Ashley

“The NBK club,” I said with a smirk. If Leanne was going to try to create this big scheme to get us our first kisses, then we might as well name it as it is.

As I guessed, neither Leanne nor Madilyn got my name. They repeated my words to me at the same time, both dumb founded.

“Never Been Kissed” I replied simply. I wasn’t out to confuse them, I thought my name for our little ‘club’ to be clever really, maybe even kind of cute. Leanne and Madilyn had to agree, it was pretty good.

Leanne got back to explaining when the show was and that we should be at her house at 6. To be honest I wasn’t really listening, I was thinking about one thing and one thing only. Tyler Bishop.

Tyler Bishop, the perfect guy. 6 foot, blonde, cute, physically fit. Really, what more could a girl ask for? Or, that’s what I thought. I just wanted to press my lips against his, my first kiss. I snapped back from these thoughts just in time to hear the end of Leanne’s little speech.

“I’ve got some planning to do,” she said curtly. She flashed a mischievous smile and quickly exited the room.

“What have I agreed to?” I groaned. Whenever Leanne would say that she had some ‘planning’ to do, something disastrous was about to happen.

Madilyn got up from where she had been sitting next to me on her bed. She went over to her dresser and put the cap back on to the perfume that Leanne had been using before her proposal.

“Well Ash, this should be very interesting.”

“Mmm, you can say that again,” I laughed. “Every plan that Leanne has ever made us go through with has been… interesting.”

I got up off the bed and met Madilyn in the middle of her room. I looked out the window into the autumn afternoon. The leaves were falling off the trees in gorgeous assortments of red, yellow, and orange. I took a deep breath and sighed.

“Well, I better get back to my house. I need to figure out an outfit that is presentable or else Leanne will find me something to wear… last time Leanne got me something to wear I ended up in a miniskirt and knee high boots. Not my favorite look.”

“Okay, see you at Leanne’s at six,” Madilyn said as she giggled about the memory of the last time Leanne dressed me.

I gave her a quick hug and bounded out of her room and down the stairs. I yelled goodbye to Mrs. Kennedy as I picked up my coat and ran out the door. Outside the air was a little chilly, but still comfortable. The leaves that I had just been admiring from inside were now swirling around me. I walked down the street fantasizing about kissing Tyler. I was right in front of my house when I heard my name.

“Hey Ash!” a guy’s voice yelled.

I was suddenly jolted out of my day dream and looked over to see my next door neighbor and one of my best friends since what seemed like forever, Davis.

“Oh, hey Davis! What’s up?”

I crossed the street to meet him where he was standing in his yard. He was holding a rake and next to him was a large pile of colorful leaves. His black hair was a mess and his green eyes looked especially bright in the afternoon light.

“Oh, nothing much just raking, you know the usual chores. What are you up to?”

“Oh, nothing much, Leanne has concocted another plan,” I said with a small sigh. Davis knew all about Leanne’s infamous plans, since he always seemed to be around to witness them all.

“Does this one involve you wearing a mini-skirt and knee high boots again? That one turned out interestingly,” he joked, knowing that I hated wearing that outfit more than anything.

“No Davis… at least I sure hope not,” I said wondering if Leanne would deem my outfit appropriate by her standards. I was only planning on wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and my nike’s. We were only going to a local show after all; they didn’t seem like anything where you needed to be dressed up.

“Ohh darn. Well what has Leanne put you up to now?” Davis asked with a smirk as he started to rake again.

“We’re going to a local show, going to scope out the boys, trying to figure out plans to get kissed,” I said easily without thinking.

Davis looked up at me and asked loudly, “You’re coming up with schemes to get kissed?”

“That’s the general gist of it, yea,” I said with a laugh and a slight shrug.

Davis, no longer raking, continued to stare at me. I couldn’t quite tell what he was thinking. His face betrayed no emotions. Did he think I was being stupid for going along with Leanne’s plan? He was always the one to tell me how ridiculous Leanne’s plans were and often tried to get me to not going along with it, to date he had never stopped me. Did he think I was crazy for coming up with schemes to get kissed? I couldn’t tell, so I simply stood there and waited for him to talk.

He shook his head and continued raking, “So, when is this local show?”

“Tonight, at the alternatives building downtown. Leanne swears that simply everyone will be there. She better not be wrong, because if he’s not there I’ll be so mad.”

“Wait, he who? Does that mean you have a specific guy in mind?” Davis asked suddenly. His gaze was piercing, he wanted an answer and he wanted it quick.

I stood there for a moment unsure of what to say. I couldn’t admit to liking Tyler, Davis always told me about how annoying Tyler was, although I could never believe that a boy as perfect as Tyler could be annoying. He just seemed too perfect.

“Welll, there might be someone…” I started to explain and then my phone went off. “Oh sorry one sec.

Saved by the cell I thought laughing to myself. I took it out of my pocket and saw a big picture of Leanne. I couldn’t imagine what she wanted I still had a half hour to get to her house. I pressed “accept” and put the phone to my ear.

“Hey Lea, what’s up?”

“Have you figured out what you’re wearing yet? If not I think I just found the perfect thing for you! I just know it would look so hot!” she squealed.

“Leanne, honestly I don’t think I could ever trust you to dress me ever since last time,” I said slightly annoyed. I could hear Davis chuckle in the behind me. “I was just going to wear a t-shirt, jeans, and my nike’s. I don’t think I need…”

“Your nike’s? Yes, wear those; they would look good with what I picked out. I just got the perfect top for you. And what would you say to some skinny jeans?” she said quickly. I could hear hangers clanging around in the background.

“I don’t really think that those would be my style really…”

“Nonsense, it will look great. You should come early so that I can get you ready. So, see you in fifteen, don’t be late. Bye hun!”

The call ended with a click. I stared at my cell for a moment, wondering when Leanne would realize that I didn’t appreciate her attempts to dress me. Even if she thought that she was doing what was best.

“You okay?” Davis asked as he came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder.

I looked up at him and nodded, “Yea, I’m good. Just frustrated with Leanne as always, plans changed. I need to be at her house in fifteen minutes now. So, I better get going. See you later Davis!”

I crossed the street to my house leaving Davis behind to finish his raking. I entered my front door and yelled to my mom that I was home. A few seconds later I heard a muffled reply, I guessed that she was upstairs. I found that my bedroom was a mess and it took me a few minutes to retrieve my nike’s.

Is it even worth it to plan an outfit if Leanne is just going to change it the minute I step through her door, I thought idly while I flipped through my closet. I settled on a light blue t-shirt and jeans.

“Hey honey, how was Madilyn’s?” My mom asked, entering my room just as I was pulling my t-shirt over my head.

“Learn to knock Mom, I’m begging ya. And Madilyn’s was good, we’re all going to the alternatives building tonight since there’s a show,” I said quickly hoping my mom wouldn’t ask too many questions.

“Oh that’s nice,” she said distractedly as she picked up some dirty clothes off the floor of my room.

“So, uh, could you give me a ride to Leanne’s?” I asked quickly. I usually asked Davis to give me rides everywhere but he seemed to not agree with Leanne’s plan already. He might not be too eager to be the one who transported me to where the plan was going to start.

“Oh sure honey, let’s go. I needed to go downtown anyways. I have an open house tomorrow and I need to get a bunch of things in order”

I knew that my mom had been at the office all day. Why she would need to go back on a Friday night to clear some things up was beyond me. I just nodded and followed her to the car. In the car I thought of the outfit that Leanne might have planned for me. Skinny jeans? I didn’t even want to know what she was thinking.