Letters to the Star Whisperer

-7-

They checked out with a lot more groceries then they thought. Aspen swore up and down they needed a lot of this stuff. Ethan offered to help, and Aspen accepted. The cashier had long hair and a skinny face. He looked off, like that stoner kid every school had in the back of the classroom. Though, Aspen seemed to get along with him too.

"How is Jenna?" Aspen asked.

"Oh, she's in India for six more weeks," Philip, the stoner kid, answered.

"Is she loving it?"

He just shrugged. "Yeah, she likes it."

"When is she going to open her yoga shop here?"

"In a few more months," he said, bopping his head.

"Awesome."

"Right on," he said as he put more stuff in the boxes. The store didn't believe in bags and used recycled boxes. Ethan watched the hippie girl and the stoner talk some more. She must have known him for years or something. They sure acted like it. When they got outside, he asked how they knew each other.

"I see him around."

"Oh," Ethan said. "For how long?"

"Started going there two weeks ago," Aspen said, struggling to carry all her stuff. Ethan took a few boxes. "He just started working."

"Two weeks?" Ethan asked in disbelief. "Are you messing with me?"

"No, why would I?"

Ethan shook his head, but Aspen couldn't see. "You seem like you've known him for years."

Aspen shrugged her shoulders, still not looking back. "I like talking to people."

"I can tell."

"Though I do wonder if people like talking to me."

"Don't worry, I think they do," he mumbled.

"Don't you like talking to people?" Aspen asked as they approached a road. She looked both ways, and she seemed to sprint. Ethan had to sprint too. He was almost out of breath. Aspen made it look so easy, with all those boxes in each hand. When they got to the sidewalk, they started walking through a neighborhood.

"I don't like talking to people."

Aspen did turn around but kept walking backward. "Oh yeah? Why not?"

Ethan shrugged. "They annoy me. They usually want something from me."

"What would you give them?"

Ethan finally caught up and started walking side by side with her. "Money, usually. People always want me to buy them something. Girls like me buying stuff for them."

"That's a pity," Aspen said. She spoke like she meant it. "Why would they come to you for money?"

"Well, it's a known fact that my family is rich," Ethan shrugged, with a cocky smile.

"Do they know you're rich, or do you tell everyone you have money?" Aspen asked. That made Ethan stop for a few seconds, and think about the words. He started to feel his face turn red.

"I don't tell them I'm rich."

"You just told me you're rich, and I don't even care," she said. She didn't sound mean though when she said it. It was just a matter of fact really.

"I don't care if you care," Ethan argued like a small child.

"Yes you do," Aspen corrected him.

Ethan felt himself turn redder. "I don't Aspen, I really don't. Are your parent's hippies?"

Aspen seemed to frown. "Why do you ask that?"

"Your name is Aspen, and that's a tree. Who the hell names their kid after a tree? What, your sister named Rainbow or something? Come on, tell me the truth." He was mean, and he didn't know why. He told himself not to be so mean to the one person that's being so nice.

"I don't have a sister. .. just a brother. And we're here," Aspen said when they were in front of a large two-story blue and white house. It had a German look to it, and yet like something from the 1970's. Aspen started walking to the front door.

"Do you live here?" Ethan asked, following her into the big white fence yard.

"No," Aspen said, knocking on the door. "My friend lives here."