Ocean Rose

Mint-Chocolate Ice-Cream

She turned away. For some reason, she still couldn't trust him. Ash never had meant to call her beautiful, it just came out.

But to be truthful, she was. Her eyes showed cleverness, beauty, humor, and a born leader.

But they also showed pain.

Enough about the eyes, he thought, say something.

He looked at her, as they were walking in the hallway,and saw how her hair fell upon her forehead while she was thinking. She was thinking hard. He sighed. He honestly had no idea what to say.

Maybe, he'd just start with something she should know. Something that would make her think that he had felt whatever she was feeling. Strangely though, he had no idea what was wrong.

''My dad died, when I was 8'', he said breaking the silence.

She lifted her head and looked at him, startled. She lifted her eyebrows.

''Heart attack.'', he said woefully.

She gave him a look of understanding and remorse. They walked in silence. He stole a glance at her, and was surprised to see she was already looking at him.

''So, since we're...getting to be friends'', he said, ''Do you want to..um..talk over ice-cream?''. He held his breath. Where had that come from? He barely even knew the girl, and he was already making moves on her.

Strangely, she looked at him with a twinkle in her eye and nodded. She brushed her hair out of her face. He felt a smile form on his face. His was filled with joy.

''Humanities is comin' up'', he said in a Texas accent, ''Better get you there, little lady''. He pretended to tip an imaginary hat.

She laughed. Her laugh was like magical bells. But then, she abrutly stopped, and the pain came back in her eyes.

She still couldn't trust him. 

Later, after surviving a boring lecture about ''The Black Death'', and giving her his lunch, Ash walked with her to the corner store. The sun shown like a diamond above them. She didn't look at him. She simply sat down at a table.

He slid in the seat next to her. 

''Whats your favorite ice-cream?'', he asked. 

When she didn't reply he said, ''Mine is mint-chocolate'', he paused, ''It was my dad's favorite too''.

She nodded, slowly. Her eyes were averted. 

''You like mint-chocolate?'', he asked hopefully.

She looked at him finally in annoyance, suggesting she wasn't in the talkative mood. She nodded sharply, and looked away. He got up, and walked up to the counter.

A young woman with a happy look on her face looked at Ash. She spoke so fast, that it seemed like one word.

''Whatareyagonnaorder?'', she asked.

''Two mint-chocolate ice-creams.''

''Oneforyourgirlfriendoverthere?'', she asked smiling widely. Ash looked back , and saw her studying him.

''We're friends.'', he said slowly, his hands in his pockets.

''Oh'', she said quietly and suddently slowed down, ''Here is your ice cream''.

She handed him the two cones. He quickly fished out the money from his pockets and dropped it on the counter. He walked back to the green table, where she sat, turned away from him. He reached her hand out, hesitantly, but didn't touch her. Instead, he let the ice-cold cream drip onto his bare hands.

Then, she finally turned around and looked at him. He handed the ice-cream to her. She nodded a silent thank you.

''Your welcome'', he said.

She licked her ice-cream. It was creamy and amazing. It melted in her mouth. To be honest, she never had ice-cream before.

Ash noticed the little green-speck of ice-cream glistening on her nose. Without thinking, he reached out and swiped some of it away. Then, he ate it off his finger. She gave him a strange look and let the tip of her cone touch his nose. The battle was on.

He felt the cold cream dripping down on his face. He laughed, and made the next move. She looked at him, and mischief glinted in her left eye. She took her cone and creamed him. Then, she took some off with her finger and ate it.

They laughed at eachother, with their faces dripping with ice-cream. Ash held up his cone.

''Cheers to us'', he said laughing. She smiled, and cheered along with him. Then she buried her face in the sticky sweet, laughing all the way. 

Ash loved her laugh.  He did indeed.