Dissident: Chapter 10
"Em." Spencer peeked over her folded newspaper with stern eyes. She didn't speak because she shouldn't have to. Nothing grates on the older blonde's nerves more than trying to read the paper and being distracted by the repeated clanking of spoon against bowl. They've talked about this and Spencer is tired of having the same conversation every morning.
Emilee turned her head and looked with pleading eyes to her other mom for support. When she was only offered a shrug in return, she laid her spoon down in resignation and mumbled a pouty "Sorry."
Ashley wondered if her other self would have stuck up for the little girl. Her eyes slowly drifted over to Spencer to gauge her reaction. It isn't as if her eyes hadn't been all over the blonde this morning anyway. She was met with a cute half grin before her girlfriend quickly diverted her gaze to the newsprint in front of her. Ashley would have smiled. She should have been smiling. This is the only life she ever truly wanted for herself. A life with Spencer.
"Take a picture. It'll last longer." Eyes never leaving the paper, Spencer grinned playfully.
So Ashley smiled then. Because how could one not form when that gorgeous blonde makes a comment that is meant to be funny, but really isn't. This was oddly familiar to her. She's remembered Spencer all over again. She was never funny, as much as she tried to be. Always a little dorky. But amusing at the same time. It wasn't the humor that attracted Ashley to her. No. It was just that she had a good heart. The only person to ever love her dispite everything. And god, did she love her. It was so intense at times. She wonders how she was able to live without that.
She thought back to her nights of touring, talk shows, interviews, and girls that she slept with. Did the industry love her? Yes. Did the fans love her? Yes. Was she happy? Yes. No. YES. She was definitely happy...right?
"Where are you?"
Ashley shook the thoughts out of her head and focused her attention on Spencer. The blonde's elbows rested on the table, chin in hand, with a face of concern directed toward her. "In another lifetime." The soft spoken admission surprised Ashley for a split second before realizing that Spencer would never have a clue as to it's truthfulness.
"Mom." Emilee interrupted, which caused Spencer to reluctantly turn her head away from Ashley. "Not you, mom. MOM mom." The brunette looked over expectantly. "No more vacations?"
Ashley shoveled a spoon of Grapenuts into her mouth and says "No". Then felt guilty for lying as visions of Angel as a travel agent float through her mind.
--
"So then he like... said I was gay! GAY! I've probably fucked more girls than he's patted guys on the rear."
Ashley's eyes widened a bit. "Ooookay." She nervously picked at the corner of a manilla folder trying to think of something to say.
"No offense."
She looks up and watcheed Brendon nod to something over her shoulder. Following his gaze, she looked back to see a picture of her and Spencer on the cabinet. Rolling her eyes she faced him again. "None taken."
"So... lesbian. That's pretty hot." He said with a smug expression.
"Now it's taken." Ashley deadpanned as she gave him the evil eye.
"Sorry."
Ashley really didn't care. She just wanted to give him a hard time. She's good at that. The counseling thing? Not so much. 'Don't you have to have an education to do something like this?' she thought to herself as her eyes scanned the walls.
Brendon watched her curiously. "I'm not really like that." Ashley gave him a 'mmm hmm', clearly distracted. He awkwardly continued. "I have a friend. That's a girl. Who's into girls." His counselor stood up, and for a moment he flinched, thinking that she was going to attack him for thinking he's a homophobe. He cautiously followed her movement toward the wall just next to the door. Happy that she had decided to spare him his life, he said more than he should. "I watch the LWord. You know... for the education."
This time, Ashley turned around to glare at him.
"What?" Brendon questioned, feigning innocence.
Ashley didn't answer. Instead, she returns her focus to the framed document on the wall. She ran a fingertip over glass, leaving a small streak. "Wow." She muttered in disbelief. Never, in a million years, would she have imagined herself ever being a college graduate. She finds it hard to believe that could happen in any reality. Yet there it is. Her name. On a diploma.
A knocking at the door startled Ashley from her wonderment.
Peaking through the door, Arthur asked "Ash. A word?" He nodded in the direction of the hallway and the college graduate followed him out of the office.
--
"Mom, I know what I'm doing." Spencer dumped the contents of her Quiznos basket into the trash before laying the container on the tray directly above. She walked over to the soda fountain to poor herself a refill before they leave.
Paula repeated the previous action of her daughter. "Sweetie, I just don't want you to get hurt."
The younger blonde sighed while reapplying the lid on her drink and leaned her hip against the counter. Her rising stress level reminded her of why she never agrees to spend lunch break with her mother. "So what was the other day?" She looked up into matching blue eyes. "Telling me she would come back to me. You were right. And now you suddenly think I'm moving too fast?"
"Spencer, you know I just want to protect you... and Emilee."
"I should have known." Spencer rolled her eyes and walked out the door.
Paula follows. "What was that?" Surprising her, she was met with a fountain soda being waived in her face after her daughter turned around abruptly and apparently infuriated.
"You never approved of me and Ashley, mom! And when you thought that it was over between us, you were so comforting and concerned." Spencer scoffed in sudden realization. "You would have been a better actress than doctor."
Her mother cringed at the disgust in her daughters voice. "It isn't like that."
"What's it like, then? Because from where I'm standing, it sounds like you want things to be over for me and Ash."
Paula took a few moments to gather her thoughts. She was treading on thin water here. It was true. She never wanted her daughter to build a life with Ashley. It would have been so much easier for her, if she had fell in love with a handsome and well adjusted young man. And she had always had a grudge against the brunette musician. She had a promising career and so much money. Then blew it all away pursuing that crazy dream of starting her own record company that left her and her daughter financially strapped. Selfish and irresponsible. But it hadn't surprised her. That had always been her opinion of Ashley. The singer would forever put her own wishes above her daughters. But she couldn't say all of that now to Spencer, who was clearly very upset. She really did want to try and set asside her feelings in order to have a decent relationship with them. "Did you talk to her about the cheating?"
