Sorry! I taught I had lost my book but my friend likes to come over and take random books from my bookshelf to read, and she took Beautiful Disaster without me knowing about it but I finally have it back so you can blame the delay on my friend but other than that here you go. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own SON or Beautiful Disaster

"Come in" I called, hearing a knock on the door.

Ashley froze on the doorway "wow"

I smiled and looked down at my dress. A bustier that elongated into a short skirt, it was admittedly more daring than what I had worn in the past. The material was thin, black and see through over a nude shell. Parker would be at that party and I had every intention of being noticed.

"you look amazing" she said as I slid on my heels

I gave her tight black strapless dress that curved her body in oh so many ways an approving nod "you look nice too" while my insides jumped of excitement on how short her dress was.

Aiden and Kyla waited for us in the living room.

"parker is going to piss himself when he sees you" kyla giggled as Aiden led the way to the car.

Ashley opened the door and slid into the backseat of Aidens Charger. Although we had occupied that seat countless times before it was suddenly akward to sit next to her.

Cars lined the street; some even parked in the front lawn. The house was bursting at the seams and people were still walking down the street from the dorms. Aiden pulled into the grass lot in the back and Kyla and I followed Aiden and Ashley inside.

Ashley brought me a red plastic cup full of beer and then leaned in to whispers in my ear "don't take those from anyone but me and Aid. I don't want anyone slipping anything into your drink"

I rolled my eyes "no one is going to put anything in my drink, Ashley"

"just don't drink anything that doesn't come from me okay? You're not in Ohio anymore, Spence"

"I haven't heard that one before" I said sarcastically taking a drink

An hour had passed and Parker was still a no-show. Kyla and Aiden were dancing to a slow song in the living room when Ashley tugged my hand "wanna dance?"

"no thanks" I said, what? I'm still pissed for some reason

Her face fell.

I touched her shoulder "I'm just tire, Ash"

She put her hand on mine and began to speak but when I looked beyond her I saw parker. Ashley notices my expression and turned

"hey, Spence! You made it!" parker smiled

"yeah, we've been here for an hour or so" I said pulling my hand back from under Ashleys

"you look incredible!" he yelled over the music

"thanks" I grinned, glancing over to Ashley . her lips pressed together and a line had formed between her eyebrows

Parker nodded towards the living room and smiled "you wanna dance?"

I wrinkled my nose and shook my head "nah, I'm kinda tired"

Parker looked at Ashley then "I thought you weren't coming"

"I changed my mind" Ashley said irritated that she had to explain

"I see that" paker said looking to me " you wanna get some air?"

I nodded and the followed parker up the stairs. He paused reaching to take my hand as we climbed to the second floor. When we reached the top he pulled opened a pair of French doors to the balcony

"are you cold" he asked

"A little chilly" I said smiling when he pulled off his jacket and covered my shoulders "thanks"

"You're here with Ashley?"

"we rode together"

Parkers mouth stretched across his face in a broad grin and then he looked out onto the lawn. A group of girls were in a huddle ,arms hooked together to fight the cold. Crepe paper and beer cans littered the grass along with empty bottles of liquor. Amid the clutter, Sig Tau brothers were standing around their masterpiece a pyramid of kegs decorated with white lights

Parker shook his head "this place is going to be destroyed in the morning. The cleanup crew is going to be busy"

"You have a cleanup crew?"

"yea" he smiled "we call them freshmen"

"poor Aid"

"he's not on it. He gets a pass because he's Ashleys cousin and he doesn't live in the house"

"do you live in the house?"

Parker nodded "the last two years I need to get an apartment, though I need a quieter place to study"

"let me guess…Business Major?"

"biology, with a minor in Anatomy. I've got one more year left, take the MCAT and then hopefully I'm off to Harvard Med"

"you already know you're in?"

"my dad went to Harvard. I mean, I don't know for sure but he's a generous alumnus, if you know what I mean. I carry a 4.0got a 2200 on my SAT's, thirty-six on my ACT's. I'm in a good position for a spot."

