(This chapter is honestly so cute and it is kinda long, but what the hay:)
Please enjoy and I'll see ya at the end<3

Chapter 13

Ecclesiastes 11:9
"You young people should enjoy yourselves while you're young. You should let your hearts make you happy when you're young."

~

"Okay...maybe this backfired..." I whispered to myself panicking in the bathroom with a towel around me. "What am I suppose to wear?"

I had no dressy clothes, nor did I have the money to go out and buy some even if I wanted too.

Aspen left the hotel room while he asked for direction to Richmond tomorrow so we wouldn't have to worry about it and something else, so I decided I'd get ready to go to the carnival since Aspen already was. I didn't know if this was a so called "date", but I know people (WHO ARE MORE THAN FRIENDS) went on 'things' like this so I WANTED to look good.

I dug around in my backpack as fast I could, throwing clothes all around me TRYING to find SOMETHING I could wear.

"Come on Amanda! You have to find SOMETHING," I told myself. I almost made it to the bottom of my backpack and I found a note tucked in something black. "What is this?"

Before I read the folded note, I took the piece of clothing out and it was a cute black romper that was spaghetti strapped and lace around the chest that went to a 'V' and around the ends of the thigh.

"This so cute, but...I don't remember having this??" I thought awkwardly. I looked at the note.

'Dear Amanda, aka my Best Friend,'

I smiled as I already knew this was Vanessa's handwriting.

'I wish you the best of luck on your journey finding your parents. Even if my parents were alive, I don't think I'd have the courage to do what you're doing. You were a good friend to me and built me up when I needed it most so now I will do the same...
Always remember God is with you as pastor would say, even though more than half the time we fantansied our dream of living 'normal' lives, but as I lay here on the top bunk (you don't snore BTW) our lives are what we make of it, and I love that you inspired me to NOT stay settled and go for my dreams- you don't have to wait...Oh! I gave you that romper for many reasons.
I never wore it 'cause of course, school dresscode and plus, you could meet a cute boy along that way even though they don't hinder you as much as they did me. That's probably why I almost failed bio this year.....'

I chuckled by that comment.

'Anyways! I love you so much girl, and if you get the chance, come back to Texas to visit me. Not trying to be negative, but I'll probably still be here. Just be sure you do it before the four years is up. I'll be 18 then:)
Love you Amanda, and no matter what, I'll NEVER forget you and I know you'll never forget me. After all, you were my roommate for two heartwarming years:)<3
May the angels be with you and the Lord guide you. I'm pretty sure there's an gardian angel with you right now:)
Now put that romper on and show what you got!
As pretty as you are, IT HAS TO BE FOR A BOY:)
xoxo,
Vanessa D. '

I wanted to cry after I read the letter and I stood up and put on the romper and it was almost a perfect fit, but the unjust-able straps on the shoulder were a bit loose, but it wasn't too bad.... I just wish my collarbone wouldn't show so much.

I put on the charm bracelet Aspen got me and the cross necklace and I stared at myself in the mirror admiring the whole thing.

It was so pretty.

I applied mascura, cleaned my hipster glasses, and applied my only good half a tube of pink lipgloss on my lips, and stared at myself in the mirror.

"Not a date..." I reminded myself. "Not a date."

I cleaned the bathroom and gathered my clothes and I walked past the mirror in the main room and I smiled putting my bag down....but after I realized what I saw...I ran back to the mirror freaking out.

I NEVER DID MY HAIR.

I totally panicked.

I didn't have a flat iron to do anything with it and and my hair was definately frizzy from the shower, so I ran in the bathroom and grabbed the hotel blow dryer and when I noticed I fogged up the mirror and couldn't see a thing, I ran out and plugged it up in the front of the mirror in the living space.

As fast I could, I put it on full blast (high) and just began running that thing over my hair and brushing it at the same time trying to come up with something descent. I brushed and blowed, brushed and blowed, and it ended having my hair puffy like it air dried from a swimming pool and I gasped at myself in the mirror.

