Ashley sat excitedly in her seat waiting for the writing assignment to be passed back. She spent a full week, Monday thru Sunday working non stop, even passed up one of the biggest ending of the year parties which she found completely ridicules as the school still had three to four months left. She put everything into it that she could, turned it in on Monday the following week and now it was Friday, time to see what her hard work produced.

The brunette kept glancing over to her on break girlfriend, the two girls' were separated by two rows but they sat in the same chair, forth in the row toward the back. Spencer kept her head down, slouched so far down in the chair as if she was trying to disappear, hair hung over her face hiding her eyes, it killed Ashley to see her like that but there was nothing she could do.

"Davies," the teacher called, Ashley jumped from her seat and pretty much rushed up the aisle to grab her paper, "Carlin," the teacher said as Ashley was on her way back to her seat.

Once she sat down she stared at the red 'B+' on the paper, a smile reached ear to ear, so happy that the work she put in paid off. Glancing over she tried to read Spencer's facial expression to determine what the younger girl had got but only saw emptiness.

Spencer felt eyes on her yet again and she quite honestly was getting fed up with Ashley staring at her since she was the one determined to break up, blue eyes met brown in an intense gaze, Ashley held her paper up and mouthed 'B+' with a twinkle in her eyes. Spencer nodded her approval her lips betraying her and turned upward for a some what half smile, even if she was upset at the girl she was proud of her for getting such a decent grade, "You?" Ashley mouthed.

"A-" Spencer mouthed back than returned to staring at her desk, slipping the assignment into her note book, totally missing the disappointed expression on Ashley's face because yet again the blond ignored her.

"Remember to read chapter 19 thru 23 tonight, there will be a quiz tomorrow," the teacher spoke her parting words as students piled out of the class room.

Ashley packed up her things quickly wanting to get home as her and Kyla had planned a movie/dinner night and they had yet to pick out which movie they wanted to see. The brunette glanced over to where Spencer had been sitting but the girl was no longer there, sighing she headed outside.

"Watch it pip squeak," a male voice echoed to her left, a crash of books following. Ashley and every other student in a ten foot radius turned to look; Spencer had been pushed to the ground by some new jock that thought he owned the school.

"You okay," Ashley asked rushing to aide the teen in picking up her things but every time she reached for something Spencer clutched it first.

"I got it," she said hastily trying to get the brunette to leave her alone.

"Let me help you," Spencer didn't respond just kept picking her things up, Ashley caught sight of the English paper they turned in stuck under her foot. Picking it up she was about to hand it to Spencer when she saw the large 'F' scribbled on it, "I thought you said you got an A-?"

Scared blue eyes widened knowing she'd been caught, her hand shot out and snatched the paper away stuffing it in her note book, "It's none of your business..." she snapped before rushing to the parking lot where Clay drove her home.

Ashley ran her hands thru her auburn hair watching her girlfriend retreat trying to find some explanation on why she lied about her grade, "What you thinking about?"

Kyla held her weight on her crutches, months later and she still had to use them to get around, it was so annoying but she did get a lot of cute guys to help carry her books to class, "Wait let me guess Spencer?"

Ashley smiled, "Of course..." but instead of telling her sister about the worried feeling burning in her gut she dropped it, "So did you decide what movie you want to see?"

"No, I can't pick between horror, comedy or romance." Ashley opened the passenger side door for her sister who slipped in while handing her crutches to the older girl who put them in the back seat and hopped into the car starting it up.

"Romance is definitely out," she winced, not wanting to be reminded of what she can no longer do with Spencer for the time being.

"Horror or comedy than?" Kyla stared at her sister than back to the window, "Horror..." she decided before Ashley answered.

"Why horror?"

"The last comedy I watched was with...Aiden," she said is name quietly. The death of Aiden was still fresh in every ones minds and no one really talked about it, staying away from the depressing topic.

Sensing the sadness taking over the car Ashley quickly responded, "Horror it is...so how about 1409?"

"What's that about?" Kyla asked taking the bait.

"Don't know, a haunted room or something like that, you know a horror movie."

"Right, okay...so yeah sounds like a plan." They pulled into the drive way and with Ashley's help the two made it inside.

Spencer's heart just wouldn't quit beating loudly in her chest, the disappointment in Ashley's eyes when she found out she was lying to her was making the blond feel sick. But than the anger built up because it was none of the older girl's business.

Clay saw the turmoil in his sister but remained from saying anything, ever since Glen left and their dad died he'd become the man of the house along with trying to help Chelsea with this pregnancy so a lot of things dealing with Spencer had been put on the back burner, he was just stressed as hell and knowing his mom was working overtime almost every day to pay for Spencer's medications and therapy sessions and the bills around the house made his heart hurt for her. Every day Paula looked more worn down.

"So how was school?" Paula wondered as her two children entered the house, she'd been sitting in the living room watching television before leaving for work.

"School," Spencer responded heading upstairs to her room which still had yet to get the bars off the window and the door handle replaced but she was getting used to it.

