DISCLAIMER: South of Nowhere is not owned by me. Surprise, surprise on that one...

A Budding Friendship...

Spencer sat with her hands clamped over her mouth, a wide-eyed expression upon her pale face. The black-framed glasses she was wearing had slipped down to the very edge of her nose, revealing those beautiful blue eyes again. She appeared horrified by what she had said before– taking the Lord's name in vain was a sin, and she couldn't believe that she had committed one so easily. Making soft whimpering noises, the blonde girl began to rock back and forth, and she was sure that she was on the fast track to hell.

Ashley, amused by everything about this whole scene, gently knelt down beside the shattered girl. "It's all right, Spence. You didn't get struck by lightning as soon as His name left your mouth, right? And you didn't really mean to do it, so I'm pretty sure He won't count it against you. Okay?" Even though Ashley didn't really hold much room for religion in her heart, poor Spencer just looked so pathetic that Ashley just had to soothe her. With a soft and wry smile, Ashley wrapped her arms around the sniffling Spencer. The blonde leaned against her, and Ash was surprised at how soft and delicate Spencer was, almost like a china-doll. The injured look upon Spencer's naturally pretty and clean face made her all the more adorable, and the brunette found herself caught up in those ocean-hued blue eyes...

Woah! Hold up! Stop the bus! Cold shower time! She could not like this God-loving geek, no way! First of all, because there was simply zero chance with her. This was the kind of girl who held sermons on destroying the 'gay gene', and purifying the human race by homosexual genocide. No way would Ashley ever be able to knock this one under her powerful spell, despite the sable haired girl's most elusive charm. Spencer would be immune to anything she tried, Ash was sure of it; besides, the brunette's gaydar hadn't gone off once around Spencer. And Ashley had great gaydar. Most importantly, Spencer totally wasn't even close to her type; the blonde wasn't well developed in the front or the back, and she was the biggest freak Ashley had ever met.

That's why you like her, a little voice in Ashley's mind said with vindictive happiness. "I definitely do not like her! I don't even know her!" Ashley said aloud with as much gusto as she could muster, and Spencer scooted away with an alarmed look. The blonde eyed Ashley with apprehension before raising one inquiring and thick eyebrow;

"Don't like and don't know who?"

Ashley smiled apologetically before speaking, "No one. Uh, I was thinking about the first time I took the Lord's name in vain... and it was around my sister. And then I, uh, got to thinking about how I don't like or know my, uh, cousin. So, uh, yeah, I don't like her and I don't know her!" She finished lamely and loudly, before gesturing vaguely to the setting that they found themselves in. "So, uh, how are we supposed to get out of here? It's kind of my first day and I really don't want to make a bad impression..." Yeah, that's right, Ashley, go on and lie. She's looking at you like you're crazy, and she's the freaking nut-job!

"I thought it was your sister," Spencer said randomly, and at Ashley's completely and utterly confused following look, the blonde continued, "Well, at first you said that you took His name in vain around your sister. Then you said you didn't like or know your cousin... So you don't like them slash don't know them both?" Ashley's expression was a very clear; Huh? Clearing her throat and deciding to let the uncomfortable moment pass, Spencer stood and gazed at the Emergency Instructions engraved into a plaque by the buttons of the elevator. After reading step one and step two, she leaned forward and hit the 'Alarm' button, before covering her ears as a piercing scream seemed to fill the tiny box she and Ashley were trapped in.

"Ahh!" Ashley yelled above the noise, "Shut that off!"

"I'm trying," Spencer shouted frantically back, as she hit the button over and over again desperately.

Macho, Macho, Macho man! Sing it, ladies, for Aiden!

"Do you hear something?" Matt Greenburg asked his best friend, Aiden Dennison as they walked down the hall together. "Like a whistle or something? And girls... screaming?" Halting, he began to look around for the source of the noises. Aiden nodded to say that he, too, heard the whistling and screaming symphony. Together they began walking toward the source of the sounds, their eyes peeled for some sort of movement or shadow. It was finally Aiden, because he had those amazing ( eye roll ) predatory male skills, who found the source of the pandemonium .

"It's coming from the elevator," he said with a note of dramatic show in his tone, and together they sprinted for the silver double-doors. "Someone might be hurt!" Aiden said as he puffed himself up for a rescue that he was sure would be legendary. They skidded to a halt and pressed their ears against the cold metal doors, listening to the alarm and the screams of freaked out Spencer plus frightened Ashley. Aiden, being ever-so brave, turned to Matt with a grave expression. "You go for help, man. I'll try and get them out while you're gone." Matt nodded and ran off, glad to not have taken part in the gallant rescue. Aiden was a git, in Matt's opinion, and would probably end up electrocuted or flattened like a pancake when he fell fifty feet down or something.

We're Trapped, But I'm Glad

The alarm went on for five piercing minutes and then suddenly it turned off, and Spencer stepped back to slump against the far wall. She was breathing like she had run a marathon, and the sweat on her face looked that way, too. Ashley, who was curled up in the fetal position, peered up at the panting blonde. "Good god! What did you do?" The brunette ignored Spencer's wince at her choice of taking the main deity's name in vain again, and attempted to continue her berating tirade before a voice from above cut her off. "You're such a–"

"Ladies, can you hear me? If you can, scream for me. My name is Aiden." The voice, definitely male, was deep and strong; like the voice of god or something.

Ashley quickly leapt to her feet, throwing her head back and screaming as loud as she could. Spencer covered her ears and winced, beginning to tremble slightly from the toil this was taking on her already shattered nerves. "AIDEN, IT'S ASHLEY! GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!!"

Well, that wasn't a tad bit dramatic, Ashley thought rather sardonically as she closed her mouth and waited for answer. A minute ticked by and still no answer from Aiden, then suddenly, his voice floated down to them again. "Hey, Ashley! I guess now would be a good time to get your number? I forget to do it on the plane!" There was a chuckle above them, then a slight yelp as if he had been hit by something. "Anyway! I'm standing here with Ms. Palmybottoms and she said that we're going to get you guys out in the next hour or so, okay? Until then, hang tight!"

Ashley closed her eyes and fell to her knees. She was trapped, again, with Spencer and there was no way out.

No. Freaking. Way. Out.

Spencer was crying softly, as if she couldn't believe the predicament they were in either. Ashley, feeling bad for making Spencer cry, stood and hesitantly walked closer to the blonde. "Hey... are you all right?"

Well, that's a great question, Ashley! Of course she's all right, probably doing fan-freakin'-tastic, thank you. Ashley silently berated herself as she waited for Spencer's answer.

"Yeah," Spencer said softly from where she rested her head against her hands, her voice slightly clogged from her tears. "I don't even know why I'm crying... I guess I'm just scared." She hiccuped softly, and Ashley knelt down beside her again.

"It's all right," Ashley soothed as she placed an arm around the blonde, "They'll get us out of here. And then you can show me around the school, okay?" Spencer nodded mutely, and Ashley rested her head on the other girl's shoulder. Remembering that she had her iPod with her, the brunette began shuffling around in her purse. Finally finding the music device, she pulled it out and kissed it. Spencer looked up and gave Ashley a 'And they call me crazy' glance. Ashley smiled and offered one head-phone to the blonde girl, "Here. We'll listen to some Dave Matthews, he always relaxes me when I'm stressed."

Spencer gasped, her blue eyes widening behind her thick lenses, "You like Dave! Me too! I met him once at one of his concerts, he's so nice." She chattered on as she placed the head phone into her ear, and Ashley grinned while shaking her head.

Queen geek Spencer was back, and that was perfectly all right with Ashley.

Author's Notes:
You read it, you review it. ;)