'Aspen, CANNOT, see me like this,' I thought in full panic mode. I know he'd be here in any minute, so I ran for a comb, hair ties, and loose bobby pins, and I just put my hair in a side pony tail but before I could do anymore, I heard a click at the door and I knew he was trying to unlock it.

I screwed everything.

I slid the hair ties and bobby pins in my had and threw them in my purse, and I came back and took the hair dyer and hid it under the large dresser and right before he opened he door, I stood there casually yet awkwardly as if I was looking out the window and heard the door open.

"I got us tickets at the front desk," he look down at the tickets. "We have a free admission to every-" but he stopped when he finally looked at me.

To be honest, I first I thought he was shocked in the bad way, and he'd be like, "Amanda.... What are you wearing?" But INSTEAD he said,

"Wow...." I blushed super hard. I gulped.

"Heyy," I eased out. He kept looking at me and he came over at talks length.

"You look...." He paused again. I gave an icky face ready to hear the worst but he finished, "Beautiful..." I looked up at his ocean blue eyes.

"Really?" I asked him. So you're probably thinking, 'Well duh Amanda. Stop asking for attention.' But that's the LAST thing I want or ever will.

You have to understand a guy has never complimented me before and to hear it from a guy whose out my league....is just....unimaginable.

"Yeah...." Aspen let out. He stared into my eyes. "You honestly look amazing." I smiled a little as I should've expected it from him.

"Thank you, and you don't look bad yourself," I said back.

"Oh you're just saying that to be nice," he walked away smiling. I laughed.

"No way Aspen, you look good. Actually, you're really cute. So cute I'd hug right now if I could," I turned away with crossed arms. I open my eyes wide.

'Did I just....say that out loud??' I thought horrified, but his chuckle calmed me.

"Haha, I'd hug you too if I could..." he said back. I turned around to find him smiling and I did too, but I HAD to change the topic.

"So...you got the tickets?" I walked over to him shaking out of it.

"Oh yeah, yeah. Front desk associate told me with these wrist bands we can ride anything with a free admission. I thought it was a win-win," he handed me one. I took it from him...fingers touching.

"It is....like a blessing in disguise right?" I looked up at him through my frames.

"Haha, yeah. Exactly," he agreed. I nodded walking away as I looked out the window. The sun was getting low and the lights were beginning to pop up around the city, and it still felt as if all this was a dream.

"I'll bring my camera," I went over to my backpack and turned it on. He was over by his stuff changing his shirt, he didn't see me.

'Why must I always look at those times??' I thought with gridded teeth. Four packs I know can make you do that.....even though I never had a boyfriend to find out.

"You should. Memories are key right?" He assured me. I chuckled.

"Yup." I took the camera and went over to the window and took an overview pic of Washington, and I liked it.

"So what are you going to do with those photos?" Aspen pointed to the camera coming up beside me.

"Oh probably show my parents," I told him looking at it. "Show them my journey from Texas to them. It'll be so cool. We'll all be happy and catch up you know?" He chuckled.

"Course....it'll be great..." He looked down at the floor as I always kept forgetting about his parents and I placed my hand on his broad shoulder.

"Hey, their okay. Don't be so sad," I whispered. He smiled a little looking at his Cross tattoo.

"I know," he replied looking back up at me. I smiled. "Selfie? We can take one in front of the window like celebs do to show off," Aspen suggested. I chuckled thinking about it.

"What do we have to show off though?" I asked him as he took the camera and I just stood there as he got it ready.

"That we're ACTUALLY havin' fun," he stated. I covered my mouth laughing as I went beside him and I placed my arm on his shoulder again with the Cross, my face by his, smiling normally with my braces, as he I felt he smiled too.

"Fake angry face!" He said quickly. I suddenly switched my focus to squinting at him with my finger pointing at him like I was scolding him, my charm brackets in the pic, and he looked at me back just the same, except with a straight face, tough cheek bones, and no flitch. I busted out laughing as it was perfect.

"Silly face!!" I said after that..

