Chapter Two
After School
Ashley sighs as her last class lets out. Normally this would be her favorite time of day, but now she has to stay after to study. A smile comes unbidden as she thinks about the blonde girl who she will be alone with for the next hour or so. Before she can go too deep into thought, an arm throws itself over her shoulder.
"So, did you want to hit the beach or just hang out at your place?" Aiden asks as he and Kelly find the brunette as she starts towards the gym.
"Neither, I have to study," Ashley snarks, raising the pitch of her voice slightly to display her distaste.
"Ew, why?" Kelly asks with a disgusted expression.
"Parker says I'll be held back unless I get tutored," she sighs.
"What geek did they set you up with? Dexter Miles?" Aiden laughs as they pass by the aforementioned, suspender wearing Urkel clone.
"No, this girl named Spencer Carlin. She's new," Ashley replies with a smile.
"I totally know her," Kelly states with a grin. "She's a cheeleader. Oh and I heard that she's, like, some kind of creepy Christian conservative or something," she adds with a sneer.
At this, the brunette's face falls. "You're kidding," she says with disappointment.
"Aww, Sweetie. I'm sorry to have burst your bubble, but that girl is not going to be interested," Kelly smirks, shaking her head at the other girl.
"I swear though, she dresses like a nun, covering everything up the way she does," Aiden throws in sadly, wanting another girl to show her cleavage so he could have something to occupy his time in school.
Ashley just rolls her eyes. "I'll see you guys later. I said I'd meet her in the gym so we can get started after practice," she tells them before walking off to where she needs to be.
"I want to come see the cheerleaders too," Aiden grins as he goes to follow.
However, that is cut short as Kelly grabs his arm to stop him. "I'm your ride and if you don't come with me now, you're walking home," she warns. Looking torn, he chooses to follow the blonde to the parking lot with his tail between his legs. With a laugh and shake of her head, Ashley walks into the gym and immediately spots the blonde girl.
Ashley moves on autopilot to sit on the bleachers, never taking her eyes off of the other girl. Spencer is right in step with the others as she moves her right arm behind her neck and sway her hips, dipping down and trailing her hands along her sides. She spots Ashley and smiles shyly, never faltering her movements.
Through the whole routine, Ashley and Spencer maintain full eye contact, only taking their eyes off one another when the blonde has to turn. The brunette is completely mesmerized as she sees this new side to the girl she had just only met.
"Okay," Madison calls out as they finish their last steps. "So, we'll continue on tomorrow morning. Get here early so we can go through it before the pep rally," she informs the girl sternly, all of them nodding before breaking away.
The brunette cheerleader notices the lone spectator staring at a distracted Spencer from the stands. She marches up to the other girl, blocking her view of the blonde girl. "What are you doing here?" Madison asks, hands on her hips.
"I came her for Spencer," Ashley raises her eyebrows, waiting for the other girl to go away.
"What even makes you think she's interested in you?" The cheerbitch asks mockingly, trying to run the girl off.
"This is so not what you think," Ashley sighs in frustration.
"Then why are you here?" The other brunette challenges.
"Because I'm tutoring her," Spencer answers from behind the captain of the squad.
"Spencer, you need to seriously rethink this because we can't have this lesbo hanging around our practices and making all of us normal girls uncomfortable," Madison explains before glancing between the two and walking out, leaving both girls alone in the gym.
Both of them just look at each other awkwardly for a moment, Ashley appauled that she would call her out like that in front of the blonde. "Did you bring you books?" Spencer asks, breaking the silence.
"Um, yeah," Ashley responds, shaking herself out of the daze she found herself in. She fumbles around in her bag for a moment. "About what Madison said..." she begins nervously.
"Is it true?" Spencer finds herself asking, against her better judgement. "Are you a, um, a-"
"Lesbian?" Ashley smirks, finishing the younger girl's question. Spencer nods silently before leaning over and opening up her own bag. "I'm not into labels," she informs the other girl, staring at her in her cheerleading uniform.
"Well, I guess that makes you the only one not into them," Spencer notes wryly.
Something shiny catches Ashley's attention from the other girl. She reaches over and takes the tiny silver cross around Spencer's neck into her hands gently. "I love this," she says softly of the elegantly simple design.
Despite the nervousness of having the other girl so close, Spencer beams at the object. "I've had it ever since I...for a really long time," she corrects herself, shaking her head slightly. "My grandma gave it to me and said that it was to remind me that God has a plan for everyone and that I should never lose my faith in Him," she smiles wistfully at the memory.
Ashley removes her hand and lets the necklace fall back to the blonde's collarbone. "Do you believe that He does?" She asks quietly.
Spencer cocks her head to the side and smiles slightly. "Yes, don't you?" She asks in response.
"I don't know if I believe in God," the brunette admits, almost embarassed about it due to the other girl's conviction.
"You don't have to because He believes in you," Spencer replies seriously.