Disclaimer: I do not own anything!

A/N: This chapter is written in Ashley's POV. Please review telling me your likes, dislikes, and whatever. I hope you all enjoy!

Life was not the same after prom. Prom was supposed to be the best time in high school, but in King High's case... it was the complete opposite.

I rode in the ambulance with Spencer clutching her hand as I felt tears roll down my cheeks. I could not bear to loose her; she was the only person I have ever loved unconditionally. I held her hand as I felt the blood run down mine. I could feel her skin turning cold as if I was touching a bag full of ice.

I kept seeing Spencer fall down to the ground and clutch her abdomen where she was shot. It kept repeating like a broken record. All I could think about was how I wish it was me, I wish I had jumped in front of her, I wish she was not shot.

I felt Spencer's hand twitch and I snapped out of my daze. I saw her blood-drenched hand slowly reach up to the oxygen mask on her face and gently lift it up, "Ashley," she whispered faintly, "I lov--" she tried to get out the words but she started coughing up blood and the ambulance guy quickly shoved the oxygen mask on.

I leaned in towards her ear and told her to, "shh, I know. I love you Spencer, you are going to make it through this." I smiled as I felt tears streaming down my cheeks. I kept both of my hands on her one hand letting her know that I will always be by her side.

We finally reached the hospital minutes later but it felt as if it was hours. "Move...MOVE!" The ambulance guy shouted at me as I tried to keep a hold of Spencer's hand. I kept running with them...then I saw Spencer's mom run out crying talking hospital speak with the ambulance men.

"Spencer! Spencer!" I yelled as they started to roll her away to a room.

Paula started walking up to me, "Some how I know this is your fault, I don't know how yet, but this is your fault." She walked away briskly to get by Spencer's side.

I fell to my knees in the middle of the hospital hallway, clenching my hands, as I broke down in tears. Glen ran up to me and wrapped his arms around me, "What the fuck happened Ashley?!"

I couldn't speak, I kept crying hysterically. "She---Spencer---shot," were all the words that managed to come out of my mouth.

I saw Glen's mouth drop as he stood up and looked around the hospital like a lost puppy. "I need to find mom." He ran up the desk and started yelling. I remained on the floor, crying. I could not bring myself to move.

Why Spencer? Was all that was running through my head. Why her? A nurse came walking by, helped me up, and sat me in a chair. "Are you all right, Hun?" She asked me, I shook my head as tears kept streaming down my face.

I brought my knees up to my chest and hugged my knees as I rested my head on them.

I needed to know Spencer was okay. Glen sat down next to me and told me that Spencer was in surgery and it would be awhile before she got out. Hearing the words surgery made me sick to my stomach. Just thinking about the doctors poking and prodding at Spencer's body trying to stop the bleeding; it made me sick just thinking about it.

There was just so much blood...I looked down at my hands and my dress and all I saw was blood all over me. It looked as if I just rolled around in a pool full of ketchup. I remember how I held Spencer in my arms as she laid on the hard concrete. She tried to talk to me but all she did was gasp for air and grab her stomach in pain.

I need to snap out of this, I shook my head trying to dismiss the terrifying thought. I sat there thinking about all the memories me and Spencer had together and I cried thinking about how we could just be a memory. Don't think like that Ashley, me and Spencer will be more than just a memory; she is going to get through this.

Five long hours later I saw Paula walk into the waiting room, her smock had bloodstains all over it. I saw her face, I couldn't read it. I did not know if she was going to tell me good news or bad news, I needed to know... I needed to know!

Paula was looking at the ground as she walked up to me and the rest of the Carlin family. She looked me up and down probably debating if she was going to include me on the news. But whether she liked it or not I was not going anywhere until I knew Spencer's fate.

I couldn't take the silence any longer, "Paula...what happened?! Is Spencer okay?!" I said as I clutched my stomach in anticipation of the worst news.

"She is going to be fine. She is going to be out of it for a while, I don't think she is going to wake up for a few hours and even then, she is going to be out of it. The bullet hit a---" Paula kept talking but all I heard was Spencer is going to be fine, those are the only words I needed to hear. She made it, Spencer had made it. Tears of joy ran down my face as I smiled like I have never smiled before.

Paula had stopped talking and I could feel her staring at me. She put her hand on my shoulder, "She is going to be fine Ashley, and she is going to make it. She will be very sore for a while. Ashley there is nothing more you can do, why don't you go home and change out of those clothes. Come back tomorrow when she has come to. Arthur, why don't you give Ashley a ride home."

I could not believe this, she was comforting me, and it actually felt whole-hearted. I felt my eyes gloss over just thinking about Spencer lying in her hospital bed wounded. I shook my head and Spencer's dad patted my back and took me to his car. "Ashley, Spencer is a fighter, she will be fine. Let's get you home."

I smiled, but still no words came out of my mouth. I opened my mouth but I could not bring myself to say actual words. I felt like a mime, trapped inside my body not being able to speak.

When I walked inside my house, it was completely dark and empty. I felt like a ghost walking up my stairs into my room. I stopped in my room at looked at myself in the full-length mirror. All I saw was tragedy all over me. My hair was a mess going every which way possibly, I was covered in dry blood, my mascara was all over my face, and my eyes were swollen because of the constant crying. I stared at myself in my mirror thinking about Spencer.

I could not take it any longer; I ripped off my dress and threw it on the floor. I couldn't manage looking for other clothes so I just slumped to my bed, curled up in a ball, and started crying.

I heard footsteps on the stairs and it struck me all of a sudden, I had not thought about Kyla or Aiden for one second. I have no idea what happened to them. "Kyla?! Kyla?!" I started to frantically yell from my doorway.

