JustAquietReader- Well I'm so glad that you liked it. I wouldn't have called it brilliant, but thank you nonetheless. :)
Lovegun1983- Well I'm glad that my story could make you feel better after a hard day. ;)
OneLiner- I would agree. :) I'm glad you liked the chapter.
lilce1992- Taylor is a manipulator, she figured Spencer would still be in love with her after the way things ended.
Brucas4ever- So glad you liked it!
GreenPen85- I'm glad that you appreciate what I was trying accomplish with the flashbacks. I promise for a few Spashley fluff filled chapters. :)
spashley12- So glad you enjoyed it! Here's the next one for you. :)
me- Unfortunately this may not be the last time you hear from Taylor.
Rachel2020- Aww. I'm glad I could make your night. ;) This happens to be the fourth time I've read the word brilliant regarding this chapter. You guys are amazing for thinking that.
SoNfan1604- Taylor is a bitch. I'm glad you liked the kiss. I wanted it to be sweet and special... I made you all wait long enough for it to happen. :)
ashleyss27- Hope you enjoy this one as well.
pati1996- Glad you liked the chapter. I must say I don't like Taylor very much either. She reminds me of a girl I once knew.
PurpleLover92- I'm happy that you're happy lol. Here's the next chapter for you.
sayiloveyouwhenyournotlistenin- That's a mouthful for a screen name lol. I love it though! Glad you enjoyed it. Here's the next one.
msblaze aka WIFEY!- lol last but certainly not least. I'm updating again so you're probably gonna be mad but hey... you know how much I love my fans and I hate making them wait for my chapters. :) You'll forgive me later.
Chapter 14
Now that Ashley and I are a couple I can't seem to keep my hands off of her. And no I don't mean in the Stacy and Rachael kinda way cause that hasn't happened yet... what I mean is that I can't stop kissing her or holding her hand, or running my fingers over any exposed skin. If you were with someone as beautiful as Ashley, you'd feel the same way.
Trust me...
–
"Ashley I have to leave now." I whisper in her ear. We're laying in my bed, it's 6:45am, and I want to go down and talk to Mr. Forte before the breakfast shift starts—about getting a job.
"Just five more minutes." She whines, snuggling her head into my neck.
"I need to go now before he starts cooking." I smile at her cuteness. It's been two days since we made our relationship 'official' and they've been two of the best days of my life. I don't think I've ever been happier.
"What do you need this job for anyway Spence? I have some money saved up from my job last summer. You don't have to work." She tells me sweetly and I can't help but smile wider.
"That's sweet Ashley, but I want to work." I emphasize to her and she whines but releases me.
"Fine." She drawls out, sitting up. "But I'm not pleased about it." She pouts and I sit up and kiss it away. "No fair." She whispers into my lips. "You can't use your kisses to make me be in a better mood. It's cheating." She says.
I shake my head. "No it's not. It's clever." I tell her, grabbing both sides of her face—kissing her again. She wraps both her arms around my neck and lets her fingers get lost in my hair. I let out a small moan and she smiles into my lips. "I gotta go." I say pulling back. As much as I would love to stay and make out with her all morning, I really do need to go.
"Mkay." She says, but grabs hold of my arm and pulls me back into a kiss. I can't help the moan that escapes my lips and how loud it is.
"Oh my God, just get the fuck out already. I'm trying to sleep" Madison says from her bed. Ashley and I giggle then pull apart.
"I'll see you at breakfast." Ashley says then pecks my lips.
"Kay." I reply finally getting up from my bed without any protest.
"Later, Spencey. I hear Rachael and Stacy coo from Rachael's bed. Was everyone awake listening to me and Ashley?
I giggle and tell them a goodbye before I make my way out of the room and down the stairs to the dining hall. When I get into the dining hall I make my way into the kitchen to find Mr. Forte already starting to prep for breakfast. He's an older guy. Probably in his mid to late fifties, gray hair with a bunch of dark age spots around his eyes. His back is a little hunched over from years of gravity pushing down on his spine.
He looks up and see's me but doesn't stop rolling out dough. "Can I help you?" He asks throwing some flour onto the dough and smoothing it out with a rolling pin.
"Um...yeah. My name is Spencer and um... I was just wondering if I could possibly get a job working the breakfast shift with you..." I say timidly. Knowing that if he said no my plans for doing something special for Ashley before school starts back in two weeks—would be ruined.
