(Okay, this chapter is kind of one of my favorites and I know I say that for literally allll my chapters...but I can't help it! Aspen and Amanda are GOALS;D Enjoy:)

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have eternal life." -John 3:16

Chapter 10

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"Ahh," Aspen breathe in the moist air, his hand on my backpack like a boy on his first day of school observing his new surroundings. I chuckled as sprinkles of rain kept falling from the sky, but it was cool as the sun still appeared and disappeared behind the white clouds as if it shouldn't be raining at all. "What's our next stop?" He asked with me a joyful smile. I showed my teeth walking up beside him and I checked my phone.

"Washington DC!" I said excitedly. He brighten.

"Wow really?" I nodded, handing him my phone for proof.

"Yup. Only 44 minutes away and I'm pretty sure a cab could took us there." He looked at me.

"A taxis?" I nodded.

"Hmmhuh," I said through my lips. "We never took cab and I bet it'd be exciting to try it out," I suggested. He smiled chuckling.

"Alright then. Washington D.C. by cab it is," he single nodded. I did the same looking at him.

"Alright then."

We began walking to the main street as it still sprinkled and I was so amazed by the scene I had to stop and take a picture. Aspen kept walking unaware of me as I was taking a photo of him and I did, snapping the picture and I quickly observed it as it looked like Aspen was a true traveler.

He held my backpack up around the straps like what most elementary kids do their first couple of years of grade school, his head was turned to the side toward the sun with a squished up face and squinted eyes as the sun was pretty bright, and I noticed something else....

Aspen's back looked hazel and kind of blurry around his blank shirt, but the rest of him was okay. I figured a raindrop must've hit the lens before I snapped the photo.

After moments of me just standing there still looking at the photo and Aspen totally clueless, finally turned around after he realized he was walking ahead of me alone.

"Ditching me already?" He joked with his arms out. I covered my mouth laughing.

"Sorry! I'd never ditch you!" I told him quickly. "I just had to get a pic of this weather. The sun's out but it's still raining. That's not cool to you?" I asked him. He smiled.

"Nah it is. Just to be honest I forgot about the camera," he admitted walking back over to me. "Here, can I take a picture out you?" I brighten.

"Can you?" He held his hands out.

"Myyyy pleasure." I giggled amongst myself handing him the Canon. I backed up just standing there with my cross body over me and my penny board down at my side as I awkwardly didn't know what to do.

"What should I do?" I asked Aspen. He lowered the camera.

"Don't know..." He thought about it. I looked up at the sky and back at him. "Wait, okay. I have an idea....do everything I say." I laughed.

"I'm kind of nervous," I told him. He shook his head.

"Nah it's gonna be cool. Okay, sit down on your board..." I laughed obeying him. "Now look to the left."

I did.

"I mean your right." I switched my head and I smiled chuckling trying to not laugh too much so my braces wouldn't show. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

"Yes perfect. Now think about something serious," he asked me. "Don't. Laugh." That just made me want to.

"Well now that you told me NOT to laugh, I want to LAUGH," I told him covering my mouth. He laughed too.

"Hahaha! No, no! Come on! I'm telling you, it'll look cool. Don't laugh!" I quickly recovered looking to the right with squinted eyes as the sun appeared and it was actually right in my face and I actually did think about something.....

'I wonder what Vanessa is doing right now...'

It may not have been serious, but it was thought worth thinking about it. I didn't know Aspen already snapped the photo and he headed back my way.

"Look," he broke my train of thought. I got up looking down at the photo. "Cool isn't it?" I smiled letting out a cool breath of air as it did look pretty cool.

With my head being to the right you could see my side braid perfectly that was worth social media status (as Vanessa would say as she would hang out with the little trendsetters), my hands out in front of me as I was fidgeting with my fingernails, the sun making my dark brown eyes pop like a hazel and the sun and rain corresponded like I was in a whole other dimension.....paradise.

"Whoa. That's not bad at all," I commented. I looked up at Aspen crossing my arms. "You should be a professional." He looked surprised at me with a smile.

"A professional photographer?" He asked.

I nodded.

"Me?"

I nodded again with curled lips.

