"Hey, Ashley!" Ben ran up to his best friend who was holding a single marigold. "Is that for Nina? Are you finally gonna ask her out?"

"It's her favorite and I think I finally will," Ashley answered confidently.

The two continued to converse as they turned the corner to see Nina and Tobey talking. Ben pushed Ashley forward so that she couldn't back out. Ben then greeted his boyfriend with a kiss and whispered to him that Ashley was finally gonna do it.

As Ashley was about to greet Nina, Michael beat her to it. He stood there with a full bouquet and asked Nina to go out with him. As expected, Nina said yes and hugged him tightly. Ashley knew she was beaten so she walked off dropping the flower before Ben ran after her.

When Ben finally caught up to Ashley, he saw her hitting balls in the batting cage. Ben didn't say anything but just stayed with her. Soon the bell rung and they headed in for classes. Tobey and Ben watched as Nina excitedly talked to Ashley all about Michael and felt bad for the older girl. Nina talked about Michael was killing Ashley but she didn't know that.

The next weeks that followed were absolutely torture to Ashley. She couldn't listen to Nina go on and on about Michael so she avoided the younger girl. Ashley figured it would be hard but when Nina didn't show up to her games, it killed her inside but she kept playing. The two grew distant, barely even noticing the other's presence. Ashley refocused all her attention on baseball while Nina had all her attention on Michael. 

Tobey, figuring that nothing would change until Nina sees what Ashley felt, dragged the younger girl to join him at the field.

"So why exactly did you drag me along if you're just going to watch your boyfriend?" Nina asked rather rudely.

Tobey rolled his eyes at her response and bit back. "You forget, that your best friend is also on the team."

With that guilt-filled Nina up. She had forgotten all about Ashley's games as they overlapped with Michael's. She watched as Ashley began drills with the baseball team. She watched as Ashley and Ben goofed around on the field. She watched as her best friend laughed and smiled, something she hadn't seen in a long while.

"This is the year that mattered the most to her, Nina. She'll be graduating soon remember? Heck, coaches from college teams have approached her after each game but all the while she was searching for you. The first game you weren't there threw her off and she was distracted the whole time." Tobey explained as he looked over to Ashley as well.

"She's doing okay from what I can see? What does this have to do with me?" Nina asked confused by all of this.

"Nina, I know you." Tobey looked at her. "Did you go out with Michael because you truly liked him or was it because you didn't want to admit you liked Ashley?"

Nina couldn't meet Tobey's eyes but she knew that he hit a spot. Nina watched as a girl from the other team approached Ashley and started flirting with her. Then and there she wanted to go up to them and push the girl aside but she lost all right to do so. 

"See, Nina, if you don't tell her the truth. You won't only be losing your crush to another girl, you'll be losing your best friend too." Tobey reasoned with the younger girl. "Do you think Ashley would stay after graduating? After the coach from UMass River Hawks has been scouting her? There's not much here that's pulling her to stay."

"What about Ben and her family?" Nina retorted not ready to accept that Ashley was leaving.

"Ben would never forgive Ashley if she gave up the opportunity to play big time. Also, what family are you talking about? You forget, Ashley only has her brother left and he's already at M.I.T." Tobey explained further.

"So I'll be losing her?" The weight finally crashed down on Nina.

Ashley wasn't going to stay. She didn't have any reason to and Nina would be left alone. Ashley had always been there for her. Whenever her parents would fight, she could always count on Ashley to keep her company. Whenever her thoughts were clouded at night, Ashley would always stay up with her. Ashley was the only one who knew her more than she knew herself. Ashley couldn't leave, she couldn't leave Nina, could she?

"Yo Tobey!" Nina was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Ashley yelling. "Ben and I are gonna wash up! We'll meet you up front?"

"Yeah okay! I'll wait for you guys there!" Tobey yelled back before gathering his things and turning to Nina. "I'm not choosing sides here, Nina. You and Ashley are the best friends I have ever had. I mean, I wouldn't have met Ben if it weren't for you two. Now, seeing you both so distant and acting like strangers... If you want to end things with her, I just want both of you to have a proper closure. Especially with Ashley leaving."

With that Tobey left, and Nina was all alone with her thoughts.  

How could she be so stupid as to forget her best friend? The girl who had gone through everything with her. The girl would do anything to make her smile. The girl who defended her from the popular kids. The girl who supported her in everything she did. The girl who turned her world. She needed to fix this. 

Nina got up and ran as fast as she could to the front of the school where Tobey would be. Just as she got there she saw Ashley talking with the two boys. She looked so carefree. Nina missed her. 

"Ash!" Nina called out as she walked toward them. 

Ashley didn't turn around. She never thought she would hear her own name coming from that voice ever again. Ashley mustered up some strength and spoke coldly.  "What do you want, Gomez?"

