The bathroom door opened with a thump and a squeak as it swung open. “Oh shi-“Ashley desperately tried putting out her joint the good way, saving a little bit for later, but she didn’t have the time. She threw it in the toilet and it went out with a short sizzle.

“Ashley?” That voice called out, that soft voice that caused so much pain, how weird that sounded. The thought of something as soft as a feather pillow causing as much pain as a hundred sharp knifes cutting right through your flesh was too odd sounding. “Ashley, I know you’re in here.”

Ashley tried desperately to bring her feet out of view from beneath the door but it proved to have worked when she heard a knock on her stall door. She opened it slowly revealing herself, embarrassed to Spencer. She was ashamed of the things she did to herself, but she did them anyways. She couldn’t even understand herself.

“Ash, I thought you said you quit smoking pot?” Spencer questioned caringly. She stepped inside the stall, closing and locking the door behind her.

“Well, truth be told I quit for you. But when there is no you, there is no promise. It’s like in this world we all rely on another person who relies on another person who-”

“Okay, so you ARE stoned.” Spencer said noticing Ashley’s new feel for theoretical thoughts on the way the world worked. “Look, I’m sorry about last night. I really am. I’m so sorry that I drove you to this.”

All Ashley could do was stare at her for a second. She still had enough sense to know what things to say. “Wait. What makes you think this has anything to do with you?” Ashley asked snapping at Spencer for saying anything at all. “How do you know it isn’t because of all the other crap I deal with?”

“You’re right.” Spencer said obviously faking defeat. It was probably the wrong time for sarcasm, but oh well. “It has nothing to do with the fact that I won’t date you.”

The words hurt just to hear them. It was too much right now and Ashley felt everything coming out of her in the form of wet tears rolling down her cheeks. “It doesn’t matter. You’re just another name to add to the list of people that don’t care about me.” Ashley as she placed her forehead against the hard, cold, brick wall. It wasn’t even real brick, it some faux brick stuff because the school was too cheap to get the real stuff.

“Ash, that’s a load of bull and you know it.” Spencer said. Ashley liked it when Spencer called her ‘ash’. It made her feel like something, or someone. “Because I care about you more than you know.”

Ashley looked into the deep blue eyes confused. If she cared so much, why does she just want to be friends? Its hat Ashley was thinking, but she couldn’t get herself to say it. She hoped that Spencer would carry on the conversation without her input, due to her temporary verbal paralysis.

“Ashley, I’m going to be honest about something. I want you to try and understand it okay?” Ashley nodded her head. “Last night wasn’t about our friendship. I know that even if we did break up, I would still be your friend no matter what. It was because I was- I was scared, Ashley. Not scared of you but scared of us. Scared of there actually being an ‘us’ and I didn’t think I could handle it but now I want you to know that I think I-” Spencer’s rambling became annoying so Ashley cut her off the most polite way she knew how. She placed her lips tightly against the blondes and lingered for a moment before pulling away slowly. She looked into Spencer’s eyes and saw nothing but love and compassion. “-can” Spencer finished her ramble with the one word that changed her life. Well, for now anyway.

THE END