The Aristocrat

They call it homesick

Saturday 24th

Snow blanketed the ground that I trod on, a frosty breeze lingering in the air and biting at the open sections of skin I had on displayed. The darkness of the sky reflected off the icy white floor and formed a foggy mist beneath our feet. Wrapped up warm in a big fluffy coat, scarf and bobble hat, I hobbled slowly behind my brothers and Grace. The three walked in a straight line ahead, Grace and Oliver interlinked at the arms and Caspian slightly to the side of them. I could hear the boy's bold laughs from my distance but instead focused on the other laugh that filled my ears.

Down the other end of the phone line Asher's voice rumbled through, light and playful as he chuckled at a comment I had made. The sound warmed my bones instantly.

"Well I know I'd much rather be there than here," He sighed down the line and I couldn't disagree more. The thought of being with being at home with him in his room, hiding away from his mum and her boyfriend's cosy night in, seemed a much better place to be than the cabin right now. Being with my brothers might have been fun but nothing could drown out the rigid tension that screamed out between us an mum as we awaited news from dad.

"What with my absent father and unsociable mother?" I scoffed roughly back to him, my eyes involuntary rolling backwards.

"Better that than boxing day with my dad," Asher replied bitterly, his cold tone seeping through the phone.

Words hesitated on my tongue, swirling round my mouth a I attempted to find the right response.

He took my pause and chuckled at it softly, "See, even you can't deny it," he laughed light-heartedly.

"At least it's only one day," I reasoned with him, hoping to relieve some anxiety over the situation he had told me about.

A rough sigh fanned the line before Ash spoke again, "One day I'd rather miss out on."

My mouth opened as I went to speak but a voice beat me to it. Up ahead my brothers and Grace had their heads spun round as they walked. I could vaguely make out an agitated frown line settled on Caspian's forehead as he gestured for me to catch up.

"Andra," his loud voice boomed backwards, "come on."

My hand briefly waved, brushing my brothers instance away. When they had all turned back round and continued I lowered my eyes back to the floor and mumbled an apology to Ash.

"That your brother?" He asked.

"Yeah it's fine," I insisted, annoyed that my brother had interrupted Ash, "don't worry about him."

Asher paused, "Have you got to go?" He then asked casually.    

"In a minute," I puffed, noticing the lights of town up ahead of the path, "I'm fine for now though."

Asher released a small noise of understanding and I imagined him bobbing his head.

A short silence fell in between us, hesitancy and disappointment stirring on both ends of the phone as we realised we'd have to hang up soon.

"I'd much rather you were here too," I plucked the courage to say, my stomach flipping as I admitted it.

"Yeah?" Ash hushed, his voice low and raspy.

I thought of twisting it into a joke, laughing my confession off. But I didn't, instead I dipped my voice in confidence and mused back to him, "Yeah."

"With you?" He asked. The coolness to his voice seemed to dip as something else took over. I couldn't tell what but he sounded different.

"With me," I reaffirmed, my hands sweaty and neck blushed even with the cold weather.