Chapter Ten
"You're glowing."
Spencer looked up from her uneaten lunch and blushed. "What? No, I'm not. It's hot out here." She avoided Casey's eyes but she could feel them burning a hole.
"Why won't you tell me what happened last night at Ashley's house?" Casey asked as she put her chin in her hand.
"Gee, I don't know, Case. Maybe because someone wouldn't stop talking about Sally," Spencer countered and gave her friend a smirk.
Casey blushed as well. "Well, I'm not talking about her now, so tell me what happened last night?"
"Nothing." It was mostly the truth. "We just worked on the songs."
"Uh huh, did you give her some private lessons?"
Spencer just shook her head. "No, you freak."
"Fine, ruin my fun. How was music anyways?"
"Very bad," Spencer sighed and looked across the quad to see Sally coming towards their table. She frowned when she saw that Ashley wasn't accompanying her. Mr. Thompson had asked Ashley to stay again after class but Spencer didn't know whether to wait for her or go on to lunch. Eventually, her hunger got the best of her and she left while Ashley was still talking to their music teacher.
"Hey, guys," Sally greeted when she reached the table. She gave Casey a kiss on the cheek before sitting down next to her.
"Where's Ashley?" Spencer immediately blurted out and received a look from both of the girls. "Um, I mean," she trailed off not really knowing what to say.
"She got held up by her locker," Sally said smiling. "Don't worry, she'll be here."
"Oh yeah, okay. Just wanted to know what Mr. Thompson wanted," Spencer rambled.
"Sure, you did," Casey said.
Spencer just glared at her as she kept looking for Ashley. They didn't talk about what almost happened last night at Ashley's house. Not they were avoiding each other but the only class they had was music and today was a really bad day. Mr. Thompson was snapping at everyone for every little mistake. Apparently when concert time approaches, Mr. Thompson gets all worked up and wants everything to be perfect. No one dared to make a mistake so that meant Spencer and Ashley had to pay attention to their instrument playing. They barely had time to glance each other.
"There's your girlfriend, Spence," Casey teased when Ashley started making her way towards them.
Spencer kicked her under the table but smiled when Ashley sat down next to her. "Hey," she greeted exhausted.
"Shit, you look like hell," Sally commented as she tossed her a brown lunch bag.
"Thanks, Sal," Ashley said sarcastically and opened her lunch.
"Hey, I'm making your lunch until you get your off campus lunch privileges back, so be nice."
Ashley rolled her eyes and started eating her sandwich. She could feel Spencer looking at her and her stomach filled with butterflies.
"So what did Mr. Thompson want?" Spencer asked.
"Well, he basically told me that if I didn't learn all the songs by the concert, he'd fail me."
"What? He can't do that."
Ashley couldn't help but smile. Worried Spencer was a very cute Spencer. And the fact that Spencer was worrying about her made the butterflies flutter even more.
"It's alright, I mean, I pretty much know all the songs. There are just a few that I need to go over," she assured her.
"But we've been only working for one day."
"Well, you're a good tutor."
Spencer looked down as she felt her entire face go red. Her face was starting to hurt from all the smiling she was doing and she tried to remember a time when she ever felt like this.
"Hey ladies."
Everyone turned their heads as a girl with bleached-blonde hair stood at their table. She was one of the girls that Spencer only remembered by face but never by name. But she knew she was a cheerleader from the uniform she was wearing. Spencer unconsciously scowled.
"Hey, Lea," Sally said. "What's up?"
"I was wondering if I could borrow Ashley for a moment." She gave Ashley a big smile and all her perfect white teeth shown brightly.
Spencer felt something inside her ignite and had the sudden urge to throw something at Lea.
"Sure. Be right back." Ashley got up from the table and followed Lea.
Spencer watched the both of them like a hawk trying to quell whatever it was she was feeling. It wasn't good, that's all she knew. The feeling seemed to grow when Ashley and Lea started laughing and Spencer could feel her heart pounding with anger. She had no idea what they were talking about but all she knew was that she did not like the fact that Lea was practically all over Ashley. And Ashley was just laughing along with her.
After a few more seconds of obnoxious giggling, Ashley waved goodbye to cheerleader Lea and came back to the table with a smile on her face.
"So, what time do you want to meet after school?" she asked Spencer unaware of her mood.
"Actually," she started coldly. "I just remembered I have something to do." She didn't give Ashley a chance to respond as she got up and left the quad.
Ashley watched her go very confused to what just happened. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked Casey and Sally who merely shrugged. They looked just as confused as Ashley felt.
