Life in Color ✔️

16~ Kool Aid

Everyday of break I spend with my friends.

Monday we hike at a nearby park, taking the younger kids with us. The weather warmer for a November day. Tuesday is spent at the mall, us girls shopping literally all day.  A blessing since I had to buy outfits for Thanksgiving dinner.

The boys hang in there. Sage, who loves shopping just as much as I do, carries his bags and Ella's. Towards the end of the day I could hardly see him under all the bags. James, who  clearly isn't a mall person, goes along with whatever Stella wants and nothing more. Interestingly, Ashton is a closet shopper.

He has better taste than I thought.

Today we saw a movie. Sadly, a cheesy romance.

Sage cried like a baby holding onto Ella's hand.

Stella and James made out.

Ashton and I laughed through the entire thing.

It's a wonder we're all friends.

Now I'm in Ella's bedroom, looking over the pictures she's taken in the past couple weeks. The many perks of having a photographer best friend is that your pictures are always edited and your insta feed is aesthetically pleasing.

The rest of my siblings are outside, petting her horses. Yes, horses.

Ella is an only child who lives on property. Whatever she wants she gets. Horses, a nice car, cameras- you name it. She wasn't spoiled it was just a benefit of her dads job and being the only child to focus on. A completely foreign concept to me.

We lounge on her pale blue bedspread with her Mac between us, scrolling through the images. I see the picture of us all at the middle school game, it's crazy to think that was almost a month ago.

I love all the pictures she took of the five of us with the trophy. One of them most definitely will find a home on the mantle.

Ella has a gift, I can assure anyone of that. She's the only person capable of getting all five of us to smile for a picture. Hell, she even makes Sterling look photogenic and that alone is a miracle. 

As I download all the pictures I want on a flash drive she studies me, clearly wanting to say something.

"What, Ella Marie?" I demand, knowing she's gonna ask about Ashton.

"What happened between you and lover boy?" She asks.

I cough uncomfortably, "First off, never call him lover boy again. Secondly, we're friends."  How many times do I have to tell her? For some reason, she chooses to hear what she wants and nothing more.

She takes the computer and pulls up a different file, "Well, friends surly don't do this." She says, showing me the screen,

It's a picture of me and Ashton kissing after the game. That damn kiss will be the end of me. I'm not gonna lie, it's a pretty picture. The lights shining down on us, almost in a halo effect. Someone from yearbook probably took the picture.

"Friends that make impulsive decisions do." I respond flatly, ready to drop the subject.

Ella ignores me, scrolling through the pictures for me to see.

There was Ashton and I hugging after the twins game. Us at the pep rally, him looking directly at me while I smiled for the camera. Another of Ashton carrying me as we hiked.

It ends with me watching Ashton as he walked away before the last game, right after I promised him a kiss, "It looks like someone's in denial."

"Am not." I argue, throwing a pillow at her. There's nothing but friendship between us and quite honestly I'm getting really annoyed by everyone sticking their nose in my business.