Chapter Eleven

Spencer watched as Ashley stood by the door frame, shifting nervously from foot to foot. This would be the time to say something. "Ashley," she started but Ashley interrupted.

"I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now, but I really wanted to talk to you and you wouldn't return my calls." She stepped forward into the room and walked towards Spencer. "I was going to go to your apartment, and you know, hold a boombox over my head but I realized that your neighbors probably wouldn't appreciate that." Spencer chuckled at the thought of Ashley outside her window and her neighbor, Mrs. Hegenboth, chasing her away with a broomstick. "So I kind of over heard Casey tell Sally today that she was going to drop off the footage here and you were going to be working." She handed Spencer the daisies which she took with a smile on her face. "And I just happen to stop by a flower shop on the way here."

Spencer just stood there staring at the flowers. "Ashley," she said again.

"I'm sorry," Ashley apologized. "I didn't mean what I said that night, I was just taken off guard and I-"

It was Spencer's turn to interrupt. "No, Ashley, I'm the one who should be apologizing. You did nothing wrong."

"But I snapped at you."

"I snapped at you first," Spencer protested.

"Yeah, but I kept on pushing you, and-"

"Wait." This is going nowhere. "Let's sit down and let me explain myself." Now or never, Spencer.

Ashley just stared at Spencer intently but didn't say anything as she was led to a couch in the room. Spencer set the daisies aside and sat down across from Ashley. Taking a deep breath, she looked Ashley in the eyes and began talking.

"We did know each other in high school," she started. Spencer already knew that Ashley knew but it was something she needed to say. Ashley opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself and let Spencer continue. Spencer fiddled with her fingers as she spoke. "High school was really hard for me," she chuckled bitterly at her understatement and looked down at her hands. "I didn't have anyone. Not one friend. I was constantly picked on and ignored by almost everyone. I didn't like being around people so when I wasn't in class, I was in this courtyard." Spencer stopped and looked at Ashley. She saw nothing but understanding and warmth. "That's where I met you." Her voice cracked a little from emotion and the intense stare Ashley was currently giving her.

"I remember. You were eating your lunch. Turkey sandwich, brownies, and your Orange Crush." Spencer was surprised to know that Ashley remembered exactly what she had. "I sat down by that oak tree and started playing my guitar and I played you 'All I Have To Do Is Dream' by the Everly Brothers."

Spencer felt her heart swell at Ashley's recollection and she started to get emotional. "You were the only person who was nice to me. And I know it sounds crazy considering we barely spoke, but I felt like I knew you. Everyone else saw you as this popular rebel, but I saw you." Spencer felt her tears spilling from her eyes and she tried to wipe them away.

"You did see me, Spencer," Ashley said softly. "And you know what?" She reached over and gently wiped away Spencer's tears and tilted her chin up so she can see her eyes. "I saw you, too."

A fresh batch of tears fell and Spencer tried to look down again but Ashley held onto her firmly. "But I was invisible," she stated sadly.

Ashley shook her head as she continued to wipe tears. "Never, Euterpe," she said using Spencer's nickname. "You were my inspiration." That managed to get a small smile out of Spencer. "That day when we met in the courtyard, I just knew there was something special about you." Ashley started to run her fingers through Spencer's hair unconsciously and Spencer had to fight the urge not to close her eyes at the sensation "I was trying to escape from everyone who was pretending to be my friends just because I have a famous dad and just find a place where I can gather my thoughts so I went to that courtyard. And then I saw you away from that chaos and I felt," she bit her lip trying to think of a word. "Safe." She felt safe with me? "I didn't have to pretend with you. No fake smiles or facades. Just me and my guitar."

Spencer stared with wide eyes at Ashley's confession. About a million thoughts were running through her head and she had no idea where to start. "Oh." Oh? Oh?! After all that, all you can say is oh?

