- Part Two -

I'm walking around a bright room, completely dazed and disoriented. I hear something, but I'm not sure I can quite make it out. It is a scream? Or…no…maybe…metal scraping…

My heart drops and suddenly the floor I didn't even realize I was standing on falls out from underneath me. I see myself in third person, falling down a dark, cold, and bottomless rabbit hole.

I gasp hard, and sit straight up so quickly I almost fall off the couch.

I wipe the sleep out of my eyes and try to recover from the dream, while also trying to adjust to the blinding sunlight streaming in from the window.

I suddenly remember where I am, and turn my head quickly behind me toward the bed. Only, the girl I'm looking for isn't there anymore.

Oh god, she woke up and saw some random girl in her room and bolted, didn't she? I knew I was going to regret this. Kyla will be thrilled to tell me how stupid I am.

I sigh and stand up, adjust my dress, and put my shoes back on my feet. I start walking toward the door to leave, when a movement catches my eye.

On the other side of the bed on the floor, was Spencer. She was sitting against the wall with both her legs pulled up to her chest, and I wonder just how long she's been sitting like this in the dark corner. Kinda creepy to be honest.

"Spencer? Are you okay?"

She doesn't look up.

"Shit I'm sorry, I'm Ashley. You probably don't remember me, I brought you back here last night…you were pretty wasted, I just wanted to make sure you were okay and Madison told me I could, my sister apparently knew all your friends or something…I'm sorry if this is weird…"

I start babbling out of nervousness because it just hits me just how strange this all is, when she finally looks up at me, cutting me off mid sentence.

I swear, I've never seen anyone's eyes so full of misery, of anguish. And I live in LA, I've seen some shit.

I slowly sit down in front of her, caught off guard by the tears that were starting to well up in her eyes.

"Hey…are you okay? I can get you some aspirin or a glass of water? Or both, I guess…"

She just continues to look at me, without saying a word, a few tears falling silently down her cheeks.

"Do you want me to leave?"

She still says nothing. I take that as an answer.

"Okay, well I'll let you be… I'll make sure Aiden comes and takes care of you alright? I really am sorry, I hope you feel better."

I start to lift myself up, when I feel her softly grab my hand.

I let my other hand fall and look at her again, but…she's not looking at me anymore. But she also hasn't let go of my hand.

"Look, um…I want to help you. Please, tell me what to do to make you feel better, I want to help. I mean, I know hangovers can be a bitch. I've had my fair share. One time I woke up next to my sister in her bed after partying a little too hard the night before and puked all over her. Though to be honest, I'm quite fond of that memory."

I almost see her cheeks move a bit, as if she was trying to conceal a smile that was starting to spread on her face.

"I'm not hungover. Not really."

She still doesn't look up, and she spoke so quietly, for a second I thought I imagined that she said anything at all.

"Well…um…throw me a bone here?"

She slowly starts to move her head up again, this time I watch her run her eyes all the way up my body before finally meeting my eyes. I'm curious about the size up she just gave me…it wasn't a "checking me out" kind of thing. But I can't place what it was.

Once her eyes meet mine again though, I forget what I was trying to figure out in the first place. I feel my breath catch a bit, as I see the watery piercing blue oceans she's staring back at me with. I don't even think at this point I could tell you my mother's name. Hell, I couldn't tell you mine.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Taking me home. Holding my hair back in the bathroom."

"Oh, well…I'm not going to lie, I figured you were too far gone to remember anything last night."

"Yeah well, I unfortunately can't ever drink enough to forget anything. Unless I pass out, I guess."

I see her face drop and without thinking I put my other hand on top of hers, the hand she still hasn't removed from mine.

"Well you did pass out for a while there, after I got you into the car. And actually I think until I finally got you into bed."

"Oh yeah, I guess I did…we didn't…do anything, right?"

I looked at her puzzled for a minute, before my eyebrows shoot up faster than I thought humanly possible.

"No! No no no no no, no we definitely didn't do anything, that, no absolutely not-"

I start babbling like no one's ever babbled before, and she puts her other hand on my arm to stop me.

"It's okay Ash, I believe you."

"Okay, I…I mean, I wouldn't do that. I couldn't do that, that's horrible." I feel a very distressed look appear on my face.

She gives me the first smile I've seen on her since I met her and says, "I know, I do."

"Good." I give her a smile a bit bigger than hers, mostly because of her calling me 'Ash' and not 'Ashley,' and I see her eyes trace my face. She breathes in deep, then lets herself sit back and her body relax a bit more.

"So…you mentioned something about aspirin?"