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“Hey! Maxxie! Come here baby!”
That and a big “WOOF!” pierced through Ashlyn’s noise cancelling headphones, making her wince a bit. She'd chosen a bench on the isolated side of the park though, or so she’d thought.
She looked up to catch a brown fluffy cloud sprint across the park towards…oh.
oh no.
It was Taylor, dressed in sports gear, with her hair in a high ponytail.
Taylor Hernández, who would definitely call Ashlyn “her childhood friend” if asked, even though they’d never held a decent conversation, definitely not one without her explosive twin brother stuck to her side.
Taylor didn’t budge even an inch as her bear-sized dog threw itself onto her with a passion.
Ashlyn stared.
The bulge in her biceps was visible from this distance as she heaved the mutt up for a better grip, returning the onslaught of aggressive licks with her own kisses and loud endearments.
Sweetheart and baby and lovely. Ashlyn's ears were burning even though the words were meant for the dog.
In Ashlyn's defense though, she couldn't help her sharp hearing. And in Taylor’s defense, this was kind of a dog park.
I should’ve recognized her voice, only she’s this excited on a Monday morning…
Catching her own gaze stuck to Taylor’s long legs, Ashlyn felt a bit weird – like she couldn’t catch her breath.
She forced herself to look up again, grateful that Taylor hadn’t noticed her yet. Her hands full with the mammoth dog, wiggling with the constant nervous energy that only dogs seemed to have.
Well, dogs and Aiden. The guy was something. A recent addition to her routine.
Right, I should go meet up with those two.
Ashlyn tore her gaze away from the adorable sight in front of her (You wouldn’t get her to admit it with a knife at her throat) and got up to go, just when–
“Ashlyn? Wait up, Hi!” came a voice behind her.
Ashlyn turned around lightning fast, her face in a habitual flat pan expression,
“Hey Taylor. You don't have class today?”
Taylor’s face turned a bit surprised at that and Ashlyn wondered if she had done or said anything wrong.
“Hi! I’m really glad you remember my name, Lyn!”
Lyn...
Remember a girl’s name and she immediately nicknames you the most stupid nickname you’ve heard all your life.
Ashlyn didn’t have the courage to disapprove of the nickname, though. Which was surprising, since disapproval came as instinctually as ballet.
Taylor's wide smile brought Ashlyn's attention to her pouty lips, they were a deep red-brown color and very shiny under the sun. Almost too glossy. Ashlyn wondered if the lip gloss would feel sticky under her fingers.
Ashlyn had never understood why everyone was intimidated by Taylor. She'd overheard people discuss the star athlete and AP physics topper with awe and jealousy maybe (as far as she could study) but always from a distance.
Right now, with that warm smile and sparkly brown eyes with full lashes directed towards her, Ashlyn needed a second to adjust to it.
She understood suddenly what people meant when they said they either wanted to be her or wanted-
Um.
Taylor was making small talk about her brother and ballet and her dog. Ashlyn liked her voice. It wasn't shrill, or entitled to attention.
If she was lucky, she’d catch Taylor only around the workshop and sometimes in cafeteria from afar.
Ashlyn was confused - but not complaining - about how Taylor had managed to keep the conversation going with someone like her.
Talking to her? Talking to her, right at this moment. Earth to Ashlyn.
Closer now, Ashlyn was also having an issue paying attention to what Taylor was saying, distracted by how tall she was up close. She could cosplay an Amazonian warrior with all the...everything.
“…so…will you help? It’ll be like a minute.” Okay, so it was a yes or no question-
A question that Ashlyn should’ve heard.
“Yeah, sure. What do you need?”
What the fuck.
Ashlyn is not a people pleaser. Why didn’t she just ask for her to repeat? What the fuck.
Suddenly the dog at Taylor’s side was being ushered in Ashlyn’s direction, the leash handed over.
No way.
Before she could say a word, Taylor had whispered a quick “thank you so much!” and jogged away.
….
Okay then.
Feeling out of her element, she looked down at the animal huffing near her feet, nosing her pant lightly. Ashlyn noticed it was the same brown as Taylor’s curls. A gentle giant.
Taylor was also always too kind towards an icy-at-best Ashlyn.
