“What the hell is that thing?” Ethan moaned as they all, yes the dogs too, walked outside to the beat up old truck that was wasting space.
“It’s my truck!” Aspen said with giggles. “It’s a 98 chevy pickup truck. Dents all original.”
“Please, don’t tell me that’s what you’re going to drive me to Denver in.”
She put one hand on her hit and gave him that look that he knew all too well. It was the ‘Shut up Ethan you idiot’ look. He has been given that look before. Usually he got a slap after the look. “Are you embarrassed of this?”
“I have never been in anything like that. It’s so ugly,” he groaned.
The three dogs started to jump in the bed. Aspen gave them all a treat, and petted them telling them how good they were.
“You can always walk to Denver,” she said, shrugging her shoulders, hiding her little smile. “Take the bus back home.”
Ethan moaned. He got on the passenger side of the truck. “You think this pretty face would last?” he asked as he jumped into the seat, which had rips and tires. It was so high up. But Aspen made it look easy as she slammed her door, and pulled the seat almost all the way to the steering wheel.
“You’ll live,” she mumbled. “Besides, this truck has been to every corner of this country, and Canada and Mexico. I think we can get you to Denver in one piece. Travis did good to this truck.”
He looked back. “Will the dogs be okay?”
“They love it,” she said, as she started up the engine. She didn’t even have a key. She just started the excision, backed up, and started to drive up the hill to the main road. They saw Joy walking out of her house, and they gave a wave.
Pearl Street wasn’t that far, just a ten minute drive. Aspen told him it was a twenty minute walk. She usually walked to the tea shop nearly every day, and was usually allowed to bring all three dogs with her because the owner thought they were all ‘groovy’, according to Aspen. She explained on her days off, she usually trained dogs. Albert, Darwin, and Stinky were doing really well in the back. They had their fur blow in the wind, licking the air, and tasting Boulder.
He kept checking up on them, afraid that one may try and jump out of the back and hurt themselves. But each furry creature had their tongues sticking out, trying to taste the wind. Ethan had felt jealous of the dogs in a way.
“Sometimes, I wish I could be a dog,” Ethan said to Aspen. He don’t know why he had said that. It just came out.
Her lips went from one ear to the other, smiling so large. “Really?”
He gave a nervous laugh. He started to shake his head, hoping he was not misunderstood. “I mean, not that weird kinky stuff. Like, I want to be a real furry dog, that doesn’t care what’s going on. I just want belly rubs and treats.”
“Do you want a bully rub?” Aspen asked through her laughter. She was teasing him.
He gave a slight smile. He felt silly for telling her that. His cheeks were starting to turn red. Trying to change the subject, he asked, “Well, what would you be, if you were an animal?” He didn’t know why they were talking about this. It felt like something little kids would ask each other.
But she didn’t seem to mind. She thought about it for a moment. “I want to be a peacock.”
“A peacock? Those annoying birds?” Ethan asked, crossing his arms.
“Do you have peacocks?” she asked.
“No, but I had an aunt growing up that did. I never liked it. Why the hell would you want to be one of those birds?”
Aspen stopped at a stoplight. She checked the back and all three dogs were happy as they could be. “I just think they look so pretty, you know? With all those colors, you know.”
“So, I’ll be a furry mutt and you would be a rich person’s chicken.”
Aspen gave a laugh as the red light turned green. She was laughing so hard that tears where coming down her cheek. Her laughs started to make Ethan laughed. They were laughing and laughing. He loved the feeling in his ribs, how they were starting to get sore from all the laughing. Tears started to come to his face when he couldn’t stop. Laughing was so easy with her. He hadn’t stopped smiling since they had met. She was just one of those people that gave really positive energy, hungry to come back for more.
She stepped on the peddle and drove. The traffic wasn’t that bad. She parked next to the sidewalk and told him, “We’re here.”
Ethan looked around. “This isn’t a mall.”
“We are on the street. It just up the sidewalk.”
“We’re going to walk?” he asked, matching the same tone of a preschooler.
Aspen narrowed her eyes. “Hey, remember when I said I would talk less if you complain less?”
“You say interesting things unlike most people,” Ethan said. “But you haven’t held up your end of the deal.”
She started to get out. “Well, neither have you.” She slammed the door, and went around. The dogs stayed in the truck, not even trying to get out. Aspen told them how good of dogs they were. She put coins in the street marker. “We have an hour and a half. That’s enough time for pizza.”
“We have to walk?” he asked as he got out. Aspen put a hand on her hip.
“Come on,” she called for the dogs. They all jumped out of the back, and went up right to Aspen. She put leashes oh all three of them, and they started walking. Ethan could tell that this was not the first time they had gone walking.
Ethan looked up and down the sidewalk, and followed behind her. Once they actually got to the main part of Pearl Street Outdoor Mall, Ethan could see why someone like Aspen would love it.
There were cafes, Indian food, tea shops, art galleries, and arties over price clothes stores, book stores. It all for her. It was screaming Aspen.
He had never seen so many hobo but trendy looking people. He felt so plain compare to all of them. They were all interesting to look at.
He didn’t think he would be friends would any of them, but he could people watch. He never saw so many people with dreadlocks.
Ethan and Aspen walked side by side, talking and laughing. People were trying to pet the dogs, but the dogs paid no attention. There was a crowd by the court house. Someone was jugging bowling pins. Ethan and Aspen stood and watch along with the crowd.
“I thought you said they were jugging fire.”
She shrugged. “Still better than what I can do.”
Down the street were a lot of singers, playing on their beat up guitars, drums, and even pianos. Aspen gave a five to a girl with very pale skin, hair so blonde that even her eyebrows seemed nearly invisible, and eyes so blue that it matched the sky. She smiled at Aspen and said thank you.
She would drop a few dollars here and there on the way to the pizza place. When they finally got there, the lunch rush was over. They got in line, and of course, many of the workers knew the girl named after a tree.
“Aspen! How’s it going?”
“Aspen! How are you?”
“Aw, look at Stinky, I think he needs some pizza!”
“How are you guys?” Aspen said back. Some workers came around and gave the dogs a pet. One gave all three some pieces of pizza, which the dogs loved. Aspen ended up getting pineapple pizza and Ethan got plain cheese. She was about to pay, but the manager denied her money.
“Your money is no good here! On the house,” he said.
“Aw, thank you,” Aspen said, putting a five in the tip jar. Ethan was speechless. Once they grabbed their slice of pizza, she waved goodbye, and they walked down Pearl Street once again. They ended up finding a bench next to some bushes. They had a good view of the man jugging. He was now jugging fire, but Ethan was not that impressed. He was more impressed in how everyone had been so kind to her and even her dogs.
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