Strawberry Swing
Strawberry Swing
Spencer and Ashley were six years old when they first met. Spencer was in the playground when Ashley appeared.
"Hi."
Spencer silently looked at her, slightly surprised that someone was actually speaking to her.
Ashley gestured toward the empty seat on the swings next to Spencer. "Can I sit here?"
Spencer simply shrugged.
"My name is Ashley. What's yours?"
"Spencer." She spoke so softly, Ashley wasn't sure she heard her.
"That's a pretty name." Ashley smiled before noticing Spencer was barely swinging, so she offered to push her. Ever since that day, they've been inseparable. And Ashley made it a tradition on Spencer's birthday to go into the playground where they first met and play on the swings.
Despite not having any friends, and never feeling completely happy - meeting Ashley changed all that. It changed Spencer, she felt normal and happy and less alone.
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10 years later:
While watching "The Hills" Marathon, Spencer and Ashley also decide to pig out. They lay on Spencer's bed, which is covered with an assortment of junk food. Ashley started to speak with a mouthful of cookies, when Spencer pushed a glass of milk in her hands.
"Spence, your mom makes the chocolate chip cookies."
Spencer nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but her brownies are better."
"Oh! I almost forgot." Ashley suddenly jumps off the bed and goes into Spencer's closet and retrieves a small bag.
She returns to the bed and hands the bag to Spencer. "I got this for you a few days ago."
"Ash, it's not even my birthday."
Ashley shrugs. "It's doesn't have to be your birthday for me to get you a gift."
Spencer opens the contents of the bag and pulls out a bubble bottle and a wand. "Oh, wow." She's pleasantly surprised.
Ashley smiles at her in return. "Remember how we used to blow bubbles all the time?"
Spencer shakes her head in amazement. "I don't know how we never got bored doing that."
"Well, we were kids - simple things were always fun."
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As they blew bubbles and reminiscing about their childhood, everything about it was magic again.
Then as Spencer starts to blow another bubble, Ashley leans in to kiss her but Spencer pulls back. Thinking Spencer was only startled; Ashley tries to kiss her again.
"Ash, don't..."
"What's wrong?" Spencer remains quite for a few moments, unsure of what to say.
"Spencer, why won't you kiss me?"
"My doctors don't think you're good for me. My parents think it's time I grow up."
"You told them about me? About us? We promised we wouldn't tell anyone?"
"That's easy for you, because you're made up?" Ashley slightly flinches at her words and the hurtful tone.
"That's not fair."
Spencer looks down at her hands. "I know. I start taking the pills tomorrow; they're supposed to make me better."
Realization crosses Ashley's face. "You're getting rid of me." Tears start welling up in her eyes as she tries to compose herself. "But I'm in love with you."
"Ashley - "
"And you're in love with me."
"No, that's not true. I'm just…. lonely, that's all."
"How can you be lonely? We've been friends forever."
"16 year olds don't have imaginary friends. When I was a kid, it was cute and normal. Now, I'm the weird girl."
Ashley shakes her head. "You're beautiful."
"No, I'm weird."
"They don't know you like I do. If they cared about you, they wouldn't make you take stupid pills that would only make you unhappy. I've loved you since the first moment I met you. You're everything to me. Everything else is just dark and empty."
Ashley lifts Spence's chin to look her in the eyes. "You make me real. So, please don't say you don't love me, 'cause I know you do."
"I do, it's just that...all this, everything I'm feeling, it's not real."
Ashley leans in to kiss her again and this time Spencer doesn't pull away.
They press their foreheads together, and Spencer softly sighs. "Can we just sleep?"
Ashley nods and they get into the bed, both facing each other and hands held together.
"What going to happen tomorrow?" Spencer asks.
Ashley pulls Spencer's hands to her lips and kisses them. "I don't know. "
"Goodnight, Ashley."
"'Night, Spence."
Spencer and Ashley were six years old when they first met. Spencer was in the playground when Ashley appeared.
"Hi."
Spencer silently looked at her, slightly surprised that someone was actually speaking to her.
Ashley gestured toward the empty seat on the swings next to Spencer. "Can I sit here?"
Spencer simply shrugged.
"My name is Ashley. What's yours?"
"Spencer." She spoke so softly, Ashley wasn't sure she heard her.
"That's a pretty name." Ashley smiled before noticing Spencer was barely swinging, so she offered to push her. Ever since that day, they've been inseparable. And Ashley made it a tradition on Spencer's birthday to go into the playground where they first met and play on the swings.
Despite not having any friends, and never feeling completely happy - meeting Ashley changed all that. It changed Spencer, she felt normal and happy and less alone.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 years later:
While watching "The Hills" Marathon, Spencer and Ashley also decide to pig out. They lay on Spencer's bed, which is covered with an assortment of junk food. Ashley started to speak with a mouthful of cookies, when Spencer pushed a glass of milk in her hands.
"Spence, your mom makes the chocolate chip cookies."
Spencer nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but her brownies are better."
"Oh! I almost forgot." Ashley suddenly jumps off the bed and goes into Spencer's closet and retrieves a small bag.
She returns to the bed and hands the bag to Spencer. "I got this for you a few days ago."
"Ash, it's not even my birthday."
Ashley shrugs. "It's doesn't have to be your birthday for me to get you a gift."
Spencer opens the contents of the bag and pulls out a bubble bottle and a wand. "Oh, wow." She's pleasantly surprised.
Ashley smiles at her in return. "Remember how we used to blow bubbles all the time?"
Spencer shakes her head in amazement. "I don't know how we never got bored doing that."
"Well, we were kids - simple things were always fun."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As they blew bubbles and reminiscing about their childhood, everything about it was magic again.
Then as Spencer starts to blow another bubble, Ashley leans in to kiss her but Spencer pulls back. Thinking Spencer was only startled; Ashley tries to kiss her again.
"Ash, don't..."
"What's wrong?" Spencer remains quite for a few moments, unsure of what to say.
"Spencer, why won't you kiss me?"
"My doctors don't think you're good for me. My parents think it's time I grow up."
"You told them about me? About us? We promised we wouldn't tell anyone?"
"That's easy for you, because you're made up?" Ashley slightly flinches at her words and the hurtful tone.
"That's not fair."
Spencer looks down at her hands. "I know. I start taking the pills tomorrow; they're supposed to make me better."
Realization crosses Ashley's face. "You're getting rid of me." Tears start welling up in her eyes as she tries to compose herself. "But I'm in love with you."
"Ashley - "
"And you're in love with me."
"No, that's not true. I'm just…. lonely, that's all."
"How can you be lonely? We've been friends forever."
"16 year olds don't have imaginary friends. When I was a kid, it was cute and normal. Now, I'm the weird girl."
Ashley shakes her head. "You're beautiful."
"No, I'm weird."
"They don't know you like I do. If they cared about you, they wouldn't make you take stupid pills that would only make you unhappy. I've loved you since the first moment I met you. You're everything to me. Everything else is just dark and empty."
Ashley lifts Spence's chin to look her in the eyes. "You make me real. So, please don't say you don't love me, 'cause I know you do."
"I do, it's just that...all this, everything I'm feeling, it's not real."
Ashley leans in to kiss her again and this time Spencer doesn't pull away.
They press their foreheads together, and Spencer softly sighs. "Can we just sleep?"
Ashley nods and they get into the bed, both facing each other and hands held together.
"What going to happen tomorrow?" Spencer asks.
Ashley pulls Spencer's hands to her lips and kisses them. "I don't know. "
"Goodnight, Ashley."
"'Night, Spence."