Scars On Ice | Charlie Conway

f o u r t e e n

The next week progressed at an odd tilt. Aspen spent her time at home nervously tiptoeing around her older brother and regrettably spent her time at school tiptoeing around several people. Elle was on her case about the whole Charlie thing, Jay was ranting and raving about the upcoming school events, and the few times she had seen Mei in the hallway had been increasingly awkward. She had exchanged smiles and small talk with Charlie, but almost all of his flirtation had disappeared. It would've been easy to talk to him, had she been able to still her erratically beating heart. Delanie was constantly sending her sympathetic glances, as if she knew exactly how she felt.

It seemed like she couldn't catch a break.

On top of her social issues, her score on her most recent math test was not the least bit desirable. She hadn't realized how stressed she was becoming until the paper was placed on her desk. She couldn't stop herself from pressing her forehead against her palms, and aggravated sigh leaving her lips. Connie reached over and rubbed her back, but it didn't do much to alleviate her discomfort. As if the grade wasn't bad enough, the words See me after class that Mr. Penn had scrawled across the bottom shimmered up at her tauntingly.

So much for high school being how she had expected it.

She hovered around her desk as all of her classmates left for lunch. Connie gave her a soft smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. It was sympathetic, but it didn't do much to aid the nervous sweat that was pooling on Aspen's forehead. When nearly everyone had gone, Aspen gripped her test tightly in her fingers and made her way to the front of the room.

Mr. Penn sat back in his chair, his dark eyes fixated on her pale face. It was silent for a moment before the man sighed. "What's going on, Aspen?" he asked tiredly, holding a hand out for her to pass along her quiz.

She begrudgingly handed the now-crinkled paper over. She clasped her hands together in front of her, her thumbs anxiously pressing against one another. "This unit was completely lost on me. I even went to Joey for help. The homework seemed to make sense, but then I got the test and it felt like I was reading a different language," she vented timidly. For the first time, she realized exactly how grateful she was to have Mr. Penn as a teacher. If it were anyone else, she didn't think she'd have the gumption to explain how much she was struggling. At the same time, if it were anyone else, she didn't think they'd ask.

"It's a hard unit," he agreed without a smile. He eyed her work for a moment before setting the paper down. He lifted his gaze to study her demeanor once more. "But the math isn't why you struggled. It's hardly been a month since school started. What on earth could possibly have you so stressed?"

Leave it to him to see right through her. He was always able to do it on the ice, and it seemed like he had only gotten better at it since her accident. She sighed and shook her head. "High school is just hard to adjust to. I'm sure I'm not the only one struggling."

Penn nodded contemplatively. "I'm sure," he agreed after a small moment of consideration. He perked an eyebrow. "You said you asked Joseph for help?"

Aspen nearly frowned at the use of her brother's full name. No one called him Joseph, not even their parents. She hadn't heard anyone use it in years. Once she recovered from her momentary surprise, she gave a meek nod. "Yeah. He tried his hardest, but I guess I just couldn't figure it out."

"He excelled in my class, but perhaps the two of you just think differently. What worked for him may very well be lost on you," he mused. Aspen nodded along with his words, though she wasn't entirely sure she knew what he meant. He rubbed his chin for a moment before tapping his fingers against her exam. "In fact, I think you might be better off seeking assistance from your other brother."