Scars On Ice | Charlie Conway

t w e n t y

The next twenty-four hours were a whirlwind. Aspen nearly couldn't comprehend how it was lunch already, the ominous deadline that held the fates of the ducks looming dangerously closer. Elle had been distraught all day, her dark skin coated in a constant cold sweat. Connie had nearly burst into tears during math, forcing Aspen to wear a brave face as she wrapped her arms around the nearly trembling girl. Mr. Penn had offered to let Aspen take her to the nurse, but it was pointless; there was no cure for such anxiety.

Peter and Jay had been scheming to the best of their abilities, but Aspen was losing hope in them. It was almost odd to see how the predicament had changed her friends. Jay had been all but neglecting his studies, his brain focused on only one topic as he absentmindedly scribbled on his paper. Peter had become a level of soft that Aspen had never seen, his eyes glossy as he fretted over not just the ducks, but also over his best friend, who had made himself scarce. Peter claimed to have discussed speaking to Rick with Roland, but he didn't seem hopeful. Aspen couldn't blame him. Her discussion with her brothers had been chaotic in its own right.

"You have to be able to do something, Joey," Aspen was practically begging. She was trying her hardest to keep her frustrated tears at bay. She wasn't ready to lose her friends, and this just wasn't fair.

To her dismay, Joey clenched his jaw. He shook his head with little emotion. "I can't," he deadpanned.

Caine huffed from nearby as he raised himself off of the couch. He peered down at his sister blankly. "Even if he could, he wouldn't," Caine said, casting a dark gaze over his shoulder at the older boy. Joey was practically bristling in the doorway, his posture stiff and ragged, his eyes betraying the conflict that was whirling around his head. Caine pressed his lips into a firm line. "Joey knows better."

Aspen wanted to scream. "What the hell does that mean?" she asked exasperatedly.

When Caine turned his gaze back to her, she was alarmed to find the coldness that rested in his dark eyes. "You try turning your back on Rick Riley and his friends," Caine seethed. A look of disgust flashed onto his face as he shook his head. "We've got a loyalty to our teammates, Aspen. That's that."

Before Aspen could argue further, he stepped around her and disappeared up the stairs. Aspen settled her dismayed gaze onto her older brother, who had deflated in tandem with Caine's departure. Aspen felt her voice break, "Joey?"

Once more, the older boy gave a solemn shake of his head. "I'm sorry, Squirt," he murmured. He couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze. "Your friends are gonna have to fight this one on their own."

The conversation had been on repeat in Aspen's head, constantly making her want to slam her fist into something. Team loyalty? How could they be loyal to friends who were constantly putting them and others down? Was the high school hierarchy that important to them?

When she seated herself at their normal lunch table, Aspen immediately noticed two things. The first was that Elle had shifted to sit with them, her expression grim. She was seated beside Jay, who wasn't doing much talking to anyone. Every once in a while she would sniffle and he would reach over and rub her arm or knee. Peter gazed softly at her every now and then, his humor gone. Even he managed to remain silent.

The second thing, more alarming than the first, was Roland's absence. He had avoided her eyes in English, and she hadn't caught up with him during passing period. And now he was late to lunch. An all-too familiar sinking feeling caught in Aspen's chest. She didn't think she could survive losing him too.

She ate in silence beside Peter, her head in the clouds, until the stillness was broken by Jay. He reached over and nudged Peter, nodding at something across the room. Aspen and Peter both turned their heads towards the cafeteria's entrance, their hearts clamoring as they spotted Roland pushing through the doors. He kept his head down as he passed the j.v team's table, and for good reason -- Aspen felt herself physically recoil at the glares they sent the cowering boy. He lifted his head only when he neared his friends. His amber eyes immediately met Aspen's, and he stopped in his tracks.