10 comments/ 15947 views/ 26 favorites Going Unnoticed By: scotjock1 Ashani, was one of those girls in school most men avoided or ignored over the blonde bimbos that did Cheer leading, and enjoyed the life of being the heart of the party. She had friends, many of them and some were those blonde bimbos. But most only showed interest in her, because unsurprisingly she was one of only few black boys or girls in the school. She was a very pretty eighteen year old girl, with a beautiful figure and face. She was about 5'7 in height, with brown milk skin and dark black hair that framed her face. She would comb her hair, and curl its ends to curl around her face or her shoulders. It was a simple thing to do, but it made her look even more beautiful, had most guys in the school decided to go for a proper woman, and not a blonde cheerleader. She had dark hazel eyes, that seemed piercing to anyone who looked at them and she also had a smile that could brighten any room she walked into. But no matter how much she tried, how naturally beautiful she was she found all of the male students in her school never noticed her. It was always the blonde bimbos, or cheerleaders they went for and she just seemed so out of place in this small-hick town she had moved to with her parents from New York. She had even gone to the trouble of putting light caramel streaks through her hair hoping a boy named Mason would notice at school, but he walked right past her and it was clear he was only interested in Head Cheerleader Sarah. Ashani was in school today, wearing simple denim jeans, boots, and a grey hooded running top in class. She still had the caramel streaks in her hair, and was busy scribbling and doodling on her notepad when Ms Reynolds spoke up in the classroom to everyone. "Class, before we begin our class I have an announcement." Ashani didn't even bother looking up, the announcement wouldn't interest her. "We have a new classmate, he's just recently moved into town with his family and he's British. Ryan, would you step up here and introduce yourself to the class." Ms Reynolds turned, and it was then that Ashani looked up and saw the young man walk to out and stop in front of the entire class facing them all. He was young, about Ashani's age with short black hair and a stubble beard that covered his entire jaw and some of his neck. In her school most of the boys had no beards, and if they did they shaved regularly showing almost no visible signs of manliness, or ruggedness. Yet this boy wasn't a boy, he looked like a man standing with a broad chest and shoulders. He was wearing jeans, Timberland boots and a baggy, loose black t-shirt under a hooded jacket. He looked lost for words, grasping for what to actually say. "Emm well, I am Ryan. I am new to the States, my family and I moved over from Belfast after my da' got offered a job here in town. I'm eighteen, and was born and bred in Belfast. My family are originally from a place called Limerick. You would not have heard of it, it's in Republic of Ireland. Further south, from Northern Ireland." And Ryan was right, no one knew the places he spoke of, most only knew of Ireland or Britain from films and such. But it was obvious his rough, Irish accent had most of the cheerleaders in class swooping and loving him immediately. Ashani had to admit he was something different, in such a similar town but she knew the likes of him would be taken fast by one of the school's many blonde, bimbo cheerleaders for his accent, and body alone. So instead of thinking, dreaming of something far out of her reach she resigned herself to her doodling once more, not hearing Ryan speaking any more in the background. A moment later she saw him sit down, directly across from her at her right side in the empty seat there. Ms Reynolds must have sent him to the empty seat, but there were two more empty seats around the room so why did she choose to sit him next to her of all places? Ryan was smiling, across at Ashani who had stopped doodling. "Hello, I'm Ryan." Ashani's mouth was open in surprise, at how much nicer his accent was being closer to her. "Umm I'm Ashani." Ryan extended his hand out to her, and slowly Ashani put down her pencil and took it to shake it. "Lovely name." The words rolled off of his tongue, and even made Ashani shake. Ashani turned to her doodling, and Ryan noticed looking over. "Do you enjoy drawing, and sketching?" Ashani looked down at her doodles, some were of just faceless, featureless people or creatures sketched in pencil, others were just symbols. "Emm sometimes, yeah." Ryan smiled, and soon enough Ms Reynolds told the class it was time to study, and read from their text books. "Ashani, please share your book with Ryan. I will try and find a spare for tomorrow's class." Ashani grumbled, and turned to show Ryan the text book, it was about American History. "We begin on page 74, on the collapse of the Wild West frontier, and the beginning of industrial