✔ Aspen | Sherman Yang

[14.09]-MG

Lindy and Charity pulled Miranda's hand into the nearest Starbucks, quickly ordering some coffee and smiling eagerly.

"I'm so glad we met, you ok with us dragging you around and stuff? I mean, some people said we were annoying," said Lindy, sipping in her caramel latte and smiling. Miranda had met the two when they were at the same café and needed some directions to the nearest train station. She couldn't decline when they offered her a ride instead and her wildest dreams seem to come true after she realized that they were going to the same school.

"No, I actually really appreciate it. I just moved to this side of the city and I am really lost." She laughed, as it was partly true. After leaving Camp Half-Blood, she was put into her grandparent's care, and it really didn't suit her well. She wasn't too close with them her but she tried her best to help out with everything.

"Ok good, but we had to pull you here to get some coffee first because we always walk here for coffee." Lindy casually pulled out her phone and snapped a picture, then shoved it back in her bag.

Charity, a girl who was very different from Lindy, smiled and lifted the lid from her own hot drink and to Miranda's astonishment, it was dark. She didn't get how girls like Charity could drink black coffee for Miranda found it hard to live life without sugar.

Miranda sipped her extra-sugary peppermint latte and headed out the building to the high school. She was extremely nervous. She didn't have any friends in the school and it was a little heartbreaking to leave all the ones from Camp Half-Blood. The school semester started early this year so she had to leave them in mid-August.

She missed August Cloverleaf, the adorable satyr who rescued her and Sherman that one day. She missed her outgoing sister Katie and waking up to the noise of screams. She missed Travis and Conner Stoll, who always lightened up the mood and especially pranked her sister just because it was quite obvious he liked her. And even though she wouldn't admit it, Miranda really missed Sherman. The jet-black-haired boy who's brown eyes shone with sparks of red like a flame cackling. The guy who came to the camp with her and argued constantly.

She didn't know why she missed the way his thin lips curved into a smirk when she blushed or when he laughed and his happiness seemed to be a lot less full of battle scars compared to his brothers and sisters. She somehow missed the way he bit his lip when angry and silenced an awful lot to the point where she was truly afraid. She missed how he rolled his dark eyes and the way his mouth parted in annoyance when she got mad at him. She even missed the nicknames like "Plant Princess" and "Dorothy" he called her when he needed her to chill out.

Sighing silently, she walked beside Charity and Lindy who barely contained their excitement as they waved to their old friends and ran around. They introduced her to most of them and she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by all the new people she met and whether her ponytail was too high or too low.

Suddenly Charity let out a high pitched screech and it was the loudest Miranda ever heard her be. She threw her arms into a lanky boy a bit taller than her and she guessed him to be Lance, the guy Lindy said to be her boyfriend. Charity was modest enough not to mention him but it was obvious they were a very cute couple.

He grinned and grabbed her then waved to Lindy beside her. Miranda felt a pang of envy stab subconsciously at her chest but she ignored it. She sometimes wished a guy would love her the way Lance obviously loved Charity. But even though it was wrong, sometimes Sherman came into her mind when she thought about having a boyfriend. To her astonishment, Lindy and Charity were quickly distracted by Lance when a tall muscular figure cautiously approached them. Each ran up to the boy and embraced him and he laughed, rolling his dark eyes a bit.

Her mouth was slightly agape in shock as she realized that the person they were bolting towards happened to be Sherman Yang. The aspen boy was wearing a denim jacket, somewhat of a comparison to the leather one he was usually seen with and her breath caught in her throat. She cautiously stepped forward, catching their loud exclaims easily.

"Sherman, lord I haven't seen you all summer! Why weren't you keeping in touch?" One of the girls cried, laughing with him.

"Oh yea, I'm really sorry my mom passed away and it's been pretty hard. I didn't really want to go on my phone and stuff." He replied and Miranda knew perfectly well that the reason he didn't use his phone was partly because of the bad cell reception at Camp and the attraction it brought to monsters.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Who are you staying with?"

It angered her that they didn't take a bit of time to be silent but Sherman immediately replied. "My uncles, we're pretty close so it's not much of a change. Anyways, how are you two?"

"Good, I barely seen Lindy all summer I was with Lance too much." Charity joked and shoved Lance with her elbow playfully. "I bet he's trying to take me away from her."

Charity seemed like a completely different person around the three.

"My lips are sealed." Said Lance, looking at Charity for an extended period of time. She met his gaze and Sherman rolled his eyes playfully.

"You Lin? You find a guy to mess around with?" Asked Sherman.

"Not one who stays." She winked and he laughed, raising an eyebrow. It was the same eyebrow raise he always gave Miranda and she could not believe he still hadn't noticed her yet.

"I hope that wasn't really how it sounded."

"Well anyways, you find a girl yet Yang Man?"

They immediately looked at him with amusement and he sighed. "Nope."

"Aww come on, not even a girl who means a little more?" Said Lindy, her glossy lips curving into a tight smirk. Miranda's stomach tightened dramatically. Would she mean something to him? Noticing that he hesitated, her stomach felt even sicker and the hope in her gut was agonizing.

She didn't even know why she cared about it. He wasn't so different from other guys, yet she felt that after going through what they went through, he could at least care a little bit. They got drunk together, got claimed around the same time, and both had similar backgrounds. Yet she couldn't bring herself to say that she might have mixed feelings for him.

"Nope." Her heart seemed to sink to the deepest depths of the ocean as he spoke. She didn't even know why she cared. But she felt torn apart and maybe after all this time it was useless being friends with her. Even though he might still like her as a friend. Still, she was so sure that maybe he liked her a tad bit more than a friend.

"No one?"

"No one." Miranda bit her lip and the bell rang, signalling the fact that the first class would start in two minutes. Charity smiled and walked towards her. She smiled weakly and to her dismay, Sherman headed in the same direction.

He was still wrapped up in a conversation with Charity and she avoided even looking his direction. It was nearly impossible and she barely listened to the suggestions her friend was giving her. The charity said goodbye to Sherman and she looked at him once more. This time their eyes met and she bit her lip subconsciously. He opened his mouth in surprise and his eyes were glossy in emotions. She continued looking in eyes that were supposed to be so familiar but something in it had changed. Yet the flame burning in them was exactly the same and she knew he wasn't going to say hi.

Knowing that they were now strangers, she felt her heart breaking, and looked away, easily pushing back tears. But when she needed to see him once more, he was gone.

Probably for a long time now.