Disclaimer : South isn't mine.

AN: If you aren't already aware, this highschool is Ohio is called Kigh High. Soo, the Middle/High school Ashley went to in L.A. will be changed. Just thought you'd wanna know.

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UPDATE: EDITED.
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Chapter Ten : The Games That Play Us

We pulled into the parking lot of the high school. As soon as I parked the car, Kyla's turning to me with a serious expression.

"Okay, be honest. How do I look?" She whispers, fixing her hair.

I fought an eye roll, throwing the car keys into my pocket. "Honestly?"

Kyla nods frantically.

My eyes roamed her face for a second, before my face twisted into mock horror. "Horrible!"

With that, I climb out of my Porsche, and walked away. Kyla looks scared for a moment before she scoffs, and does the same. As soon as she catches up to me, her hand smacks the back of my head.

"That was so uncalled for, Davies."

"Kyla, you're smokin' hot," I tell her, digging through my pockets for my sunglasses. "Sophomore and Freshman boys will totally fawn over you."

She blushes, but quickly composes herself. "I've decided I'm going to start over, wipe the slightly slutty slate clean. We're juniors now, and these people don't even know me, or my past."

"We all make mistakes, Kyla," I say, dragging my sunglasses over my eyes to hide the sadness there. "Just have to accept them, and move on."

"You can too, you know," She adds, linking our arms. "These people don't know you anymore. When will we ever get another chance like this? Don't be afraid of them! Man up and be who you wanna be!" She swats my arm playfully.

"Okay, I'll try," I promised, leading her up the steps of King High. "God, when did you get all wise all of a sudden?"

Catching a few winks from a few Junior boys, Kyla blushes and giggles into my side. "I don't know, but I'm totally loving it!"

As soon as we find her locker, Kyla's literally squealing into my ear.

"Oh my gosh, our lockers are like two feet away from each other!" She squeaks, excitedly. "In L.A., we were like a building apart!THIS IS AWESOME!"

I put on a tight smile, excepting this kind of behavior from her. "Yeah, yeah. First period, Kyla. Let's go before we're late."

My hand finds hers quickly, dragging her along protectively. I remembered how these asses treated me the first day. I'll be damned if they hit Kyla in the face with a locker.

RRRIINNNGG!

Since Kyla and I have every class together—except cheer leading of course. I mean, come on—my opinion of how this school year is going to go has gotten so much more optimistic. Though, I still don't know what's going to happen with me and Spencer. I hadn't seen her in a few days because she'd went on a camping trip with her family. I hope she's here today. Since she had my first hour, I'd soon see her if she was.

As we head to music, I see the same door I froze in front of first day. Ironically, I'd come to love this class, along with Art. Though, mainly because Spencer was also in them. I threw my bag at my usual seat towards the back, walking with Kyla up to Ms. James' desk. The students are piling in now as the teacher finished talking to the student before us. Once she sees me and Kyla, the teacher smiles politely at my sister.

"You must be Kyla, Ashley's told me you were enrolling here," She greets, shaking Kyla's hand. "Well, you ready for 20 questions, so to speak?"

Kyla nods, but I could tell she was still nervous. The second day I was here, since I'd missed the first day, Ms. James told me she'd ask me questions in front of the class. And if the other students wanted to, they'd ask a few questions as well. She'd done it to everyone else the previous day. It was to let everyone get to know each other a little, and I reluctantly agreed. It wasn't that bad, I guess, but it wasn't the best experience in the world either.

She motions for Kyla to sit down on a stool that was against the white board, and called attention to the class. I gave her a thumbs up as I sat down in my chair. Kyla visibly swallows, but smiles anyway.

"I know this could be quite embarrassing, but it'll be over before you know it," Ms. James assures her, settling down on top of her desk. "Alright, first off. Wanna tell the class your name? Maybe where you came from?"

"Okay, well. I'm Kyla Woods," She says, a shy smile tugging at her lips. "My sister and I just moved here from Los Angeles. She's from here, but I was born in Texas."

"A Texan, huh? Very cool," Ms. James compliments, thinking of another question. "How about some hobbies?"