America." Ashani turned the pages on the teacher's instructions, as Ryan leaned in to see the page for himself. "Do you have to be so close?" Ryan slouched back, thinking he smelled funny or something to make Ashani say something like that. But he was unaware she was uncomfortable being so close to him, because of his handsome looks and smile. "Sorry." He sat back a few inches, and peered over at the page she was looking at. They slowly read, and followed the page as Ms Reynolds read it aloud to the class. The time passed, and every couple of minutes Ryan would lean closer to Ashani to see the page, and she would shake feeling his breath on her arm or the feeling of his body close by. "Do you want to just hold the book, you can read it. I'm not interested in today's lesson anyway." Ashani put the book on his desk, and sighed. "I'm sorry if I've offended you Ashani, I didn't mean to if I did." Ashani wasn't in the mood for listening, and waved her arms dismissively. "Whatever." Ryan sighed himself, he was trying to make friends and be friendly to Ashani but she wasn't interested. "Fare enough then." He took the book, and began to read it as Ashani returned to her sketches. Eventually the class came to an end, and before Ryan could speak to Ashani she was up from her desk and walking out of the class with her things, very fast. "Nice to meet you too." Ryan said it in a low whisper, as he collected his own things and left for the Canteen. He soon found it, and joined the queue for purchasing hot food. It was then that Ryan noticed, the school didn't exactly have much of an ethnic collection of students. He only counted several students, most were Asian and only two African-American students; and Ashani was one of those two. The other was a boy, who sat on his own eating his food. He had short black hair, and brown skin. He was wearing jeans, and a hooded top. It was then Ryan noticed the table he sat at was entirely empty. Ashani was not sitting alone, but at a table with all girls including several cheerleaders. Ryan purchased a hot dog, fries and a can of Mountain Dew before walking over to the table where the boy sat alone. The boy looked up at his surprised, and Ryan spoke. "Can I sit with you, I'm new to the school." The boy let the straw leave his lips in his can of Soda and spoke. "Sure." Ryan smiled, with the stubble beard giving him a bear-like appearance. He sat next to the boy, and put down his tray and spoke. "I'm Ryan." "I'm Danny." Ryan smiled, shuffling in his seat to get closer to the table. "Good to meet you Danny." Danny was still surprised, as he watched Ryan bite into his hot dog. "So you're new, to the school?" Ryan nodded leaning back, when he noticed Ashani watching him from her table genuinely surprised herself. "Aye, I moved from Britain over here. My da' got a job here in town, it's my first day." Ryan wiped his mouth with a tissue, cleaning some ketchup from the hot dog off. Danny nodded, and smiled. "You're Irish?" Ryan laughed. "Yeah, I'm from Ireland." Danny smiled, actually meeting a real British person or Irish person was something different in this boring, dull town. They began to talk, chat even as Ashani watched in surprise. They seemed to get on, even began to joke with one another as some of the rest of the canteen watched them. Eventually Ryan spoke so loud, his accent was heard as everyone else went quiet to watch them. He made a joke, and Danny laughed. But it was that Ashani understanding the joke, laughed and smiled at it as her friends all stared at her as if she had gone mad. The whole canteen watched, and Ashani went quiet trying to go unnoticed as she always told herself to do. Ryan didn't care if the entire school was watching, he was having fun talking to Danny and they spoke about everything from the classes, to what the town had to offer. Eventually everyone else in the canteen had gone back to eating, and talking to one another. Ryan turned to Danny, and nodded at Ashani who was still watching him. "So who's that lass, girl I mean?" Danny smiled. "Ah, that's Ashani Williams. She's an enigma, if you can call her that. She tries to go unnoticed, in this school." Ryan surmised the same thing, staring back at her he saw she never really wanted to be the heart of any discussion, or moment. She wanted to blend in, go unnoticed by anyone around her. Not draw attention to herself. A good tactic, but one that can only work for so long in a town, a school like this. "I'm guessing that it's worked this long." Danny nodded. "Me, I guess I did the wrong thing. Tried to be noticed, make friends and stuff. That failed, especially in a town like this." Ryan looked around the canteen once more, and saw what Danny meant. It was a town that probably didn't welcome people as warmly as they could have, if they weren't from here. Ryan knew the feeling well. "Well, you have a pal now." Danny smiled, and nodded knowing they were becoming friends. Two outsiders becoming