No Pads… No Helmets… Just Memories!

Ash Wednesday...

Catholic holiday that marks the beginning of lent. And well, that’s about all I know about it to be honest. Aside from the rough understanding, the only thing I knew about this Ash Wednesday was that, A. We didn't have school, B. It was a hot day, and C. That meant a whole day of tanning to ourselves. Just me, Cass and Andrea. No boys allowed.

And we were basking in it. Literally.

Three lounge chairs by the pool in Andrea's back yard for an entire day was a nice break from the hectic energy we were used to being engulfed in on a regular basis. The sun was warming our skin as classic rock tunes from 100.7 The Bay's radio station flooded from the speakers mounted around the yard. Currently listening to Metallica's song 'Nothing Else Matters' as I soaked in the beating rays of the high sun. Andrea got to her feet, claiming to go grab us all drinks when Cass turned onto her side. But something seemed to be bubbling in her throat that she just couldn't keep down. Shifting in her seat she looked to me for the fifth time in the past twenty minutes. Though this time she didn't sigh and lie back down.

"Wait, so you're telling me..." She started as I turned my head to her, looking past Andrea's now empty chair whilst lifting my sunglasses off my eyes to squint at her. "That Alex told you he loves you, and you love him, but you haven't even slept together yet!?" Laughing, I shook my head and slid down my shades to return back to my previous position. "Jasey I just don't get it!"

"What's there to get?" I shrugged as I smiled and shut my eyes, not like she could see anyhow. This wasn't the first time Cass has prodded my mind over Alex and I's lack of sexual activity. Apparently she, like the rest of the school was still stuck on him being an apparent "man whore".

"That he hasn’t jumped your fucking bones yet!" She squealed as the sound of a sliding glass door rippled across the back yard.

"Who hasn't jumped whose bones yet?" Andrea's voice trailed behind as Cass smirked behind her shoulder at our friend.

"Alex, and Jasey's bones..." She drawled as Andrea laughed, skipping around my chair to claim her own as she handed us each a Vanilla Coke before looking to me.

"He hasn't even made a move yet?" She asked, sitting in her lounge chair as she crossed her legs under her and faced my lying figure. Rolling my eyes, I removed my sunglasses once again to glance at Dre.

"A move yes, but a move to get me into his bed, not exactly how I would put it..."

"Jasey, you should talk to him about it!" Cass jumped in as she slid onto Andrea's chair, propped up on her knees beside our auburn haired friend who was nodding furiously.

"Yeah, maybe he's just nervous to scare you off!" She pointed out as I rolled my eyes, sitting up and facing them with a pout.

"Guys, we have discussed it," I told them as I scratched at the back of my neck. "It's like an awkward thing I guess..."

"Well, do you want to...?” Andrea started with a wicked grin as she leaned over herself. Wiggling her eyebrows. "You know, do the dirty?"

"Ugh- ew, don't talk about it like that!" I whined making both of them laugh as I sighed, falling into the back of my lounger. "I mean... Yes, why wouldn't I, but I don't want to rush him, or myself!"

"Rush him?" Cass looked at me wearily as I bit my lip.

"Well... He's kind of." I swallowed my tongue as I looked up to the sky, not sure if I should say what Alex trusted me with knowing. "He's uhm, a-"

"ALEX IS A FUCKING VIRGIN!?" Cass boomed as I instantly recoiled at her outburst. Nodding none the less in my crumpled shape. The two of them instantly breaking into fits of giggles as I blushed. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"

"I can't believe I just said that!" I groaned, running my hands through my mangled bun. Cass laughing even more as Andrea looked to me.

"That's so cute!" She squealed for the first time ever as I looked to her. "Alex is probably so nervous!"

"Yeah... I don't think that's it!" I told her with raised brows and a pressed laugh as they both looked to me expectedly. "The sexual frustration is most certainly their!"

They both giggled again as I rolled my eyes and sighed, crossing my arms over my chest. "Are you scared?" Cass asked now. Her tone sincere even with the slight smile on her lips as I sat up.

