"Hi, Mrs. Hanson. Is Taylor home?" Ashley asked, standing on the Hanson's front porch.
"He's out in the yard playing with Jenni," she told the serene-looking little girl.
"Thank you Mrs. Hanson," Ashley said, walking by her. As she past, Mrs. Hanson wondered why Ashley was being so uncommonly polite. Usually she was a whirlwind.
"You're welcome Ashley," she mumbled after her, sort of dazed.
Ashley paused and looked out the sliding glass door before she stepped outside. She couldn't see Taylor anywhere. She opened the door and walked out into the middle of the yard, looking around confused. Then she heard voices over by the side of the house. It was Jenni and Taylor.
"Why are you friends with her Taylor?" Jenni asked.
"Who?" Taylor asked obliviously.
"That girl. Ashley," Jenni replied.
"Because I like her and she is my friend. She has been since we were five," Taylor explained.
"Wouldn't you rather be friends with me?" Jenni asked.
"I would like to be friends with both of you," Taylor responded.
"Well that just won't happen. Either you're my friend or hers. You can't be both."
"Well," Taylor said calmly, "I guess you should go home now."
"Why?" Jenni asked, shocked.
"Because Ashley is my best friend, and you can never be her," he told her.
"Fine, Taylor Hanson, I don't like you anyways." Then Jenni stormed across the property lines and into her own house.
"Bye, Jenni!!" Taylor called after her.
Ashley smiled to herself. He liked her better than Jenni. She decided she would talk to Taylor later and turned to go home.
"You just left?" Martha asked, snipping away the ends of Ashley's long hair.
"Yeah, and to this day he doesn't know I heard that conversation," Ashley told her.
"Why didn't you tell him?" Martha asked.
"I was waiting for him to tell me."