friends. "Where is she from?" "New York, her parents moved her here a few years ago. I think she misses the big city, doesn't really mingle but I guess the cheerleaders took to her quickly enough." Ryan was trying to suss or figure out Ashani, she had a particular way of going about life in this town, in the school. To go unnoticed, and blend in so no one noticed her. Ryan smiled, and decided to just go for something. He was already either known as a big-mouth, or a mad man being so open and not caring what anyone thought or said about him. He cleared his throat, and called out to Ashani. "Hey Ashani! You want to go see a film later on, with me?" Ashani's eyes went wide in pure surprise and shock. The stupid idiot was bringing attention on her, and she had no need for it. She wanted to go unnoticed, know some of the cheerleaders and that's about it. Now this stupid boy was bringing unwanted attention down on her, and everyone at her table was staring at her and whispering among themselves. "Ashani, do you know this jerk?" The girl asking her was the head cheerleader herself, Sarah and she looked at her. "I have no idea who this asshole is." Sarah looked at Ryan again. Before Ryan could say anymore, Ashani was on her feet and quickly walking out of the canteen leaving her food untouched on the table. "Well, that went well." Danny said, sighing as he looked at his new, stupid friend. The two of them spoke through lunch, and eventually left to go to their other classes. But they gave each other their cell phone numbers, so they could talk. Ryan however, knew Ashani didn't go to class, since Danny was in her next class. He told him that Ashani was never in class for Geography, and told him she usually hung out in the local park around this time. Ryan would deal with the consequences of skipping class, but he had to speak to Ashani first. He found the park, after he managed to sneak out of the school and as he walked through it he saw Ashani alone with a book in her hands sitting on a bench. She was too engrossed into her book, and hadn't noticed Ryan approaching the bench. She soon looked up and saw him standing there, staring at her. "Can you just fucking leave me alone, please?" Ryan said nothing, nor did he move. Ashani sighed and closed her book, shoving it into her bag angrily. "How long can you keep this going?" She looked up at him, annoyed. "Keep what going?" Ryan sighed. "Trying to go unnoticed in this town, this school." "It's worked so far!" She zipped closed her bag, and threw it over her shoulders. "You know it can only work for so long." She turned to him. "I would have been fine, had you not fucking got everyone's attention in the canteen and brought it down on both of us." Ryan looked at her, his dark eyes made Ashani nervous. "Why are you so afraid to be yourself, to let others see you as you are? Why be afraid to be noticed?" Ashani laughed. "This fucking town, doesn't want us in it. Believe me, some of these townspeople, the students are fine, but the cold harsh majority ignore us. You saw Danny, no one sits with him because he tried too hard to be friends with people in school. He even tried to ask out one of the fucking cheerleaders, and that was when he was cast out." "Cast out, what are we in some fucking teen-angst film or something?" Ashani sighed, tilting her head to look at him. "He fell for Rachel, one of the cheerleaders and when he asked her out she told everyone and I mean everyone in the whole fucking school. They bullied him, ignored him all because he fell for Rachel. One of THEIR women, do you get it now?" Ashani didn't wait for a reply, and began to storm off towards home. She wasn't going back to school today. Ryan followed her. "Well fuck them, why do you so badly want to blend in with them if they're like that?" Ashani continued to walk on. "Because it's the only way to survive here, to go unnoticed by some but act like you're best friends with people because of where you're from, or your ethnicity. Just like you, I'm sure Sarah has her eyes on you for your accent and looks." "That's fucking bullshit." Ashani was surprised at how loud he swore, and turned to face him. They were alone in the park, together. "Is it, really? When my parents moved here with me, people only spoke to us at first if they had to. The shop clerks, would only talk to us if we had a question or wanted to buy something. It took a very long time, for the nice-enough people to finally talk to us. Even then in this school, they only wanted to know me because I was from New York, because I was black, and they all assumed I was from the streets. The fucking ghettos, that's how they looked at us, and still do." Ryan sighed. "I've seen ghettos, in Belfast. It took a long time for my father to get a chance, to leave for a better job here. I don't look at people, and decide I want to know them because of where they're from, or their skin color. I wanted to know Danny because he was