Kyla laughs, biting her lip in thought. "Oh, easy one. I like cheer leading, and painting. Oh, duh, and reading—love that. Actually, I plan to write in the future. Maybe a novel?"

"My sister's a writer, and she loves it," Ms. James added. "Alright, guess we'll take a few questions from the class. Then you're done."

"Oh, awesome," Kyla sighs in relief, relaxing against the white board.

The teacher motions to one of the raised hands scattered about the room.

"Is you're sister hot too?"

"Josh," Ms. James warns. I've come to learn from the past few days that he tends to say things without thinking them over first.

The boy just shrugs. "What?"

"Um, yeah, she's gorgeous," Kyla responds anyway. "But you've already met her, dude. Ashley Davies."

Josh's mouth falls open, turning his head to smirk at me, and I inwardly gag. He looks back at Kyla with raised eyebrows. "So hot."

Before he can say anything else, Kyla is the one who interrupts. "Okay, uh, next question."

"Wait, if you guys are sisters, why're you from different places?" Another boy asks, Jonathon.

"Same dad, different mom," Kyla says simply. "We met the year she moved down there, at our High School. It was very rough at first, but we got past it."

"Why'd you decide to move down here?" He presses on, curiously. If he wasn't cute, I think Kyla would've snapped at him by now.

"I don't know, my sister needed me," She replies, giving me a small smile.

"So, you're close?"

"Very close," She says. "We tell each other everything, even the things we keep from everyone else. No secrets with us, just how we roll."

"Well, if you're so close," A familiar snarky voice pipes up from the front of the class. "Did she ever tell you the real reason she left Ohio?"

My eyes instantly fall onto the dark, Latino skin and cheer leading outfit the girl was wearing. Ugh, Madison.

"I think that's her business, don't you?" Kyla nearly barks back, recognizing the girl from a picture I'd shown her a few years back. She knew what Madison did to me and Spencer...I just hadn't told her about the Spencer part yet.

My eyes narrowed in silent anger, remembering exactly what she'd put us through.

Flashback :

It was in January, and Fifth grade only had about four months to go, when I first met Madison Duarte.

I had been swinging by myself at the park when she came up to me. I remebered looking up at her, and wondering why she never stopped playing with her slightly frizzed hair. She'd only been in school for a few weeks, a new kid.

"Why are you here by yourself?" She'd asked me, bluntly.

"I had I fight with my best friend a few days ago," I whispered before I could stop myself. "We haven't really talked since..."

"Oh. Well, I'm here," She says, giving me a smile. "You can talk to me. Whats your name?"

"Ashley. What's yours?"

"Madison." She sits down on the swing beside me, holding out her hand. Reluctantly, I shook her tiny hand. Before I knew it, I was smiling.

Weeks go by, and I still hadn't spoken a word to my best friend. It hurt like hell, but luckily, Madison was there as a distraction. We'd started to hang out more, especially with the popular people. When I'd see Spencer in the hallways at school, she'd just look at me with those hurt eyes for only a second before looking away. I knew what she must've feared, that I was going to be one of Madison's minions. I told myself that I would never be one of those girls, that Madison was actually a good person once you got to know her. I just thought she was jealous that I'd become popular, but one day that all changed. Once I saw Madison's true colors.

We're eating lunch at our usual table, surrounded by popular other students. My eyes only drifted for only a second, just enough to see the sadness in her eyes again. They'd lost the amazing blue and twinkle in them, and I silently hated myself for taking that away. She's so close to crying that my heart breaks in my chest. Madison's eyes follow mine for a second, eyes narrowing, before whispering to one of the girl's around her. She really didn't like Spencer either, so I didn't think anything of it.

"Hey Ash?" She calls out to me, and I turned around to look at her. "Didn't you forget your sketchbook in math?"

"Oh crap!" I yelled, dashing out of the cafeteria in hopes of no one finding it.

