Sorry this took a little longer than my previous updates have; I finished my exams and am officially on my Summer break! So I celebrated by drinking a lot and going out places and making the most of my first week of freedom.

I had fun!

But I eventually found the time to continue this, I hope you all aren't too mad?

This chapter is a little bit of a filler, I don't know I just type and this came out...Hope it;s enjoyable enough! I tried to save the drama for the next chapter...

Anyways, enjoy kids!

Chapter 5

Sunday is spent lounging lazily around the house and completing forgotten homework. The only contact from the outside world comes shortly after dinner with a text from Spencer which caused my phone to vibrate so loudly against my bed's side table that I squealed and fell off my bed.

Giving you a ride tomorrow ~S

I frown at my phone, unable to comprehend the blonde's sudden act of charity but shrug it off as I begin to horde my wardrobe for an outfit that will be approved of.

On finding a nice pair of faded denim shorts and a black belt I bite my bottom lip, scanning my room for any sort of top that I could possibly wear to complete my outfit.

This is not a case of 'Oh, wear any top, its denim' because with the distressed denim and the few studs on the belt, this outfit required a more retro top…

Sneaking into Kayla's room, relieved to find it empty, I frantically search through her closet before she comes back from…wherever she is.

I whoop with delight, finding an Ed Hardy vest top with the words 'Love Kills Slowly' scripted across the front, along with the usual design and logo's found on any of these tops. It's perfect, giving me a slightly gothic look which I surprisingly suit very well.

Sneaking back into my own room, I fold the top and place it on my desk, placing my folded shorts and belt on top. I pick out some matching jewellery and recover my black converse from the pile of shoes peeking out from under my bed. Satisfied, I climb into bed.

Placing my glasses on the side table, along with my phone, I'm surprised to feel how heavy my eyelids are despite it not being long after 10pm.

Not realising I've fallen asleep until I'm being shaken away by gentle hands; I rub my eyes blearily, inhaling the sweet perfume of my sister.

Kayla is leaning over me in the dark, her hands placed on both of my shoulders, shaking me awake. I make out her blurry silhouette through the moonlight sneaking through a gap in my curtains. Unable to make out the details of her face with my poor vision, I reach blindly for my glasses, shoving them on my nose.

"Guess what?" Her tone is hushed but the excitement is evident in her voice.

"What?" I fire back, my voice hoarse and grumpy from being awakened prematurely.

"Dad's band have been asked to perform at some MTV award show and we have been asked to be presenters!" she jumps up and down towards the end, clapping her hands in sheer glee with a shit eating grin plastering her face.

My displeasure at being woken ebbs away immediately, replaced by butterflies of nervousness and exhilaration. My face begins to mirror my sisters, and I bob up and down on my mattress along with her.

"Oh my God! That's sooo cool!" I drag out the 'O's for emphasis, but I don't think she needs it.

"I know! And we get two free guest passes too!" she screams back. I think my eardrums burst. I guess we all know who I'm inviting…

After laughing and talking excitedly for the upcoming event for another few minutes, I begin to feel my eyelids droop and I collapse backwards onto my pillows with a sigh.

Kayla leans over me again, resting her head by my ear.

"This is going to be so awesome," she whispers into the darkness.

"I know," I reply, my voice low and sleepy.

"G'night," my sister kisses my cheek and walks to the doorway, pausing before turning back around to face me.

"Oh, by the way, I want my top back."

I giggle and nod into my pillow, feeling sleep drift over me once again.

And for the second time I'm rudely awakened. Though this time not by my babbling, bouncing older sister but by sunlight cracking into my room, clichéd birds singing outside and the vibration of the alarm on my phone, signalling I should actually get up out of bed and get dressed for school.

Slipping into the clothes nearly laid out the previous night, I flick on my curling irons, impatiently waiting for them to heat up while I put my contact lenses in. They've become more comfortable now, so I don't mind half as much wearing them. I actually enjoy them; the freedom of seeing in all directions, not just through the glass in front of you with the frames blocking your peripheral vision.

