Well here is all of chapter 13.

Thankyou for all the reviews from the last chapter!

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It took some prodding, but Spencer convinced Ash to wait around until she got ready so she could drop her off at the restaurant.

The incident at home was not easy to shake off though. Sitting on a stool at the cash register, she could feel Ash's strong arms around her. She could still feel her hand around her waist. The morning passed in a kind of haze. Spencer handed up checks and counted out change and ran credit cards through, but all the while her mind kept drifting back to that little bedroom at the guesthouse.

Mac arrived at work around noon, and right away, Spencer knew there was something on her friend's mind. Around 2:30, the restaurant emptied, so the two of them grabbed a couple of sodas and went to sit at one of the curbside tables.

"Can I ask you something?" Mackenzie said once they were seated.

"Of course."

"Were you ever on anything?" Mac asked in a whisper.

"You mean, drugs?" Spencer asked, a little perplexed.

"No."

"For my leg?"

Mackenzie laughed. She leaned forward and asked more quietly, "Were you on the pill, I mean, when you were with Jack?"

"Oh, birth control." Spencer tried to register if she'd ever taken it. And why Mac had a sudden interest in it.

"No."

"Then. . ." Mac hesitated. "How do you make sure. . .?"

"Well I once considered chastity belts." Spencer said confidently. "But once I tried it on, I knew I wouldn't

need it. Or maybe it was after I figured I was gay."

"Wow."

"And anyways, for them perverts out there, I still wield a mean crutch." She picked one up and waved it around. "They're multi-purpose and pretty handy."

Mac smiled. "I'm serious."

"I don't do it."

"Not yet," Spencer answered honestly.

"You've got to be tempted sometimes. I mean, isn't everyone?"

She never had been. Not seriously. Not before today.

"I suppose. I guess I always figured I'd start thinking about it when I found myself seriously tempted." Which meant, Spencer realized, she should be giving it some serious thought right about now. "But you have to understand, our circumstances are different. If I were to have sex, I wouldn't need a pill, because, well. . ."

"Yeah I know. And like you, I've never been pulled in that direction. But I've started thinking about it already. This summer."

"What? Being gay?"

"No, no…sex."

"Oh oh, you and Aiden?"

"Yeah. Since we started dating, I've been thinking about it a lot lately. And he wants to go out with me again. Friday night." Mackenzie rubbed at a nonexistent stain on a table. Here eyes were huge and full of emotion when she looked up at Spencer. "And I still can't believe it. Aiden Dennison. Ever since he arrived in Aruba, I've felt this crazy crush for him. But I didn't know if he felt the same way about me. At first, I think he just saw ma as a friend for windsurfing. But something happened this past week. It's different now. "

"That's great," Spencer replied enthusiastically.

Her friend looked doubtful. "I don't know. I mean, he has everything- looks, college, a great future, a family he loves."

Spencer put her hand on top of Mac's. "Don't sell yourself short. You have a lot going for you. You're a catch."

Mackenzie smiled in gratitude but she shook her head. "I'm just me- half a family, no awareness what so ever about style, Or what's in and what's out. I don't even know how I'm suppose to be with a guy I'm attracted to. I've never been a game player, I don't even know how to be coy. . . Or sexy, or what ever."

"Well that makes two of us then. But I think all of that is definitely overrated."

Mac smiled. "But don't you think amazing that someone like Aiden would want to go with me? I mean, look at me. I'm tall, dark, thin, flat-this is not exactly Beyonce's or Angelina's body here. And with this hair, I cant tell you how many times people have mistaken me for a boy."

"Then those people must have been blind. Aiden isn't. You're beautiful. More importantly, your genuinely a good person. That counts a heck of a lot more than the other stuff." Spencer learned forward, whispering now. "You were asking all those questions about birth control. You and Nick haven't already. . ."

Mackenzie shook he head. "Saturday night, we came close. We almost got carried away in the car when I was dropping him off. Almost. But I asked him to stop. And he did."

Another check in the plus column for Aiden, Spencer thought.

"He said he'd take care of things, when the time was right. When I was ready. But I can't let it go at that. I know that's not enough. So remember when I went to the doctor today? She put me on the pill."

"They won't take effect immediately. You still have to be careful," Spencer informed.

