(You guys better brace yourself....this chapter is kinda interesting...:)

'I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves. It was a gift from God.' -Ephesians 2:8

Chapter 7

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I blinked myself awake....

Unsurprisingly I found myself on Aspen's  shoulder and by trial and error, I slowly lifted my head to go back toward the window, but I realized....I couldn't....

BECAUSE ASPEN'S HEAD WAS ON TOP OF MINE!

I widen my eyes as I was just sitting there not sure if he was still sleep or not, so I raised my eyes and I noticed he was. I didn't want to wake him, because that'd be awkward when he realized he was on me, but I wanted to wake him because.....because I had to.

Unable to make up my mind, I laid there in that awkward position for awhile. I glanced down at my camera and I realized this would be the perfect moment to take a photo.

I slowly reached for my camera in my lap trying not to move as much and he kind of fidgeted and I froze with my eyes wide, but he stopped. I let out a breath as I was still safe and I got the camera, turned it on, and I flipped it to take a selfie, and I did a fake nervous face, my right eyebrow higher than the other, showing my silver braces and I took it. FORGETTING the flash was on.

Aspen moved a little and I quickly grabbed the camera in my arms, dropped them as if I was dead, and I closed my eyes pretending to be sleep.

After a few minutes of fake sleeping, Aspen didn't move and I figured he was just really tired from everything. I smiled resting on his broad arm that had so much muscle I wondered what he benched, and I wondered if he had a girlfriend just for curiosity, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did.

Aspen was a sweet, smart, and kind of humorous guy, what girl wouldn't want that?

I was then thinking of my own perks if I was someones girlfriend, but I couldn't find much. I simply wasn't that attractive.

My hipster glasses took up most of my tiny face, my infant chocolate brown eyes that always seemed alert even when I was quit relaxed, my fair/kinda pale skin-tone didn't help and I wasn't the one down for tanning, and my three brown moles didn't help the problem and to top it all off, my body size was quit small as well.

The last time I weighted myself was in my physical in 8th grade and I was only 101lbs and I'm junior (senior now) and I didn't change much. My chest was small- I barely had a butt, like...who would want this?

Surely not a guy out my league like Aspen, but I thank him for not judging me on that plane in the first place. If he did....I don't even think he'd be with me right now.... I wouldn't have nobody to share this experience with.

But thank God....this is the judge free zone.

Okay, so I honestly don't remember falling asleep again, but when I woke up, I noticed it was sunny outside and we were still on the highway.

I also notice I didn't have pressure on my head and I slowly lifted off Aspen's shoulder taking off my glasses rubbing my eyes and I heard him chuckle....my reflexes jumping by his remark was not accessible.

"Sleep good?" He asked me. I yawned, rubbing my face.

"Yeah....you? You were knocked out," I replied. He laughed.

"Sorry. I've just been at a loft since the flight. Sleep schedule's not right," he admitted. I giggled putting on my glasses.

"Same. I wonder where we are? I don't feel like checking on my phone." Without words Aspen got out his phone and I glanced at him as he checked and he shrugged.

"Says we have about an hour left. That's not so bad." I nodded fake frowning looking out the window.

"Yeah that's not bad," I agreed. I saw we were approaching a little town probably outside Annapolis and the bus was beginning to go off to a ramp and I notice were on the only people on the bus except for another man, and I looked out the window to see it hasn't rained here yet, and I figured we could make it to Annapolis before it began to rain again.

The bus pulled into the small town in front of a Walmart and it stopped and Aspen said standing up,

"Ready to skate the rest of the way?" I smiled grabbing my backpack in the seat in front of us.

"Whatever gets us there," I replied.

We thanked the bus driver for a safe ride and he said he enjoyed our company as he thought we were couple traveling just for fun.

I blushed and Aspen was even quiet himself hiding a smile rubbing the back of his neck, but he didn't even explain as we waved to him driving off. I looked at the ground as he took my backpack and placed it on his shoulders and he asked,

"You ready?" I nodded placing my penny board down.

"If you're willing to keep up." He chuckled shaking his head, stepping onto his longboard.

"That'll be easy."

I laughed as we started on the side walk by the residential areas and a few woods here and there, but it was quit peaceful as we felt the mist from the rain in the towns over was in air, which gave a little breeze.

We were traveling down mini hills and we walked up a few, and I titled my head as I wanted to start a conversation.

