Chapter 20

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I don't know how long we were in the hot tub for but we were in there for so long- laughing and telling lame cruddy jokes- my body began to get too hot.

"I think we should get out," I told Aspen. "My skin might melt off."

"Alright. The air is getting pretty humid." We headed out the hot tub and I was freezing cold and I was walking over to our towels, but Aspen stopped me.

"Hey!" I turned around. "Do you dare me to jump into the pool?" I covered my mouth laughing, putting my glasses back on.

"Haha! Aspen you're going to die! You just came from a hot tub!"

"Exactly! Do you dare me though?" He smiled as he seemed ready and I chuckled going over to him.

"Aspen don't hurt yourself," I dragged sadly with a smile.

"I won't..." Then suddenly he did a front flip into the pool and some of the cold splashes made it onto my skin, and I busted out laughing when Aspen came out the water shivering, hair damp, red eyed.

"Hahaha! Aspen are you alright?" He held his arms smiling at me with wide eyes, and to be honest...he was cute.

"Hahaha! Amanda you gotta try this!! I'm FREEZING but....you gotta try this!" I laughed shaking my head.

"Haha! No way Aspen!! There is no way I'm going in that!" I protested.

"Come on please! It's not so bad once you get in it."

"Nope," I crossed my arms. Aspen got out the water and walked passed me to get a towel, I thought for himself but he came back not using it.

"Imma be ready for you when you get out. Just jump in and come out. Simple as that," he told me. I studied him.

"But I'm freezing now! Jumping in that is like jumping into an ice water bath! " I concluded.

"Come on Amanda. Don't be afraid to try new things."

When he said that. Something clicked in my brain.

Like, that's something cliche yeah, but, how he said it just...turned something inside me and I sighed finding myself with my glasses off and I looked at Aspen. Then the pool. Then Aspen again.

"If I drown, you'll come for me right?" I reassured. He chuckled.

"Of course. You know this." I sighed and I shook my head.

After a little pause and glancing at Aspen one last time, I went for it.

I fell in the pool with a splash smaller than Aspen's but once I was under the surface I felt an electric shock through my body and came out the water with a loud breath and Aspen laughed on the edge of the pool with his hand ready to grab mine.

"Oh my God. Oh my God," I repeated walking over to him. "I'm cold. I'm cold. I'm freezing cold." Aspen kept laughing as I finally grabbed his hand and he pulled me up. The veins in arms popping out with drops of water on them, and I had to ignore that as it was ultra cute, but I was simply too cold to think too hard about it.

When Aspen pulled me out, I instantly hugged him, me in his arms with the towel around me as he calmly swayed a little side to side.

"Why did you let me do that? Why did you make me do that? I can't feel my feet. I cannot feel my feet," I shivered. He just kept laughing.

"I told you I'd be here didn't I?" He asked me. I sniffed holding the towel myself now and he walked over and got his and I followed.

"Yes...but....I'm freezing!" I still complained.

"Haha! Well we can go back to the room now. Where warmth awaits," he smiled handing me my glasses. I took them.

"Yay," I cheesed. He chuckled.

We went back inside. Hair dripping, feet scrunching, clothes soaked. I was standing close to Aspen as we walked down the long hallway, and as we did a housekeeper walked by with pool cleaning supplies and she nodded and smiled at us, and we did back and Aspen and I looked at each other with wide eyes as it must've been close to 11pm.

"We were cutting it pretty close," Aspen mentioned in a loud whispered.

"I know," I whispered back in a giggled.

I got ahead of Aspen eventually, and I pushed for elevator door to go up, but Aspen still stood behind me.

"Hey uh, Amanda?" He called to me.

I turned around.

"Do you mind if we take the stairs THIS ONE TIME?" He asked. "Just this once." I chuckled smiling.

"Aspen, don't you have faith?" I asked him disparately with a smile.

