The ride was silent besides the music blasting through the speakers; Arthur concentrated on driving and not getting into an accident while Spencer stared out the window bobbing her head. Ashley watched the two from the back seat wondering how he was so much better at handling Spencer, why he made her smile when her mother caused frowns and unshed tears but than again she knew it was wrong to think that as she'd only seen the two interact one time, one time that could have been an off day, one time that Spencer could have been misbehaving beforehand, one time Paula may have acted as a scared mother but somehow Ashley knew it just wasn't a one day thing.
"We're here," Arthur's voice boomed proudly as he was turned in his seat staring at the young girl who'd be lost in her thoughts.
Ashley blinked and realized the car had stopped in front of a nice white house with brown trims, two story, perfectly mowed lawn and flowers sprouting on either side of the walk way. The perfect look is what she'd expect from both Paula and Arthur and even Spencer, as she was beautifully put together and if she just stood still for a moment you would never know the troubles she's been through, "Nice house," she breathed out shifting her back pack as she stepped out.
"Thanks. Its better inside," he motioned for her to follow him. Spencer was already on the door step bouncing away wringing her hands in excitement, "Hold on Spence I'm coming," he chuckled inserting the key and opening the door.
Spencer took off upstairs and disappeared around the corner, "Always like that?"
Arthur nodded with a twinkle in his eye as the two stepped into the spacious living room, "Okay so everything that's dangerous has been locked up I'll give you a key tonight that'll open all the locks," he scratched his chin turning in circles looking for something else to say. He waved her over to the kitchen, "I guess that's all really just help her out if she needs it, talk and hang out I guess, what ever you normal kids do."
Ashley watched him open the fridge and search for something, "You said something earlier about dressing?" yes she'd had a few images of 'helping' Spencer undress but quickly brushed that aside.
"I'll usually be back in time for her to go to sleep so you shouldn't have to worry too much about that." He turned around from the fridge and walked to a cabinet empty handed; using a key he opened it up revealing a lot of medicine. Reaching up he grabbed the first two bottles on the right hand side, he placed them on the island in the middle of the kitchen, "When she gets home she needs to take these two, one pill each, first is the Dexedrine for hyperactivity, kind of slows her down for bed time. The next is Carbamazepine it'll help keep the sleep seizures away,"
"Seizures?" Ashley's eyes widened, what if Spencer had one when she was here? What would she do, "I don't think I can do this Mr. C,"
Sighing Arthur set the bottles down, "Don't worry Ashley nothing is going to go wrong, she'll help you out okay just don't forget to give her these okay?" she nodded.
"I believe I can do it," she breathed out unsure of her own words.
"Look I'll write everything down and put it in Spencer's back pack for tomorrow just ask her for it okay?" she nodded again, "Cool now that we have all that settled would you like to stay for dinner or do you want to go home?"
"A-s-sh stay," Spencer stuttered from the entrance way, her blue eyes begging the brunette, not to many people came over and just ate dinner and talked, it was usually just her father and mother and that can get boring for any teenager.
Ashley stared for a moment, the way the blonde's lip pouted and her eyes shone in the kitchend light, she looked like an angel and there was no way she could say no, "Yeah...I'll stay,"
Spencer squealed clapping her hands and jumping up and down before rushing forward and capturing Ashley in a hug, being caught of guard she stumbled back a step but regained her balance, her body relaxed as with the speed the younger girl was going she expected a huge rough hug but this was different than any she'd received it was careful yet strong, arms wrapped around her waist pulling her in, she smelled wild cherries with a hint of something else but was disticntly Spencer.
"Okay so dinner, your mom didn't leave anything prepared so what should we have?" Arthur asked breaking the two out of their embrace. When Spencer stepped back both felt a chill in the air that wasn't there before.
"A-s-sh gue-st,"
"Yes Ashley you're the guest what would you like?" she shrugged not knowing what she was in the mood for.
"Come on A-sh," the brunette noticed that the more comfortable Spencer was the less of a stutter she had but it was always there in her words, "Wh-at you...w-a-nt?"
Putting a finger to her chin she pretended to think, "Spaghetti?"