Suddenly he made SOME face looking at the camera directly with purposely narrow eyes, square lips, and high eyebrows, while I did a peace sign with my fingers, my tongue out to the side my top braces out, and eyes closed.

We kept laughing.

"Make the other person laugh without you laughing face!!" He said.

I quickly turned my attention to him and stuck my tongue out by his head with small eyes holding that pose while he scrunched up his nose by my face, one eye bigger than the other.

We laughed again.

"Most positive picture in two seconds!!" I said next.

Suddenly, at the same time, we both held our thumb up by the window, head to head, with big exaggerating smiled, and after the flash went off for the forth time we laughed, and I fell to the floor with tears of laughter in my eyes.

"That was hilarious!" Aspen commented holding his stomach. I did too trying to breathe.

"I know, what were you doing?!" I asked him.

"Me? You're the one of the floor!" He said back.

"It's your fault!"

"Not all of it!" He said back. We kept laughing and we glanced at each other and after we both finally caught our breath, he asked, "Ready to go?"

"When you are," I replied with a smile.

As we were getting closer to the carnival it looked more like a giant fair and I was kind of surprised.

"Whoa...it's bigger than I thought," I whispered under myself.

"I know," Aspen paused with his hands on his hips. "But that just makes it more fun. What do you want to do first?" I honestly didn't know as I felt I wasn't a big 'scary ride' type of person, but I had a good excuse.

"I never been to a fair," I commented with a shrug, messing with my lips. Aspen looked down at me. "I never really rode rides."

"Really? Not one?" He asked surprised. I shook my head.

"Nope. Even when I was with Kelly I didn't. We'd mostly shopped and played games around things like this," I admitted. He chuckled placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Well you can with me." I looked at him. "I promise it's not that bad."

"Are you sure?" I asked him as we were making our way past the gates. "I don't want to die today." He laughed and I giggled myself even though I was serious.

"Promise..." His face showed it all. I stared at him.

There was just SOMETHING about Aspen and his PROMISES.

"Hehehe," I giggled amongst to myself. "Okay." He smiled.

"Yes! We should start off slow so you can get the feel of a ride," he suggested with a nod. "Let's go on the giant slides," he pointed to tallest slides I've ever seen. They were pastel colors; pale yellow on the left, baby pink in the middle, and baby blue on the outside. It looked fun and bumpy, but maybe even dangerous in the good way.

"Whoa, that's crazy!" I commented. "I'm so tiny, I think I might fly off!" I exclaimed. We laughed, but I was still serious. The one time I rode a ride that went really high in the sky and just dropped, I think it's called the Superman at Six Flags over Texas with Kelly, I fell out my seat but the giant seatbelt held me down and I cried for my life.....but it was still fun after I got off alive.

Being skinny isn't always a blessing.

"Don't worry, we can go together," he smiled at me. I looked at him with squinted eyes and perked lips. "I promise I won't let you go flying."

"Or die??" I exaggerated with a smile. He chuckled nodding.

"Yes, or die." I smiled getting that butterfly feeling in my stomach and suddenly to make it go away, I tagged him and ran off toward the line.

"Tag! You're it!!" He gasped as I laughed.

"No fair! I wasn't ready!!"

We ran to the line and surprisingly it wasn't long. We ran up the stairs to the top of the slide and I stopped abruptly and he almost ran into the back of me and we secretly chuckled as I would've ran into the stranger in front me.

I looked down from where we came from, and it was honestly a pretty nice sight. "Whoa. We're higher than I thought," I commented breathlessly.

"I know, but this is fun. You'd want to do it again!" He warned me.

"IF I don't die," I smirked as it was our turn.

"Yeah. If you don't," he whispered with a crooked smile.

"What!?" I exclaimed playfully. He laughed as we were next.

"Are you going together or separate?" The worker asked us.

"Together," Aspen said glancing at me. I shook my head with fake narrow eyes at him.

The worker placed a potato sake type of thing on the slide and the guy and Aspen stared at me for a second and a jolted forward as they were waiting for me. I sat down on the sack and I felt Aspen get behind me, his broad chest on my back, his thighs beside mine, and his arms wrapped my belly button....he's breath by my neck.