alone, because he needed a friend, someone to talk to. I want to get to know you, because you seem to be a nice person." Ashani laughed, but it was clearly not meant in a good way. "You barely even know me, you don't know if I am always like this." Ryan grunted. "Well maybe if you didn't assume things about me, you could be a nice person to be around. That's what your so-called friends do right, assume you're street smart and sassy. You'd rather know, and be friends with bitches than someone who's willing to take you at face value. For you, yourself and not assume anything about you." Ashani couldn't mount a defense, she was stumped. She was pretending to be friends with Sarah, and even Rachel who constantly asked her the most insulting things. Ranging from what the ghettos were like in the Bronx, to how black people talk and stuff. Ryan hadn't done any of those things, and maybe he wouldn't do them. "But you know what, if you can't even talk to me like a human being then I see no point in trying to be friends with you." Ashani watched Ryan sigh, and turn and walk back to school leaving her alone in the park. Ashani was alone, and the bearing thought that she had assumed things of Ryan when she first met him. She decided she couldn't face school, or seeing Rachel or Sarah again. She went to the local cinema, and saw Guardians of The Galaxy, until about 4pm and walked home. When she got home, her mother Denise was cooking dinner for the evening and her father was trying to set up some new gadget for the television. She spoke to each of them quickly, and went up to her bedroom and locked the door behind her inside. She didn't want to speak to anyone, and soon fell asleep on her bed listening to music. The Next Day, At School The next day, Ashani was waiting in Ms Reynolds class and found herself staring at Ryan's empty chair. She wondered if he was even going to show up for class, or had he asked to change classes because of her. "God, you stupid idiot Ashani." It was a whisper, to herself really as she had to voice her opinion of herself and how she had acted yesterday with a person who hadn't' done anything to her, and had actually treated her like a person for the first time, other than Danny who had been friendly to her when she first met him. She turned away from his chair, and stared out of the window into the courtyard outside. Ashani was wearing a simple black top, with tight jeans and a denim jacket. Today she had braided her hair, and they hung down her shoulder and back. She had given up on seeing Ryan, and as she stared out of the window she heard that lyrical, Irish accent again. "Hello, Ms Reynolds. Sorry I'm late, still trying to find a quicker route to school." Ashani quickly turned, and gasped seeing Ryan was back in class. He was wearing jeans and a simple navy blue t-shirt. He also had a black jacket, but he was carrying it into class. He saw Ashani looking at him, and quickly sat down across from her. She was about to speak, but he beat her to it. "Relax, I won't bother you no more, Ashani. I promise." His Irish accent made his words so much sadder, as he refused to look at her. She wanted to apologize, for how she was yesterday but her chance was gone as Ms Reynolds came over and handed him the spare text book she promised. He opened it, and settled his elbows on the table and began to read from the page they had finished on yesterday. He read quietly, never lifting his eyes to look at her. Probably afraid of some other rude, gutless comment she would make. Ashani went onto read herself, and said nothing as she read her own pages. Slowly time passed, and lunch period came around. Ashani was about to speak to Ryan, but as the bell tolled he quickly gathered his things and left the class room. "Ryan." She called after him, but he was gone and hadn't heard her with the loud noises of people walking, and talking as they left the class room. Ashani soon found the canteen, and sat down to eat the meat loaf meal, and drink she had purchased. It was then as she bit into the fries that came with the meal, that she saw Ryan and Danny entering the canteen talking, laughing as they joined the queue for food. She had noticed they were becoming good friends, and she wanted that with him, with both of them. A real friendship, no need to pretend to like someone who looks at you as just a person of some ethnicity, to ask questions of. The two of them soon had their food, and sat down together talking as they at the beef burgers and fries being served today. It was then, that she noticed Ryan glance over at her. His face was sturdy, not giving off any indication of how he was feeling and before long he looked back at Danny. Going Unnoticed Soon enough the pair had finished eating, and left the canteen. Ashani looked at her watch, and saw Geography was about to start and the bell was about to toll on cue. She decided then, as she poked at her meat loaf that she was going to go to Geography for