"So, have you ever done anything like this before?" I asked Aspen as we synced in our boards.

"Traveling to get home?" He asked.

I nodded thoughtfully.

"Nope, but I don't see why I didn't. It's kind of fun," he admitted. I smiled.

"I know right. Being in an orphanage you're restricted from doing a lot, and if they found out what I was doing, I'll have so many demerits I probably wouldn't even be allowed to leave the home only for school. And it's summer....so that would've suck," I rolled my eyes. He nodded laughing.

"Hahaa, I bet. How does that work actually?" He asked me. I looked at him.

"How does what work?"

"The orphanage? Like, do you all just stay in your rooms all day and have sleepovers every night?" I shook my head with a 'are you serious' grin on my face.

"Oh Aspen, it's anything but," I told him. He crooked smiled rubbing his chin.

"Elaborate then." I nodded shrugging.

"Alright, well at the orphanage Kelly requested I be put in was a Christian one, so every Wednesday we'd have Bible study in the basement, but I'd always sit by the window with Vanessa and we'd imagine what it would be like to live normal lives...."

He was quiet.

"Then on Sunday's we attended a traditional baptist church. To be honest it was boring, as we sung the same songs from the same book and all pastor would talk about was tithing and occasionally why we should go to church, and to sum it up, all I got from it was, "If you don't go to church every Sunday you'll probably go hell and if you don't tithe expect nothing from God"," I said in a weird old man voice. Aspen laughed. I snickered myself.

"Yeah, but knew that wasn't true." He nodded.

"Yes, that is very not speaking base off the Holy Bible," he said agreeing. "Don't know what got into him." I smiled.

"Yeah.....I mean when your surrounded by stuff like that....every other three days, it gets old. It gets boring. That's why I was so amazed by what you told me on the bus about the rain and thunderstorms. I was starting to think God was just a man who sits on a throne and looks down on us ready to strike when we made a mistake...." He looked at me.

"But by what you told me," I paused with folded eyebrows. "He's just a friendly man who wants to have relationship with his people. His children which is us," I concluded. Aspen stared at me kind of amazed by my conclusion.

"That's awesome," he cleared his throat. "And that's true. God does want a relationship with His people and to me, the church you attended was more religion than a personal relationship with Jesus," he told me seriously. I looked at him.

"Yup. No doubt about that," I smiled coolly looking ahead of me. He smiled still looking at me.

"Yeah..."

We were still traveling on the sidewalk and we must've been getting closer to Annapolis as we were making it to city lights. We stopped at a four-way and I pushed the button to let us know when to cross and I looked at Aspen as he held his longboard at ease.

"Hey...." I called to him. He looked at me.

"Yes?" he said with a smile.

"Your family must be Christians as well," I told him. "You seem to know your thoughts about Christ down to the roots," I joked, but it was still pretty true. He chuckled as the light changed to a walking man for us to go, and we started on our skaters.

"Yeah we are. But I don't like saying Christians. We're simply believers. Believers in Christ," he corrected. I nodded seeing his point as we made it across the street. "I feel Christian goes with religion somehow."

"I understand," I replied respectfully. He nodded.

"Yes. We went to church every Sunday. Only missed it if one of us was sick, we were out of town, or for some strange reason we were up at 3am in the morning the Saturday before, but that's if ALL of us were which was rarely," he smiled. I chuckled as we started walking toward a gas stations. "Yup. We went to church so much, missing two Sunday's in a row felt weird. I thought it was just me until I admitted to them," he told me.

I looked at him as he began to bite his bottom lip not looking at me. "But I've been around Jesus all my life, so I'm pretty use to it....maybe even more," he said quietly. I looked weirdly at him as that kind of didn't make sense.

"Huh?" I asked him. He looked at me quickly.

"I'm just emphasizing," he added. I chuckled.

"Oh, hehe. Okay," I smiled. He nodded.

"Ha, yeah."

We made it in front of the gas station and I squinted my eyes at it stopping. He stopped too. "You want something?" He asked me. I thought about it.

"I'll buy some water," I told him. "You want something?"

"I could go for some chocolate," he creepy smiled. I busted out laughing.

"Chocolate? Really?" He shrugged as I still laughed.

"What? Ain't nothin wrong with a grown man gravin' chocolate," he crossed his arms. I shook my head.