"You good?" He asked me softly.

I never been this close to guy.....nor do I think it'll happen again....but it's the greatest. Feeling. EVER.

"Yeah...." I nodded blushing. 'Hold yourself together Amanda!!' I screamed in my head. 'Keep it together!'

"You guys ready?" The worker asked us. Aspen smiled at me when I looked back at him Aspen said,

"Go!"

The next thing I knew, I found myself grasping onto Aspen's arms, screaming yet laughing at the same time as going down this slide felt like a ROLLER COASTER, just a mini version of one.

We past one hump and I almost fell, we past another and I almost fell again, but Aspen held onto me like he promised, and he secured me from 'dying'....and I hung onto him too.

When we made it to the end of the slide, we slid into some tough carpet rug, and I went rolling out of Aspen's arms laughing, forming fake abs, and he fell sideways on the ground as well, almost having tears in his eyes.

"OMG!" I exclaimed trying to catch my breath. "That was SO. FUN." Aspen kept laughing helping me up.

"Told you so! And see. You didn't even die," he faced his palms at me.

"Yeah I didn't. That wasn't so bad...." I hid my lips in my mouth looking away. Aspen smiled at me as I noticed from the corner of my eyes.

"Wanna race this time?" I smiled, my top row of teeth overseeing my bottom lip and I just ran off anyway, not waiting for a response. "Last one down is a loser!" I commented running back in line.

"But whose talkin'??" Aspen asked me playfully. I laughed harder.

We were at the top ready to go and Aspen and I looked at each other as I was on the yellow slide and he was on the blue.

"Ready?" The worker asked. I smiled shaking my head at Aspen and he nodded at me like he was cool and the worker yelled..... "Go!"

We slid down and on the first hump I bounced, and on the second one I fell side ways, and on the last one I flew a little in the air but found my safety on the tough mat....FIRST. I laughed as Aspen also lost control.

"Ha! Ha!" I faked laughed then for real laughed. "Iiiiiii beat you!"

"No way, I wasn't ready!" He tried to back himself up.

"Nope, nope, nope. I won. Fair and square, so you're the loser!" I pointed at him like a little kid. He sighed smiling.

"Aw man! Now I gotta REDEEM myself," he looked around.

"And how are you going to do that, good sir?" I asked him with my hands on my hip. He kept looking around and he left his gaze on something and I turned to see miniature basketball hoops with prizes. We both turned to each other at the same time and he took off leaving me.

"Haha, basketball?" I asked him catching up. "Why this?"

"Sports are everything to me," he gave me a, 'I can't believe you didn't know this about me already,' look with his eyesbrows. "I bet you I can win you somethin," he grinned at me. My heart skipped a beat.

'Aspen winning me a prize?? No, no, he doesn't like me. We're simply friends. FRIENDS,' I reassured myself.

"Alright then," I found myself saying anyway. "If you can win a prize, any prize, you won't be labeled a loser anyway," I challenged him. He chuckled lowly.

"Oh yeah, challenge accepted." He paid the man five bucks and began shooting, me watching him and he was actually pretty good.

"And you say you play football??" I asked him a 'awe' type of way.

"I played basketball in middle school. Can you believe I was too small to join the football team then?" He asked me with two minutes left on the clock with 12 baskets already made still going.

"Really? You look good now," I commented. I don't know if he really listened to my comment, but if I WAS him, I would've freaked. Instead, he was pretty chill and he tried to get my attention away from him.

"I guess. Coach pushed us on JV," he shrugged. I chuckled. He made the last basket with 26 shoots made in less than three minutes and won a middle size prize.

"Which one do you want?" Aspen asked me. I squinted my eyes, tapping my chin.

"The tan teddy bear," I pointed. "The one with the blue bow tie." The man handed it Aspen than he handed it to me and I took it hugging it and Aspen looked back up at the bigger prizes.

"How many shots for the big one?" Aspen asked licking his lips with small eyes.

"40," the see man told him. He looked at me with a grin as we both knew what HE was thinking.

