Ashley offers than we take a walk while we finish our smoothies and when we step outside, I offer her my arm. We interlock them and I feel more confident than ever.

“Can I ask you something?” I work up the nerve to say.

“You just did,” she points out.

“Something else.”

“Sure thing. Shoot.”

“Do… Do you like me?” I spit out.

“Of course. What’s not to like about you? Plus, do you think I’d spend an entire afternoon with a girl who I didn’t enjoy spending time with?”

“No, I mean… Do you like like me?”

She stopped dead in her tracks and looked towards me seriously. She then looked me straight in the eyes, but she glanced down to my lips, then back up to me again.

Before she can say anything, I give in to temptation and kiss her. Our lips meet for the first time, and I’m in heaven. She kisses me back softly and gently, like a first kiss should be. Before I really know what’s going on, she pulls away. It was over too soon.

She studies me carefully before speaking slowly, as if trying to choose the right words.

“Spencer, we can’t do this.”

“Can’t do what? Why?”

“Kiss, be girlfriends… anything.”

My heart sinks to the floor. “I thought you said that this was a date?”

She looks at me sadly. “I didn’t mean it like that. This whole thing between us has gone way too far.”

“I don’t understand. Do you like me or not? Because from the signal you were giving me…” I trail off.

She sighs deeply. “I do like you Spencer but–”

I cut her off. “But what? There isn’t any ‘but’ to this!”

“First of all, you’re a student and I’m a teacher. Do you know how much trouble I could get in if anybody saw us? I mean, I could be arrested, it would definitely be in the headlines of all the tabloids. My reputation would be tarnished even more than it is already! Plus, you’re only a junior, which makes you… sixteen? Seventeen?”

“I’m eighteen, actually, which makes me legal. Anyway, there aren’t any laws in California that say teacher-student relationships are illegal.”

I see a smile play at her lips. “You actually checked?”

“Well, you know,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck then giving a dry cough. “You just stumble onto some facts after a while.”

“Look, Spencer. I moved out to L.A. to get away from all of the drama, and no offense, but I think being with you would be too much drama for me to handle.”

Instead of whining and begging and pleading, I play it off like a true Carlin.

“Aight. Sure thing. I get you,” I say coolly.

“Wait, Spencer. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“No no. It’s all good. Really. More fish in the sea.”

I almost apologize when I see her face sink a little, but I can’t. Plan ‘Get Davies on Team Spencer’ was already underway, and there was no turning back.

I swear you’ll be my girlfriend whether you like it or not, Ashley Davies, no matter what it takes.

First person to tell me exactly where I got ‘Yonada’ from gets a cyber-cookie!

Eat up. Enjoy. Don’t vomit. Just comment XD sorry about that <– but I couldn’t resist.