The light flicks off on the curlers, indicating they've fully heated up and I set about replacing the natural curls in my hair with neater ones from the iron.

Just after throwing a little make up on, I hear a horn blast from outside.

"Shit," I mutter, grabbing my phone and schoolbag and rushing out the door, realising I haven't eaten breakfast yet.

I bolt out the door and into Spencer's convertible, ignoring the hunger pangs in my empty stomach.

"Starbucks," she states simply, eyes still on the road as I close the car door and she pulls out from the pavement.

I smile gratefully, figuring caffeine and croissants would be an excellent start to the day. And damn I was right.

I groan in delight as I maul another bite off the croissant, enjoying every chew and washing it down with a sip of mocha from the little plastic 'to-go' cup.

"Hungry?" Spencer laughs, watching me with a look of amusement.

I nod vigorously, finishing off the pastry and swigging the last of my coffee and sighing in content.

The blonde chuckles and drives on, pulling up in the school car park after a few minutes. She removes the keys and opens the door, lifting the extra coffee we bought for Madison from the cup holder near the dashboard. For the first time on arrival to this new school, apart from my first day, people watch me climb out of the car with a mixed look of awe and wonderment in their eyes.

I smile to myself, watching the passers-by.

This is what I've been searching for, maybe without the slight flash of fear in their eyes, their pushing out of my way to allow me through, their mumbled apologies when they bump into me. But the twitches of their lips when I catch their eyes and smile, the brief greetings as I pass, the recognition. This is what I needed.

Today, I felt like somebody.

I watch the kids in the hallways give Ashley their undivided attention, half amused and half genuinely pleased. The look of utter happiness in the brunettes chocolate eyes was unmistakable. But after watching her brush off another group of hassling teenagers I spot it.

The look of trepidation and insecurity flashing in her orbs.

Flashes of the Ashley who hasn't changed in my company.

Acting on gut instinct, I pull her away from the classroom we were about to enter. Keeping her hand firmly grasped in mine and ignoring the tingling feeling on my skin, I fish in my pocket for my car keys, unlocking the doors and pushing her in.

"What are you doing?" she asks, confusion etched on her face. "Are we skipping again?"

"Sort of…" I trail off, starting the engine and pulling out of the car park, concentrating on not being recognised by any teachers as we made a hasty exit from the school grounds.

"Sort of?" She questions further, once we've pulled onto the main road and off towards the city centre.

"Well, you'll be educated in some form today," I flash her a grin.

"Educated?" Her voice is uneasy.

"God, Ashley!" I sigh in frustration and amusement. "You're a celebrity, but you're clearly uncomfortable around people paying you attention! I'm going to teach you to 'walk the walk' and 'talk the talk' and shit…" I trail off, as I focus more on the road.

Sneaking a look in her direction, Ashley's face bears a look of mild embarrassment but I see a hint of excitement behind her eyes. I smirk.

Parking in a lot around one of the shopping malls, I grab her wrist and hurry off in the opposite direction she was about to walk in, trailing her behind me and laughing as she gives a surprised shriek.

I lead her to a small, paved area surrounded by typical LA high-rise offices and flats. There is a small 3 tiered fountain surrounded by a low situated in the centre with a few benches placed around the edge of the place. It's calm and quiet, secluded from the busy city and hidden from view by the concrete jungle surrounding it. I smile happily upon realising it is totally deserted.

I sit cross-legged on the low wall by the fountain, the slow trickle of water soothing to the ear. Ashley hesitantly copies my position, facing me uncertainly.

I stare at her face from a minute, entranced by the flashes of self-consciousness and reticence in her eyes and how she bites her lip nervously.

"Why am I here?" she asks after a short while.

"You should be more confident," I reply earnestly. Her eyes soften a bit, but I'm not sure whether it's out of bashfulness or hurt. Her head falls as she examines her shoes in silence.

I place a finger under her chin and tip her head back up until her eyes meet mine, filled with obvious uncertainty.

"See?" I say softly, offering a light smile in her direction.

