Parker standing there.

"Reminiscing" I answered before going back to my painting.

"That's a beautiful painting" he said as he sat next to me.

"Thank you" I blushed at his compliment.

We sat in silence as I finished the painting. I could sense something off in Parker as he stayed silent. He hasn't been this quiet around me in weeks.

"Where's that meadow?" He asked.

"Back in Kansas. It's my favorite place in the world"

"Oh okay" he said.

He didn't say anything else for a long time. He looked off into the distance as he played with the grass.

"Parker?" He hummed in response. "What's wrong?"

He looked at me. He didn't say anything he just looked at me. I stayed silent.

"You know how I told you my dad was my best friend?" I nodded not wanting to interrupt him. "Today's his birthday and I guess I just miss him"

"Did you at least get to tell him happy birthday?" I asked quietly.

I didn't know his situation I just wanted to make him feel better.

"He uh" he sniffled. "He died two years ago"

I gasped and immediately beat myself up for what I said. "Parker, I'm so sorry I had no idea"

He let out a choked chuckle. "It's okay. I just like thinking of the good memories I had of him while I had him. It was about when I was seven when I couldn't see him again. But every year for my birthday and his birthday I got to spend that special day with him. I missed him like crazy the time in between"

"I don't know how you feel. I haven't lost anyone like you have, but I do understand that you missed him like crazy because right now I feel like that all the time."

We sat and looked into the setting sun together. Neither of us said anything. He had his arm around me and my head rested on his shoulder.

"Come on let's do something fun" I popped up all of a sudden.

He looked up at me, not wanting to get up. "Like what?" He asked leaning back on his hands.

I looked around my backyard looking for something to do. There's not a lot out here. An idea popped in my head.

"Tag! You're it!" I touched his shoulder before running away.

He laughed at me before getting up and chasing me. We ran around the backyard chasing each other until the sun had fully set. The sky was getting darker by the minute and Parker decided he should head home.

"Thank you Aspen" he said giving me a big hug.

"For what?" I giggled as I returned the hug.

"For everything. For giving me someone I could talk to whenever I need it. For listening to all the stupid shit I say. For being my friend. For getting me out of my mind for once. For making me happy. Thank you for all of it."

I could feel my face burning. My heart fluttered at his words and butterflies erupted in my stomach.

"You're welcome, I enjoy having you around" I smiled at him.

The weird feeling came back except this time it was different. I don't know how but it was different.

Oh shit.

"Bye Aspen" Parker gave me a quick hug before leaving.

"By Parker" I waved and watched as he got in his car and drove away.

Not even five seconds later my phone started buzzing. I pulled it out of my pocket hoping to see dad's contact picture.

It was Larissa. She wanted to Skype. I jogged upstairs and pulled out my laptop.

I called her. My body bounced in excitement. I haven't seen her face in a long time. A smile took over my face as her face appeared on my screen.

We both squealed. "Harry Larry!" I squealed.

"Pine tree!" She squealed. Her blonde hair and blue eyes are just the same.

"So how are things in Kansas?" I asked.

"So the guy both girls had a crush on turns out he's gay so both of the girls kinda just laughed it off"

I chuckled. "That's kinda awkward"

"Yeah what about you? any drama in San Francisco?" She looked at me with expectant eyes.

I sighed thinking about the events of the past few weeks.

"I told you about the Haywood's right?" She nodded remembering them. "So I got Silas, the sophomore, a girlfriend, kind of they're talking right now. I'm pretty sure Briar, the oldest, has a crush on Delilah."

"That's so cool. I can't wait to meet them!"

"I thought I was going to Kansas?" I questioned.

"You are! I was just saying in general I can't wait to meet them" she answered quickly, too quickly.

"Okay...but that's not even half of the drama." Her jaw dropped in shock. "So Alex and I almost kissed twice"

"What?" She yelled.

"Yeah and then he kissed me at homecoming"

"What?" She yelled again with a huge grin plastered across her face.

"Yeah and every time I got a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. That was two weeks ago." She didn't say anything and let me continue talking. "Today I was with Parker, the one who is literally a month younger than me, and I got the same feeling. It was a little bit different though. Parker didn't try to kiss me. Now I'm confused and I don't know what to think." I put my head in my hands in frustration.

"Okay breathe. You clearly have feelings for both of them for different reasons."

"I don't have feelings for them I barely know them!"

She gave me a pointed look. "Okay so I have feelings for them" I mumbled and crossed my arms.

"Just okay things out like normal, everything will work out in the end"

"Thanks Lar" I smiled.

Even though she was more than a thousand miles away, I'm glad to know that I have my best friend to comfort me.

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