Heart It Races

"When you guys get your off campus passes we can go places for lunch instead of sitting in this dank cafeteria." I informed as the four of us walked to lunch.

"When will we get them?" Luke asked, softly from next to me.

"It usually takes like a week."

We found an empty table and sat down, waiting for the line to get shorter before we got our food.

"Wow cool hair." A girl, Piper I think her name was, gawked running her fingers through Michael's locks.

"Uh, thanks." He said uncomfortably, trying to subtly scout away from her.

Who the hell does that though? She doesn't even know him, yet, she's going to feel up his head like they're Kindergartners. Gross.

"Oh my God! You have an accent! Where are you from?" She squealed taking a seat next to him and flipping a piece of over processed hair behind her shoulder.

"Australia." He smiled politely.

I tore my eyes from their sickening encounter, hoping to find conversation in one of the other two, however Luke was also watching them and Calum was watching me, a small smirk on his lips.

"What?"

"Oh nothing." He winked.

"Tell me!" I whined.

He shook his head, I'd bother him about it later.

To my relief she finally left him alone, swinging her hips as she walked in a desperate attempt to entice him.

"She's... different." He commented, making a face, easing my nerves.

What was I so nervous about?

Eventually the line went down and we got food, mine consisted of a drink and a bag of chips, there was no way in hell I was eating that filler stuffed cafeteria shit.

"So, when we hang out after school we should go to this one place I know." I told Mike, putting a chip in my mouth, the other two distracted by their own conversation.

"Oh? What kind of place?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"A secret place."

"Sounds fun."

I was excited, and hoped he would enjoy the place as much as I did, my only safe haven in the months after the incident, when she was gone and I wanted to be. I almost shuddered at the thought of it, trying not to think too much about it, as I was sitting in a public space and didn't want to make a show of my sobbing self. It still hurt, it had been three years, and like a scrape, the pain of the initial gash had dulled, leaving an ever present sting, thoughts of transmigration were my band aid.

We continued to eat, allowing small talk here and there until fifth period was over.

***

"So, on a scale of one to ten how much did today suck?" I asked them as we got in the car.

"Ten being the suckiest?"

"Yeah."

"I give it a solid 5.6, only because the food sucked." Luke gave his input.

"I'll say 4 because there's a really hot girl in my government class." Calum added.

"Hmmm..." Michael stroked his chin, "I give it a 7 thanks to that annoying guy from the phone that one time and the girl who felt up my head."

I tried to hide my satisfied smirk at his distaste for her as I hid my purchase in my phone case, making sure none of the boys saw.

The drive home wasn't long, but was entertaining with two very talented air guitarists and an air drummer along for the ride.

"Honey I'm home!" Calum joked walking into the studio.

"Oh boys! I missed you so much! Never leave me again!" Ash exclaimed dramatically pulling them into a group hug.

"Just in time! Ashton you're done for the day, so you can go chill out or whatever, but you boys, we have a lot to do." My dad informed, ready to get right to work.

"Aspen come play Just Dance with me!" Ash begged, walking to the door.

"I am in no mood for a Just Dance battle, but I can handle a movie or something." I offered, following him out of the room.

"Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs or Wall-e?" He asked, plucking them from the movie shelf.

"Hmm..." I tapped my chin in thought, "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs."

"Good choice."

"You put the movie in I'm going to make popcorn."

I put the bag in the microwave, letting it pop while I went upstairs to change into something more comfortable, deciding on a Pink Floyd t-shirt I had stole from my dad and a pair of leggings.

When I came back down our snack was done and I quickly emptied it in to a bowl.

Ashton patted the spot on the couch next to him motioning for me to sit, to which I complied putting the popcorn between us.

***

"Hey, are you done?" I asked Mike from my spot laying awkwardly over the couch as he walked into the living room.

"Yep!"

"Cool let's go!" I jumped up quickly from the couch, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the door, pausing to slip on some shoes.

"So, where exactly are you taking me?" He asked confused as we past my car and started on the sidewalk, our hands still interlocked.

"It's a surprise." I stuck my tongue out at him smiling.

"Why are you always so happy?"

"I don't know, it's easier than being sad I guess, and a lot more fun too." I shrugged.

"I imagine that you being sad would be absolutely heartbreaking." Michael thought out loud.

"Eh, it's not too bad."

He smiled cheesily down at me, his too pink lips, holding my attention captive.

