"Hey Ash, could you come here for a minute?"  Mr. C yelled.

"Sure Mr. C.  What’s up?"  I asked as I got up from the dinner table and went into the kitchen.  I was having a weekly dinner with the Carlins, Kyla was in Baltimore visiting her mom for the summer.

"Ashley, I was wondering if you’d like to make a little extra cash?"  He might as well be asking me for a favor because I don’t need any money.  Hell, I’m sixteen and I drive a porsche, need I say more?  But I’ll be polite and go along with him anyway.

"Sure, Mr. C.  What do you need?"  I asked curiously.

"Well, seeing as how it’s summer break and Glen and Clay both have activities, Paula and I need someone to look after Spencer.  We’ll pay you of course, but it really would be a great help.  So what do you think?"

"Mr. C I couldn’t take your money, but I would be glad to keep Spencer company."  I said.  I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not being polite.  Since the Carlins moved here, I’ve hungout with Spencer a lot.  I know she’s four years younger than me but when I’m around her I can’t tell.  She even gets the dirty jokes I tell, which sometimes I probably shouldn’t.  So it just wouldn’t feel right getting paid to hangout with my friend.

"Well, how about you take the money and use it for you girls to go to the movies or something, whatever you kids do these days."  He suggested.

"I guess that would be okay."  I said shaking his hand.  "It’s a deal."

So that’s how I became Spencer Carlin’s babysitter/best friend.  Weird I know, especially since I fell in love with the girl two years later.

I had just turned eighteen and was graduating high school.  Spencer was almost fourteen, finishing up the eighth grade.  When you’re that young, it’s weird having a best friend that’s four years younger than you.  But it never really bothered us, until now.  You see I was leaving for college in the fall and I decided to go to NYU.  Which meant that Spencer and I would only see each other on holidays and summer break.  This really sucked.  I mean a lot of friendships don’t last past high school and I didn’t want that to happen to Spencer and I.