"Well when you put it THAT way," I eased out. He laughed with me.

"Haha, don't get the wrong idea!" He chuckled too.

We began to walk into the store and I went in the back for some water and he went down the candy aisle. I didn't grab the cheapest water bottle and not even the most suffocated. Just something with water and a drinkable top. I turned around and I didn't see Aspen anywhere and I shaped my eyebrows looking around, as I didn't see him.

"Aspen?" I asked. I went down the aisle he was on and he was gone and I looked so confused as I didn't see him. "Aspen?" I said again. Suddenly I got gentle hands to my shoulders and a,

"Boo!"

I jumped turning around as Aspen smiled at me and I gave a relieved, yet scared, half-sad-half-embarrassed face, and I purposely let all my weight fall into his arms.

"Omg!" I took two big breaths. "You scared me soooo bad." He laughed.

"Sorry! I just wanted to scare you for the fun of if!" He apologized with a smile. I rolled my eyes getting off him as he let me go.

"Well you got me good. I give you cred," I admitted with a 'I'm not hurt but kinda hate you' grin. He chuckled.

"Hehehe, okay."

We went to the counter and I figured I'd do an experiment and I took a pack of Five Gum, and put it up there with my water and Aspen perked up behind me.

"Oh wait, I forgot something. I'll be back," he went back to the aisles. I nodded at him.

"Oh, okay." He left and as I went to get out my $10 bill, I dropped my purse and everything spilled out and I groan as I told the women, "Sorry, hang on," and I quickly gathered all my stuff and after 50 seconds of me on the ground, when I got back up, the lady already bagged my stuff and handed it to me with a smile and I tilted my head as she didn't except my $10 bill.

I squinted my eyes at her confused and she smiled looking pass me as I turned around as Aspen looked around with his lips perked up, looking up at the ceiling, balancing himself on his heel than the balls of his feet. I turned to him with suspicious eyes as he looked at me pretending not to notice.

"Whatta starin' at me for?" He asked me dumbly. I shrugged hiding a smile.

"Don't know...." I told him moving out the way taking my bag. As he paid, I chuckled as I took my gum and placed it in my purse and I took a gulp of my water and held it in my hand as Aspen still had my backpack on his back with his now very flat on the bottom. He paid and he went over to me as I opened the door and we headed out.

"Why did you give me that fishy look in the gas station?" He asked me. I shrugged pretending not to know.

"Don't know.... I was just...thinking," I thought. He squinted his eyes at me now.

"Just thinking? About what?" He smiled. I looked at his deep ocean blue eyes as we were walking.

"Don't know...." He crooked smiled at me and I placed my water bottle on the side of my backpack and then looked ahead of me.

We didn't talk much as the sun beamed on our faces, but it'll disappear and reappear behind the clouds and I looked up at the sky. "I think it's going to rain soon," I thought not looking at him.

"Me too," he agreed looking up.

We made it to another four-way stop and I puffed my lips out tilting my head holding my penny board.

"Hey Aspen?" I called him.

"Yes Amanda?" he replied.

"You never explained how your car ended up in Richmond when you live in Virginia Beach," I told him. I saw his body tense a little. "How is that?" He paused before answering as we crossed the street.

"Well, I actually missed my original flight," he explained honestly. I looked at him.

"Really? How's that?" But before he could even acknowledge what I said, he shouted,

"Amanda!!!" Suddenly I found my myself cupped in a guys arms and I felt this fast whip of air brush against us as the loose strands of my hair blew in the wind and I hugged whoever was holding me back.

I slowly opened my eyes as I was in Aspen's arms and he slowly began to loosen me...him breathing heavily at first, but he was settling down and after a few moments of a pause with him still holding me I asked so confused,

"What....what happened?" He looked at me still a little shocked.

"That car....it...it almost hit you," he told me stuttering. I widen my eyes.

"What??"

Suddenly the man in the car I assume that almost hit me ran over to us.

"Oh God... Are you okay? I'm so sorry!!" The man apologized. I just kept staring at him as I didn't recall ANYTHING.

"Yes we're fine..." Aspen said with a nod.

We both then noticed we were hugging each other and he slowly loosen his arms around my torso and I did the same placing my arms in front of me kind of embarrassed about the whole thing. The man looked relieved as I had pink cheeks.

