{Tying Loose Ends}

            “Aren’t you late for class?”  Chelsea asked Spencer as she shoved her text books into her bag.  CJ was busy jumping on her bed, having gotten bored quickly of waiting on his mother.  Chelsea heard a muffle reply come from underneath the comforters hiding Spencer’s hibernating lump.  She couldn’t make out the answer but she was certain it equated to “I’m not going”.

                “Are you sick?”

                “No.”

                “Sooo you are missing class the week before midterms because…”

                “You don’t wanna know.”

                “And why wouldn’t I?”

                “Because that’s what you told me.”

                It suddenly dawned on Chelsea that this was a Spashley issue.  She hadn’t heard anything about Ashley for almost a month and a half and she had kind of assumed that the problem had just disappeared.  But she should have known better; the problem never disappeared between the two of them.  Chelsea let out a heavy sigh before walking over to Spencer’s bed and gently pulling the comforter back.  Spencer squinted up at Chelsea, her eyes slightly bloodshot; dark, heavy rings surrounding them.

                “Oh honey,” Chelsea said, sitting down beside Spencer and gently rubbing her back.  “What happen?”

                “You don’t really care,” Spencer sniffled.

                “I do.  I do.  I’m sorry, I was just upset that day and with the way things seemed to be going with you and Natalie, I thought the problem had fixed itself.  I haven’t been a good friend.”

                Spencer placed her head back into her pillow and sobbed into it.  Even CJ had stopped jumping on the bed, looking over at Spencer as if he understood the tension.  Chelsea put a finger up to her lips to quite CJ and he did; sitting on the bed and silently played with a toy figurine. 

                “Tell me what happen.”

                Spencer unleashed a months worth of drama in ten minutes, between tears and sobs, and Chelsea wondered how she could have missed all the turmoil.  She stroked Spencer’s hair gently until her haggard breathing returned to normal.

                “I don’t know what to say Spence.  I mean…do you want to be with Ashley?”

                Spencer wiped her eyes and looked up at Chelsea.  Spencer slowly nodded her head.