A/N: Whoo! My computer is finally all set up! Yay!

This chapter is an action packed one, I think. Anyway, I was listening to "Decoy" by Paramore off of their new CD, RIOT! (its the bonus track on the one you can buy from Hot Topic). That song is what inspired this chapter, hence the chapter name!

On with the story!

Chapter Twelve: My Little Decoy

RIIING RIIING

"Hello?"

"Alaric?"

"Yes. Are you close?"

"She's very happy to see me, but I have to re-assert myself into her life once more, and then I can follow through with the plan."

"Good, good. Let me know when her other half is erased from the picture. My plan won't work as long as she still lingers."

"Yes, sir. I'm working on it."

"Hurry, we don't have much time left to carry out the plan."

"Yes, sir. I understand. I'll call you when everything has fallen into place, and I've successfully captured the girl."

"Excellent."

CLICK

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"Hey, Ash."

Ashley turned around, clad in only her boxers and a t-shirt, seeing as she had just woken up.

"Hey, Ky. What's up?" she asked sleepily.

"I was going to go for a run with Lauren. Do you want to come with us?"

"Sure, sounds good. Just let me change really quick."

Kyla nodded and disappeared into one of the spare rooms she fell asleep in.

Ten Minutes Later

"Ready to go?"

Ashley and Kyla nodded, and the three of them headed off into the wooded pathway, running at a slow pace to start things. Kyla ran ahead, leaving Ashley and Lauren to trail behind her. They came across a beautiful lake midway through the path, and Ashley wanted to stop to take it in, and to take a short break.

"So how long have you known Spencer?"

Ashley was caught off guard by her sudden question. She regained her composure, and prepared to answer the question, but Lauren just kept going.

"I've known her for nine years. Nine years. Insane right?"

Ashley simply nodded.

"Yeah, I met her shortly after she made friends with Kase. We became a tight little group throughout elementary, middle, and a little of high school. Then she moved, and we didn't hear from her in a long time. Kasey found her by accident on the computer."

Ashley nodded once more.

"I feel like some of it's my fault, like I've been hogging her too much and she just 'forgot' to talk to you guys or something."

Lauren was quiet for a moment as they stood against the peaceful lake.

"You did." She said angrily, turning to face the brunette.

Before Ashley could react, a fist connected with her face, and she stumbled back into a tree.

"You took her from us! We used to be so close, and now she won't even look at me! It's your fault! You're not special. You're not."

She stepped closer to the brunette, who was pressing her hand to a wound that had formed on her chin, where Lauren had clipped her.

"She does look at you! Which world are you living in?"

Lauren stepped even closer to Ashley, and whispered venomously, "I'm living in my world. The way things should've gone…"

She pulled Ashley away from the tree, and toward the edge of the lake.

"Without you."

"No!"

Ashley pushed back, causing Lauren to lose her balance on a small rock behind her left foot. Ashley used that opportunity to push Lauren even further backward, in an attempt to get herself away from the edge of the lake.

"You bitch!"

Lauren took one step back and disappeared behind the trees. Ashley looked everywhere, but she couldn't find the girl. Suddenly, a hand clamped itself over her mouth, and another around her waist to bind her arms to her sides.

"Spencer isn't yours. She belongs to us." Lauren whispered slowly.

With a final shove, she sent Ashley sprawling toward the ground. A soft crack emitted when the brunette's head came into contact with the same rock that had tripped Lauren not five minutes previously.

Lauren bent over Ashley's unconscious form, and dragged her by her arms to the edge of the lake, pausing for a moment as she had difficulty with the dead weight Ashley posed.

"Goodbye, sweetheart." Lauren smiled maniacally.

She gave one last tug and managed to pull Ashley's body into the chilly water, and ran off to rejoin Kyla.

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"Hey slowpoke! Where's my sister?"

Lauren stopped running when she caught up with Kyla at the opening of the wooded path, where they had began.

"She said she wanted to stay here for a while, and she'd just walk home. She told me to tell you that we can go ahead and go home when we wanted."

Kyla looked skeptical.

"Look, why would I say that unless she told me?"

Kyla still didn't fully believe her.

"Okay, lets go home."

Lauren nodded, and followed Kyla back to the car, and they headed home.

Two Hours Later, At the Lake

Ashley yanked her damp body out of the cold water, and onto the bank. Panting heavily, she reached up to feel the slash in her forehead. She pressed on it gently, and caused herself to gasp painfully. It hurt like hell.

"Bitch."

She pulled herself up further, thankful of the tree roots that stuck out of the ground. Lauren didn't know this place like Ashley did. That lake was only four feet deep around the bank area. Ashley's tennis shoe string had latched itself onto something at the bottom of the lake, keeping her floating in the four foot deep water.

On top of that, Lauren was stupid enough to throw her into the lake face up. So once she regained her consciousness, she was able to breathe right away without inhaling fifty gallons of salt water as well.

Ashley sat against a tree, attempting to catch her breath. Being unconscious for two hours takes a toll on one's body. She sat, thinking about what exactly Lauren had said to her.

"Spencer isn't yours. She belongs to us."

"Us? Who's us?"

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RIIING RIIING

"Alaric?"

"Is it done?"

"My little decoy worked perfectly. She believed every word I said to her, and took care of the girlfriend effortlessly. I didn't have to do a thing except convince her that her world was falling apart."

"Perfect. With the girlfriend out of the picture, this will make our plan much, much easier to perform."

"Yes, sir."

"Get the girl, and bring her here, but make sure she doesn't know where here is, you got me?"

"Yes, sir."

CLICK

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