She shrugs, dropping her eyes again and mumbles "I don't know how to be confident…"

"You don't have to be confident, just look it," I grin, standing on the low wall and gesturing her to do so too.

She stands up shakily on the wall, eyeing the water flowing down the fountain on her left, wary of falling in.

I gently grab her elbows, placing her hands in the same place in on my elbows, so that our forearms are aligned. Pushing against her slightly, I roll her shoulders back and instruct her to raise her head and eyes.

Even rearranging her usually slumped posture makes her look like a whole new person. Keeping her like this, I walk backwards, pulling her along with me and scold her laughingly when she allows her posture to return to its usual stance. Then I spin her around and take a step towards her, so her back is almost pressed to my front. I place my hands lightly on her hips, ignoring the way her breath hitches and the way my heartbeat speeds up considerably.

"Keep standing the way we practiced," I whisper in her ear, pushing her forwards slightly until she takes a step. Using my hands I gently manoeuvre her hips to swing with each step, she stumbles a little at first, but soon gets the hang of it and soon we are both strutting along the low wall by the fountain, laughing and joking.

"Fuck off Carlin, you know you just wanted to grope this," she laughs, running her hands down her sides and over her hips. I quirk and eyebrow.

"That's the 'talk' I'm talking about," I grin. She looks confused.

"The attitude," I elaborate, "Makes you seem confident as well. Like the time you told me to fuck myself, in our first gym class. Where's that side of Ashley? She's cool," I smile at the slightly blushing brunette.

"That Ashley is afraid of getting her assed kicked," the brown-eyed girl admitted quietly, shoulders slumping and eyes dropping back to the ground.

"Posture!" I shout, and she jumps, shoulders rolling back and eyes lifting to gaze into mine.

"Honey," I smirk, taking a step towards her. "Do you seriously think anyone would kick your ass when you're walking around with me?"

She snorts a laugh, pushing my shoulder lightly. The action was light and playful, but I'm standing closer to the edge of the wall than either of us realised and quickly lose my balance.

"Shit," I hear Ashley cry, her eyes growing wide and she hastily reaches for my flailing hand a little too late as I crash into the cold water below me, pulling her along for the ride.

The coolness of the water causes me to gasp and I topple off the wall, trailed into the fountain by Spencer's hand firmly gripping mine.

I stare at the blonde wide-eyed as she wiped the water from her face, waiting for her to explode at me and punch me in the face or something.

I swallow thickly as her gaze finally lands on me, I tense moment passed before she lets out a chuckle and flicks some of the water at me like we did at the beach the other day.

I almost sigh in relief, letting a grin erupt over my face as I flick some back at her.

Her laughter turns to almost hysterics and I find myself laughing too, the pair of us sitting in this fountain, soaked to the skin.

"C'mon, I've dry clothes in my car," she manages between laughs, hauling me up with her as we return to the parking lot at the mall, ignoring the funny looks from strangers observing two sopping wet teenagers strolling down the street.

Once changed into a pair of comfortable sweats and a hoodie from the boot of her car, I wring my wet clothes out by the side of the road, before folding them neatly. Kayla's going to kill me, I think as I fold her dripping Ed Hardy top and place it at the top of the pile.

Still laughing slightly, Spencer climbs into the driver seat of the car, turning towards me and grinning stupidly.

"Hey Spence?" I begin nervously.

"Hmm?" she hums and she rummages in her bag for her keys.

"Em, I-uh," Great, nervous and stuttering Ashley is back. I take a deep breath, mustering the confidence to blurt this out in one go.

"I'm-presenting-awards-at-an-MTV-show-and-I-got-extra-tickets-and-I-was-wondering-if-you-wanted-to-go?"

It comes out rushed, but the blonde seems to catch the gist of it as her face lights up.

"Oh my God! That so cool!" She grins, nodding vigorously.

I grin back as the car starts and we drive off.

And pull up at Starbucks a short drive later.

I sigh and roll my eyes as I spot Madison sitting with a rather angry expression on her face on one of the sofas scattered around the coffee shop.

"Remember? Confident," Spencer whispers in my ear, her breath tickling my skin and causing goosebumps to litter my skin.

