"Spencer the bell rang?" Chelsea sighed running her hand through her hair she hated seeing her friend so sad. There was only one time she'd seen Spencer like this and it was right after the incident with Kyla and Aiden. The three had been friends for a while seeing as their parents knew each other and had barbecue's all the time but when Spencer actually started going to school, to their school, well popularity soon developed among the teenagers and she was kicked to the curb.
Blue eyes traveled slowly from the hallway to her friend but snapped back quickly to the hallway, "A-sh n-ot comi-ng?" she asked quietly as if the words were too difficult even with out the stutter present.
"I'm sorry," she sighed not knowing what to say, "Maybe something came up," Chelsea assured her placing a hand on her shoulder, "But right now we have to go,"
Spencer turned around with confusion etched upon her delicate features, "Scho-o-ol ov-er?"
Chelsea grinned, "You have it bad don't ya, you've been standing there for three hours Spence," a deep blush crept up the blonde's cheeks as she ducked her head trying to hide making her dark skinned friend chuckle softly, "Come on!"
She tugged on Spencer's sleeve toward the desks, most of the other students had already left with their parents, she nodded and walked to her desk packing up what little she had out since she'd already put things away before they went for lunch. Standing up she tossed the back pack over her shoulder, nodded and smiled at the teacher before walking out, just as she reached the entrance of the hallway Ms. Lancaster bounced happily in front of her.
"Hi ya Spence ready to go?" the girl nodded toward the teacher, she hated waiting for her dad to pick up so she could go home.
Inside the class room she kept her head down afraid of meeting the color brown which was focused solely on her, instead she walked the brief distance to her table and sat down pulling out her notebook and began scribbling. Almost as soon as detention began Ms. Lancaster walked out as usual leaving the students to them selves. No one talked and all was quiet except a small thump that dulled out once it hit the desk.
Ashley's head snapped up from her previous spot of head in her hands and trying not to fall asleep, glancing down she saw the eraser that had pelted the top of her head, eyebrows furrowing she glanced up searching for the person who had thrown the object, ready to give them a piece of her mind but as usual the others were asleep except Spencer so there really was only one choice. Sighing she pushed her chair back and stood up, shoving her hands in her pockets and checking if the coast was still clear she stride over to the other table, pulling out a chair and plopping down next to the girl who kept her nose in the book.
"You rang?" Ashley said in her best lerch voice from The Munsters.
Spencer pushed the smirk down that threatened to cover her lips at Ashley's smart ass comment, her head turned for a split second in Ashley's direction before focusing on the notebook once more, "Your me-a-n!" she shot out angrily down at her desk.
"What the notebook ever do to you?" Ashley smiled at her joke but it disappeared just as fast as it came with one deadly glare from her partner sharing the table, swallowing and trying to find her voice that had seem to fly away at the stern shining crystal aimed her way, "What?"
"Not the book," she barked keeping her voice down but it was still loud enough to attract unwanted attention that neither party would want but lucky them the others still were asleep.
"You didn't stutter," Ashley said amazed and realized for the first time what a smooth tone Spencer had when she didn't have trouble pronouncing the syllables.
"I d-on't stu-t-t-er all t-h-e ti-me and you-r sti-l-l me-a-n-n!"
Ashley frowned, "What'd I do?" she asked genuinely perplexed.
"L-u-u-unch," was all the blonde had to say before a light bulb went off above the brunette's head.
"Okay wait you can't seriously be mad at me for that," her tone gaining a bit of an edge, "I said I'd try, that it was a maybe Spencer,"
"So why di-dn't y-y-you sh-ow?" tears threatened to spill but she was trying her best not to let them fall.
Ashley rolled her eyes, not at Spencer, but at the situation she found her self in. She didn't deal well with crying and she could see the young girl was on the verge of doing just that and she hated the heart stopping thumps she was getting knowing she was the cause of it plus she didn't like having to explain where and what she was doing, she liked being free and not having any one on her back about the things she did decide to do.
"I was in lunch detention," she breathed out massaging the bridge of her nose with her eyes closed as if a head ache was forming. When she finally looked up she saw disbelieving eyes glaring at her, "What you don't believe me...that's rich, we barely know each other and you think I'm lying..."
Ashley stood up and stalked off to her table, picking up her back pack she shuffled through the contents for a second or two while Spencer stared at her in curiosity, blue eyes fixated on every movement, the brunette clenched a pink piece of paper in her hand and stomped back to her throwing the crumpled paper down in front of the blonde, "There believe me now?"
Spencer just stared at the girl hovering above her with her arms placed intimidating on her hips, hazel eyes flaring from irritation, she blinked a couple times opening and closing her mouth but nothing floated from her tongue instead she concentrated on the paper in front of her, one last glance at Ashley she started to unfold the paper and read it, sure enough it was a lunch detention note from Mr. McAllister the English teacher.
Unsure blue rose to meet an expecting hazel, "I'm s-or-ry," she spoke in a hush tone barely meeting the eyes of her crush.