"Oh thank God. I'm so sorry. The light was yellow when I passed and I didn't even noticed you guys walking across. I should've just waited at the light for when it turned red," he explained.

I just kept looking at him.

"I just...I just saw you guys jump out the way and I thought I hit you!" He exclaimed running his hands through his hair still shocked. I shaped my eyebrows.

"Jump?" I whispered to myself. 'I never jumped?' I thought confused looking away.

"It's alright sir," Aspen told the man. "It was a common mistake." The man shook his head as I looked at them.

"Thank you and sorry again. Ugh....I can't believe I almost hit two people. This is NOT my day. This is not my day AT ALL!" he whispered mad at himself. Even though I was confused, I had to show curtesy.

"It's okay..." I reassured him. He looked at me with watery eyes. "We're fine and don't beat yourself up about it. Just go home and lay down for a bit. It may seem as if your a little tired," I concluded. He nodded.

"Yes I should.... It's just that...it's just that I lost my job today and my mom is in the hospital. My mind was out of there for when I cross the light. I was afraid, angry, and upset....! Maybe I should just go home and settle down," he thought about it. Aspen and I nodded.

"Yes and don't be afraid to pray. I don't know if you believe in God, but He'll listen to you if you speak to Him. Ask him for a job. He'll be sure to answer you. Maybe not right away, but when it happens the the timing will be right. Just believe," he told the man. The man nodded nervously, bitting his lip.

"Yes. Yes, you're right. I really needed that speech. I have been neglecting God since I got that job in particular. Maybe He wants me to work somewhere else where I'm not so busy," he concluded. I nodded.

"Yes you may be right," I pitched in. "And your mother will be fine. Just pray for her health and I'm sure God will step in. Kelly always told me, 'Believe the report of the Lord....no matter what He says.' So you do the same," I smiled a little. He nodded.

"Thanks you guys. Thanks a lot. Even though I almost hit you and that would've been even more devastating to my day, I felt I needed to hear that...from both of you! Again, I'm so sorry," he apologized.

"It's alright," Aspen nodded. "Maybe this was meant to happen..."

"Maybe..." The man stared at Aspen for a while before turning away to his car and Aspen kept looking at him drive away cautiously as I looked at him.

"Aspen.... What honestly just happened?" I asked him really wanting to know. He crossed his arms thinking about it.

"That man almost hit us with his car," he told me. "Ran a red light." I shook my head not getting something.

"Yeah but...he said we jumped....we didn't jump....did we?" I asked him. Aspen looked at me with wide eyes.

"I pushed us out the way..." He explained. "I guess he thought we jumped..." He shrugged. I look over to our unharmed skaters in the green lot beside us unorganized and I guess it could've been legit.

"Oh...well...thank you..." I whispered to him. He looked at me for real loosening his arms.

"Yeah....no...no problem...." He chocked up.

We got our skaters and began walking toward the city again, but everything was still racing in the back of my mind.

'How did Aspen push us out the way if he held me in his arms? How did my penny board get in the lot in the first place? How did we end up on the sidewalk and not in the road and how did the man see us jump in the first place? What even happened before then!??'

It still questioned me and Aspen and I didn't speak much afterwards (probably taking it in we DID almost get hit by a car) but I guess the semi fright ran away, after I felt little sprinkles upon my pale skin.

"You feel that?" I asked Aspen holding my hands out. He shook his head.

"Nope." Suddenly it got a little harder and I looked at him and he looked down at me easing a smile. "Okay yeah. I feel it," he told me. I chuckled.

"Hehehee. Here, we can just wait it out," I told him. "The rain from Philly must've caught up to us. We can go in a restaurant if you want, 'till it clears up a little?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Sure. I mean, after that 'about to be in an accident' moment, my stomach was burning from what I was feeling," he admitted.

I laughed.

"Where do you want to go?" I shrugged.

"Don't know. Any ideas?" I asked him. He squinted his eyes rubbing his chin like a business man.

"You know...I'm in the mood for a pancake..." He didn't look at me. I laughed harder.

"A pancake? Really?"

He nodded. I kept laughing.

"Well, to be honest, I'm more of a waffle person." He looked at me like I killed someone.

"Whaaaaat?? Pancakes all the WAY," he exaggerated. I covered my mouth.

"Hahaa! Well, I like waffles," I crossed my arms.

"Psssshhhh, you're missin' out," he brushed me off. I kept laughing.