Kyla ran into my room and looked at me up and down. "Oh my god Ashley what happened?!" I realized I did not put on a change on clothes and didn't shower. I grab my robe hanging on the door and threw it on. "Spencer...she was shot Kyla." I break down again, throw my arms around Kyla, and cry in her shoulder.

"Oh my god, is she all right Ashley?... Ashley? Ashley! Get it together!" Kyla violently shook me until I answered her.

"Yes Kyla, I am going to see her tomorrow. She is healing." I didn't know what else say I kept replaying the thought of me holding the ghostly white Spencer in my arms as she was bleeding to death. The thought kept clouding my mind and I couldn't think.

It occurred to me that I had not asked about Aiden. "Kyla, what happened to Aiden? Is he all right?"

"He is fine. He's okay." I was relieved when I heard her say that.

"Thank God, I cannot worry about anyone else right now." I sat on my bed and put my head in my hands. I tried not to cry this time. Kyla rubbed my back trying to comfort me as she talked about something. There were words coming out of her mouth but I heard nothing. I sat there.

Once Kyla finished talking she said my name, she must have called my name a few times without my noticing because she started to nudge me, "Ashley! Did you even hear a word I just said?"

I looked up at her and shook my head as I felt a stream of tears flow down my cheeks. "I am just so upset about Spencer right now. I know she is going to be fine, I don't know why I am still crying."

Kyla leaned in and held me. I felt oddly comforted by Kyla as she held me stroking my hair. "Ashley, we need to get you into a shower. You still have dry blood all over you. Come on." Kyla took my hand and lead me into the bathroom. She turned on the water as I sat on the toilet watching her every move. "I can do it myself!" I yelled at Kyla as she tried to take off my robe.

"I was just trying to help!" Kyla yelped back at me. I realized I shouldn't of yelled at her, "I'm sorry, Kyla I didn't mean to."

"I will be right outside the door if you need me Ash." Kyla said. I could see in her eyes that she felt sorry for me. I didn't want that, so I jumped in the shower hoping the water would wash all of my worries and pains away.

I sat on the shower floor clutching my knees as the water from the ceiling hit my body. I just sat there with my eyes closed, thinking...obsessing over every little detail of what just had happened.

I must have been in the shower too long because I heard Kyla run in and draw back the shower curtain. I sat on the floor as Kyla spoke to me, "Ashley! Are you okay? Did you fall?"

I looked up at her and shook my head. Kyla shut off the water, grabbed a towel, wrapped it around me, and helped me get up. I had so much to say, but I did not know how to form the words, so I got dressed, and walked to my bed in silence.

I grabbed a picture off my nightstand of Spencer and me. I took it and held it to my chest with my arms crossed. I closed my eyes tight thinking about me and Spencer in the picture. "I love you," I said aloud. I looked at the picture as I touched the glass where Spencer's face is. I wished with all my heart that Spencer could be lying next to me at this very moment.

I opened my eyes and hoped by some magic she would be there. She wasn't, much to my dismay. I could not wait for daybreak; a new day meant I could go to the hospital and see Spencer. I tossed and turned in my bed, trying to force myself to sleep. To my surprise, I dozed off a few hours later.

I woke up and all I saw was light beaming into my room from outside. Shit! How long did I sleep for? I jumped up out of my bed and found the nearest clock, damnit it is noon already. I wanted to get there earlier.

Should I bring her flowers or something? I don't know, should I? I thought to myself debating what to bring her. I grabbed the picture I was sleeping with all night and knew she would want something like this to look at in her hospital room.

I smiled all the way to hospital knowing that Spencer was going to heal with time. I walked out of my car feeling good with the thoughts that I am going to see Spencer. I just hoped that she would be awake.

I walked up to the hospital desk and asked for Spencer Carlin they pointed me in the direction of her room and I walked towards it. I saw Paula through the glass windows in the room talking to Spencer. She immediately got up and came out to talk to me once she saw me.

"You can't come in here." Paula said to me with her arms crossed standing in the doorway.

My mouth dropped, "Why not Paula? You can't take your daughter away from me, I love her."

"It's not my choice, it's hers. She directly told me, she did not want anyone to let you into her room."

I felt my face turn white with shock and a tear stroll down my cheek... I was speechless. "This is bullshit!"

I saw Spencer had her eyes open, I saw her looking at the two of us speaking. I ran up to the glass and pounded on it. "Why Spencer?! Why?" I shouted at her.

"You need to leave, before I get someone to make you," Paula firmly stood in the doorway.

I had to know why she wouldn't see me; it is killing me knowing she did not want to talk to me. I pushed Paula aside and slammed her against the door. I quickly ran up Spencer, "What did I do Spencer? What? Why won't you let me in here? I brought you this!" I tossed the photo of us on top of Spencer.

Spencer sat there refusing to look at me. "I just need some time to think, Ashley." She would not even look me in the eyes when she spoke those dreadful words.

"Look me in the eyes at say that!" I yelled as two guards held my arms pulling me away and out of the room. "I love you Spencer, you know that! I know you love me. Spencer! Spencer!" I yelled her name trying to get her to look at me...she didn't.

I tried pulling my arms away from the guards but they were too strong. I walked back to my car in tears, wondering what I could have done to Spencer to make her act this way.

I sat in my car pounding on my steering wheel. I cannot live without her, I need Spencer, and I love her too much.

I felt it coming, the urge to call Aiden. I shook my head, no I shouldn't. I dialed the numbers, "Aiden, meet me at my house." I knew I could always count on him; I need to talk to someone about...about everything.

I would rather jump out of an airplane without a parachute than loose Spencer. It felt as if my life was falling apart before my eyes.