Aspen and the Dream Walkers

  Chapter 2

  Meeting Dylan

  Aspen knocked on the bathroom door.

  "Miriam, I'm going to be late. The bus is almost here and I need to wash my face."

  "Wait, I'm not done yet!" her stepsister screamed at her.

  With a sigh, she walked back to her room and pulled on a pair of jeans and a sleeveless cotton top. The quilt was drawn neatly over the bed a few seconds later, and she folded her pajamas into the chest of drawers. After slipping her feet into a pair of sneakers, she ran a brush through her silver-blond hair and pulled it in its usual ponytail high on her head. There was no mirror in the room, so she couldn't see how she looked in the pale blue top she'd chosen to wear.

  The sound of a toilet flushing signaled Miriam's departure from the bathroom. Aspen rushed in to wash her face and brush her teeth, then grabbed her backpack and ran downstairs.

  "Morning, sweetie."

  Her mom smiled as she entered the kitchen. Norma looked a lot like her daughter-with a petite body and slim face-but her blond hair was pixie-short whereas Aspen wore hers long. Her mom's eyes were cornflower blue, much more vivid than the silver-blue eyes Aspen had inherited from her father, but they both had the same wide, bow-shaped mouths.

  "I don't have time to eat, Mom," she lied. Because of her nightmare the previous night, she felt sluggish and didn't want to have breakfast.

  Her mother frowned and pressed a brown paper bag into her hand. "Here, take this with you, it's a bagel. It should tide you over till you get home." Norma then gave her a hug before she rushed out the kitchen door.

  Once Aspen was outside, she slowed as she struggled with the straps of her backpack, but paused when her stepfather's bike roared behind her.

  Stephan rolled his huge motorcycle out of the garage, and she stopped on the sidewalk in front of their house to watch him in silence. He looked intimidating with a black full-faced helmet and leather jacket. Miriam stood waiting for him near the garage door under the shade of a huge oak tree, her auburn curls tucked under a helmet of her own.

  Her stepfather flipped the throttle and revved the bike loudly, and Aspen stepped back in fright. After swinging her leg over the motorbike seat, Miriam tightened the helmet strap around her chin. The black leather jacket she wore had been a present from her dad, and she wore it together with designer jeans and high heels.

  Aspen rubbed her hands subconsciously along the seams of the faded jeans she'd bought at a thrift shop the previous year. Her mother couldn't afford new clothes, and Aspen would never consider asking Stephan for money. So she'd worked during her summer vacation and had bought a few pairs of jeans with the extra cash.

  As soon as she'd adjusted her backpack, Miriam wrapped her arms around her father's waist. She turned back to smirk at Aspen as the big bike pulled off the curb in a roar of exhaust fumes.

  The two rode away and Aspen watched them pass a line of vehicles parked along the tree-lined road. Her neighborhood had many two-story wooden houses that were sandwiched tightly next to one another. A few had flags flying from their front porches, lending a splash of bright colors along the street.

  The pneumatic wheeze of the school bus alerted her as it rounded the corner, and she waited patiently for it to come to a halt next to her.

  Mamma Megs was the bus driver, and she gave Aspen a big, toothy grin. "C'mon, sugah, you ain't gonna get to school if ya don't climb on up." Her smooth dark arms gripped the large steering wheel, and she rested her elbows on ample thighs.

  With a smile, Aspen climbed the steps until she was level with the older lady. "Thanks, Mamma Megs," she whispered, then strode to the back of the vehicle.

  There weren't many kids on the bus, so she chose an empty bench seat. The bus was her only form of transportation to school since her family didn't have a car. Stephan rode the bike to work and back. He could only carry one passenger-Miriam-which didn't really surprise Aspen. This was because he was saving gas, or so he said, but she knew that he was too cheap to buy a car.

  She didn't really mind riding the bus. It was quiet and gave her a chance to think before she got to school in the morning. Besides, she wouldn't be able to sit on the back of Stephan's bike; she'd be too scared of doing something wrong.

  Mamma Megs turned the vehicle into the school grounds just as his motorcycle growled away down the street, and she was glad that she wouldn't be forced to greet her stepdad at school.

  Her stepsister strolled toward her latest boyfriend, Justin, and Aspen watched her walk past the bus through the dusty window. Miriam smoothed out her tangled curls and threw her backpack at him. He hoisted it over his shoulders and pulled her toward his chest.

  Justin was a quarterback on the football team and was always surrounded by people. Today was no different; half a dozen kids hovered around him. Miriam spat her pink bubblegum out onto the grass and slid her hands around Justin's neck.