---
Spencer was in a bad mood the entire day and snapped at almost everyone. When Casey asked her why she had left so abruptly at lunch, she gave her some excuse of needing to finish something before next class. Casey let it go when she saw the way Spencer was acting.
She was glad that the day was finally over and made her way to her locker and started to get ready to go home. Spencer jumped when she closed her locker door and saw Ashley standing behind it.
"Hey, so are you coming over today?" Ashley asked timidly. She could tell that Spencer was in very bad mood.
"I told you I had to do something," she snapped and headed towards the parking lot.
"But, you said you'll help with the music." Ashley followed her getting more confused each second. She had no idea why Spencer was so angry. Did she do something without knowing it?
"I'm sure you'll do just fine. You seem to do fine with everyone else."
"What?" Ashley stood in front of her preventing her from walking further. "Spencer, did I do something wrong? Why are you so mad at me?"
Spencer glared at her. "Not everything is about you, so if you'll excuse me, I have to get home." She sidestepped her to get to Glen's car.
"Spencer!" Ashley grabbed her arm and spun her around. "Will you please tell me what's wrong?"
"If you don't know, then I'm not telling you," Spencer said irrationally and took her arm back.
Now Ashley was just frustrated. She had no idea what she could have possibly done to make Spencer this angry with her. "Spencer, come on, will you just come over and help me?" she pleaded.
"Why don't you just ask Lea? She seems willing to." Spencer opened the driver's side to Glen's truck and got in. She was just about to put the key in the ignition when Ashley pulled the door open.
"What the hell does Lea have to do with anything?"
Spencer tried to pull the door close but Ashley held on to it tight. "Oh, please, I saw you with her."
If Ashley wasn't so goddamn confused and frustrated, she might have laughed at Spencer's accusation. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"She was all over you!" she yelled angrily. "And you just stood there and egged her on and flirted back." Spencer knew what she was saying was completely irrational but she couldn't seem to stop herself. She hated seeing Lea with Ashley.
"Spencer," Ashley said softly. "Lea's a friend and she was asking me notes for English. She's been out sick with the flu the past few days. We were just catching up."
Spencer felt embarrassed and dumb. "She seemed a little too friendly," she said trying to save some face.
Ashley laughed. "Spencer, Lea's straight as an arrow. She's dating James Stenhope."
"She is?" Spencer blushed when Ashley gave her a big smile.
"Yes, she is. We're just friends."
"Oh," she looked down feeling completely stupid at her irrationality. It wasn't even if her and Ashley were dating. They were barely even friends but she felt so jealous.
"So, will you please come over and help me now?" She gave Spencer a goofy grin and held out her hand.
Spencer gave her a sheepish smile and took the offered hand. "Alright. Plus, I think Glen would be pissed if he came back from basketball practice and his car wasn't here."
Ashley laughed as she helped Spencer out of the car. She didn't want to let go of her hand but thought it'd be a little awkward holding it.
They drove to Ashley's house with very little conversation. Ashley didn't want to bring up the elephant in the room. She knew that Spencer was probably feeling very embarrassed by it so she decided to keep her mouth shut. Although she did feel a little good knowing that Spencer was jealous.
When they got to Ashley's house, they practiced for two hours straight and Ashley pretty much got the gist of every song. In a few days, she'd be good to go and she knew that Spencer's presence had a lot to do with that. She felt the need to work a little harder when she was around. Ashley knew if it was only her trying to learn these songs, she'd never be prepared for the concert.
"Okay how about we try this song again," Spencer suggested. "But this time, you take the top and I'll take the bottom."
Ashley grinned. She didn't know if Spencer knew exactly what she just said. "If you insist," she said suggestively.
Spencer caught the tone and playfully glared on her. "You have a one track mind, don't you?"
"Only when it comes to you."
Spencer blushed again. "Um, let's just play the song."
After finishing the song, both girls' fingers were exhausted and sore.
"Yeah, I think I have carpal tunnel," Ashley commented as she wrung out her hands. "How you doing?"
Spencer flexed her fingers. "I'm good. I'm kind of nervous about the concert."
"Really?"
"Well, yeah," she turned around in the bench so she was facing Ashley. "Mr. Thompson wants me to do a piano solo."
Ashley smiled. "He does? Wow, that's awesome."
"Not really," she looked down shyly. "I have huge stage fright and I don't even know what song to play."
Ashley got up and sat down next to her on the piano bench. "Why don't you write your own?" she suggested and started to play some random chords.
