Long Way Home

Chapter 14

September 2011 -past-

After a long afternoon at Natalia's house, studying and helping her best friend get ready for a test she had the following day, the only thing left on her mind was getting home and hopefully remembering to give her friend the vinyl he had been wanting to borrow.

"I don't know if I can ever thank you for all the driving you've done for the last two months." Spencer laughed quietly as the minivan came to a stop outside her house. "I feel like I owe you the world."

"You know I'm always here to give you a ride, Spence." He smiled, turning to look at the girl as he put the car in park. "I like driving and listening to music with you. It's kind of my happy place."

"Oh, speaking of–" she paused, climbing from the car and lightly leaning on the open window of the closed door. "I can go grab that album upstairs you said you wanted to borrow. Do you still want it?"

Ashton quickly nodded, a sort of hopeful sparkle to his eyes. "Yeah, I can come up with you if you want? That way you don't have to come all the way back down here."

The blonde glanced over her shoulder at the house behind her, debating if it was worth the risk of what she had been coming home to. "Yeah, yeah that's fine." She finally turned back to look at him, smiling. Any extra time hanging out with Ashton was worth it.

The two of them started towards the house together once the older of the two quickly turned off, and exited the minivan. All Spencer could do was hope her parents weren't fighting. That they weren't screaming at each other in the office or in the kitchen. It was quickly becoming a norm for her to come home to fighting. Slowly, she unlocked the front door as she tried to listen for any arguments possibly happening.

Hearing only the TV from the living room, one of her mothers favorite shows quietly playing, the girl pushed the door open to step inside quietly. But the door clicking shut behind her made her known, pushing Ashton in front of her to start up the stairs as she heard her mothers voice.

"Spencer darling? Is that you?"

"Uh yeah!" She called back, following Ashton up the stairs. "I still have some homework and reading to finish up so I'll be upstairs in my room." When she heard an agreement-like sound from her mother, she finished running up the stairs to meet Ashton at the top, her cheeks flushing pink. "This way–" The girl whispered, leading the way down the short hallway to her room.

Safely tucked away, the door closed behind her, she noticed Ashton soaking everything in. It wasn't often, or ever truly, that he got to admire the girl's taste in... everything. "I don't think I've ever been in your room before."

"Probably not. I'm not usually allowed to have guests over... especially boys." Spencer whispered, making her way over to her small, but growing record collection. To say she was embarrassed to make that statement out loud at the age she was, was an understatement. "Can you remind me what album you wanted?"

"Led Zepp–"

Quickly nodding, Spencer hummed in response, not necessarily meaning to interrupt him as she started rummaging through her collection. Searching until she pulled it out, Spencer happily turned to look at him with the album in her hands. "Here you go, just be careful with it, please. Aunt Taylor got it for me."

"Of course." He smiled widely, admiring the album in his hands after she passed it over. "I'll get it back to you as soon as I finish listening to it."

"No rush, enjoy it for as long as you–" She started but was cut off by her mother yelling loudly from downstairs.