Lesson Learned✔

1

**Must have read part 33 of Teach Me before**

Aspen

"You sure your boyfriend won't mind?" Elijah asked as he walked besides me. I looked up ahead at the looming carnival, one I had yearned to come for months. But hadn't because Chris was busy with work. 

I shook my head, pulling the sweater closer to my body. The cold wind brewing around us, sending shivers down my spine. It was fall, and in the uppermost states. Fall and winter were somewhat harsh, but I loved it nonetheless. "He's always busy. Can't be mad for things he can't do with me," I shrugged. 

It had been a week since Chris had tried to get me to skip school, but hadn't. Chris had dropped me off at school, taken me to lunch before I had to go to work. I knew he was off, that he was maybe pissed at me for blowing him off. But I couldn't just abandon my work for a day with him, even though I wanted to. 

I was starting to get my groove, starting to see who I wanted to be. And after a lot of thinking, I had made my mind up. I'd be a teacher, well learn to be one. 

Chris couldn't say anything about my decision, after all he made his own decisions. He decided to work, and I didn't give him shit for doing what he loved. So he couldn't give me shit for doing my own stuff. 

"Is he so free with you?" Elijah asked as we neared the ticket booth. I looked up at him, his brown eyes staring ahead. 

"Yes and no." It was the truth, well I think it was. 

"What does he do? If you don't mind me asking." This time Elijah did look down at me, his cheeks stained in red. I knew mine were too, but even when I froze to death, I'd still stay here. The carnival was only in town for one month, last year I had wanted to come by but Chris and work. 

It never worked out. "He's a doctor." 

I saw the question forming in his eyes, so I answered before he even asked it. "He's older." 

Elijah wouldn't be the first nor last to ask about relationship status. And I always answered, it wasn't strange having a boyfriend. But it was strange that we barely spend time together. 

He nodded, we waited in silence. After that day, after dinner together. Elijah and I had talked more often. We became friends, he meet my friends and I met his. We all clicked, well not Lilith and Elijah's best friend. Apparently they had history together and now they hated each other's guts. 

Elijah and I reached the woman behind the booth, reaching for my purse to pay but Elijah beating me to it. "You didn't have to," I muttered, fixing the band around my wrist. 

"No. But I invited you," he said as an answer. He had. He invited me to the carnival along with my friends. But unlike them who were already here, I had to wait for my shift at the library to be over. 

"But I can pay," I said. I could. I had a job. But Elijah just shook his head, "I don't mind." 

And he didn't. Every outing we'd go to, he'd pay. But I kept track of the amount, because one day I'd pay him back. It wasn't that he couldn't afford it, he could. He had a paid internship with a company but I just felt bad for him paying. 

We wandered off in search of our friends, my eyes glazing over each booth. Each game there was. So far I wanted to try my luck in each booth, see if I could aim correctly or not. There were rides games I didn't wish to go on, but a few I did. They were just ever so tall and looked like they could tip over. 

"Aspen! Elijah!" We heard, wiping our heads to the side to see Lilith and Penelope walking to us. Nathan and Gio trailing behind them, hands in pockets.