Mint Choco Chip

+six+

"Wait up, dweeb." Came a voice behind her.

It's funny how life works.

If two weeks ago somebody told her that she would be best friends with Ashley Whitman, she would have laughed and given them the directions to the school counselor.

And yet, here they were.

She stood there, waiting for her to catch up.

She knew she should be thinking about her birth parents, but she couldn't stop thinking about Oliver, and how it felt when his arms were around her.

Ugh, was her heart thumping?

"Why do you look like you want to kill something?" Ashley asked after studying her face.

"Have you ever felt...warm in someone's embrace?" Maia's mouth seemed to be working on its own.

Ashley raised her eyebrows, "I'm guessing you're not talking about body heat."

Maia glared at her, "Forget it."

Ashley shook her head, "No, I know what you're talking about. You feel warm, safe, protected."

Maia stared at her friend, "Is there...?"

Ashley's eyes became steely, "No. Not for me. The only person who can protect me is me."

"Not ever Marcus?" Maia's voice had a joking edge to it.

Ashley rolled her eyes, "Yeah, because Marcus is totally going to protect me."

Even the cockroach scuttering around on the floor probably heard the sarcasm in her voice.

She went on, "There was a spider in our history class last week, and when he saw it he screamed like a baby and jumped up onto his desk. He wouldn't stop screaming until I killed the bloody thing."

Maia had to laugh at that. It sounded like Marcus alright.

But Ashley wasn't smiling. In fact, she looked dead serious.

"It's like I said, I'm beyond anybody's protection now."