Paula sighed wishing her little girl was back, the happy go lucky, loving carefree teen Spencer had been was no where to be found, Clay plopped down next to her, "I had a bad day..."

"Really? Why?" she asked placing a smile to her face, loving the fact at least one child still had the ability to talk to her.

"Well I had been studying for a test yesterday and stayed up late and sort of fell asleep in class and got lunch detention, for no reason I mean we were watching a movie, one I saw like two years ago."

"Detention?" she breathed out not really wanting to hear it again.

"No mom seriously it was for no reason, I mean I've seen that movie like nine hundred times..."

"What movie?"

"To Kill A Mockingbird," he answered straightaway.

"You have seen that a million times, did you try and tell the teacher," he nodded.

"Am I in trouble?"

"Clay you trouble?" she laughed while pulling him into a hug, "Never...now go ahead and do your homework I have to get going."

Clay watched his tired mother stand up, "Are you going to eat dinner with us tonight?"

"I'm sorry I can't maybe tomorrow night sweetie," she leaned down and kissed his forehead, "Check up on your sister..."

"I know mom, check up on her, make sure she eats, give her her medicine, I've done it before," he rolled his eyes.

"Sorry just..."

"I know we all are," he assured her and with a tired smile she went upstairs to get dressed for work. Clay also headed up a few minutes later stopping by his sister's door way, watching her play the guitar while sitting in her desk chair. Her eyes were closed and her body swayed a bit with each strum of the strings, she was so lost and peaceful it almost killed him to bring her away from it, "Don't you have other homework?"

Spencer jumped, eyes popping open she stared at her brother, "Nah I finished..." she went back to playing.

"Can I see?" he stepped in closer to her.

"No...go do your own," she shot back turning her back on him.

"Spence please I know you didn't do it," he pleaded. For a couple weeks he slowly witnessed his sister give up doing anything but playing the guitar, the girl would come home from school and play, forced to eat dinner than play, go to bed and start over again.

"Clay stop, I can take care of myself, it's what ever one wants me to do. Ashley, mom, you and Dr. Noble so don't get on me when I do that," she spat at him setting the guitar down and pushing him out, "So go fuck your girl or what ever but leave me alone!" she slammed the door knowing it would bounce open, it was more for show, than she stalked toward the closet grabbing the guitar on her way.

"What was that about?" Paula stepped out of her door after hearing the loud bang, she saw Clay standing out side of Spencer's door wide eyed.

"Isn't her medicines suppose to stop out bursts like that?" he asked walking closer and away from his sister's room.

Paula shook her head, "Slows it down but doesn't take it away. Until she, it'll be awhile before she's better but she is getting better..."

Clay nodded but still felt like his sister wasn't getting better, actually the only time she seemed happy was when Ashley was with her. Spencer laughed more and smiled, god he missed her smile. The girl in the closet was a shell, hollow and beaten down, emotionally dragged thru the ringer and back again.

The door bell interrupted any doubts he wanted to tell his mouth, she left to finish getting ready while Clay went down stairs to get the door; he swung it open, "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk," Ashley motioned for him to step out side; Clay looked back for a second before stepping out.

"About Spencer?"

"How'd you know?" she cocked an eye brow, this boy was getting scary at knowing her.

He chuckled, "I actually have been waiting for this...you saw her grades right?" she nodded, "Thought so."

"Wait, grades? As in more than one?"

"Ashley she's close to failing every class but music," he sat down on the front steps patting the seat next to him for the brunette to join.

"How, she's so good at school though,"

"Before everything sure, now, she...I honestly don't know, but I don't have the time or energy to help her."

"Have you told your mom?" Clay shook his head, "Why not?"

"She's so stressed lately with working double time just to feed us and all, I cornered Spencer about it and told her I was going to tell Charlie and she flipped said she'd take care of it but she hasn't,"

The two sat in silence for a while, "I have to get going...me and Kyla are going to the movies." She stood up and so did he only he grabbed her arm stopping her.

"Can you...help her?" the pain in his voice didn't go unnoticed by her.

"We're on break,"

"I know, I don't mean go all couple on us again just, no wait I do mean that."

"Clay..."

"NO!" he shouted beginning to pace back and forth, "She's happy with you. She sleeps when your with her, she does better when your around and I know this is probably unfair of me to ask you but I'm dying here, struggling to keep my two day a week job, doing homework, cleaning and cooking and taking care of Spencer and my pregnant girlfriend while worrying about my mother...so please, can you just help me?" he pleaded wrapping his arms around the shorter girl who gladly hugged back.

"Fine I'll help," she sighed knowing she had no power to say no after that, "I'll come over tomorrow and help her with some homework okay?" he nodded still holding on to her. The two parted when a loud honk resounded, turning they saw Kyla leaning on the steering wheel, "I got to go but uh tomorrow?"

"Yeah," he smiled as he watched her run off to have a blissful night out with her sister as he returned to the quiet house to do homework, laundry and dinner before falling asleep at his desk doing homework.

TBC.