I push my shoulders back, stand a little straighter and plaster a smirk across my face as I follow Spencer and enter the shop, the delicate aroma of coffee flooding my senses immediately.

"Bitches!" Madison shouts, directing her anger more at me than her best friend. She hugs the blonde and glares a little at me as we join her at the table she is occupying. "Where have you been all day?" She questions.

Spencer smirks in my direction and says something about a different kind of lesson, but I'm not really listening, her blue eyes have momentarily enraptured me.

Snapping out of it, I smirk towards Madison to emphasise her point.

"And guess where we're going?" the blonde continues excitedly.

"Where?"

"An MTV awards show with Ashley."

The smirk falls from my face. I didn't want Maddy to come. Apparently Spencer did. I'm too caught up in the horror of the thought of her ruining my night with her possessive and jealous attitude towards her blonde friend that I fail to notice the pointed look said blonde shoots at Madison.

The Latina immediately begins to bounce in her chair excitedly, jabbering about which celebrity she is most excited to meet. I'm too frustrated and admittedly a little scared to enlighten her to the fact that most of the celebs she's noted probably won't be attending.

Aiden, who must have been in the queue this whole time, returns with to steaming mugs of coffee and is the only one to look genuinely excited at the prospect of the show for me, only to be told he can't go by a gushing Madison. I sent his slightly downcast face an apologetic look which he shrugs off with a friendly smile.

I return it with a grin and we become immersed in small talk while the girls beside us chatter about dresses and heels and hair-do's. Things that I should be more worried about than them. I do like Aiden however, probably more than the two people who are the only reason I know him. He's friendly and genuine towards me, and as I laugh loudly at a particular joke he made I see Madison's angry eyes latch onto me before she pulls the boy into a passionate kiss.

I guess she's possessive over him too.

"What the fuck did you do to my Ed Hardy?"

Kayla's agitated voice sounds from my doorway. She clutches the damp and crumpled top in her hands. I'd apparently unsuccessfully tried to hide it in the wash basket, and I don't know what she was doing rifling through the mass of dirty clothing but she seems to have discovered it.

"Why were you searching through the laundry?" I retaliate, bearing in mind what Spencer had told me earlier about attitude.

Kayla's eyebrow arches, clearly not expecting the back talk.

She lets the matter drop.

"Whatcha doing?" She asks plainly, taking a step into my bedroom as I return my attention back to the books sprawled across my bed. I'm lying on my stomach on my bed, surrounded by books and sucking on a pencil as I jot notes here and there. Me and Spencer, sometimes Madison too, may skip classes when we don't feel bothered but I refuse to allow myself to fall behind in my studies.

"Homework," I reply through biting on the end of my pencil.

Kayla scoffs and grabs my ankles, pulling me across my bed and away from my books. I yelp in surprise before giggling and hurling a pillow at her.

"C'mon," she says through laughter, throwing my shoes at me. "We're going shopping."

"What for?" I sigh, glancing back to my unfinished work.

"Eh, Ashley? Hello! We're presenting an MTV award! We need to look a thousand dollars!" She annunciates the ending in an over dramatic tone, causing me to grin widely at my sister and slip my feet into my converse.

Shopping with Kayla is…dare I say it? Almost enjoyable.

I mean for a start she doesn't stamp on my glasses, which I slipped on my nose before we left because my contact lenses were starting to itch. Don't you hate that?

Still, points are deducted for the fact my hands are laden with far too many shopping bags and Kayla babbles too much about things I couldn't care less about.

Still, I manage to emerge from Victoria's Secret chuckling along with her at the new sets of 'sexy lingerie' we both bought just for the hell of it. We calm our giggles for a brief moment before catching sight of the pink bag hanging from her wrist as the absurd jokes she made regarding what is currently inside that bag and a plague of laughter consumes us once more.

"Ashley?"

I swallow my laughter, and apparently my tongue as I spin to see Spencer standing a little away from me, her eyes gazing at my sweatpants, a slightly haughty expression gracing her face.

