All That's Left

Chapter 14 | Vania

Present

2023

Seventeen years old

''You guys ready to go?'' I ask as I start Avery's car. I look at Aspen and Kian through the rearview mirror, waiting for their confirmation.

Kian was helping Aspen to put her seatbelt on, and when he was done, he gave me a thumbs-up. ''Ready to go, Van."

''Can we go to the park for a few minutes?'' Aspen asked as I pulled out of their school's parking lot.

''Depends,'' I say, keeping my eyes on the road. ''How much homework do you guys have?''

''I don't have any, but Kian has to read once chapter of his book for tomorrow.''

I glance at Kian. ''It's up to you, big brother. Are you willing to offer up some of your reading time?"

Kian both loved his reading time, and his little sister, so there really was no telling which option he would be choosing today. Any other day, anyone could say without a doubt that he would choose his little sister, but the book Kian's class had to read happened to be one of Kian's favorites, and he was very serious when it came to his rereading of favorite books.

''Fine,'' Kian said, sighing. ''You only want to go see your boyfriend, anyway,'' he tells his sister.

I gasp dramatically, glancing at Aspen in the rearview mirror. ''You have a boyfriend?"

Aspen shoves Kian before crossing her arms, looking out the window, clearly upset that her brother had revealed her secret. She was blushing though.

''What's his name?'' I ask, wondering if Aspen was going to answer me. It had seemed as if things between us was going a bit better since I first came back to Penasco, but we still weren't one hundred percent, and I doubt we would ever be.

''Milo Brüner, and he's a total bully. Just like his sister Eliana," comes the reply from Kian.

''He's not a bully,'' Aspen mumbles, still looking out the window.

''He called me a nerd!''

A genuine laugh bubbles up inside of me. "You are a nerd, Kian, and there's nothing wrong with it.''

''Of course I know there's nothing wrong with it, but you don't just go around and call someone a nerd!'' Kian says, throwing his hands up in disbelief. ''Especially someone you don't know! It's unheard of, Vanny.''

The moment I pulled into the park's parking lot, Aspen was out of her seat and running towards where a extravagant birthday party of some sort was well underway in the park.

''She got a present for whoever that shebang is for?''

''It's Milo's birthday party. His whole family likes to show off their money like that. Except Max, he's nice. But technically he's not part of their family. Aspen gave him his present this morning.''

''Well, come on,'' I say, getting out of the car. ''We can't just let her run of by herself like that.''

Kian and I quickly followed in the direction Aspen went, making sure to keep our distance from the party seeing as we weren't invited.

I watched as Aspen ran up to a boy around Kian's age with a blue party hat on his head, giving him a hug. Some distance away from the main group of kids, I spotted Dorian and Eliana, laughing at something one of them said.

''She stole Dorian from us,'' Kian says, noticing to where my eyes had strayed. ''Ever since she showed up in town she has been dragging him to some party or place. I don't know if he really likes her of if he's just trying to be nice. I hope he's just trying to be nice.''