#thetfcnet

The park they had decided to go to today was Sunberry Park, about a half-mile drive away from Palmetto State. It had a playground, adequate space for concession stands, and park benches donated by both park sponsors and people who just wanted to dedicate park benches to their loved ones. Trees grew aplenty and the bushes in between had alternating pink and white flowers. This afternoon, save for a few mothers and their children, Andrew, Neil, Renee, and Allison were the only ones there.

But do you really need the both of us to go with you? Renee had whined, seated beside Andrew after a round of sparring. The wall they were leaning on felt nonexistent, like she was going to fall off this building from the pressure.

I need to make sure you don’t chicken out again.

It’s not like she likes me back anyway. I won’t go.

Andrew had smacked her on the head. You don’t know that yet. So yes, you will go.

Now, Allison made her way back to Renee, ice cream cones in tow. Renee quickly took one (she had asked for a double-scoop strawberry, yum) and moved aside a bit.

“Sorry for the wait. The kid in front of me was crying,” Allison said sheepishly, taking a lick of her own cone (strawberry and chocolate). Renee saw her perfectly manicured magenta nails around the cone. “Said he wanted some vanilla.”

“That’s alright. Thanks for agreeing to come along with us. Didn’t think you’d say yes.”

Allison looked back at her, mildly shocked. “You think I’d reject the prospect of ice cream? Incredulous.”

Smiling, Renee closed her book and leaned back on the bench, taking a gulp of the fresh spring air. The sun had gracefully chosen not to be so bright today, and was instead looking down on them in between thick white clouds.

Renee mentally quieted her nerves. If anything, she wanted to leave this park without ruining things between her and Allison. And in order for this to happen, she needed to… well, not freak out so much.

“What were you reading?” Allison asked, putting her free arm up on the bench. Renee tried not to think so much about how close her forearm was to her neck.

“The Art of Racing in the Rain. One of my favorites. It’s written from the perspective of a dog.”

“That sounds like a tearjerker. And a lot like what you’d like.”

“I cried the first time, and will probably… cry the second time, yes.”

“I can imagine. I miss my dog all the time.”

A buzzing in her pocket interrupted Renee’s prepared reply. She brought out her phone and examined the notification. It was a text from Andrew.

have you done it yet

Blushing a little, Renee put her phone back in her pocket and shot Andrew a stony look. Andrew shook his head in return. In front of him, Neil gave her an encouraging thumbs-up.

“The monsters look so happy, yeah?” Allison piped up, looking where she was looking. “Especially Minyard. Never thought I’d see the day.”

“Why, because he’s always been against Aaron and Katelyn?”

“You read my mind.” Allison licked her lips, then took another bite of ice cream. Thoughtfully, she added, “Have you ever…?”

“Hmm?”

“I– heh. Never mind. I wouldn’t want to pry.”

Renee licked a strawberry piece off of her cone. She hoped it made her seem like she wasn’t nervous. “You started to, might as well follow-through.”

For a few moments, there was nothing from Allison but the clearing of her throat.

Then, “Have you ever been in love?”

“Wha–” Renee’s shock moved her forward. She almost pushed the remaining ice cream off her cone. “Oh. Shit. Uh–”

In seconds, Allison had moved closer and offered a tissue. Their thighs touched. Their hips connected. Renee’s body didn’t know any other responses to this but internal panic.

Decipher the whirlwind of thoughts in her mind, and it was actually a mix of oh my god and this girl and Allison Allison Allison and Andrew why–

Breathe, Walker.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Uh. Thanks. And, well, to answer your question, I–”

The expectant look on Allison’s face was too much, so for half a minute, Renee busied herself with cleaning up. She dabbed the tissue on her face, and promptly ignored the buzzing in her pocket.

She could make up some excuse about having seen a kid fall over. She could lie and say that her teeth were sensitive, and that she was just taken aback. There were so many ways to avoid the confrontation that may be a disaster she cannot live down.

One thing was for sure, though. She was so going to beat up Andrew.

After making sure that no ice cream was going to fall off her cone, Renee faced Allison. She could feel Andrew’s incessant texts through the repeated buzzing in her jeans.

Well. No time like the present.

Allison moved her free arm to bring out her phone, and was about to speak, but Renee grabbed her arm to get her attention.

“To answer your question, I… have. I still… am? But it’s not the kind of love that hurts, it’s more of… the love that keeps me grounded. And, uh. I really should’ve done this a long time ago, but I never got to, so… Allison, would you like to go out with me sometime–”

“Finally.” 

Behind them, Andrew looked more than ready to leave. Holding Neil’s hand, he said, “We’re leaving.”

“Bye, you two.” Neil was a cheery thing, and he waved goodbye with his free hand as Andrew dragged him away from the park.

Renee closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. Even her ice cream cone probably felt awkward in her hand. She removed her hand from Allison’s arm.

So much for avoiding embarrassment.

“Renee, I–,” Allison started, then stopped. A couple of seconds later, she teased, “You just asked me out.”

Renee’s eyes flew open, and in front of her was Allison, cone in one hand, phone in the other, and a smirk on her face. 

It wasn’t like Renee to take back her words, even if it was only to save face, so she defensively replied, “Yeah? And what about it–”

“Andrew just texted me,” Allison said, opening her phone and showing it to Renee. “I was about to read it, but at least you got to it first.”

Renee only heard Allison’s anyway, yeah, I’d love to go out with you before she went on to read the texts on Allison’s phone. Laughter bubbled up in her system, and Allison snickered too.

if renee doesn’t get it out of her system, i will

would you want to go out with her

never mind. you are both completely useless