Spencer Hasting didn't believe in accidents. Not when it came to Alex Drake. Alex didn't have accidents, things didn't just, slip her mind. When Alex arrived at the small apartment in Brookhaven this Saturday morning, ending her weekly stint as Spencer Hastings, Spencer, the real Spencer, knew she'd changed something in the life they'd shared for the past sixteen months. There was a look of mischief on her face, the hint of a smile on her lips. Something was different now and Alex wouldn't tell her what it was even if she asked.
There had been rules put into place to avoid this exact sort of thing. Neither girl could make big decisions without consulting the other. Alex couldn't, for instance, break up with the boyfriend they shared without talking to Spencer. On the flip side, Spencer couldn't sign them up for mathletes without Alex's explicit consent. The plan worked flawlessly when they followed the rules. When they followed the rules, things went off without a hitch.
Alex didn't always follow the rules though. Occasionally she changed things without permission. It was usually small things, a cooking class, a coffee date with a cute new boy. Things Spencer didn't really have an actual problem with but complained about out of sheer principle. You couldn't change things, that was the rule they'd agreed to when they decided both of them would be Spencer Hastings from now on.
While Alex was off changing things, Spencer spent her week as Alex commuting to Philadelphia and taking courses at Lasalle University. Alex had shockingly agreed to the college idea, but only if they focused on Accounting courses. Spencer had foolishly agreed without a fight expecting them to be turned away from upper-level courses by some stuffy admission counselor. They WERE in fact, barely sixteen at the time, young enough to draw attention when signing up for college courses, and definitely not out of high school. Alex had figured out a way to cheat the system, as she was prone to do, and college courses ended up not being a problem. The only problem was, Spencer found the classes terribly boring.
Suffering through accounting courses twice a day, twice a week, every other week was uncomfortably annoying. It sounded like it should be easy, but it wasn't. Even during the weeks when she didn't go to the college classes she had to study as if she did, or else she'd fall behind. Not having anything else to do for a week helped. She could spend as many hours a day as she needed studying, college, high school, all of it. Most of the time she found herself working ahead. Writing papers that weren't due until next month, reading chapters that weren't assigned, meeting with the professor during office hours to ask questions. In the sixteen months since they'd both began living the life of Spencer Hastings, they'd completed eleven college courses. Next semester Alex wanted to take three more courses, general business courses which combined with their AP courses at Rosewood High, would put them on track to graduate in a year.
Spencer wasn't sure how all of this was going to work out. She'd been accepted to the University of Pennsylvania next fall and her parents expected four years of study. Maybe she could shrink that down to two and a half or three with the AP courses, and the semester of classes she took at Hollis last summer, but no way would she be able to explain being already done with a bachelor's degree. Alex suggested she not worry about it, she had a plan. Spencer wanted to argue but Alex was always right about this sort of thing.
She'd finished her studying by Wednesday night and had spent the rest of the week in her pajamas watching TV. She'd gone to breakfast Friday morning and caught a matinee movie afterwards but otherwise she'd simply been waiting for Saturday afternoon, so she could go back home to Rosewood. Now that she was in her car, heading back, it occurred to her that Alex hadn't given her their usual download.
The only way the plan would work was if they shared everything. They'd learned the first week that the details mattered, the little conversations you held with your friends counted. On their very first switch Alex had a meaningless conversation with Emily about swimming that wasn't conveyed. Emily of course brought up that conversation a week later when Alex was gone, and Spencer was around, and it had turned into a huge fight. Apparently not remembering things about your friends made you look self-absorbed and flaky.
These days they shared everything. Alex had set up a private chat room where they could detail things in real time. Biology teacher makes comment about the test, log it, friends talk about cute boys they like, log it. After a while it became second nature.
The drive back to Rosewood was barely twenty miles but it usually took about half an hour. Spencer usually spent this time getting her head out of Alex mode and back into Spencer mode. Technically there was no Alex anymore but when she wasn't in Rosewood being Spencer who else would she be but Alex.