(No one's POV)

Madison crosses her arms, waiting patiently as the teacher walks out of the cafeteria. There was only them and a few others beside Spencer let inside the cafeteria now. Standing up along with her minions, she struts over to where Spencer's eating. She's silently reading a book to herself, and sipping her apple juice box. Spencer lifts up her head to see four evil smirks directly in front of her.

"Well, well, well," Madison draws out, grabbing Spencer's book and tossing it behind her to one of the girls.

"W-What do you want Madison?" Spencer asked, standing up.

Madison grunts and steps forward, backing the stammering girl closer to the wall behind her. "Wh-wh-what? Speak clearly, retard."

Spencer's eyes flash, and Madison rolls hers in annoyance, pushing Spencer against the wall. "I want you to stop messing with Ashley. If you haven't noticed, she's with me now. My friend, not yours."

Spencer shakes her head. "I don't know what you're talking—"

"Bull, Special Ed, you know exactly what I'm talking about," Madison sneers. "I see you staring at her everyday, it's gross. Can't you see she's not like you?" She pokes Spencer in her shoulder hard."You got me!"

Ashley entered the cafeteria then, glancing around to see Madison and some girls surrounding Spencer's table.

(Ashley POV)

My ears pick up their insults as they touched her hair and messed with her clothes. It didn't matter that we were fighting, or any of that, all that mattered was that they were hurting Spencer.

My fists coiled angrily, sprinting towards the heard of girls. I tear Madison's hand form Spencer's shoulder, finding myself standing in front of the stunned girl protectively. "Madison! What the hell are you doing!"

"Telling this freak to stop gawking at you! She's disgusting."

"You're one to talk," Spencer muttered behind me;I almost smiled. That's when Madison raised her fist, pissed off at the insult. Spencer winces, grasping onto me with everything she has.

Madison springs back on her heels, confused by the action. "What, you're taking the freaks side over mine?"

"Yeah, guess I am," I whispered, disbelieving that I'd ever saw anything good in the Latina. "She's more of a friend to me, then you will EVER be. God, this is wrong, Madison. You know that!"

I turned my back on the girl, feeling my eyes water just seeing Spencer's broken expression. I reached out my hand to her, but Spencer doesn't take it. I felt my heart sink at the rejection. With tears rimming her blue eyes, Spencer's head shakes at me, and she crumbles onto the floor. I get on my knees, inching towards the defeated blonde. The way she looks at me then makes me feel like she didn't even know me anymore.

"You lied to me...," She says, dejectedly.

"I know," I whispered, wanting nothing but to take these past few weeks back. "I swear to you, it'll never happen again. I'm so sorry, Spence."

That was one of the worst feelings in the world, knowing that you could lose your best friend like that. After a moment, when I'd given up on my hope, I feel Spencer's hand slide into mine. Blue eyes glittered up at me, and I feel like I'm five years old again.

"Don't do it again," She whispers back.

An exasperated breath leaves my lips, and I felt myself smile in relief. I pulled the both of us to our feet, and we soon walked pass Madison. But Spencer's hand stop me. Her revenge filled eyes resting into my own before she go, and stepping towards Madison. Spencer just stares at her for a second before coiling back her hand. The force of her hand against Madison's face snaps her head to the side, making the girl stumble to the ground holding her face in pain.

We exit the cafeteria then, flushed grins painted on our faces. Until the day I left, the next year would be filled with Madison mumbling snide comments in the hall and in the classroom. Everything to make our life's hell. Then, the day I left, I asked a few friends to keep an eye on Spencer for me. Though he hadn't left on good terms, Spencer and me, I still wanted to protect her. I promised her, after all.

End Of Flashback :

"Leave it alone, Mads," I demanded, through clenched teeth.

Madison's evil smirk focused on me then, and I lifted myself off of my chair, and crossed my arms.

The Latina laughed maliciously. "Did I strike a nerve, Davies?"

"Now, now, retract your claws girls," Ms. James interrupted, hopping off her desk. "Do you know each other?"

"Sadly, we do," I replied, my anger seething. Kyla's by my side within seconds, already prepared to defend me if she has to.

"It's been a long time, huh, Davies?" Madison adds, her top lip twitching in disgust. "How's your life partner these days?"

