Chapter Five
Mr. Hawthorne was a nice old man who was a war vet. He spent most of his time with Spencer recounting stories of his heroic times during the war. Spencer was very attentive and made the appropriate comments here and there. Mr. Hawthorne then started talking about his late wife, Camilla, and how he had "wooed" her. The conversation somehow veered to Spencer's own love life when he asked if she had a boyfriend.
She quickly avoided the subject by asking Mr. Hawthorne if was interested in playing a game of cards.
"Will you open a window please, honey?" Mr. Hawthorne asked trying to loosen the buttons on his cardigan sweater. "Technically, I'm not allowed to have them open because the nurses think I'm going to fall out or something." He gave her a wry smile.
Spencer happily obliged and cracked open a window. The sound of a guitar playing suddenly filled the room. Spencer looked outside and saw that Ashley was now playing her for her grandmother. It looked like she was also singing, but Spencer couldn't hear from where she was.
"What's that sound?" Mr. Hawthorne asked joining Spencer by the window.
"Oh, someone's playing the guitar outside."
"Oh, that must be Ashlan's granddaughter. Very nice girl." Mr. Hawthorne watched for a few more moments before sitting back at the table where cards were dealt.
Spencer was mesmerized by the way Ashley was playing. She was very good and it seemed like all the other patients seem to enjoy the little concert as well.
"Yoohoo, Spencer, are we playing?" Mr. Hawthorne waved at her.
Spencer tore herself away from the window and sat at the table as well. "Does Ashley visit her grandmother often?" she asked out of nowhere.
"A few times a month, very funny girl. She sometimes plays checkers with me." Mr. Hawthorne looked at the cards and frowned.
Spencer couldn't picture Ashley spending her weekends playing checkers with the elderly. It seemed almost impossible but here was this nice old man saying how he plays board games with her. Spencer felt like she just entered the Twilight Zone.
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Ashley finished strumming the last chords of the song she was playing and Ashlan (and a few others) gave her a loud applause.
"That was beautiful, sweetie. You play just like your father."
At this, Ashley smiled sadly. "I miss him."
"I miss him, too. I see so much of him in you." She gave her a tearful smile before Ashley put her guitar away. "So, how come you haven't said anything yet?"
Ashley gave her grandmother a confused look. "Said anything about what?"
"About Spencer," she said giving her a grin. "Usually, she's the first thing you talk about. 'Spencer was the only one who got a perfect grade. Spencer told off a football jock in front of everyone. Spencer wore this cute purple t-shirt.'" Ashlan stopped when she saw that Ashley was turning bright red.
"Well, we don't have any class together this semester so I hardly see her," she half-lied.
Ashlan stared at her as if she was reading her mind. "What happened?"
Ashley bit her lip. "She doesn't like me too much."
"Nonsense. You're a Davies, how can she not fall for the Davies charm?"
Ashley laughed. "She's pretty immune to it, grandma." Ashlan wasn't convinced. She knew there was more but she left it alone.
"I'm sorry, ladies, but visiting hours are now over," a nurse said approaching them.
Ashlan smiled sadly as Ashley got up and started packing away her guitar. "I'll see you, soon." She bent down and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Be yourself, Ashley," Ashlan said before the nurse wheeled her away.
Ashley was barely out of the door when her cell phone rang. Rolling her eyes when she saw who was calling, Ashley flipped it open.
"Geez, Sally, I just left. The movie doesn't start for two hours. Can I go home and change first?"
"No, I'm not calling about that," she said frantically.
"Then what about?"
"Um, I may have invited someone to come along with us."
Ashley stopped walking and smiled. "Did you really?" she teased. "And who might that be?" She knew perfectly well that it was Casey.
"Is that okay with you? I mean, it kind of just came out. We were working on our chemistry homework and I just blurted it." Sally sounded so nervous that Ashley had to cut her a break.
"Yes, it's okay. I don't mind being the third wheel on your date."
"Ash."
"Kidding. No worries, I'll probably just spend the time hitting on the concession stand girl," she joked.
"I love you. See you soon, bye."
"Bye." Ashley hung up shaking her head.
"Casey going out with you and Sally?"
Ashley jumped about fifty feet in the air before turning around and clutching her heart. Spencer was sitting on a bench in front of the building. She didn't see her because she was on the phone.
Spencer couldn't help but little smile at Ashley's reaction.
"Oh my, God. You scared me." Ashley could feel her heart beating under her hand. "Um, yeah Casey's coming to the movies with us, how did you know?" she asked curiously.
"Casey just texted me," Spencer said waving her cell phone. "In all caps."
Both her and Ashley laughed. "Yeah, it's about time those two got together."
"Oh yeah, I know," she agreed. They laughed again before they realized that they were in fact talking to each other. An awkward silence fell over them before Ashley cleared her throat, mumbled something, and started to head for the parking lot.
"Ashley, wait."
Ashley turned back around, curiosity written all over her face. Spencer stood up and approached her so they were standing face to face.
"I'm sorry about earlier. You know accusing you of following me," Spencer said shamefully.
But Ashley gave her a little smile. "It's alright, I would've probably thought the same thing."
The awkward silence returned again and Spencer scuffed her shoe on the sidewalk. "So, you play the guitar?" Spencer said dumbly.
"Yeah, but it's more a hobby." Ashley adjusted the strap of the gig bag on her shoulder.
"You sounded really good,"
Ashley's eyes lit up a little. "You heard me?"
Spencer looked down a little embarrassed at her confession. She had no idea why she was saying all these things. "Yeah, I was in Mr. Hawthorne's room and I opened the window."
"Oh, really? I love Mr. Hawthorne. He's so nice."
"Yeah, he told me that you're here a few times a month." Spencer really wanted to shut her mouth but it seemed like it had a mind of its own today.
At this, Ashley looked at the ground. "I come here to visit my grandma. She doesn't get that many visitors besides me, my sister, and mom."
Spencer heard the sad tone in her voice and looked at her sympathetically. "That must be hard. You two seem very close."
"We are." Ashley smiled. "I wish she can live with us but we technically have no legal right to her housing situation." Ashley had no idea why she was sharing any of this with Spencer but she felt very comfortable talking to her even though they've never even shared a real conversation.
"Why not?"
"Because of my dear uncle and aunt," Ashley said bitterly. "When my dad died, they decided to put my grandmother in a home so they didn't have to deal with her. My mom's been trying to get her to live with us but since she technically had no legal standings, she couldn't do anything."
"I'm sorry," she sympathetically. Spencer had the sudden urge to touch Ashley or something but she quickly pushed that thought of her head.
Ashley could sense that the situation was probably going to get awkward again. "Um, well I'll see you later." She turned around and started to leave when Spencer spoke again.
"Your grandma said that you talk about me," she blurted out which made Ashley turn around one more time. Her cheeks were blushing. "Why?"
Ashley bit her lip. "I tell my grandma everything important going on in my life."
Spencer looked at her confused. That didn't really answer her question.
"I told her that I liked you." And with that, Ashley finally made her way to the parking lot.
Spencer stood there confused before her vibrating cell phone broke her from her thoughts. She flipped it open and saw it was a text message from Casey.
Please come tonight. Im so nervous.
Casey didn't tell her that Ashley would be there (in hopes she'd say yes) but of course Spencer knew she was. She texted back a response.
Okay. Ill be there.
Omg, thank you! I love you.
Spencer put away her cell phone and sighed. Tonight was definitely going to be interesting.
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