the first time in two weeks, and speak to Danny about Ryan. She dumped her uneaten food in the bin, and made her way to the class room Geography was held in. As she approached the door, she saw Danny waiting and the bell tolled around the entire school. Danny looked up at her, wearing a t-shirt that sponsored some musical band he liked, and jeans. "Wow, this really is a weird day. You finally coming to Geography class, never thought I'd see the day." Danny laughed as they entered the class room together. "Just shut up, I want to talk to you." Ashani said as she sat down across from Danny, in the same empty seat she had sat in two weeks ago. An Asian boy with black hair sat next to Danny, but they never really spoke. She slid into her seat, as everyone else poured into class. "So what do you want to talk about?" "Ryan." Danny smiled. "Smitten are we?" Ashani sighed. "Just listen, has he said anything about me today?" Danny took out his books and laid them out on his desk. "Well yeah, but I don't think you want to hear what he had to say." Ashani knew she had annoyed Ryan yesterday, when he was only trying to make friends with her. "Well, just spit it out. What did he say?" "Well, he told me how he tried to talk to you in the park. You got really angry over nothing, started having a big argument about something, but he wouldn't say what." Ashani tilted her head, feeling angry at herself. "So he's angry with me?" "Well considering the guy is probably one of the friendliest people I've ever met, yeah he's angry. He just wanted to be friends with you, and you shoved him off. Not unlike what you did with me, when we first me." Ashanti was stumped, he remembered how they first met. How again, trying to go unnoticed she had rejected his attempts at friendship. "I—that wasn't the same Danny." Danny took out his pens and sat back his chair, looking at her. "Wasn't it? You pretty much rejected me, at any attempt to be friends. To get to know me, you weren't interested. You wanted to go unnoticed so badly, by everyone here you didn't even want to talk to me. Which is quite sad, since we sit next to each other in this class pretty much every day." Ashani felt ashamed, and felt her cheeks redden and blush. "I know I made a stupid mistake that day, Danny. But I want to make up for it, with you and Ryan. Please, let's be friends." Danny looked at her hard, as if studying her face. "Alright then, if you're genuine about it." "I am." Danny nodded, and as class began they began to talk about everything from school matters, to how he was finding the town now since the whole Rachel situation happened. Things hadn't improved for Danny, since Rachel rejected him and told the whole school about him liking her. Talking about Ryan, she found out that he was quite a friendly, nice guy. Danny told her he was genuine, about going to see films and hang out when they were free from school. They even planned to hang out after school today, and that was when she got an idea in her head. "Danny, can I come with you to meet Ryan at the park? I want to apologize to him, and try and salvage whatever he was trying to do with me yesterday." Danny whistled low, and rubbed his face with his hands. "Fine, just don't screw this up. He's a good guy, and a good friend. Come with me after class." Ashani nodded, and they began to listen to the teacher as he was mid-way in explaining how Australia and New Zealand were colonized by Britain. Eventually class came to an end, the bell tolled and Ashani and Danny left the class room, and snuck out of school and made their way to the park. "Again, please don't fuck this up. We can all be good friends, just apologize to the guy." Ashani nodded, and as they entered the park they both saw Ryan standing near the bench. He saw them approach and spoke. "What is she doing here? Going to insult me again, are you?" Ashani rolled her eyes. "Ryan, she's here to apologize. To make amends for yesterday, she wants to be friends. She's not that bad, she sort of apologized to me as well and we've made up." Ashani nodded, and looked at Ryan. "Fine, if that's what you want." The two of them approached Ryan, and he sat down on the bench breaking out some cans of soda from his bag, and a mix of snacks he bought from the Seven Eleven store, only a few minutes before Danny and Ashani arrived. He handed Danny one, and then slowly handed Ashani one. "Thanks." He nodded, and opened his own can of Soda putting the bag on the bench. "So no classes today?" Ryan asked Ashani. She swung her head. "I ain't in the mood for listening to Sarah talk about Rap, and RnB music. As if I am a fucking expert on the subjects." Ryan laughed, and slugged back some of his Soda. "You can only keep up a facade of actually liking someone, for so long if you really cannot stand them." Danny nodded to that, agreeing. "I spoke to Sarah, today. She asked me if all Irish people drink heavily, are poets and if we all really wear green all the