Disclaimer: As much as Frank prods my soul to destroy the Creator of South of Nowhere and claim the ownership in victory as a trophy, it is not only impossible, but also illegal in many states, countries, continents, and galaxies. Damn.

I could see her. Amidst the crowd of fragrant cheerleaders, completely unaware, she stood. Her blonde hair today was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail, half of her bangs falling into her face and hiding her clear, bright blue eyes away from me. She moved a smooth, neatly manicured hand up and pushed the offending hair from her face. She smiled to something one of the cheerleaders said and glanced around the hallway. From my position by the water fountain, she wouldn't be able to see me, but I could see her. I see her everywhere. Spencer Carlin. Her slim figure was everywhere, and everywhere she was, I was sure to go.

I was drawn to her, much like a moth drawn to a lantern, her inner light just making my heart flutter and pulse, and my stomach clenching in a yearning to just get a little closer. And as much as I wanted to fulfil this secret addiction to Spencer, I couldn't. I wouldn't. I'm no good for her, not good enough for her. I'm not even the right person for her. After all, Spencer Carlin tends to go out with the more masculine type, like Aiden.

Aiden is Spencer's match. I can see it in the way that Spencer looks at him, laughs at the things he says, leans into his touch, his embraces. The things that I wish that I could provide for her, the protection that he offers to her. Something about the safety of a man, the solidity of form, their muscles, overprotective nature. Something Spencer looks for. Something I don't have. Something I can't provide. Because I'm no good. Not good enough. Not for her. Because I'm...

"Ashley Davies! Where the hell have you been?"

I quick flash around to see my half sister stalking up to me. Her face is twisted, trying hard to not lose her temper, to smother her irritation and not freak out on me in public. Kyla isn't an angry, quick tempered person. If anything, she's too nice to everyone, and one day, that sweetness is going to eat at her until her cracks start to become a little more noticeable, and someone takes advantage of her. She's too patient, too much of a fixer. Except to me. Besides Dad, I'm the only other person who's shit she doesn't put up with, and she lets me know it. We weren't even supposed to meet, Kyla was supposed to be a secret, but when Dad died, her mum dropped her off on our doorstep with a note, and that was that. Kyla and I have never been close, but we were all each other had, and that mutual tolerance is what we survive on. I admit, I'm always worried about her, but to be honest, her life isn't my problem.

I rolled my eyes, turning to my locker and opening it. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a small make-up case and started to touch up the dark Kohl around my eyes, smudging eye-shadow over the lids, giving my eyes a smoking look. Kyla, next to my locker, tapped her heeled foot in irritation. I looked at her casually, arching a slim, freshly plucked eyebrow. "Does it look okay?" I pointed to my eyes and she snorted.

"What the hell, Ash? You missed first period, again. They're going to kick you out if you don't fix your attendence!" She frowned at my black, thin leather vest, picking a piece of lint of the shoulder. She looked closer at the top and sighed looking a bit exasperated. "Honestly! The school dresscode! Are you even wearing a shirt under that thing?" She pulled at the front, looking down the front and smacked my arm.

"Ow! Ky! This is a shirt. I don't need to wear anything under this that I don't want to." I glared at her and rubbed my shoulder. I turned back to my locker and shuffled the books inside angrily. I glanced back over to where Spencer had been standing, and saw her leaning with her back against Aiden, her brother Glen and Madison the only ones left of their group from before. Spencer turned her head and stared in my direction. Not at me, I thought to myself. At my direction.

Kyla, realizing that I wasn't paying attention to my lecture, reached over me and took out my chemistry book and slammed my locker shut loudly, jarring me back to her. "Seriously? Ashley, you need to stop staring over there. Honestly, your being kind of obvious." My eyes started to wander back over to the happy pair and Kyla snapped her fingers by my ear.

"What do you mean obvious?" I growled, frustrated that she wouldn't just let me look.

The skin on her forehead creased as she stared at me. "Aiden. You keep staring at him, green with freaking envy. It's annoying and pathetic." I started to panic, not realizing that my face had been giving me away. At least she thought it was Aiden I was staring at. I can deal with her thinking that I was just crushing on Aiden, and not the blonde draped on his arm.

Kyla saw me look back at the pair, and her stare softened. She rubbed the side of my arm and cocked her head slightly to look at my face. "Hey, it's okay. You just need to tone it down before Spencer notices and comes over here to kick your ass."

I wanted Spencer to look over, to notice me, but I knew that Kyla was right. Spencer wouldn't know that I was staring at her. She would think I was staring at Aiden, and as the High Queen of the school, Spencer would have to defend her territory and attempt to murder me in the middle of the cafeteria. She almost did, back in freshman year when she moved in from Ohio. Spencer had quickly established her place in King's High, and was quick to defend and attack, most of the time in a subtle, discreet way. A way where almost no one could trace it back to Spencer. No one save for me.

Don't get me wrong. Spencer isn't the terror of the school. Most of the time, she's this nice, sweet person, who doesn't seem like she has a bad bone in her body. A lot like Kyla, she's always keen to help where ever she can. Only unlike Kyla, Spencer has many cracks, and almost like desperation, she lashes out when she has a reason to. She's hiding something, almost, and I don't think that anyone else has noticed. I've heard the word Bi-Polar make its way around, but no one has ever voiced the thought that Spencer Carlin has a secret.

