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How the Messed Up Date Began

I think the song above describes what Allison thinks of Ashton. How she feels that he will be there for her during times of trouble. :)

Ashton

"Come on, just ask her."

I sighed. "No, I can't do it."

Mia shook her head. "Do you wanna be friend-zoned your entire life?"

"Well, no-"

"Then freakin ask her out," Logan interrupted.

"It's not that easy ok?" I protested. Mia, Logan, Carter, and Nina all crossed their arms and gave me a look. "What? I'm an awkward person!"

Nina face-palmed. "We need to come up with a kind of date Ashton wouldn't mess up."

"Hey!" I exclaimed.

Carter stroked his chin. "Maybe a dinner date?"

"Nah, it would be too awkward. Just imagine what would happen while they waited for their food!" Mia gasped.

"She's right," Logan added. "How about a movie?" All my friends nodded. "Ashton, you've been to the movies with Allison before, right?"

"Yeah, but with you guys," I replied. "And the fact that you guys think I can't pull off a dinner date is rude." I crossed my arms.

However, everyone just ignored me. "Good, then it's settled," Nina said. "How about on Saturday at 4 P.M. at the Greenside Theater?"

All my friends nodded. "Sounds like a good plan."

I looked at all of them in surprise. "HOW COME I DON'T GET A SAY IN THIS? IT'S MY DATE!"

Mia rolled her eyes. "Cause if you did have a say in this, it would be all screwed up." Then her eyes lit up. "Go on, go ask her!"

"What am I suppose to do, ask her over a text?"

All my friends face-palmed. "YES!"

I raised my hands in surrender. "Jeez, calm down." I pulled out my phone and then sighed. "Guys, this doesn't feel right."

Carter, who was usually the most patient of the group, slumped his shoulders. "What now?"

I searched for words to describe the feeling. "It doesn't feel right asking her on a date over a text. It's a big step. I need to talk to her about it face to face."

My friends all shared a look and made a decision. "All right then Ashton. You can ask her on Thursday when we meet at the park. We'll take care of everything and we'll make sure you're alone. All you need to do is practice how you're going to ask her."

I bit my lip. "Alright. Operation ask Allison on a date is a go."

---

3 Days Later

I took another jump shot and SWISH right through the hoop.

Logan slow-clapped. "Alright kid, you may be good at the game but the real test is up." He tilted his head towards Allison, who was sitting on a bench with all our stuff. "Now, do you remember what you have to do?"

I sighed. "Walk over and ask her if she wants to go the movies with me. And if she asks where you guys went, say you went to get ice-cream." Logan nodded. "Wait, hold up. Are you actually buying ice-cream?"

"Only if you're paying." Logan held out his hand. I rolled my eyes. I reached into my pocket and smacked a twenty dollar bill into his hand. He smiled, "Thanks and good luck."

"You better get me a chocolate with vanilla!" I shouted as he ran off to the ice-cream truck. I took a deep breath and walked towards her. My head started spinning and the butterflies were fluttering too fast. "Um, hey."

Allison looked up from her book. She looked me up and down and she started to laugh. "Hi." She unzipped one of the book bags and tossed me a water bottle. She then returned to her book.

I sat down next to her and took a good look at her. The loose strands of hair from her messy bun, her eyes flickering over the page. I swear she was getting more beautiful every single day.

She looked up and found me staring. "What?"

I shook my head and blinked a few times. "Nothing-"

"Hey, where did Logan and the rest of them go?"

"They went to get ice-cream."

She looked at me in surprise. "With Logan paying?"

I laughed. "Of course not. I gave him a twenty."

"Oh, that makes a lot more sense. Wait, did you tell him to get me a-"

"Chocolate with vanilla? Got you covered."

Allison raised her eyebrows. "Wow, favorite ice-cream got nailed down."

"Yep," I chuckled and then took a deep breath. "Anyways, I was just gonna a-ask you if um, you would like to g-go to the uh, movies with me?"

"Oh," She blinked a few times. "Just y-you and me?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Um-" Our eyes met and we were silent for a few moments. "Sure."

I let out a sigh of relief. "So, we can meet up at Greenside Theater at four on Saturday?"

"Yep, that's fine by me." We were silent for a few seconds and then she asked a question. "So, is this like a date?-" Allison immediately face-palmed and groaned.

I did a half smile and laughed. "Well, um technically yes. But we don't have to treat it like one. It's a date but we can call it a hang-out if you want to, that is."

Allison smiled back. "I like that."

My head stopped spinning as fast and the butterflies stopped for a moment. "I like that too."

She tapped the basketball I was holding in my hand. "Why don't you show me some tricks? I've got a score to settle with Leo and Oliver."

I grinned. "Gladly, Allie."

And behind a nearby park building, I could see Carter filming with his camera, Mia and Nina high-fiving each other, and Logan with a popsicle and a dripping ice-cream cone.

Allison leaned closer to me and whispered, "You see them too, right?" I gave her a look that said ya think? And this time, we both laughed. Operation ask Allison on a date was successful.