Of All

Tension Rising

I hear Ash on the phone ordering some food so I ask the boys if they want anything to drink. After getting Danny a Gatorade. Ash walks back out saying it’ll be here within the hour. I let them know I’m gonna run upstairs to my room and settle in for a minute before coming back down. I grab Hunter and my bag and run upstairs. I created a little bed for him on my computer chair and I change into some sweats and my crocs. I go to my door but Hunter starts crying again so I grab the doll and try to figure out what it the issue is. After getting it to settle by rocking it I get a text from Ben asking if he can come by now for a bit. I let him know that should be fine and that if this doll keeps crying he’s taking it home with him.. I head back downstairs and the guys have taken over the video games. Screaming at the tv and each other. I just laugh looking around for Sage not seeing her so I go back upstairs to her room and knock on her door. “Who is it.” I hear her say. “It’s me.” I say to her as I open the door and go to plop onto her bed. “How was your first day of school sis?” I ask her, she is sitting at her desk on her computer. “Hey Asp it was a good day but the only thing that sucks is my English teacher gave us a reading assignment.. So I’m doing that now to get it out of my way and I can start painting my walls.” She says typing away on her keyboard. “Your telling me.. I have a summer book report to do along with having a baby from Health.. Not to mention it’s half my grade for first and second semester and we were all assigned partners. I got this guy named Ben. He’s really nice but he is too flirty for me. I can’t flirt for the life of me.. I’m trying though.” I tell her while laughing. “Is he hot at least?” I don’t say anything and she giggled. “Um wait a second so that’s a real lesson? I thought they only did that in movies?” She turns around and gives me a wide eye look. I instantly start laughing then she joins me and before we know it we are both laughing. “Girl I wish! It’s a little too real if you ask me! Anyways I will leave you to finish up. Besides Ben should be here any minute and he wants to start working on our project.” I get up and go to give her a kiss on the head before heading out her room. “Let me know when food is here please!” She yells to me and I nod my head at her closing the door. I head back downstairs and our door bell rings just as I make my way to sit on the couch. I decided next to Matty. He smiles to me as I sit and he put his arm behind me on the couch. I feel myself blush a bit.. I’m pulled out of my trance when I hear Asher let’s us all know he will get the door. Few minutes later we see him walk back in the living room with Ben and man if looks could kill I think Matty and Ben would both be disintegrated just by the moment they happened to share eye contact.. It didn’t seem like they had problems with each other earlier in the cafeteria I thought to myself..

BENJAMIN’S POV

I left school and headed home to take care of grandma before heading over to Aspen’s house to work on our project. My grandma has lung cancer. She’s in the final stage of it now so it’s only a matter of time before she passes on.. With my parents being workaholics they are never home.. I mean who cares because I’m never alone. There’s plenty of help around the house. From chef’s to gardener’s to the nurses for my grandma or even the maid to do our laundry.. You name it and they’ve hired it. Some days I wish I had siblings to come home to but that’s why I keep myself so busy with sports.. After I give grandma her pills and chat with her for a bit I decide to text Aspen and she lets me know it’s okay to come over. I have Bruce my parents personal driver drop me off and tell him that I will call him when to pick me up. He tells me to be safe and to have fun as we pull up to her house. I get out and thank him. Bruce has been more like a father figure to me then my own father. Him and his wife Nancy have been taking me everywhere with their family since I was a little kid. Summer vacations have never been boring and they are probably the closet thing I have to family aside from my grandma. I walk over to her front door and ring the bell. As I wait I look around at the front porch and this house is nice. Needs some touching up but it’s in a great neighborhood. I love real estate. I have all my grandparents properties in my name but no one knows that yet.. Grandma had me sit down with her and her executor few years back when she knew her abilities were getting weaker and needed to finish her will. Imagine being a thirteen year old kid gaining all their grandparents hard earned properties and savings were yours when they pass.. It’s very overwhelming and a sh.it load of responsibility.. I could careless for it I rather keep my grandma forever. It was hard enough losing pops. Asher opens the door and I quickly gather myself. “Hey bro what’s up?” He asks me. “Not much, Aspen and I are working on our baby project for a bit today. Can you let her know I’m here?” I ask him and he nods his head so I follow him inside and we walk past the kitchen into their living room. I instantly see Danny is here with Matty.. I see his arm behind her before meeting his glare. Looks like I’ve got some competition for this leading lady although Matty is hardly on my level.

