Disclaimer: I do not own South of Nowhere or its characters. I own the plot of the story and the other new characters coming in that aren't part of South of Nowhere.

Chapter 11:

Ashley was walking through the hallways peeking at every classroom when she heard a voice coming from a room two doors from where she was. She decided to check it out thinking that maybe Spencer was there. She took a deep breathe. Damn Carlin! You're still making me nervous. She was about to peek her head into the door when she heard the voice of the person she was hoping to not ever hear.

"Yeah I know. It was my fault. But I really miss you Spence. Just give me another chance, please? I promise, I won't screw it up. Please? Please?" Carmen said begging.

"Carmen..."

"Just one more time Spence?"

"Don't screw it up." Spencer said giving Carmen a smile.

"I won't! I promise! Thank you so much Spencer!" Carmen said while she put her arms around Spencer's waist.

"Is that for me?" Spencer said nodding towards the bouquet of flowers placed on the desk.

"Sorry yeah. I uhh was too busy begging to have my girlfriend back to actually give her the flowers. I'm such an ass. Sorry. You're my girlfriend still? Right?" Carmen said.

"Don't worry about it. Yeah, I still am." Spencer said while she gave Carmen a peck on the lips.

Ashley was frozen to her spot. She wanted to run, to get away as far as she can from that place, from that classroom, from them, from Spencer.

They're back together? They're back together. Just like that. But then, what was I really thinking? She said she just wanted to hang out and not ignore each other. She never said anything about being friends or getting back together.

"Ash?"

Why can't I just stay away from you Spencer Carlin?

"Ashley?" Glenn asked again a bit worried now as the tears were flowing down Ashley's cheek.

Still no response.

"Come on, let's get you out of here." Glenn said as he noticed who the people inside the classroom they were outside of.

Ashley still did not say anything.

As Glenn and Ashley were walking through the lockers, a pair of eyes was following them.

Ashley seemed to have regained consciousness of what was happening as she got out of Glenn's hold and went to the nearest trash can to dump the flowers.

What was I thinking? Like a bunch of flowers would make her want to go out with me again.

"Ash?" Glenn asked as soon as he saw Ashley throw the flowers away.

"Glenn" Ashley said surprised.

"Are you okay? I mean, stupid question, I'm sorry but I just. I saw you outside of that classroom and you looked. I don't know. I just. They were in there you know. So I walked you out here. I just didn't think you'd want them to see you there. Or maybe you do? Or not. I don't really know. I actually have –"

Ashley raised her eyebrows at Glenn obviously amused at how Glenn was acting. Her sadness was temporarily washed over by Glenn's dorkiness.

"Wow! No wonder you're not getting laid at all! You ramble too much!" Ashley said chuckling.

Glenn smiled at the reaction he got despite the fact that he was a bit embarrassed at how he acted.

"Shut up Ash!"

"So, how's my car?"

"Last time I checked I saw it was in your garage."

"Uh-huh. No scratch?"

"None."

"Good. Don't you have practice of some sort with your jock friends?"

"Yeah, but I wasn't sure if it was you that I saw and when I was calling out your name, you weren't exactly acknowledging me so, I came after you. And now, we're here."

"Aww... Did Glenn Carlin missed me?" Ashley teased. Well, at least one Carlin is missing me.

"Whatever I'm going. See ya!"

"Later Glenn."

"ASHLEY!" Kyla said as she launched herself on to her sister.

"Oh my God! My ear! My ear! I need it for hearing!" Ashley said as she returned the embraced.

"Shut up Ash!" Kyla said as she playfully slapped Ashley's arm.

"What's with people telling me to shut up?" Ashley mumbled to herself.

"Whatever. I cannot believe you left for New York without telling me."

"I left you a message."

"Oh you mean the note on the fridge?"

"Well, it was a message." Ashley said in a 'duh' tone.

"You don't leave messages telling them you're leaving for another state on the fridge! You use cell phones to do that!"

"Okay... Okay... Jeez! Calm down woman!" Ashley said raising her hands in mock surrender.

"Eeew... Don't call me that!"

"Call you what?" Ashley asked confused.

"Woman. It feels and sounds weird coming from you. We're related."

"Eeew yourself! I wasn't even thinking that way!" Ashley said scrunching her face at the thought.

"Eeew yourself back! I wasn't even thinking the way you were thinking it!" Kyla said mirroring her sister's face.

"Okay whatever Ky. I'm not talking about that anymore. It's getting weirder by the second. So, how was your trip?" Ashley said changing the subject.

