Spencer's Face (Buckeye Hawks) Read Free Page A

When I
first started school here last year, two girls acted like they wanted to be
friends with me. Ellen and Abigail. When I started being friendly, they both
started laughing and ran off to their friends, still laughing. I walked away. I
knew Taylor was messing with me. I hated to tell Zane that the girl he’s been
in love with for years was the type of girl who would do that though.
     
    “Taylor doesn’t play those
games. Do you think I’d like her, if she did? I’d never like someone like Ellen
or Vicky. Taylor actually likes you. Don’t ask me why.” He said firmly. He was
still so mad at me that he could barely speak.
     
    Was he serious? There’s no
way she could actually like me. Not like that anyway. I hoped he was right, but
he couldn’t be right. It wasn’t even in the realm of possibility.
     
    “Are you messing with me? That’s
not true. And, even if it was, I couldn’t move in on her. You’re in love with
her.” I told him.
     
     “It’s true. She told me that
she liked you. You made her cry, dude. And, Taylor never cries, not at school
anyway.” He said again firmly.
     
    “I’ll apologize. But I can’t
possibly go there with you feeling that way about her, Zane. We’re friends.
Friends don’t do that to each other.” I told him. I couldn’t do that to a
friend.
     
    “She and I are never going to
get together. You need to go for it. And, you damn sure better apologize to her
even if you don’t have the balls to go for it.”  He warned me.
     
    Damn. Could he be right? I
couldn’t believe that someone like Taylor could like me. Over the years, no
girl has ever liked me. Not that I knew about anyway. I’d had several girls in
California who were friends, that I thought might develop into something, but
it never did. I wasn’t sure if that was my fault or theirs though. I’d never
gotten the nerve to ask a girl out before.
     
    I’d better find her and
apologize at least. I’d take it from there. Damn, I hope I didn’t screw this
up. I was still having trouble digesting the fact that she liked me. I mean, if
I had my choice of girls at this school, I’d pick her. Taylor could have any
guy she wanted probably. Why would she choose me? Was she blind? Couldn’t she
see my birthmark? Everyone else at this school sure could.
     

Taylor POV.
    At lunch with my best friend,
Sandy, I whined about my run-in with Spencer. I was still reeling from that
pain and shock. Sandy wanted to go have a talk with him. She was always really
protective of me. She stood by me when I got a bad perm last year. She stood
behind me when I ripped my pants at school. She was a true best friend, always
there when I needed her.
     
    I walked toward my Office
Management class. On the way there, I spotted Spencer in the hallway in front
of me. I stopped, then turned around to go the other way. I could make the big
circle to class. I had time. And, I didn’t want to face him. I was too
embarrassed to look in his eyes again after what he said to me this morning. I
really didn’t want a repeat episode.
     
    I felt someone pull on my
arm. I turned around to see Spencer grabbing my arm. He pulled me to the side
of the hallway, pulling me away from the other people in the hallway. “Can I
talk to you for a second?” he asked.
     
    I shook my head without
saying a word. I looked down and tried to walk away quickly. He pulled on my
arm, bringing me back toward him.
     
    “Please. I want to
apologize.” He almost pleaded with me.
     
    “Apologize?” I asked weakly
as I waited awkwardly for him to say something.
     
    “I wasn’t very nice to you
this morning. I’m sorry.”  He apologized. He seemed really sincere.
     
    I waited for a second, then
spoke. “That’s okay. I guess you were having a bad day.” I let him off the
hook.
     
    “The girls in this school
haven’t been very nice to me. I thought you were going to be just like them.
I’m sorry.”
     
    “I’m sorry a few girls
weren’t nice