Perplexed, Spencer turned on her heel and started a brisk pace to her mother's SUV and shouted over her shoulder. "Of course!" But she was internally kicking herself. Deep down, she knew that her mom wasn't completely off base. They hadn't really gotten into all of the reasons Ashley was so out of sorts recently. She wanted to have that conversation with Ashley, she did. But she was afraid. She wanted to believe that the love of her life hadn't cheated on her. She knew her better than anyone. Better than her girlfriend knew herself. And that was what was puzzling to her. She knew that Ashley wasn't lying to her when she said she didn't cheat. But her eyes revealed a different story. And Spencer just couldn't comprehend how that was possible or what it meant.
--
"You owe me."
Ashley turned to her impromptu chauffer. "Huh?"
Brenden smirked without taking his eyes off of the road. "For the herbal medicine you extracted from my pocket the other day."
"Oh, please. I gave you a twenty." It should have bothered her that she was talking about a drug deal with her teenage client, but it really didn't. After all, she was him in high school. Or he was her. Either way, she didn't see the harm in it. Kids are kids.
"I don't know when the last time you bought... stuff. But it's worth more than that." He turns a corner purposely sharp, causing Ashley to latch onto the handle above her passenger window. "Old lady."
Annoyed, Ashley rolls her eyes. "I get a discount for being your counselor." She looks out the window and point just ahead. "This is it."
Brenden pulls up in front of the house and watches as Ashley opens her door. "Aren't counselors supposed to discourage... that kind of thing?"
The brunette was sure that she probably should have. But what's done was done. "Wait here."
--
Spencer pulled into her driveway, next to an unfamiliar car. She sighed. Today had been a really long day for her. Her class was unusually poorly behaved, had an extremely exhausting lunch with her mother, and to top it all off, she had gone to pick Ashley up from work, only for her dad to tell her she left early to get Emilee from daycare. She really didn't want to deal with having company over right now. "Great." She mumbled, before grabbing her bag from the passenger seat and taking one last discouraging look at the vehicle next to her.
After sluggishly opening the door to her house, she was immediately attacked by their over-anxious family pet. "Cookie, get down!" She swatted him down, placed her bag on the entry table and walked toward the living room. What she saw stopped her in her tracks. There, on the ground in front of the t.v., sat the two most beautiful people in her life.
"Jump, JUMP!" Ashley yelled, completely into whatever was happening on the screen.
Spencer watched as her daughter pressed buttons frantically, swiftly moving the controller up in the air as if the action would somehow help make Mario jump away from the shelled turtle more quickly. The cartoony music revealed his fate as Mario flew down the screen.
Ashley put her arm around Emilee and squeezed a bit before letting her go. "It's OK. It just takes practice."
"Since when do we have a Nintendo?" Spencer leaned against the frame of the hallway, amused.
The brunette turned her head so fast that she could have gotten whiplash, but all was forgotten as she looked over the couch and into her girlfriend's gorgeous blue eyes. A smile crept on to her face as she stood up. "We did some shopping this afternoon."
Spencer eyed her girlfriend suspiciously. She knew that look. She was definitely up to something. But when Ashley wrapped comforting arms around her waist and buried her head in the crook of her neck, she didn't care. She was glad to have Ashley back. So happy to be able to feel this type of affection from her. It was so amazing how her bad days could be forgotten by just a simple loving embrace from her soul mate. "Mmm hmm?" Is all Spencer could say as her own arms instinctively encircled the brunette's upper body.
Ashley pulled back slightly to give Spencer a delicate kiss to her lips. She moved her hands down to entwine their fingers together. Swinging them cutely, the brunette bashfully smiled and ducked her head. "I have a surprise for you."
Spencer watched Ashley blush with embarrassment. And right then, she was sure that she would die a slow death if she was never able to hear that timid child-like voice from her girlfriend again. She was too cute for words, which was why that instead of responding, she was completely grinning like a stupid teenager with a crush. She allowed herself to be tentatively tugged out the front door and across the path to the driveway.
Ashley brought Spencer's hand up to her mouth and gave it a soft peck before releasing it and walking in front of the black, 2008 Toyota Avalon. She turned around with closed eyes and inhaled nervously. When her eyes opened, they were gleaming. A nose wrinkling smile appeared as her arms raised to showcase the vehicle. "Tada!"
"Tada?" Spencer was confused. She had forgotten that they had company. And who could blame her for being distracted by her insanely hot girlfriend? She just wondered who it could be. And where they were. And why it was a surprise. She looked over Ashley's shoulder to peek inside the windows. But nobody was there. Then she internally bemoaned herself because surely she would have noticed if someone was in there when she had first pulled up.
Ashley pulled a key out of her tight fitting jeans and raised it toward her girlfriend. "It's yours."
Once again, Spencer found herself speechless. But this time it wasn't because she was feeling like a crushing school girl. No. This time she was feeling like an upset significant other. "Ash... we don't have the money to make payments like that." She shook her head in disbelief before looking at the ground. What was UP with her girlfriend these days? She didn't know how much more of an emotional rollercoaster she could be put through. Before she could protest any further, she felt Ashley grab her hand and pull her toward the vehicle.
"We don't have to."
Spencer watched as Ashley opened the driver's side door. She pulled her hand away and crossed her arms. "What do you mean, 'We don't have to?'"
Ashley was becoming a little agitated. She thought that Spencer would be way more receptive to the new car. She shut the door and leaned against it, crossing her arms in the same way as her girlfriend. "I paid cash for it."