I blush because they are actually the ones she leant me earlier. I forgot to change out of them.

"Oh, uh, hey Spence…" I stammer, all memories of our earlier 'lesson' completely forgotten as shy and nervous Ashley comes out to play. "This is my sister, Kay-"

"Nice to meet you," Spencer cuts off with a fake smile. Apparently bitchy Spencer is out to play too.

I'm momentarily distracted by the figure standing by Spencer. The identical blonde hair leaving me in no doubt that she's here with her older brother, Glen was it? The was his eyes scandalously roam over my sisters body makes my stomach twist uncomfortably and also gives me an impulsive urge to punch him in the face.

"Shopping?" I ask in a desperate attempt to divert my attention from the slightly perverted boy who I'm pretty sure is eyeing me up for good measure.

"Yeah," Spencer laughs, indicating the bags in her hand. "For the awards, you know?"

"Ditto," I mumble, holding up my own. Glens eyes linger a little too long on the Victoria's Secret bag. Spencer notices too.

"C'mon douche bag," she huffs, shoving Glen forcefully away from us and waving over her shoulder at me as she leaves.

A moment passes.

"The awards?" Kayla exclaims, "You're bringing her?"

"She's my friend," I defend the blonde. I'm not sure if that's true.

"She's a bitch."

"She is," I concede with a sigh.

"Ashley," Kayla ducks down a little to meet my gaze. "Why are you friends with her if she is so horrible to you?"

I sigh again, cringing as I think of the right way to word this.

Well Kayla, I'm shamelessly using her for her popularity, so that I might actually gain some friends at school.

"She's…cool sometimes," I manage eventually, frowning myself at how lame that sounded.

Kayla huffs in frustration, rolling her eyes as she walks back towards the parking lot. Apparently we've shopped enough for one day. Hesitantly, I follow.

"You excited for Friday night?" My new friend Chelsea places her tray on the table and takes a seat beside me. A moment later her boyfriend Clay sits on her other side. I smile and nod, glad to finally have company other than Spencer and Madison and their constant bitching.

From across the lunch hall, Aiden smiles and waves before his hand is snatched mid-wave by Madison who scowls towards me before turning her back and greeting Spencer. This whole week Madison's glares have melted down slightly to frowns and scowls whenever I'm around. I have a feeling this will only last until after the award show though. After watching the conversation between the Latina and Spencer from afar, the blonde's eyes catch mine and a small smile tugs the corners of her lips.

I return the gesture before taking another bite of my sandwich before instantly dropping it back into its packaging and spitting the morsel of food in my mouth into a napkin.

All week my appetite has been zilch.

Kayla thinks I'm starving myself so that I look skinnier than her onstage on Friday.

I honestly tell her every time that I have absolutely no intention of becoming anorexic and that not eating sucks. I pin it all down to nerves though. Every time I try to eat the knots in my stomach force it back up again.

I settle for taking a slurp of orange juice from the carton on my tray and immersing myself in chit chat with Chelsea.

She's a lovely girl.

Honest and sincere, unlike Spence and Maddy, who are two false bitches. Two bitches I rather need though, given my once inadequate state of unpopularity.

"Ash!"

Spencer beckons me over with her hand, causing a few students sitting nearby to watch me excuse myself from Chelsea and Clay and make my way over to the blonde.

"What are you doing with them?" She murmurs in my ear, her blue eyes darting over to the couple I was previously sitting with and distain coating her voice.

"They're nice," I shrug.

She claps my shoulder, a fake smile covering her face.

"No," she merely says, before turning and leaving me to trail after her like a lost puppy once again. As if I wasn't bringing her to an exclusive award show.

As if I wasn't being used as ruthlessly as I was using her.

Still with us?

Kudos to you :D

As I said, I wanted to save a whole chapter for the Awards and any relative drama...so this ended up as a little bit of a filler. I hope you ejoyed it none the less. Feedback is always appreciated and taken into consideration. And it's great to hear from all those giving this fic a wee read :')

I'll hopefully get the next chapter up as soon as I can! :D

LOVE LOVE LOVE.