Disclaimer: I don't own neither SON/Beautiful disaster

When my eyes finally peeled open, I saw that my pillow consisted of denim and legs. Ashley sat with her head against the tub; her head leaned against the wall. Passed out cold. She looked as rough as I felt. I pulled the blanket off of me and stood up, gasping at my horrifying reflection on the mirror above the sink.

I looked like death.

Mascara smeared, black tear stains down my cheek, lipstick smudged across my mouth and my hair had balls of rats on each side.

Sheets, towels and blankets surrounded Ashley. She had fashioned a soft pallet to sleep on while I expelled the fifteen shots of tequila I'd consumed the night before. Ashley had held my hair out of the toilet, and sat with me all night.

I turned on the faucet, holding my hand under the water until it was the temperature I wanted. Scrubbing the mess from my face, I heard a moan from the floor. Ashley stirred, rubbed her eyes and stretched, and then looked beside her, jerking in a panic.

"I'm right here," I said. "Why don't you go to bed? Get some sleep?"

"You okay?" She said, wiping her eyes once more.

"Yeah, I'm good. Well, good as I can be. I'll feel better once I get a shower." she stood up. "You took my crazy title last night, just so you know. I don't know where that came from, but I don't want you to do it again."

"It's pretty much what I grew up around, Ash. Not a big deal."

She took my chin in her hands and wiped the remaining smeared mascara from under my eyes with her thumbs. "It was a big deal to me."

"Fine, I won't do it again. Happy?"

"Yes. But, I have something to tell you, if you promise not to freak out."

"Oh, God, what did I do?"

"Nothing, but you need to call Kyla."

"Where is she?"

"At Morgan. She got into it with Aiden last night."

I rushed through my shower and yanked on the clothes Ashley had set on the sink. When I emerged from the bathroom, Aiden and Ashley were sitting in the living room.

"What did you do to her?" I demanded.

Aiden's face fell. "She's really pissed at me."

"What happened?"

"I was mad that she encouraged you to drink so much. I thought we were going to end up taking you to the hospital. One thing led to another and the next thing I know, we're screaming at each other. We were both drunk, Spence. I said some things I can't take back," he shook his head, looking to the floor.

"Like what?" I said, angry.

"I called her a few names I'm not proud of and then told her to leave."

"You let her leave here drunk? Are you some kind of idiot?" I said, grabbing at my purse.

"Easy, Pidge. He feels bad enough," Ashley said.

I fished my cell out of my purse, dialing Kyla's number

"Hello?" She answered. She sounded awful.

"I just heard" I sighed "are you okay?" I walked down the hall for privacy, glancing back once to shoot a dirty look at Aiden.

"I'm fine. He's an asshole" her words were abrupt, but I could hear the hurt in her voice. Kyla had mastered the art of hiding emotions and she could have hidden it from anyone but me.

"I'm sorry I didn't go with you"

"You were out if it, Spence" she said dismissively

"Why don't you get me? We can talk about it."

She breathed into the phone. "I don't know. I don't really feel like seeing him"

"I'll tell him to stay inside, then."

There was a long pause, and then I heard her keys clink in the background. "All right. I'll be there in a minute."

I walked into the living room, pulling my purse over my shoulder. They watched me open the door to wait for Kyla and Aiden scooted forward on the couch.

"She's coming here?"

"She doesn't want to see you, Aid. I told her you'd stay inside."

He sighed, and fell against the cushion. "She hates me."

"I'll talk to her. You better get one amazing apology together, though."

Ten minutes later, a car horn beeped twice outside, and I closed the door behind me. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Aiden rushed past me to Kyla's red Honda, and hunched over to see her through the window. I stopped in my tracks, watching Kyla snub him as she looked straight ahead. She rolled down her window, and Aiden seemed to be explaining, and then they began to argue. I went inside to give them their privacy.

"Pigeon?" Ashley said, trotting down the stairs.

"It doesn't look good."

"Let them figure it out. Come inside," she said, intertwining her fingers in mine to lead me up the stairs.

"Was it that bad?" I asked.

She nodded. "It was pretty bad. They're just getting out of the honeymoon stage, though. They'll work it out."

"For someone that's never had a girlfriend, you seem to know about relationships."

"I have four brothers and a lot of friends," she said, grinning to herself

Aiden stomped into the apartment and slammed the door behind him. "She's fucking impossible!"

I kissed Ashley on the cheek. "That's my cue."

"Good luck," Ashley smiled.