Ashley could see how much she was freaking Spencer out, she dropped her arms and slid back into the seat but this time a bit closer to the girl, licking her lips she took a calming breath, she had to work on her anger issues, "Look I'm sorry too,"
Spencer's head snapped to attention staring at her and for a brief second Ashley wondered if the girl got whiplash, "-y-ou s-o-r-r-r-ry, why?"
A soft breathed half smile crossed the tanned lips, "I didn't mean to freak you out,"
"Y-ou d-d-idn't," Spencer assured placing her hand upon Ashley's that was sitting on the top of the table, electricity shot through both of them causing there eyes to lock in an intense battle of what neither could say.
"I did," Ashley spoke, being the first to break the staring contest by glancing at their hands still connected, "I did freak you out, I have anger problems,"
"And I have the rest," Spencer smiled widely shrugging she pulled her hand away much to Ashley's disappointment, "We all have are good days and bad days."
The brunette's mouth hung open the girl had not stuttered once during the full sentences she put together and she wanted to praise her on it but knew if she brought it up Spencer's mind would kick in and the stutter would come back, "Yeah..." was all she managed to answer as she wished she could hear more of the velvet voice that seeped into her mind.
"C-a-n I a-sk-k –yo-u a qu-e-es-tion?" and the stutter was back, sighing Ashley slid down in her chair and nodded her head, "Wh-at'd y-y-o-o-u do?"
Raising an eye brow and squinting her eyes in thought she chewed on her bottom lip, "What'd I do when?"
Spencer laughed loving the fact she could so easily fluster the girl into confusion since it was usually her who was the confused one, "D-e-ten-tion...y-ou like it or what?"
Ashley laughed too shaking her head, "Oh...detention," she smiled, "Yeah well Mr. McAllister sucks," the smile she gave melted Spencer's heart as it crinkled her nose and showed all of her white perfect teeth.
"Why?"
"Why?" Spencer nodded, "Well," she leaned forward placing her elbow on the table and her head in her hand so she was inches away from the other girl's face, her breath washed over Spencer's cheek causing the girl to lick her lips, the small movement in Spencer's body was clearly visible from this close proximity but Ashley didn't mind she loved to watch the blonde twitch, "He asked me a question but I wasn't paying attention and he knew I wasn't so I asked if I could shake his bald eight ball head for the answer,"
Spencer snorted out her laughter doubling over holding her stomach imagining the man bright red from anger, the out burst caught the brunette off guard but soon the infectious laughter spread and she was giggling along, "And I s...wear he...lo...oked like a... t...tomato," Ashley wheezed out her nose as she tired to breath right but it wasn't working.
"Wh-o h-a-as th-e st-u-ut-ter now?" Spencer smiled through her fit of belly aching fun.
"You!" Ashley howled out hitting the table which caused Spencer to burst into another round until they both had tears running down they faces.
"Girls!" Ms. Lancaster stood with her arms crossed trying to be stern but the easy grin on her face made that a bit hard, she was quite amused with their interaction and in four years had not seen Spencer laugh that much that hard.
Their heads whipped around so fast that both of them indeed got whiplash but held down the pain from their faces as they stared wide eyed at their teacher and realized the other kids in detention were staring at them in bewilderment.
Shaking her head she just peered at her watch, "Detentions over you may all leave," she sat behind her desk and began to grade papers.
Ashley quietly got up from the table wiping the last of her joyful tears away as she made it back to her desk and started putting her stuff away than she remember she was suppose to watch Spencer today but she didn't have her car and the bus left two hours ago and Mr. Carlin wasn't coming in today to pick her up.
"Well Spence it seems your dad is late," Ms. Lancaster bit her lip, "That's unusual...I hope everything is okay?"
"Um, Ms. Lancaster?" the teacher turned her attention on Ashley, "He's not coming to pick her up,"
"What, why not?" she asked her voice raising in panic.
"You see he asked me yesterday if I could take her home and watch her...I mean hang out with her until he came home but...I sort of forgot that I had detention until today so we didn't catch the bus like he probably thought we'd do and my car doesn't arrive till Friday and it's only Wednesday."
Ashley just realized that it was Wednesday, she'd only been here in the city for three days, living in the mansion for three days, going to school and getting to know Spencer for three days, she couldn't believe how much stuff she'd already got involved with in that little amount of time.
"Ashley," Ms. Lancaster sighed in disappointment.
"I know please don't lecture me, I'm sorry okay,"
"Y-e-ah sh-e's so-r-r-r-r-y," Spencer shot out in the brunette's defense, "Be-s-ides I could have to-l-d my d-d-dad she h-a-d dete-ntion but I forg-ot to,"
Ms. Lancaster raised her eye brows, Spencer was blowing her out of the water, being so talkative and expressive, it was just so unusual.
"See so if you blame me you blame her too," Ashley nodded her head, "Ow!" she rubbed her shoulder where Spencer smacked her and pouted, "Aw...did I make you upset?" Spencer nodded and continued to pout, "Suck it up and we'll watch whatever when we get to your house, assuming we can get there,"
"Yeah," Spencer clapped sucking in her bottom lip which Ashley wished she was able to kiss away instead but pushed those thoughts away.
