"Dad…"

"I just want a chance. To be myself." She removed her fingers from her eyes and opened them. A small tear slid down her cheek. Ashley closed the distance between them, a hand rising slowly as if Spencer was a skittish animal. The pad of Ashley’s thumb gently brushed the tear away.

"I know how this all feels. Believe me, I do."

Spencer just shook her head, appearing like she was trying to clear her mind forcefully, letting out a tiny sigh. Ashley’s arms moved around her waist slowly, pulling her closer. It was a hug, and the one thing Spencer had needed since yesterday. She held on for dear life, like Ashley was her life raft.

Ashley was the first to break the closeness. She reached into her bag and pulled out a disc, looking at it fondly before handing it over to the broken girl in front of her. Spencer raised an eyebrow, in silent question, but she took the disc nonetheless.

"It’s a mix. Lame, I know." Spencer couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled from her throat. Ashley shot her a smirk before continuing. "It helped me a lot when things were…crap."

Spencer slowly turned the disc end over end in her fingers, watching it for a few moments before meeting Ashley’s gaze. She blinked slowly. When she opened her eyes again, she saw herself leaning closer to the brunette. Their lips met in a series of soft brushes. Spencer felt a slight hum of energy flow through her body. Or was she actually humming against Ashley’s mouth?

She breathed deeply through her nose and suddenly remembered they were in a rank bathroom at school. Pulling back, she watched Ashley in open admiration. The girl’s eyes were still closed, lips parted, a whisper escaping. "You’re welcome."

They parted, smiling at one another. Spencer grinning as she watched Ashley survey the bathroom in disgust. "We are going to figure all of this out." She gestured at the room as a whole, but Spencer knew what she meant, and nodded in return.

They made their way into the sunlight and into the mess of people outside. Ashley walked by her side the entire time, when Spencer knew she had a class all the way across the quad in the opposite direction. She glanced over and smiled softly, occasionally letting her hand bump into Ashley’s as they walked.

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