The tale of two scales

Chapter three : Aspen:

Throughout the years, aspens been well behaved. Did what his mother told him. Worked to earn a bit of money catching fish, and generally grew up well.

What he didn't specialise in, however, was making friends. Humans of all different colours and ages were littered across the town. Some seemed to stay inside while others loved the warm air of Potorosso. But somehow Aspen just couldn't make friends with anybody.

The closest he had to human companions, was his mothers friends. Sweet and kind, his favourite was Bernice Glithero. Always had something to smile about Bernice was slowly going grey, she gave him and his mother an accommodation after accidentally sleeping on her roof one night.

But now she and aspens mom were best friends. Aspen could constantly hear them laughing and chatting whenever Bernice came round. And she always brought something sweet to eat.

Bernice was an old woman, but still young enough to stand on her own two feet. Her hair was a shade of cloud, and her face chubby and wrinkly, old with long laughs and smiles.

Her body wasn't what every teen age girl dreamed, but she gave the best hugs when you were feeling down.

Her hands were pecan with hours spent working in the sun and rough with labour.

Yet they still held such gentleness and care, wrapping round your own as though they were made to fit perfectly.

Still Bernice brought such joy to the remaining green family, and Aspen thought of her as a Nana.
He came down whenever he heard her chuckle, always receiving a face full of cookies and cake to eat. Bernice made sure that they never went hungry.
She supplied them with fruits and trinkets from her stall, never charged them rent, and always willing to give more.

Soon enough Paige was accepted as a waitress in a nearby bar. She was so happy, that she went to go find Bernice to tell her the news straight away. And from them on, Paige has been paying back Bernice piece by piece.

——————————-

Aspen was currently laying in his bed reading when he heard the loud laughter of his two favourite people in the whole world. Setting down his book at chapter fifteen he walked down the stairs, only by the end of them to get squished into a hug.

"Hi Bernice!" Aspen said while being squeezed to death.

"How's my favourite superstar doing today? Hm? My you've grown! How old are you now?"

"Fifteen"

Once Bernice let go Aspen went to grab a cookie and sit down at the table, grabbing a nearby magazine.

"You know I still remember when you were an itty bitty little thing"
She laughed along with Paige. Bernice laugh was loud and joyful, it was extremely contagious, where as Paige's laugh was quiet with the occasional sniffle or snort.

Aspen didn't laugh much, but he did smile, so far he hasn't found a reason to laugh, but maybe he will one day.

"Ugh right so-" This is what Aspen comes down for when Bernice is around, Bernice glithero knows all the gossip that goes around the town, because everyone knows her.

" I was working at my stall today as per usual, and Toni comes and steals another basket again and I'm like-"
Aspen drowns out Bernice's rant, he's heard a lot about Toni Moore land. Well, not really, all he knows that she's a trouble to the town and steals food baskets from Berenice's stall.

Personally, Aspen didn't think much of Toni, she sounded cocky and ignorant, and doesn't obey any rules. Aspen wondered if she even had parents at all to give her rules to follow.