"Ash?"

Spencer pokes me with her pencil, trying to catch my eye. I look around; students are milling about, the third school day of the year. I'm already sick of school.

"Hm?"

"What are you reading?"

"Poems." I mutter.

Spencer nods, not trying to continue the conversation. She's been unbelievably light and cheery ever since our last talk, two days ago. I've just been in a limbo, emotional purgatory. Reading these sappy loves poems are no help. They stick in my head, comitting themselves to my memory without my permission, reminding me of Spencer.

Making me nervous. Fluttery.

I don't know when I became so afraid of her. So insecure around her. Probably when she told me everything was up to me.

The first bell is about to ring. And it's only now just occuring to me, sneaking glances at her over the top of my book, that this summer, I've fallen in love with Spencer Carlin all over again. I'm tongue tied, self conscious, and completely head over heels.

I think she knows this.

"What kinda poems?" She asks, after awhile.

"For school."

"Ah."

"Yeah..."

I know she's waiting. I know I should say something. 'Hey, wanna be my baby, baby?' Something clever. Something that will tell her how much I need her, how torturous it's been to wait for her. But so sweet, also. My favorite torture.

All these thoughts are swirling around in my mind when the bell rings. I almost jump out of my chair.

Spencer smirks adorably. "Jumpy much?"

"Yeah." I sigh, running my hands through my hair. "Real jumpy...uh, let's go to class."

I help Spencer down off the bench, then let go of her hand immediately. She watches me and I pretend not to notice. "Something wrong?"

"Not at all." I shift my book from my right hand to my left.

"Okay." We walk a little bit towards our class before she speaks again. "I was reading my yearbook last night."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. The pictures. Our pictures. You signed it, you know..."

I nod. "I remember."

"Remember what you said?"

I fight the urge to reach over and lace her hand with mine. People glance at us as we walk by. They still talk.

Spencer rubs the sore spot on her ribs out of habit. "You said we'd be together."

"I did say that."

"I liked it." She smiles at me. I can't help but smile back. "Together." She emphasizes, clearly expecting me to say something.

I just open the door for her. I almost enjoy the role reversal, to be honest. When I'm not dying from the impossible nerves, I remember that it's up to me now. She must feel like I felt.

She doesn't look like it, though. She just seems to sure of herself, sure of us. I think I enjoy that a lot more.

"Hey."

Spencer turns around, and a petite redhead girl is standing in front of us, cleavage out to here. "Hey..." Spencer says, a bit uncertainly.

"I'm Carla." She sticks her hand out, and Spencer shakes it, looking amused.

"Hi...uh, I'm - "

"Spencer Carlin. I know who you are." This Carla girl openly eyes Spencer up and down.

Spencer glances at me out of the corner of her eye.. "Oh, you must be new." I say, stepping forward.

Spencer puts a hand on my arm, and turns back to Carla. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Carla." She says with a tiny laugh.

"I moved here from Buffalo. But I know all about you - everyone does." Carla says eagerly. She's flirting with Spencer!

"Spencer - "

"I'm just a sophomore." Carla says quickly, "But you should hang out with me sometime."

"Spencer's not - "

"Ashley." Spencer looks at me. "Calm down."

"Yeah, calm down." Carla smirks.

My jaw drops. My blood boils, but they both act like it's so funny. "The bell's gonna ring." I snarl, grabbing Spencer and pulling her away.

Spencer bursts out laughing. "Ashley!"

"Spencer, that girl is jail bait!"

"She isn't any kind of bait." Spencer rolls her eyes. "She just thinks I'm a celebrity or something."

"Well, she can't just...look at you. And say stuff." I sputter.

"You're jealous."

"No. I'm not. She was just leering at you."

"You're jealous. Admit it."

"Of course I'm jealous. She was - "

"Why are you jealous?" Spencer raises an eyebrow. I see where this is going.

"Because you're mine!" I tell her fiercely, and she looks pleased.

Spencer looks behind her, where Carla is already fading from the end of the hallway. "Show me." Spencer tells me simply, and then we're in class. Spencer leaves me and shuffles to her seat.

Yeah. It's like falling in love all over again. Her lips, her walk, her freaking eyes. God, those eyes. My legs are shaking as I make my way to me seat next to Spencer. She's acting super casual, her hair in her face, and I can't stop staring even as the teacher begins to talk.

Kyla and Madison are across the room, making faces at me.

"Our first project of the school year. Yes, class, as seniors, you will be called upon to complete a one minute recitation of any poem in your Poetry for Beginners book." The teacher drones on. I can hardly hear her.

Madison flicks a note at me, giggling with Kyla.

"You've had two days, with necessary notice, to get this assignment done. Think of it as a diagnostic, if you will."

I open the note.

"You will not be graded, but you will be...observed." The class groans, and I read Madison's writing.

Stop staring at Spencer! You're so obvious!

I look to glare at Madison, but instead, see Spencer peering over at the note, fighting a smile. I crumple up the note and drop it to the floor.

"Now, before we begin in alphabetical order, are there any volunteers?"

I look at Spencer, and she smiles at me. I blush, for some reason. She smiles even wider. "What?" She mouths, through her grin.

Some dweeb in the first row raises his hand. "I'd like to go first."

Something swells inside of me.

The teacher smiles. "Very well - "

"Wait!" I cry, as a poem pops into my mind. Everyone looks back at me, and Spencer looks right at me, surprised. "Wait..." I say again, quieter this time.

"Ashley Davies?"

The class snickers, and I glare at them. "Suck it." I say outloud. "I'm going first."