"your dad is a doctor?"

Parker confirmed it with a good natured smiled "orthopedic surgeon"

"impressive"

"how about you?"

"undecided"

"Typical freshmen answer"

I sighed in dramatic fashion "I guess I just blew my chances of being exceptional"

"oh you don't have to worry about that. I noticed you on the first day of class. What are you doing in calculus three as a freshmen?"

I smiled and twisted my hair from my fingers "math is sort of easy for me. I packed on the classes in high school and took two summer courses in Wichita State"

"now that impressive" he said

We stood on the balcony for over an hour talking about everything from local eateries to how I became such good friends with Ashley

"I wouldn't mention it but the two of you seem to be the topic of conversation"

"great" I murmured

"it's just unusual for Ashley . she doesn't befriends women. She tend to make enemies of them more often than not"

"oh I didn't know. I've seen more than a few who either have short term memory loss or are too forgiving when it comes to her"

Parker laughed. His white teeth gleamed against his golden tan. "people just don't understand your relationship. You have to admit it's a bit ambiguous"

"are you asking me if im sleeping with her?"

He smiled "you wouldn't be here with her if you were. I've known her since I was fourteen and I'm well aware of how she operates. I'm curious about your friendship though"

"it is what it is " I shrugged "we hang out, eat, watch tv, study and argue. That's about it"

Parker laughed shaking his head at my honesty. "I've heard you are the only person allowed to put Ashley in her place. That's an honorable title"

"whatever that means. She's not as bad as everyone maker her out to be"

The sky turned purple and then pink as the sun broke above the horizon. Parker looked at his watch glancing over the ailing to the thinning crowd on the lawn "looks like the partys over"

"I better track down Aiden and Kyla"

"would you mind if I drove you home?" He asked

I tried to subdue my excitement "not at all. I'll let Kyla know" I walked through the doors and then cringed before turning around "do you know where Ashley lives?"

Parkers thick brown eyebrows pulled in "yes why?"

"that's were I'm staying" I said bracing myself for his reaction

"you're staying at Ashleys?"

"I sort of lost a bet, so I'm there for a month"

"a month?"

"yes"

"then I'll take you to Ashley's" he smiled

I trotted down the stairs to find Kyla and passed a sullen Ashley, who seemed annoyed with the drunken girl speaking to her. she followed me into the hall as I tugged on Kylas dress

"you guys can go ahead Parker offered me a ride home"

"what?" kyla said with excitement in her eyes

"what?" Ashley asked angry

"is there a problem?" kyla asked her

She glared at Kyla and then pulled me around the corner. Her jaw flitting under he skin "you don't even know him"

I pulled my arm from her grip "this is none of your business, Ashley"

"the hell if its not. I'm not letting you ride home with a complete stranger. What if he tried something on you?"

"good! He's cute!"

Ashleys expression contorted from surprised to anger, and I braced for what she might say next "Parker Hayes, Pidge? Really? Parker Hayes?" she repeated with disdain "what kind of name is that anyways?"

I crossed my arms "stop it Ash you're being a jerk"

She leaned in seeming flustered "I'll kill him if he touches you"

"I like him" I said emphasizing every word

She seemed stunned at my confession and then her features turned severe. "fine. If he ends up holding you down in the backseat of his car don't come crying to me"

My mouth popped open I was offended and instantly furious "Don't worry I wont " I said shouldering past her.

Ashley grabbed my arm and sighed peering at me over her shoulder "I didn't mean it Spence. If he hurts you- if he even makes you feel uncomfortable you let me know"

The anger subsided and my shoulders fell "I know you didn't"

Parker rounded the corner and pushed his hands inside his pockets offering elbow to me "all set?"

Ashley clenched her jaw and I stepped on the other side of Parker to distract him from Ashleys expression "yeah, lets go" I took Parkers arm and walked with him a few steps before turning back to say goodbye to Ashley but she was glowering at the back of Parkers head. Her eyes darted to me and then her features turned smooth

"stop it" I said though my teeth , following parker thought the remnants of the crowd to his car

"I'm the silver one" the headlights of his car blinked twice when he hit the keyless entry. He opened the passenger side door and I laughed.

