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“Ashlyn, what time are your friends going to be here?” Mike asked, hissing when a few droplets of boiling hot chocolate attacked his skin for daring to pour it into cups.
“Taylor and Tyler are already on their way,” she responded, reading out Taylor’s message. “Oh, Mrs. Hernandez is bringing cookies.”
“Chocolate chip?” Her mother piped up from where she sat, meticulously setting up a tray for smores.
“And sugar cookies.”
“Yes!” She pumped her arms in victory. “I just love that woman.”
Ashlyn rolled her eyes, smiling as she counted the pile of blankets on the couch. She’d raided every room and closet she could, it was supposed to snow today according to Logan. It was winter break, so obviously it was pretty cold outside.
Though, she reasoned, we’re probably going to stay in the bus while the parents talk, like usual.
She still made sure to grab Lily the pink blanket with ballet shoe designs, it was a blanket Ashlyn used to cherish when she was younger. She thought Lily would like it, though.
Five minutes later, Ashlyn was satisfied with her work. “That makes thirteen, perfect,” she mumbled, folding the last of the blankets. Everyone’s parents would be coming except for Aiden’s, they were on another business trip apparently. She thought Logan would take the one with galaxy print offhandedly.
She looked at her phone, sitting on the couch. They should be here by now, Ash thought, checking to see if Taylor sent her any more messages. Not a moment later, their doorbell rang throughout the house.
“I’ll get it,” Ashlyn said, huffing as she got up after just sitting down.
Walking down the hall, she opened the door and was greeted by Taylor and her mother. They were both bundled up in hoodies and matching striped scarves. “Hey, Ash!”
“Hi Taylor,” She smiled, stepping aside to let them pass. “You guys look comfy.”
Taylor laughed gently, taking off her scarf and hanging it on the rack by the door. “Yeah, it's pretty cold. Tyler thought it wouldn’t be that bad, now he’s shivering in his thin jacket.” She rolled her eyes fondly.
“Your brother is going to be the death of me,” Mariana, the twin's mother sighed affectionately. “Taylor, please make sure your brother doesn’t freeze outside for too long.”
“I don’t know, it’s tempting,” she pretended to ponder.
Ashlyn snickered.
Mariana shook her head before asking Ashlyn where she should put the cookies.
“You can put them in the kitchen, though I can’t promise you that my parents won’t get to them before we do,” Ashlyn said as she led them into the house. Mariana laughed, assuring her that she made enough for everyone.
Ashlyn’s mother immediately went to greet Mariana, eyeing the cookies ravenously.
“Remind me to grab a sugar cookie before my mom eats them all,” Ash sighed before remembering. “Also, where is Tyler?”
“Oh, he went into the graveyard to tune up his guitar and practice a bit before he plays for us,” Taylor said, taking off her hoodie as she relished in the warmth of Ashlyn’s home. The sweet aroma of hot chocolate wafted around the house.
“Oh, I totally forgot about that,” Ashlyn said.
A week ago, before school had released for the break, Aiden had suggested a sleepover at Ashlyn’s. Tyler had accused him of simply wanting to suffocate everyone on the mattress again, and he didn’t exactly deny it.
Logan had then prompted they have a bonfire, their parents could all come and have some fun as well. After all, it had been a while since everyone had gotten together. It would be fun!
Everyone agreed readily, and Ashlyn got a confirmation text from her dad soon after.
Then, poor Tyler, honestly, was put on the spot. Ash asked Ben how his guitar lessons were going with Tyler. Then Ben, the loveable dork, had started gushing, signing excitedly about how well they were going. It was hard to keep up, but honestly adorable. Then he started ranting about how talented Tyler was, thanking him again for taking the time to teach him.
“You should play when everyone goes over to Ashlyn’s for the bonfire!” Taylor had beamed like it was the best idea to have ever been birthed since wheels.
Tyler looked ready to sink into a hole.
It took that whole week for everyone (minus Ashlyn) to convince him to do it, but eventually, the day before the bonfire was supposed to happen and everyone was about ready to give up; he relented.