I slid in beside Kyla, and she huffed. "He's fucking impossible!"

I giggled, but she shot a glare in my direction. "Sorry," I said, forcing my smile to fade.

We set out for a drive and Kyla yelled, and cried, and yelled some more. At times she broke into rants that seemed to be directed at Aiden, as if he were sitting in my place. I sat quietly, letting her work it out in a way only Kyla can.

"He called me irresponsible! Me! As if I don't know you! As if I haven't seen you rob your dad of hundreds of dollars drinking twice as much. He doesn't know what the hell he's talking about! He doesn't know what your life was like! He doesn't know what I know, and he acts like I'm his child instead of his girlfriend!" I rested my hand on hers, but she pulled it away. "He thought you would be the reason we wouldn't work out, and then he ended up doing the job on his own. And speaking of you, what the hell was that last night with Parker?"

The sudden change of topic took me by surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Ashley threw you that party, Spence, and you go off and make out with Parker. And you wonder why everyone is talking about you!"

"Hold on a minute! I told Parker we shouldn't be back there. What does it matter if Ashley threw me that party or not? I'm not with her!"

Kyla looked straight ahead, blowing a puff of air from her nose.

"All right, Spence. What is it? You're mad at me, now?"

"I'm not mad at you. I just don't associate with complete idiots."

I shook my head, and then looked out the window before I said something I couldn't take back... Kyla had always been able to make me feel like shit on command.

"Do you even see what's going on?" she asked. "Ashley quit fighting. She doesn't go out without you. She hasn't brought any girls home since the bimbo twins…has yet to murder Parker, and you're worried about what people are saying. You know why that is, Spence? Because it's the truth!"

I turned, slowly craning my neck in her direction, trying to give her the dirtiest look I knew how. "What the hell is wrong with you?

"You're dating Parker, now, and you're so happy," she said in a mocking tone. "Then why aren't you at Morgan?"

"Because I lost the bet, you know that!"

"Give me a break, Spencer! You talk about how perfect Parker is, you go on these amazing dates with him, talk to him for hours on the phone, and then you lay next to Ashley every night. Do you see what's wrong with this situation? If you really liked Parker, your stuff would be at Morgan right now."

I clenched my teeth. "You know I've never welted on a bet, Ky."

"That's what I thought," she said, twisting her hands around the steering wheel. "Ashley is what you want, and Parker is what you think you need."

"I know it looks that way, but—,"

"It looks that way to everyone. So if you don't like the way people are talking about you—change. It's not Ashley's fault. She's done a one-eighty for you. You're reaping the rewards, and Parker's getting the benefits."

"A week ago you wanted to pack me up and never let Ashley come near me again! Now you're defending her?"

"Carlin! I'm not defending her, Stupid! I'm looking out for you! You're both crazy about each other! Do something about it!"

"How could you possibly think I should be with her?" I wailed. "You are supposed to be keeping me away from people like her!"

She pressed her lips together, clearly losing her patience. "You have worked so hard to separate yourself from your father. That's the only reason you're even considering Parker! He's the complete opposite of Arthur, and you think Ashley is going to land you right back where you were. She's not like your dad, Spence."

"I didn't say she was, but it's putting me in a prime position to follow in his footsteps."

"Ashley wouldn't do that to you. I think you underestimate just how much you mean to her. If you'd just tell her—,"

"No. We didn't leave everything behind to have everyone here look at me the way they did in Wichita. Let's focus on the problem at hand. Aid is waiting for you."

"I don't want to talk about Aid," she said, slowing to a stop at the light.

"He's miserable, Ky. He loves you."

Her eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip quivered. "I don't care."

"Yes you do."

"I know," she whimpered, leaning against my shoulder.

She cried until the light changed, and then I kissed her head. "Green light."

She sat up, wiping her nose. "I was pretty mean to him earlier. I don't think he'll talk to me now."

"He'll talk to you. He knew you were mad."

Kyla wiped her face, and then made a slow u-turn. I was worried it would take a lot of coaxing on my part to get her to come in with me, but Aiden ran down the stairs before she turned off the ignition.

He yanked open her car door, pulling her to her feet. "I'm so sorry, Baby. I should have minded my own business, I…please don't leave. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Kyla took his face in her hands and smiled. "You're an arrogant ass, but I still love you."

Aiden kissed her over and over like he hadn't seen her in months, and I smiled at a job well done. Ashley stood in the doorway, grinning as I made my way into the apartment.

