Aspen and the Dream Walkers (13 page)

“Aspen!”

Wearing a tight-fitting gray T-shirt and a
pair of blue jeans that hung low on his hips, he glared over her
head at Ray. She felt guilty that her backpack was draped over
Ray’s shoulder, and winced when she saw a muscle in Dylan’s jaw
tick.

“Hey. I, er, I wondered where you were,” she
stuttered.

Ruby appeared behind him and wrapped her arms
around his waist. “There you are,” she said with a sigh. “I’ve been
looking for you everywhere.” She squeezed him and slipped under his
arm. On her tiptoes, she reached up to press her lips against his
cheek.

Aspen’s whole body flushed with anger and her
eyes narrowed. The two looked so comfortable together, and Dylan
didn’t pull away from her.

Without warning, Ray turned her to face him.
“Come on, let’s get some lunch.”

Aspen looked back at Dylan, but the imprint
of Ruby’s lipstick was still clearly visible on his cheek. Her
stomach churned at the thought of the tiny Fire Walker tucked up
against his body.

She reached out and held Ray’s arm, smiling
radiantly. “Yes, I think that’s a good idea.”

Dylan stared at her for a long moment before
looking down at Ruby and giving her his full attention. “Hey,
Rubes. You’re looking gorgeous today.”

“Mmm, that’s exactly why I wanted to find
you. You know just what to say to make a girl feel good,” Ruby said
with a chuckle. “Let’s get out of here.”

Aspen glanced over her shoulder as Ray tugged
her toward the cafeteria. Dylan had his arm around Ruby’s
shoulders, and her silvery laughter rang through the air.

It hurt to think of Dylan with Ruby, and
Aspen’s heart fluttered as a physical pain gripped her chest. She
could hear Ray speaking, but she wasn’t listening to a thing he
said over the rushing sound in her ears. Her mind raced and her
veins throbbed with electricity. Everything was going wrong. She
wanted to be more than friends with Dylan, and Ruby was going to
ruin everything.

Dylan belonged to her, not Ruby. She wanted
him so badly that it ached. That was it! She closed her eyes as the
words bounced around in her mind, over and over. She was in love
with Dylan Powers.

With that earth-shattering conclusion, her
mood dipped and she slowed down to think.

Ruby could have anyone her heart desired, and
there was absolutely no reason for her to be with Dylan. Aspen, on
the other hand, didn’t own anything. All of her clothes were
hand-me-downs from Miriam, or thrift shop specials, and she hadn’t
possessed a thing when she was younger.

Her bedding was secondhand. The Mickey Mouse
clock was something she’d picked up in the dumpster one day. She
couldn’t even keep her dad. He’d been taken away from her too, and
she hadn’t had the chance to know him as she grew up. Dads treated
their little girls with love and care, and spoiled them as much as
possible. Not experiencing that hurt more than words could say.

Aspen’s lip trembled and moisture spiked the
corners of her eyes. The dream catcher throbbed softly under her
shirt, and she wondered how long it would be before someone would
take that as well. She wanted to curse and words bubbled up in her
throat, but she bit her lip to keep them in.

“Hey, you’re squeezing my hand. What’s
wrong?”

Aspen pulled her fingers back in shock. The
tightness in her chest must have spilled over, and she’d squeezed
Ray’s hand very hard.

“I’m sorry.” She sighed. “I’ve got to get
something. I’ll meet you in class after lunch.”

With a disappointed look, he let her go and
watched her walk away.

She ran into the bathroom and splashed cool
water over her cheeks at the sink. As she was drying her face with
a paper towel, Sandy walked into the room.

“Ray just walked away with a lost look on his
face.” She laughed and dropped her backpack on the counter.

“Don’t lie. Why would he look lost?”

“Maybe ’cause he has the hots for you?”

Aspen smiled weakly. “He doesn’t have the
hots for me. He’s just a nice guy.” She threw the crumpled paper
towel into the trash can.

“Hah, that’s what you think. He’s crazy about
you.” Sandy smiled and leaned back against the counter.

The door creaked open and Ruby walked into
the restroom. Aspen bent to pick up her backpack and stumbled for a
second, but then stood upright with her shoulders drawn back.