“...fine! Alright, I’ll do it. Just please shut up and let me eat my food,” he groaned.
Everyone cheered. Ashlyn, giving a small smile at their victory. But she couldn’t ignore the signs of nervousness on Tyler’s face, the hunch in his shoulders, and the tapping of his foot.
While everyone continued to talk about the sleepover and what they could do, some movies they could watch, Ashlyn scooted her body a little closer to Tyler, sliding her tray. She wasn’t the group's go-to for comfort, she wouldn’t pretend she was good at giving it, but if she knew one thing about her friends, it was that physical touch was the biggest ‘You’ll be okay,’ you could give.
So, she leaned her weight into Tyler’s side just enough so that it was noticeable. She could hear his foot stop tapping, could feel him stiffen just slightly, before melting.
Ashlyn just continued to eat her food as if nothing happened, keeping the quirk of her lips at bay until Aiden switched the topic and began to beg Ashlyn to make smores for the bonfire.
As Ashlyn thought back to that day, she made a guess and thought that Tyler under all that tough guy exterior, was probably pretty nervous. He’d never played in front of the whole group before, at least as far as Ashlyn knew. She knew the feeling. It was like ballet, in practice, it was easy to pretend it was just her in her own little world. But before she had mastered the art of staying in that world on stage, dancing in front of a giant crowd used to urk her down to her bones.
I’ll just go check on him real quick, she thought. Why? Ashlyn had no clue. After all, what could she do? But her mind was made up when she tossed on her Spiderman hoodie, pausing before quickly going up into her room to grab a hoodie Aiden had left last time he was here and snatching it up.
“Tay, I’ll be right back, watch the door for me?” She asked, passing the girl on the couch as she grabbed her boots by the door and slipped them on.
Taylor nodded, eyeing the spare hoodie in Ashlyn’s hands. “Sure! Where are you going?”
“I’ll just be a few minutes,” Ashlyn said before leaving. Closing the door, she faintly wondered why she had dodged her question before shaking her head and heading off into the graveyard.
Taylor wasn’t exaggerating when she said it was cold. The ground was slightly frosted, the grass shiny, crunching beneath her boots. Thankfully, it wasn’t windy, but she could already feel her nose turning red.
Moving her bangs out of her eyes, she thought about asking Tyler to cut them again soon when she heard the strums of a guitar before she even set foot in the graveyard.
Her footsteps automatically became quieter, like it would be a sin to be the reason such a beautiful melody was interrupted. It was nothing like the music she danced to for her routines, but it sounded familiar.
As she continued to walk toward the metallic strums, she pulled her hood up to cover her ears. She saw Tyler sitting on a pile of tires with his back facing her. His guitar sat perched on his thigh as he continued to play. It took Ashlyn a second to realize that he was singing, too.
And it took her another second to realize that it sounded good.
Finally, at a distance she felt comfortable with, she leaned her shoulder onto one of the buses and watched, listening.
I do know this song, she confirmed to her brain. But why does it sound…
Now don’t get Ashlyn wrong, it didn’t sound bad in the slightest. But even she could tell that something was wrong. Some of the chords Tyler kept stuttering on, like he knew what to play but he kept hesitating, and on the parts Ashlyn remembered to be another voice singing, he couldn’t seem to do. Her suspicions were confirmed when Tyler stopped, groaning in frustration.
“Why can’t I get this right?” She heard him mutter.
And maybe Ashlyn should have stayed quiet, but before she could contemplate that option, her mouth was already moving. “I think it’s because you need someone else to sing it with you, it’s a duet, right?”
Tyler nearly jumped and fell off the tires.
“Jesus! What the hell, Ash?”
She put her hands up in mock defense as she walked over to him, leaning instead on the broken-down car behind the tires. Tyler turned to face her, setting his guitar to the side.
“Sorry, Taylor told me you were out here, so…” Ashlyn realized how that sounded, the question of why she came out here ringing in her ears again, louder when Tyler quirked his brow at her.
“Here,” She said, shoving the hoodie she’d grabbed for him in his direction. “She also mentioned you decided to be an idiot and come outside with just a jacket.”