"Ashley!" I flicked my eyes back over to a very miffed looking Kyla, who was pushing her curled brown hair out of her face. She grabbed my hand and dragged my away from my spot in front of my locker, shoving the textbook into my free hand in the process.

I picked up the hand she was gripping and examined the nails. They were bitten down low to the quick, the skin around the nail bitten and ragged. I sighed and trailed a finger around the nail of her thumb. "Kyla, you need to stop biting your nails. This can't be good for you." I let our hands fall and noticed her strange facial expression. "Ky?"

"You don't like Aiden, do you?" she asked, staring at the green-eyed boy glancing over at us. He ran a hand through his short dark hair and quickly went back to Spencer and the others. She let her hand slip from mine and pursed her lips. She gave me the look again, like she was trying to piece together a complex puzzle.

"I... I don't..." I started, looking back over the the pair down the hall. Kyla stopped my setting a hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay really. I mean, Spencer's a bit of a strange choice. I would have thought you were still pining after Aiden, you two were serious for the longest time, and I never thought..." She trailed off, musing over a thought before shaking her head. "I don't know what I'm talking about. Of course your still after Aiden, right? Like your not...?" She inhaled sharply, looking up and plastering a smile on her face.

"Whatever, right? Doesn't matter." She eyed me carefully. "But I recommend that you stop staring, before she thinks that your after her man." She turned and walked away, leaving me standing outside of a classroom by myself.

I leaned against a set of lockers, thinking about what Kyla had said. I was staring an awful lot, and Spencer was bound to get suspicious. I mean, if I had an incredibly hot boyfriend, and kept seeing the same girl stare at us every time I turned around, I'd be a little paranoid as well.

Someone cleared their throat, and I turned to see the blonde standing next to me, a thin smile etched over her face. I froze, panic starting to catch in my throat. She's noticed, and now she's going to kick my ass. She's noticed, but want to tell me to find someone else. She's noticed, but not me staring. She's just noticed me. Even if she did notice me, I wouldn't ever make a move. Spencer needs better. Not me.

"Can you get off my locker?" She asked, impatiently. I flicked my eyes to her face, meeting her blue eyes. She stared back, almost amused, almost irritated. I decided to play the Ashley game.

I leaned off the locker and stood in front of her, putting a hand on my hip, the other crossing over my stomach to rest on the one on my hip. "This is your locker?" I raised a brow allowed a smirk to grace my face. "Hmm, that's funny."

I caught her off guard, and she flicked her eyes to the plaque on the locker to confirm the number. She licked her lips and looked back to be . Her hair fell into her face again, and I felt my hand move up and move it out of her face. I tilted my head and smiled. "Well now. Let's hope that I don't find you leaning on my locker tomorrow. That would be tragic." I let my voice drop down to a husky growl, crooning and warning at the same time.

She looked at me confused, and looked down. "Ashley, right? I've heard about you." She raised her head, this time with a smile matching mine. She leaning in close to my ear. "Tomorrow, I'll be sure to be parked right in front of your locker." She pushed past me, smug, and I felt a teak of amusement stretch my smile even wider.

I turned around and slammed shut the locker she just opened. "Looking forward to it, Blondie." I smirked and turned back around to walk into the classroom next to us.

"Hey, Ashley?"

I paused and backed out of the classroom, giving her a slightly annoyed look. "What do you want?" I asked, putting in a little bit of a sigh in there. She looked at me slightly puzzled, and flicked her eyes to the room number on the wall.

She walked over and read it out loud. "Advanced Chemistry? Is this your classroom, too?" She held up the textbook in her hands, the same one that Kyla had shoved into mine. I snorted. "Well, it certainly looks that way."

The look that she was giving me was had to take apart. It was like she was looking at me for the first time, which it probably was, and was trying to analyse everything I did. Her head was tilted slightly, her mouth twisted up in a ghost of a smile. Her eyes distant, but staring right at me. Through me? She nodded to herself, thought complete, and jumped when she saw I was still standing there, deep in thought myself.

"Are you trying to make us late, Davies, or do I have to drag you in, myself?" She asked, trying to get past me. I stepped aside slightly, not enough for her to get past without some difficulty.

I searched her eyes quickly, trying to find a piece of soul that she kept hidden. Yes, Spencer Carlin was different than what everyone else saw, and Spencer Carlin had a secret. Spencer Carlin talked to me, seemed like she could be a friend. Maybe even more. But that wouldn't be fair to her. I mean, who would want to set themselves up against Ashley Davies?

A/N: Mhm. Yes, well now. That was... Interesting, no? See, this is my first Fanfic of existing content, (future content rocks. The shows in 2019 are awesome...) and I do realise that I just exposed that time travel is possible. SPOILER ALERT! *clears throat* Anyway. I have no Beta, and so the story is a bit off. Not to mention the fact that Frank held me at Spork-point to finish this before my cherubi ate my homework. But alas, I'm smart and stuck in in the freezer ^_^. Oh, your still reading this? Frank! There still...! Right. Review my friends, or I will forced to send Frank after you. It's okay, my Cherubi understands your hesitance. A few sentences is a bit daunting, no? (Frank is the bunny, btw, not the pokemon. He wanted me to be clear with that)