"Hmhuh," I hummed. "Sure, sure."

He laughed holding his stomach.

I looked at him in his rare deep blue eyes as he looked down with a gentle smile at me and right when I did, I got a raindrop to the eye. "Ow," I took off my glasses rubbing my eye.

"Raindrop?" He asked me. I nodded.

"Hmhuh. Ugh, I need my jacket but I don't feel like digging in my bag," I said not thinking about it.

"Oh here," he took my backpack off to get to his and like five seconds later he handed me his burgundy hoodie jacket. I kind of stared at him at first and since I had my glasses off I saw a blurry guy with black hair holding out a jacket, and at first, I thought it was for himself, but he shook it implying me to take it....but I couldn't.

"Oh no, it's fine," I gestured. "I can just get mine-" he cut me off gently.

"I don't mind," he offered. "I'm a guy. Rain ain't nothin' to me," he joked. I chuckled blushing...or maybe just turning red.

"Oh...thanks," I accepted it putting it on.

Okay so when I put his jacket on....to be honest...it was warm. Now I don't know why, but it was, but it was like a good warm.

It kind of gave me goosebumps. But I wasn't sure if it was because it was in a bag compressed between his and MY backpack or just because.

For awhile, we kept staring at each other and I was just FREAKING out. 'A guy NEVER gave me his jacket...rather that, save me from getting hit by a car!!?' I thought hysterically. 'Why is Aspen soooo nice to me??' After WE BOTH realized we were standing there in the rain just looking at each other, I shook out of it first....surprisingly.

"Oh um....I guess we can go find a place that sells breakfast all day," I suggested. He nodded.

"Oh yeah, yeah. Shouldn't be too far ahead." I nodded once and we began walking in the soft rain into what I assume was Annapolis, because of all the mini lakes, but I was still thinking about the whole thing literally screaming in my brain, 'DON'T FREAK OUT. DON'T FREAK OUT. He's only being this nice because it's the moral thing to do. Giving a jacket to a girl, that's normal. Saving a girl from almost getting hit my a car you just met yesterday....normal RIGHT?' 

The rain was getting a little harder and I was fine to be honest with Aspen's hoodie over my face but I felt he wasn't. "You okay?" I finally asked him. "The rain's picking up a bit." He shook his head not looking at me forcing a fake frown.

"Nah I'm good. Promise," he looked at me. I smiled. It's just something about his promises I cannot-not smile about.

"There," I pointed at an IHOP. "We could stop there."

"Aw nice," he commented with a smile. "International House of Pancakes..... Come on. I think the rain is getting harder by the minute." I couldn't help but laugh as Aspen and I ran our way to IHOP.

We were in the city by the way and it felt as if everyone owned a boat of some sort. It didn't look no different from Philly, but lots of water everywhere and NOT because of the rain.

"Come on, get in!" Aspen called to me laughing as he held the door open. I jumped into IHOP honestly slipping until Aspen caught me and we both laughed as we looked soaked and drenched as of everyone else coming in.

"Hahahaa!" I laughed. "I almost slipped," I admitted.

"I saw!" Aspen laughed. We set our stuff behind the counter at the front and took our seat by the hostess. It wasn't crowded at all as it was only 4:59pm.

When we sat down I took off his jacket and let it dry on the seat and I scanned over the menu as I felt Aspen look at me sweetly.

"Waffle..." I teased. "I want a good old-fashioned waffle." I looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. He let out a breath.

"Tsk, tsk," he said slyly. "I want a golden pancake. Traditional," he commented.

"Hmhuh. You're missin' out," I said shaking my head looking down at the menu pretending to read it.

"Same to you my friend," he said back.

I looked at him hiding my smile in my menu as he continued to look at me...not even realizing he never looked down at his own menu in the first place.

Aspen was sweet funny guy and I was happy he was with on this trip with me and NOT just because I would've died only moments ago, but because...he was THERE.

And besides, I felt our differences...rather that be anything....was bringing us together.

For the better.

~

(That chapter honestly got me thinking.....
Are you a pancake or waffle person? Lol, tell me what you are in the comments below and honestly guys, I'm a waffle person. (Sorry pancake lovers) but yeah;D
Haha, bye guys and I'll see you soon with the next chapter:)
And if you're loving the book so far, please vote!!! :)
Byyyyee<3