Tyler blinked, brows furrowed as he took the hoodie from her. “Is this…Aiden's?” He asked as he unfurled it and held it up. A yellow smiley face stared right back at him.
“You know he has a habit of leaving his clothes at everyone’s house,” Ashlyn defended. “Plus I doubt any of my hoodies would fit you.”
Tyler eyed the hoodie again, his pride fighting against the thought of wearing that dumbass’s hoodie, let alone allowing him to see him wearing it. But when a passing breeze nipped at his brown skin and his body shivered on instinct, he sighed and shook off his jacket, shoving the hoodie on.
After a moment, Ashlyn spoke again. “I didn’t know you could sing.”
“I never told you,” Tyler retorted, wincing when Ashlyn eyed him. “Sorry, I just– Tay wanted me to play this one tonight, and I just can’t get it down. It’s frustrating me.”
“Why not play a different one then?”
Tyler looked up, the sky was a watercolor canvas of pinks and oranges. They sat in silence for a minute until he answered. “It’s…uh, our parents used to play it– I mean, our dad would play it. Mom would sing along.” He sighed, running his hands through his hair as he continued. “I started learning it, but, you know…”
“Ah,” Ashlyn said. She did know. The twins had opened up to the gang a month or two ago about their home life. Not a lot, but she did remember when they had told them about their father, and how he wasn’t with them anymore.
Another minute of silence.
Ashlyn didn’t know why she said it, and she probably couldn’t tell you why two weeks later. But as her eyes traced the colorful spray paint on a bus in the corner of her eye, her mouth opened again without her permission.
“I can sing it with you if you want.”
Tyler looked up, eyes wide from where he was fiddling with the chewed-up strings of Aiden’s hoodie. “What?”
A wave of self-consciousness washed over her as she forced herself to repeat. “I said, I can sing it with you. I know the song.”
Tyler just looked at her, almost in disbelief at what he was hearing. Ashlyn? Singing?
Ashlyn crossed her arms, looking away. “Look, I’m probably not the best singer but I just thought it would help. I can just go back inside–”
“No!” Tyler said, reaching a hand out before retracting it. “Sorry. No, yeah, that… that sounds good. It would help a lot, I think.”
Ashlyn nodded, biting the inside of her cheek.
“...Are you gonna play, or…”
“Right, sorry,” Tyler breathed out, hesitant. It was strange to see, he almost never acted this way.
Tyler picked up his guitar, clearing his throat and repositioning himself as he began to strum again. The melody was crisp, ringing out into the cold setting sun. As the first set of lyrics began to near, he looked up at Ashlyn, as if to let her know.
A part of him was still kind of shocked when Ashlyn actually began to sing.
“You’re a part-time lover and a full-time friend, the monkey on your back is the latest trend…”
Her voice was clear, a bit stunted and raspy, but somehow it fit the song perfectly. Tyler almost missed his part as it came up, still a bit shocked.
“I don’t see what anyone can see in anyone else, but you…”
“I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of the train, I kiss you all starry-eyed, my body’s swinging from side to side…”
Tyler looked away as Ashlyn met his eyes while he sang, but he forced himself to look back up at her. “I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you…”
As Ashlyn took the lead again, he found it wasn’t too hard to keep from looking away now as he continued to play. In fact, it was hard not to look at her. Because here she was, Ashlyn Banner, singing.
“...We sure are cute for two ugly people..”
Tyler grinned as she sang this part, earning himself a mirroring smile from Ashlyn.
Ashlyn Banner was singing, and as far as he knew, he was the first one to ever hear it. Tyler opened his mouth as Ash passed it on to him, ignoring the sensation of victory in his stomach at the thought.
She was singing with him.
Not Aiden. Not Ben. Not Taylor. Not Logan.
Him.
They continued to sing, and as they harmonized during the brief intermission in the middle of the song, he realized for the first time since he started playing that he wasn’t having any trouble.
He was actually enjoying this if you asked him.
