Title: All Alone

Author: Ry_Rain

Fandom: South of Nowhere

Pairing: Ashley/Spencer

Rating: PG-17

Disclaimer: Known characters belong to Tom Lynch and The-N, not me. Missy, Whitney, Jess, and Mrs. Carlin do though.

CHAPTER ONE

Spencer sat in her dorm room, staring at the walls on her half of the room. They were blank, devoid of any personalization. She quickly glanced at the photo collage on her roommate's side and sighed. She had a few pictures out. They were on the hutch of her desk, two of her and Ashley at prom, a picture of Ashley and Aiden fighting at a restaurant, her family, and then her and Ashley at the beach. Other than that though, her half of the room didn't look much different than when she moved in.

"Why'd I leave LA?" Spencer asked herself as she laid down on her bed, crawling under the comforter Ashley had helped her pick out, saying she liked the bold, orange and pink stripes. Spencer thought it would be nice going back to Ohio for college, seeing old friends, but it seemed like they all left the state. Sure, Spencer had run into a few friends from middle school and high school, but not many. They went to the first football game of the season and then Spencer only ever saw them in passing. Thinking about it, Spencer was the only person from her small group of friends back in California to leave the state.

Ashley was going to UCLA and Aiden was going to Berekly on a basketball scholarship. Kyla was still in high school but would most likely end up staying in LA just to be near Aiden. It was weird thinking of Kyla as part of her group but Ashley's little sister had wormed her way into the tight knit group, and not just because of Aiden. Ashley eventually seemed to have taken the young girl under her wing. Ashley was a big sister to her. Spencer smiled remembering the lunches where Ashley would completely embarrass Kyla, flirting non-stop with Spencer and Spencer just chuckling and shaking her head at her girlfriend's antics.

Thinking of Ashley brought tears to her eyes. Spencer missed her the most. Ashley was her heart and soul, her everything. It didn't help that no one in Ohio knew about Ashley. They all thought Spencer was free and single to look at guys. Spencer wanted to be out in college, figuring people would be more open minded and wouldn't care. Of course, her original roommate ruined that belief for her. As soon as the girl found out Spencer was gay she called the school's resident life department and got her room assignment changed. So when Spencer's current roommate asked if she left a boyfriend back home, Spencer just said no and nothing more. That secret was eating her alive.

Today had been a long day. Spencer's first class was at nine that morning and then she had work/study until five. Everything was fine until her last class, during which she realized she had left her essay on her desk in her dorm. The first assignment she had to turn in and she completely forgot about it. On the verge of tears, Spencer had just laid her head down on the desk and barely paid attention to the professor's lecture. The antics of her co-workers had helped bring her mood up a little, that is, until she walked into an empty dorm with a note from her roommate saying she wouldn't be back till tomorrow.

Spencer didn't dislike her roommate, she just didn't know her. The girl ignored her, especially when her friend would come visit. Spencer didn't have any real friends in Ohio. She thought she had met some cool people during Orientation but even they seemed to have changed in the short amount of time between orientation and the first day of college. She'd only seen them a few times. Spencer always sat by herself in class, with few exceptions that mostly happened because there was really no where for people to sit. She didn't understand it. Spencer was the typical girl here in Ohio. Spencer sat up, maybe that's it. Maybe I'm too typical.

Grabbing her cell phone off her roommate's desk, Spencer quickly hit the first speed dial button and waited. Her girlfriend's ringback tone "Buttons" playing. Spencer smirked a little, remembering the first time Ashley had heard that song, not really one for the typical Top 40 singles. Spencer was still surprised though. Ashley had loved "Don't Cha".

"Hey Spence. What's up?"

Spencer's smirk quickly turned into a full blown smile as she heard Ashley's voice come across the line. "Hey babe. Just wanted to call you and say hey. I miss you."

"Aww. I miss you too babe." Spencer turned to look at her roommate's wall again. "Wish you had something on your wall huh?"

"You remember things too well. I thought you were going to send me a poster to put up?"

"I have. You should have it tomorrow." Spencer smiled as she just listened to Ashley breathing. "Is something wrong Spence? You're awfully quiet."

Spencer sighed deeply. "I don't know Ash. Just, wishing I had stayed in California." Spencer sighed again. She'd been sighing a lot lately, usually her sighing fits were followed by bouts of crying. She couldn't let Ashley hear her crying though. "I'm sorry Ash, just getting a little homesick. My roommate's gone for the night again."

"That sucks. You should go out tonight then. Go to a club or something. There's gotta be some kind of club in Ohio. I mean, you are in a big city, not some little Podunk town." Spencer nodded, actually considering her girlfriend's advice. "Go online and look some stuff up Spence. See if there's a gay club nearby."

"I dunno about that. I'm not out Ash."

"Spence, if someone from school sees you there, then they are either out or are going to beg you not to tell anyone else that they were there. They would have to out themselves to out you." Spencer could hear a lot of noise in the background and frowned. It sounded like Ashley was at a party or a club herself. "If you want, I will go online and look some clubs up for you."

"You don't have to."

"I want to. I can get a feel of the scene for when I come up to visit you during Thanksgiving break." Spencer smiled, remembering that little plan of theirs. Spencer was going to tell her parents she had to work during Thanksgiving. "Sometimes you gotta lie to live …" "Spence?"

"Sorry, I'm here. Just zoned out a little. Okay, just e-mail me whatever you find. I think I'm gonna take a short nap. Had an early class this morning."

"Okay babe. You get some rest and then go partying tonight. Promise me you won't stay in your dorm all night."

"I promise."