"All right class, I guess that's all for today," Spencer says as she walks over to her desk and leans up against it. "Chelsea a word please."
Chelsea nods and waits for the rest of the class to file out, "What's up?"
"I was just wondering if you could tell me where Miss Davies was today."
"Since when do you care?" Chelsea asks, jumping into best friend mode.
Spencer raises her brow, in somewhat shock, "Excuse me?"
"Well I just find it odd that you can disappear for a weekend not caring how it's going to affect her, and then you get back here and suddenly care again."
Not sure how to respond to Chelsea's attitude change, Spencer sighs and looks at the floor, "I do care."
"You know, she told me everything this weekend. I had her outside my door puking her guts out on Saturday morning because of you." Chelsea crosses her arms and fixes a hard stare on Spencer.
"Everything?" Spencer asks, looking up from the floor at Chelsea, somewhat thrown off now.
"Yes everything." Chelsea stands, "You know Miss C, she cares a lot about you. The fact that she told you everything proves that. Especially considering a total of four people know all of that about her and that's including you. So you listen up. If you're going to be like everyone else and those other teachers you stay the hell away from her. Because I swear Miss C, if you keep this up and hurt her even more, I will ruin your life."
Spencer's eyebrows rise even further, "Excuse me? Did you just threaten me?"
Chelsea nods and shrugs at the same time, "I don't see it so much as a threat, but more as a promise I'll keep if I have to. She doesn't deserve to be hurt anymore, not after what she's already been through. I'll tell you where she is, but if she comes to me crying a week from now because once again you've gone back on your decision or whatever, I'll keep my promise."
Spencer just nods, slightly afraid to say anything for fear of what the girl might do.
"Last I saw her she's doing what she does best."
Spencer smirks, "So torturing Aiden?"
Chelsea laughs as she makes her way out of the classroom, "So true. But no, she's in the lab. Have a nice day Miss C."
Spencer watches the girl leave the class, and shakes her head. Lost in thought, she gathers her things and leaves the classroom, not noticing a certain student lingering outside of it. Quickly, she drops her things off at her office and heads towards the music lab.
As she approaches the lab she hears a familiar voice singing one of her favorite songs, Don't Ever, by Missy Higgins. In hopes that Ashley won't hear her, she pauses in the doorway and just listens to her and the piano; just taking Ashley in.
"Let's take the
train to anywhere
I wanna feel the wind in my hair with you.
Let's tell them all, that soon they'll know
How very wrong
they were to think we'd never go,
And if you tell me yours
I'll tell you mine
And we will clean the cobwebs out of one
another's minds.
Don't ever say you've tried to leave me in
this life
Don't ever say you've tried for the last time."
Instead of continuing, Ashley stops and lets her hands fall from the piano. "You're back," she states quietly, not even bothering to turn around.
Spencer nods, as if she can see her, "I told you I would be."
Ashley nods at this statement, but doesn't say anything else.
Not sure what to say, Spencer starts to take a step towards Ashley but freezes and takes that step back. "I love the song you were just playing. It's scary how much of the same music we like."
Not saying anything once again, the girl just shrugs, keeping her eyes focused on the piano in front of her.
Spencer crosses her arms and leans against the doorframe, deciding to just keep talking. "I uh, had an interesting day today, minus one student's lack of attendance. Your friend Chelsea can be pretty scary when she wants to be. And that's saying something, because I've met some pretty scary people in my lifetime."
No reaction.
"She basically threatened to ruin my life if I mess things up with you or hurt you again. I get that she was just being protective and your best friend, but what she doesn't realize is that I didn't mean to hurt you, I just needed to figure some things out."
"And did you?"
"Yeah, I think I did."
Ashley nods once again, "Good." And before Spencer can say anything else, she begins to play again, making it clear that she's done with this conversation.
Not letting the cold shoulder she's receiving get to her, Spencer walks over to Ashley and kisses her on top of her head, causing the younger girl to pause and her body to stiffen. "I missed you Ash," she whispers, and then she is gone, heading out of the lab and down the hall.
When the footsteps finally completely fade away, Ashley breaks down. The tears that were threatening to fall the minute she heard Spencer at the door, the tears that Spencer keeps on continuing to cause.
It's the muffled crying that causes the girl to come out of her hiding spot and peer into the lab. Seeing Ashley cry, causes the girl's heart to break, like always. Frustrated that she can't go comfort the girl without giving it away that she was clearly listening in on her and Spencer's conversation, she waits until the last tear is shed and Ashley starts playing again before turning around to leave.
--
For the next week, Ashley continued to give Spencer the cold shoulder even though it was killing her. Chelsea could see it was taking a toll on the girl, who looked like she hadn't slept at all, with bags under her eyes and walking around like a zombie.
She wanted to be mad at Spencer for being the cause of this, but it was evident Spencer was suffering just as much from her best friend's current cold streak. She was on edge with all her students, and had been assigning extra homework all week.
It was after another long week of this that caused everything to get worse; for Spencer to have enough.
