On Monday morning everyone was running behind at the Carlin house. Spencer sat at her dressing room table, trying to get herself ready for the first day of school. For each of them this would mean different things. For her, it was a chance to see Ashley.

Spencer could feel the excitement building inside of her as she rifted through her closet hoping against hope there was something she would find suitable to wear, a task she had been having trouble with in her own closet since she first set eyes on Ashley the day at the beach.

Spencer felt differently that morning than any other. More sure of herself, more aware of who she was and what she wanted out of life. Or at least, who she wanted in it.

She hustled down over the stairs and slid into her regular place at the table, just as Glen and Clay were scraping off their plates.

"You ready to go sis?"

"My Glen, you are in an aweful hurry to get to school." Spencer ruffled his hair.

"Hey, watch it! This is the first day of the rest of my life. The beginning of my senior year and once I establish myself as star point guard, the ladies will just start rolling in."

Glen mock dribbled around the table, causing Spencer to almost spit out the orange juice she was downing.

"My, don’t we think a lot of our selves?"

"You’re one to talk, took you over an hour to get dressed this morning! I take it things are well with Aiden?"

"Yeah, something like that." Spencer bowed her head, not wanting to make eye contact for fear there would be more questions to follow.

"Lets go, can’t be late on the first day." Clay was the brains of the family. He pulled on his bookbag and headed out the back door, with Glen and Spencer close at his heels.

When they arrived at the school for the first time, the three headed off to the office to try to figure out where they would need to go for their classes.

Spencer scanned the quad for any sign of Ashley, or even Aiden, who seemed to always be where Ashley was. Hundreds of students packed the grassy area while others piled into the hallways and off to classrooms. She couldn’t see any signs of Ashley and ran off to catch up with Clay and Glen who seemed to have located the main office.