"Oh no, I'm just doing this 'cause it's fun," he admitted. "I'm not fit to be a professional."

"What! Look at this photo!" I playfully yelled at him. He laughed. "It's amazing!" He blushed a little.

"Naaahh," he brushed me off. "That's just a coincidence." I huffed my breath rolling my eyes.

"Whatever Aspen Baker," I crossed my arms. "Professional," I sang. He really started laughing.

"Hahahaa! Nope!"

We both laughed staring at each other and suddenly....I noticed some things I haven't noticed in the past about Aspen.

He was maybe an inch or two taller than me as if, if we were to hug, my head would be under or right on his chin. His face actually looked smoother than you think with his naturally pink lips....a little darker than mine and then I actually wondered what it would be like to kiss him...or any guy at that.

I'm 17 years old and I never even had my first kiss.

Knowing Aspen and how good looking he is, he's probably had many girlfriends in his past....actually....does he already have one?

'I mean he must right?' I thought hard.

"Amanda..."

'He wanted to sleep on the sofa. Like...he obviously didn't want to sleep with another girl if his girlfriend didn't know about it. I mean would!'

"Amaaanda..."

'But he bought me food. Guys with girlfriends don't by other girls food....or...do they?'

"Hey, Amanda?" I shook out of it and I found myself looking to the side of Aspen lost in thought and he took me out of it smiling waving his hand in front of my face. "I thought I lost you there Bud," he told me.

'You did,' I wanted to say.

"Oh, sorry. I was just....thinking about stuff..." I said as if I was still gone. He chuckled.

"Oh well, we should get going. I think the weather might be getting a little worst and we have to make it to D.C. before that happens." I looked at him nodding sucking in my lips.

"Hmmhuh, yeah sorry." He chuckled gently brushing his hand against my arm in a friendly way.

"Well let's go," he smiled. I let out a nervous chuckle.

"Hehe, okay."

We began walking back to the main road, but I was nearly panicking in the brains still thinking about it all.

'Aspen having a girlfriend? Do I ask him?' I thought glancing at him as he called for a taxis. One was pulling up. 'But I don't want him to think I'm interested....wait... what if I am?' I looked at him again as the car stopped.

"Hey I got one," he smiled down at me. "The perks of being a northerner," he joked. I snickered a bit leaving an 'eh' at the end of it as I was still thinking about it in the back of mind.

'No, no. Focus Amanda. He's only here to get you to Chesapeake. CHESAPEAKE.' Suddenly Aspen opened the door for me and he offered me in first.

"Ladies first." I really smiled.

"Thank you..." I stepped in as he placed the bags in first and I sat behind the driver and Aspen sat behind he passenger seat. He closed the door as I pressed my fingertips together after snapping my seatbelt on.

"Where to youngsters?" the driver asked us. He seemed like a younger chariot with blonde hair hidden under his hat and unique lime green eyes. He had on a fancy suit and gloves. He looked more of a host for a high class restaurant than a taxis driver.

"Uh, Washington, D.C. Can you take us there?" Aspen asked. The driver smiled as I watched him through the mirror.

"It's my job," he smiled back at us. We smiled and the taxis driver began his way minding his own business.

'Do I ask him anyway?' I kept thinking. 'If he has a girlfriend...? I mean...there's nothing I can do if it's yes...' I bit the side of my bottom lip and I looked at him as he looked out the window.

"Uh....Aspen?" He looked at me with a smile.

"Yeah?" 'Don't loose focus girl!'

"Can I....can I ask you a question?" He held his hand up in a stop and closed his eyes.

"It's okay. I already know what you're going to ask me," he told me. I widen my eyes.

"You do?"

"Hmmmhuh," he said through his lips. He opened his eyes and looked at me. "And the answer is yes." I turned a bright pink.

"It is?" I stuttered. He nodded.

"Well yeah! You're the one who came up with the idea," he told me. Okay, now I was lost.

"Wait what?" He pointed to the camera around my neck.

"Our picture. We have to take a picture of our feet remember? When on a bus we take a selfie, then in the cabs we have to take a picture of our feet. Don't tell me you forgot the deal?" He asked me pretending to be sad like Kelly use to do all the time. I laughed relieved of my REAL question.