"you drive a Porsche?"

"she is not just a Porsche. She is a Porsche 911 Gt. There's a difference."

"let me guess, it's the love of your life?" I said quoting Ashley's statement about her motorcycle

"no, it's a car. The love of my life will be a woman with my last name"

I allowed a small smile, trying not to be overly affected by his sentiment, he held my hand to help me into the car, and when he slid behind the wheel he leaned his head against the his seat and smiled at me.

"what are you doing tonight?"

"tonight?" I asked

"it's morning. I want to ask you to dinner before someone else beats me to it"

A grin extended across my face "I don't have any plans"

"I'll pick you up at six?"

"okay" I said watching him slink his fingers between mine. Parker took me straight to Ashleys, keeping to the speed limit, my hand in his. He pulled behind the Harley and like before he opened my door. Once we reached the landing he leaned down to kiss my cheek.

"get some rest. I'll see you tonight" he whispered in my ear

"bye" I said turning the knob. When I pushed, the door gave way and I surged forward.

Ashley grabbed my arm before I fell "easy there, Carlin"

I turned to see Parker staring at us with an uncomfortable expression. He leaned over to peer into the apartment "any militated, stranded girls in there I need to give a ride?"

Ashley glared at Parker "don't start with me"

Parker smiled and winked "I'm always giving her a hard time. I don't get to quite as often since she realized it's easier if she can get them to drive their own cars"

"I guess that does simplify things" I say teasing Ashley

"Not funny, Pidge"

"Pidge?" Parker asked

"it's uh….. short for Pidgeon. It's just a nickname, I don't even know where she came up with it" I said. It was the first time I'd felt akward about the name Ashley had bestowed on me the night we met.

"you're going to have to fill me in when you find out, sounds like a good story." Parker smiled "Night, Spence"

"don't you mean goodmorning?" I said watching trot down the stairs

"that, too" he called back with a sweet smile

Ashley slammed the door, and I had to jerk my head back before it caught me in the face. "what?" I snapped

Ashley shook her head and walked to her room. I followed her and then hopped on one foot to pull off my heel "he is nice, Ash"

She sighed and walked over to me "you're gonna hurt yourself" she said hooking her arm around my waist with one hand and pulling off my heels with the other. She tossed them into the closet and then pulled off her dress making herself to bed like it was nothing. I couldn't help but stare for a second. I shook my head and went back to getting ready for bed.

I unzipped my dress and shimmied it over my hips, kicking it into the corner, I yanked a t-shirt over my head and then unsnapped my bra, pulling it through the sleeve of my shirt. When I wrapped my hair into a bun on top of my head, I noticed her staring.

"I'm sure there's nothing I have that you don't have" I said rolling my eyes. I slid under the covers and settled against my pillow, curling into a ball. She got up and I waited while she stood quietly for a moment. I had my back to her, so I wondered what she was doing, standing beside the bed in silence. The bed concaved when she finally crawled onto the mattress beside me and I stiffened when her hand rested on my hip.

"I missed a fight tonight" she said "adam called. I didn't go"

"why?" I said turning to face her

"I wanted to make sure you got home"

I wrinkled my nose "you didn't have to babysit me"

She traced the length of my arm with her finger, sending shivers up my spine "I know. I guess I still feel bad about the other night"

"I told you I didn't care"

She sat up on her elbow a dubious frown on her face "is that why you slept on the recliner? Because you didn't care?"

"I couldn't fall asleep after your….friends left"

"you slept just fine in the recliner. Why didn't you sleep with me?"

"you mean next to a girl who still smelled like the pair of barflies she had just sent home? I don't know! How selfish of me!"

