“Yeah, I know. Sorry.” The girl replied, shrugging her shoulders lightly as she fiddled with her pencil, “Better late than never, right?”

“Any particular reason why?” The woman asked, still holding the Expo dry erase marker in her hand.

Ashley opened her mouth to make some smart-ass response but was interrupted by some other girl in the back of the class, “She was probably with Spencer.”

The brunette looked a little puzzled, noticing as Spencer’s shoulders tensed. The teacher looked a little confused also, replacing the cap on the marker before setting it down on the aluminum holder beneath the board, “And why would you say that, Madison?”

“Well you know… They spend a lot of time together…” Madison spoke; smirking as a few of the kids surrounding her either giggled or nodded.

Spencer looked back at Ashley, her blue eyes wide and a bit baffled by what the Latina girl was getting at. Ashley shook her head side-to-side, not really getting her point either, “So, we’re friends.” The brunette defended, brows furrowed.

“That’s not what /I/ heard.” Another voice in the room spoke, one belonging to some kid neither Spencer nor Ashley even knew. It was the moment of truth and every eye in the classroom was on the bewildered pair.

 “What’s that supposed to mean?” The brunette spoke, starting the feel a bit angered. It was as if there was this elaborate joke going on around them that only she and Spencer were not apart of, and she hated it. 

Madison scoffed, offended Ashley would pretend not to know, “Come on Ashley, quit faking. We all know you two are… You know…”

“What? We are what?” The girl pressed, standing up from her seat and laying her hands upon her table.

“Gay.” Madison spoke finally, rolling her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Ashley was stunned to say the least, her mouth hanging ajar for a few seconds.  Spencer’s eyes were welling with tears as she looked up at the brunette, not certain how to react to this information.

“Madison, that is enough!” The teacher spoke, a little surprised herself as she watched the pair for a reaction.

Ashley finally shut her mouth, her jaw locking as she tugged Spencer’s elbow, “Come on, Spence.”