The two boys were shocked to hear so much venom in the older girl's words. 

Nina couldn't help but flinch at it. "I deserve that. I just want to talk." 

"There's nothing to talk about..." Ashley trailed off before continuing. "Where's that boyfriend of yours?"

Before Nina could answer, Michael came up from behind them. "Come on babe! Ditch these losers!" 

"Go ahead." Ashley could hear her own voice tremble. "Not like we mattered to you anyways." 

"That's not true, Ash!" Nina pulled on the older girl's arm. "I have been an idiot, I know that. I took you for granted but you have to believe me when I say that you mean everything to me."

"That's hard to believe when you have a funny way of showing it, Gomez." Ashley retorted yanking her arm back. 

"Stop wasting your time on these wannabes." Michael cut in once more. "It's not like they were ever good, to begin with."

Ben's face fell and so did every other teammate they had around. Ashley glared at the boy. Let's just say if looks could kill, Michael wouldn't be standing there.

"Listen here buddy, just because you play basketball doesn't mean you can insult other sports. Have you forgotten that your team has lost the last few games you had? My team has been on a winning spree since last year. Half of us already have scholarships waiting for us when we graduate. What do you have? My advice, stop boasting about what you don't have. That won't get you anywhere." Ashley had a fire in her eyes as she yelled at Michael.

"Whatever!" Michael yelled. "Come on babe, ditch these losers and please a real man." 

 Nina could see Ashley's face and she knew something in her snapped. Nina tried to stop her but the taller girl marched up to the laughing boy and threw a punch that left him on the ground.

"Don't you dare treat her like she's just one of your toys!" Ashley yelled at him before she was cut off.

"Ms. Wells!" Ashley's attention was brought back by a woman standing tall beside Ben.

"Coach Mason?" Ashley then walked up towards her with her head down. "Coach, I am so sorry about this. I hope this won't affect my standing in your books. I have been looking forward to playing for you at UMass."

Nina looked scared that she might've cost Ashley her scholarship. 'Just another thing to make her hate me.'

"While I don't appreciate you punching other students, your friend here explained what was going on and I must say I am impressed. Your fighting spirit is exactly what we need in UMass and standing up for your teammates? That's the loyalty we are looking for in a captain." Coach Mason rambled on. 

"Captain?" Ashley looked up in hopes. 

"Not straight away of course, but I see a great future for you, Ms. Wells, as long as you make sure those hands of yours are only used for the sport, not for violence?" Coach gave Ashley a pointed look. 

"Of course, Coach." Ashley agreed furosiously. 

"Then I shall see you in the fall for the new school year." Coach Mason said as she passed the girl an envelope. "Bon voyage."

With that, the Coach left and Ashley was in shock. Before Nina could say a word, Ben beat her to it.

"ASH! YOU DID IT! UMASS! AHHHHHH!" Ben started yelling and shaking the older girl. "YOU'RE GONNA PLAY FOR ONE OF THE BEST UNIVERSITIES! YOU COULD BE CAPTAIN! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU." 

Tobey pulled his boyfriend back when he realized that Ashley was getting dizzy. Ashley was still in a daze and because Ben had been shaking here she was a bit out of it. Nina hurried and caught the older girl before she lost her balance. 

"Congrats, Ash," Nina said as she helped Ashley to her feet. "Guess that means you'll be leaving huh. Thanks for being there for me and I'm sorry we grew apart." 

That finally brought Ashley back as she pulled Nina in for a hug. 

"I might be leaving the state, but I'm never leaving you," Ashley whispered so that only Nina could hear. "I'm sorry for lashing out at you. It's just that these past months have been kinda stressful for me with getting the UMass scholarship and with us not talking had me in a really bad place." 

"You shouldn't be the one apologizing. I missed all your games! It took Tobey dragging me to your practice to realize what I did." Nina held tightly not wanting to let go. "I was so scared to tell you how I feel that I lost my best friend in the process. Can you ever forgive me?" 

"How can I not?" Ashley reasoned before placing a kiss on the shorter girl's head. "Wait, scared to tell me what?" 

"..." Nina was silent. She didn't mean to say that but looking up at Ashley's hopeful face she found the courage to say it. "I'm in love with you, Ashley Wells. I have and always will. It just took me a while to figure it out and I know you might not feel the same way but I have got to say it. I love you, Ash." 

Ashley couldn't help but chuckle at how cute the smaller girl was. Nina had hidden her face in Ashley's chest not wanting to see the bad reaction she was expecting from the taller girl. Ashley pulled Nina back and kissed her on the cheek. 

"If you thought I wouldn't feel the same then we must've really grown apart." Ashley joked but added on once she saw Nina's face. "But it's nothing we can't fix. As long as it's you and me."

"As long as it's you and me," Nina repeated before developing Ashley in a big hug.