“Oh yeah,” I said, I finally remembered. I walked into the bedroom and searched for my shirt. It wasn’t laying anywhere in plain sight. “Spence, I can’t find it” I called out into the living room without leaving my spot.

“It’s on the chair next to my side of the bed.” She called out. I walked over to the chair and picked it up.

“Found it” I yelled. As I was putting my shirt on I looked over at her nightstand. On a piece of paper, I saw in big, bubbly letters “Ashley Davies”. Automatically I was curious. I walked over to the nightstand and grabbed the piece of paper. As I read it I was more and more shocked as I went. It was an assignment from Jake, Spencer’s boss. What a great story. What really happened to Raife Davies’s daughter? Well the answer was soon to follow in the newspaper. I couldn’t believe this. I had gone from homeless, to falling in love, to being in a ‘where are they now’ story. When was she planning on telling me? Is that the only reason she kept me around?

I couldn’t believe this. I went in the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I grabbed my clothes and put them back into my gym bag along with my cigarettes and weed. I still had a little bit of money left, so I made sure that was in my bag. I walked into the living room and dropped my bag behind the couch. I stood strongly there with my arms folded over my chest in an assertive manner. It took Spencer a bit to notice I was standing there. But eventually she peered over her notebook and looked at me. “Yes dear?” She asked all sweet and innocent.

“When were you planning on telling me?” I said getting right to the point.

“Telling you what?” She stuttered trying to figure out how much I knew before she spilled.

“Don’t play little miss innocent okay? I know you are writing a story about me. Why didn’t you tell me?” Spencer was quiet. She set down her notebook and sighed.

“I’m sorry Ashley. I was going to tell you, I just didn’t know how.”

“You weren’t going to even ask me if I was okay with it!” It wasn’t a question. I was yelling and accusing her. But I made sure I let her know by my tone that I was hurt.

“Ash, I’m so sorry. I didn’t even want to do the story. I didn’t want to take the assignment.”

“Then why did you?”

“I didn’t have a choice.”

She did not just go there. “You always have a choice Spencer. Believe it or not, you made a choice to take that story.”

“It doesn’t work like that. I have a career to look out for.”

“And that is your choice. You made a choice Spencer. You made a solemn decision to get ahead in your career.” I yelled trying to get the point across.

“Then what were my other choices Ashley? Tell me that!”

“ME Spencer, you chose your CAREER over ME!” I yelled.

“My career, Ashley, is something I know will be here years down the road!!” I was shocked, I was silent, and I was hurt, I was curious. I stared at her with hurt in my eyes.

“I’m so out of here.” I said and grabbed my bag which I had stored behind the couch. I headed towards the door.

“Where are you going to go?” Spencer asked.

I stopped to think. She was right. If I left, I had no place to go and once again I was homeless. “I’m going back to square one.” I said and stormed out the door. I walked down the street not knowing, or caring where I was going or how I planned to get there. It was something that I was going to need to figure out though.

It was strange though. It felt like I was seventeen again and it was my first day of being homeless. I was hurt and scared and didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing. I was back to where I started. I just prayed I didn’t end up as bad.

TBC