"No, no it's fine Aspen. I like my teddy bear," I hugged it. "It's cute." He chuckled smiling.

"Haha okay." I looked at him and he titled his head at the man and he did back and we began to walk away.

"Oooo, I bet you can't pop those balloons," Aspen pointed to some sharp darts and balloons on a wall. I brushed him off feeling confident.

"Oh please. Leggo," I got sassy. He full blown laughed.

"Haha, niiiice."

We went over to them, and I stuffed my bear in Aspen's arms forcefully and I gave the young man, $3. "There you go little lady," he handed me five darts. "Pop 4 out of the 5 balloons and get a prize." I nodded smirking.

"Easy-peasey," I said coolly, pushing up my glasses. Aspen chuckled on the side-lines.

I got my darts ready and I closed one eye like I WAS a pro, and threw one but it popped nothing. Aspen and I looked at each other at the same time. "That's just a warm-up," I reassured him smiling.

"Oooooh okay," he nodded sarcastically. I nodded too.

I got ready for the next dart, and I did hit a balloon, but not hard enough for it to pop.... I was beginning to loose hope.

"Okay....maybe this time..." I whispered to myself. I got a dart and threw it but nothing. I sighed just standing there staring down at the counter.

"Givin' up hope?" Aspen asked me hiding a smile. I was actually pretty depressed.

"Yes..." I said shamelessly. He must've noticed the tone in my voice and he shook his head.

"No, no, no...here." He came over and got a dart and got behind me, I totally tensed and blushed a little and I TRIED to breathe. 'Aspen is behind me.... Aspen is literally behind me....' I kept thinking.

"You hold it like this..." He whispered to me. He took the dart in my hand, his hand over mine and we looked at the balloons. "Then you choose one.... Which one do you want to hit?" He asked me as if we were hunting. I never noticed Aspen's clothes smelt of fresh cotton....

"The blue one..." I told him not looking at him. He nodded.

"Alright....so now you prep..." He motioned my hand back and forth and he said, "Give a little force and let go. Like a paper airplane." I gave a little force with Aspen's help and sure enough I hit the blue balloon.

"I got it!" I said kind of over-joyed. He laughed. "I actually got it!"

"Haha yup. Now just do what I told you," he stepped over on the sidelines. I nodded at him showing my braces, and I grabbed a dart and took a breath.

'Hold it the right way....' I thought to myself. I did. 'Prep for the one you want...' Yellow. 'And let go like a paper airplane...' I did, and sure enough I popped that one.

"I got it Aspen!" I cheered jumping. "I popped a balloon!"

"Haha, I saw!" He chuckled.

"Sorry Miss, you don't get to win a prize, but you do win a piece of a candy for the effort," he laid out a bowl of mixed bite size candy.

"Hehe, okay," I chuckled not feelings so sad. "It's better than nothin." The man smiled and I looked in the bowl as there were a lot of choices.

"What should I get?" I asked Aspen tapping my chin.

"Hmmm, if I was you, I'd get that Twix. Can't go wrong with cookie and caramel," he smiled. I chuckled taking it.

"Thank you sir," I thanked the worker.

"No prop. I haven't seen such a close friendship like you guys in awhile. You guys take care," he waved.
MI smiled opening the candy as Aspen and I began to walk away.

I felt Aspen glancing at me before I ate it and I turned to him as we kept walking, and he looked away. I was about to eat it again, but he turned to me and I turned to him again before I did and he looked away.

"Is something....the matter?" I asked him smiling.

"Huh? Oh nothing, nothing," he lied. "Just....walkin..." He shrugged. I chuckled looking in front of me and I broke the tiny piece of Twix and I handed it to him.

"It may be tiny, but it means a lot," I commented. He let out a breath of happiness through his nose and he took it and we looked at each other and ate it at the same time.

"Humph," he said chewing it. "It makes me want more."

"It's stuck in my braces," I said licking my teeth with my tongue. "That's what sucks about these things." He laughed.

"I'll never understand." I looked at him surprised still sucking my teeth.

