ASPEN ? Paul Lahote [1]

four

"Alright. Please call me if you need anything," Aspen emphasized while kissing both her parents cheeks and heading out the door.

☼☼☼

The sun was doing its best to shine through the gray clouds that plastered the sky. Aspen drove towards the location Embry had described to her over text and she watched the landscape blur by. About a minute into the protected land of the reservation, down a road that fades from asphalt to dirt, and around a bend that brings you towards the ocean. Tall evergreens, rich in emerald color, and distant mountains, hiding behind the chilly haze, painted the scenery on the drive to the cliffs. The radio filled the silence in the car, the soft beats to Hozier's Work Song playing through the speakers while Aspen hummed along.

The closer the girl got to her destination, the sweatier her palms grew as nervousness settled into her stomach. Aspen wasn't a particularly anxious girl, but socially, she felt a bit behind. Would his friends like her? Was she intruding on their hangout? Did Embry really want her to come or was he just being nice? The overthinking spiral of thoughts buzzed through her and she could feel the anticipation to her fingertips. Aspen had been bombarded with a lot lately in terms of socialization, something she was still getting used to. So as she shoved these thoughts deep down and took a deep calming breath, she set the intention that no matter what, she will have a fun time today.

Aspen pulled up to a clearing where she saw a few other cars, a truck and a lone man standing by the trees. A thin hooded sweatshirt and cargo shorts clad his body and his dark hair swooped above his brow. That lone man was Embry. She gathered her things and exited her mom's car, shutting the red door and began her walk towards her friend.

"And she graces us with her presence!" Embry exclaims with his arms flailing into the air. "What a glorious day it is, don't you think?" He tackled her with a rough hug as he pulled her towards the trail that would lead them to the rest of the group.

Aspen laughed, "What's got you all bright and sunny this morning? Surely it can't be the bits of actual sun shining down on Washington right now."

"I just can't wait for you to meet everyone! It's like two worlds colliding," he states enthusiastically, smashing his hands together in an imaginary explosion. "Maybe I can persuade them to let you in on all our secrets," The Call boy wiggled his fingers as he embellished his words as his animated mood continued on. Aspen just rolled her eyes and shoved him further into the forest.

As they walked, Aspen could hear the distant hoots and howls of the group in the distance. They must have already begun their adrenaline chasing for the day. The forest was filled with the chirping of birds and the sound of waves crashing against the cliff's edge from below.

"Let me run you through the whole group that's here," Embry said as he continued the conversation. "So, first we have Sam, he's the oldest of us all and sort of the leader of the group. His fiance, Emily, couldn't come by today but I know you'll really like her when you meet her. She bakes the best cookies. Then there's Jared, but be careful he's one huge flirt who might try to drag you off the side of the cliff with him."

Aspen nodded her head along, cataloging all the names she had just been given. How fun to be a part of a group like this one.

"I also didn't realize, but we are going to a higher elevation today so I feel it is my responsibility to say, no jumping for you until we move further down," Embry warned.