"Ooooo yeeeah. Of course I remember. How could I not?" He laughed. 'Actually I can.'

"Well let's do it!" I smiled getting the camera ready as Aspen and I put our feet together side by side and I took the picture, but right before I snapped it, he put his hands up into a peace sign, part of his cross on his right forearm showing.

"Hey, that looks cool," he commented. I chuckled.

"Haha, really?"

"Yup. If that was my phone, I'd post it on social media." I looked at him.

"You have social media?" He nodded bitting his bottom lip.

"I do." I couldn't help but say under my breath,

"Hehee, I bet you have thousands of followers." He shook his with folded eyebrows.

"Oh no. I don't have a lot of friends," he looked out the window. I looked surprised at him.

"Really?" This would be a good time to slip in that question. "Don't you have girlfriend?" He shook his again.

"Nope." The tension in the my shoulders loosen. "I don't have a girlfriend..." I looked back at him as he looked as if he was thinking about something.

"Oh....well....did you?" He paused a minute.

"Did at the beginning of senior year," he admitted. I looked down at my lap. "Her name was Katelyn....I called her Kat...." I looked down at my lap still as I was kind of upset he had a girlfriend and I really couldn't be happy they apparently broke up because that would be immoral.

"Do you have a pic of her?" I asked him. He got out his phone.

"This was us," he passed me his phone after a short pause. I took his phone and scrolled down as it was his earlier post on Instagram. I didn't have an Instagram, but I could have one if I wanted one...but I didn't want to have it because I wasn't really into that kind of stuff except Pinterest when Vanessa showed it to me one day.

There weren't many post of them, but the pictures he did post looked as if they were worth it to not have much.

She was a brunette. Her hair looked naturally curly and it was super long almost by her ribs. She had pretty light brown eyes that almost looked a sun tan, and she had the perfect smile. She was bigger in those areas than me....prettier than me....and her skin tone was far more darker than my abnormally pale one....

I can see Aspen's type....and I didn't meet any of that criteria.

"She's pretty...." I whispered bitting my thumbnail. He nodded looking down at his phone.

"She was...." He commented. I tapped on a photo and it was Aspen carrying her on his back at night at what looked liked a bonfire, and he was smiling looking up at her while she was laughing really hard to where her eyes squinted and her smile stretched across her face at the camera... her arms wrapped around his neck. I concluded he must've told her a joke before the picture was taken and they looked like they were having fun....the fun I never experienced.

"How long did yall go out?" I asked still looking at his pictures. He sighed his hands in one fist.

"We met at the beginning of junior year and was together for a year." I tapped on another photo of them at junior prom, and she was in a courageous gold and white dress that showed her shoulders, but covered her legs, but enough to see a hint of her matte black heels while Aspen wore a black tux with a gold tie to match. His hair looked shorter and body looked slimmer then, but he was still cute.

If I were to see him at my school...I'd think he was just THAT upperclassmen I couldn't even look at.

"What made you guys break up?" I asked. I saw another photo of them laying in the grass, her looking to the side with a smile like she didn't even know the photo was taken and he looked at her as he took it. It was honestly so cute, I felt super depressed suddenly by the pictures so I gave back his phone fairly quickly.

"She moved," he sighed. I looked at him. "She was really smart as she already applied for colleges the summer going into senior year," he lectured. 'Something I'm not,' I thought. "And she got accepted into her dream college already so she went ahead and moved in that state which is in Florida," he didn't looked at me with hand gestures. I was quiet.

"I liked her.... I liked her a lot...." He said quietly. I looked at Aspen's lips and back at his eyes. "But we didn't last long after the move...." I tilted my head a little.

"Do yall still communicate?" I asked next. He shook his head with squinted eyes.

"Not much. We'd give each other a hey or hi over text some time, but it's not like what it use to be," he told me. I gave an 'ick' face.

"I'm sorry..." That's all I could say.

"It fine..." He admitted. It was quiet between us as I swallowed looking down at the car floor and I couldn't help but think,

'YOU SHOULD BE SORRY FOR YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU'LL NEVER HAVE A BOYFRIEND LIKE ASPEN AMANDA!' I felt him him look at me for a bit and he gave me 90 degree angle with his head.