"And they lived happily ever after," Ashley said, shutting the door behind me.

I collapsed on the couch, and she sat next to me, pulling my legs onto her lap.

"What do you wanna do today, Pidge?"

"Sleep. Or rest…or sleep."

"Can I give you your present, first?"

I pushed her shoulder. "Shut up. You got me a present?"

Her mouth curved into a nervous smile. "It's not a diamond bracelet, but I thought you'd like it."

"I'll love it, sight unseen."

She lifted my legs off of her lap, and then disappeared into Aiden's bedroom. I raised an eyebrow when I heard her murmuring, and then she emerged with a box. She sat it on the floor at my feet, crouching behind it.

"Hurry, I want you to be surprised," she smiled.

"Hurry?" I asked, lifting the lid.

My mouth fell open when a pair of big, dark brown eyes looked up at me.

"A puppy?" I shrieked, reaching into the box. I lifted the dark, wiry-haired baby to my face, and it covered my mouth in warm, wet kisses Ashley beamed, triumphant. "You like him?"

"Him? I love him! You got me a puppy!"

"It's a Cairn Terrier. I had to drive three hours to pick him up Thursday after class."

"So when you said you were going with Aiden to take his car to the shop…."

"We went to get your present," she nodded.

"He's wiggly!" I laughed.

"Every girl from Ohio needs a Toto," Ashley said, helping me hang on to the tiny fuzz ball in my lap.

"He does look like Toto! That's what I'm going to call him," I said, wrinkling my nose at the squirmy pup.

"You can keep him here. I'll take care of him for you when you're back at Morgan," her mouth pulled up into a half-smile, "and it's my security that you'll visit when your month is up."

I pressed my lips together. "I would have come back, anyway, Ash."

"I'd do anything for that smile that's on your face right now."

"I think you need a nap, Toto. Yes, you do," I cooed to the puppy.

Ashley nodded, pulled me onto her lap, and then stood up. "Come on, then."

She carried me into her bedroom, pulled back the covers, and then lowered me to the mattress. Crawling over me, she reached over to pull the curtains closed, and then fell onto her pillow.

"Thanks for staying with me last night," I said, stroking Toto's soft fur. "You didn't have to sleep on the bathroom floor."

"Last night was one of the best nights of my life."

I turned to see her expression. When I saw that she was serious, I shot her a dubious look. "Sleeping in between the toilet and the tub on a cold, hard tile floor with a vomiting idiot was one of your best nights? That's sad, Ash."

"No, sitting up with you when you're sick, and you falling asleep in my lap was one of my best nights. It wasn't comfortable, I didn't sleep worth a shit, but I brought in your nineteenth birthday with you, and you're actually pretty sweet when you're drunk."

"I'm sure between the heaving and purging I was very charming."

She pulled me close, patting Toto who was snuggled up to my neck. "You're the only woman I know that still looks incredible with your head in the toilet. That's saying something."

"Thanks, Ash. I won't make you babysit me again."

She leaned against her pillow. "Whatever. No one can hold your hair back like I can."

I giggled and closed my eyes, letting myself sink into the darkness.

"Get up, Spence!" Kyla yelled, shaking me. Toto licked my cheek. "I'm up! I'm up!"

"We have class in half an hour!"

I jumped from the bed. "I've been asleep for…fourteen hours? What the hell?"

"Just get in the shower! If you're not ready in ten minutes, I'm leaving your ass here!"

"I don't have time to take a shower!" I said, changing out of the clothes I fell asleep in.

Ashley propped her head on her hand and chuckled. "You girls are ridiculous. It's not the end of the world if you're late for one class."

"It is if you're Kyla. She doesn't miss and she hates being late," I said, pulling a shirt over my head, and stepping into my jeans.

"Let Kyla go ahead. I'll take you."

I hopped on one foot, and then the other, pulling my boots on. "My bag is in her car, Ash."

"Whatever," she shrugged, "just don't hurt yourself getting to class." She lifted Toto, cradling him with one arm like a tiny football, taking him down the hall.

Kyla rushed me out the door and into the car. "I can't believe she got you that puppy," she said, looking behind her as she backed out from the parking spot.

Ashley stood in the morning sun, in her shorts and sports bra and bare feet, clutching her arms around her from the cold. She watched Toto sniff a small patch of grass, coaxing him like a proud mother .

"I've never had a dog before," I said. "This should be interesting."

