A/N: Hey! Here goes the next chapter...it's slowly moving along, but I feel that this story will be much better than the other one I attempted. Like I said before, same concept...with the bakery and all...but different ideas..better ideas...oh yea...if the summary seems familiar, it's because I stole a chapter already written from the previous version. I liked it to much to trash it...lol

Read and review...please...they boost my want to write more...although I'd probably write it anyway...lol..

Constructive criticism helps...and as I said with my other attempt at a story..the intros the hardest...so once I get the beginning out of the way..it'll be all good..ya digg!! Thanks for reading!! oh..sorry for grammatical errors and whatnot..

Disclaimer: I own not a damn thing...except my ideas and random characters..

Chapter 3: Running No More

"I'm not running from anything," she said finally. "I'm running to."

It was close to noon before Ashley decided to head out. She thanked Earl for the recipe once again, promising to keep it a secret, paid for the meal, and left. The conversation had ended at Ashley's statement, Earl realizing he shouldn't press her for information.

The beaming summer sun was perched at its highest point in the sky as the brunette entered her Trailblazer. She heard the distant chirp-chirp of birds above her, almost drowned out by vehicles zooming by on the interstate.

She rested her head back against the seat, exhaling a deep breath. After a moment, she reached for her purse looking through its contents, and a second later, found the folded up photo she was looking for.

Ashley unfolded it and smiled. The picture was rounded around the edges and sported a tear on the upper left hand side.

"I'm not running away anymore…" she whispered softly. "I'm running to you, Spence."

December 31, 1999

The evening sun, partially hidden behind puffy gray clouds, did nothing to warm the strangely chilly day in Los Angeles. In fact, the weatherman was just as shocked to say that the temperature would drop to low thirties before the night was over and to be prepared for possible snow.

Snow? The residents of L.A. highly doubted it. It had been years before Los Angeles had seen snow—many had never seen it at all. So the concept of snow was just as new to them as saying Antarctica would be experiencing a heat wave.

It was just unheard of.

So as Ashley Davies and Spencer Carlin got ready for "Aiden's New Year's Eve get-together" that night, daydreams about the speculated snowfall was scarce for most…

Well, most except for a few hopeful Midwest natives, namely Spencer Carlin.

And as the two best friends relaxed in the domain of Spencer's bedroom, basking in the calm before the party, Ashley listened to her best friend's hopeful rant.

"It is so beautiful, Ash," Spencer gushed as she lied on her bed, head propped up on her left hand, as she faced Ashley. "Especially when it covers the grass looking almost like a white blanket, and you look around and see tree branches covered in snow and wonder why they don't snap…"

Ashley smiled at the animation of Spencer's face, noting that her eyes seemed to sparkle with anticipation as she spoke.

"Sometimes, I would run outside in just my PJs and doggy slippers and hold my hand out just to catch one of the snowflakes. I would get in so much trouble, though. My mom would come outside, mad as hell, and almost carry me in the house." Spencer smiled at the memory as she continued. "I would get lectured for, like three hours by her, always about the same thing. 'Spencer," she mocked, face scrunched up, making her voice sound like her mother, "'you can get pneumonia running outside like that, what's wrong with you!'"

Ashley laughed heartily as the image of a five-year-old Spencer, clad in Hello Kitty pajamas and doggy slippers, entered her mind. After a few moments, the laughter died down, both allowing silence to fill the room. Ashley played with Spencer's blanket, drawing random shapes and patterns on the top of it, while Spencer, lost in her own thoughts, lied her head on the bed.

Ashley wished she had always known Spencer. It was true that they had been friends for the majority of their lives, but she wished she had been there for the first five years of her life as well. She wished she had seen every fall, been apart of every happy moment, and been there to cry along with every sad moment also.

"Do you miss it?" Ashley asked, after a moment, bringing Spencer out of her daze.

