Lawn Boy
Worth It
After my talk with my mom, I ended up at Asher’s house. He told me how to get there once and I never forgot. I knocked on the door. His dad answered.
“Um…is Asher here?” I asked.
“Sure,” he said. “He’s upstairs in his room. Let me get him.”
“Actually, would it be okay if I came in?”
“Yeah, come on in. His room is upstairs—the door at the end of the hallway.”
“Thanks,” I said.
Asher must get his looks from his mom because his dad wasn’t too much to look at. He was tall like Asher, but that was about it. Anyway, I got to the end of the hallway and knocked on Asher’s door.
“What dad?” he asked.
“Ash, its Max.”
Silence. I stood there for a minute. He didn’t answer.
“Ash, please. I came to explain. I just couldn’t do it at school.”
Finally I saw the handle moving and the door cracked open. He peeked out. Those blue eyes stared straight at me.
“Hey,” I said with a smile.
“Hey,” he said suspiciously.
“Look, I know that you’re mad at me, but I wanna explain…if you give me the chance.”
“You’re lucky that I can’t resist you, or I wouldn’t be receptive to this at all,” he said, opening the door and standing in the doorway.
I smiled. “I’m just irresistible that way,” I said confidently.
He shook his head.
“What?” I asked.
“I’m just trying to figure out what it is about you that makes me so crazy for you.”
“Well, can I come in or not?”
Asher smiled and walked into his room. I followed him and closed the door behind me. He sat on the foot of his bed and I sat next to him. We didn’t touch. I looked at him and he looked at me. I gave him a smirk and then I nudged him on the shoulder with my shoulder. He laughed, “Hey,” and nudged me back. “You were about to explain yourself?” He asked.
“Right,” I said, sighing. “Shane.”
“Shane?”
“Yeah, Shane told me that he wasn’t really comfortable with his best friend and his cousin together. I felt responsible. I didn’t want to move in on his friendship. So, I pushed you away at school. I didn’t want things to be awkward for Shane.”
“Well…did you even think about how I would feel? It really hurt me.”
“I know, I’m sorry, but you know I couldn’t explain it to you at school.”
He sighed and wiped his face. “I know, I know—I just wish you would’ve told me.”
“There’s something else that I need to tell you,” I said. I took his hand.
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“I lied to you,” I said. “When I told you that there was nothing between Jamie and me…I lied. We kissed and I liked it, a lot. But that was before I met you.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“Well, because I wasn’t sure of how I felt about Jamie and I wasn’t sure of how you fit into things either, but everything got put into perspective when you got mad at me today.”
“It did?”
“Yeah, I was so down because you were mad at me. I couldn’t even think straight. It made me realize that I don’t want you mad at me. I want you smiling at, because I love your smile. I want your arms around me because your touch drives me absolutely insane…in a good way.” He smiled. “My God, do I love your smile. I wanna be with you, Ash. If…if you wanna be with me.”
“Of course I wanna be with you, Max. I—I’ve never felt like this for anyone before.”
I reached up and put my hand softly on his cheek. He smiled and his eyes went downward. I picked his head up by his chin so his eyes were looking at me.
“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered.
He blushed and then I kissed his cheek, then I kissed the corner of his mouth, and then when my kisses finally reached his lips, he held on tight to my waist. When the kiss was over, we stayed connected at our foreheads and he put his hand on my cheek. His chest fell up and down dramatically as he looked into my eyes.
“I love you,” he said.
I pecked him another kiss. “I love you, too.”
We wrapped our arms around each other tightly, our cheeks pressed up against each other. It felt right. It felt great.
“I have one more thing to tell you,” I said.
“Oh my gosh, there’s more?”
“Yeah…” I cleared my throat. “Jamie feels pretty strongly about me. I know because he told me. He made it clear that he wants to be with me, even when I told him that I wanted you. He also made it clear that he would do anything to get me.”
“So, why are you telling me this?”
“I’m telling you just in case something happens—in case he makes a play and you just happen to get into the middle of it. I want you to know that no matter what he does, I’m gonna choose you.”