“Hello, Halfling.” Ruby smiled and faced the
mirror. After a quick inspection, she smoothed her red bangs
against her forehead. Opening a shiny red lip gloss, she reapplied
the color to her lips. Aspen assumed the gloss needed to be
replaced because half of it was probably still on Dylan’s
cheek.

Ruby met Aspen’s eyes in the mirror. “You did
okay yesterday, but you’ve got so much to learn. Power means
nothing if you can’t control it.” She puckered her lips at her
reflection. “You need to practice a lot more before you join our
hunts. You could have killed us all if we weren’t behind you.”

Aspen gasped. Sandy stood next to Ruby at the
sink and reached forward to grab her arm.

“How dare you say that to our princess?
Apologize now, you idiot.” Sandy was practically vibrating, she was
so angry, and a small bolt of electricity left her fingers and gave
Ruby a mild shock.

“Ouch! Let go of me!” she shouted. Tiny
flames licked over the surface of Ruby’s skin and burned Sandy’s
hand, and Sandy dropped her grip instantly. Her palm blistered for
a second before the dream catcher around her neck healed it.

“You little witch. That hurt!” Sandy cried
and balled her fist in order to blast Ruby.

“Stop it!” Aspen shouted. “Stop it right now,
both of you. I’ve had enough of everyone today.” Wisps of hair
stood up on her neck as power spiked up and down her body in strong
currents.

The two girls stopped fighting and turned to
stare at her in disbelief.

“Okay, Aspen, we aren’t fighting now. Just
relax.” Sandy spoke in a calming voice and watched Aspen
anxiously.

“You started this,” Ruby cried out. “I just
said she needed more practice, now look what you’ve done.” She
stared at Aspen for a second longer and then stormed out of the
bathroom as fast as she could.

“Calm down, Princess, don’t get so upset. You
can come back down again.”

Sandy’s voice rang in the distance in Aspen’s
head as waves of anger crashed through her body. She was mad at
Ruby for being so close to Dylan, the only guy she liked in the
whole world, and she was livid that her friend had been burned. The
power running through her veins fizzled and popped, and she cursed
Ruby in her mind. She was so angry that she barely heard Sandy
speaking.

“Come down, Aspen. You need to calm
down.”

It was then that she glanced at the mirror
and saw the strangest sight. A blue light flickered around her body
like a neon sign, and she hovered in the air about two feet above
the ground. Her eyes were silver, and swirled like rough seas. With
a cry, she exhaled and dropped to the floor.

“Sandy,” she cried. “What’s happening to
me?”

The sound of the bathroom door slamming
against the wall made her squeal as Dylan burst into the room.

“Aspen, are you all right?” He dropped to the
floor next to her and pulled her into his arms. The excess
electricity that itched up and down her skin arced into his body,
and he winced for a second before smiling and closing his eyes.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s going on.
This hasn’t happened to me before.” She tried to crawl away from
him to avoid shocking him.

Dylan’s grip tightened on her arm. “No, don’t
move. It’s fine.” He kept his eyes closed and drew her closer.
“Don’t worry. You’ve just had an overload of power. It can be
scary, but you’ll learn to control it. Let me absorb it for
you.”

The heat that radiated between them
intensified, and she could feel the tension leave her body as a
current buzzed between their arms. After a few minutes, Dylan
opened his eyes. A neon glow burned around his pupils momentarily
before the color switched back to blue.

“Let me take you home. I don’t think it’s
smart to stay at school.” He helped her up from the floor.

“That’s a good idea,” Sandy said. She’d kept
quiet while Dylan was holding Aspen, but now she held up her hand
to wave at her friend. “See you later.”

Before Aspen could answer, Dylan touched his
dream catcher and they were transported instantly to the driveway
of her house.

She took a step back and steadied herself.
“How did you do that?”

“You can do it too. I’ll teach you tomorrow.
Come on, you need some food and a nice sugary drink.” He walked
with her along the driveway.

Her mom’s head peered out of the kitchen
window. “Aspen, what’s wrong?” she called.

“Nothing, Mom. I just felt faint at school,
that’s all.”

“Oh, my darling.” Norma’s blond bob whipped
up as she rushed to open the door and let them in.