The sound of Spencer's cellphone broke the silence and when she played the text message through the car's audio system, she saw it was from Aria.
Where did you go for the Chinese, Hong Kong? I'm hungry.
Spencer rolled her eyes and cursed Alex under her breath. She hit the call button on her steering wheel and gave the audio command a command to call Alex.
Alex answered on the first ring, music was already blaring in the background. "Oh, stop off at Mr. Hu's, there's takeout waiting. Its already paid for, so just run in and get it, it'll be ready by the time you get there."
Now, seriously annoyed, Spencer went into big sister mode. "Damnit Alex, you can't forget stuff like that. Aria is waiting for us. She just text me asking me where I was. It doesn't take an hour to get Chinese."
Alex sighed a response. "Sorry, I had a big day," she said with a chuckle. "Well, WE had a big day. Aria is waiting. She's gonna be pretty hungry. Better feed her."
She had definitely changed something. "What did you do?"
Alex only continued to laugh. "Nothing important, relax. Get home. Aria is there waiting."
Spencer cursed again. "Damnit Alex, you gotta tell me stuff like that. I was on my way to her house. How the hell would I explain that? Hey Mrs. Montgomery, is Aria here? No, she's at YOUR house Spencer."
Alex only laughed more. "Like I said, sorry, big day. But on the bright side dinner will be fun."
Spencer opened her mouth to ask what she meant but Alex hung up the phone. She tried calling her back, but Alex didn't answer.
Yeah, this sounds like lots of fun.
Spencer stepped into her kitchen expecting the house to explode. Instead she found Aria sitting at the counter punching at her iPad. She was in a pair of grey sweats with a black tee-shirt covered in skulls and her hair pulled into a bun. Her eyes lit up when she saw Spencer and something that looked like relief crossed her face.
"Finally. I thought you freaked out and skipped town." There was a hint of something in her voice that Spencer couldn't decipher. Confusion, annoyance, worry, she wasn't sure.
Spencer decided to laugh it off. "Sorry, there was a line so things were backed up, then I dropped the bag in the parking lot and I had to reorder.
"I tried calling you," Aria said softly, her attention shifting to the food. She wasn't looking at Spencer anymore and the change gave Spencer a chill.
"I know, I needed some time to think." It was the sort of thing that always changed the subject. Think about what? The conversation can go anywhere. It was usually full proof. This time however Aria looked up at her with raised eyebrows.
"Yeah, no shit Spence. Are we going to talk about last night or what?"
Spencer wanted to scream. Alex had definitely changed something. Deciding to play it cool she gave Aria a look and raised her eyebrows.
"Last night, what about it?"
Aria's face tightened, her eyes squinted with intensity, and her mouth opened slightly. That was the wrong thing to say. Whatever had happened last night had been a big deal. Aria's normally chill mode was hard to crack, but when it did, she got vicious. Spencer braced herself for the onslaught.
"What about it? Are you serious? God, I've seen some quick turnarounds but to walk in here acting like last night never happened," she shook her head with annoyance. "I get it, what happened last night doesn't make us a couple or anything Spencer but after last night, and this morning in your shower I thought I would at least rate the obligatory, cuddle session."
Spencer stared open mouthed as Aria grabbed her plastic silverware off the counter. She spent a few seconds fumbling with a box of noodles before slamming down her plastic fork and shaking her head.
"Maybe I should just go home. You want to pretend like last night never happened, fine. It never happened."
What the fuck did Alex do?
"Aria, I'm," Spencer started to say before Aria cut her off again.
"I swear to God you must have gotten body snatched on your way to Chinese."
Close, Spencer thought. "No, I'm good Aria. I'm just trying to decide where we go from here."
Aria sighed with annoyance. "Like I said, don't sweat it. I should know not to believe what someone says when my panties are off and they have their head between my legs."
The words were like nails on a chalkboard. Alex you didn't. Please tell me she didn't.
"Aria," she started to say again.
"Spencer," Aria said almost mockingly.
