Blue raspberry slushy

Alice Smithson was madly in love Owen Anderson.

Her best friend Owen Anderson.

In fact, she had been in love with him since second grade. Since he came trailing into their classroom half way through the semester with baggy denim jeans and unbrushed, shoddy ginger hair. Owen had hazel irises that went unrivalled by anything she had ever seen, a puddle of melted pine dancing with a flurry of bright stars and a bundle of newfound hope. He had a soft sloping nose, her fingers itching to run down it softly and across the patchy pink that covered his plump, freckle dusted cheeks. The clothes he wore hung limply around his frame, obvious hand me downs by the already darkened marks that wrapped messily around his cream trainers.

And even then, she felt her heart blossom.

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“Please, please, pleaseeeee Alice” Shayne pleaded, constantly thrusting the bright parchment in front of her bored eyes, already hearing the same chant like some kind of overused mantra.

“I’m sorry, I have clarinet practice” Alice repeated for what seemed to be the 1000th time, still knowing it would fall on deaf ears. Shayne was her best (female) friend from 5th grade and a real troublemaker when she wanted to be, oh and she was persistent.

In fact, Alice had originally not been two keen on the bundle of energy that was Shayne. It was Owen who had befriended her first, and Alice couldn’t hide the malice in her tone that came alongside a bucket of jealousy. But after forcing them to be in the same room for more than a day, Alice noticed her romantic disinterest in Owen, or any men for that matter and they soon became the closest of friends.

“But this is the winter fair! It’s only once a year and we didn’t get to go last year, pleaseeeeeee.” she whines like a golden retriever, Alice not having to look over to know her best friend was more than likely making the worlds worst puppy dog eyes.

“Owen said he would come” Shayne slid in, already knowing that the chances of Alice going had just doubled, tripled maybe.

And Alice couldn’t stop her heart rate from rising at the sound of his name, palms slickening with unwanted sweat that made the paper being forced into her fingers, hard to resist.

“Okay fine but you owe me a blue slushie”

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Pencil drumming anxiously against the oak desk, Alice couldn’t help but stare at the hunched over head in front of her , their hand clutched harshly around a pencil as it flurried across a piece of paper. His hair ran messily in darkened marigold strands, always messily brushed and resting in uneven chunks that fell recklessly down the nape of his neck - clear white freckled skin, supple and soft.

She had stared at that same head for many years, watching as it went through different haircuts: short cut, long and waved, a frightening buzz cut, were only to name a few. and she adored it in every way - though the current style was her favourite, perfect for running fingers through (in her imagination).

“Pssst.” A soft delicate voice beckoned, the famously musical tone belonging to the source of her reckless dreams, a voice she longed for to talk about her the same way it did about Star Wars or laffy taffy.

Bundled up under his bitten nails was a small, mundane, ripped piece of paper, ink seeping through the thin parchment with unknown words.

Moments like this enlighted the butterflies in her stomach, shy fingers peeling it open to see the messy scrawl that covered it.

“Heard ur coming l8r? Blue slushie on me”

And It was enough to send a rack of butterflies fluttering against the inside of his stomach like a bad flu and a smitten smile towards him in response

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Shayne was positively bursting with excitement when Alice showed up at her house after school clutching her leather shoulder bag under her right arm and a defiant stare in her eyes.

And like she had promised, an ocean blue slushie was slotted into her fingers with a jovial giggle, the pair of them leaning earnestly against the iron railing overlooking the large frozen pond that had been refurbished into an ice rink. Small children and teenagers gliding innocently across the glass like ice, creating lines and swirls in their wake.

Alice’s eyes skimmed across the general public, searching earnestly for that bright ginger hair that stood out diligently against the cloud, white snow. Yet Shayne’s eyes seemed to focus more on one of the petite ladies. A innocent lady with frizzy caramel hair, who seemed to walk in stuttery steps across the ice, unlike the crowd who danced so elegantly across the slate.

“I’ll be right back, you’ll wait here right?” Shayne questioned with a love sick tone, hands griping her custom ice skates over her dainty feet, no struggle in tying the frivolous laces or the resistant clips that were usually Alice’s worst nightmare.

“Yeah yeah, go on you player” Alice agreed with a wide grin and subtle roll of her eyes, knowing fine well the cycle that was about to happen as her friend skated off towards the struggling girl.

She couldn’t help but envy her friends courage in life, sometimes wishing she could take her advice and simply confess like she had been told. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? Many years down the drain?

Eyelids flitting closed, soft exhales leaving her lips in thought. How long was she going to let her heart hurt over this one boy? This beautifully pale, snow like boy who plagued her thoughts more often than not.

“If you had told me you already bought one, I wouldn’t have wasted my poor pennies on this!” a charming voice tickled her ears, a flush dressing her cheeks as she pealed her eyes open to see a man who blended in against the snow.

“Shayne bought me it, a present for skipping clarinet practice” she explained with an apologetic grin, eyes flitting across the large slushie cup held tightly in the mans grasp, her favourite blue raspberry glimmering in his grasp - somehow more enticing then the melting variety in her petite hands.

“You and that clarinet” he shook his head teasingly, an amused expression decorating his face as he took a curious sip of the curling black straw, immediately grimacing at the overly sweetened taste.

“I don’t know how you like this, cherry is the ultimate flavour” Owen shook his head, the pretty curls on his head bobbing slightly in the breeze.

