Scars On Ice | Charlie Conway

f i v e

It was a few days before attending Eden Hall felt normal. Jay and Aspen had turned to sitting with Peter and Roland daily, and usually their after school adventures led to them Aspen's kitchen table. Elle was around, walking to class with them between periods and cracking jokes in class, but hockey kept her about as busy as one could expect. In the evenings, Joey helped Aspen with her homework while Caine lent a hand to their dad in the kitchen. Life became a routine, and it didn't take long to get used to it.

One thing that had changed was Aspen's chemistry period. She sat at a table of all girls, two of whom were almost never in their seats. The other girl, Delanie, Aspen had gone to elementary school with but was never close to. She was quiet for the most part, but was usually very kind when she and Aspen chatted. The only thing that really stood out about her was her friendship with a certain curly-haired boy that sat one table away.

Aspen didn't even know that the pair knew each other until Charlie was sliding into the empty seat next to her, his eyes focused intently on Delanie. Aspen tried her best not to eavesdrop on their conversation, but that's hard to do when Charlie is practically shouting.

"Please quiet down," Delanie hissed, casting her gaze towards the rest of the classroom. She turned back to the boy with a scowl, "I'm not doing this with you right now. Adam and I aren't friends, nor will we ever be. Period."

Charlie let out a hefty sigh, crossing his arms in frustration. He began to argue back, but Delanie just shushed him. "I think Aspen is sick of listening to you harass me. Right, Asp?" the girl suddenly turned to Aspen, a pleading look in her eyes.

When Charlie turned, he looked as though he were noticing the girl's presence for the first time. His gaze softened, and he perked his eyebrows. A small smirk fell onto Aspen's lips. "Really, Charlie," she began teasingly, "it's like your sole purpose is to bully Lanie. Are you sure you don't have a crush on her?"

Delanie burst into laughter at that, the small blush that appeared on the boy's cheeks causing her to completely lose her cool. Aspen hadn't meant to embarrass him, but she couldn't help the humored smile that tugged at her lips. After a moment, Charlie cleared his throat. He turned to completely face the girl beside him, leaning smoothly against the lab table. "Can't have a crush on her if I have a crush on someone else, now can I?" he responded suggestively, a smirk appearing on his lips.

Aspen narrowed her eyes at him, her smile disappearing. She knew he was teasing, so she swallowed the butterflies that forced their way into her chest. "I wouldn't, if I were you," she shot back, "rejection hurts."

"Ouch," Charlie pouted, pressing a hand to his chest as though he had been struck. "Aspen Folsom, are you suggesting that I can't get a girlfriend?" There was a humored glint in his eyes, and it was evident that he was enjoying their bit of banter. Aspen would be lying if she said she weren't.

She shrugged coyly, turning her gaze away from him. "Can't say. I don't know you well enough," she responded coolly as she tried her hardest to hide the happy smile that was slowly beginning to spread across her face.

Determined to continue their conversation, Charlie leaned forward on his elbow, his eyes focusing on Aspen's face. "Personally, I think we should change that," he mused sincerely, the smirk on his lips demonstrating that his intentions were far flirtier than he initially let on.

Not used to such conversations, Aspen didn't quite know how to react. She had spent her entire youth being friends with boys, not flirting with them. Now here she was, playfully bantering with a boy she had known for a week. There was no denying the fact that she had thought he was cute from the very first time she met him, but she hadn't even considered developing a genuine crush on him. Now he was making it extremely hard not to.