4 Growing Pains

Ash felt the dull pain in her back all throughout breakfast. She felt it shifting through her organs as she laughed with her friends. She felt it spread from her back to her legs as she walked to class and felt it in her arms as she shifted the weight of her book bag from one shoulder to another.

"Ash, you don't look well. What's wrong?"

Isabelle looked at her friend with concern.

Ash smiled widely, but even the effort of smiling made her face muscles ache.

"Don't worry about me, Mom. I think I might just be catching a winter cold or something. I always feel a full body pain before I get the flu."

"Don't mock the Comtesse, Ashy. She may just well adopt you. She has connections, she can totally do it." Celia joked.

Izzy looked pointedly at Celia before turning to look at Ash.

"I would love for Boots to be part of my family, but she's turning 18 soon and I can't adopt an adult."

"---You actually can adopt an adult if said adult has a diminished capacity or disability. Among other reasons, of course."

The three girls turned around to see who had interrupted their conversation. The young man leaned against the wall just a few feet away from the girls. Apparently he had been walking around the corner when he decided to drop in on their conversation.

He had dark blonde hair that he pushed back from his face and Viking blue eyes. His long brown trench coat had a light smattering of snow.

Celia and Ash were in the same class. The boy was in the same class with Isabelle.

"I know about adult adoption, Hunter. What I meant to say was that since I'm the one who's a minor, I can't adopt an adult." Isabelle retorted, annoyed. "If you're going to lurk and drop in on other people's conversations, maybe get some background first before you embarrass yourself."

Isabelle crossed her arms across her chest in triumph, proud of her excellent response.

And then Celia, without thinking, chimed in.

"Yeah, man. Ash IS retarded!" She shouted at the young man.

Ash and Izzy looked incredulously at Celia.

Celia only caught herself after she'd already blurted out what she had said. She had meant to say "isn't" but had slurred her words.

"I mean, she is NOT retarded!"

Celia had shouted her first statement with such force that it sounded like she meant what she actually said. The subsequent take-back was unconvincing and only seemed to punctuate the mistake. The young man laughed out loud at the insult to Ash's intelligence.

"Of course she's not retarded. I wasn't implying that at all, Celia." The young man replied, a wide smile on his face.

Ash's own face was burning with embarrassment. Izzy grabbed Ash's hand protectively. Celia, on the other hand, had shut her eyes, cringing in second-hand embarrassment for her friend.

"I'll see you later, ladies. And for the record, Boots, I don't think you're retarded at all." The young man waved goodbye and walked past them still smiling.

"Thanks, Hunter," Ash mumbled under her breath, low enough so that he couldn't hear. Her ears were burning. She felt a small pain go through her chest, an acute pain that was different from the one in her bones and muscles.

"Ash, I'm so sorry! I was just trying to make you look good in front of Hunter! I didn't mean it like that! I meant to say that you were smart!" Celia pleaded, rubbing Ash's shoulder.

Izzy tugged at Ash's hand and started walking toward the classrooms. Celia followed along, tugging at her earlobe in frustration. She pinched her earlobe just enough for it to hurt a little. It was Celia's own way of punishing herself: her best friend was in love with Hunter Guzman, and she had just called her "retarded" in front of him.