A/N: I'm a little worried that the characterization might be off in this chapter, if it seems a little unconvincing keep in mind that, given the setting, Spencer and Ashley (mostly Spencer) can't help but think and act differently.

--

Ashley woke to a jarring headache, something akin to a jackhammer at both her temples. She kept her eyes shut and waited for the nausea to dissipate. Fucking hangovers. She couldn't remember how much she'd had to drink or why she was waking up in a bed that clearly wasn't hers. What was worse, she wasn't alone. There was someone decidedly male snoring loudly next to her. She didn't look over, only pulled herself off the bed and into a dirty bathroom. It took her a couple minutes, but bits of the night before pieced themselves together (Aiden's party, Kyla's weed, Spencer) and Ashley was able to remember enough. It might have been that or whatever she was on last night, but for whatever reason, Ashley threw up.

--

"I think I wanna get a tattoo," Aiden was saying. Kyla laughed and Ashley snorted. Aiden never failed to say exactly what was on his mind, however small it was. But school hallways weren't exactly a place for revelations like this one. Traditionally.

"Man," Ashley said, "you're way too big a pussy to get a tattoo."

"No, I'm serious." He pulled down the neck of his Stones t-shirt to expose his collarbone. "Like, right here―"

And then there was a collision. Aiden ran into Madison and she pushed Spencer into Ashley and all four fell into the lockers and Kyla just laughed.

"One side, moron!" Madison barked.

"Sorry, man. Sorry."

Ashley quickly warned Aiden not to apologize to her.

"He should apologize, he ran into her!" Spencer scowled. Ashley had knocked her off balance and Spencer's shoulder had taken the brunt of the impact when she hit the locker.

"No one asked you, Spencer," Ashley bit back, her voice filled with venom she didn't feel. She thought she saw something in Spencer's eyes. It was there and then it was gone, like a light switched on then off.

"Guys, " Kyla started. "Let's just go to class."

The trio turned to walk away and then Ashley heard Spencer's voice again. It was just loud enough for the four of them to hear, the thing that Spencer hissed. "Dyke!" Madison started laughing and Ashley turned on her heel. Kyla tried to grab her arm, but Ashley pulled free, stepped right up to Spencer, inches from her face.

"What did you call me?" Ashley's fingers were itching again, this time balling into fists.

Spencer didn't flinch, only narrowed her eyes, lowered her voice. "Dyke."

Madison laughed again, harder. Until Ashley's open palm connected with Spencer's cheek. Hard. Spencer struck her back and it escalated to the point that Aiden and two other teachers had to pull the girls apart. They wound up in the principal's office, Ashley with a bandaged welt and Spencer with ice over a swelling lip. Dr. Monroe was in the file room getting their permanent records, which he was, no doubt, prepared to scrawl across with a big red pen. Now the silence in the room has grown a body, its fingers have wrapped themselves around Spencer's and Ashley's throats and they cannot talk.

Finally, finally, Ashley finds her voice. She looks over at Spencer through a blackened eye, notices the cheerleading uniform for the first time today. "Nice sweater."

A half-hearted "Shut up" is all Spencer can muster.

Ashley tries again, feels like someone needs to break the silence before her head bursts with it. "You hit like a girl."

"So do you."

"And yet I'm not the one with an ice pack on my face."

"God, Ashley, shut up."

Ashley quiets, feels those fingers wrapping around her neck again, angry and cold. She feels no need to try and pry them loose again. She is like a child kicked out of class, embarassed and free.

"I can't believe you actually hit me," Spencer says quietly.

"You started it."

"No, I didn't."

Ashley dropped her head, leaned forward in her chair, resting her elbows on her knees. She felt exhaustion creeping in where the silence used to be. It's not like Ashley ran into Spencer on purpose (Spencer was the one who bumped into Ashley!). She didn't have to call Ashley what she did. Spencer was such a hypocrite.

"Does it ever get lonely up there on your pedestal, Spencer?"

"What?"

"You are such a fucking hypocrite!"

Spencer shook her head, looked out the window. "Don't swear at me, Ashley."

"If I'm a dyke, what do you think that makes you?"

This was so typical. The story of Ashley's life. Sixteen years as a perpetual screw-up, everything going wrong. It was bad enough that Ashley had to deal with her parent's dysfunctional relationship, Ashley didn't need one of her own. Ashley wasn't stupid, she just had an awesome capacity for doing stupid things. Like Spencer. God, I can't even fall in love right.

"I don't know," Spencer mumbled.

"What?"

Spencer sighed, rolled her eyes, raised her voice, but didn't look away from the window.

"I don't know what that makes me."

--

Ashley was at The Dive, this hole-in-the-wall record store just outside Columbus, flipping through some old 45s. She was looking for some Zeppelin when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Surprise, surprise, it was Spencer. Ashley couldn't fathom how she could've possibly found her here.

"Kyla said you might be here," Spencer says, reading Ashley's mind.

"Kyla talks too much." Ashley casts a quick glance Spencer's way, sees the same school colors and pleated skirt. "Big game tonight?"

"Dunno, kinda bailed."

"To come here?"

"To find you."

Ashley wants to remind Spencer that they promised Dr. Monroe they'd stay away from each other, keep their noses clean, but who is she kidding? Ashley never turns down an opportunity to stick it to The Man (fuck the establishment and all that).

"Why are you always doing that? Finding me?"

Spencer shrugged, "I don't know."

"You could fill a book with what you don't know," Ashley said. She dropped the album and walked away. As soon as her feet hit the sidewalk, Spencer was following.

"Ashley, please, just talk to me."

"Okay, but just as long as no one can see us, right? I mean, then you'd have to think of some more names to call me, maybe some insults for my mother..."

"Stop it."

"Stop what? It's true!"

"Ashley, I'm trying here," Spencer said. She looked so hopelessly sad, eyes shiny with unshed tears. Ashley felt her resolve wavering, had to build it up again.

"Trying to what, Spencer? Date me, do me? What?"

"I don't--"

"If you say you don't know one more time, I swear to God I might have to slap you again."

Spencer leaned back against the brick wall of some dirty building. The girls were alone on the street when Spencer dropped to the ground, drawing up her legs and hugging her knees. The tears were falling now and Ashley kneeled in front of Spencer, the last of her resolve gone. Spencer crying was... something. It made Ashley feel sick and like her skin didn't fit all of a sudden and like she'd do anything to make Spencer stop. So Ashley did the only thing she could think of, she put her arms around Spencer and held her in the middle of the sidewalk outside some seedy record store. It was awkward. Then less awkward, until it started to feel not awkward at all.

"Shh, baby," Ashley cooed. "It's alright. No more tears."

Spencer was crying apologies into Ashley's hair and Ashley wasn't sure if Spencer was sorry for crying or sorry for everything else. Eventually, Spencer stopped and quieted. But Ashley didn't let go. Spencer pulled back a little and looked Ashley in the face. Her wet eyes reflected everything and Ashley could see everything in the blue. Ashley had no idea what to do now, where they go from here.

Spencer is still looking at her, her eyes contrite and begging. "I'm sorry I called you a dyke."

"Sorry I mangled your face," Ashley said. Spencer laughed (because really, Ashley's heart hadn't been in the fight, despite Spencer's split lip. Ashley would never admit it out loud, but Spencer had totally kicked her ass).

Spencer sighed and dipped her head into the crook of Ashley's neck, her lips tickling the skin there as she spoke. "No one can know."

"Know what?"

"That I love you, too."