"Aria sit down and eat your Chinese. We're good."
Spencer dug her phone out of her sweater pocket and logged onto the chat room. The first thing she saw was the note from Alex. Too late to be of any real help but at least it was here.
Parents in NYC until Wed. Spent the night with Aria. Had sex. Talked about her secret ex-boyfriend that she never named (Fitz), she almost called him. More sex. Talked about Alison breaking up Emily and Maya. Aria thinks Alison finally saw Emily happy without her and got scared, crap or get off the pot, etc. Hannah is shoplifting again, intervention being discussed among the girls. Waiting on Spencer's decision, tell Hannah's mother or have another intervention. I say intervention, snitches get stiches. Had sex again this morning in the shower. Aria went all 9 ½ weeks. She was hesitant about being the giver instead of the receiver, but she fought through it. Good for a first timer. Super self-conscious about whether she 'did it right'. Needs some hand holding. She probably needs to be cuddled. She's calling this (sex) a weekend sexperiment. Play along. You need to have sex with her too now. Symmetry. (If I DO, so do YOU!) Oh, and I screamed out 'Bloody Hell' with my British accent during orgasm. Aria laughed but asked why I have a fake British accent. Told her I use it to prank call Alison. She didn't believe me, so I used the secret burner phone in the drawer to prove it. Milk shot from her nose when she laughed.
It was just like Alex to casually mention having sex with one of their best friends like it was a game of Monopoly. Alex was always a bit flirty with Aria, Spencer learned that little fact from Emily a while back. Apparently, everyone noticed it, but nobody thought much of it besides Emily, who sensed she had the hots for her. Spencer couldn't deny it, so she called it a harmless girl crush. Emily wasn't convinced but never brought it up again. Alex swore she'd be more careful and from what Spencer could tell she had been. Well, until now.
She wasn't sure how in the course of a week things had gone from harmless flirting to full blown sex, but Alex had a knack for getting her way. If she put her mind to it, she could probably get the Pope into bed, Aria didn't stand a chance. Especially since she was still heartbroken over her secret ex-boyfriend, Mr. Fitz. Alex had no doubt caught her in a moment of vulnerability and used it to her advantage.
Aria was glaring at her, but she clearly didn't want to go home because she sat down immediately and starting fumbling with her plastic fork again.
Symmetry. Rule number one. If I do, so do you. Alex had made them bisexual, without her permission, but there was no unsexing Aria now. If Alex was bisexual, so was she. They were both Spencer Hastings now and she couldn't be Bi every other week.
Spencer walked around the island and stepped closely behind Aria. Aria didn't tense when she did, her body actually relaxed. She wrapped her arms around Aria's tiny frame and gave her a squeeze. For emphasis Spencer closed her eyes and gave Aria's neck a playful nibble. She smelled nice, clean, like strawberry shampoo.
Aria must have been feeling like a pushover because she fought her off, figuratively at least because she didn't physically fight against her.
"Don't think a few nibbles is going to get my panties back off."
Spencer laughed. "We're sexperimenting right?"
Aria finally laughed, her body relaxing into Spencer's. "God that does sound silly doesn't it?"
She didn't bother answering this time. "Dinner can wait a bit right? Let me make this up to you upstairs."
Aria scoffed. "God you're a machine. You're already ready to go again."
"I'll let you go first this time. I mean you're the expert now. You've got me all hot and bothered thinking about the shower."
Aria chuckled. "Well we can use the bed this time."
Spencer laughed. "Bed, shower, porch swing. Backseat. I'm game wherever."
Aria didn't bother responding, she just pulled away and ran up stairs finally calling out, "you coming?" from the second floor.
Spencer sighed, this should be interesting. Symmetry. Gotta love it.
A/N: So I've been AWOL for a while. Had some personal stuff going on. Went back to school and finished my college degree. Self improvement and all. I can't promise I'll be on the site frequently but I can promise I will finish this story. It won't be long, mostly because I'm rusty and haven't really written anything in a while. So bear with me while I get back into my grove.