Tyler wasn’t quite sure why, but his mind brought him back to the day before when he had finally let himself be convinced to play for everyone. When everyone was cheering that they’d finally gotten him to agree, Tyler was silently panicking and regretting his decision immediately. He didn’t even know he was showing it visibly until Ashlyn had taken it upon herself to comfort him in one of the only ways she knew how.
And Tyler would never admit it, not over that bleach-blond idiot’s dead body… but it felt nice. Really, really nice.
“I’m in love with the way you feel…”
He could faintly hear himself singing the lyrics, but he was forcibly dragged back into the present when something cold landed on his nose tickling him.
He sneezed, glaring lightly when he heard Ashlyn laugh behind her hands. Her hood was back after she’d taken it off when they first started singing, and her hands were covered by the sleeves of her dark red Spiderman hoodie. The sun was just hovering over the horizon now, basking the graveyard in a warm light. Basking Ashlyn in an even warmer one.
And God, why did he like the view so much? Why did he like the way her voice sounded, her laugh?
“I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you…”
“We both have shiny happy fits of rage…” Tyler almost laughed at the knowing look she gave him, and a small flashback to the night of their first mission to secure her parent's jeep came to mind. Their argument seemed so petty now that Tyler had long since learned to trust her with their lives in the phantom realm. Had long since learned to trust her with so much more.
“I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you…”
“Don Quixote was a steel-driving man, my name is…” He paused, strumming for a bit longer before smiling. “Tyler, I’m your biggest fan…”
Ashlyn grinned, shaking her head.
“I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you…”
And before he knew it, the song was ending.
“...But you…”
They were silent for a long moment, probably a bit too long, but what was that niche saying again? It was a comfortable silence, not awkward in the slightest. Not anymore.
“...You sound good,” Ashlyn finally said, smiling.
“ We sounded good.”
She blinked, surprised at his words before nodding.
Tyler could’ve sworn he saw her face warming up a bit, her freckles slowly disappearing behind the red.
“...Ash, I– if you want, I mean, I’d like to, but you can come over– or I could come here… and we can… keep doing… this.” Tyler finished lamely, and he was sure he was following right after Ash as he felt his face warm up.
Ash said nothing though, giving him nothing more than a crooked grin. “Yeah, I was never that into singing, but that was–”
“ASH! TYLER!” A familiar voice shouted from somewhere in the direction of Ashlyn’s house, dragging out their names.
Ashlyn rolled her eyes, all traces of red gone when Tyler looked back at her. She pushed herself off the rusted car and stretched. “You coming?”
“Nah, I’ll be there in a few minutes,” Tyler replied. “Tell the dumbass that there are people trying to have a peaceful evening, I doubt they want to hear his ratched voice screaming in their neighborhood.”
Ashlyn chuckled. “Will do.” Tyler let his eyes follow her until she was out of sight behind faded yellow buses and the cement wall.
Looking back down at the guitar in his hands, he felt more confident this time. He started strumming again. He didn’t know why, but he felt like this time, he would get it right.
And if he imagined Ashlyn singing with him the whole time as he got through the song with zero mistakes, well, that was his secret to keep.
He put his guitar down, unable to contain a smile of victory. Not only because he made it through the song and didn’t mess up once, but because he would get to sing with her again.
Why do I like the thought of that so much? Tyler wondered, furrowing his eyebrows on instinct. Wait, do I… no, that's stupid.
Several long seconds pass.
“Oh, shit.”
He didn’t get to dwell on it for too long though, because the next thing he knew, Aiden’s voice was yelling his name in an annoyingly high-pitched tone. Yelling some nonsense about come home, the kids miss you!
“Coming, dumbass!” He yelled right back, huffing when he heard Aiden cackling.
Whatever, it’s probably nothing, Tyler reasoned, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he shook the thin snow that had accumulated in his hair over the past several minutes and picked up his guitar, tossing his jacket over his shoulder.
And he would never admit it, but as he made his way to the house, the only thing on his mind was when he could sing with Ashlyn again. And also the sugar cookies his mother had made.
God, he couldn’t wait to get inside and warm up. Ashlyn had mentioned her parents were making hot chocolate. Yeah, good. That sounded good.
“Who the hell ate all the sugar cookies?!”