Author's Note: I've been completely out of the realm of fanfiction for a while, no writing or reading it even. And I'm really sorry about that. There's been stuff in life that has to come before my fanfiction wants, so I've been involved with that. I'm back now. For anyone still reading this, or anyone new and wanting to read this, hello, I hope you enjoy. To anyone who is sticking around, I thank you. Actually, I thank all of you for reading this. I appreciate it. I also appreciate feedback if you feel so inclined.

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to "South of Nowhere". I am just lucky enough to borrow them. Also, Landon and Hayley are made-up characters, but no worries, they won't be necessary for most of the story. Just a little of backstory for Spencer. And yes, there are a few certain lines of this update that may bring you back to a certain episode of "South of Nowhere"...you know, when Spencer and Ashley are lying on the bed together, and there's a photo of Ashley and another girl on the bedstand? Or maybe it won't. Depends on the reader/viewer.


Spencer's world stopped spinning and she was standing in her bedroom. "Oh, look, it's me on the telephone. This must be the exciting flashback that will reveal everything to me."

Raife rolled his eyes, "Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Carlin. Leave that to me."

"You know that's not true. I can't help that I moved to New York; I did what I needed to do, and no, I didn't move here to get away from you. Don't flatter yourself."

"Oh shit! I remember this phone conversation. Can I skip this? I'm really not sure what reliving this conversation will do for me."

"We already skipped one of your memories. Do you really want to skip this one too? You're going to end up failing Flashbacks 101 if you keep doing this." Spencer eyed Raife Davies skeptically, trying to figure out how serious he was; she really wasn't good at failing things. She didn't like failing. "If you don't begin to figure this out, then you will take longer and longer to wake up in the real world, Spencer. I suggest that you watch and listen and remember. You need to do some thinking sooner or later and begin to know what's going on." Spencer's face immediately looked worried, and Raife felt sorry for the girl. "It's okay if it takes a little while, Spencer, it's not like I have anywhere to go. Just watch the memories, okay?"

Spencer was still on the phone. She was lying on her bed with her hand over her eyes. "No, it's not like that. I left, because college was an excellent opportunity."There was a pause on Spencer's side of the conversation, and she took a moment to sigh. "And we're not dating anymore. You left me, Landon, not the other way around. Yeah, you left me for Hayley, remember, the ex that you claimed you were over until we started dating? Then after a few days, oh yeah, you weren't over her anymore."

Spencer's tone became surprisingly frustrated as she continued. Most people didn't make her sound like that, at least not people that weren't her brother or mother. "Landon, I tried to be friends with you. I asked you to not talk about Hayley for a few days; I asked you to give me a little space. I couldn't be around you all of the time anymore; that hurt me to be around you that much right away. You were my best friend before we started dating, but you seemed to forget that the moment we started to date."

The blonde sat up on her bed and opened her eyes, revealing her red eyes. She'd obviously been crying earlier. "Yeah, I know that after I told my parents about everything…You were there for me... Only then you really weren't there for me, because Hayley ended up being the one trying to comfort me." Spencer sighed again, "Yeah, well, if you can't see that you were the one to mess this up, not me, then fuck you." She clicked her phone shut and threw it down onto her bed. She was tempted to throw it against the wall, but she had seen drunken friends do that when upset, and it always ended with a large phone bill and nothing better.

"Is this a bad time?" Ashley was leaning against her door frame. Spencer was pretty sure that she had locked her door behind her…Then again, if anyone could break into her place, it'd probably be the brunette.

"Holy shit, Davies. You scared me."

"I noticed. You don't usually use my last name, Carlin. That's my deal." Ashley allowed herself a silly half-lopsided grin. "So what's wrong?"

Spencer laid back down on her bed, "Dating sucks."

"Yeah? Was that your boyfriend?"

Spencer laughed, "No."

"Didn't you date Landon?"

Ashley knew part of the story, as the two girls had been hanging out pretty frequently, but some of the blanks were fuzzy or empty completely when it came to the blonde's dating past. "I did. Until a few months before I left for New York City. We were best friends in California, but then we dated. As it turns out, Landon wasn't really over the ex, Hayley. So, we broke up. But then Landon was kind of a bitch and brought Hayley over just a few days after we were over, though I asked for that to not happen for a little while. Then some stuff happened with my family, so my parents weren't really talking to me for a while…Glen was pretty okay though, eventually. It just kinda sucked. And then one night Landon came to hang out with me, and Haley came with, and Landon tried to hook up with Hayley on my bed. Only, Hayley tried to hook-up with me while Landon was doing that…" Spencer had been rambling and had barely taken a breath. She took a deep one to notice the brunette staring at her with raised eyebrows.