"Yea, I do. Sometimes I wish more than anything that I could go back to those days. You know, like, relive them somehow. And I guess my favorite thing from all that was the days when my dad would go on this baking frenzy and he made like every dessert you can think of. Cookies, cakes, donuts…he loved to bake, and I would always help him. I guess that's where I get it from now."

Ashley nodded, smiling once more. Spencer turned to face Ashley, unconsciously getting closer, as she spoke. She lightly reached for the brunette's hand and began tracing the curved lines on her palm.

Ashley's heart raced at the gesture, body tingling from the touch. After a moment, Ashley's brown eyes were met with sparkling blue ones, but the unfamiliar intensity behind her eyes scared Ashley.

"But…" Spencer began, voice hushed as if being too loud might break the moment, "if someone had told me that I had the chance to go back and relive some of the happiest days of my life, I wouldn't even have to think about it—I would tell them no because you wouldn't be there with me. And as much as those moments meant to me, those years of happiness could never measure up to just one day with you."

Spencer had ended with a small smile and Ashley felt her heart thump a little faster.

This wasn't like Spencer. The Spencer she knew never spoke like that. The Spencer she knew had a boyfriend. The Spencer she knew was straight.

Sure she expressed purely platonic love for the girl—they were best friends—but her words were different, her voice was different, and the look in the blonde's eyes? Definitely different.

Spencer was inching into unfamiliar territory, and as much as Ashley wanted to, she couldn't take her there.

Ashley had been out for almost two years. Of course, her mom was in denial, claiming it to be a phase, and her Grandmother—well, she said that Ashley was too young to like anybody. And her father was never around to care one way or the other. Being gay in the nineties was something that not many people wanted to face. But to the Davies, it just wasn't possible.

And the Carlins? They didn't know. Arthur could care less, but not because he was uncaring—he figured that he didn't have the right to judge—people loved who they loved, right? Paula would've probably had a heart attack, and no way did Ashley want to be held responsible for any death, especially the mother of her best friend. Clay, Ashley figured, would've been cool about the whole thing, while Glen would've had the same reaction as his sanctified mother. Perhaps worse.

No, Ashley thought. There was no way she could let Spencer dip into foreign waters, washed of all of the morals she was raised on, cleansed of all the innocence that was Spencer Carlin.

It just couldn't happen.

"I think we should go," Ashley muttered as she took her hand away from Spencer's and stood up.

Spencer, slightly surprised at the brunette's actions, rose from the bed as well, muttered an, "Okay," and walked out the door.

She was just as confused as Ashley, if not more, and embarrassed to say the least, although she had no idea why. Her and Ashley spoke about everything, and what she said wasn't out of line, right? They were best friends, inseparable. They told each other on more than one occasion that they loved each other and it wasn't uncommon between friends. It really wasn't.

So why did it feel different—why did she feel different? Why did her heart beat so fast and loud that she was surprised Ashley didn't hear it? And what she felt, the…what were they, tingles?

It scared Spencer, to say the least.

But she wasn't going to worry about it tonight. It was New Year's Eve, and they had a party to go to. Her boyfriend was going to be there, her best friend was going to be there as well as a few other good friends, and she was going to bring in the New Year as she always had.

As Ashley's best friend—her straight best friend.

The ride to Aiden's house was just as chatty as always—the tension from the room being swept under a rug, neither wanting to acknowledge what happened. Ashley, a year older than Spencer, drove her silver BMW—courtesy of her estranged father—and arrived twenty minutes later in the driveway of a fairly large two-story brick house accompanied by a fairly large yard. To the left of the house sat a two-car garage.

Immediately, Spencer spotted Aiden in front of the garage, barbeque tongs in hand as he monitored the grill. He appeared to be relaxed, dressed in jeans and a white shirt. His black hair was perfectly unkempt, but always seemed to suit his laid back demeanor.

"Ay girls," Aiden said while flipping a burger, "Spence, Mike's in the house."

"Thanks, Aid…I'll be right back, Ash." Spencer said before going inside to greet her boyfriend.