"What- uh- no, of course not!" I blushed as Cass slapped her hands to her face and 'awed'.

"Then if you’re not nervous, just... Go for it!" Andrea said as my eyes widened again.

"I can't do that!"

"Why not?" She shrugged causally as my mouth slapped open and shut. She clearly knew I had no knowledge of anything of this measure what so ever but still found my attitude pitiful. She narrowed her eyes at me. "Do you even want to sleep with him?"

"What- yes!" I snipped at her accusation as she narrowed her eyes even more making me roll my own. "Why wouldn't I, I mean he's cute, and sweet, and funny, and talented!" I listed as Andrea nodded her head. "And he's attractive, and hot, and his eyes are just- th- their mesmerizing! And- and his butt- he's got a nice ass for a boy!"

"THEIR WE GO!" Andrea cheered as I looked to her, utterly confused.

"What?"

"Jasey, we know you guys care about one another on that whole emotional level!" Andrea explained with a roll of the eyes as Cass picked it up.

"But sex won’t even be on the table unless both of you have a level of physical attraction as well. It just won’t happen!" Cass smirked. "And now we know he can get your blood boiling!" She smiled as I crinkled my nose at her terminology.

"Well we know I'm physically attracted to him, but I mean look at him, who wouldn't be!" I exclaimed as I sighed. "But what if he's not... And that's why we haven't done anything drastic?"

But just as the words left my mouth both Cass and Andrea began to laugh. I bit my lip, feeling extremely self-conscious as I sighed. "JASEY!" Cass laughed as my eyes snapped to hers. "Alex definitely would jump in bed with you the moment he presented it, trust me!"

"How do you know?" I asked curiously as my mind still tingled with self-doubt. The brunette rolled her eyes as she looked to Andrea.

"Jasey," she insisted. "YOU'RE HOT!"

Her words took me by extreme shock as I looked at her. "I am?" I asked in disbelief as I scoffed and shook my head.

"YES! My god, Jasey you are fucking hot and you don't even realize it!" Andrea jumped in now as I blushed. "I can't even count how many times I've seen Alex drooling over you!"

I bit my lip as I looked down at myself. I just didn't understand. I didn't have a 'banging bod' or anything of that sort. I had the body of an athlete. I did have huge tits thanks to how much I have to work out. My stomach wasn't smooth and flat, it was toned to the point where abs were forming, but weren’t quite shaped leaving a risen rectangle on my middle, with a dip down the center when I flexed. My wider hips made my butt seem slightly fitting to my figure which was only above average thanks to an abundance of squats making my ass mostly muscle then an actual butt- and optical-illusion one might say. And the muscle continues down my thighs and calves which were built and short in length, my body seeming smaller by the space between my thighs from my wide set hips. A gap I wouldn't have had my hips been the way they should be.

"Jasey..." Cass called as I looked to her. "Trust me, Alex wants you." She giggled.

"Jasey, just- just, the next time he does something that you think is just overly sweet, and you appreciate," Andrea started as I blinked at her. "Just- just jump his bones okay, just get him turned on and see where he takes it!" I inwardly groaned again as I looked to Andrea pleading for a topic change, but when my eyes met hers, I was her thoughtful smile and her soft orbs. "You actually love him," she said softly as Cass's noises came to a halt. My blush deepening as I was almost positive my cheeks were seconds from boiling and bubbling off my face completely. "Don't you?" I bit my lip out of habit as I looked down. Trying to think of words that could answer that and finding none as I nodded ever so slightly. Cass instantly squealing.

"You guys are so cute!" She yelped as she slid to my chair and sat beside me. "I always thought Alex was a prick at heart till I saw him around you again..." She smiled as I looked to her with a confused expression making her sigh. "All guys are different around their guy friends, and Alex- like Jack -wasn't one to have friends that are girls after you left. And of course without you keeping them both in line they became little douche bags."

"They did?"

"Oh for sure!" Cass nodded. "I always just thought that since you left before they hit actual puberty that’s just what they were actually like as people. But then you came back and it was like for both Jack and Alex, nothing ever changed!"

