Title: Damaged
Summary: Everyone is damaged, she explained, but not everyone is broken. Ashley never thought that going back to Baltimore with Kyla would bring her face-to-face with the one person who made her feel like she wasn't broken.
Disclaimer: I don't own SoN. What I do own is a computer and the amazing ability to not do what I am supposed to with my time.
This feels rushed to me. I'm sorry if it feels that way to you as well.
With the mood effectively ruined it didn't take long for Spencer to indicate it was time to be going. They stopped by the counter once more to say bye to David and Michelle and to grab a coffee for Kyla, and Aiden after Ashley admitted that it probably would be the nice thing to do.
The atmosphere in the car was no better despite the music and Ashley, who was known to have quite the silver tongue back home, suddenly fond herself grasping at straws on how to make it fun again. It wasn't even for herself this time, not entirely anyways. She just wanted Spencer to be okay again, wanted her to be happy and light and she wanted to see her smile, but all she could think of was bits of some stupid pick up line a guy had tried on her months ago. What had it been? Something about being a dentist and a great smile?
It took an insistent honk from the car behind them for Ashley to realize they were stopped at a green light as Spencer was too busy watching the brunette with intense amusement mixed with confusion shining in her eyes, "Are you- are you whispering pick-up lines to yourself?"
"What?" And to her horror, Ashley realized that she had been whispering and it had been just audible enough. Caught in the act she could only resort to her father's attorney's fist line of defense 'deny, deny, deny'. "Um, no."
Smooth, Davies, really smooth.
The blonde's eyes were back on the road as she eased her way along but the smirk remained, "Um, I think you were."
"I think not," she responded petulantly, face heating up as she looked away resolutely.
"I think so," Spencer mocked back.
For a moment there, Ashley felt herself getting seriously upset. She did not like to be mocked, least of all by people she didn't really know and she opened her mouth to let the other girl know how much she did not like it when she caught her eyes. Behind the amusement was the light that the musician had been shooting for and when she caught sight of the look on Ashley's face Spencer's eyes flashed uncertainty, but through every layer there was only kindness, not malice.
Spencer wasn't making fun, she was having fun. Just bantering with Ashley.
The anger deflated leaving her feeling a little light-headed as she realized she didn't mind being the butt of a joke, so long as Spencer was the one laughing. Light-headed, indeed.
"I think hearing voices is the first sign that you're going crazy," she replied instead, then stuck out her tongue to take the sting out of her words and posture.
The blonde waved her hand in a tilting motion, "It's like the third or fourth, but really, who keeps track?"
Ashley chuckled which earned her a smile from Spencer that lit up for eyes even as they were pointed straight forward. And just like that the lines were open and Ashley began to feel comfortable again.
!
Spencer kept her car parked in the driveway and locked the car door with the key as she continued the conversation that she was having with Ashley. They had gone into a discussion about pick-up lines which had led to stories about clubs and hangouts which had Ashley complaining about all the effort that a girl had to go through to look good causing Spencer to scoff and Ashley to ask for an explanation.
All this lead to the blonde shrugging as spun her keys around her finger and stated in a matter of fact tone, "I'm just saying that I can't imagine that it takes much effort for you to look good. Face it, Ash, you're just naturally beautiful," she paused at the look on Ashley's face and wagged a finger in her directions, "And don't act like you don't hear it a hundred times a day."
But it was like someone had hit pause for Ashley. Beautiful? Sure, she had heard all sorts of compliments. Hot and sexy and the like and they had all felt good to hear, but she had not know the way beautiful would feel when spoken with such open frankness.
All the sudden it was too much, too soon and much too fast. She panicked and immediately reverted back to a comfortable position she'd been sharing with the blonde for past day and a half. She made it a joke. "Oh my God!" she reached to lightly push Spencer's shoulder in a teasing manner when she passed the blonde in the doorway, "You're such a player!"
The athlete's confused look didn't last long, you weren't Kyla Woods best friend for twelve years and Juliet Callister's girlfriend without being able to realize when someone was trying to hide something behind a fake smile.
"Please," she rolled her eyes and played along, "You expect me to keep this pure awesomeness to myself? That would just be selfish, Ashley."
Ashley's resulting laughter echoed down the hall as they approached the kitchen where Eileen was standing at the stove, Aiden was seated at the kitchen table with his head resting against folded arms and Kyla was pacing in the open space. Immediately Kyla's eyes snapped up, "Where have you been? Mom has been worried sick."
Eileen waved a hand without turning from the what was on the stove, "I wasn't worried."
Kyla leveled a flat look at her mother's back while Spencer glanced at Ashley, but the other girl was also confused by the smaller brunette's ire so she shrugged. The blonde handed her best friend the cup in her hand as an explanation rather than verbally respond.
Kyla looked down at it like she didn't recognize what it was for a second. At the table Aiden also watched the logoed cup with a longing look which made the way his face lit up like a five year old at Christmas time when Ashley set his own cup in front of him that much better. "You remembered me!" he all but squeaked before taking a long pull from the lid.
"Not likely," Ashley rolled her eyes to hide her fond look and shrugged one shoulder before throwing a wink over her shoulder at Spencer, "You have Spinner over there to thank for that."
The blonde responded by pinching her face and sticking out her tongue, which earned a similar look from the brunette before they both started laughing. Kyla felt the corners of her lips turn down as a confused furrow appeared between her eyebrows.
"Spence," she started out hesitantly, drawing the attention of the other two teenage girls, "you think you could help me figure out what I'm going to wear for the game?"
Spencer tilted her head to one side and had that silent conversation thing with her best friend that had Ashley wondering if the girl was actually telepathic and no one had bothered to mention it to her. After a beat, the blonde offered a hint of a smile, "Sure thing, baby girl."
The wondered out of the kitchen together as Eileen called out, "Breakfast in twenty!"
!
Kyla entered her room first, making a beeline for her closet while Spencer opted to lean against the now closed door, shoulders hunched and hands in her pockets.
"I was think about school colors, but-"
"Kyla," Spencer sighed.
"- I don't think I kept anything with the school's actual logo one it, maybe-"
"Kyla," she stated in a firmer voice that stopped the fashionista mid-sentence. She rolled her shoulders and looked off to one side, "just say it."
Her best friend, the one person in the world who knew her inside and out, finally stilled by the closet and turned slowly until they were facing one another. "Spencer, it's not," she winced when blue eyes found her own brown ones, "This thing, whatever it is or whatever it might become, with Ashley," she stood up straighter to show she was being serious, "I need you to put a stop to it now."
Dun dun dunn
Oh noes! But good things coming soon (ish).
On another note, much love to everyone who reviews. Seriously it makes me feel tons better to know people actually like this. I'd do shout outs but I just know I'd forget someone and then feel absolutely terrible about it so to save myself the heartache I'll just offer one big THANK YOU! And if there is something specific you want address PM me and I'll see what I can do. M'kay?