  Aspen cringed and looked away as her stepsister kissed him eagerly. After a few seconds, she risked another glance and saw the group moving toward the school building. Justin had wrapped his arm around her stepsister's shoulder, and she had her thumb tucked into a loop on his waistband. When they disappeared into the building, Aspen sighed in relief.

  The bus came to a halt in the parking lot. Inside, the air was hot and smelled of diesel fumes and spray deodorant, and she waited until the last person was gone before exiting the bus. She hurried to reach her first class of the day as the morning bell clanged loudly.

  English was one of her favorite subjects, and she thumped her backpack on the desk and removed a pen and book before sitting down. The class was rowdy as the students waited for the teacher to arrive. Someone shot a spitball past her head, and she ducked just in time.

  "Nope, that was definitely not me." Aspen shook her head vigorously as a girl with short black hair in front of her whirled around with accusing eyes. Her cheek was pink and sticky from the soggy ball.

  Miriam sat at the other side of the room and popped bubbles with a new piece of gum. When she'd failed her grade the previous year, Stephan had blamed her teachers, and now she shared many of her stepsister's classes as she repeated the year.

  Aspen fanned her face quietly. The day had only just begun, but she could already feel the humidity of the Indian summer day.

  Her fellow students were so noisy, talking loudly and laughing, they barely noticed when their teacher lumbered into the room.

  Mr. Wright was enormous. He was bald, his nose and cheeks rosy, and his chin was rounded with folds of skin. He always wore baggy pants, which made his oversized shoes appear clown-like, but he was her all-time favorite teacher. Because of his size, she didn't see the person trailing behind him at first.

  "Settle down now, students," Mr. Wright called out, his voice booming against the classroom walls. Everyone stopped talking and rushed to take their seats.

  When they had settled down somewhat, he stepped aside and said, "We have a new student. This is Dylan Powers."

  Aspen sucked in a sharp breath and whispered, "Oh my word." As soon as the teacher had moved, she exhaled and stared at the handsome boy standing behind him. His looks were so striking that she blinked twice and focused all her attention on him.

  Mr. Wright clapped the boy on the shoulder, then said, "Take a seat in the third row," while pointing to the empty desk behind her.

  Miriam's eyes widened with pleasure as the good-looking boy walked slowly down the aisle.

  He was tall and slim and wore khaki cargo pants, a white T-shirt, and thick-soled boots. A half-filled school bag was slung over his left shoulder, and she noticed a dream weaver charm attached to a suede cord around his neck. His black hair was cropped short at the back and longer in the front, and stray strands partially obscured his sapphire-blue eyes.

  Aspen caught his gaze as he walked down the aisle. Suddenly his face lit up, and he smiled at her as if he'd just seen his best friend for the first time in years.

  She dropped her gaze instantly and sta
red at her desktop, feeling her cheeks flame with embarrassment. After hearing the scrape of his bag on the floor, a clean, soapy smell enveloped her, and she leaned back to breathe it in.

  Something sharp, possibly a pen, jabbed her in the arm, and she stiffened and tilted her head sideways.

  "Do you have a spare notepad?" a deep voice whispered close to her ear.

  "Huh? Sure, hang on." Reaching into her bag, she whipped out a few sheets of paper and handed them to him over her shoulder. Her hand lingered as he took the papers, and their fingers touched accidentally.

  Suddenly, a delicious heat filled her palms and zinged through every cell in her body. It spiraled over her shoulders and tingled down her spine.

  "Oh!" she exclaimed. A blue flame licked over her skin in that instant, and she turned around to face him with wide eyes.

  "Are you all right?" The new boy looked at her with concern. "What just happened?"

  "I'm sorry, it's nothing. Just, um, static electricity, I guess," she stammered.

  He studied her face for a moment with sharp blue eyes. "Don't worry. It's probably the shoes you're wearing. The soles generate friction when you walk. You should get thicker soles like mine." Without warning, he lifted his boot for her inspection. "I used to shock people all the time until I got them."

  She stared at his long leg as he brought his foot back down to the floor, before dragging her gaze back to his face. "I'll remember that the next time I'm shopping."

  "My name is Dylan, by the way." He smiled, displaying pearly-white teeth.

  "Aspen." Her face burned again, and she looked away abruptly.

  "Class," Mr. Wright announced, "open your books to page thirty-nine and we'll start." He stood in front of the chalkboard and waved a textbook in the air. "Dylan, please share with the girl in front of you for now. I'll arrange a book for you tomorrow."