Kyla glanced at Ashley before shoving the Honda into gear. "Look at her," she said, shaking her head. "Ashley Davies: Ms. Mom."

"Toto is adorable. Even you will be putty in his paws."

"You can't take it back to the dorm with you, you know. I don't think Ashley thought this out."

"Ashley said she'd keep him at the apartment."

She raised one eyebrow. "Of course she will. Ashley thinks ahead, I'll give her that," she said, shaking her head as she slammed on the gas.

I puffed, sliding into my seat with one minute to spare. Once the adrenaline absorbed into my system, the heaviness from my post-birthday coma settled over my body. Kyla elbowed me when class was dismissed, and I followed her to the cafeteria.

Aiden met us at the door, and I noticed right away that something was wrong.

"Ky" Aiden said, grabbing her arm.

Ashley jogged to where we stood, and grabbed her hips, puffing until he caught her breath

"Is there a mob of angry women chasing you?" I teased.

He shook his head. "I was trying to catch you…before you…went in," he breathed.

"What's going on?" Kyla asked Aiden.

"There's a rumor," Aiden began. "Everyone's saying that Ashley took Spence home and…the details are different, but it's pretty bad."

" What ? Are you serious?" I cried.

Kyla rolled her eyes. "Who cares, Spence? People have been speculating about you and Ash for weeks. It's not the first time someone has accused you two of sleeping together."

Ashley and Aiden traded glances.

"What?" I said. "There's something else, isn't there?"

Aiden winced. "They're saying you slept with Parker at Brazil's, and then you let Ashley...take you home, if you know what I mean."

My mouth fell open. "Great! So I'm the school slut now?"

Ashley's' eyes darkened and her jaws tensed. "This is my fault. If it was anyone else, they wouldn't be saying that

about you." She walked into the cafeteria, her hands in fists at her sides.

Kyla and Aiden followed behind her. "Let's just hope no one is stupid enough to say anything to her," Kyla said.

"Or her," Aiden added.

Ashley sat a few seats across and down from me, brooding over her Reuben. I waited for her to look at me, wanting to offer a comforting smile. Ashley had a reputation, but I let Parker take me into the hall. Aiden elbowed me while I stared at his cousin. "She just feels bad. She's probably trying to deflect the rumor."

"You don't have to sit down there, Ash. Come on, come sit," I said, patting the empty surface in front of me.

"I heard you had quite a birthday, Spence," Chris Jenks said, throwing a piece of lettuce on Ashley's plate.

"Don't start with her, Jenks," Ashley warned, glowering.

Chris smiled, pushing up his round, pink cheeks. "I heard Parker is furious. He said he came by your apartment yesterday, and you and Ashley were still in bed."

"They were taking a nap, Chris," Kyla sneered.

My eyes darted to Ashley. "Parker came by?"

She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "I was gonna tell you."

"When ?" I snapped.

Kyla leaned into my ear. "Parker heard the rumor, and came by to confront you. I tried to stop him, but he walked down the hall and…totally got the wrong idea."

I planted my elbows on the table, covering my face with my hands. "This just keeps getting better."

"So you guys really didn't do the deed?" Chris asked. "Damn, that sucks. Here I thought Spencer was right for you after all, Ash."

"You better stop, now, Chris," Aiden warned.

"If you didn't sleep with her, mind if I take a shot?" Chris said, chuckling to his teammates.

My face burned with the initial embarrassment, but then Kyla screamed in my ear, reacting to Ashley jumping from her seat. She reached over the table, grabbed Chris by the throat with one hand, and a fist full of t-shirt in the other. The linebacker slid across the table, and dozens of chairs grated across the floor as people stood to watch. Ashley punching him repeatedly in the face, her elbow spiking high in the air before she landed each blow. The only thing Chris could do was to cover his face with his hands.

No one touched Ashley. She was out of control, and her reputation left every one afraid to get in her way. The football players ducked and winced as they watched their teammate being assaulted without mercy on the tile floor.

"Ashley!" I screamed, running around the table.

In mid-punch, Ashley withheld her fist, and then released Chris' shirt, letting him fall to the floor. She was panting when she turned to look at me; I'd never seen her look so frightening. I swallowed. and took a step back as she shouldered past me.

I took a step to follow her, but Kyla grabbed my arm. Aiden kissed her quickly, and then followed his cousin out the door.

"Jesus," Kyla whispered.

We turned to watch Chris' teammates pick him off the floor, and I cringed at his red and puffy face. Blood trickled from his nose, and Brazil handed him a napkin from the table.