Ashley sighed deeply, mumbled a, "Yeah," and leaned against the brick of the garage. "I really hate him."

Aiden looked up for a second, noting her troubled appearance, and smiled.

"That's cute," Aiden said after a moment, placing the tongs on the tray to his left, before closing the mouth of the grill.

"What is?" Ashley muttered.

"You and Spencer." Ashley looked at him, confused, and possibly shocked. "I'm not stupid, Ash."

"There is no me and Spencer," Ashley said dismissively, "We're just friends."

"Yeah, okay…and Ellen Degeneres is engaged to Michael Jackson."

"Shut up!" Ashley chuckled, punching Aiden in the arm. He winced. "We're just friends. That's it."

Aiden said nothing else and went back to the grill, while Ashley became engaged in her own thoughts.

Above them, the clouds seemed to have increased, becoming puffier and grayer, as the sky darkened—a result of the setting sun. The air, although not much cooler than before, was crisp, and much chiller than was used to.

After a minute or two, Ashley brought her attention back to Aiden and noticed a small smile playing on his lips.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Wha—me?" He shook his head in faux surprise. "I wasn't smiling."

Ashley chuckled. "Yeah, you were…and still are. Why are you smiling?"

"You."

"Me? Why are you always on the subject of 'me'."

"Because you are so in love that you don't even know it. And it's obvious to just about everybody but you. Well, you and Spencer."

Ashley felt heat rise to her cheeks. Aiden had spoken the words, the very words she was afraid to say. The tingles, rapid heartbeats, sweaty palms—they were all symptoms of her secret illness.

One that she was too afraid to voice.

One that Spencer could never know of.

"Don't tell her, okay? She can't know."

Aiden shook his head. "I wouldn't do that to you, Ash."

"How long have you known?" she asked as he placed the finished meat patties on a tray.

"I've always known. As long as we've been friends."

"Really? How did you know when I didn't?"

He laughed. "I guess you see more when you're on the outside lookin' in."

Ashley nodded, looking away for a second as she placed her hands in the pockets of her black fleece hoodie. It was becoming colder by the second and the sky was dark, signs of previous sun diminished by the heavy clouds.

A few minutes later, Mike emerged from the house, left arm draped around Spencer's waist, as he set a pan of Beef Franks on the table for Aiden. Mike was a few inches taller than the blonde and well-built. The gray wrestling hoodie he wore covered a black undershirt and his jeans were ripped at the knees. His short dark brown hair had its usual tousled appearance, but in a stylish way. He was handsome, to say the least, even Ashley could agree to that, and his eyes, a light green, mesmerized just about any female he spoke to.

The couple looked like they had just stepped out of a magazine, making Ashley unjustifiably hating him even more.

"Hey man, these are the last of 'em before the others get here." Aiden nodded.

"Thanks, I'm gonna put these in the house so they don't get cold—watch the grill for me."

Mike took Aiden's previous position in front of the grill, placing the Beef Franks on it before closing the lid.

"Hey Ashley." He said politely. He wasn't that bad in all honesty—polite, considerate, a gentleman. If she wasn't blinded by the love she already had for the blonde, she probably would've accepted him.

Probably.

"Hey," the brunette mumbled back.

"You ready to party?"

"Yeah," she answered, a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "let's rock!"

It was nearly seven thirty before the guests started to arrive. Clay was among the first as he arrived hand-in-hand with his beauty, Chelsea Daniels. Next were a few of Aiden's cousins and Ashley's half sister Kyla. Glen and Madison didn't arrive until close to nine, and by that time the small get-together was in full swing.

"…And we gonna party like it's 19-"

"Hold up—it is!" Everyone sang out to the tune of Will Smith's "W 2K".