We were silent for a little, then Mike spoke "I've been thinking a lot about all that stuff we talked about the other day, the reincarnation and stuff, and it's really strange to me, but I'm really curious why do you believe that?"

I knew why I believed it and what had lead me to become so faithful in it, but I didn't want to tell Michael, I'd made that mistake before. I didn't want pity, and guarded conversation. Not with him.

"I don't know I guess I just read about it one day and liked the idea of being endless. It's comforting."

"It is kind of cool."

We then came to a section at the back of the neighborhood that was peppered with trees that eventually got thicker until it practically became a forest.

"Oh God, you're not taking me into the woods to kill me are you?" Michael joked.

"Maybe." I cut my eyes at him winking.

I felt his hand brush against mine as we walked side by side through the trees causing my stomach to tighten.

"How did recording go today?"

"It was good, Calum and I did a bit of songwriting, mostly Luke was recording today, but it was good."

"That's good. It'd be pretty cool if Colton came through and got you guys that gig."

"Yeah it would our first American show!" He exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement.

"You guys have played shows before?"

"Only three, they we're small, but it still counts."

Our hands brushed again but this time he grabbed my hand in his, lacing our fingers together. I couldn't help the smile that took over my face.

We fought our way through the trees and although it may have been easier had we let go of one and other our hands stayed connected.

"You're sure we're not lost right?" Mike asked worriedly.

"Yeah, positive."

I had taken this path hundreds of times so I knew exactly where we were and we weren't far from the spot.

"Do you come out here a lot?" He wondered looking down at me.

"I used to, not so much anymore, the last time I did was about a month before school started."

Finally I saw the oh so familiar branch with a small A carved into it, just behind it lied my paradise.

I dropped Michael's hand in order to pull the branch back, motioning for him to go through first, I followed.

It looked the same as it always had, a small open area, no more than fifteen feet in diameter, the floor covered in dead leaves, one tree in the center, and the large rock that sat under it.

I had spent a lot of time on that rock, sitting, writing, reading, sleeping, thinking, it was like a second home to me.

"How'd you find this place?" Mike asked as I led him over to sit in the boulder, grabbing the small plastic box buried in the leaves below before taking a seat next to him.

"I was just walking around in here one day, trying to find a quiet place to be by myself and kinda clear my head, when I stumbled upon it."

"Did you do that?" He questioned pointing to the small peace sign carved into the wood.

I laughed remembering the reason behind it before nodding.

"Why are you laughing?"

"It's a long story I'll tell you another time."

His eyes wandered around the area, a small smile on his face and I wondered what he was thinking about. Eventually they wandered to the plastic box in my hands, which he grabbed setting it in his lap.

He used his eyes to ask me if he could open it, to which I nodded.

"Is this like a memory box or something?" He pulled the lid back.

"Something like that."

He sifted through a couple drawings, all of which had come from her before picking up a small wallet sized picture.

"Is this you?" He asked turning the photo so I could see. It depicted four year old me and my dad sitting on the floor, both with guitars in our laps, mine a miniature version of his full sized one.

I laughed nodding.

"Awh, you were so cute!" He cooed pinching my cheeks.

"What I'm not cute now?" I pretended to be offended.

"No don't worry you're still cute." he winked, putting the picture down and picking up a page I had ripped out of a book.

"It's one of those fable things, it's called A Unicorn in the Garden, and I really like it, so I wanted to keep it." I explained.

"Why do you like it so much?" He wasn't trying to be rude or anything, it just seemed like he genuinely wanted to know.

"The moral of the story is basically, don't let people make you feel crazy for what you believe in, because in the end you could be right and they could be the crazy one after all, or something like that, but he states it as 'Don't count your boobys before they hatch'."

"You're weird."

"You're weird."

He shrugged in agreement, picking out something else. A more recent picture from about four years ago, it was me and her, Kali, my stomach tightened at the picture and my eyes stung. Don't cry.

"Who's that?"

"That's me and one of my old friends, Kali, it was the day before we left for um, summer camp."

"Nice shirt." He chuckled pointing to it, my face instantly heating as it had Nick Jonas' face on it.

"Shut up!" I shoved him lightly, leaning my head on his shoulder. His arm wrapped around my middle pulling me closer, but leaving his arm there as his hand found mine, resting them on my lap.

"This place is pretty cool Asp. I'll admit I was a bit nervous at first with it being the woods and what not but it's nice, I like it."