fucking time. I can't stand these people. Fucking ignorant bigots." Ashani was surprised. "Well you get used to it, just ask me and Danny here. We've put up with it for years." Ryan nodded, looking around the park as the sun beat down on them. "Yeah, I don't envy you guys there." So the time passed, as the three of them joked, talked about everything from music to television, drank through the dozen cans of Soda Ryan had bought and snacked through a colossal bag of potato chips, and a few chocolate bars. By 5pm, well after school had finished the three of them were finishing their cans of Soda as dusk began to settle in above them. "Well I better get going, my mom is going to freak if I am not home for dinner." Danny said, crushing the empty can of Soda in his hand and smiling. Ryan and Ashani laughed. "So, we're all friends now. We hang out, have fun and just enjoy ourselves. Right?" Ryan and Ashani agreed, with smiles on their faces. "Good." Ashani gave Danny her own cell phone number, so all three of them could communicate, and talk outside of school. Saying his goodbyes, Ryan told him he'd make sure Ashani got home safely. By the time he was gone, Ryan turned to Ashani who had finished her Soda. "So, is he right? We're friends then?" Ashani nodded, and crushed her own empty can under her feet. "I'm sorry about yesterday, Ryan. I was so wrapped up in hiding, going unnoticed. Pretending to actually like their stupid, ignorant jokes or comments so I could just blend in. I never realized you were giving me a chance to be myself, and actually be a friend to me like you did with Danny." Ryan nodded, and for a few moments they just looked at one another in silence until he picked up his rucksack. "Well, I think we better get you home. We don't want your family worried about you, come on. I'll walk you home, Ashani." Ashani nodded, and slowly followed Ryan out of the park towards her house on her directions. "So, why did you want to be friends with me in the first place? In Ms Reynold's class I mean?" Ryan shrugged. "I don't know, out of everyone in the class you seemed the most real, most genuine person in the entire room excluding the teacher of course. That was only proven right, after talking to Sarah. You just seemed... nice, I guess. A nice person, given time of course." Ashani smiled at his comment, as they crossed the town square towards the quiet streets where she lived. "You got all of that from just seeing me?" Ryan smiled back. "Well, I just notice some things. Even without speaking to you, I guess I got the feeling you just needed time to open up." Ashani nodded. They eventually arrived, outside of Ashani's house on the front lawn. "Well, this is me." Ashani said smiling. Ryan nodded. "Nice house." They both smiled, and laughed awkwardly. "Well I better get inside." Ryan nodded, understandably. She turned to face the path leading up to her front door, and turned to Ryan once more. "Thank you, for treating me like a friend. I haven't had that in a while." Ryan nodded, and smiled. "No problem. Ashani, you don't need to pretend to be anything else other than yourself, around me or Danny. Especially me. Just be who you want to be, and I'll be your friend." Ashani felt close to tears, and quickly thanked Ryan before going inside her house. Once behind the front door, she looked out and saw Ryan had left and felt tears roll down her cheek. She quickly went up to her room, and dried her face before speaking to her parents, and eating dinner that evening. Four Weeks Later, Local Park Four weeks had passed, since Ryan had come moved into town. Ashani, and Danny were friends with him and even Rachel had spoken to Danny in private, about being friends outside of school after noticing how the three of them were together. So a few days later, on a Saturday afternoon the four of them were in the park together drinking Soda, eating snacks and playing music from their phones as they just hung out together. Rachel was a natural redhead, and pale but she was considered by most men in school to be beautiful, as pretty as Sarah even. Today she was wearing jeans, and a red, cropped top. Her red hair was tied into a ponytail as she drank Soda, talking to Danny on the bench together. Ryan and Ashani were sat against a big Oak tree in the park, talking as they drank and snacked. Ashani had her hair curled, and flowed around her face and shoulders with a fresh light brown streak through it. She was wearing a loose, navy blue top and jeans. She looked at Ryan, and then at Danny and Rachel together. "How long?" Ryan looked dumbfounded. "I mean, how long until they both actually start dating?" Ryan looked over at Rachel, giggling with Danny sat next to her. "Fuck knows. But I think she's struggling." Ashani turned to look at Ryan, who for a few moments was just staring at her hair and eyes. "Struggling with what?" Ashani asked, sipping at her can of Soda. "With how she really feels, when he and her became