“Where in the hell did you come from?—out of left field.”
“Is that baseball? I’m not very good with sports.”
He laughed. “Yes, it’s baseball. What am I gonna do with you?”
“Hmm,” I said, pretending to be thinking. “I know, how about kiss me again?”
He was just about to kiss me again, when his dad came knocking. He stood up right away and got as far away from me as he could.
“You have more guests,” he said. Kelly and Pete walked in.
“What’s up guys?” Ash asked nervously.
“Hey, you guys,” said Pete.
“I’ll be downstairs,” said his dad, closing the door.
“What’s up guys?” Ash asked again.
“I hope we didn’t interrupt,” said Kelly.
“You did,” I said.
“Yeah,” said Asher, clearing his throat. “You did.”
“Well, sorry, we just have something important to tell you,” said Pete. He turned to Kelly. “Go ahead.”
“We might have a slight problem,” she said. “Brenda knows about you guys, and…she’s not very happy.”
“Kelly,” Asher started. “How did Brenda find out?”
She looked down, “I may have….accidentally said something.”
Asher put his face in his hands. “I can’t believe this.”
“I’m so sorry you guys.”
“What’s the big deal?” I asked.
“You obviously don’t know Brenda as well as we do,” said Pete.
“Yes, she’ll probably tell the whole school just to get back at me,” said Asher. “She’s conniving and cruel. You really don’t wanna get on her bad side.”
“One time a girl hit on Asher at the mall and the next thing you know the girl was running out of the mall crying,” said Pete.
“Whoa,” I said. “What do we do?”
“There’s nothing we can do,” said Ash. “All we can do is wait and then brace ourselves. She’s gonna be coming at us full force Monday at school.”
“I’m so sorry you guys,” said Kelly.
“Its okay, Kelly. She would’ve found out eventually.”
“Well, we’ll leave you two alone,” said Pete. “Come on, Kelly.”
He started to pull Kelly out of the room and they left. Their warning was very ominous and I was sort of scared about what Brenda might do. After all, I did kind of steal her boyfriend. But no matter what she did, Ash was worth it.
“Um…is Asher here?” I asked.
“Sure,” he said. “He’s upstairs in his room. Let me get him.”
“Actually, would it be okay if I came in?”
“Yeah, come on in. His room is upstairs—the door at the end of the hallway.”
“Thanks,” I said.
Asher must get his looks from his mom because his dad wasn’t too much to look at. He was tall like Asher, but that was about it. Anyway, I got to the end of the hallway and knocked on Asher’s door.
“What dad?” he asked.
“Ash, its Max.”
Silence. I stood there for a minute. He didn’t answer.
“Ash, please. I came to explain. I just couldn’t do it at school.”
Finally I saw the handle moving and the door cracked open. He peeked out. Those blue eyes stared straight at me.
“Hey,” I said with a smile.
“Hey,” he said suspiciously.
“Look, I know that you’re mad at me, but I wanna explain…if you give me the chance.”
“You’re lucky that I can’t resist you, or I wouldn’t be receptive to this at all,” he said, opening the door and standing in the doorway.
I smiled. “I’m just irresistible that way,” I said confidently.
He shook his head.
“What?” I asked.
“I’m just trying to figure out what it is about you that makes me so crazy for you.”
“Well, can I come in or not?”
Asher smiled and walked into his room. I followed him and closed the door behind me. He sat on the foot of his bed and I sat next to him. We didn’t touch. I looked at him and he looked at me. I gave him a smirk and then I nudged him on the shoulder with my shoulder. He laughed, “Hey,” and nudged me back. “You were about to explain yourself?” He asked.
“Right,” I said, sighing. “Shane.”
“Shane?”
“Yeah, Shane told me that he wasn’t really comfortable with his best friend and his cousin together. I felt responsible. I didn’t want to move in on his friendship. So, I pushed you away at school. I didn’t want things to be awkward for Shane.”
“Well…did you even think about how I would feel? It really hurt me.”
“I know, I’m sorry, but you know I couldn’t explain it to you at school.”
