"Are you afraid of me?" I asked.

"Yes"

"Why?" I asked, probing further.

"Because you look funny" and with that she threw sand in hair and ran away from me. I was only seven years old and she looked no more than eight herself. I was new to Macomb County but I could definitely tell that the people there weren't used to seeing people like me and my Mama. All of the people there looked basically the same. 'They all think the same too, you'll see" my mother had told me. I hadn't wanted to move there from my city home in New York but Mama had lost her job and we had no family in the state. She had been afraid to tell me where we were moving at first, probably knew I wouldn't like it . She had been right. My first day of Little Tree Elementary School, Ashley assaulted me three times. After she threw sand in my face she then promptly kicked me in the knee during story time, and capped the day off by spitting on my sandwich at lunch. I went home and told my Mama who of course spoke to the principal the next day. The next three weeks of school Miss Davies ignored me all together. I was fine with it until the day she finally did say something. I noticed her stomping towards me during recess one afternoon.

"What do you want?" I asked her. I figured if I forced my voice hard enough she wouldn't hear how afraid I was.

"Aint want nothing at all" she said staring at me intensely, I remember thinking about what a fierce look that was for a little girl to be having. I was all set to get up and walk away when she grabbed my wrist.

" I'm sorry I was mean to you before, but you didn't have to go telling the principal. My papa lit into me twice that night."

" I didn't mean for you to be punished" I stated plainly " Only for you stop picking on me"

"Well, I'm Ashley." She said extending her little hand out to me.

" I'm Spencer" I shook her hand lightly.

"You got a penis or something " I immediately snatched my hand from hers.

" No" I said trying to remain calm.

" Well, the way I see it you either got a penis or your mama aint got no brain naming you a boy name like that. Which is it?" I leapt onto her and punched her as many times as I could before the gym teacher came over and separated us. Ashley and I have been best friends ever since.

"Spencer, Ashley's outside for you" , my mama yelled.

"Damn it Paula how in hell am I supposed to sleep with you yelling and going on?" my grandma retorted and when on to yell about how shed let us into her home all those years back and all we do is "tear up shit" and 'get on her got-damn-nerves'. We'd heard it all before. I grabbed my backpack and my iPod and headed downstairs. I ducked between grandma and mama , kissing each of them on the cheek before heading outside to meet Ashley.

" Wooooo weeeee , why hello sexy" Ashley yelled at me as I approached her pickup truck.

I threw my backpack into the back before sliding into the passenger seat.

" What's shakin this morning beautiful, we could stop and get breakfast…."

" And be late for first period again, I think not."

" Aw c'mon live a little bit"she said to me with a pout.

" I've lived for the past four days, Ash and I can't be late again. Mama'll kill me."

" But.."
" I can't, school now."

She pulled out of my driveway . We'd been riding to school together every day since Ashley fixed up her granddaddy's truck when she was thirteen. Macomb, Georgia's a small town, nobody bothers much about drivers licenses and ages. We rode in silence until we pulled into the school parking lot. I slid out of the car and grabbed my backpack out of the back. I noticed Ashley wasn't carrying anything.

" Ash, where are your books?"

"Aint got none"

"Aint got none" I said mimicking her whilst slapping her lightly on the shoulder. Just as we were about to walk to class I heard someone call out to me from across the quad.

" Hey Spencer"

" Oh hey there Aiden, what's going on?"

" Nothing much just figured I could walk my girlfriend to class this morning, seeing as how she's on time today"

" Well, get your butt over here and walk me" I said. He smiled and jogged over to us.

" What'd you go and do that for….. Hi Aiden" Ashley said glumly. She and Aiden didn't get along much.

" Ashley, so Spence let me get those books for you" I handed him my backpack as he wrapped his ar tightly around my waist.

" Bye Ash, ill meet you at your truck for lunch then?"

"Yea, sounds about right"

" Ash?"

" Yea, Spence?" I hugged her tight around her neck before kissing her on her cheek.

"Behave today"

" Alright, alright. Let's get goin before we're late. Ashley I swear you're stealing all of my Spencer's time from me but I can see why she loves you" He said scooping her up into a big bear hug.

We walked away together as he caught me up on the previous night. Aiden was a sweet guy and I really did love him. Everyone had pretty much mapped out our futures for us. He was to go to Georgia State and play football and I was stay in Macomb…waiting for him. I never intended on being with Aiden forever but I was comfortable with him and I hadn't planned on leaving him any time soon.

In first period I could barely focus, I wasn't used to being there for the first half of class. I stared straight ahead. Aiden to my right was scribbling furiously in his notebook . Probably taking notes…I usually copied them from him at a later time, or rather he copied them for me and gave them to me. What can I say the boy was good. To my right another of my good friends Sean, was fast asleep on his desk. I figured he had the right idea and I put my head down on my desk.

" Miss Carlin, please let me know if I'm boring you"

' Not at all sir"

"Perhaps you already know Pythagorean Therom? Care to share some of your knowledge with the rest of the class?"

"Not today Mr. Willis"

" Oh yes ma'am, its gonna be today. In fact this is the first time this week ive seen you in class this early so oh yes little buddy it is gonna be today"

" Look John, I'm kind of tired, hadn't even had my breakfast. .."

" Spencer, just go up there"

" Aiden!"

' Just go"

" Better listen to him Spence, I mean, god forbid you actually act like you have a spine. Someone in the relationship has to" Ashley said suddenly appearing in the doorway.

' Why Miss Davies, thank you for visiting my calculus class but remedial math is down the hall"

" Thank you Johnny for the thought but I know where my class is, in fact I was just on my way there when I heard you getting your balls handed to you by Miss Carlin back there and decided to have a little looksie." She smiled to punctuate the sentence.

" All three of you out. Carlin, Dennison, out!!! Get Out!!!."

"Damn, detention. I got practice today, coach'll have a cow."

"Don't shit your jockey's cowboy, Coach Reed won't forget who his all American is."

"I wasn't talking to you Ashley"

" I don't see why not , I got detention too. Don't you think I had plans? Hell, nobody wants detention but we got it so all I'm saying is your whining aint gonna make it go no faster."

"Guys, that's enough. Let's just get to lunch alright?"

"Yea, alright. I'm gonna head out to the football field to tell coach about what happened today" he said moving towards me for our kiss. I could feel Ashley rolling her eyes at me. ..at us.

" You'll meet me at the usual lunch table then baby?"

"Actually, I was thinking on eating with Ash, I mean, I didn't get breakfast with her this morning and…."

"I understand, I guess I need another kiss then. I won't see you until detention."

I moved into his arms, and he kissed me soft and slow before placing a kiss on the tip of my nose. We pulled away from each other and I watched him turn and walk away.