"It was good."

"You were gone for months. And it was just good?" Ashley said suspiciously.

"Okay. It was great. I had fun."

"Alright. Be vague all you want. Where's Mads?"

"She's with the cheerleaders."

"And you're here with me because?" Ashley asked.

"'Cos I saw you?" Kyla said unsure.

"You're a cheerleader, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but I saw you and I haven't seen you in months."

"Mads will flip out on you. Cheerleading is a serious deal for her."

"What? You think I don't know? Besides, you're here already. She'll understand."

After a beat before Ashley could ever respond to what she said, Kyla started talking again.

"Oh! I remember I wanted to ask you about that!"

"What?"

"About you and Madison! You two were really best friends?"

Ashley was about to open her mouth to answer her but Kyla was saying something again.

"I cannot believe it when she said that! You two always looked like you were ready to kill each other whenever you exchange words at each other. I cannot believe you didn't tell me that! And about you and Spencer too! I cannot believe the whole school knew that you two broke up before I did! And not only that! I found out months after! We talked on the phone! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Can I talk now?" Ashley asked smirking.

Kyla just rolled her eyes.

"First, did people deprive you of talking while I was gone? Or did people not talk to you when you were on your trip? And tone down on the coffee, before you have a heart attack!"

"You done with your little rant on my behaviour?"

Ashley just nodded.

"KYLA WOODS! What the hell are you doing outside of... ASHLEY!"

"Yes my name is Ashley. Could you please not yell? I still want to be able to hear after this day is over, you know."

"Shut up!" Madison said as she engulfed Ashley in a hug which Ashley returned.

"There we go again with telling me to shut up." Ashley muttered.

"Shut the hell up Ashley. I thought you wouldn't be here 'til tomorrow?"

"Change of plans." Ashley said vaguely.

"Why didn't you tell me? We could have picked you up at the airport."

"There was no need to." Ashley said with a shrug.

"Okay, we're definitely hanging out at your place today!"

"Yeah, yeah... I'll get the food and the movies. I'll see you after practice."

"Oh no. I'm cancelling practice or have Sherry take over." Madison said excitedly.

"Okay. Did you two robbed a candy store and don't want anyone catching you with the evidence so you decided to eat it all today?"

"Shut up Ash!" Kyla and Madison said at the same time while rolling their eyes.

"Glad to know I was missed." Ashley muttered as she led the two to her car.

"There you are. The guys and I were betting whether it's a brunette or a blonde." Aiden said as soon as he spotted Ashley.

"What?" Ashley asked confused.

"Stop taking steroids Aiden." Madison said also not understanding what Aiden was talking about.

"I'm talking about your new girl that you brought from New York. She must be pretty amazing if you brought her here after only meeting her for less than 2 weeks."

"Tell me her name. Oh, and I want to meet her!" Kyla said excitedly.

"Okay. Seriously, did the three of you rob a candy store? You're all acting like kids hyped up on sugar. Well only you two." Ashley said pointing to Madison and Kyla. "But you, have you been going through your dad's pain meds? Cos you're talking crazy." Ashley said to Aiden.

"Quit dodging the question and just tell us who the hell is she... And did you really bring her from New York? And why the hell did the whole school know before me?" Madison said.

"The whole school?" Ashley asked Aiden.

"Well, at least the girls gossiping in the hallways. Apparently, they had met your girlfriend." Aiden explained.

"Oh."

"Oh? That's all you have to say? 'Oh?'" Madison grilled.

"Calm down mom! She was probably the one who told the school. 'Cos I'm pretty sure I wasn't running around this morning telling people I have a new girlfriend." Ashley said rolling her eyes. She should have known something like this would have happened.

Madison just rolled her eyes at the comment while Kyla was acting like a kid hyped up on sugar again.

"So, who is she? What's her name? Did you really bring her from New York? I wanna meet her!" Kyla said her eyes showing excitement.

"I didn't bring her here. She invited herself. Ky, seriously calm down, people are starting to actually watch us."

Madison just turned around and glared at the other students down, obviously telling them to mind their own business before she came after them.

"They're gone. So where is she? Is she staying in your house?" Madison said.

"No, she's in the bathroom actually. She'll be right out any second from now. You'll meet her then."

"Okay. So, what's her name?"

"Let her tell you herself or give it a guess when you see her."

Madison just looked at her weird.

"Oh looky, there she is." Ashley said as she noticed the other girl.

Madison turned around to see who the girl was, her face switch from confusion to disgust when she finally remembered who the other girl was.

"Rachel?"