ASPEN’S POV

“Hey, wow don’t you look stunning in comfy clothes.” He says to me with a smirk and I hear Matty scoff. I just slightly smile. “Oh these old things? Psh.. but I’m not going to lie I do feel bad you two are still in your school uniforms. You must be so uncomfortable. Ash shouldn’t have forced y’all to come over and help with our terrace especially the first day.” I say and Danny agrees with me before I jump up off the couch startling everyone and Matty looked concern. “Oh sh.it! I’ve got Hunter up in my room and actually come to think of it I haven’t been able to hear it make any noise.. CRAP! I hope it was sleeping we can’t fail!” I lightly start to panic at first then realize I spat all that out not even noticing how silly I must sound over a doll.. Can you blame me? It is half our grade though.. “Don’t worry they won’t go off all day but certain times they may go off longer. Just depends. It’s not amusing in the slightest.” Matty says warmly smiling at me and I smile back. “Alright guys see you soon we will be in my room working on our project!” I say as I walk towards Ben and grab his hand dragging him behind me but not before we can hear Asher yelling for me to keep my door open at all times.. What am I five? “Yes father!” I yell back to him as we are walking up the stairs and Ben laughs. We walk down the hall to my room and I quickly put my back against my door looking at him cautiously. He co.cks his head at me and I try not to laugh. “This is serious Ben.. Also because it’s my personal zone and your my first visitor aside my family so be kind. I still haven’t unpacked and didn’t realize I’d be starting a school project today..” I give dry chuckle. He steps towards me and puts a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. Wow he is so bold.. Fight fire with fire right? I’m going to burn either way. “First boy in your room?” He said smirking at me. I decided to lie.. Besides how would he ever know if it’s the truth anyways? “At this house you are.” I say looking in his eyes before turning around. My back to his chest for half a second as I open the door and walk into my room. I leave the door open to make Asher happy of course. Ben is walking around my room looking at some pictures from when my siblings and I lived in Montana. He avoids the tower of boxes all over the place and moves over to my bed where he sits. That’s new for me but I’m going to breathe because I don’t want to give him the wrong idea. I want to have a normal year. Sure boys are involved in that fantasy but I want to settle in first. So much change has happened and my first day isn’t even over yet technically. I go over to my bag and pull out a packet then a separate notebook I haven’t used yet to start writing things down. I go and sit on the opposite side of my bed laying out the paperwork all in the middle of us so it’s not awkward and we begin the first few pages.

ASHER’S POV

After warning Asp to keep her door open she mocks me by calling me father.. As if looking out for her isn’t enough. We don’t even know that kid he could try to put a move on her. He.ll I don’t even know Danny and so far he’s becoming a good friend but still wouldn’t trust him alone with Asp. My sisters and mom are the delicate flowers in my life. If something or someone hurts them it’s all over. “I can’t tell if I should trust that guy.. I wouldn’t say we are best buds yet but we are friendly and now that he’s my sisters partner for this project he is going to be here probably everyday and I can’t stand that if I’m being honest.” I say to the guys and they agree just as the doorbell starts ringing again but this time it definitely has to be the food. I walk over, grab the stuff and tip the delivery boy before heading back into the kitchen. “Foods here y’all!” I yell loud enough for everyone to hear and after a few mins of us all starting to get food on our plates I notice it’s us three guys and Sage.. Aspen and Ben are still upstairs. “Funny how Sage can hear me say food is here but the other two ignore it.. I’m gonna go tell them again food is here.” I say to the guys and Sage as their starting to sit at our table. “You sit and eat bro I can go get them.” Danny says standing and pats my back on the way out of the room.

DANIEL’S POV

I could tell instantly from Matt’s behavior that he liked Aspen. When Ash went to go grab the food I quickly asked him and his expression told me all I needed to know. “Don’t worry bro I’m not going to spoil anything but you should take it easy.. You are showing too much that you like her and we are all catching on. It’s only day one and personally I don’t need you ruining my friendships with either her or Asher because you want to get in her pants.” I say dryly and put the game controller down to face him. “She’s not Erica, Danny.. Yeah I made a mistake with dating her and falling for her but this girl she is like no one I’ve ever met and actually has morals. I don’t know what’s wrong with me but I feel like it’s love at first sight. I can’t get her out of my head. And you already know I can’t stand Ben. Especially after how cocky he was at football trainings this past summer trying to get into Sev’s graces. f***k that kid he can stay JV.” He says to me with his hand rubbing his forehead and we hear Ash say foods here. “Alright just don’t do anything you’ll regret. I got your back always. Plus I feel like Ash won’t approve of that kid anyways so your in the clear for now.” We laugh while walking into the kitchen and grabbing some food. Asher starts rambling on so I put my plate down and I tell him I’ll go get them.