Birds Of A Feather

Click.

Click.

I fluttered my eyes open from a light sleep.

Click.

I groaned as I sat up in my bed. What was that noise?

Crash.

I bolted out of bed and saw the window in my room shattered, glass falling down the two stories. My heart was racing as I looked outside, looking for a burglar or some kind of crazy murderer. All I saw was a curly-haired brunette standing in the grass with her mouth agape. There was a look of shock on her face and a rock in her hand.

My door bursted open and my mom rushed in, first looking me over to see if I was okay. Second looking at the broken window.

"What's going on!?" She said to me in a very sleepy, anxious voice. Her eyes were still foggy from sleeping. She always went to bed early and has to be up early. She had an early shift tomorrow morning.

I thought quickly for a second, not wanting my best friend to get in trouble.

"Uh, it was a bird! It just smacked itself against the window!" I lied to her stupidly.

She looked at me, puzzled for a minute. "Where is it?" She whispered, her eyes glancing around the room.

"It, um, it left. Don't worry mom, I'll clean it up tomorrow. Go back to bed."

My mother gave me a small smile. And with a kiss to my forehead, she closed my door and went back to sleep.

I let out a nervous breath, glad she wasn't more awake to ask any more questions. My mother wasn't the biggest fan of my best friend and she would be so angry if she knew Ashley was sneaking into my room late at night.

I walked over to my broken window and looked outside. I didn't see Ashley anywhere. "Ash?" I yelled as quietly as I could.

Her head popped out from some of the bushes on the side of the house. I motioned for her to come up and she started to climb the ivy attached to our white house.

"I am so sorry Spence. I guess I threw the rock too hard." Ashley blushed as she said her words.

"Be careful." I told her as I took her hand and helped her through the jagged window. Her hand was always so soft in mine and it was worth it to be awake to see her.

"What did you say?"

I smirked at her. "It told her it was a bird."

"A bird?" Ashley snorted, kicking off her shoes and sitting on my bed. "Who would believe that?"

"My mother, apparently." I chuckled, setting myself next to her. "What are you doing here?"

Ashley didn't say anything. She just played with her fingers in her lap. I had known the girl for a while, and I knew that that was her nervous action. Even though the Ashley Davies people had thought they knew of at school was loud and obnoxious, the Ashley Davies I knew was actually kind of shy. I thought she was adorable when she was shy.

"Ash." I tried to say her name in a comforting tone. I placed my hand on her knee and rubbed it affectionately.

Ashley let out a breathe and her head was down, watching my fingers rub the jean material covering her knee. I had always had this pull to touch her in some way, to let her know that I was there. It was just something that was always present and I never questioned it. I tried to not let it mean anything more than friendship.

"I broke up with Sarah." Ashley told me, her eyes coming to meet mine.

I held back a grin. "Oh, I'm sorry."

She smirked at me playfully. "No you're not Spencer."

"Yes I am." I lied to her. "What happened?"

Ashley laid back on my bed, some of her t-shirt riding up. I could see, in the dark, the faint outline of abs on skin that looked as smooth as velvet. I tore my eyes away as she spoke.

"I don't know."

"Well, why did you do it?" I asked her.

I never liked Ashley's girlfriend Sarah. She was annoying and to be painfully honest, she was stupid. But Ashley thought she was cute. For the past three months, it had been Sarah this and Sarah that. I didn't mind because it seemed that my best friend really liked this girl. But I didn't like Sarah. She always tagged along, everywhere, even when Ashley didn't invite her. Plus, one time she told me the shirt I was wearing was ugly. So I told her she was a moron. We never got along after that.

"Just felt like." Ashley mumbled.

I tickled her side and I saw a grin spread across her face. Ashley laughed and pleaded for me to stop between breaths. When I gave her mercy, I left my hand on her shirt, faintly outlining the bottom of it. I hoped she didn't notice.

"You don't break up with someone just because you feel like it, Ash."

Ashley rolled on her side and propped her head up in her hand, elbow lifting her head slightly. "Sure you do. I just did."

I rolled my eyes at my silly best friend. "Okay, well, are you okay?" I asked her softly. Ashley set her head in my lap. I laughed quietly to myself as I started to run my fingers through her hair.

"I'm fine. I didn't like her much anyways." Ashley mumbled, her eyes were starting to close.

"You're really not gunna tell me why you broke up with her?" I asked again, knowing that my best friend would eventually tell me.

"I like someone else." She stated simply.

I sighed, thinking of who it could be. I was so sick of all the dumb girls Ashley would go out with. I knew it was immature and selfish, but I just wanted my best friend to myself.

"It's not that Anna girl is it? I heard she has crabs." I spoke to Ashley's head in my lap.

Ashley chuckled. "Ew. And no, not her."

"It better not be Madison." I told her in a stern voice.

"God, Spence, have more faith in me." Her arm came around my back and she pulled herself closer to me. I smiled at her warm touch. "The girls I like are not total bitches. The girls I like are- really pretty and sweet."

"Well, who is it?" I wondered.

Ashley mumbled something against shirt.

"Ashley." I laughed, playfully tugging on her hair. "I have no idea what you jut said."

"It's you." She said softly, her large brown eyes looking up to meet my shocked ones. I could see the fear and nervousness in them as she continued to look at me. She bit her lip, waiting for me to respond.

My heart was beating a thousand miles a minute. "Me?"

Ashley nodded. "You like me?" I asked again. I felt dizzy.

"Yes." She answered quietly.

I felt a smug smile come to my face. "You like me."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "Don't get all self-absorbed."

I gave her a wide grin. "You liiiiike me." I sang.

And in a flash, Ashley was no longer in my lap. She moved to basically straddle me in our sitting position on the bed. My smug smile left my face and I got electric shocks on my body. Intense electric shocks.

"Yeah, I like you." Ashley stated again, her eyes wandering around my face. It took my hands a while to move in the state of shock I was in, but when they finally did, they held her tightly to me by her waist.

Her brown eyes pierced mine. "Ash." I breathed, resting my forehead against hers.

"Spencer, I really want to kiss you." Ashley murmured to my lips. "Can I kiss you?"

I closed my eyes and let a small smile play on my lips. "What are you waiting for?"

And, with my eyes closed, I felt my best friend's lips hesitantly brush against mine. It was so soft and so wonderful. I couldn't believe it took this long to happen. After Ashley pulled away to make sure I wasn't going to freak out, and when she found no fear in my eyes, just love, I grabbed her face to mine and kissed her.

I felt her smile against my lips

"I like you too." I told her after we pulled away from each others faces for oxygen.

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When I woke up the next morning, I felt a warm Ashley cuddled up into my side. I smiled to myself and kissed her on the forehead. Just when I was about to drift back to sleep again, my bedroom door burst open.

"Spencer, I'm going to- is that Ashley?" At the sound of my mother's voice, both Ashley and I were immediately awake and sitting up in bed.

"Oh my God, Mrs. Carlin, I'm sor-" Ashley started to tell my mother but she was cut off.

There was a small smirk on my mother's lips as she said: "So Ashley, you're the bird, huh?"


El Fin