I dropped my head as I fiddled with my thumbs. "Whoa, I- I never knew that..." I mumbled as I looked back at her.

"I just envy how Alex treats you!" Andrea jumped in with an exaggerated sigh as she looked off into the distance making me laugh. She reached forward and slapped my knee. "I'm serious!" She grinned. "Alex is so sweet and cute around you, I want an Alex!"

"He's not that different to me..." I mumbled as Cass rolled her eyes and shoved me playfully.

"That's because he's always treated you different!" She poked as I rolled my eyes. "Come on, like we all don't notice the little things he does!"

"Like what?" I argued with a cheesy grin as Andrea laughed.

"Like the way he looks at you..." Cass swooned as she didn't bother to wipe the smile from her face. "Or just the way he- ugh I don't even know you guys are just so down right adorable!"

"I guess I never looked at it like that..." I mumbled as Andrea furrowed her brows.

"How do you look at it, at him I mean?"

I let out a sigh as I molded my hands and licked my lips. "I don't know..." I started. "I guess I just seem him as... Alex." I looked down at my lap as a smile pulled on my lips. "The dorky ass little British boy who moved in across the street. My best friend, my first kiss, my first love, my- my first everything." I mumbled quietly. "Alex, Alex is the person I trust with anything and everything. He is one of the most important people in my entire life, and not even just as a boyfriend but a person. I have no clue where I would even be today had he not been in my life."

"Well, you know what they say..." Cass sighed in joy as she patted my back. "The luckiest ones are the ones who fall in love with their best friend!"

"Is he a good kisser?" Andrea asked suddenly as I looked at her with a bugged glance. "What? I don't need a Wikipedia background on your friendship, I know it all, I want the juicy stuff!"

"ANDREA!" I whined with a laugh as she shrugged nonchalantly at me.

"Just a question..." She hummed before once again leaning close and saying, "the people wanna know, can he kiss?"

I quickly bit my lip feeling my heating blush as I nodded swiftly. "Y-Yes, he is a good kisser."

"Okay, okay, but one other thing I need to know." She smiled again. "When you two are like-" her voice being silenced by the ringing of my cell phone which Cass quickly snatched it from my bag on the grass. Her face soon possessing a wicked grin as my eyes blew wide.

"Speaking of the devil-"

"CASS NO!" I shouted as she flicked my phone open quickly and pressed it to her ear.

"Jasey Rae Gaskarth's office, Cassadee speaking, how may I help you?" She grinned at me as she sent a wink my way and plopped onto the grass and laughed into the phone. "She is, but she's too busy dishing out all the juicy details as of you and your relationship!" She grinned as I whined in protest and made grabby hands at my phone.

"Come on Cass, give it back!"

"He says," she started, holding the phone vertical as she listed to Alex. "Did you tell them about how his..." She trailed off as her mind caught up to her words and her mouth slapped shut. Her eyes widened to the size of pancakes as her cheeks flushed red and she gasped. "ALEX GASKARTH I WILL NOT REPEAT THAT OUT LOUD!" She yelled as I heard his rippling laugh through the phone and could only think of one thing she would be scared with. And it might have been a secret he likes to keep... Well, below the belt.

"HAND IT OVER!" I demanded as Cass held up a hand. A serious look on her face as she listened. Presumably finally hearing all he actually called to say as Cass began to grin, and nod, and squeal.

"Oh my god. Yeah. Okay!" She excitedly listed into the phone as she smiled up at me. "Yep, I'll put her on right now." I rolled my eyes and reached for my phone, meeting Cass halfway as I snatched it.

"Sorry about that..." I groaned, sitting back in my lounge chair. Alex laughed into the phone making me smile at just the sound.

"It's no problem..." He smiled into the phone. "But I have to ask something of you?"

"What's that?" I asked, shifting in my seat.

"Tomorrow morning, after first period is over, meet me by the line of windows outside Mr. Peacock's room." He told me as I scrunched my nose.

"Any reason as to why?" I asked.

"Just do it..." He responded. "You won't be disappointed."

Notes