"That crazy fucking bitch!" Chris groaned, sitting on the chair and holding his hand to his face. He looked at me, then. "I'm sorry, Spencer. I was just kidding."

I had no words to reply. I couldn't explain what had just happened anymore than he could.

"She didn't sleep with either of them," Kyla said.

"You never know when to shut up, Jenks," Brazil said, disgusted.

Kyla pulled on my arm. "C'mon. Let's go."

She didn't waste time tugging me to her car. When she put the gear in drive, I grabbed her wrist. "Wait! Where are we going?"

"We're going to Aiden's. I don't want him to be alone with Ashley. Did you see her? shes gone off the deep end!"

"Well, I don't want to be around her, either!"

Kyla stared at me in disbelief. "There's obviously something going on with her. Don't you want to know what it is?"

"My sense of self-preservation is outweighing my curiosity at this point, Ky."

"The only thing that stopped her was your voice, Spence. She'll listen to you. You need to talk to her."

I sighed and released her wrist, falling against the back of my seat. "All right. Let's go."

We pulled into the parking lot, and Kyla slowed to a stop between Aiden's Charger and Ashley's Harley. She walked to the stairs, putting her hands on her hips with a touch of her own dramatic flare.

"C'mon, Spence!" Kyla called, motioning for me to follow.

Hesitant, I finally followed, stopping when I saw Aiden hurry down the stairs to speak quietly in Kyla's ear. He looked at me, shook his head, and then whispered to her once again..

"What?" I asked.

"Aiden doesn't…," she fidgeted, "Aiden doesn't think it's a good idea that we go in. Ashley is still pretty mad."

"You mean she doesn't think I should go in," I said. Kyla shrugged sheepishly, and then looked to Aiden .

Aiden touched my shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong, Spencer. She just doesn't…she doesn't want to see you right now."

"If I didn't do anything wrong, then why doesn't she want to see me?"

"I'm not sure; she won't talk to me about it. I think she's embarrassed that she lost her temper in front of you."

"She lost her temper in front of the entire cafeteria! What do I have to do with it?"

"More than you think," Aiden said, dodging my eyes.

I watched them for a moment, and then pushed past them, running up the stairs. I burst through the doors to find an empty living room. The door to Ashley's' room was closed, so I knocked.

"Ashley? It's me, open up."

"Walk away, Pidge," she

called from the other side of the door.

I peeked in to see her sitting on the edge of her bed, facing the window. Toto pawed at her back, unhappy about being ignored.

"What is going on with you, Ash?" I asked. She didn't answer, so I stood beside her, crossing my arms. Her jaw was tensed, but it was no longer the frightening expression she had in the cafeteria. She seemed sad. The deep, hopeless kind.

"You're not going to talk to me about this?"

I waited, but she remained quiet. I turned for the door and she finally sighed. "You know the other day when Brazil mouthed off to me and you rushed to my defense? Well…that's what happened. I just got a little carried away."

"You were angry before Chris said anything," I said, returning to sit beside her on the bed.

She continued to stare out the window. "I meant what I said before. You need to walk away, Pidge. God knows I can't walk away from you."

I touched her arm. "You don't want me to leave."

Ashley's' jaws tensed again, and then she took me under her arm. She paused for a moment, and then kissed my forehead, pressing her cheek against my temple. "It doesn't matter how hard I try. You're going to hate me when it's all said and done."

I wrapped my arms around her. "We have to be friends. I won't take no for an answer," I quoted.

Her eyebrows pulled in, and then she cradled me to her with both arms, still staring out the window. "I watch you sleeping a lot. You always look so peaceful. I don't have that kind of quiet. I have all this anger and rage boiling inside of me—except when I watch you sleep. That's what I was doing when Parker walked in," she continued. "I was awake, and he walked in, and just stood there with this shocked look on his face. I knew what he thought, but I didn't set him straight. I didn't explain because I wanted him to think something happened. Now the whole school thinks you were with us both in the same night."

Toto nuzzled his way onto my lap, and I rubbed his ears. Ashley reached over to pet him once, and then rested her hand on mine. "I'm sorry."

I shrugged. "If he believes the gossip, it's his own fault."

"It's hard to think anything else when he sees us in bed together."

"He knows I'm staying with you. I was fully clothed for Christ's sake."

Ashley sighed. "He was probably too pissed to notice. I know you like him, Pidge. I should have explained. I owe you that much."