"That's messed up, Spence."

"I know."

Ashley laid down beside her friend, hoping to be comforting, "Boys are stupid."

Another laugh emitted from the blonde's lips, "Yeah."

Ashley's fingers toyed with Spencer's hand lightly as she tried to reassure her friend, "Good thing they're not the only choice."

"Yeah."

Ashley's eyebrows shot up, "Really, Spence? I didn't peg you on being so easy about my saying that."

Spencer rolled onto her side to face her friend, "Can I tell you something, Ashley?"

"Anything."

"Promise not to freak out?"

The brunette cocked her left eyebrow, "Did you murder someone?"

"No."

"Are you planning on it?"

"No."

"Is it me?"

"Ash!"Spencer finally laughed, which was what the brunette was aiming for, and swatted playfully at Ashley's arm before moving to lie on her back.

"Sorry…" The brunette pretended to be in deep thought as she moved so that her head was on Spencer's stomach. "Did you eat the last of my oreos?"

"Yes," Spencer admitted, "but that wasn't what I was talking about."

"Shit, really? I was totally kidding when I accused you of that. Actually, I blamed Kyla earlier for that…"

Hoping to interrupt the rambling Davies, Spencer blurted out, "I'm gay."

Ashley rolled off of Spencer's stomach so that she could look her friend in the eye. "But your ex is a guy? Is that why it didn't work out?"

"Landon's a girl. Her real name is Tricia, but she somehow ended up with the nickname Landon."

"Oh…"

Spencer didn't know what else to do, so she rambled some more. "And the argument that I got into with my parents was when I came out to them. I was upset, so Landon came over to hang out, one of the first times we'd really hung out since we'd stopped dating and sleeping together…and she brought her sorta-girlfriend/sorta-ex-girlfriend with. She spent the whole night trying to get on Hayley."

"And Hayley tried to get with you?"

"In a weird sorta-way, yeah. She was holding my hand, and she spooned with me, and…she gave me a back massage at some point. We all slept in my bed that night."

"That's really weird." Spencer's smile completely disappeared, and Ashley realized how she sounded. "The fact that you all slept together is weird, not that you're gay." Spencer raised her eyes and tentatively smiled. "I'm completely okay with the fact that you're gay, Spence. After all, I kinda began to wonder after none of the guys that asked you out ever even made it to one date with you." Spencer laughed, "Besides, I'm…not into labels."

"So, you're bi?" Spencer asked.

"Not into labels."

"Cool," Spencer nodded, not sure what else to do with the conversation.

"Cool." Awesome, Ashley didn't know where to go either with the conversation. There was a pause, then, "Oh my God though, Spence, I swear I'm not hitting on you 24/7 or anything."

"Ash, I know that's just how you are. You seem flirtatious without flirting, and you do that with everyone."

"K, good, because I don't wanna ruin this."

Spencer chuckled, albeit it was a slightly bitter chuckle, "I've already tried dating my best friend, and now she and I are no longer friends. Though, she blames me, apparently I ruined our friendship by not wanting to hang out with her again once Hayley broke up with her. Anyway, no worries, I don't wanna date my best friend again." The blonde shrugged, hoping that would mean that she wouldn't have to share anything else that evening, because the phone conversation with Landon wore her out, "Are we going out tonight?"

"I'm actually in the mood for movies, pizza, and snuggling."

Spencer's eyes narrowed, "Are you leaving me for Aiden?"

"Nope, he and I aren't dating currently. You and I are going to order pizza and go get movies. By the time that we get back from getting movies, the pizza should be here." Ashley grinned at her ingenious idea.

"Ready?" Spencer asked as she began to look around the room for her purse.

"Nope," Ashley stated easily, pulling the blonde back down onto the bed, "Snuggling first." Ashley put her right arm out and waited for the blonde to cuddle into the crook of her arm. "See, you fit perfectly, Spence. That's why we have to be cuddle buddies along with best friends."The blonde just smiled.

Raife rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, "Are you understanding anything yet, Spencer?"

"Besides that you invade my privacy like crazy?" Spencer folded her arms protectively across her chest, obviously not enjoying the conversation.

"Oh, so we're into the denial stage still?"

"Are you trying to tell me that I'm grieving?"

"Definitely not."

"Well, then what the hell are you trying to tell me?"

"Ooh, feisty Spencer, I like it! You move quickly. You're already in the anger stage."

"I don't understand what you're trying to freaking tell me."

"Definitely in the anger stage," Spencer narrowed her eyes angrily at him. "Come on, Angry Carlin, now is the perfect time to show you this."