"You NEVER had braces?" He shook his head.

"Nope."

"I would think you have," I looked in front of me. "You have nice teeth." He chuckled lowly.

"You think so? Well....I have secret." I looked at him.

"What's that Aspen?" I smiled up at him. He squinted his eyes playfully.

"For some reason in my sophomore and junior year of high school, I brushed my teeth three times a day." I full blown laughed.

"Hahaha, why?" He shrugged snickering.

"I don't know, I was only 15."

"That wasn't long ago," I reminded him him as we kept walking.

"To you maybe," he licked his lips smiling. I glared at him playfully.

"We're only a year apart."

"Hmhuh, totally," He nodded.

"Ugh, just shut up," I pushed him with my right shoulder. He laughed.

"Okay, okay." We looked each other still walking and I smiled a little and he shrugged smiling too but when I looked forward (so I wouldn't pass out for looking at him too hard) I stopped dead in my tracks for what I saw.

"We totally have to do that," I pointed to the biggest set of swings going in a circle. Aspen stopped beside me.

"The swings?" He asked me seriously. "You want to do that?"

"Well yeah, who doesn't like swings?" I asked. "Come on please?" I put my hands together and placed them under my chin on his side. He laughed.

"Alright fiiiine."

"Yay!" I grabbed his hand and ran toward the swings and I honestly don't know why I was so excited to ride them....

I mini clapped when we made it in line, and Aspen was laughing at me but I didn't care.

Nothing....could get in the way of me and some swings.

We made it to the front of the line and we got to sit side my side and we HAD to share a seat belt.... 'Don't panic...' I had to tell myself. 'Do not pan-'

"Is that good enough?" Aspen asked me as he tighten the seatbelt. I swallowed.

"Oh, uh, yeah." He let the straps loose and he sighed.

"I figured you wouldn't want to fly out or anything," he told me nodding. I chuckled.

"No, I do not want to fly out nor will I," I told him playfully. "Besides, I would think if I was about to, I could hang onto you for safety right?" Aspen looked at me with a grin. Okay, I DID NOT mean that in any other way other than really....if I were about to fall out, my first intension would be to grab his arms or something, but I didn't need to explain that him, because he replied,

"You don't have to hang onto me," he said. I gave him an awkward face. "Because I already will be..." I smiled at him and he smiled at me and suddenly we heard the person running the ride say,

"Hang on tight!" Aspen and I looked at each other as we started to raise up from the ground along with everyone else and there was a big jolt and I hung onto the metal bar keeping us in, and I looked at Aspen as we began to turn in a slow circle.

"Oh....this isn't so bad," I commented with a smile sitting back.

"Yeah," Aspen agreed. But right when we said that, the swings jolted again and we were even higher in the sky and the little babies riding began to scream and we started moving in the circle a little bit faster.

"This still isn't so bad," I looked around me. "It's a nice view."

"Yes, yes. A very nice view," Aspen nodded. I laughed. We jolted again and that time I slid into Aspen's left arm very hard as we began to move even faster and really high.

And when I say 'really high' I mean EXTREMELY HIGH.

I COULD PRACTICALLY SEE ALL OF WASHINGTON!!

"Okay!" I yelled over the wind, my body permanently stuck to Aspen's as the wind was so strong as we moved in the giant circle. "Maybe this is bad!"

"Don't worry!!" Aspen laughed. I did too. "I'm sure it can't get ANY worst!" BUT....right when he said THAT, we moved up EVEN HIGHER and I swear my ears popped when I swallowed.

"OMG!!" I screamed laughing hanging onto the metal rail in front of us. "We have got to stop saying that!!"

"Who-hoo," Aspen cheered. "This is kinda cooooll!!" I laughed literally having tears as Aspen was doing some crazy things with his arms in the air like he was dancing or some fictional cartoon character and suddenly the swing began moving up and down and Aspen fell forward but caught himself, and I fell even more into his arm.

He hugged me in his arms as we began to move even faster in the large circle and I literally felt I was going to DIE and I hung onto his arm that was below my chest and I literally screamed as when I looked down, the people amongst the carnival seemed like tiny ants barely walking....