"Well," Lancaster groaned in frustration, "I can't just leave you two here now can I?" the girl's shook their heads.
"I'll take them," a deep voice broke into their conversation. Standing in the door way was a five foot twelve young man. Blonde hair with a blue streak in the bangs was grown out down to his ears, he wore the basic skater boy attire including carrying a skateboard.
"W-e c-a-n't all fit," Spencer nodded to the board.
He glanced down at the skateboard than back up at us, "I know that...I'm talking about my truck..." he stopped talking when he saw Spencer smiling, Ashley truly couldn't understand why people thought she was stupid or really slow, she knew what was going on and even made jokes that normal people did, not that Spencer isn't normal, "Yeah," he grinned like an idiot as a blush reigned on his cheeks as he rubbed his neck.
"That's very kind of you Robert," Lancaster beamed, "Now off you go," she ushered them out the door and closed it behind them.
Ashley vowed she'd find out that lady's secret of where she goes during detention and why she always seems to try and get rid of them, "So where you parked?"
"In the parking lot," he rolled his eyes as he walked off with out so much as a glance back. Ashley didn't like the guy's attitude but decided not to say anything as he was there ride home and she didn't feel like walking ten miles to get home although she'd probably get to hold Spencer's hand, she shook her head in annoyance with her self and these thoughts.
The ride was quiet, not even the radio was playing, as Robert drove them to Spencer's house by Ashley's directions due to the fact that Spencer kept stuttering over her words and making them miss a turn or two which resulted in Robert getting a bit stressed out at the blonde.
"Thanks," Ashley nodded curtly than slammed his truck door and walked to the front of the house where Spencer was jumping up and down waiting to get in, "Hold on," she whispered fishing the key Mr. Carlin had given her yesterday out of her pocket, she wondered why Spencer didn't have a key and had to be let in but dismissed it as she watched a very cute ass run it's way upstairs. After it went around the corner freeing the brunette of her prevy state she walked into the living room tossing her bag on the lazy boy chair and than plopping her self down on the couch in front of the television. Laying her head back and closing her eyes she took a moment to process everything that had been going on from moving to Spencer and to the feelings building inside her but soon an excited blonde jumping on the couch and bouncing away pulled her from her thoughts.
"So what movie?" Ashley wondered, trying to figure out what Spencer favorite movie was.
The blonde grinned and pulled two boxes from behind her hand, shaking her head Ashley nodded and watch Spencer squeal and rush to put the first movie on, "I'm going to make popcorn," Ashley called as she got up from couch and walked to the kitchen.
"I got s-o-o-oda," Spencer came in behind her going for the fridge, opening it she scanned the contents, "Pe-psi or c-o-k-k-e?"
Ashley gasped in mock horror, "Don't tell me you do coke?"
"I me-an-t the li-q-uid not po-w-der," Spencer couldn't believe how much of a smart ass Ashley was, always throwing jokes around even in tense situations.
"I know me too, please tell me you don't drink that?" she asked seriously.
"I don't, my d-d-ad does," Spencer responded as she reached in taking two pepsi's out.
Ashley was glad to hear the girl was another pepsi-holic like her self, which reminder her, she walked quickly to the cabinet and unlocked it pulling out the two bottles she'd seen Arthur take out but she wasn't sure if those were the ones or not, "Hey Spence are these the two the medicine's you have to take when you get home?" she asked eyeing the bottles before handing them to Spencer.
"Yep," she nodded once. Ashley unscrewed the child proof caps that in Spencer's jerky movement couldn't get open and even the brunette with her steady hands had trouble popping the cap.
"You'd think they'd teach us adult how to open them when we get old enough," Ashley took out the popcorn from the microwave and the two high tailed it back into the living room with snack and drinks in hand. They both sat on the couch as the opening credits to Rock-A-Doodle came on.
By the second movie, Cool World, Spencer and Ashley had drifted closer. The blonde yawned Ashley motioned for her to lay her head down and she did right on Ashley's lap with the rest of her body laying on the opposite side of the couch. Close to the end the older girl noticed Spencer had fallen asleep she smiled and ran her fingers through silky strands of blonde hair but the smile faded as Spencer began to shake in her sleep, Ashley knew she must be having a seizure as small whimpers escaped her half open mouth as all the muscles tensed and relaxed in her whole body.
Freaking out Ashley shifted so she was lying practically on top of Spencer holding her close, their legs tangled so if someone saw couldn't say whose belonged to who, her arms encircled the slightly taller girl and it was as if Spencer realized the comfort being given to her as her body finally relaxed back into the cushions and this is the position they fell asleep in and this is the position Arthur found them in.
With a knowing grin he called Ashley's father who he'd looked up and asked him if it was alright for her to stay the night, Raife agreed and Arthur went into the kitchen after turning off the television that was now on a blue screen. He started cooking dinner allowing the two teens to dose off in their dreamland.
TBC...