"Yes but it's night out and I just cannot take the elevator. Let's take the stairs, come on," he began tugging at my arm like a child would do to get their parents attention. The elevator door opened and I sighed,

"Fine Aspen," I finally agreed. He raised his fist up in the air and eased out,

"Yesss." But I quickly added,

"But be ashamed. God wouldn't have let anything happen to you, and you know it," I pointed my finger at him. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"You're right....but it's hard," he admitted glancing at me as we walked down the long hallway to the staircase. I crooked smiled at him.

"Well we are only human," I shrugged. Aspen looked at me and finally smiled after a little pause and he a said,

"Right."

I opened the door and Aspen followed close behind up the long 'Z' shaped staircase and there was a happy silence between us.

When we finally made it up to our floor, we went over to our room and Aspen took out our key and unlocked it and he let me in first.

I went straight to the bathroom and he went over by the bed, and I examine myself in the mirror as my beach blonde hair looked crinkly and stringy, my mascara on the white towel and somewhat smeared on my face, and for reason my cheeks were really pink.

Basically, I looked like a 17 year old zombie.

"Aspen," I walked back out to him. He was sitting on his towel on the floor, flipping channels.

"Yes ma'am?" He said in response putting his full attention on me.

"Why didn't you tell me I looked like this all night?" I pointed to myself. He smiled.

"I don't know what you're talking about Amanda," he looked back at the TV licking his lips, squinting his eyes.

"That I looked like I just came from a sad depressing movie!" I told him seriously. He chuckled glancing at me and back the TV.

"Amanda. What are you talking about?" He asked me like he didn't know. I sighed agitated.

"You know what I'm talking about Mr. Baker," I scolded him. "I looked hideous!" He finally found Animal Planet and put his attention on me and gave me 'are you seriously asking me this question right now' look on his face and he responded with,

"Amanda...I didn't tell you what you looked like cause I thought you were beautiful," he answered. I gasped a little. "Are," he corrected. "I don't care what you look like and of course we just came from swimming. I knew WE'D both look like we just gave from a sad movie, but you shouldn't worry about that. As long as you're with me, that's what matters. I don't care what you look like and you should know that. You're my friend, and believe me when I say I like you just the way you are with your 'crazy hair' and 'pink eyes'," he used quotation marks.

I kind of stood there amazed he actually said all that, but that just confirmed everything I thought he thought about me...

He just cares for my presence.

I smiled and looked at the ground with my hands behind my back.

"Thanks Aspen.....Sorry I asked," I apologized. He shook his head and looked back at me.

"Don't be sorry....you have a right to know," he told me. I smiled and took my backpack and placed it on my shoulder.

"I'll be right back," I told him.

"Alright," he looked back at the TV.

I went in the bathroom and I couldn't stop smiling thinking about Aspen had said.

'Aspen is too sweet,' I thought to myself digging for a shirt to wear. 'I do keep forgetting this is the judge free zone...but that didn't mean he didn't secretly do it anyway...'

After I forgot all my clean clothes we're dirty, I slowly and awkwardly headed back outside the bathroom and Aspen didn't expect me as he turned to me quickly.

"Is something wrong?" He asked getting up. I chuckled smiling.

"Oh no, no everything's fine, it's just...my clothes are still dirty hehehe," I chuckled blushing. He smiled.

"Oh yeah...here." He went over to his bag and pulled out a navy blue t-shirt that had giant wings on the back of them and I thought it was cool.

"Oh this is pretty...thanks," I smiled at Aspen. He chuckled.

"No problem." I quickly went back in the bathroom and he went back to sitting on his towel, and I closed the door.

I used the hotel's shampoo and conditioner and washed my hair to get the chlorine out from the pool, and I was too happy to finally not be able to share... I took my shower, the hot water feeling good on my abnormally pale skin and I headed out.

I changed into the oversized shirt and I turned around in the mirror to see that the wings didn't even fit me right. This was made for a boy who had back muscles like Aspen, not for a girl who might be mistaken to an eating disorder like me.

I out on the shorts I've been wearing the previous nights and I blow dried my hair but not too much, and I calmly brushed it out with my bristle brush. I washed my face and brushed my teeth and while I did I examine the cross necklace Aspen gave me and the bracelet.....

