Does He like Me?

Chapter Three

Day Two•

        It's been fifteen hours, and we're finally at New York City. The Big Apple. The City That Never Sleeps. The City where I finally realize that Ashley, Chelsea and Bayla haven't said a single word the entire trip. I notice that they're talking to each other, just not to everyone else. Not to the people who they've been friends with since fourth grade. 

        "Why are you guys being so quiet?" I ask them, but they immediately stop and stare at me with blank expressions. "Okay then." I roll my eyes a little bit and head over to Tanton, Bowery and Driggs. "Hey, do you guys know why Ashley, Chelsea and Bayla haven't been talking at all this entire trip?"

        Driggs took a big gulp of water. "I didn't even notice they weren't " 

        "Baylas your girlfriend." I give him with a questionable look. 'Yeah, well." He looks uneasy. 'So what? Stop asking me this crap." He frowns and walks away. 

        "You're not being any help!" I call after him, but he just holds up his hand in a 'talk to the hand' gesture. I turn towards Tanton and Bowery, who were fully engaged in a conversation until I turn around. "What about you guys?"

        "Maybe they just need their space?" Bowery asks. 

        "You're asking me, not telling me." I was beginning to feel a little frustrated, why can't people just read minds? It would make life so much easier.

        "Well, I don't know!" He crosses his arm as if he were four. "Stop asking me this crap!" He stomps away, mimicking what Driggs had said, but with the annoying attitude of a pre-schooler.

        After a few minutes of watching everyone socializing with each other, I realize Tanton is still standing next to me. "Oh, sorry. Do you know why they're being weird?" I ask him. I already know his answer is going to be 'no' but I ask him out of politeness.

        "I thought you'd never ask!" He smiles. For the first time in the seven years I've known him, I see that Tanton has a slightly crooked smile. An adorable feature I have to add to my list of things I love about him. Yes, I have a list! 

        I look at him like I've been waiting forever, just to give him a hint. "So what is it?"

        He still hasn't stopped smiling. "Well, Ashley has mentioned something about Adriana finding something out, then Ashley told Chelsea and Bayla since they'd keep their mouths shut. But I have no idea what they're obsessing over." He paused. "Maybe aliens brainwashed them!" 

        I laughed, although I never believed in aliens, I went along with it. "Maybe they're just clones of the real Ashley, Chelsea and Bayla!" We both raise an eyebrow and squint our eyes as we look over at their small secretive group. But after about five seconds, we both almost fall down laughing. We laugh until there are tears in our eyes and our bellies hurt. I can tell Ashley is looking over at us disapprovingly, but I really don't care. She hasn't talked to me this entire trip, so now I was gonna laugh my butt off with her boyfriend. Take that Ashley! Think twice before you hide something from me again! 

       We all change so that we all look like tourists that annoy the crap out of locals. Were wearing blue jeans and tennis shoes or boots and we're all wearing the same I heart NY t-shirts. We all laugh when we see each other. 

        When I see Ashley looking at me with a death stare, I decided to walk over and talk to her. "Hey, remember me?"

        She looks at me without a word, still staring at me as if she were melting two holes in my head with her laser eyes. I look over at Tanton, then back at Ashley who is now smiling like she just won the lottery. "Hey, Kylie! When did you get there? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" She drapes her arm around my shoulder as if everything was all okay, it wasn't. She was hiding something from me. 

        "Woah, slow down. We still haven't worked out this thing." I say, pushing her away gently.

        "What thing?" She asked me, total confusion plastered on her face. Fake confusion. She knew exactly what I was talking about. 

        "You know what thing! Why haven't you, Bayla or Chelsea been talking to anybody?"

        "We've been talking to each other." Now she was being the annoying one. We were supposed to have the time of our lives in New York. This was our last summer together before everyone graduates and goes off to collage. And now my best friend was being a real pain in my butt. 

        "Yeah, but, you haven't been talking to me. Your best friend since fourth grade?" 

        "Well, I just have a lot on my mind, that's all." She shrugs and looks down, I knew she was hiding something. 

        I look at her with a dead serious face, the face I give to my parents when we're talking about jobs and money. "Care to share what those things are? It can help with the stress." 

        "I DON'T HAVE ANY FREAKING STRESS! JUST GET OFF MY BACK! I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU ANYTHING, OKAY KYLIE? JEEZ! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT SECRETS ARE? GOD, JUST FOR ONE DAY, I'D LOVE IT IF YOU'D STAY OUR OF MY LIFE! I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" Her face is red, and everybody is staring at us. Ashley, the nicest and quietest of us all has captured everyone's attention, even the police officer who has now moved closer and is gaining curiosity. 

        "Okay," I held my hands up in surrender, hoping that she doesn't blow up on me again. "Sorry I've been such a pain." 

        I walk away, suddenly feeling so small in the big apple.