Around eleven forty-five and a few charade games later, the speakers of Aiden's boom box beat heavily with the beats of Will Smith's CD "Willenium" while the King High teenagers danced amongst each other, sometimes loudly singing along. Jokes were told, laughter rang through the windows, and on a staircase not too far away from the party, but secluded enough where two young teens could be alone, Ashley and Spencer sat, reveling in each others presence for the first time that night.

"You havin' fun, Ash?" Spencer asked her best friend, as she leaned against the stair rail.

"Yeah, strangely enough, I am," the brunette answered with a crooked smile. "Are you?"

"Yup…"

"Where's Mike?" Ashley asked indifferently.

Spencer didn't miss the somewhat apathetic tone, but decided not to comment on it.

"He's playing poker with the guys."

"Oh…"

Ashley looked away for a moment, not really knowing what to say to that, as Spencer pretended to be interested in her finger nails.

"You don't like him," Spencer said after a moment. It wasn't a question, Ashley noticed—her voice had every sign of an accusation.

"Not too much, no." Why not be honest?

"Why not?"

Ashley faced Spencer, sapphire eyes burning into her chocolate ones, as she read her face. She wasn't angry, Spencer rarely was with her. But there was something else…a hint of knowing, a dash of…fear?

"I just…don't. He's…too good to be true."

Surprisingly, Spencer giggled. "Hmm…I was under the impression that that was a good thing."

"It's great…until you wake up and it's over." Spencer shook her head. "You could do better."

"Better like, who?" The blonde challenged. She tilted her head causing Ashley to look away.

Head tilt…Ashley kryptonite.

'Like me,' Ashley thought. However, the brunette ignored the question, instead changing the subject.

Again, Spencer noticed, but didn't comment.

"I missed you today," Ashley whispered sincerely. She smiled one of her nose-crinkling smiles, causing Spencer to blush.

"I've been here all night, Ash," Spencer said, matching the same quiet sincerity as Ashley.

"No," she said, shaking her head, "you've been with Mike all night." Ashley pouted, too cute for words.

Spencer softly bit her lip, holding back a smile. "Well, the rest of the night is for you. We can do anything you want."

"Promise?" Ashley breathed. Words were lost to her as Spencer stared at her with the same intensity as she had earlier that evening.

"Always," Spencer whispered softly.

Ashley's stomach flipped as electricity shot through her. They were just words, words not uncommonly shared with one another. But her voice, the meaning behind the words…the intense sincerity…

She had not realized before how close they were. Their thighs touched, and as Ashley tried to look away, she found that she couldn't. She noticed Spencer's eyes slowly resting upon her lips, before slowly traveling back up to meet her eyes.

"Ashley…" the blonde muttered softly, lifting her hand and gently placing a strand of hair behind her friend's ear. Ashley's eyes closed involuntarily, heart racing a mile a minute.

"Yea?" Ashley breathed.

"There you two are—" announced a deep voice. The two girls shot apart, causing Ashley to hit her head against the wall.

"Fuck…" Ashley mumbled as she massaged her head. She looked up and saw it was Aiden, a knowing smirk playing on his face.

"Was I…interrupting something?" He asked slyly.

"No!" the two best friends shouted together.

Aiden chuckled. "Uh huh…well, we're 'bout to start the countdown…if you wanna join us."

"No…I mean, um…yea…I'm coming." Spencer stuttered, leaving quickly to the living room.

"Sorry, Ash—" Aiden started before being cut off by a frustrated brunette.

"Uggh! Aiden," Ashley mumbled, running her fingers through her curled locks, "what the hell am I gonna do?"

"I said I was sor—" He tried again.

"No, not you—her. What am I gonna do about her?"

Aiden sighed warmly, taking a seat near Ashley on the staircase.

"I can't really tell you what to do. Only, to do what you think is best…for both of you."

"That's great," she said sarcastically, "except I don't exactly know what the hell that might be."

"Well then, what do you know?" Aiden asked after a moment.

Ashley looked at him for a second before turning away. What did she know? Maybe Spencer had feelings for her. Maybe Spencer even loved her.

