“Hey, why don’t we blow off lunch, and go somewhere we can talk?” Ashley asks hoping he’ll say yes so, she can get his mind off of whatever’s bothering him.

“Does the school have a secret room like Aiden’s?” Spencer asks skeptically.

“Not quite, but there is this old classroom they don’t use anymore…it’ll be totally private….Whadaya   say?” Ashley responds.

Spencer pauses for a moment to think before coming to the conclusion that it is a good idea because they need to talk.

“Lead the way.” Spencer answers mustering up a half smile.

Ashley gives him a big smile in return. Then she guides him around the corner, past the cafeteria, straight a little farther, and to the left. There it stands the vacant classroom.

Inside the room is empty except for one old school desk with the chair attached, in the back far right corner facing backward as if a student had been bad and the teacher had ordered them to sit in the corner. Ashley promptly went to the desk, picked it up, carried it to the center of the room, and sat it down in front of Spencer. Then she took her seat.

“Its gotta be rough havin’ all these rumors goin’ ‘round school ‘bout your brother bein’ gay… are ya okay?” Ashley asks voicing her concern.

“Right now? No, and it ain’t just ‘cause of the rumors ‘bout Glen either.” Spencer answers somewhat sadly.

“Awww! I don’t wanna bug ya ‘bout it, but are the rumors true? People are askin’ me ‘cause they know we’re friends…I haven’t said anythin’ ‘cause I don’t know.” Ashley asks.

“I don’t know either…’Til yesterday I didn’t think so…We pick on each other ya know just bein’ brothers, and we might’ve called each other gay once or twice, but we didn’t mean it like that. So, I never woulda suspected it ‘til last night…Mom and I were talkin’ ,and  she said somethin’ that made me think she knows somethin’ I don’t…like maybe Glen came out to her.

Then when he came home, Glen said he was late ‘cause he was out with a girl, who turned out to be Madison…” Spencer explains.

Ashley interrupts Spencer in shock.

“What!”

“I know! I was pissed! He had no way of knowin’ what happened between me and her…I hadn’t talked to him yet…as soon as I did, he said he was sorry, and that he’d set her straight today…” Spencer continues.