My fists clenched against my arms, but I don't respond. She's not worth it, Ashley, just calm—

"What, she didn't take you back?" Madison fired again, blowing any self will out of window.

"Okay, if you don't kick her ass, I will," Kyla's hissing under her breath.

"You got your sis fighting your battles now?" Madison asks, standing up from her chair to glower over at us. She really had some nerve. I mean, one, this wasn't fifth grade anymore. And two, Kyla's taken karate lessons for six years. She really doesn't want to mess with us. "Since your dyke doesn't love you anymore?"

We had been so wrapped up in our quarrel, we didn't bother to hear the door open in the back of the classroom. My feet are moving, stopping until I was face to face with Madison, grabbing onto her collar. Ms. James is quick to pull me away, keeping us at am arm's distance.

"Don't you dare call her that," I sneered, feeling Kyla's hand on my arm.

"Oh, why do you even care?" Madison shot back, and my jaw clenched. She laughs, the evil grin she was sporting getting bigger. "Well, isn't that sweet, you—"

"You don't know what you're talking about," I spat out, wanting to rip it off her face.

Kyla steps infront of me, cracking her knuckles. "Alright, Shikira, shut you're trap now before I shut it for you."

At that moment, I swear I saw a hint of fear in Madison's eyes.

"I'd stop talking now if I were you, Madison," A familiar voice replied from the back of the room. "I know a lot of your dirty secrets."

I smiled to myself, feeling a soft hand on my shoulder as Spencer stands civilly beside me.

Madison huffs, crossing her arms at Spencer. "Glad you joined us little Spence. Your girlfriend and I here were just talking about you."

"Great to see you too," Spencer replied, leveling a discreet nod at the Latina. "Which reminds me, do you remember when we went along with the football players to the away game?"

For the first time, Madison's caught off guard, shifting nervously on her feet. Spencer's eyes lowered to mine, telling me to continue, which I oblige gladly.

"Yeah, you remember that don't you?" I asked, the one smirking now. "Now you wouldn't want me to tell what you did—photographed—in the back of the bus?"

Her obviously worried expression only fueled the fire. "You wouldn't."

Spencer raises a challenging eyebrow. "Oh, wouldn't we?"

Ms. James finally chimes in, pushing Madison back down in her seat. "You hand no right to be so childish, you should be ashamed of yourself. Madison, I suggest you sit down and keep your comments to yourself, or I will personally help to suspend you this time."

My jaw drops, reaching a hand behind me, and giving Kyla a silent high five. We watched as Madison scoffs and storms out of the room with Ms. James in tow, who gives Spencer and I a wink before shutting the door. As soon as the door shuts, the class in buzzing with new gossip and whispers of what they'd just witnessed.

We sat down then, taking the three empty seats I'd saved at the beginning of class, with Spencer and Kyla on either side of me.

"So, what'd I miss?" She asked, sarcastically.

Kyla snorts. "Some dumb bitch was calling Ashley out. I swear I would've kicked her ass if—"

I hold a hand to my sister, begging her to a stop. "Spencer, this is my sister, Kyla. Kyla, this is Spencer. My...an old friend."

Spencer's surprised, to say the least, leaning over to shake her hand. "Wow. I mean, I didn't know—Well, it's nice to meet you, Kyla."

"Likewise," She says, smilingly knowingly at the two of us. An awkward giggle passes my lips, seeing the smile. I knew I'd have some explaining to do later.

Leaning back in my chair, I let out an exhausted breath, instantly catching Spencer's bemused grin. I knew she'd felt the exact same, we all did. Drama can take a lot out of you sometimes.

"So, what happened between you too?" Kyla inquired, and my head snaps back at her so fast it gave me a cramp.

"What?" Both Spencer and I had muttered at the exact time. Guess I was hoping too much with having to tell her later.

Kyla gives us a look. "I mean, what's the story? Clearly, big Sis left out a major plot point of her life that I hadn't known about. Now spill."

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Glancing towards Spencer, I could see that she was having trouble putting our story into words also.

We were both speechless.

How the hell was I going to explain this?

R&R.