I turned around and started to walk away when he grabbed my wrist roughly and pulled me back towards him.

"Spencer, stop this.  I’m just trying to look out for you!  She’s no good for you."

"And what makes you think you have a right to determine what’s good for me and what’s not?  You’ve never cared before; not with basketball and girls.  Don’t start now, not while I’m actually happy about this.  Not when we’re so happy about this.  Ashley actually cares about me, unlike yourself."

"You’re kidding yourself if you think this is what you want, or what she wants.  She’s using you, until some new ‘hot thang’ comes along.  That’s what she always does.  Don’t you know all the stuff she said to Kelly?  She told her she loved her, that she always had been, that she could never see herself without her.  Look how that turned out.  She dumped her a month later for that cheerleader from Franklin High."  I froze at that sentence. 

Was he right?

"Go to hell, Glen."  I finally squeeked out as I walked away again, and this time, he didn’t try to stop me.  As I approached the others, they could read my face and everyone instantly started asking me what happened.

"Nothing.  Ashley," I said, turning towards her, "… remember that thing about wanting to ditch?  I changed my mind.  Let’s go."

She nodded and we gave our stuff to Chelsea and started walking towards the parking lot.  She tried to wrap her arm around my waist but I turned to the side and out of her grasp.

"Stop, Ashley."

"Spencer, what just happened?  Are you okay?"

"Are you deaf, Ashley?  I said nothing happened.  I just want to go home."

Shit.

"Nevermind, I just realized I can’t go home.  My mom might slit my throat in my sleep."

Ashley laughed a little at that statement, but my sideways glare signaled to her that I wasn’t trying to be amusing.  Her tone got soft, "Well, then where do you want to go?  It’s up to you."

We arrived at her car and both got in, just sitting there for several minutes while I thought.  She was staring at me, I knew it, and I wanted to lock my eyes with hers, but I couldn’t.  I couldn’t shake what Glen had said from my thoughts.

"… she could never see herself without her.  Look how that turned out."

"Let’s go to the pier."  Ashley nodded and turned the car on.  We drove over there in complete silence.  Ashley had tried to hold my hand several times in the parking lot before I decided where I wanted to go, I hadn’t let her.  As we approached the pier, I looked at her for the first time since leaving putt-putt, and I saw so much worry and sadness in her eyes.  I felt my heart drop to my feet and I realized that I had to talk to her about what Glen had said.  I reached over and slid my fingers between hers, seeing a small smile cross her face.  She glanced over at me and pulled into a parking spot.

Here goes nothing.