Ashley had been awake an hour. She'd missed most of her classes and half of lunch. Sure enough, she'd slept through all the alarms she'd set. Now, she was sitting in her pajamas watching cartoons. She had an open box of cereal sitting on her lap and she was devouring it. She laughed at something funny on the cartoon as the doorbell rang. Ashley wiped off her hands on pajama pants and stood up, leaving the cereal box on the coffee table. She muted the TV as the doorbell rang again.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming." She moaned, walking over to the door. She opened it slowly. Spencer stood out on the stoop looking like she'd just won the lottery.

"Spence, what are you doing here? It's twelve thirty…the school day isn't over." Ashley said, she wasn't exactly expecting Spencer to just show up at her door.

"I had to get out, I had to see you." She smiled, entering Ashley's house.

"Oooook." Ashley muttered, shutting the door behind Spencer.

"Can we go up to your room? I have something I need to talk to you about." Spencer asked her, Ashley nodded, stunned. They went up to Ashley's room. They both sat on the bed and Spencer took a deep breath and started talking.

"Ash…you were right about everything." Spencer started.

"I like the sound of that, continue." Ashley said, jokingly.

"Well…as I said, you were right about everything. I was using Aiden because I was afraid to be myself and afraid to tell my parents, I was so consumed by doing what everybody else wanted of me, that I forgot how to make myself happy." Spencer told her. "I'm a liar. I'm a fraud. I'm a lesbian afraid of girls. I'm the epitome of a dishonest, terrible person." Spencer said, keeping eye contact with Ashley. "All this time, every time I've kissed Aiden…I've been picturing you. The other night, I was going through my usual routine of pretending Aiden was you…and I accidentally moaned your name in the midst of our backseat session." Ashley was shocked; she didn't think Spence would admit that that "particular" event had transpired. "I admitted everything to him."

"What's everything?" Ashley managed to ask. Her mouth had suddenly gone dry as she realized the gravity of what Spencer was telling her.

"How I've been living a lie, being dishonest with all the people I care about, killing my friendships, betraying Aiden…" She said. "Is that a good enough start?"

"So you told Aiden. Then what?" Ashley asked.

"Well, we broke up. I went home and moped around about it. I just felt so—polluted, keeping something of that magnitude from everyone else is very strenuous and hard to keep up." Spencer admitted. "So this morning, I came to school with the intention of being honest, finally. I waited for you outside your locker and through the first couple of periods."

"I overslept." Ashley said simply.

"I got so worried about you, after the hallway incident yesterday, that I was scared you'd do something irrational…that you were here…getting over me. So I begged Glen for his car keys. I told him why I needed them and even admitted that I was gay. I did it in front of him and Madison and whoever else was listening. When he finally handed them over, I just left, got out of there." Spencer told Ashley.

"What was the reason you wanted to get out of there so quickly?" Ashley asked.

"I wanted to check on you, and tell you the truth about everything." Spencer told her. "But I had a stop to make on the way."

"What stop?"

"I stopped off at the hospital. My mom and dad make it a habit to eat lunch together every Wednesday. So I went to go see them." Spencer explained.

"Why?"

"Well. I walked in there and told them I needed to talk. They asked why and I told them…it was about you. My mom didn't want to talk of course but I told her that…that…I loved you." Spencer turned her head to look at Ashley's. "I told them I loved you and that I was gay. I said my mom better get over it because this is who I am." Spencer's eyes dropped to look at her shoes. "I asked my mom what scared her so much about me being gay…I've been wanting to ask her that question for a while now. She told me that it was against God's will. We argued over that and then I told her how I'd been lying to myself and everyone…and dating Aiden because I was afraid to let her know who I was. Then I told her how I wasn't afraid anymore." Spencer stopped and gave Ashley a shy smile. "So then I came here…to do this." Spencer scooted closer to Ashley, placing a hand on Ash's cheek. She leaned in close. "It's ok." She whispered. She kissed Ashley softly, but firmly on the lips. She pulled away, tugging a little bit on Ashley's lower lip. Ashley mumbled incoherently for a moment, before opening her eyes; she found it hard to remember how to breathe.

"Spencer…all this time…" She murmured.

"All this time…I've been trying to avoid this. But now…it's the only thing I want." Spencer murmured, leaning in. She caught Ashley's lips, enjoying how soft and supple they were. Ashley felt herself melting into this moment, this long awaited moment that had consumed her for months. She held Spencer tightly, feeling as though she could destroy Spencer with her kisses. She wanted to experience everything in one moment; she couldn't get enough in just one kiss. Spencer never knew that kissing anyone could feel this way. She felt as though she'd taken forever to get here…and was never happier to get anywhere in her whole life. They kissed deeply, fully, holding onto each other with tight embraces, as if worried the other would suddenly go. Spencer was the first to break the kiss.

"Ashley…I'm so sorry for everything I've put you through." She moaned as Ashley began ravishing her neck. "I-I-I don't want you to give up on me." Ashley smiled as she kissed Spencer's neck.

"I won't, I won't, I promise." She murmured between kisses. "I love you, Spencer. I love you so much." She whispered, resting her forehead against Spencer's.

"I love you, too." She said, finally feeling like everything was as it should be. She leaned in again, kissing Ashley passionately, feeling the kiss everywhere. "It took us forever to get here." She whispered. Ashley smiled and nodded.

"But everything was worth it in the end."