"I know. I've had plenty of sex education classes in school. . . And a few hints now and then from my mother. I know teenagers here are suppose to be miles ahead of American kids in these things," Mac said.

"But I'm not. Maybe I'm a defect, but I really didn't have anyone else that I could talk to about this except you. Well, Ashley too."

"I'm glad you did."

"So, do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

Tough question, Spencer thought. Even as she sat looking at her new friend, she knew that this was one of these moments when what she said really mattered. But what did she know about it?

"Look Mac," she started. "I'm not any wiser about this stuff than you. What I focus on is keeping my life as simple as I can and protecting myself. If you think going on the pills is going to help, then I say go for it. You still need to protect yourself from STD's, but pregnancy should definitely be avoided. Does that make any sense?"

"Very."

"You just finished high school. You'll be going to college somewhere away from the island right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well that's another world out there. A world you need to be prepared for. I think you're smart for doing it. Even if it doesn't work out with Aiden, you're thinking ahead."

Mackenzie squeezed Spencer's hand. "You're right. Thanks."

Neither of them saw the silver Mercedes until it had pulled up to the curb near their table and honked its horn. The lizards were inside, looking good as always. Kate was on the passengers side in the front seat, and her window came down smoothly.

"Mac. Susan. What have you two been up to?"

"It's Spencer," Mac said, correcting her.

"Right. Didn't I say Spencer?" Kate responded innocently. "Sorry. Where have you two

been hiding?"

"We've been working," Mac said. "How about you guys?"

Kate started to tell them about the scuba diving trip they'd gone on yesterday at one of the many wrecks of the waters around Aruba. A taxi pulled up behind the Mercedes and he driver honked the horn loudly. Spencer could see the Lizards partially blocked the road. Ellie was behind the wheel, and she waved the driver to go around her. As he went around her, Spencer could see him scowling and muttering, and she thought of how an American driver would have responded. Not so nicely.

"Anyway," Kate was saying to Spencer. "Have you seen Ashley around?"

"Yeah. We live in the same villa." It didn't sound quite the way she wanted it to, but so what?

"Do you know what time she gets from work?"

Spencer shook her head. "Not really. It's different every day."

"Are her phone and answering machine working?"

Spencer didn't know about the answering machine. "I used her phone this morning."

"That's funny. . ." Kate paused, and Spencer had a pretty good idea that here might be an unanswered message.

"Do you have her work number?" Kate asked.

Spencer shook her head again. No way was she giving that up.

Another car pulled up behind the Mercedes, beeping its horn loudly. This time, Beth poked her head out the window and yelled to the driver to go around.

"Well were throwing a party t my house on Saturday night. Can you tell Ash I expect her to come around my house in the afternoon to set up?

"I'll tell her," Spencer replied, as pleasantly as she could.

"Thanks Kate said, smiling sweetly.. One of the Lizards whispered something from the backseat. "Oh and wed love to have the two of you come over, too. About eight. Bring whatever you want to drink."

"Thanks," Mac said, keeping a smile plastered on her face until the Mercedes drove away.

"There's going to be talk about us."

"Talk about what?"

"We were holding hands, and they saw it."

Mackenzie gave her a knowing nod. "I'm not girlie enough for them. They're sure I'm gay."

Spencer sat back and smiled. "So, they think you've found yourself a playmate?"

"They can think whatever they want," Mac said. "In fact, maybe it's a good thing."

"Why is that?"

"Kate didn't seem as threatened by you, incase you didn't notice. They even invited you to their party. You still better watch your back, though."

"Will you go?"

"Will you?"

Spencer thought for a couple of seconds and then shook her head. "I don't know. Last Friday, they were determined to keep me away from Ash. I don't like that."

"Things have progressed since then, haven't they? With Ash I mean."

"Somewhat." Spencer shrugged, but couldn't hold back a smile. "I'm not into any competition thing though. I cant go in there and pretend it doesn't bother me if Kate is all over her."

"Maybe Ash wont want to go."

"Maybe, but I don't really know that either. Were nowhere near where you and Aiden are.

Whatever time we've spent together has been. . . Well, coincidental, I guess. Even though we live so close, Ash is always working. And I'm still trying to patch things up with my dad."

"Still, I think you're wrong about not going to the party. You should go. Let Ash show everybody who she's interested in.

That would require serious mojo, and Spencer wasn't sure she had enough.