ASPEN ➵ Paul Lahote [1]

three

Aspen skimmed over the myriad of words on the page in front of her. Eyes moving back and forth, pages turning, but she couldn't comprehend a single word she read. Her mind was wandering. She sat in the warm glow of her bedroom upon her bed flipping through the pages of Hamlet, not a single to be or not to be resonating in her head. The sun set outside, and the soft tapping of a gentle rain drummed against her window. Aspen glanced beyond her bedroom, and before she could change her mind, she slipped out of bed and grabbed her shoes. Leaving her bedroom and thudding straight down the stairs led her straight to the coat rack by the front door.

As she slipped on her yellow raincoat, her mom called out from the living room, "Where are you going, sweet pea?" The sound of the evening news being turned down and a newspaper page crinkling beneath fingertips filled the space comfortably.

"I was just going to go for a quick walk. Is that okay? It looks like the rain is letting up."

"Of course, that's fine. Just don't stay out too long; it'll be dark before you know it. Take your bag with you so you have a flashlight and that bear spray. I don't like you out there with all those creatures of the night," said Aspen's mom, still from behind the wall in the other room.

"Yeah, always keep one eye open, Penny," her dad chimed in. 

Rolling her eyes but still respecting her Parent's wishes, she grabbed the small backpack left on a bench by the front door. After shuffling into her shoes and giving her cat Moose a pat on the head, she made her way outside. The air felt dewy and the evergreen trees surrounding the house wafted a fresh, earthy smell into the air. While Aspen loved the brief moments the sun shone in Forks, she really did admire the way a fresh rain made the world around her come to life. Colors became more vibrant, greens and browns more richly coating the landscape for her to walk across. It was like a wet painting, the colors smearing and shining until they dried down.

Aspen didn't have much of an idea as to where she wanted to go. She made her way down her front porch steps and onto the edge of the darkened asphalt road. Not a single car passed her by as she meandered her way down the street. As she walked towards the end of her street, she veered into the woods that bordered the back of the houses in her neighborhood. She had walked into these woods plenty of times and always found her way back out, so tonight her mission was no different.

As she walked, she took a deep dive into her mind and got lost in the recall of events that have occurred to her recently. She met Bella Swan. The quiet girl who sat on her own that day in the lunchroom, who now lets her talk her ear off over the phone when they chat at the end of the day. Aspen knows Bella is going through something terrible, although she isn't absolutely sure what it is, and she really hopes her friendship can help her not feel so alone.

There have been a few people Aspen has met since she has met Bella, but she wouldn't consider them friends quite yet. There is Jessica, who's is always keeping a perky attitude, Mike who is head over heels for Bella much to Jessica's dismay, Angela who is such a kind person that Aspen would love to get to know her better, and lastly Eric who is just a complete goof. These people have popped up around Aspen in recent days and she is learning to get used to the company and is excited to be surrounded by faces she is getting to know.

Then, there is Embry Call. Aspen still can't seem to wrap her head around how well the two of them get along. He is not afraid to crack a joke towards her and she sees him as the brother she was never able to have in such a short time. He keeps telling her how much she would love to hang out with him and his friends, but she hasn't had a chance to meet them yet. They are all practically family. He has come to the convenience store a few times since their first meeting and finally he grabbed her phone a few days ago so he can add his number, so he didn't have to walk to the store all the time to try and catch her there.