"Come 'ere." He says, still not looking up from what he was doing. I slowly make my way over to him. "Lemmy see ya hands." He says in some kind of southern accent. I hold out my hands for him to see, not sure of what my hands could possibly tell him. "You've ne'er worked a day in your life have ya child?" He asks and I shake my head. "It's not easy. Most people come and try to work for me 'cause they think it's easy... we'll it ain't." He tells me and I nod.
"No sir, I didn't assume that this would be easy. I'm willing to work as hard as I need to." I tell him and I see the side of his lip twitch up, almost as if he's trying to hold back a smile.
"Good." He says, nodding his head once. "There's a hair net and apron in the corner over there. We start every morning at 6:30am, don't be late. You will help prepare, set up and serve so it'd be best if you ate before we started or else you'll have to wait until everyone else has eaten. I pay fifty dollars a day, non negotiable. Now let's get started." Fifty dollars a day? I wasn't thinking I would get paid that much! Maybe I'll be able to do something even more special for Ashley than I thought.
After Mr. Forte showed me how to make fresh biscuits, we made pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage, then he had me cut up some different types of fruit for a fruit salad. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. After we were done cooking everything, we had to set it all up out in the dining hall so people could choose what they wanted.
It's about ten minutes before breakfast starts when I see my roommates and Kyla walk into the dining hall. We never came to breakfast on time. We always caught the last hour of it, so I know they're only here early to pick at me.
"Aye yo, Carlin." Rachael yells from the door and then laughs. I see Ashley punch her in the arm and she mouths an 'ow' before pouting and Stacy kisses her arm.
"Looking good, Spence." Kyla quips—trying to hold back a laugh—when they reach the display counter.
"Thanks, Kyla." I retort. I know I look ridiculous in my hair net and apron. But I'm making fifty dollars a day. So I'm not gonna complain.
"Can we eat yet?" Madison asks and I giggle at her. I swear she was so much more pleasant when I first met her.
"Yeah sure Mads." She already had a tray in hand, filling it up before I even finished my statement. I shake my head and smile at her.
"I think you look cute." Ashley finally speaks. Her opinion is the only one that matters anyways.
"So do I." Stacy agrees. Okay, Stacy opinion counts too then.
"Thank you." I tell the pair of them, smiling sweetly at Ashley.
"Can I talk to you for a second?" Ashley asks, nodding her head in the direction of the door.
"Sure." I say, taking my hair net off as I make my way from behind the counter. "What's up?" I ask when we reach the door.
"I just really wanted to do this." She says, closing her eyes, leaning in and kissing me. It wasn't a rushed kiss or a kiss that said 'I really want you in my bed right now.' It was sweet and sensual, like in the short few hours that we were apart, she missed me like she hadn't seen me for days. I could get so used to kisses like this. Not that the other kinds aren't great too.
"Ms. Carlin would you prefer staying on the other side of this counter?" I turn around and see Mr. Forte standing in the doorway to the kitchen with his hand on his hip, looking expectantly at me.
"Um, no sir!" I say putting my hair net back on. But never taking my eyes off Ashley. "I gotta go. I'll see you after breakfast, okay." I tell her and kiss her lips once more before running back to my position behind the counter.
"No fraternizing on the job." Mr. Forte tells me as I pass him.
"Yes sir." I turn and say to him. His lip is turned up in a small smile. He nods his head before turning and retreating back into the kitchen. I smile a little to myself as the kids start piling into the dining hall.
This has to be the easiest job any one could ever ask for. All I do is stand around while the kids grab their food and refill the slots when something gets eaten up. The hardest part of this job is having to watch Ashley from across the room, eating and talking animatedly to our friends. Not being able to touch her or kiss her. Just having to look as she makes eye contact with me and gives me a small smile or a wink—teasing me. Now that's the hard part.
After breakfast was over Mr. Forte and I cleaned up the kitchen while the janitorial staff cleaned up the dining hall. This is the one place Ashley doesn't have to clean. Ms. Heevy said it would take hours for one person to clean this entire dining hall after over two hundred children have eaten in here.
After cleaning I left the dining hall and started up the steps towards my room—needing a nice hot shower—when my phone starts ringing. I pull it out and see that it's Mrs. Carroll.
"Hello." I answer.
"Hey Spencer, it's Mrs. Carroll." She tells me cheerfully. I must admit it's good to hear her voice. I haven't talked to her for almost two weeks now and I've missed her. She's like a mother to me.
"Hey Mrs. Carroll." I reply equally as cheerful.
"I haven't talked to you in quite a few days and I wanted to see how you were doing." She tells me and I can hear the smile in her voice.
"I'm doing better." I reply honestly. The last time we talked was the day she told me that I would have to stay here and we didn't end on a happy note. I know that she could sense the disappointment in my voice that day. My how things have changed.