"Yeah," Spencer agreed.
"Than the Carlin Family's famous pasta it is," Arthur smiled warmly, "Spencer you want to help?"
She nodded and took off for a moment, "Where is your wife?" Ashley wondered sitting down on a stool at the island.
"She's working, she doesn't really live here any more, we're getting a divorce," Arthur sadly licked his lips while getting all the ingredients out for the pasta.
"I'm sorry," what else could she say, "How is she with Spencer's condition?"
He stopped what he was doing, "Why?"
She shrugged and before she opened her mouth a happy blonde rushed in wearing a kiss the chef apron, "I rea-dy he-l-lp!" she smiled a big toothy grin.
"Kiss the chief huh?" the words slipped from her mouth before her brain caught up and her brain must have been slow because before she knew it her lips connected with Spencer's cheek effectively kissing the chef.
A deep dark blush spread across Spencer's cheeks, blue eyes darkened and glanced away, "Well how bout making dinner I'm starved," Arthur spoke breaking the awkward moment well Ashley didn't think it was awkward but still loved him for breaking it none the less.
They got all the stuff out and on the table, "So what's first?" Ashley asked after Arthur gave her an apron as well, she rubbed her hands together excitedly, she'd never really helped at home so this cooking thing was new to her.
"First we need half a cup of water,"
"Should I get it?" Ashley wondered with a raised eye brow.
"No Spencer can," he smiled, "Hey Spence…" the blonde glanced up from her seat on the island chair, "Can you get me…" he glanced down at a sheet of paper than up at his daughter, "log(3x-1) + log(2x+3) = log4x cup of water?"
Ashley's eyes shot open wide in confusion, blinking like a million times but still the answer did not come, "Um...I don't think we have a cup size for that," her brows furrowed as she bit her lip and examined the stuff on the counter.
"It's just a complex math problem that she can easily deduct to get..."
"Here!" Spencer interrupted shoving a plastic container toward her father.
"...half a cup of water, thank you darling," he poured the contents of the cup into the bowl. This continued until each person had helped and dinner was set on the stove to simmer, "Why don't you girls go watch television and I'll call you when dinner is finished,"
"You sure Mr. C," Ashley asked not wanting to let the guy do it him self besides she was having so much fun.
"Shoo!" he laughed waving the two out of the kitchen.
Spencer slipped her hand into Ashley's tugging her to the living room, the blonde plopped down on the couch patting next to her for the brunette who gladly took the spot, the television was turned on to some cartoon Ashley was unfamiliar with but it was more for back ground noise as they started talking.
"Favorite band?" Ashley shifted so her legs crossed underneath her and she could see Spencer better, the question just slipped out, music was a big thing in Ashley's life and she usually read people by the music they listened to.
Spencer scratched her head for a moment, "Oldi-es and um...so-m-e soft r-ock stuff-f," she twitched a little but nothing major, every action kept Ashley's attention like a children's book with illustrations or more precise a Where's Waldo book where you'd sit for hours straining to see every little detail so you wouldn't miss the little guy in the red and white stripped shirt.
"Really...what kind of oldies?" this was interesting she definitely pictured the other girl listening to soft rock, seems most of the girl's generation listened to that or was that just the girl's she hung out with, either way it wasn't her cup of tea but oldies now there was a taste she didn't expect Spencer to have.
She licked her lips, eyes dancing around Ashley's features having a hard time settling on just one spot, her head lolled to the side and she stared into space for a moment before once again moving her eyes to dance across the brunette's face, "Late fif-ti-es and ear-ly si-xt-ies..."
"Interesting..."
"...why?"
Ashley shrugged, "Don't know you just don't seem to be an oldies girl,"
"What y-ou like?"
"Oh you know the usual. Techno, rap almost anything with a beat," they both laughed.
"To dan-ce too?"
"Definitely, got to have a killer beat if you want to grind it on the floor you know what I mean?" she wiggled her eye brows but was met by a blank stare, "Or not..." she sighed surveying the room around them until a soft giggle echoed in her ears turning she saw Spencer smiling wide, "You...were kidding?"
