Aspen Heights, Book 2: Forgotten

Elita

"What is this place?" I asked, my eyes shining with childlike wonder. My eyes darted around the tree trunk house, from the collections of odd objects to the book filled shelves. My eyes landed on a tiny music box. I turned the handle and it began to play a cute little tune. "It was Aspen's little hideout...her special place," Catherine replied. "How did you find it?" I asked, not taking my eyes off of the shelf I was examining. "It was actually your mother. This is where she lived after she ran away from school, before she found everybody else," she explained. "Everything in here's amazing," I said, awestruck. "Hey guys," said Ben, entering the room with Sophia in tow. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "I thought we were all meeting here..." he replied, cocking his head to one side. "Then where are Cassie, Brianna and Livia?" I questioned. "Uhhh..." Ben replied, not knowing how to answer my question. "They're working on a project. Why does it matter anyway?" Sophia asked. "Whatever," I said, turning back to Catherine. "So tell me, what two human emotions are the strongest?" she asked me. "You have to know this one," she added as I stared at her blankly. "Uh, I don't know. Happiness?" I guessed. "Anger?" Ben offered. "Love," Sophia tried. "Exactly," Catherine replied, nodding to Sophia. "And the other?" she asked. "Hate," I suggested. "No, but you're close," she said. "Mom, there are so many!" Sophia sighed. "It's pain," Catherine said. "Pain isn't an emotion," Ben corrected, being a know-it-all as usual. "Emotional pain," Sophia said. I wasn't sure whether she was talking to us or to herself. "Getting emotionally hurt," I murmured, beginning to understand. "Exactly. The only way you'll be able to gain control of your powers, is if you feel both love and pain, together. Feeling the two at the same time will give you the power you need," she explained. "How am I supposed to do that? They're two totally different emotions. How can I feel them both at the same time?" I wondered aloud. "You'll have to figure that out yourself. And once you do, you'll get what you need," Catherine said. "I don't get it though, you levitated the apple. Shouldn't that be opening doors?" Sophia asked. "Not necessarily Sophia," Catherine replied. "I don't even remember doing that," I said, still confused about this whole apple levitation thing. "Which is why it didn't work. You didn't know what you were doing," Catherine explained. "I don't even know if  I did it," I argued. "You did, I saw you!" Sophia insisted. "Well, nobody else did," I shot back, wondering if Sophia was seriously going crazy. "Well, something had to trigger it," Ben said thoughtfully. "I don't know, ok?!" I shouted, turning and running out of the tree. I couldn't take it anymore! "Elita, wait!" I heard Sophia call after me. She must have been trying to follow me because the next thing I heard was Ben. "Stop. I'll go," He said. I sat on a big branch from a fallen tree, contemplating life. "There you are Elita," Ben said, walking up to me slowly. "Just leave me alone Ben," I grumbled. "No," he replied, taking a seat next to me. "Ben, leave me alone! I wanna be alone right now!" I shouted, desperately wanting to get away. "Here we go again. You know, no one says they want to be alone and then actually wants to be alone," he said. "Yes, people do. I do," I said, folding my arms stubbornly. "Well, I don't care. What's the matter?" he asked, wrapping his arm around my waist. I squirmed uncomfortably. "It's nothing Ben," I replied, staring straight ahead. "Elita," he whispered, knowing that it was definitely something. "Ok, fine, I heard you ok? I heard you when you were talking to Livia! I know I shouldn't have been listening, but I was!" I cried. "What do you mean you heard me?" he asked. "That she was your first love, and that you'll always care about her, and that you love her!" I huffed. "I never said that I loved her Elita. Look, She and I dated years ago. She just doesn't wanna get over me. I'll always care about her,  yeah, but that doesn't mean that I love her! Livia and I weren't right for each other." "Ok Ben, I get it!" I cut in. "Look, I'm sorry, but I don't really want to listen to your excuses right now," I said, standing up and stomping away. "They're not excuses Elita! It's the truth!" he insisted. "Well go tell someone who cares Ben," I replied, not even bothering to turn around. I didn't even know who he was anymore. I never really got to know him, yet now I feel like I know too much. He was never who I thought he was, and he never would be. And yet part of me still had feelings for him. I don't know if I could call it love, it was more like want. I want him, but I definitely don't need him.