But Spencer had so much to lose. Spencer had her entire religious, God-fearing family. Spencer had a boyfriend who was very much in love with her. Spencer had her reputation as the sweet and innocent girl.

And who was Ashley Davies, the daughter of an alcoholic mother and an estranged father, to take that away from her?

Ashley looked at Aiden again, holding his caring gaze as she answered his question.

"I know that Spencer is my best friend and I am the cliché of friendships," Ashley smiled sadly. "I am in love with my best friend…and she can never know."

Aiden nodded, understanding the finality of her voice. Off in the distance, the two heard chanting.

"We should go before we miss it," Aiden said taking Ashley's hand and pulling her along with him.

"…30...29...28..."

"Hey," Spencer whispered as Ashley sidled up to her.

Ashley smiled, whispering a, "Hey," as well.

Everyone was stationed in front of the television set, as they watched the numbers dwindle. Mike, arm around Spencer, stood behind Aiden's blacker leather couch, smiling in anticipation. In front of them, Aiden sat with Kyla as he slid an arm around her shoulder. Madison sat excitedly in Glen's lap in a lounge chair off to the left, and Clay stood behind Chelsea, hands wrapped lovingly around her waist. Aiden's cousins sat sparingly among the furniture, all in quiet excitement.

"…15...14...13..."

"You okay?" Spencer whispered in concern. Ashley was lost in her own thoughts for the millionth time that night.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Spencer lift her eyebrow. "Really, Spence—I'm fine."

"…8...7...6..."

"Promise?" the blonde asked.

"Always." Ashley assured.

"..3...2...1! Hap—py New Year!"

Everyone went into an uproar. Hands waving, noisemakers buzzing, hugs given, and as Mike planted a kiss on Spencer's cheek, Ashley walked out of the living room and out the door, needing a breath of fresh air. She took two steps and stopped in amazement, immediately drained of all the jealousy she had previously felt.

"Hey!" she shouted excitedly, "Come look! Come look!"

"What's wrong, Ashley?" Chelsea said, as everyone rushed to see what was going on.

"It's snowing!"

They all gasped as they walked outside in their light hoodies and sweaters, peering out at the wonder around them. The massive yard was almost covered with white as the flakes came down fast. The snowflakes on the ground twinkled under the moonlight, making it appear almost dreamlike.

It was breathtaking, even under the L.A. streetlights.

"It's beautiful," the blonde said behind Ashley. The brunette swore she heard the blonde's smile in her voice.

Ashley turned to face her, blown away by the perfect beauty that was her best friend.

"It is." Ashley quietly agreed.

Ashley held out her hand, Spencer graciously accepting it, and pulled the blonde to her side. Spencer looked up to the sky, closing her eyes as she let the individually shaped snowflakes fall on her face.

Ashley smiled, loving the child-like grin her friend wore on her face. Tingles came immediately, heartbeat racing, mind clearing of everything that had nothing to do with her and Spencer. She draped her arm around her waist, and mouthed, "I love you."

SNAP!

Kyla had taken the picture, framing one of the best and worst moments of her life. She remembered Spencer, flawless under the newly fallen snow, beauty more apparent under the moonlight as it illuminated her already immaculate skin. Her blond hair, highlighted with streaks of light brown, hung softly over her shoulders.

She was beautiful.

But it was the first day she was forced to come to terms with her love for her best friend. And as years passed, she knew that it was the first day she began running from her. The first day she began running from her feelings, her wants, her desires.

It was the first day she started living a lie and stopped living for herself.

Ashley sighed as she turned into Exit 52 toward I-76, following the robotic voice of her GPS system. She pushed play on her CD player, allowing herself to be enveloped in smooth sounds of Boney James, as the breeze pushed through her window.

She was no longer running, she decided, and as an envelope addressed to her in French Script fluttered under the breeze pushing through the window, Ashley hoped that Spencer would stop running as well.

She could only hope.