I headed out the bathroom and I hung up my damped swimsuit in the closet to dry and I smiled over at Aspen.

"I warmed the water up for you," I told him. He stood up letting out a breath.

"Thank you good ma'am." He went in the bathroom and I chuckled brushing out my hair again as I hated it being tangled and I opened the window to see it was still sprinkling out but not too much as the cars zoomed by, and I looked up to the sky.

"Hey Kelly..." I whispered. Rarely did I talk to Kelly his way, but I know she was listening. "How are you? I'm doing fine...just.:.waiting for my friend in my bathroom," I looked up at the stars. I chuckled. "No, no, he is not my boyfriend. I still remember that time you told me in 8th grade that I can't date a boy until you meet him somehow," I chuckled by the thought. I looked down at the road thinking about what it would be like if Kelly did meet Aspen and I smiled lost in the thought,

"Yeah....I like him too..."

After I finished my thoughts, I closed the window back, and turned the TV down and slid into bed. I checked my phone and of course I didn't have any message because it wasn't on, but it was 11:34pm.

I closed my eyes for a few minutes and suddenly I heard Aspen turn off the TV and take off my glasses for me and the lamp and walked all the way back around the bed to join me. I didn't move...pretending I was still sleep and I secretly checked the time and it was 12:03am.

I dozed off.

After Aspen was settled, he whispered, "Goodnight Amanda." I held in a chuckled and I couldn't help but say back in a very, very low whisper,

"Goodnight Aspen." He moved suddenly, and I chuckled as I turned back on the lamp on my side and turned over to see him already looking at me.

"Haha! Oh! I thought you were sleep!" He smiled at me greatly. Even though his face was a bit blurry, I can depict his contagious smile just about anywhere.

"I didn't even know I was, but when I heard you turn off the TV I must've woke up," I chuckled. "But it's alright. I wouldn't want you awake by yourself anyway," I told him. He chuckled.

"Haha, well thank you," he nodded at me. I nodded too.

"No problem," I said back. I closed my eyes a little while I know Aspen was still looking at me.

"Hey...." He got my attention.

I opened one eye.

"You excited for tomorrow?" I sighed closing my eye again smiling.

"I dunno...I suppose I am...still a little anxious but-" I shrugged, "-what ever happens, happens." I felt him smile. I opened my eyes and I forgot I left the light on so I turned over and turned it back off, but faced him, and after my eyes adjusted, I was still able to see the outline of his body, and his perfect face.

"Are you apprehensive to see if that college will accept you?" I asked him. He must've forgot as he turned over to face the ceiling, and he said,

"Oooooh, I haven't even been thinking about it," he said happily.

"Hahahaa!" I laughed moving a tad bit closer to him.

"I'm serious! I find out tomorrow, by mail. It won't take them that long because I came early. Hopefully I make it. That's my dream school," he told me.

"Me too..." I think I might've sounded too sad thinking that he'd leave me here in Virginia with my parents because he turned to look at me as if he could see me and said quickly,

"But....if I don't make it...there's always a community college I can attend," I saw the outline of his smile. I smiled too looking down at the bed and back at him and nodded.

"It's always nice to have a plan B," I told him thoughtfully. "Not that you won't make it or anything but like....you know?" I chuckled nervously. He sighed relaxing his muscle.

"No....you're right...." He agreed with me.

After we hadn't talk for a bit and I closed my eyes, I couldn't help but inch my way closer to Aspen to be sure he was there. When I felt my head touch his chest, he chuckled and I hid my blushed face in him and he commented,

"No boundaries tonight?" I chuckled, my hands in front of my chest, my nose against his shirt.

"No....unless if...you...want them?" I asked him nervously. I heard his giggle through his lungs, and he wrapped his arms around me gently and he said,

"No....I don't." I smiled calmly and I whispered,

"Night Aspen..." He waited a bit and said back so sweetly,

"Goodnight Beautiful."

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