"That's great, Spencer! Well I won't beat around the bush any longer, I have some wonderful news." She says then pauses. I guess for dramatic affect. "I've found you a home, Spencer!" She half yells into the phone. I don't say anything. I don't know what to say really. "I know that it took me a little longer than planned but better late than never right?"
"Um, Mrs. Carroll I-"
"Best part about it." She starts again, cutting me off. "Is that you can leave the Heart House as soon as today. The Beasley's are a really nice family, Spencer. They have two daughters that I think you will get along with really well and-"
"Mrs. Carroll..." I say, cutting her off taking a seat on the steps.
"What's wrong, Spencer? Isn't this what you wanted?" How do I explain this to her. I know that she's been working extremely hard to find me a foster family to live with and now I'm going to tell her that it was all for nothing.
"I like it here." I say softly. "I don't want to leave." I add.
"But Spencer, I thought you..."
"I did. But now things are great, I've made new friends and I..." I trail off, a smile creeping onto my face.
"This is about a girl isn't it?" Mrs. Carroll asks and I can hear the smile in her voice. I told Mrs. Carroll about my sexuality a long time ago. She was really cool about it. She even offered to talk if I ever needed to. I wonder if my own mom would have been as understanding.
"Yeah." I admit.
"Say no more." She tells me. "Look Spencer, I don't know if this opportunity will arise again, but if you're happy there, I have no problem allowing you to stay."
"I'm really happy here, Mrs. Carroll." I tell her.
"Okay." She says then laughs a little. "I've never had a foster kid turn down the opportunity to leave a foster home before. You're something else Spencer." She says still laughing.
"Thank you for not giving up." I say as I stand up from the step I was sitting on.
"You're welcome." She says and I smile. "Call me anytime Spencer. I mean it." She says in a firm tone.
"I promise." I say and she clears her throat. "For real this time." I clarify. I know I told her the same thing last time but didn't call once.
"Okay, as long as you promise. Talk to you later, Spencer."
"Bye Mrs. Carroll." I say and we hang up. I can't help but smile thinking of all the people in my life who I feel like actually care about me.
It's a nice change. A welcomed one.
After stuffing my phone back in my pocket I make my way up the stairs to the room. I walk in to find Rachael laying lazily on her bed and Madison on hers texting.
"Where's Stacy and Ashley?" I ask.
"Stacy went to work and I think Ashley said she was going to the study room." Rachael answers.
"Kay thanks." I reply as I make my way back out the door, down the hall to the study room. I walk in and see Ashley sitting in the back reading a book. I sneak up and sit beside her undetected. "Hey." I whisper.
"Spence," She says dropping the book from in front of her face. "You done already?" She asks with a smile.
"Yup." I say then lean forward and kiss her lips. Oh, how I've missed these lips.
"Good." She mumbles into my mouth before placing her book on the table and entangling her fingers in my hair—pulling me closer to her.
"Mmm." I moan into her mouth. Unable to hold it in. Kissing Ashley does something to me... I'm sure she knows it.
"I missed you." She tells me when she pulls back from the kiss.
"I missed you too." I smile and kiss her lips quickly. "Mrs. Carroll called." I say, remembering the conversation I just had with her. Ashley visibly tenses. She's knows that Mrs. Carroll is my caseworker and that she was looking for a foster family to place with me.
"Oh." Is all she says.
"She said that she found me a family. Some people called the Beasley's." I tell her and her face changes. She looks hurt and scared at the same time.
"You're leaving?" She barely whispers, dropping her head. She thinks that I'm doing what every other person in her life has done.
Well she thinks wrong.
"No." I whisper back and her head shoots up. She looks confused.
"But you just said-"
"I told her that I'm happy here, that I don't want to go live with some family. That I wanna stay right here with you and all our crazy friends." I say then smile.
"Spencer I-"
"You don't have to say anything. This is what I want. I wanna be here with you. I'm never leaving you Ashley. I promised you that I wouldn't go and I'm not." I lean forward and place my forehead on hers. "I'm not going anywhere." I say again, trying to really emphasize my point. She let's out a deep breath and we both sit silent for a minute. Eyes closed, foreheads touching.
"You're amazing Spencer Carlin, you know that?" She asks and I open my eyes to see her staring at me.
I smile and shake my head. "Not more amazing than you, Ashley Davies." I tell her then reconnect our lips in another kiss. A kiss filled with promises... one's I planned on keeping.
Hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. I know it was pretty short. The next chapter is already in the works. Review and tell me what you thought. :)