Ashlyn remembered Taylor telling off stupid boys in their elementary grade who tried to make mean comments about her. (as if she cared) She also remembered Taylor following her around when it was just girls at PE, as if she was unsure what to do when on her own.
“um…Maxxie? Sit.”
Maxxie immediately sat down and tilted his head up at Ashlyn, as if waiting for the next instruction.
Obedient, excitable, and large brown doe eyes.
Hmm…puppies are alright, I guess.
Taylor returned, a few minutes later, with her bag – presumably what she’d gone to collect.
Ashlyn was showing Maxxie cat videos on her phone, sitting cross-legged on the lawn with him.
“You guys look so cute!” Taylor gave a cheeky grin, “Lemme click a pic real quick –”
Ashlyn obliged, giving Taylor’s camera a thumbs up with her free hand.
Taylor lowered her phone a bit slowly, eyes darting away and back.
Ashlyn waited.
She’d realized people get to talking eventually, she needed to have patience till they understood they’re getting nowhere with her with just face expressions.
“so…um how about I buy you a coffee to say thank you? Does that sou–”
All chamces of her answering “YES YES Let’s fucking go” like a loser got swept away the next second.
No. Quite literally swept away.
By Maxxie, who’d taken off at top speed, with his leash still wrapped around in Ashlyn’s hand.
There had been a high pitch whistling coming from some direction. While Ashlyn had been ignoring it, habitual to the sound, Maxxie had decided to race after it with the speed of lightning.
Right. Dogs. High pitch sounds. FUCK.
Ashlyn’s quick reflexes saved her as she jumped up and started running after the dog.
She had no choice. Her hand was entangled with the leash too much to just let it go, and the dog was so huge that yanking the leash would certainly do no good, and would injure the neck.
Ashlyn did the next best thing and sprinted with all her energy, overtaking the mutt doing goddamn rocket zoomies and staying ahead, enough to remove the leash from her hand.
After thoroughly embarrassing her in front of his owner, Maxxie came to a stop on his own and started jumping on Ashlyn, thinking it was play.
I’m so fucking tired.
Ashlyn ignored the dog, picking up the leash again and walked back to Taylor, who’d started running after them after a few seconds, realizing what had happened.
She’d heard Taylor screaming “Stop! Maxxie!” all concerned, and even though she was kind of pissed, it was very cute to see Taylor’s flushed cheeks and disarrayed hair.
Taylor was patting her arms, her shoulders, asking if she was alright.
Cute.
Ashlyn let out a huff, “I’m alright! Stop fussing.” Ballerinas have more than enough stamina.
Taylor looked…embarrassed, Ashlyn guessed. Eyebrows furrowed, mouth in a frown, cheeks till tinted a deep red.
“I’m so so sorry!”
Ashlyn waited till she’d caught her own breath. Taylor had taken the leash back and calmed Maxxie down in the meantime.
Taylor looked up, still agonizing, “Why didn’t you just stop?!”
“…the dog...too goddamn big…would just end up hurting it…”
At that, it was as if the world lit up. Taylor's eyes widened and a broken smile appeared, widening by the second.
Ashlyn’s lungs stood no chance as Taylor let out a disbelieving laugh, her eyes lighting up and her eyes crinkling with crows feet. She felt a grip on her wrists.
Taylor Hernández, holding her wrists, looking…amazed?
I’m definitely reading something wrong here.
Taylor’s hands on her wrists slowly slid down to lightly hold both of Ashlyn’s hands.
Ashlyn looked down to see her own scarred hands in Taylor’s. Taylor’s palms were kinda rough, her brown fingers callused and long under her own.
She looked up at a breathless giggle, Taylor’s long hair was lifted by the wind and she looked…pretty.
The same 10 year old pretty girl who’d held Ashlyn’s hand to help her cross the street once, when she’d been overwhelmed by the honking buses and the bustling road traffic.
The same pretty girl who always smiled across hallways when she met eyes with Ashlyn. Who sat at the last seat at her ballet performances and stared at her in class when she thought Ashlyn didn’t notice.
A pretty girl who made Ashlyn feel like a pretty girl herself.
“so…about that coffee, you were saying?”