Spencer laughed and turned around so she was facing the keys again. "Um, I may know how to read music and play the piano, but I have no idea how to write a song."
Ashley smiled at her again and bumped their shoulders together. "I'll help you."
"You don't have to do that. I mean, you still need to practice yourself. You wouldn't have time to help me write a song before the concert."
"I've got the songs down. It won't be hard to help you write your own," she assured her. "Don't worry, Spencer."
Spencer thought about if for a moment before she agreed. "Okay, let's do it."
Ashley grinned again but Spencer gave her a warning look. "Sorry, I can't help it."
They both laughed and proceed to play "Heart and Soul" on the piano.
---
"I look like a fucking waitress," Ashley complained when she looked at herself in her mirror. It was the night of the concert and the music class was required to wear the same outfits. The guys wore black suit pants, a button up shirt with a black sports jacket. The girls had to wear knee-length black skirts and white button up shirts with a black tie.
Sally laughed from her spot on Ashley's bed. "Yeah, you really do."
Ashley straightened her tie. "I look so ridiculous. No one is even going to see me. I sit all the way in the back."
"Oh come on, it's not that bad." Sally came up behind her and smoothed down some wrinkles. "And just think, Spencer's wearing the same thing." She gave her a suggestive look in the mirror and Ashley grinned.
Spencer would be wearing the same thing and it was guaranteed that she'd probably look absolutely sexy in it.
"Alright, I have to get there an hour before it starts," Ashley said as she glanced at her watch. "So I'll meet you there."
Sally followed her out the room and down stairs. "I'll be in the front row."
"Mom, I'm leaving!" Ashley called and went out to the garage.
"The concert starts at 7:30 right?" Christine asked before Ashley could drive away.
"You know, mom, you really don't have to be there." Ashley knew that her mom would probably be all motherly with a camcorder and clapping too loudly.
"Of course I do, honey. It's your first concert."
Ashley rolled her eyes. "Fine, but you sit in the back." She finally got into her car and waved at Sally and her mom and headed off to school. Ashley had to admit that she was pretty excited for the concert especially for Spencer's piano solo.
They had worked really hard on the song they wrote together and it turned out very well. And the fact that it was a song that written by both her and Spencer made it very special. It created some kind of connection between the two of them.
Ashley raised an eyebrow when she saw the state her music class was in. Everyone was in all different forms of warm ups. The singers were all harmonizing and every person with instruments were all playing at different times. It wasn't hard to find Spencer who already sitting behind the piano looking very pale.
"Hey," Ashley greeted and stood by her. Spencer did look incredibly sexy in her outfit. "You nervous?"
"A little," she croaked. "What if I forget the notes to the song we wrote?" She panicked and started sifting through musical sheets.
"Spencer, don't worry. You've got it down." She gave her a reassuring smile and Spencer calmed down a little.
"Alright everyone, quite down." The playing and singing ceased when Mr. Thompson started to speak. "This is it. Our first concert of the year and we are more than prepared." He started to give a little pep talk which made everyone very antsy and a little nervous.
By the time he was done, it was nearly time to go on stage. "We seem to have a huge turn out this year," Mr. Thompson said when he peaked behind the curtain. "I've never seen so many people!" He looked both very excited and nervous. "Places people! We go on in five minutes!"
People started to scramble around but Ashley pulled Spencer off the piano and to the corner of the stage.
"Ashley, we're going on in a few minutes," Spencer said nervously. "What are you doing?"
"I just wanted to give you something." Ashley gulped and took out something from her guitar case. "Just a little thank you for helping me out with everything." She gave her a nervous smile and handed her a small box.
Spencer opened it and took out a bracelet with a little silver musical note attached to it.
"It's a charm bracelet," Ashley explained even though it was pretty obvious.
"Thank you," Spencer said smiling, "It's beautiful."
"Um, here." Ashley took it from her and fastened it around her wrist. "Wear it for good luck." They stared at each other for a few seconds before Mr. Thompson yelled at them.
"Spencer! Ashley! What are you doing? The curtain is about to rise!" Mr. Thompson looked panicked as he motioned everyone to get ready.
"Sorry," Ashley apologized and started to go to her spot but Spencer stopped her.
"Ashley, wait." She smiled at Ashley's confused face before closing the gap between them and kissed her softly but sweetly on the lips.
"What was that for?" Ashley asked completely stunned but with a huge smile on her face.
Spencer mirrored the smile. "You're welcome."
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