Ashley winced "I said I'm sorry"

"and I said I didn't care, Good night" I said turning over. Several moments of silence passed. She slid her hand across the top of my pillow, resting her hand on mine. She caressed the delicate pieces of skin between my fingers and then she pressed her lips against my hair

"as worried as I was that you'd never speak to me again…..I think it's worse that you're indifferent"

My eyes closed "what do you want from me, Ashley? You don't want me to be upset about what you did, but you want me to care. You tell Kyla that you don't want to date me but you get so pissed off when I say the same thing that you storm out and get ridiculously drunk. You don't make sense"

"Is that why you said those things to Kyla? because I said I wouldn't date you?"

My teeth clenched, she had just insinuated that I was playing games with her. I formed the most direct answer I could think of "no, I meant what I said. I just didn't mean it as an insult"

"I just said that because" she scratched the back of her neck nervously "I don't want to ruin anything. I wouldn't even know how to go about being who you deserve. I was just trying to get it worked out in my head"

"whatever that means. I have to get some sleep. I have a date tonight"

"with Parker?" she asked, anger seeping through her tone

"yes, can I please go to sleep?"

"sure" she said, shoving herself off the bed and them slamming the door behind her. the old recliner squeaked as she sat down and then muffled voices from the television drifted down the hall. I forced my eyes shut and tried to calm down enough to doze off, even if it was just for a few hours.

The clock read three p.m. when I peeled my eyes open. I grabbed a towel and my robe and then trudged into the bathroom. As soon as I closed the shower curtain, the door opened and shut. I waited for someone to speak but the only sound was the toilet lid smacking against porcelain

"Ashley?"

"Nope, its me " kyla said

"so you have to pee in here? You have your own bathroom"

"Aiden has been in there for half an hour with the beer shits. Not going in there"

"nice"

"I hear you have a date tonight. Ashley is pissed" she said

"at six! He is so sweet Ky. He's just….." I trialed off, sighing. I was gushing and it wasn't like me to gush. I kept thinking about how perfect he had been since the moment we'd met. He was exactly what I needed; the polar opposite of Ashley.

"Rendered you speechless?" she giggled

I poked my head from the curtain "I dint want to come home! I could've talked to him forever"

"sounds promising. Its kind of weird that you're here though?"

I ducked under the water, rinsing away the suds "I explained it to him"

The toilet flushed and the faucet turned on making the water flush cold for a moment. I cried out and the door flew open

"Pidge?" Ashley said

Kyla laughed "I just flushed the toilet, Ash, calm down"

"oh, you all right Spence?"

"I'm great get out" the door shut again and I sighed "it is too much to ask for locks on the doors" Kyla didn't answer

"ky?"

"It's really too bad you two couldn't get on the same page. You're the only girl that could have…." she sighed. "Never mind. It doesn't matter, now."

I turned off the water and wrapped myself in a towel. "You're as bad as she is. It's a sickness…no one here makes sense. You're pissed at her, remember?"

"I know," she nodded.

I turned on my new hairdryer and began the process of primping for my date with Parker. I curled my hair, and painted my nails and lips a deep shade of red. It was a bit much for a first date. I frowned at myself in the mirror. It wasn't Parker I was trying to impress. I wasn't in a position to be insulted when Ashley accused me of playing games, after all.

Taking one last glance at myself in the mirror, guilt washed over me. Ashley was trying so hard, and I was being a stubborn brat. I walked out into the living room and Ashley smiled, not the reaction I expected at all.

"You…are beautiful."

"Thank you," I said, rattled by the absence of irritation or jealousy in her voice.

Aiden whistled. "Nice choice, Spence. Guys dig red."

"And the curls are gorgeous," kyla added.

The doorbell chimed and Kyla smiled, waving with exaggerated excitement. "Have fun!"

I opened the door. Parker held a small bouquet of flowers, wearing slacks and a tie. His eyes did a quick once-over, from my dress to my shoes and then back up.

"You are the most beautiful creature I've ever seen," he said, enamored

I looked behind me to wave to Kyla, whose smile was so wide I could see every one of her teeth. Aiden had the expression of a proud father, and Ashley kept her eyes on the television.

Parker held out his hand, leading me to his shiny Porsche. Once we were inside, he let out a puff of air.