"Well don't you have a boyfriend?" He asked me. I fake chuckled pathetically forgetting if he was wanting to know like I wanted to know about him, or he was just curious.

"Ha. Ha. Me? A boyfriend? No, no. I never had a boyfriend," I admitted looking out the window biting my bottom lip. He chuckled by my expression.

"Seriously? Not even one?"

"Nope," I shook my head looking at him as if I was proud of it. "And it upsets me deeply." He let out a sympathetic breath with a smile.

"And why's that?" He asked as if it was a stupid statement to say against myself. I shrugged.

"I never had a boyfriend," I repeated with hands out. "How would I be able to date in the future if I've never been on one?" I asked him. He chuckled as I really got into it being serious. "I mean, what if I'm in like college and this guy's all like, 'Hey Amanda,' and I'm like 'Oh hey, Jeff," I said making the guy sound stupid in my fake man voice and 'me' all girly and preppy. He laughed.

"Then he's all like 'Hey, I was wondering if you'd want to go on a date with me this weekend?' And I'd have to be like, 'Oh sorry Jeff! I never been one! Looks like I can't go, but we could still hang out and chill if you want." Aspen really started laughing and I think I even heard the taxis man let out a chuckle as well.

"Why is his name Jeff?" He asked me randomly. I had to laughed.

"I don't know! But it's true!" I told him.

"Seriously Amanda?" Aspen smiled down at me holding his stomach.

"Yes!?" I widen my eyes. "That's gonna be me. In college. Trying to get a boyfriend. And attempt to go on a date," I said with crossed arms looking out the window. He shook his head.

"I doubt that," he commented. "You're beautiful." I let out a sorry laugh.

"Ha, sure. I mean, look at me Aspen. Look at me," I said seriously. He turned all the way looking at me hiding his lips. "There is nooooo-thing attractive about this right here," I made a circular motion around my face with my finger. He shook his head.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he smiled at me. I sighed pretending to be agitated.

"Forget it..." I huffed my breath resting my head on the window looking out it, the sun-raze feeling good on my skin. "I never had a guy like me..." I whispered being totally serious. Aspen didn't say anything. "It always felt as if all the other girls in my class was asked to the school dance and I stayed at the foster home..." I loosen my arms. "Even Vanessa had a boyfriend.... She did try to hook me with his best friend...but...of course that didn't work out..." I sighed. I felt Aspen shifted in his seat.

"So I'm just an awkward 17 year old...." I shaped my eyes down at the floor. "Whose never even had her first kiss..." I whispered too low for Aspen to hear. I saw Aspen from the corner of my eye have on a sad face as if he heard me.

"Don't be so sad Amanda," he said to me. I looked at him pushing up my glasses. "I'm pretty sure there was at least ONE GUY at your school who COULDN'T get his eyes off you." He sat up fake laughing.

"Well they never showed it," I said with an 'oh well' tone of voice shrugging. He smiled.

"Well if I was at your school, that'd be me," he smiled. I looked at him quickly. 'HOLY SHOOT! Did Aspen just admit he'd like me in school?' I thought with wide eyes, but I quickly let go of the thought.

"Haha, suuuure you would," I said with a raise lip. He chuckled. I sighed. "But I get it...I'm not attractive. You're just being nice 'cause we're friends." I rolled my eyes looking out the window. I saw him grin.

"Excuse me sir?" Aspen tapped on the taxis man shoulder. I turned to him a little.

"Yes sir?" The man responded happily driving down the freeway pretending like he didn't hear ANY of our conversation.

"Um, do you think this young lady here is beautiful?" He asked him. I gasped turning pink feeling super embarrassed.

"Well of course!" The guy commented. I saw him looking at me through the rear view mirror. I smiled. "She's ultra pretty. I feel sorry for that guy who was too scared to ask you out," he complimented. I chuckled covering my mouth.

"Seeeee," Aspen mentioned looking at me. "He even thinks you're pretty." I still denied it.