"Oh," Ashley repeated and laughed. Spencer just realized how close Ashley was to her. "You know, I really wanted to get to know you but you seemed so shy that I didn't want scare you away."

Spencer blushed and looked down again. "I wasn't that great of a talker."

"I just wanted to talk to you," Ashley admitted. "But when you wouldn't even tell me your name, I figured that I shouldn't push you. I was content with those one sentenced Fridays."

"Me, too." Spencer gave her a big smile. "I'm sorry I wasn't up front with you."

Ashley shrugged. "Hey, don't worry about it. I understand. I'm really sorry that I didn't recognize you when we were reunited. You just look so different. I was used to that adorable girl with those adorable glasses that kept slipping off that adorable nose." She poked Spencer on the nose with her finger and Spencer blushed a deep red.

"I was not adorable," Spencer denied vehemently still blushing hardcore.

"Yeah, I beg to differ. You know how many times I had to restrain myself from not taking you into my arms and squeezing the life out of you?"

Spencer looked at her incredulously. "Okay, now you're making shit up."

"Am not!" Ashley said holding her hand up like she was on trial. They both broke out into a fit of giggles and Ashley took a hold of Spencer's hand, rubbing the back of it with her thumb. "You know, when you wouldn't tell me your name, I tried to look for you in the yearbook. You know how hard it is to find someone by face in a high school as big as King?"

Spencer smiled at her. "I imagine pretty hard considering I never went to yearbook picture day the first three years of high school. I only went Senior year because it was required."

"That's why I couldn't find you?"

"Yeah, and I only appear once in the Senior one so it would be impossible to find me unless you looked through every single row and column. Or if you knew my name," she said cheekily.

Ashley smiled and continued to rub Spencer's hand. It was sending Spencer all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings. "You know, I looked for you at graduation. I figured that was only way I could find out your name when they announced it but I never saw you."

Spencer smiled sadly. "Yeah, that's because I didn't go."

"What?"

"Yeah, my brother got into a really bad car accident that day, so we had to fly down to North Carolina." Spencer hated the fact she missed her high school graduation but there was nothing she could have done.

"That sucks."

"I know, but he fully recovered so that was a relief." Spencer looked down at the hand that Ashley was holding and realized that Ashley was moving hers up her arm. She shivered at the warm touch.

"I went back to the courtyard to see if you were there," Ashley said softly. Her hand was now on Spencer's shoulder making its way to her neck.

"You did?" Spencer's voice was as soft as Ashley's as she felt Ashley play with the hairs on the back of neck. Her eyes fluttered closed involuntarily.

"Yeah, I wanted you to sign my yearbook because that picture you took made it in and you know, I wanted to ask you out." Ashley was now gently pulling a very dazed Spencer closer to her.

"Really?" Spencer had no idea what she was saying. The combination of Ashley's husky voice and the feel of her fingers gently massaging the back of her neck had her completely lost.

"Yeah, and you know, do this." Ashley finally closed the gap between their lips and Spencer's eyes sprung open in response. In only took about a half a second for Spencer to realize that Ashley was kissing her and she responded by kissing her back. Ashley's lips were soft and tasted like raspberry. The same taste that she tasted on her Orange Crush bottle those many years ago. Spencer deepened the kiss and tangled her fingers in Ashley's hair pulling her closer. Six years of wanting nothing but to do this made Spencer a little more aggressive than she usually was.

They pulled apart very flustered and very out of breath. "Wow," Ashley said looking into Spencer's now very dark eyes. "You know how long I've been wanting to do that?"

Spencer grinned and pulled Ashley back to her. "Probably as long as I much as I wanted to do this." She crashed their lips together once more and fell backwards against the couch with Ashley right on top of her.

Ashley laughed into the kiss. "Why Spencer," she said pulling back slightly and hovering over her. "This isn't the same girl I remember back in high school."

Why is she still talking? Spencer grabbed her shirt and pulled her back down. "Shut up and kiss me."

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