Helllo, yet again another long awaited chapter that was prompted by a lovely wee message of "Get your act together and write me another chapter" essentially :) I hope you all approve, please feel free to provide me with any ideas of where you'd like to see this go. Reviews are really helpful and genuinely get me back to updating quicker.
Onwards we charge then team!
Usual Disclaimer - Blaaaaaah.
Chapter 5 - Textual Contact
Ring Ring, Ring Ring...
Spencer hit the red button and dropped the phone onto the sofa. It'd been fifteen minutes since the number had been found and this was the first attempt at calling. A failed attempt, but it was better than nothing.
"I can't, I'm such an idiot. A hungover, drunken idiot." She leaned forward and rested her head in her hands. Spencer was definitely experiencing the boozey blues right now. All of the hilarious things she did last night were now being replayed in her head and she just wanted the world to swallow her up.
"Of course you can! You're only calling to thank her right?"
"Yes Aiden!" she mumbled into her palms.
"Then why is it so hard? She wouldn't have given you her number if she didn't want to hear from you."
At that Spencer lifted her head up so that only her chin was secure in her hands. The boy had a valid point. Ashley wouldn't have gone to the effort of writing it down if she didn't want a call.
"She just wants to know that I'm ok, I was pretty out of it." She reasoned.
"Exactly."
"I could text?"
"That's a bit lame Spence, she drove you home. Got you in the door. She didn't have to."
"I knoooooow, but it's weird! She's gay!"
"Your point being?" Aiden asked with a slight accusatory tone.
"Oh don't give me that homophobe bullshit, you've slept with all your straight friends!"
"They were secret gays!" He argued.
"Well she's not - apparently!"
"We aren't talking about her honey!"
"AIDEN I SWE-..."
Just as an argument was about to break out between the pair, the distinct whistle of Spencer's phone announced a text. The blonde snatched at the phone and noticed the sender had no contact details.
"Well read it!" Aiden stated impatiently.
"Ok, I think it's from her. It says "Hi, who is this? Ash" Aid I'm such a loser!"
"No spence, you're not. You can just text her back and say you didn't want to disturb her? Or had to run and puke? Or...just totally chickened out on speaking to the uber hot girl and hung up?"
"You are useless aiden, truly useless! You're meant to be good at this! What do I say?!"
At that moment another message came through from the same number.
"Oh and I can't answer because I'm at work, sorry!"
"Well that's perfect Spence! She won't know you hung up fast! She'll just think she missed your call. Boom!"
Aiden was right and this annoyed Spencer a lot. She was usually so calm and level-headed, why was this so difficult? Maybe she was just feeling embarrassed, she had been horrifically drunk last night and was escorted home by a girl she'd known 5 minutes...who she had previously called straight...
Aww man, this is so awkward!
After another moment of contemplation over her current predicament and making a pact with herself to never allow Aiden to feed her his lethal, life-ruining cocktails again – she picked up her phone and opened up Ashley's message. Hitting reply, she started to type.
"Hi, it's Spencer, from last night. I just wanted to call and thank you for getting us home safe. Spence – She stopped typing for a moment. She didn't know whether to 'x' it or not. What did text 'x' sign off etiquette say about this situation? Manning up, she typed one 'x' to the end of her message and hit send.
Exhaling a deep breath, Spencer looked at Aiden and nodded a little bit.
"Job done?" He asked as he stood up.
She nodded again and stood up too. He opened out his arms and wrapped up his drunken friend in a big bear hug. "It's ok Spence, stop stressing. Come on, let's go jump on Chelsea!"
It was just after lunch time when Spencer's phone whistled again. The three friends were now all dressed in the hangover sweat-pants and sat watching day time tv with ice-lollies. Jeremy Kyle was ranting on at some pregnant girl's shit boyfriend and Chelsea was shouting along with him. Spencer heard the phone buzz and her heart started beating a little faster.
Oh heart, please don't betray me like this.
She unlocked the screen and tried to calm down. The message was there.
"You're alive! Thanks for texting, I was worried about you guys. How are the head's feeling? A x"
Spencer calmed down a lot. She lifted her head and found Aiden gazing at her expectantly. She smiled at him and he returned it, happy that his friend had received a satisfactory reply. Aiden was convinced, deep down, that Spencer wasn't as straight as she liked to make out and it was a mission to not interfere and just tell the girl that she was kidding herself! He could see the signs already and he just wanted to help, but for now, he decided to stay quiet and be supportive. For once.
"Yes alive, barely. Chelsea's worse off than me, but that's not saying much! Is that you finished work? Spence x"
She let go of the breath she didn't know she'd been holding and hit send. Almost instantly the whistle sounded again.