"What?" I asked.

"I have to say, I was a bit nervous about picking up the woman Ashley Davies is in love with…from her apartment. You don't know how many people have accused me of insanity today."

"Ashley is not in love with me. She can barely stand to be near me sometimes."

"Then it's a love/hate relationship? Because when I broke it to my brothers that I was taking you out tonight, they all said the same thing. She's been behaving so erratically—even more than usual— that they've all come to the same conclusion."

Parker shook his head as if I were utterly clueless. He rested his hand on mine. "We'd better go. I have a table waiting."

"Where?"

"Biasetti's. I took a chance…I hope you like Italian."

I raised one eyebrow. "Wasn't it short notice for reservations? That place is always packed."

"Well…it's our restaurant. Half, anyway."

"I like Italian," I smiled.

Parker drove to the restaurant at exactly the speed limit, using his turn signal appropriately, and slowing at a reasonable rate for each yellow light. When he spoke, he barely took his eyes from the road. When we arrived at the restaurant, I giggled

"What?" he asked.

"You're just…a very cautious driver. It's a good thing."

"Different from the back of Ashleys motorcycle?" he smiled.

I should have laughed, but the difference didn't feel like a good thing. "Let's not talk about Ashley tonight. Okay?"

"Fair enough," he said, leaving his seat to open my door.

We were seated right away at a table by a large, bay window. Although I was in a dress, I looked impoverished compared to the other women in the restaurant. They were dripping in diamonds, and wearing cocktail dresses. I'd never eaten anywhere so swanky.

We ordered, and Parker closed his menu, smiling at the waiter. "And bring us a bottle of the Allegrini Amarone, please."

"Yes, sir," the waiter said, taking our menus

"This place is unbelievable," I whispered, leaning against the table.

His green eyes softened. "Thank you, I'll let my father know you think so."

A woman approached our table. Her hair was pulled into a tight, blonde French bun, a gray streak interrupting the smooth wave of her bangs. I tried not to stare at the sparkling jewels resting around her neck, or those swaying back and forth on her ears, but they were made to be noticed. Her squinty, blue eyes targeted me.

She quickly turned away to look at my date. "Who's your friend, Parker?"

"Mother, this is Spencer Carlin. Spence this is my mother, Vivienne Hayes."

I extended my hand and she shook it once. In a well-practiced move, interest lit the sharp features of her face, and she looked to Parker. "Carlin?"

I gulped, worried that she had recognized the name.

Parker's expression turned impatient. "She's from Wichita, Mom. You don't know her family. She goes to Eastern."

"Oh?" Vivienne eyed me again. "Parker is leaving next year for Harvard."

"That's what he said. I think that's great. You must be very proud."

The tension around her eyes smoothed a bit, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a smug grin. "We are. Thank you."

I was amazed at how her words were so polite, and yet they dripped with insult. It wasn't a talent she had developed over night. Mrs. Hayes must have spent years impressing her superiority upon others.

"It's good to see you, Mom. Good night." She kissed his cheek, rubbed the lipstick off with her thumb and then returned to her table. "Sorry about that, I didn't know she would be here."

"It's fine. She seems…nice

Parker laughed. "Yes, for a piranha." I stifled a giggle, and he offered an apologetic smile. "She'll warm up. It just takes her awhile."

"Hopefully by the time you leave for Harvard."

We talked endlessly about the food, Eastern, calculus, and even about The Circle. Parker was charming, funny, and said all the right things. Various people approached Parker to greet him, and he always introduced me with a proud smile. He was regarded as a celebrity within the walls of the restaurant, and when we left, I felt the appraising eyes of everyone in the room.

"Now what?" I asked.

"I'm afraid I have a mid-term in Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy first thing Monday morning. I have some studying to do," he said, covering my hand with his.

"Better you than me," I said, trying not to seem too disappointed

He drove to the apartment, and then led me up the stairs by the hand.

"Thank you, Parker," I smiled. "I had a fantastic time."