“Your just bitter hearted, that’s why you like cherry” she argued with shivering lips, taking a hesitant sip out of her own blue cup, annoyed when nothing slipped up the straw but air - deeming it empty.

“Does that make you sweet hearted? Can I call you sweetheart?” Owen asked with a tilted smile, a questionable look in his eyes that seemed to follow Owen like his charming attitude.

‘Sweetheart’ seemed to gel her throat closed, the soft word of endearment leaving her feeling eerily warm in the freezing temperament.

He must have caught the look of contemplation on her face, the way her eyebrows dipped and arched in deep thought, lips absentmindedly pulling downwards into a slight frown.

“Do you want this slushie or not?” He questioned again with a tilted look, careful hand jiggling the cup in temptation, as if she was a dog being beckoned for a treat.

“since you bought it for me” Alice offered him an appreciative smile, eyes basking in his figure as he took a few crunchy steps towards her, oversized boots leaving overwhelmingly large gaps in the crisp slate of ivory.

“Are you using me for my money now? After all these years..” mock shock filled his voice, shivering lips now tinted an unfaithful raspberry blue, almost the same blue as her freezing parted lips.

“You know I like you for more than your money” Alice offered consolation, watching as the other took a last step into her warm breath, close enough so she could see each individual eyelash as the wind curls it, thick cheeks becoming scarlet off the beating cold, disguising each of her favourite freckles.

“Good enough for me” he murmured in agreement, forcing the large cup into her parted hands, the sudden coldness grasping each of her fingers in pure shock, future-self now wishing she had Atleast went home and picked up a pair of woollen gloves.

Pupils running down the tip of the straw, hesitance filled Alice like the belittling cold had, knowing fine well where the straw had been. It was childish really but it was the closest she would get to the others parted lips. Carefully leaning forward to wrap her own lips around the straw, lighting up with the rich sugary taste that lit up her senses, she couldn’t help but lapse into relaxation as the flavour danced across her taste buds.

“So...?”

For a moment she had forgotten the other was waiting for her response, shock instilling her as a soft cough disrupted her breathing and the ecstatic flavour lodged itself in her throat. Soft huffs left her windpipe, mocking her in embarrassment as she continued to make a fool of herself.

shifty eyes raised from the drink in her hands to the man who caused her throat to shudder in cold, slight embarrassment flaring her cheeks in dusty colour. She could barely meet his eyes that were full of wonder, a glistening edge of admiration dancing along his pupils, an unknown emotion swirling among the chocolate of his eyes.

“Uh it’s good-“ Alice chirped, her neon blue lips parting to say something either ridiculously stupid or embarrassing, as she seemed to always do.

Yet she didn’t have the chance to as watered down raspberry brushed across her lips, hands tightening around her cup in realisation. If her drink was in her hand, then how was she tasting her favourite flavour so softly against her lips?

Leaning towards the somewhat addictive taste, she slightly startled at the warm filled hands that splayed loosely on her shoulder, that same hand she could recognise by a blindfolded touch.

The hand that lit a bonfire within her heart, the freezing she hated the entire evening seeming to melt under that one longing touch, thawing the cold that resided around her heart.

Softly the hand drifted away from her shoulder, still leaving that bright warmth in its wake. Lips also slowly removing from her own, despite how much she leaned forward, chasing after them.

“Maybe your right, blue raspberry tastes better on you” that charming voice danced in her ears, eyes catching on the dark, dusty red that hung on his cheeks prominently and the slight huffs that left his lips.

The wonder that once danced in his eyes was replaced with a littering fear, swirling with a mist of worry and shyness. And she couldn’t believe it. After all the years she had longed for the man in front of her and here he was, sheepishly looking for reassurance after HE kissed HER.

Trying to settle the soft shaking in her heart, she nonchalantly leant against that freezing railing, eyes scanning swirls on the ice as if looking for a heart engraving that would prove she was in a cheesy dream. But all she could see was the cheerful students that flung themselves across the ice, including her best friend who was laughing loudly with that same petite woman.

and she knew she was awake.

Feeling Owen shift next to her, placing himself against the bar, she couldn’t help the cheeky glance out the corner of her eye. Watching as his eyes scanned the ice rink hectically, soft exhales leaving his lips, warm breathes marking the air with his presence. And She couldn’t help but nudge his woollen covered fingers with her own frozen fingers, slipping them shyly within his warm grasp.

Surprise danced across his expression, eyes widening slighting and lips parting. Tilting his head in her direction, she couldn’t help but snap her focus back on the ice, embarrassed that the other had caught her adoring stare.

They stood there for a few moments, taking in the soft skid noises that filled her ears and the warmth that seemed to seep from her fingertips to the entirety of her body, an occasional sip of blue raspberry trying to chase away the adamant warmth, as the exchanged reassuring squeezes.

Often she would let the other lean in and take a soft peck of diluted raspberry, one time in the eyesight of Shayne who gave her a silent cheer and excited thumbs up before she turned her attention back to her new lover who without her help, had fell flat on her back.

“Do you want to skate?” He asked softly, releasing her hand to tilt his body in her direction, a smile that could light up the world tingling on his frost bitten lips.

“You go ahead, I need to finish this” Alice offered, watching as he threw her a polite nod and went to the counter to rent two pairs of cheap ice skates, a wide grin resting on his lips that thawed her heart of any last fear.

And she had a blue slushie to thank for that.