Dylan took a second to look around the room,
and Aspen looked around to try to see it through his eyes. A big
clock hung on the wall above the white fridge, and a small wooden
table stood in the middle of the floor with four chairs that were
tucked neatly underneath it. Although the kitchen was spotlessly
clean, the cabinets were in desperate need of attention; they were
clean but unvarnished, and the walls needed a new coat of paint. He
probably wondered why Aspen’s stepfather hadn’t tried to modernize
the room.

“Come inside, honey. I’ll make you both a
glass of sweet tea.” Norma seated her daughter and pulled a pitcher
of tea from the fridge.

“What happened? Are you okay?” she asked as
she removed glasses from the cabinet.

“It’s all right, Mom,” Aspen replied. “It
happened a while ago, and I feel a lot better now, thanks. This is
Dylan, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” He greeted her
with an outstretched hand. “I think Aspen needs a sandwich with
that tea, if you don’t mind. It’ll build up her strength.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Why don’t you wait
with her in the living room, and I’ll call as soon as the food is
ready.”

Dylan helped Aspen out of the chair and
walked with her to the living room. Again, the room was tidy but
threadbare, and she was embarrassed as he stared at the peeling
wallpaper and old furniture.

“I’m just going to dump my bag in my room.
I’ll be back in a second.” She spoke softly as she gripped the
handrail.

Dylan put his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll
take it up for you, you still look tired.”

“It’s not the best room you’ve ever seen. It
needs work.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not here to judge,” he said
with a smile.

Sighing, she handed him the bag and climbed
the staircase. It was rickety and old, and she glanced over her
shoulder to make sure he was behind her. Her bedroom was as small
as a closet, and she could see the look of horror on his face as
she led him into the tiny, dark room. Huge trees outside blocked
the light from the window, and the air smelled musty and stale.

“Where is the light switch?” he asked.

“No, don’t switch on the light, my stepfather
doesn’t like it. I’m just dropping off my bag. Give it to me,
please.”

Holding out the backpack, Dylan rubbed the
fingers of his free hand together and produced a ball of
electricity that glowed on his palm. The blue light illuminated the
tiny room.

“Wow, that looks pretty,” she exclaimed.

He placed the light on her chest of drawers,
and it glowed in a perfectly shaped circle.

Aspen caught a look of pity in his eyes as he
turned to watch her, and she straightened her shoulders. She was
the king’s niece. She didn’t need anyone’s sympathy.

As though he could read her thoughts, he
smiled softly and stepped closer to her. “You can do it too. Just
concentrate on the ends of your fingers and mold the power into a
ball.”

Aspen stretched out her arms and flexed her
fingers. Instantly, a ball of blue engulfed her hands. It ran up
her arms and covered her body in a pulsating strobe of light.

“Oops, I think I overdid it.” She smiled for
the first time.

“Pull it back, remember the tap. You can cut
off the flow by closing the valve.”

Her eyes scrunched up and she wrinkled her
nose in concentration. The blue light dribbled back down her body
and stopped at her fingertips. Once she’d stopped the current, she
spun around, smiling.

“Mold it like putty, turn it into a ball,” he
instructed.

She pretended to play with a mound of dough
and within seconds, a perfect ball of luminous blue hovered on her
hand.

“Good girl!” he exclaimed.

Aspen’s chest jutted out in pride. With her
hand outstretched, she aimed a beam of light toward her bed.

“It’s a shame you didn’t teach me this
earlier,” she mumbled.

“Huh?”

“Nothing.” She smiled wanly. “Let’s go
back.”

Dylan touched the ball of light on the
dresser and it was absorbed back into his body. He followed her
downstairs and they entered the kitchen just as Norma placed a
plate of sandwiches on the table. Two glasses of iced tea sat next
to the plate.

The pair sat down and ate the food silently.
As they finished the last of the sandwiches, high heels clacked on
the pavement outside, which meant that Miriam was home.

She entered the kitchen and stared at Dylan.
With an exaggerated eye roll, she dumped her bag on the floor and
Norma rushed to pick it up.

“What’s he doing here?”

Dylan reached into his pocket, grabbed a
small card, and pressed it into Aspen’s hand. With a tilt of his
head, he leaned over to whisper in her ear, “Call me if you need
me.”

Standing up, he faced Miriam squarely. “Nice
to see you too.” Then he nodded at Aspen’s mom as she took Miriam’s
lunchbox out of her bag and placed it in the sink. “Thank you for
the sandwiches. I’ll talk to you all soon.”