PREVIOUSLY

“Did you have some questions for us, Kris?”

“First, tell me when the relationship started, if it was sexual at all, how open were you in public, and who came on two who,” she says emotionlessly. I almost interject but she interrupts me without looking up. “And yes, Spencer, before you ask, all of this information is important to helping me establish a defense.”

Ashley begins to rattle off answers. “We started dating a few weeks into the school year, at first we were very secretive but then we threw caution to the wind, I guess Spencer came on to me, and…” Ashley hesitates, uncomfortable with answering the last question.

Kristal looks up, wanting an answer. Ashley is still squirming, so I answer. “Yes, the relationship was verrrry sexual. This girl is a sex machine! Aren’t you, baby?” I ask my girlfriend, loving that I could get under Kristal’s skin without actually breaking our truce.

Ashley coughs and mumbles something. “Oh, come on, don’t get all shy on me now,” I say, playfully smacking her arm. “You weren’t shy when we—“ I stop and whisper in her ear, all the while grinning and smirking. An intense crimson blush spreads across Ashley’s face. I pull back and finish, “Remember?” 

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Kristal sits on the couch opposite Ashley and I, looking from me, to Ashley, to me, back to Ashley again. She keeps starting before letting out a brief chortle.

“Wow. I never knew so much about you guys,” she says before shaking her head in disbelief for a second time. She pauses for a few moments before finally addressing us again. “Well, now I have a lot to think about. Things just got a whole lot harder, let me tell you. I hope you aren’t planning doing any extracurricular school activities soon, Spencer, because they’re going to have to be put on the backburner until after this whole thing is cleared up.”

My thought switched to track. I hadn’t even considered joining this year because of the trial. In fact, running hadn’t crossed my mind in over four months.

I nod my consent.

Kristal nods, too, happy with my choice. “Good. I’m going to go back to my hotel so I can think about what I’m going to do with this information. I have a bit of research to do,” she sighs, flustered by all the information she just received.