Scars On Ice | Charlie Conway

o n e

"I'm sorry," the brunette whispered suddenly, causing Aspen to turn to her in surprise. The other girl shook her head at herself, "I'm sure you get... a lot of that. I didn't mean anything by it."

A small smile adorned Aspen's lips. "It's alright," she whispered back, casting her gaze at their teacher to make sure he wasn't disturbed by their conversation. "It's something I'm used to."

The girl frowned to herself. "I can't imagine," she mused quietly, probably more to herself than to her seat partner. When a silence befell them, she changed the subject. "I'm Connie, by the way. I was in your french class earlier, too."

"Aspen," the other girl introduced, before realizing her fault. She sighed, "I'm sure you knew that already."

Connie laughed quietly, "Well, you are quite popular. With our teachers, at least."

Aspen rolled her eyes, though there was a humored smile on her lips. She tapped her fingers against her wooden desk before shrugging. "It's my brothers," she explained, "they're on the hockey team, and they have... big personalities."

Connie nodded in acknowledgment. "Totally get that. You should see my sister," she laughed at her own joke before quieting down. She thought of asking how Penn had known her so quickly, but refrained. She had already accidentally offended her once. Prying probably wasn't a good idea. She instead chose a different approach at conversation. "My friends and I are actually here on hockey scholarships," she informed the girl beside her. She shrugged, "maybe I'll bump into your brothers a time or two."

"Congratulations," Aspen began. She was fully aware of how prestigious Eden Hall's hockey program was. She figured that Connie and her friends were quite good if they all received patented spots on the jv team. She then addressed the comment regarding her brothers. "And I'm sure you'll run into them eventually. You'll probably be able to see the resemblance immediately." There was a light tinge of sarcasm in her tone, but there was also truth in the statement. While Aspen's personality had severely deviated from those of her brothers, her appearance had not. They were undeniably related, no matter how badly Aspen sometimes wished she could hide it.

The pair of girls chatted off and on throughout the class period, and a warm feeling settled in Aspen's stomach. She was pleasantly surprised to find such a welcoming person at Eden Hall right off the bat. If there's one thing the school wasn't known for, it was the charming personalities of its students. Joey came home frequently complaining about things his captain said or did that were uncalled for. Caine was constantly complaining about the kind of girls he hung around with. Connie seemed to be a rare find, and Aspen was excited to befriend her.

--

If Aspen had experienced just one stroke of luck in her life, it was this; her two childhood best friends were also attending Eden Hall for their high school education. The trio played hockey together as children, right up until Aspen's accident. She had never told them exactly what happened or that it was hockey related and they didn't ask. They noticed the shift in her personality, but loved her all the same. And for that, she was grateful.

Elle Simmons was many things. She was most known for being a terrific, even if violent, hockey defenseman. Most of their opponents didn't think that a girl would be so ready to get her hands dirty, but there wasn't a single person who was as willing to drop their gloves as she was. Aspen had loved watching her play, but she hadn't been to a game recently. Still, she found it hard to believe that her flame ever died down.

"I'm so nervous," the taller girl muttered, taking a vigorous bite of her sandwich. When Aspen asked why, Elle gave her a look that screamed are you joking? Elle swallowed before answering, "Tryouts! Duh, Aspen."

Aspen just shrugged, her gaze turning to the salad in front of her. She scrunched up her nose before unleashing a witty retort. "Well I'm sorry that for some bizarre reason I don't exactly pay attention to Eden Hall's hockey schedule," her words dripped with sarcasm, and she gave the girl across from her a scornful look.

Elle shook her head, a sigh leaving her lips. "Yeah, yeah," she muttered. After a moment, she picked the conversation back up, "I think you could've done it, you know." When Aspen raised a confused eyebrow, the girl continued, "I think you could've played again, and I wish you would've. It's not the same without you."

A pit formed in Aspen's stomach, but she tried her hardest not to let it show. She shook her head, keeping a brave face. "We don't talk about that, Elle. The past is the past. Hockey isn't a part of my life anymore. It's best to just forget it ever was," she said pointedly, not leaving much room for argument.

Elle was about to wonder aloud what could possibly make someone who once had such a passion for something completely abandon it, but their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their third musketeer. Jay sat down beside Aspen with a thud. Both girls turned to look at him, their eyebrows furrowed. They shared a look before Elle swallowed and addressed the boy. "Uh, Jay? You alright?"

Jay let out a huff, "Of course not!" His tone made the girls both jump slightly in their seats.

An exasperated puff of air left Elle's mouth. She crossed her arms over her chest expectantly. When Jay didn't speak, she rolled her eyes. "Well? Are you going to explain or are you just going to sit there and pout?"

Jay sent her a glare, but sat up a bit in his chair. He rested his head on his hand glumly. "First day blues, I guess. High school sucks even more when every single teacher knows who you are," he moped.

Aspen nodded feverishly. "I get that," she responded quickly, sharing an empathetic look with the boy. When Elle looked at her in confusion, she explained, "Every single teacher I've had so far today has had either Joey or Caine or both. I sit in the front in almost every single class." Elle and Jay both laughed at that.

"Yeah, well," Jay began to counter, "at least your dad doesn't teach here. Everyone has these high standards for me and I have no idea how the frick I'm suppose to live up to them." He let out a stressed breath before slumping back into his chair.

"I have your dad third period," Aspen quipped. She looked down at her lap with a sigh, "He's the only one who put me in the back."

Jay looked at her for a moment, reading her expression. He couldn't tell quite which part of her day had made her so downcast. He forced a friendly chuckle from his lips. "By the door, right?" he asked with a roll of his eyes. When Aspen nodded, he chuckled a little louder, "Of course. He always thinks he has to do the most to look out for you."

"Him and every other adult in my life," Aspen muttered, kicking her right foot against the tile beneath her chair. Ever since her initial ankle injury, she had been coddled and protected by everyone except for Caine. Joey thought he needed to protect her from everything, and their parents were terrified of the idea of her having to go through anything like that ever again. Jay's dad, once her peewee coach, was always trying to find ways to support her to reach the potential she once had. Sometimes she felt like he was more focused on her than he was his own son. It's for that reason, Aspen thought, that Jay quit hockey last year.

Elle sighed, "Can't really blame them." There was a certain amount of sympathy in her voice that comforted rather than angered Aspen. Usually when people doted on her she became frustrated. She just wanted to be a normal kid. So what she couldn't walk straight? It's not like it was that big of a deal. So she limped a little bit. Big whoop. She could handle herself.

But Elle and Jay were always different. They understood the toll that the accident had taken on her, and they knew her real limitations. The adults in their lives often had trouble understanding exactly what her breaking point was. Elle and Jay just knew.

Jay wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders. "High school is gonna suck," he said unapologetically, causing Aspen to playfully elbow him. He laughed, pulling her a little bit closer, "but we're gonna get through it." He and Elle shared a caring look, causing them both to smile.

Elle nodded confidently. "Hell yeah we are."

And Aspen believed them.