"Of cou-rs-e I know," Spencer's smile couldn't get any bigger when she saw the blush reside on Ashley's cheeks this time. The blonde's body seemed to be in constant motion with the small ticks but Ashley hardly saw it the longer they talked.
"Color?"
"Pur-ple, you?"
"Blue," Ashley spoke with out hesitation, "Used to be green,"
Spencer shyly peered down, "So you c-am-e fr-o-m wh-e-re-e?"
"New Port. I lived there with my mom but now I live here with my dad and step mom and half sister Kyla,"
Spencer flinched away, "I no li-ke her!" she furrowed her eyebrows and frowned.
"Hey...hey...neither do I," Ashley assured the girl watching her relax and return to the happy go lucky person she was a minute ago.
"Girl's dinner's ready," Arthur called out.
Spencer and Ashley got off the couch and rushed to the dining room, laughing and pushing each other. The brunette hadn't felt this free in a long time, no one to judge her or talk down, just sharing with a friend or at least she hoped Spencer considered her friend and having a good time. Dinner went off with out a hitch the three of them joked and laughed till tears flowed down their faces, even had a small spaghetti war that resulted in sauce hanging off each of them and belly aches full of mirth that was until two sets of brown eyes and one set of blue landed on a very none amused Paula standing in the door way with folded arms and a scowl.
"Honey, hey how was work?" Arthur wiped sauce from his lips not trying to hide the small of enjoyment the group had just been having as he stood to greet his soon to be ex wife, yes he still tried to be civil toward her and the pet names are hard to give up after so many years of marriage.
"What is this?" she motioned to the messy table and teenagers, "I spend all day at work to come home to this...and Spencer you're covered in tomato sauce, I'm going to have to give you a bath now and to think I'd be able to rest when I got home," she scoffed shaking her head.
"Paula really we were just having fun and I can help Spencer out..."
"...You're a man Arthur we've talked about this I'll help her with anything dealing with the restroom..."
"...I'm her father Paula what do you think would happen when I helped her huh? Do think I'd get some sick pleasure at staring at her body?" Arthur growled back.
Ashley felt so awkward all of a sudden watching the two fight back and forth on how to care for their daughter; she took a chance and looked over to see Spencer slouched in her chair with her head down playing with the used napkin and keeping her attention far away from the loud voices.
"...this is why we're divorcing," Paula shouted as she stormed out of the room and up the stairs, slamming the guest bed room door as she'd been sleeping in there for a good few months now.
Arthur took a deep breath rubbing his head in annoyance. His brown orbs going in and out of focus as he realized they still had company, "I'm sorry that you had to see that."
"It's alright," she assured him not wanting to make a bigger issue out of any of it.
"No...No it's really not but thank you for trying. I think it may be time you went home." Ashley nodded in agreement as she stood up.
"Need help with the dishes?" she crumpled her napkin and tossed it on her plate.
"No thank you we'll just put them in the dish washer and leave them for tomorrow, just let me get my keys and I'll drive you home. Spencer do you want to come?" he focused on the girl sitting in the chair stock still staring at the empty plate in front of her, "Spencer?" placing a hand on her shoulder she jumped away from the table, grabbing plates and smashing them against the walls, words tumbling from her mouth incoherently.
Ashley stepped away in horror at the scene unfolding as Arthur tried his best to comfort his daughter and calm her down, "I'll just walk..." her words were forced and quiet as her throat had decided to close and dry up.
He was bending down holding his daughter against the wall as she cried and rocked back and forth, glancing to Ashley than back to Spencer quickly, "No just give me a second..."
"...no really I'm down a few houses I'll be fine," she grabbed her stuff and rushed out the door.
Running as fast as possible to the mansion she'd been staying in for the past two days, she passed her father and step mom in the living room watching television, she ignored Kyla who questioned where she'd been all day. She shut and locked the door sliding down with silent tears caking her cheeks; she didn't understand why she was cry just that she needed to. Picking up her phone she hit speed dial one.
"Hello?"
"Mommy?" Ashley's strained voice forced its way through her throat.
TBC...
