"Oh my gosh, this is sooo good!"

"I can tell you like it - it's all over your face!"

Aspen shoved a napkin at me as we walked while eating our ice cream and I wiped the sticky mess off my face. I couldn't remember the last time I had had ice cream - it must've been a couple of years ago when I had sung at a summer birthday party and they had ordered too much ice cream. I didn't often get special food as a Five, but every once in a while we would scrape together what extra money we could and Mom would make something special.

Kota hadn't "forgotten" to pay Aspen for his work today, and after I had spent 7 exhausting hours helping him move he had given me a few coins as well. It was almost dinner time when we had finished and Mr. Fries had been feeling nice at the end of the day - so he had been generous with his scoops. The unfortunate result of his generosity and the hot Carolina evening, was that my face had become covered in chocolate ice cream as we walked home - not exactly how I had wanted to look on my first date with Aspen, but - was this even a date? I had never dated before and I had no idea what to expect.

Illéan laws were very strict about marriage and sex and so it was just easier not to date. I had a few friends and some of them talked about kissing boys, but I hadn't found anyone worth kissing. Until now. But, did Aspen even see me that way? I had just been Kota's sister to him for so long, could he ever see me as something more?

"...and now I doubt I'll hardly see him. What about you, America?"

"Ummm….sorry, what?" Startled, I realized I had been day dreaming while Aspen had been talking. He sure was nice to look at - with that sandy blond hair and those deep green eyes, I could look at him forever.

"You get ice cream in your ears? I was asking if you thought Kota would come and visit you now that he's moved out. I doubt I'll see him much, probably doesn't want to be associated with us Sixes anymore - don't want to ruin his reputation..." Aspen's tone turned bitter as he trailed off.

"Hey - Kota turned his back on the whole family when he kept all that money for himself. I'm not going to miss him and you shouldn't either. Kota has only cared about himself his whole life and -" and then suddenly, Aspen was kissing me. All thoughts of ice cream and Kota were forgotten as Aspen pulled me closer to him. I found myself returning his kiss - my hands on his arms, in his hair. I guess he could see me as something more after all.