"Is it too early to ask for a second date?"

"Not at all," I beamed.

"I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Sounds perfect."

Then came the moment of awkward silence. The element of dates I dread. To kiss or not to kiss, I hated that question.

Before I had a chance to wonder whether he would kiss me or not, he touched each side of my face and pulled me to him, pressing his lips against mine. They were soft and warm and nice. He pulled back once, and then kissed me again

"Talk to you tomorrow, Spen"

I waved, watching him walk down the steps to his car. "Bye."

Once again, when I turned the knob, the door yanked away and I fell forward. Ashley caught me, and I regained my footing.

"Would you stop that?" I said, closing the door behind me.

" Spen? What are you, a workout video?" he sneered.

" Pigeon ?" I said with the same amount of disdain. "An annoying bird that craps all over the sidewalk?"

"You like Pigeon," she said defensively. "It's a dove, an attractive girl, a winning card in poker, take your pick. You're my Pigeon."

I grabbed her arm to remove my heels, and then walked to her room. As I changed into my pajamas, I tried my best to stay mad at her. ashley sat on the bed and crossed her arms. "Did you have a good time?"

"I had," sigh , "a fantastic time. A perfect time. He's…" I couldn't think of an adequate word to describe him, so I just shook my head.

"He kissed you?"

I pressed my lips together and nodded. "He's got really soft lips."

Ashley recoiled. "I don't care what kind of lips he has."

"Trust me, it's important. I get so nervous with first kisses, too, but this one wasn't so bad."

"You get nervous about a kiss?" she asked, amused.

"Just first kisses. I loathe them."

"I'd loathe them, too, if I had to kiss Parker Hayes." I giggled and left for the bathroom to scrub the makeup from my face. Ashley followed, leaning against the door jamb. "So you're going out again?"

"Yep. He's calling me tomorrow." I dried my face and scampered down the hall, hopping into the bed.

Ashley stripped down to her boy short and sports bra , and sat down with her back to me. A bit slumped over, she looked exhausted. The lean muscles of her back stretched as she did, and she glanced back at me for a moment. "If you had such a good time, why are you home so early?"

"He has a big test on Monday."

Ashley wrinkled her nose. "Who cares?"

"He's trying to get into Harvard. He has to study."

She huffed, crawling onto her stomach. I watched her shove her hands under her pillow, seeming irritated. "Yeah, that's what he keeps telling everyone."

"Don't be an ass. He has priorities…I think it's responsible."

"Shouldn't his girl top his priorities?"

"I'm not his girl . We've been on one date, Ash," I scolded.

"So what did you guys do?" I shot her a dirty look and she laughed. "What? I'm curious!"

Seeing that he was sincere, I described everything, from the restaurant, to the food, to the sweet and funny things Parker said. I knew my mouth was frozen in a ridiculous grin, but I couldn't stop smiling while describing my perfect evening.

Ashley watched me with an amused smile while I blathered on, even asking questions. Although she seemed frustrated with the situation regarding Parker, I had the distinct feeling she enjoyed seeing me so happy. Ashley settled in on her side of the bed, and I yawned. We stared at each other for a moment before she sighed. "I'm glad you had a good time, Pidge. You deserve it."

"Thanks," I grinned. The ringtone of my cell phone reverberated from the night table, and I jerked up to look at the display.

"Hello?"

"It's tomorrow," Parker said.

I looked at the clock and laughed. It was twelve-oh-one. "It is."

"So what about Monday night?" he asked.

I covered my mouth for a moment, and then took a deep breath. "Uh, yeah. Monday night is great."

"Good. I'll see you Monday," he said. I could hear the smile in his voice.

I hung up and glanced at Ashley, who watched with mild annoyance. I turned away from her and curled into a ball, tensing with excitement.

"You're such a girl," Ashley said, turning her back to me.

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

SHe turned over, pulling me to face her "You really like Parker?"

"Don't ruin this for me, Ashley!"

SHe stared at me for a moment, and then shook her head, turning away once again. " Parker Hayes ," she sighed