"Ok class, I know I've been kind of killing you guys with homework these last two weeks so enjoy your weekend. We'll start Angel & Demons on Monday. Now get out of my sight before I change my mind." Spencer says as she walks around the classroom.
The class laughs at this and begins shuffle out of the room. Ashley goes to do the same, but feels a warm hand on her shoulder when she's barely an inch off her seat, "I'd like a word," a quiet voice says to her. She tries to shrug the hand off, but it remains firmly where it is and forces her to sit down all the way.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, she stays seated and refuses to look at Spencer as the last of the students file out; not missing the worried glance Chelsea casts towards both of them.
Ashley rolls her eyes as Spencer shuts the classroom door and sits up on top of her desk. "So do me a favor for oh I don't know, 10 minutes, and put your fangs away."
Rolling her eyes, Ashley sits up straighter in her desk, "Why should I do you any favors?"
Spencer looks to the floor at the harshness of Ashley's voice, "I don't know, maybe just because you want to," she replies weakly.
"Well I don't want to." She picks up her bag and stands.
Pissed off now, Spencer hops off the desk too. "Go ahead and leave, it was pointless even trying."
"I will, and then you can know how it feels."
"Jesus Ashley! I'm sorry ok?! I had to leave. I had to figure everything out. Don't you get it?" Spencer walks in front of Ashley to block her from leaving; teeth and fists clenched as she tries to regain her composure. "I'm a teacher. This is my life. This is all I have going for me right now. I can't just screw this up for anyone. And when you weren't opening up to me about anything I freaked out and wasn't sure if it was worth it for me. I needed to get away from you and here to figure out if this," she gestures between the two of them, "whatever this is was worth it." Her hands are back at her sides as she continues on, "And then I get back here and you won't even talk to me; won't even let me tell you that I missed you terribly all weekend and realized I messed up. Realized that I want this," she rests her hand on Ashley's chest, over her heart, "I want you; all of you."
It's this gesture that finally gets Ashley to look Spencer in the eyes, which are currently fighting their own battle against tears threatening to fall.
"I wouldn't have left had I known you'd shut me out completely, Ash." Spencer drops her hand and looks at the ground taking a deep breath before looking back up. "These past two weeks have been terrible. But you know what; if you're going to keep punishing me I'm done. I'm done crying over you practically every night, done trying to think of reasons to keep you after class or trying to bump into you after class. I'm just done. I may have messed up, but even I don't deserve to be treated like this. I've already been treated like I'm the most disgusting thing in the world once, and I'm done feeling like that. So, maybe I was wrong. Maybe, I don't want this. Maybe you aren't who I thought you were because someone who truly cares about me wouldn't let me suffer for this long."
She looks into Ashley's eyes, and finally lets the tears fall as she sees the stone cold face staring back at her. She shakes her head and wipes her face, "You just don't get it." Turning around, she grabs her things, and leaves Ashley standing there in the classroom.
--
"Ashley…" Chelsea lets out a sigh, "have you been drinking again?"
Ashley giggles at this and looks over at Al, "I told you she was the smart one." She turns back to Chelsea with an innocent smile, "I don't know where you got that idea from."
Rolling her eyes, Chelsea points to all the empty beer bottles on her floor. "Gee, I wonder." She begins to pick up the bottles and throw them in the garbage, "And since when did you start drinking beer?"
Stumbling over to Chelsea, she drapes an arm around her and holds up a bottle, "Chelsea this isn't just any beer. It's Land shark. Expensive yes, but Al and I agree that after Friday I deserve the best."
"What happened on Friday?"
"Oh you know, Spencer basically told me I wasn't worth it and blah, blah, blah. And basically I told her she was a bitch."
"You called her a bitch?"
"No, but it would have been awesome if I did."
Once again she rolls her eyes, "Is that all Spencer said?"
Ashley falls into a fit of giggles as she lies down on her bed, "No, she said she wanted my heart or all of me or something like that."
Chelsea lets out a sigh, "Ashley, what did you say?"
"I didn't say anything, Al and I agreed it was for the best."
"Oh yeah?" Chelsea tries to hold in her laugh, "And what else did you and Al agree on?"
She's somehow standing again, slightly leaned backwards with her beer bottle sticking out in front of her, as if trying to balance herself. "That she had no right to give up on me and that she had plenty of opportunity to tell me these past two weeks you know? I would have totally listened had she tried harder. I mean I'm a very approachable person. Says I just don't get it! Please! I'm a very understanding person!"
"Right…"
"You know what? I should tell her this." Ashley says as she heads for her door.
"You know, maybe you should wait until you're a little more sober… and don't have a beer bottle in your hand for everyone to see."
Once again Ashley is giggling, "See Al? She's a thinker." Dropping the full beer on the floor, Ashley leaves her room, while Chelsea scrambles to pick up the beer to prevent it from spilling anymore.
Bursting into Spencer's office, well more like stumbling into an open doorway, she finds Spencer staring at one of her bookshelves deep in thought. "You had no right!" Ashley slams the door behind her and locks it turning back to a very confused and startled looking Spencer.
"No right to…" But before she can get anymore out she is being pushed up against a wall and being kissed hard with hands touching her everywhere.