Yeah THAT's how high we were.

"Aspen!!" I called to him. We both laughing uncontrollably.

"Hahahaha Yeah?! Hahaha, oh my God!"

"Ahh! I think this WAS a bad idea!!"

"If we die....!" He paused still laughing. I held my eyes closed hanging onto him still as he held me. "I blame this on you in Heaven!!"

"No waaaay!" I replied dying of laughter.

We kept laughing going around in the giant circle and after about five minutes of funny jokes and tears in our eyes from laughing so hard and the wind blowing, we began to slow down and I finally caught my breath when Aspen and I departed from each other.

"That was TOO fun," I commented still giggling.

"I know right. I think I like giant swings now," he nodded. I kept giggling....I guess it's a side effect from the laughter.

"Me too. I never thought there was so much thrill from almost dying..." I said thoughtfully. "Well....to an extent." Aspen laughed.

"Haha, yeah."

We got unhooked from our seats when we made it to the ground and right when I stepped on the ground I was super dizzy and I didn't even notice that I would be, I hung onto Aspen's arm and he caught me for support.

"We're acting as if we're drunk," I said as we staggered our way out the gate from the swings.

"I didn't know we going to be THIS dizzy," Aspen commented holding my arm.

"I know right!" I replied. We laughed some more m.

I noticed the sun was barely over the horizon by now and little stars were appearing in the sky, and the moon was a crescent. I don't know if it was because I was dizzy or extremely tired from laughing so hard, but I was kind of hungry.

"You hungry?" I asked Aspen as we walking to who knows where.

"Are you?" He asked. "I am if you are." I was playing with him.

"Hmmm nah," I replied. He looked down at me and looked straight ahead as if he was disappointed. "I'm just kidding," I playfully pushed him. "Of course I'm hungry." He smiled.

"I'm always up for food. You can't play me like that," he told me. I laughed leaning on him.

"I'm sorry, I thought it was funny," I covered my mouth looking at him with my chocolate brown eyes.

"Whatever. I don't even think we can be friends anymore," he crossed his arms. I had my hands on his arms as if I was going to marry him.

"Aspeenn-" I dragged out. "I'm sorrrry."

"You know what? I don't even think I can talk to you anymore," he faked frown at the ground. "I mean....you know how much I LOVE....food," he emphasized 'love'. I just kept laughing.

"Aspen!" I begged like a baby. He laughed at me. "Can we please still be friends??" He narrowed his eyes at me from the corner of his eye. "Please?" I poked out my lips. He smiled.

"Alright fine.... Only because this is our last night together," he nodded.

"Yay!" I semi-cheered. He chuckled. Aspen and I shared another endless laugh together and to be honest....

You're probably thinking Aspen and I are always laughing, but Kelly always told me laughter is the cure to anything, and even though we didn't seem sad (which we really weren't) our cure was to laugh anyway.

I've been an orphan almost all my life excluding Kelly and that always brought me down at the most awkward and randomness times, and Aspen just lost his parents a few days ago, AND HE CAN'T SEE THEM AT ALL.

Right now, we had to make this moment count. I'm literally going to my real parents house TOMORROW....and laughing with Aspen was the only way for me not to cry about it....

Really....

"I'll race you to that hotdog stand?" I grinned at Aspen as it was a little ways ahead. He smiled down at me grinning also.

"Last one there has to pay," he challenged biting his bottom lip.

"So you better let me win," I winked at him. He looked down at me with a cocked eyebrow and a dimple in his cheek and he licked his lips saying,

"You know I will." I chuckled hugging my teddy bear and I thought jogging,

'Ugh, why is Aspen so cute?'

~

(Omg, Aspen and Amanda😍them two are like literal goals right now<3
If you enjoyed it, please vote!
Thanks soo much for continuing to read you guys and I hope you're liking it so far and actually, comment below your favorite part of this chapter. I think mines was the swings. That was so cute! I'll see you guys soon:)
Xoxo, Kyndra<3