Chapter Seventeen

Emily sat up as she waited for Spencer to come back. She had cleaned the car before Spencer got to her house, and she was sure that the blanket was not that hard to find- so she wondered why Spencer took a while to come back with it. She grabbed a portable speaker from the basket and hooked up her iPod to it. Scrolling through the playlists, she found the one playlist that she wanted.

She turned around to see Spencer looking around her with every step, as if she thought someone was watching them, without the blanket.

"You okay?" Emily said, watching her and hiding the speaker under the blanket. Spencer looked around again, over her shoulders and around. "Spence?"

"Yeah," She looked around her again before looking at Emily and focusing her attention on her.

She couldn't help but loved the way Spencer looked panicked. And she knew that it may be wrong to like that, but there was something adorable in the way her nose wrinkled when there was something frustrating her, and how her voice became high-pitched and cracked whenever she spoke, and Emily already feels her knees melting with Spencer's raspy voice.

Emily shook her head and looked at Spencer, who was empty-handed when she came back. "Forget something?" Spencer had placed the blanket on top of the car as she investigated the writing on the window, and had forgotten it in her panic. "It's alright, we'll just have to find a different way to get warm," Emily said.

"What are you talking about?" Spencer said, looking at her, trying her hardest not to turn around or away from Emily.

"Dancing, duh." Emily pressed play on her iPod before standing up and holding her hand to Spencer. "I happen to know that you love it."

"Do not!" Spencer tried to keep a straight face but couldn't help but feel guilty as she recognized the song that was playing. It was Spice Girls' Who Do You Think You Are.

"Do, too! You always gave this big spiel about how we loved to dance to Britney Spears' music, and how much you hated it." Emily said, "Then you go home and dance to Spice Girls!"

"How do you know about that?"

"I was leaving Ali's house one day and you were playing hookey, and I happen to look up your window and saw you."

"Peeping on me?" Spencer said, smiling.

"It's hard to look away when you're busting out into these kinds of dance moves." Emily started dancing in the fashion that imitated the way Spencer used to dance while she was in her room, wearing only her underwear and a plain, loose t-shirt while her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Emily wanted to admit that she had seen this many times, and at such a young age she couldn't understand the admiration she had for Spencer that she often had to hide because of Alison. She bit her lip before smiling as she continued to dance a move that is comparable to a modernized running man and "Walk like an Egyptian" hybrid.

"I do not remember that at all!" Spencer said, watching the girl in front of her.

"Oh, with a memory like yours? Don't even try to deny it." Emily turned the music up louder, and with "Wannabe" playing she reached for Spencer's hand and tried to initiate the dance. "Come on!"

Spencer swayed slowly as Emily had insisted, moving her feet gradually in steps from left to right; she smiled, slightly embarrassed that Emily had seen her "dancing" and still remembered it even though they were probably twelve years old when she had last danced that way.

"This is embarrassing." Spencer muttered softly.

"To whom? No one's watching us!" Emily replied.

"But you can see me.."

"Spencer, trust me, I find your dancing the most adorable thing next to Nemo saying 'Anemennemmone,'" Emily struggled to imitate Nemo, which was probably just as adorable in Spencer's eyes. They managed to dance to a few songs, including Say You'll Be Therethat Spencer couldn't help lip-syncing to; they laughed loudly together before Spencer looked up as she felt rain drops falling slowly. They had enough time to put away a few of their things before getting completely soaked.

"Wait," Emily stopped Spencer as she put the basket into the trunk of her car, the muffled sound of Spice Girls' music playing softly.

"We're going to get wet," Spencer said, watching as the rain poured heavier on them.

"We're already wet!" Emily gasped through the water dripping over their faces, "but I've always wanted to dance in the rain, and since we were already dancing, why not just do it now!"

"Okay," Spencer said, "what music? More Spice Girls?"

"No, your singing made it rain." Emily said, "I'll put it on shuffle." She held the iPod in her wet palm, and tried to get a different playlist to play but managed to hit "All Songs," and it started to play Mmmbopby Hanson, a song that Spencer knew too well. Upon recognition, and she tried to be as swift as she could, Emily tried to skip the song.

"Whoa, no, bring that song back," Spencer said, trying to grab iPod from Emily. "I knew you still listen to Hanson."

"It must have transferred from my old playlist when I added your Spice Girls music to my iPod."

