The Secret Garden (GirlxGirl)

Bittersweet

"Is it possible for you to be on time once in your life?" My mother asks me as I rush into the store.

"Sorry mom." I say and turn my head to roll my eyes so she wouldn't see.

"You were at the hospital again with that girl weren't you?" She says in a harsh tone, causing me to shoot daggers at her.

"Don't talk about her like that, mom." I tell her firmly. She sighs and walks over to the side of the store where I am. My mom owns a records store in downtown called 'As the Record Turns', she started the company a year after I left and it's been doing pretty good. When I got back to L.A she practically begged me to come at work at the store, saying it would be great for us to get to know each other again. If anything it's pushed us further apart.

"I'm sorry." She says once she reaches me. "I just think that you should move on, Ashley. I mean you don't even know the girl. I just-"

"Don't mom, please." I beg her as I pull my hair up into a ponytail.

"Fine." She says and walks back to the other side of the store behind the counter. I sigh and busy myself with straightening out the records and putting the back in the right order. People come in here and pick something up, and then just put it back anywhere they want to. Doesn't that make you mad?

After two hours of fixing the records I was getting bored, plus no one was coming in the store.

"Mom, I'm gonna head home." I tell her and she rolls her eyes.

"See you tomorrow, Ashley." She replies. She knows where I'm headed.

"Goodnight mom." I say and exit the store.

It only took me fifteen minutes to get to the hospital.

"Hey, Ashley." The nurse greets me as I enter the room.

"Hey." I reply. "Anything?" I ask in a hopeful tone.

"No. I'm sorry." She shakes her head.

"Okay." I reply and walk over to the chair next to her bed and take a seat.

"Will you be staying the night?" The nurse asks. I nod and she smiles. "I'll get you some blankets and a pillow." She says and exits the room.

"Hey." I say to the figure laying on the hospital bed. I let a small smile escape my lips as I enclose her hand in mine. My eyes flutter shut as I listen to the sound of the machines beeping around me. The ventilator that's helping her breathe and the heart monitor that beeps every few seconds and a slew of other machines surrounding her bed. "I need you to wake up." I say keeping my eyes closed. "I can't keep doing this. It's too hard to see you laying here, knowing that I can't help you." I sniff as the tears start to fall. I close my eyes impossibly tighter and take a deep breath and release it. "Please, please come back to me." I cry out.

"Ashley." The nurse startles me, I release her hand and stand.

"I'm sorry." I say wiping my face.

She shakes her head and walks closer to me, placing the blankets and pillow she'd just retrieved for me. "It's okay." She places a hand on my arm and tells me. "If you need anything..." She trails off and I nod in understanding. She wordlessly turns and exits. I sit back down in the chair I just got up from, grabbing my journal from my bag. It helps to write sometimes.

Just to let it all out.

"Spencer." I grab her hand again. "I love you." I whisper, before releasing her hand.

–

"Spencer...Spencer..." I call out to her as I walk to the area of the Garden I'd seen her yesterday. I'm not entirely sure if this is all real, but it didn't stop me from calling out for her.

"Boo." She whispers in my ear behind me, startling me.

"What the fuck?!" I yell and turn around to face her, placing a hand to my heart.

"Gotcha." She smiles and walks past me towards the bench we were sitting on yesterday.

"That was a little cliché of you, don't you think?" I ask her, still trying to calm my breathing as I take a seat next to her.

"Not really." She says, narrowing her eyes like she's really thinking about it.

"Were you an ass before this..." I says gesturing at her figure. "Or is this something you've recently picked up?"

She gasps in mock offense. "I am no such thing, Ashley Davies." She says turning away from me with her arms crossed.

"I'm just saying." I shrug. A few moments pass and she doesn't say anything. "So you're mad and gonna ignore me now?" I ask her with a slight smile. She just continues to look in the other direction with her arms crossed. "Really, what are we sixteen?" She still doesn't say anything. "Okay fine, if you wanna be mad then-"

"Nah. I'm just kidding!" She says turning to me with a smile. I shake my head and roll my eyes at her and can't help but smile.

"You're crazy you know that?" I ask and she shrugs. We both get quiet for a moment.

"I am you know." She says looking straight at me.

"Crazy?" I question with a smirk.

"No." She shakes her head and smiles. "I'm sixteen." She says and I stand up.

"What year is this, Spencer?" I ask after a moment. Somehow, by the clothes she's wearing I just don't feel like it's 2012 for her.

"It's April of 2006..." My breath hitches..."isn't it?" Shes asks and my eyes go wide.

"No."I shake my head and say after a moment.

"May?" I shake my head again. "June?" She pleads to be correct. How do I tell her this?

"Um...Spencer it's not 2006 anymore." I tell her shaking my head.

"Is it 2007?" She asks.

"No." I shake my head again as she stand and faces me.

"It's 2012." I say and her breath hitches. Wherever she is...whatever this is that she's going through. She didn't even know that it'd been six years.