"Aww poor souls! You were pretty wasted! Nah, I'm just hiding away for a bit! Ax"
"Sorry about the drunkenness, you really didn't have to help us. Where is it you work? Spence x"
"I was your Knight remember? :) couldn't just leave. Urgh in Starbucks, just down from the club. I get lunch in 20mins, you fancy a free coffee? Ax"
Spencer jumped out of her seat and started pacing.
"Oi, Blondie – move your skinny white ass out of the way!" Shouted a disgruntled Chelsea.
"Spencer what is it?" Asked Aiden, with genuine concern for once.
"She wants to meet me. For coffee. In 20 minutes. I think im having a panic attack."
The panicked girl started pacing. She only stopped when Chelsea forcibly pushed her back into her seat and pointed at Kyle on the television, "It's the DNA results! Have some respect Spence!"
"Oh god Aiden, what am I going to do?"
"Well first you're going to text her back and say 'yes, see you soon', then you're going to brush your teeth and hair, but most importantly you are going to sort out those sweatpants!"
The girl cocked her head to the side and gave him the eyebrow. "Really?"
"Don't Rizzoli me Ohio girl, now go! You don't have much time and you need to somehow look like an attractive hangover-mess."
"What do I wear?!" She called back as she huffed into her room and began throwing clothes into a pile on the floor. Hoodies, shirts, jeans and trainers all hit the wall before bouncing into the ever increasing collection.
At that, Aiden came bustling through and sifted through the clothes. He knew exactly what he was after, throwing back at the girl her favourite ripped jeans, a casual tee, her fitted shirt and the red Converse. "That!" He started to leave the room then stopped, with his hand on the door frame he regarded his stressed-out friend and spoke again, "Don't be scared Honey, it's just coffee – with a friend."
Spencer looked up at him, now almost dressed and nodded. She let a small smile escape and breathed deeply. "My hair ok?"
"Just brush and go babe."
The sun shone through blonde locks as she ambled down the road towards the Starbucks Ashley worked at. The light breeze helped clear her head and she felt her heart-rate decrease slightly, despite every step taking her closer to the unknown. Lifting her iPod out of her pocket, she clicked in the wire, threaded the device beneath her tee and popped the earbuds in. She scrolled for music. Something to help calm her. There was only one choice. In times of worry and stress, she always went for the same song. The 9 minute masterpiece of 'Comforting Sounds' did what it said on the tin. As the gentle beat began to play, she let her mind wander, letting the flow of the music carry her mind away. She just watched her feet and let her brain do the work.
Her head had been racing with all the things her friends had been saying to her for months. It was banter at the time, just Aiden trying to recruit more members for Team Gay! But now. After last night. Spencer wasn't so sure.
Did he see something in her that nobody else had noticed? Had Chelsea just been going along with him or did she think it too? They'd been friends for years, surely it would have come up in conversation earlier? Spencer had never considered the possibility of being gay. She hadn't grown up with that as an option. Catholic parents made for a strict upbringing.
After one night, why was she suddenly findings the comments too much? Why was her brain connecting dots that didn't exist before? Was it Ashley? Spencer had felt comfortable in the club anyway, she loved the environment and the freedom it offered, the music was outrageously cheesy and the company was perfect. But when that first girl danced with her, she felt awkward, trapped like prey, somebody's prize. Then Ashley came and saved her. Her Knight.
Maybe that was why she was confused. The brunette had just been her hero at a time when Spencer was helpless and vulnerable. This was a new connection, a new way of making a friend, maybe it was normal. Nobody had ever defended the photographer as defiantly before. It made her heart swell to think of the girl coming to her aid.
Chris would never have done something like that for me. Spencer thought to herself. Chris, the beautiful boy who she had decided to appreciate from afar. The boy who she used to think of constantly, the boy who hadn't wandered across her mind in at least 16 hours. Instead, the brunette had occupied her thoughts.
Her song started to reach its orchestral final moments. The blonde felt broken. Then she felt her hand on the cool glass of the front door. She pushed and smelled the heavy aroma of ground coffee beans. She raised her head and recognised those bouncing ringlets behind the counter.
Her heart lurched.
It was like it was actively reaching out for the other girl. Spencer felt betrayed by her own body.
Fighting her emotions, she approached the counter and took out her earbuds. Breathing deeply, she tentatively greeted the familiar barista.
"Hi"
The body turned around. Full ringlets bounced gently as Ashley's face looked up to see the owner of the voice. Deep chocolate brown eyes, met the nervous gaze of sparkling blue ones. Smiles grew and cheeks flushed subtly.
"Hey"
There we have it. The song mentioned is Mew's Comforting Sounds. Its really beautiful. Go listen to it.
But Review first please :)
