I quickly rearrange my schedule mentally in order to incorporate this. “I’d love to go.”

“We could rent a movie, eat pizza and play some games…I know it sounds juvenile but–”

“No,” I say, cutting her off. “It’ll be great.”

Her face brightens. “Okay. Bring your overnight stuff, pajamas, and anything else you might need and I’ll drive you to school tomorrow.”

Ding dong.

I wait about three minutes and ring again after about two more minutes. The door opens and I’m greeted by a scantily clad Ashley.

I try my hardest not to check her out. She’s dripping wet and there is only a towel covering her.

“Hey Spencer! Sorry about making you wait for so long. I was in the shower.”

“No problem,” I say as I step through the threshold of her house.

As I look around I see a few new additions to her house: Bean bag chairs, a Plasma TV and the rugs she bought from the flea market.

“Come on in,” she says, leading me further back into her loft. “Will you give me just a few minutes so I can go change?”

When she returns she is dressed in simple black boy shorts and a clean blue wife beater.

“I know you didn’t get the full tour the last time you were here so do you want to go through it now?” she asks.

“Sure.”

“I know there isn’t much to “see” since it’s basically one big room, but back there in the front in the dining room, this is the living room slash hangout space,” she says, gesturing around the area we’re in, “and over there is the kitchen. I had temporary partitions put in because usually my kitchen is a wreck and I hate to look at it.”

I chuckle.

“Let’s go upstairs,” she suggests.

I haul my bag over my shoulder and start to slowly ascend the stairs.

“You can put that in my room if you’d like.” When we get to the top of the stairs, she continues, “he entire right side doors lead to the gym and game room. That’s the closet,” she says, pointing to a small door on the left, “and this is my bedroom.”