"It doesn't matter."

"You're not mad?" She asked, surprised.

"Is that what you're so upset about? You thought I'd be mad at you when you told me the truth?"

"You should be. If someone single-handedly sunk my reputation, I'd be a little pissed."

"You don't care about reputations. What happened to the Ashley that doesn't give a shit what anyone thinks?" I teased, nudging her.

"That was before I saw the look on your face when you heard what everyone's saying. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"You would never do anything to hurt me."

"I'd rather cut off my arm," she sighed.

She relaxed her cheek against my hair. I didn't have a reply, and Ashley seemed to have said everything she needed to, so we sat in silence. Once in awhile, Ashley would squeeze me tighter to her side. I gripped her shirt, not knowing how else to make her feel better other than to just let her hold me.

When the sun began to set, I heard a faint knock at the door. "Spence?" Kyla's voice sounded small on the other side of the wood.

"Come in, Ky," Ashley answered.

Kyla walked in with Aiden, and she smiled at the site of us tangled in each other's arms. "We were going to grab a bite to eat. You two feel like making a Pei Wei run?"

"Agh …Asian again , Ky? Really?" Ashley asked.

I smiled. She sounded like herself again.

Kyla noticed as well. "Yes, really. You guys coming or not?"

"I'm starving," I said.

"Of course you are, you didn't get to eat lunch," she said, frowning. She stood up, bringing me with her. "Come on. Let's get you some food."

She kept her arm around me, and didn't let go until we were in the booth of Pei Wei.

As soon as Ashley left for the bathroom, Kyla leaned in. "So? What did she say?"

"Nothing," I shrugged.

She raised an eyebrow. "You were in her room for two hours. She didn't say anything?"

"She usually doesn't when she's that mad," Aiden said.

"She had to have said something," Kyla prodded.

"She said she got a little carried away taking up for me, and that she didn't tell Parker the truth when he walked in. That's it," I said, straightening the salt and pepper.

Aiden shook his head, closing his eyes.

"What, Baby?" Kyla asked, sitting taller.

"Ashley is," he sighed, rolling his eyes. "Forget it."

Kyla wore a stubborn expression. "Oh, hell no, you can't just—,"

She cut off when Ashley sat down and swung her arm behind me. "Damn it! The food's not here yet?"

We laughed and joked until the restaurant closed, and then filed into the car for the ride home. Aiden carried Kyla up the stairs on his back, but Ashley stayed behind, tugging on my arm to keep me from following. She looked up at our friends until they disappeared behind the door, and then offered a regretful smile. "I owe you an apology for today, so I'm sorry."

"You've already apologized. It's fine."

"No, I apologized for Parker. I don't want you thinking I'm some psycho that goes around attacking people over the tiniest thing," she said, "but I owe you an apology because I didn't defend you for the right reason."

"And that would be…." I prompted.

"I lunged at him because he said he wanted to be next in line, not because he was teasing you."

"Insinuating there is a line is plenty reason for you to defend me, Ash."

"That's my point. I was pissed because I took that as him wanting to sleep with you."

After processing what Ashley meant, I grabbed the sides of her shirt and buried my head in her neck. "You know what? I don't care," I said, looking at her. "I don't care what people are saying, or that you lost your temper, or why you messed up Chris' face. The last thing I want is a bad reputation, but I'm tired of explaining our friendship to everyone. To hell with 'em."

Ashley's' eyes turned soft, and the corners of her mouth turned up. "Our friendship?" "Sometimes I wonder if you listen to me at all."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's go in. I'm tired."

I nodded, and she held me against her side until we were inside the apartment. Kyla and Aiden had already shut themselves in their bedroom, and I slipped in and out of the shower. Ashley sat with Toto outside while I dressed in my pajamas, and within half an hour, we were both in bed.

I rested my head on my arm, breathing out a long, relaxing puff of air. "Just two weeks left. What are you going to do for drama when I move back to Morgan?"

"I don't know," she said. I could see her tormented frown, even in the darkness.

"Hey," I touched her arm. "I was kidding."

I watched her for a long time, breathing, blinking, and trying to relax. She fidgeted a bit and then looked over at me. "Do you trust me, Pidge?"

"Yeah, why?"

"C'mere," she said, pulling me against her. I stiffened for a second or two before resting my head on her chest. Whatever was going on with her, she needed me near her, and I couldn't have objected even if I'd wanted to. It felt right lying next to her.