“Ash? Hey, you okay?”  She looked into my eyes, searching for something.  She didn’t know what she was searching for, but I sure did.  I shook my head.  Shit.  Did I really just imagine that? 

“Sorry, I…uh…guess I, uh, I don’t know what happened there.”  I stood back up.  “Ready to go again?” I asked as I offered my hand once again.

*****

“Hey, so where are you from?  Does your family come to Mammoth often?”  I handed her a hot chocolate. 

Spencer took the hot chocolate and laughed quietly.  “I’m from Ohio, but my family just moved to LA at the beginning of this school year.  And, no, we’ve never been here before.  We usually go in Ohio, but since we live out here now…well, it’s just easier.” 

“Really?  LA?”  Maybe I’d get to see her again after all.  “Where in LA?  I live in Beverly Hills.”  I hope that she doesn’t think I’m some rich snob…

“Yeah, I live nearby.  Hancock Park?” 

“Oh cool.  What school?”

“My parents have me in a private school…Harvard-Westlake?  I’m kinda mad.  I just wanted to go to a public school.”

I don’t know how many times my heart skipped a beat today, being with Spencer, but it just did it again.  “Harvard-Westlake?  No way.  I’m starting there this semester.”  Spencer gave me a quizzical look, asking why I would be switching schools mid-year.  “Okay, I know what you’re thinking, and well, I’m sure part of it’s right on.  I finally pissed the nuns off one too many times and I got expelled.  My mom had to pull quite a few strings for me to be accepted at Harvard-Westlake, but they took me.  I don’t know why.  But my mom wouldn’t let me go back to public school, that’s for sure.” 

Spencer gave me another curious look, but I think this one was more sarcastic.  “You pissed the nuns off to get expelled from Catholic school.  So how’d you get kicked out of public school?”

I smiled.  “I didn’t tell you I was kicked out of public school.”

Spencer blushed slightly and looked down at the floor.  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to assume.”