close and friendly when he first came to the town. She was fighting how she really felt, stick to the in-crowd and be liked or be happy with herself, and how she felt." Ryan broke open another Three Musketeers bar, and took a mouthful of it before offering it to Ashani, who took a bite of it. "She's doing this in secret, I doubt Sarah or any of their crowd even know she's spending her Saturday with us, with Danny." Ryan nodded, Ashani was right. "Well, I'm not going to tell on her. If she really likes Danny, good for the man. The quicker they actually get things on together, the better. He needs a girl, and she needs a guy. A real guy, not some preened, fake-tan Jock." Ashani laughed, rubbing her legs through the jeans. Ryan slurped his Soda. "So, how about you?" Ryan turned to Ashani, who was staring at Danny and Rachel together. "What about me?" "How long until you start dating, here in town?" Ryan spat out his Soda and laughed. Did the notion of him dating anyone in town, make him want to laugh at the idea? It made Ashani sad, to think he was not interested at least a little in well; her. "Ashani, I doubt I'll be dating anyone any time soon. I can't stand half of the girls in school as it is." Ashani wondered if she was one of those girls, he'd never even thought of dating. "There's no one? In school or town, you'd ask out on a date?" Ryan smiled. "Who would you consider?" She couldn't tell him her, the idea was foolish. He was not interested in her to begin with, and it could destroy a friendship only not long established. "Well, I wouldn't consider anyone I'm a girl remember." Ashani said rolling her eyes for effect. Ryan chuckled, crushing the can he had finished and opened another one. "I'm just saying, that there are some girls in town that aren't like Sarah." Ryan nodded. "Well the thing is, most of them you're talking about aren't my type." Ashani laughed. "Oh really, what is not your type then?" Ryan looked around, as if afraid someone was listening on their conversation. "I can't say." Ashani grinned. "Just say, it's just you and me here. The loved up birds over there, can't hear us." "Well Sarah's not my type, and neither is Rachel. Come to think of it, most of the girls in their crowd aren't my type. See the connection, of what they all have in common?" Ryan was drinking his Soda, and waiting for Ashani to figure out the cryptic message he gave her. "Hmm their heads are all filled with air, and they really can't do anything else except cheer and dance at a football game?" Ryan laughed, and titled his head sideways at Ashani. "No, although that is one of the weaker connections between them all. Come on, it's quite obvious what they are have in common." Ashani thought about it, other than Sarah and Rachel the only other girls in her group that weren't cheerleaders were wannabe beauty queens, and all white. White, that's what they all had in common. They didn't have an Asian girls in the group, because they were all white the girls including Rachel and Sarah. "They're all white." Ashanti spoke in a low voice, as if afraid what she was saying was wrong and to say it would be a rude assumption. But Ryan said nothing, and nodded setting his jaw beneath his stubble beard rigid. Ashani sat back, to look at Ryan closely and spoke low in hopes no one heard their conversation. "You don't like white girls? I mean they aren't your type?" Ryan nodded, drinking his Soda. "Yup, pretty much." Ashani looked at Rachel, and Danny and then turned back to Ryan. "She doesn't interest you? And neither does Sarah?" Ryan simply nodded, the only answer he needed to give was in that nod. "Rachel is as safe as kittens with him, and the rest of her crowd. They don't interest me, just friends but never more than that." Ashani played with her can of Soda in her hands, and found herself unable to look up at Ryan when she asked that fateful question in a low voice. "Then, who is your type?" Ryan said nothing. "Ryan, tell me." Ryan sighed, and put down his Soda. "If we pass this point, I'm not sure our friendship will stay intact." "Believe me, whatever you tell me we will stay being friends. Just tell me, please." Ryan saw Ashani couldn't look up at him, she was either feeling awkward herself or was just unable to bear looking at him. "I don't have a type, because there is only one woman I like since I got here. The kind of woman I've always liked, even in Belfast. You're the woman I like." Still forcing herself to stare at her can of Soda, she spoke in a forced voice. "Me? I'm the kind of woman you like?" Ryan said nothing, but in the corner of her eyes she saw him nod. Then the silence began, it was a few minutes of the two sitting side by side saying nothing to the other. Ashani had rolled the can of Soda in her hands for so long, the can was no longer cold but warm to the touch. "I'm sorry, Ashani. I should never have said anything like that to you." Ashani said nothing for a moment, and swung her