"That's because he HAS to think that," I told him. "It's a polite thing to do." I sighed feeling semi-depressed again. Aspen sighed happily as if this was fun to him.

"Well...I know one person who think you're just to die for and he doesn't care what you look like?" Aspen told me. I turned to him with an 'are you serious' face.

"Oh really? Who?" He shrugged smiling.

"Jesus." I stared at him blinking surprised. "He died on the cross for the sake of love. He didn't care what you look like or what you've done... He loved you enough to die for you, so why bother of what other people think about you?" He asked me. I thought about it as he was right...but it still questioned me.

"But how does that work?" I asked. "Jesus dying in the cross for me? What do I have to do to receive it?" Aspen shook his head smiling.

"And that's the best part. You don't have to do anything. It's already done. But the one thing he DOES ask of you is though, is to believe in Him. Believe He's the one true living God. That's it."

"Hm," I said through my lips. "That's not bad."

"It's not," he waved his finger at me with a cocked eyebrow. "So accept it." I tilted my head, puffing air in my left cheek.

"But why does it seem like other people make it seem so difficult?" I asked. "That earning God's love is so hard?" He looked away shrugging.

"Don't know, but that's a good a question. Some people just don't understand and others just can't except the fact that Someone Amazing out there loves them deeply and they can't see it. See Him. Even though Jesus is 'invisible'," -he used his fingers as quotations- "That doesn't mean He's not there. He lives inside us, and once you except Him into your heart, personally, you'll receive His love and you'll feel great."

I just stared at Aspen as everything he just said felt true and I had to believe him. He was simply right, but it sounded TOO right.

"Wow....that's amazing," I said to him kind starstruck. "But how do you know all this?" He shrugged poking his lips out.

"Church, but really my own understanding," he smiled. I laughed gently pushing his left shoulder.

"Whatever Aspen," I chuckled. He laughed too.

"Just sayin'," he shook his head with his arms out. I grinned at him from the corner of my eye.

"And what you just said....just might've made me feel better," I whispered. The right side of his lip risen.

"As I always try to..." He said back.

***

"Well....it looks like we're here," Aspen commented after we both looked out the window just observing the scenery for the past 30 minutes.

"Yup..." I said my face planted up against the window. I never been the Washington, D.C., but I knew we were there the moment we made it.

We were no longer in Annapolis and now on the outskirts of Virginia. It wasn't raining here, as if the storm didn't even cross state borders from Maine to Virginia AT ALL, as there wasn't even wet puddles about the city, but I totally didn't mind it. There were a lot of monuments and trees and it seemed as if all you saw were taxis and tour buses everywhere.

Aspen and I would fit right in.

"Any stopping point in particular?" The driver asked us. I kind of forgotten he was there for a brief minute. Aspen and I looked at each other for reference.

"I don't think so...." Aspen said licking his lips thoughtfully.

"Near a bus stop would be fine," I suggested.

"Bus stop it is," he smiled.

"Thank you," I chuckled sweetly.

I looked back out the window as there were so many places to see and do, I kind of wanted to chill today and hang around a bit, purposely forgetting our main destination.

"Hey look," Aspen pointed out. I turned around. "You can see the state's capital from here." I did, and even though it looked far, it looked just as it did on the dollar bills.

"That's so cool..." I said under my breath. Aspen nodded still looking out the window. "Wait a second.... Don't you come here often?" I asked him confused. He looked at me.

"The Capital?" He asked me. I shook my head.

"No, Washington," I said curiously. "I mean you live right here in Virginia right?" He shook his head.

"That doesn't mean we come here often. We only come for the mall," he stated. I chuckled.

"With your mom?" He smiled a little.

"Yup. Maybe once every two months or when she just felt like spending money, but I honestly haven't been here in awhile since I drive now. I can escape her dates." I chuckled, but he let out a little depressing sigh. "But now I wish I could take it all back..." I titled my head at him as he looked at the ground and I quickly reached over and gently touch his shoulder as he looked at me with shining eyes covering his mouth with his fist. I looked at him sympathetically.

"Hey....it's alright..." I whispered. He smiled.

"I know..." He agreed.