"Ashley, I'm not sure - "

"I said I wanna go." I say firmly, and see Kyla and Madison exchange excited glances.

"No fair!" That same dork says. "I called it first."

"Calm down, dorkus. You'll get your turn." I say gruffly, sounding a lot braver then I felt as I bound to the front of the room, placing a hand on Spencer's shoulder as I pass her. She looks confused, but intrigued.

I know what I have to do. Give her closure. A new start, with me. Together.

"Uhh..." I smooth my jeans out, staring out at the class. It looks a lot bigger.

"Would you like to introduce the poem?" The teacher asks kindly.

I take a deep breathe. Kyla and Madison look expectant. Spencer is leaning forward in her chair, eyes boring holes into my own. They're so blue. She makes it hard to breathe.

"Someone...someone once told me that true love isn't one choice." I can't break eye contact with Spencer. It's impossible. "It's many choices - the same choice. Every day. Over and over again. The same person." I remember Spencer speaking those words to me, and when I say them, they're clear and strong. Unwavering.

"I want you to wear me comfortably." I tell Spencer, my poem doing the talking for me. "As you would a dress, or the silver necklace you wear around your neck..." Her fingers touch the band hanging from her neck, eyes flashing.

"Comfortably.." I continue, feeling emotion clogging my throat. I swallow, continuing lightly. "So that I am always next to you."

Spencer's eyes look watery. The entire class sits at attention, glancing from Spencer, to myself. You can't hear anything except my voice.

"But most important." I emphasize, and I know she's listening. This is the message I've been trying to send her all summer, the one I know she now understands. "Something you decide each morning to select."

I finish, and the entire class is silent, not sure of what to do. Spencer's eyes are watering, nodding slowly. She gets it. "Wear Me." I announce, almost breathless. But I'm not longer shaking. "By Robert E. Kogan."

A pause, and then a burst of applause from a single corner of the room. Kyla and Madison whooping and hollering like idiots. I break into a smile, and when I look back at Spencer, she's glowing, beaming at me.

"Thank you, Ashley." The teacher says, nodding and sending me back to me seat.

Everyone watches me march toward my seat, aware that something big has just went down. Spencer stands, ready to accept me. I shyly approach her, ready with words. "Will you..."

She doesn't have to answer. She knows this. Before I can register it, she's wrapped herself up in me, tangling herself in my hair, my lips, a hot, wet, passionate kiss that doesn't last nearly long enough.

The class ooohs and ahhhhs, and when we pull apart, she puts her lips against my ear. "Don't act so surprised."

I shiver, and then we both sit back down, the teacher trying to calm the riot that ensued from the kiss.

"That was hot, chicas!" Madison yells. "And that's coming from me!"

Eventually, the class does quiet down. And eventually, people do go up, and recite more poetry. I'm sure other stuff happened, but I couldn't stop concentrating on the girl next to me.

I'm sure she had the same problem. Her hand, of course, found its way over to my desk, lacing her pinky through mine. We sat there like that, the rest of the period, letting our hands get to know each other again.

The bell rings, and we're the first two out the door.

Spencer corners me against the trophy case. "My girlfriend is so romantic." She tells me, kissing my fingertips. People stare as they walk by, and for once, I don't care.

"My girlfriend is damn adorable." I say, skin tingling wherever her lips touch.

"I agree." Spencer says, giggling, then leans into me. I sigh, wrapping my arms around her.

"Get a room." Madison says goodnaturedly, sidling up next to us.

"That was very gallant of you, Ash." Kyla tells me proudly. I just kiss the top of Spencer's head, gesturing to her.

"This is my girlfriend." I say, squeezing Spencer tighter.

"That's my girlfriend." Spencer nods her head in my direction, looking at me like I'm the only person in the world.

A guy whistles as he walks past. Madison glares after him, shaking her head. "Yeah, things are the same again." She says, not sounding too happy about it. "Bound to happen."

"Oh, don't be so jealous." Kyla says, grabbing her shoulder. "Come on, I'll hold you hand People will look at us, too."

Madison jerks away. "You Davies sisters..." She mutters.

I'm sure Kyla says something in response, but the way Spencer's leaning into me, and the way she's looking at me. The way I'm holding her, and the way I know things are right again. I have to kiss her. So I do.

"Ohhh! Gross." Madison says, turning away.

"Let's leave them alone." I hear Kyla say. Spencer and I pull apart, satisfied, and stare at each other blissfully.

We look at Madison, who's scowling. Then she softens as Kyla starts to pull her away. "I won't say this again..." She gives us a hint of a smile, lowering her voice. "But it's good to have you freaks back."

And then they're off, disappearing into the crowd. "It's good to be back, huh?" I say, watching the fog of people become less and less dense as they empty into their classes.

"It's great." She plays with my earlobe. "Great to be back."

I nod, agreeing. "You know, we might miss our next class if we wait much longer."

"I think we might miss our next two." Spencer says, beginning to smirk. I kiss her right on her lips, again, like I'm going to keep doing forever.

"Oooh." I purr. "That sounds nice."

"Wanna go?"

"The second day of school, Spencer Carlin. You wanna ditch?"

She presses herself into me. "I wanna ditch."

We missed the rest of our classes that day, somehow ending up in my bed, revealing ourselves to each other again. It was familiar, it was new, and it was a promise of everything else to come.

"Love you, Ash."

"I love you too, Spence." I sleepily grope for her hand, finding it without looking.

It was our promise, the one we would make everyday, the same choice. The same person. Spencer.

And I knew her choice, too.