  Her heart pounded-he was going to sit right next to her. With a discreet sniff in the direction of her armpit to make sure she smelled fresh, she angled her thick ponytail over her right shoulder.

  Dylan's chair legs scraped loudly on the floor as he dragged his desk next to hers, then dropped into his seat. His shoulders were broad and she was too scared to touch him. What happened if she felt the same burst of heat again? It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. He looked at her expectantly, so she pushed her textbook over the edge of her desktop so it overlapped his, then pointed out the place on the page.

  He kept his distance and after a while, she relaxed in the chair and tried to concentrate on the lesson. The classroom was hot and stuffy. Tiny beads of sweat dotted the back of her neck, but the new boy seemed completely unaffected by the heat.

  Thirty minutes later the bell rang, and she closed the book and shoved it into her bag. Rather than move his desk back, he stared at her meaningfully, as though she should recognize him.

  "Um, do I know you?" Her voice croaked and she cleared her throat self-consciously.

  A weighty look followed by a short sigh was all that she got.

  "I've got calculus next," he said instead, and stood up to drag his desk back into place, then held out a schedule to her. "Do you know where I'm supposed to go?"

  Carefully, she took the paper from him and studied it.

  Students milled noisily around them as they filed out of the class, and someone bumped her from behind.

  "Watch out!" Dylan scowled at the offending boy.

  She steadied herself and then continued to look at the piece of paper. "Mmm, looks like you're in all my classes. You can walk with me. I'll show you where to go."

  As he retrieved his schedule, she looked up and her stomach did a tiny somersault at the megawatt smile lighting his face.

  "Lead the way." His outstretched hand urged her forward.

  The new boy towered over her tiny five-foot-two-inch frame and he followed her to Mr. Preston's calculus class in a comfortable silence.

  "Ah, a new student," Mr. Preston commented as they entered his class.

  "Yes sir." Dylan straightened his shoulders. "If you don't mind, sir, could I sit with my friend and share her book until I have my own textbooks?"

  Mr. Preston regarded him for a second before he nodded his blond head and pushed tiny glass frames up onto his nose. "I don't see why not."

  Dylan smiled broadly. "Thank you, sir."

  Once again, he dragged the desk from behind her until it sat right next to hers. He dropped his bag under his desk and slid into his chair, leaning so close that he almost touched her. The clean fragrance that she'd smelled earlier enveloped her again.

  Blood pounded in Aspen's veins and her heart began to race. What was wrong with her? He made her feel light-headed. Even though she battled with static electricity and would shock anyone close to her, she'd never felt this way before. It was best not to touch him. She balled her hands into fists to avoid contact and shook her head, wondering how to keep away from him.

  "Is something wrong?" Dylan asked, interrupting her thoughts.

  She looked up into his eyes and her stomach flip-flopped again. "With what?" she asked.

  "Your hands are clenched like you want to hit someone. Have I done something wrong?"

  "No, it's not that. I'm just not a huge fan of calculus," she lied.

  "Don't worry. I'm not crazy about it either."

  He winked at her and she thought that her heart would explode at any minute.

  After they'd shared two more classes, she was relieved when the lunch bell rang. Her nerves were strained. Each time his jeans scraped against her leg, she jerked, and every time his hand turned the page for her, she stiffened. She needed the break.

  "Do you mind if I follow you to the cafeteria?" he asked as the last ring of the bell faded away.

  Aspen packed her books into her bag. "Sure, but I've brought lunch, so I'll just show you where it is."

  She rose from the desk and then sat back down when she saw Miriam. Her stepsister was headed straight for her, and it was pointless to try to avoid her.

  Miriam turned to Dylan's side of the desk at the last minute. "Well, hello and welcome," her sister purred. She sat down on his desktop, subtly blocking him in his chair with her legs.

  "Why haven't you introduced us yet, sis?" Even though she spoke to Aspen, she kept her focus on him. Cherry lip gloss gleamed on her mouth, and she tapped coquettishly on the laminate flooring with one high heel.

  Dylan looked up at her and grinned. He relaxed back in the seat and spread his arm over the back of Aspen's chair, which caused her heart to thump all over again.

  Miriam glanced impatiently at her when she remained silent.

  "Dylan, Miriam. Miriam, Dylan," she said flatly.

  "So nice to meet you. I'm Aspen's sister." Miriam beamed.

  "Stepsister," Aspen corrected.

  With a glare, Miriam turned back to the new boy again. "I'm sure you must be tired of my sister's boring conversation. You seem like someone used to excitement, and you're definitely with the wrong person for that." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Let me take you to the cafeteria and introduce you to some real people. You know, the popular ones."