"Well here ya go," the taxis stopped. I noticed we were by a bus stop by what I think was the city park. "Finally here." I handed him $30 as I liked that man, and not because he said I was "ultra" pretty either.

"Thank you sir. I had a fun time," I told him. He nodded.

"I had fun with you guys too." As I was gathering my stuff, the man, before I stepped out, handed me a single rose and I took it totally surprised. I looked at it as it was real and so perfect and he told me,

"Don't base your looks on other peoples thoughts. You're a beautiful young lady just like that rose there." I looked down at it. "Priceless and rare. You deserve a good young man just like that one right there," he pointed to Aspen stepping out the car. "Trust your gut."

I just stared at man as he literally just spoke into me what I needed to hear, but what really got me was what he said.... 'Trust your gut'.

Kelly told me that all the time.

I smiled extra big, my self-esteem a bit higher than what it was. "Thank you sir...I appreciate it." He smiled tilting his hat.

"My pleasure." I stepped out the car and I quickly went back in as I almost forgot my camera and Aspen peaked his head back in to pay.

"Here you go gent," Aspen handed him a roll of $30 as well. "Thanks for the ride."

"Not a problem and hey I actually want to thank you guys." Aspen and I looked at each other puzzled.

"Really? For what?" Aspen asked. The taxis man sighed.

"I've been struggling in my faith lately. I didn't think God loved me for all the wrong I've done in the past, but you showed me it doesn't matter. I'm going to start going to church again to receive the love I don't deserve, but need from when He died on the cross. And you even asked the same exact questions I was thinking myself!" He looked at me happily. I chuckled as I felt kind of....good, but also confused in a way.

Those questions I asked I already knew in a way, but I asked them anyway for confirmation.... Was it really for the man and not per-say me?

"I feel God has specially picked me to be your driver today. Not to get you here, but for that particular moment for me." Aspen and I looked at each other smiling and I felt even better by then and Aspen nodded breathing in as if he felt better too...we did.

"You're welcome sir. Happy to be a blessing in your day."

"Me too," I cheered. "Thank you." He smiled.

"Don't thank me, thank God. He's good." Aspen smiled.

"All the time." I chuckled as Aspen and I both headed onto the curb. We waved to the man as I still held my rose with both my hands smiling at it as it smelled like no rose I ever had before and Aspen just noticed it.

"Where did you get that?" I shrugged not looking at him.

"He gave it to me. He said my beauty is like the rose and I shouldn't judge myself base on what others say....He really spoke some encouraging words into my heart I haven't heard in awhile..." I quickly looked at him correcting myself, "Excluding what you've been telling me this past day and half." He chuckled holding his stomach.

"Right...." I put the rose in my water bottle to keep it from dying, and I took my hair tie to keep it down without it splashing or slipping off and I observed it as I loved it.

"I think I'm beginning to have new favorite flower," I didn't look at Aspen.

"A rose huh?" He informed. I nodded.

"Hmhuh," I said through my lips. Aspen nodded looking toward town.

"Well, we're in Washington D.C, a place were people come around the world to see the Capital of America," he put his hands on his hip. I put the water bottle with the rose on the side of my backpack that was on Aspen's back.

"Yup," I replied after him. "So...what should we do? Look for a hotel?" He shook his head.

"Nah, it's only two o'clock. Most hotels don't let you check in 'till five....we got time to kill," he smiled. I looked at him giggling.

"So what are we going to do?" I asked him.

"We could explore....walk around. It doesn't cost money to look at Americas most greatest monuments in the country." I smiled.

"Alright then. I suppose we could do that," I shaped my lips to the side. He looked down at me.

"Of course we can. Come on, I know the perfect place on where we should go first." I looked at him.

"What's that?" I asked seriously. He smiled down at me and put his long board down.

"Follow me and you'll find out." He began riding his board and I smiled shaking my head rolling my eyes.

"This guy..." I couldn't help but laugh. I started on my Penny, and I was following close behind him....as I knew then...this was the break we both needed from everything.

~

(Yay! I love this chapter so much, and I was so apprehensive to publish it, you guys don't even know:) Please vote and tell me what you guys thought and I'll see you guys soon with the next chapter. Bye:)

Xoxo Kyndra<3