head. "No, you have no reason to apologize Ryan. I asked you to answer my question, and you did honestly." Ryan stood, and spoke in a very strained voice. "I think I better head home, the two love birds seem happy on their own." Ashani struggled to her feet, and grabbed Ryan's hand. "Please, don't go." Ryan was surprised by her eagerness for him to stay, after the awkward moment between them. They were so close to one another, they could hear the other's ragged breathing. The pair of them seemed unsure what to do, where to go after the revelation. That was until Ryan spoke up. "Why don't we go to the cinema, you and me? We can leave the two love birds, or they can come with us." Ashani nodded, and they walked over to Danny and Rachel who were so close to one another giggling and talking. "Hey you two, you want to come to the cinema with us?" Danny smiled, and then turned to Ryan. "I think we're good, you two go on. I hear that new The Fault in Our Stars. Might be good to check that out." Ryan didn't notice or know, it was Danny giving Ashani the idea to go see that particular movie. He had known that Ashani liked Ryan, now more than just friends for the past few weeks. She was falling for him, but Danny was unaware now that Ashani knew she was Ryan's type of girl. "Yeah, we'll go and see that." Ashani nodded, and they all said their goodbyes before heading towards the local cinema with what was left of the food they had bought in the Seven Eleven. At the front of the cinema, Ryan bought the tickets for The Fault in The Stars, and they were directed to the screen it was showing in. Ashani took Ryan's hand, as they entered the cinema and they made their way to the screen. Ryan wasn't showing it, but in his mind he was wondering why Ashani was holding his hand, and why he felt like his heart was beating a thousand beats a second. But either way, he wasn't yanking his hand away in disgust or fear and they walked holding hands into the screen together, and found their seats in the dim lighting. "Are you OK?" She asked him, still clutching his hand as they made their way along one of the darkened aisles to a pair of empty chairs. "Yeah, I'm fine." Ryan said smiling. They sat down in their chosen seats, and Ryan quietly opened his bag and handed her a can of Soda and took one out for himself. Ashani took his hand again, and held it as the screen went dark and the trailers began to show on the screen. There were only a few people in the screen with them, but they were all sat at the front while they sat in the back aisle. The trailers rolled on, and when they got loud for a trailer for an action movie Ryan quickly opened the cans of Soda for them both, letting the sound mask the cans being opened. He handed her open can, and sat back with his own. Eventually the film began, and they sat back watching it. About twenty minutes into the film, Ashani went for the can of Soda she had but found Ryan's chest in the darkness by accident. But when her hand connected with his chest, she didn't pull away and stop. Instead she flattened her palm, and placed it against his chest feeling the warmth through his t-shirt. "Ashani." "I know." Ashani's breathing was faster, ragged but she didn't move her hand. "Ashani, think about this." Ashani was breathing hard, the feelings she had for him igniting, burning hotter. "I am." She gently rubbed his chest, feeling his broad muscles beneath his t-shirt and down to his almost-flat tummy. "Then you know, this is a bad idea right?" Ashani was flustered, but determined. "I know it is, but we know we can't fight it." Even Ryan was now breathing hard. "But we know we should fight it." Ashani was smiling in the darkness, and leaned in and without warning leaning over the arm of her chair pressed her lips against his. "I don't want to fight it." Ryan pulled her close, and resting his hand on the back of her neck kissed her back. In the darkness she slid over her own chair and into his lap. She was facing him now, pressing her lips to his as his hands ran around her waist gently touching her warm skin around her waist. The two kissed passionately, her hands touching his shoulders and neck and his around her waist and back. Going Unnoticed As the film played on the screen behind her, Ashani took Ryan's hands and placed them on her ass to let him feel, and squeeze her through the jeans she wore. "I'm new to this, Ryan. I have no fucking idea what I am doing, I never dated anyone. I came here, and dated no one at school. I don't know what I want, but I know it's you I want." Ryan nodded, and kissed her back. "We'll work out how to do this, together." Ashani smiled, grinding herself into his lap and groin. They kissed a few more times, before she slid out of her chair and back into her own as she held Ryan's hand. The rest of the movie played, as they held hands and kissed over and over again. ***** (All feedback, and comments are appreciated and welcome. Hope you enjoyed this one.)