"Yeah, right. They wouldn't even be in the same playlist!"

"They were from the age when dinosaurs roamed the earth, circa 1997." Emily said, still hiding the iPod away from Spencer who persistently tried to reach for it.

"But the Spice Girls were legendary!" Spencer said, "Hanson was a one-hit wonder!"

"I only liked them because I thought Taylor was a girl." As they continued to banter about the old music they used to listen to, Spencer attempted to stealthily grab the iPod from Emily, who pressed the next button that played NSYNC's song, Bye Bye Bye. Emily grabbed Spencer by the hand and dragged her towards more space. And as the song got to the chorus, they smiled at each other as they knew the dance moves for the song. Spencer said something that was muffled by the music and the rain that Emily had to stop and move closer to her.

"Are you a Gremlin, Spence? Is that why you don't want to get wet? Because I don't really mind you multiplying."

"They're called Mogwais, Em," Spencer whispered to Emily, "And no, it's because I'm going to melt."

"Then I will melt with you," Emily said, wrapping her arms around Spencer's waist. Spencer rested her forehead on Emily's shoulder, a bit of a struggle for her because she was taller but she didn't mind it at all being that close to Emily although it scared her a bit. Emily must have sensed it because she quickly said, "We should go home before we get sick" to which Spencer could only mutter "mm."

"The seats are going to get wet," Spencer said.

"So, now you don't wanna go home?" Emily smiled and Spencer gave her a stern look, "We'll use the blankets."

Spencer reluctantly straightened herself as Emily paused the music and grabbed the blanket. She unfolded one and wrapped it around Spencer, covering her entire body except for her face. She then closed the trunk as she walked around to the driver side.

Emily tossed a towel to Spencer, who started to dry her arms and her head with it as soon as she got it, as she looked through her closet for something to wear. "Should we shower first?" Emily asked as she continued to dig through her closet.

"If you don't mind sleeping while smelling like rain," Spencer said slowly, "I just wanna lay down."

"Only if we get to cuddle." Emily whispered as she turn to Spencer, tossing her a gray shirt and shorts, then turning away as she took off the wet clothes from herself, looking back occasionally at Spencer changing. Spencer threw herself on the bed when she finished changing, trying hard not to look at Emily who was already fully dressed and was walking toward the bed.

"As long as I'm the big spoon," Spencer said as Emily joined her in bed, her arm was outstretched as she anticipated the girl to lay next to her. She had been wondering if it was normal to cuddle with your best friend and it not be some prologue to a porno movie or something; but being in Emily's arm or holding Emily in her arms felt right. And when Emily didn't move closer, Spencer pulled herself close and Emily rested her head on her chest.

"Thank you for everything today," Spencer whispered slowly, pulling Emily closer, "It was perfect."

"Not really, I didn't anticipate the rain."

"It was my favorite bit." Spencer said, "Spontaneous but loved every minute of it."

"Except for the Hansons," Emily whispered, moving closer and trying to get more comfortable.

"Yeah, already forgot about that." Spencer chuckled, "I still can't believe you used to listen to them and now you listen to the Smiths and the Cure."

"I guess I've changed."

"A little, but you're still the cute little Emmy that I know, who jumps into the ocean to save a cat even when she's allergic, and gets excited over Pizza Rolls."

"Because they're so good," Emily said, "You just haven't given them the chance."

"It's not exactly on the Hastings' household menu."

"Want me to make you some? It'll only take a few minutes." Emily whispered but not making any motion to get out of bed.

"No, it's fine. I'm not that hungry." Spencer let out a small yawn. "Thank you again for today. I'll have to plan out something more spectacular for next time I'm with you."

"You don't have to, Spence," Emily said, closing her eyes, "I'm fine with just having you here." All Emily could hear are the loud thumps of Spencer's heartbeat and her attempt to stifle another yawn, while conscious that her own heart was beating fast and loud. She opened her eyes, and before Emily could even tell Spencer that they should go to bed, Spencer was already asleep. "Spence?" Emily whispered, and when she didn't hear any response, she added, "I love you."

As soon as she closed her eyes again and pulled herself closer to Spencer, a chill overcame her body as she heard her phone vibrating from a text. She hesitated a minute whether to read it, and when she did, she had almost threw her phone away as it read: Be careful what you wish for, Em, remember what happened to all the girls you say "I Love You" to? -A