He sighed and wiped his face. “I know, I know—I just wish you would’ve told me.”
“There’s something else that I need to tell you,” I said. I took his hand.
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“I lied to you,” I said. “When I told you that there was nothing between Jamie and me…I lied. We kissed and I liked it, a lot. But that was before I met you.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“Well, because I wasn’t sure of how I felt about Jamie and I wasn’t sure of how you fit into things either, but everything got put into perspective when you got mad at me today.”
“It did?”
“Yeah, I was so down because you were mad at me. I couldn’t even think straight. It made me realize that I don’t want you mad at me. I want you smiling at, because I love your smile. I want your arms around me because your touch drives me absolutely insane…in a good way.” He smiled. “My God, do I love your smile. I wanna be with you, Ash. If…if you wanna be with me.”
“Of course I wanna be with you, Max. I—I’ve never felt like this for anyone before.”
I reached up and put my hand softly on his cheek. He smiled and his eyes went downward. I picked his head up by his chin so his eyes were looking at me.
“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered.
He blushed and then I kissed his cheek, then I kissed the corner of his mouth, and then when my kisses finally reached his lips, he held on tight to my waist. When the kiss was over, we stayed connected at our foreheads and he put his hand on my cheek. His chest fell up and down dramatically as he looked into my eyes.
“I love you,” he said.
I pecked him another kiss. “I love you, too.”
We wrapped our arms around each other tightly, our cheeks pressed up against each other. It felt right. It felt great.
“I have one more thing to tell you,” I said.
“Oh my gosh, there’s more?”
“Yeah…” I cleared my throat. “Jamie feels pretty strongly about me. I know because he told me. He made it clear that he wants to be with me, even when I told him that I wanted you. He also made it clear that he would do anything to get me.”
“So, why are you telling me this?”
“I’m telling you just in case something happens—in case he makes a play and you just happen to get into the middle of it. I want you to know that no matter what he does, I’m gonna choose you.”
“Where in the hell did you come from?—out of left field.”
“Is that baseball? I’m not very good with sports.”
He laughed. “Yes, it’s baseball. What am I gonna do with you?”
“Hmm,” I said, pretending to be thinking. “I know, how about kiss me again?”
He was just about to kiss me again, when his dad came knocking. He stood up right away and got as far away from me as he could.
“You have more guests,” he said. Kelly and Pete walked in.
“What’s up guys?” Ash asked nervously.
“Hey, you guys,” said Pete.
“I’ll be downstairs,” said his dad, closing the door.
“What’s up guys?” Ash asked again.
“I hope we didn’t interrupt,” said Kelly.
“You did,” I said.
“Yeah,” said Asher, clearing his throat. “You did.”
“Well, sorry, we just have something important to tell you,” said Pete. He turned to Kelly. “Go ahead.”
“We might have a slight problem,” she said. “Brenda knows about you guys, and…she’s not very happy.”
“Kelly,” Asher started. “How did Brenda find out?”
She looked down, “I may have….accidentally said something.”
Asher put his face in his hands. “I can’t believe this.”
“I’m so sorry you guys.”
“What’s the big deal?” I asked.
“You obviously don’t know Brenda as well as we do,” said Pete.
“Yes, she’ll probably tell the whole school just to get back at me,” said Asher. “She’s conniving and cruel. You really don’t wanna get on her bad side.”
“One time a girl hit on Asher at the mall and the next thing you know the girl was running out of the mall crying,” said Pete.
“Whoa,” I said. “What do we do?”
“There’s nothing we can do,” said Ash. “All we can do is wait and then brace ourselves. She’s gonna be coming at us full force Monday at school.”
“I’m so sorry you guys,” said Kelly.
“Its okay, Kelly. She would’ve found out eventually.”
“Well, we’ll leave you two alone,” said Pete. “Come on, Kelly.”
He started to pull Kelly out of the room and they left. Their warning was very ominous and I was sort of scared about what Brenda might do. After all, I did kind of steal her boyfriend. But no matter what she did, Ash was worth it.
♠ ♠ ♠
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