  Aspen's mouth fell open. "There's nothing wrong with my conversation, Miriam." She felt her cheeks heat up. "Besides, he's coming with me." With that, she reached up and grabbed the hand that dangled over the back of her seat. An instant wave of warmth coursed through her body as she touched him, and her limbs tingled deliciously. "He asked me to take him to the cafeteria already."

  Dylan tilted his head and studied Aspen's grip on his hand, then a slow smile traveled across his face.

  Miriam ignored her stepsister and stared at Dylan, waiting for an answer.

  Dylan nodded. "Your sister's right. I did ask her." The satisfied look on his face made Aspen suspect that he'd had girls fighting over him before, and she cursed her eagerness.

  Her stepsister's lips thinned. "I guess I'll see you there next break." Sliding her leg over the desktop, Miriam sauntered a
way with a calculated swing of her hips.

  As soon as Miriam was out of earshot, Dylan asked quietly, "Are you fighting with your sister, or do you two usually speak to each other like that?"

  "It's my stepsister," she repeated. "And no, I'm not fighting with her."

  Dropping his hand, she jumped up. Once she was standing, she snatched her backpack and walked out of the classroom. Dylan called out her name, and she stopped as his fingers circled her wrist and tugged her back around. When the tingling returned, her legs almost collapsed beneath her and she grasped his other arm for support.

  "Hey, it's all good. I did ask you to take me to the cafeteria anyway. Don't be so upset." Dylan released her and stepped back, and at once her body stilled.

  "Let me carry that for you." He lifted the backpack from her shoulder.

  After staring at him, she took a deep breath. "The cafeteria is up ahead. I think we should go before it gets too packed."

  They followed the exodus of students and headed toward the cafeteria. Dylan didn't speak and trailed her into the already crowded room.

  Aromas of cooked vegetables and grilled meat wafted in the air, and the din of conversation was almost overwhelming.

  "I'll grab a table for us," she said once they'd entered the cafeteria. "Get some lunch from the counter. My mom packed something for me already, so I don't need anything."

  She pounced on an empty table and Dylan pulled out a chair for her. Placing their bags on a vacant chair, he turned to face her.

  "I'll be back in a minute," he promised and then disappeared around a long line of kids.

  She watched him glide effortlessly through the packed hall and saw the way that girls stared at him as he passed. He truly was handsome; his white T-shirt showed off tight biceps, and the brown leather strap on his wrist looked good against his dark tan. A small sigh escaped her lips and she wondered how she'd been so lucky to befriend him. The tingling that she felt each time he touched her was weird, though. Awesome, but weird.

  After a while he returned and placed an apple and juice in front of her.

  "Thank you." She smiled.

  "You're welcome." The plastic chair moved slightly as he sat and peeled cellophane from a huge muffin. He wolfed it down in seconds.

  Aspen swallowed a mouthful of her lunch and nearly choked as Justin walked toward them, Miriam in tow behind him. He had blond hair that was fashionably tousled, and his clothes were expensive. Many of the girls at school found him attractive, but Aspen didn't. His eyes were too deeply set and his nose too thin for her liking.

  Once he'd stopped at their table, Justin ignored her completely, focusing his attention on Dylan. "So you're the new guy."

  Dylan nodded without getting up from his seat. He crumpled the muffin's wrapper into a ball and let it roll onto the table.

  Justin had his usual posse with him. Amber, Miriam's best friend, sucked in her stomach and batted her eyelashes at Dylan, which made Aspen roll her eyes. Doug and Kyle, two of Justin's best friends and fellow football players, stood like bodyguards at his side.

  Justin raised his knee and placed his foot on the chair next to Aspen. He bent down and leaned his elbow on his knee, speaking directly to Dylan. "Miriam says you want to hang out with us. Do you play ball?"

  Dylan swung his gaze to her stepsister, and Aspen noticed that her cheeks reddened. "I'm trying out for the new season, if that's what you're asking," he answered evenly.

  "What position?" Justin asked casually.

  "Center."

  Justin smirked. "Perfect. I'll send the girls to get you next break." Standing up, he headed for the exit with his entourage following him.

  Aspen's face must have shown her disappointment, because Dylan reached over to touch her arm. She shuddered silently. Heat tingled down her spine and wrapped around her muscles as he traced a pattern on her skin.

  "Don't worry about them," he whispered softly in her ear. "I'm with you now."

  By the time Aspen got home and climbed into bed later that night, she was exhausted. Thoughts of Dylan consumed her, and she tossed and turned for a long while before finally falling into a restless sleep.