Author's Note: Hi! This is my first fan fiction - I hope you like it! I would love to hear your feedback and I will try to post more chapters regularly!

I always knew I was destined for something more than life here in Carolina - not in an elitist way, but in the same way that people who know they are great at something just inherently know that they have talent. Until I was 15 I thought that my destiny was to be a great composer. I didn't have my sights set quite as high as my brother Kota, who was trying to buy his way up from a 5 to a 2, but I at least hoped to be able to move my family away from Carolina and closer to the capital. I worked hard - learning every instrument I could and practicing my singing and composing, but everything changed the summer I turned 15.

Kota couldn't get out of our cramped house fast enough; he said that my singing drove him crazy (I think he was just jealous that he couldn't carry a tune.) Part of me didn't blame him; as the third of five siblings it did get crowded sometimes, but now that Kenna - the oldest - had moved out I had a room to myself! Once Kota sold that hideous bronze sculpture I knew he was gone. Less than a month later and here I was, stuck helping him move into his own apartment.

"Be careful America! That is the best clay that money can buy!" Kota screeched at me - and not for the first time that summer day. It seemed everything I touched was 'the best money can buy'. After 3 hours helping Kota move I was beginning to wonder why I had volunteered to help him.

"Be careful America - that broom is the best money can buy" Aspen whispered to me.

I giggled. "You better not hear Kota teasing you like that - he'll 'forget' that he's supposed to pay you for today" I warned. Aspen and Kota were friends (for reasons I still didn't understand), but Aspen desperately needed the money he would make helping Kota move. With six siblings and a mother to help support Aspen took any job someone would give a Six. We employed him or his mother whenever we could, but we had had some pretty rough times in the past few years.

"I think teasing Kota behind his back is the only way we are going to survive this America - he's become a completely different person since he sold that sculpture."

"I know - you should hear him around this house - my apartment this and my apartment that - it's insufferable!"

"You know what the cure for insufferable brothers is don't you?" Aspen asked slyly.

"Throwing 'the best clay money can buy' right out the window?"

"Ice cream! You and me - as soon as this torture is over"

"Um, sure - that would be great!"

This couldn't be happening. Did Aspen just ask me out?