Chapter 13-"Starstruck" Santogold

Spencer walked in to the massive hall with an apprehensive Ashley right behind her. Apprehensive only because she couldn't stand to watch all of the guys drooling and pouncing all over her sweet, although scantily clad, Spencer. Even the cab driver had been making eyes at HER blonde the whole way up there. Ashley figured it would only be a matter of minutes before Spencer took her advice and ran off with someone just as amazing as her, someone that wasn't Ashley.

"Oh my god! Finally! … Jesus Christ Spencer! You look fucking HOT!" So apparently Kyla found the bar early.

"Hey Kyla. Thanks. You look great yourself." Spencer blushed as Kyla greeted them with a kiss on the cheek. Ashley rolled her eyes, if Kyla noticed, then the 'more attractive than Patrick' boys were merely moments away from flooding Spencer with attention. The odds were really working againts her.

"No seriously. Wow" Motor-mouth Kyla was finally lacking words. Ashley on the other hand had a few choice words for her half-sister. What the hell was Kyla thinking, making all that fuss? It was only going to make the guys come faster. No seriously they had like a sixth sense for these kinds of things (i.e. hot girls). She would know, she was one of a few breast-bearing members blessed with this gift as well as cursed by it's burden. Sometimes she'd even set off her OWN internal alarm. Spencer was right. She WAS like a guy.

"Hola muchachas! Damn girl you look hot…." Madison rushed towards the girls apparently she found the bar too. She stopped in front of Spencer and made her turn so she could inspect her outfit. It was definitely Madison approved.

"Thanks." Spencer was not used to this much attention, especially not when she was around her sultry other half. Ashley's hoochie wear was usually the one getting all the interested glances.

"No seriously mija, you look good." Madison reassured.

"Yes, Yes she's hot! Aiden noticed! The cab driver noticed! Hell even the 80 year-old elevator attendant noticed! Let's move on!" Ashley festered inside her brain, hardly able to contain herself from actually blurting out her frustration. Why were people just beginning to notice what she knew 5 years before? Sure she was revealing a little more skin but Spencer had always been hot, and beautiful and amazing and all of the above. Why was the world suddenly waking up to Spencer's hotness? Especially now, that she was that much closer to getting the girl all to herself.

All three white clad gals and a red dress wearing Madison (it was her party she cheated on purpose) walked further into the already grooving hall. The place was packed with people dancing and grinding to some funky Latin beats. It was quite the happening shindig. The place was huge too, it was decorated with beautiful white orchids and glowing centerpieces on the few tables set out for mingling. The ceiling hung an enormous crystal chandelier and white streamers from it. White balloons were hopping around the dance floor along with white sweaty heated bodies. The bar was raging with colorless characters trying to get their drinks before the next chart topper blasted through the speakers. The DJ was some famous guy that Ashley introduced to Madison. They were after all, still good friends.

"So Ashley… Kyla told me about your recent adventures into 'lesboland'…" Ok so maybe she was more Kyla's friend than Ashley's.

"She did, did she?" Ashley managed through her clenched jaw. She was just about to turn around and bitch slap Kyla into recollecting the rules of the 'pinky swear' promise when Madison interrupted.

"I think it's great… in fact, I want you to meet my cousin… I think you'll like her…" Well at least Kyla didn't mention Spencer. Wait cousin?

"Great…" Ashley was never one for being ambushed, much less to meet one of Madison's crazy cousins. She'd met several of them and so far they were all insane. Plus she had to keep an eye on Spencer (for Patrick of course), she couldn't be distracted.

Madison walked the girls over to a table just to the left of the bar near the dance floor. There on the table sat a very attractive Latina wearing a low cut white dress seemingly uninterested. Madison walked right up to her with Spencer and Ashley on her left and Kyla closely behind. Insane was looking pretty good Ashley mused to herself.

"Lily, this is Spencer and…"-pushing Ashley forward- "Ashley"

"Oh my word, I'm such a big fan!" The sitting Latina surprisingly exclaimed. Yup. Crazy.

"Oh thanks that's sweet" Ashley looked over to Spencer and mouthed a barely audible "I have a fan"

"Oh Sam's here! … I'll be right back" and with that an inebriated Madison was off with an equally lubed Kyla trailing behind. Leaving the three girls to bond.

"Cool." Feeling uncomfortable in the newly formed love triangle Spencer looked for a desperate exit. "Ok well I'm…going to get a drink" She pointed over to the bar behind her. "You guys want anything?" Lily lifted up a fresh drink but thanked her anyway. Ashley looked discontent assuming Spencer wanted to go make a love connection with one of the MANY guys already drooling, leaving her helpless to bear the Duarte crazy branch all by her lonesome.

"Uhm, you want me to come with you?"

"I think I can handle it… stay here with your FAN, I know how much you've always wanted one" Spencer winked. Ahh! Ashley's brain was on over load. Hoping for once Spencer would just stop winking at her and walking away, especially in that dress! Oh that dress that made her brain melt and her heart stop beating. Ok so maybe she couldn't REALLY be mad at anyone for noticing Spencer tonight. That dress was really something else. "I'm not sure if they have mango Mojitos here… so Jack and Ginger?"

"Spence. Look around you… We're at a white party with a bunch of hot sweaty sexy Latinos, of course they have Mojitos here. I'm pretty sure they're filming a Mojito commercial as we speak."

"Ok Mojito it is."

"Well no. I don't drink those anymore"

"Ash!" Frustrated by the pointless rant keeping her from a much, much needed drink.

"Yeah, Jack and Ginger… and don't get lost." Resigning at her failed attempt to keep her by her side just a tad bit longer.

"Whatever."

Ashley stood there a moment watching as Spencer disappeared right into the jaws of the sweaty masses. Engulfed by hot clammy bodies rhythmically bouncing as one. She sighed knowing it'd be a while before her own personally angel returned with a life saving drink. She turned defeated and walked back towards the table where a wide, eyed Lily sat waiting.

"So? How's everything?" Lily asked quite giddy. Ashley enjoying the attention, because come on it's ASHLEY (she doesn't wear those gap kids shorts and those revealing shirts because they're comfortable), took a seat next to her.

"Well actually I'm almost done writing this song… It's a little bit angsty… but I don't know, I love it… I'm hoping Kelly Clarkson might like it… It would totally blow Spencer's mind… so… yeah" Wow impressive how Ashley managed to sneak Spencer's name into that topic. Then again when Spencer's all you can think about it's not that hard and also much less impressive.

"Cool you write music?" Lily was genuinely impressed, even WITH the mention of Spencer's name. She was new she didn't know any better.

"Uhm yeah… I'm sorry I thought you said you were a fan?"

"Oh for shiz! Go Spashley!"

"Oh I'm sorry… No my name is AAAhhh-shley… I think you have me confused with this Spashley fella… Which is like the third time this week… I keep forgetting to ask Spencer to Google that for me…"

"Ha! Good one. That's funny." And the crazy started creeping its kooky head out.

"I don't know what you mean…How many of those have you had?" Ashley pointed to what looked like a Mojito in Lily's hand.

"Yeah right, like Ben and Jen don't know what Bennifer is?" Lily said mockingly.

"Seriously, what's in that drink?" This might be the craziest or drunkest Duarte she's met so far. And she already met Mama Duarte who was a pimp in her former life and a total lush at her 76 years of age.

"For real you don't know what Spashley is?"

"I told you I don't know… Spencer doesn't let me Google…so…"

"Wait Spencer doesn't let you Google?"

"Well yeah… I think she's being a little too over protective though. I mean it was one bad review… and come on I can take it! I'm tough... I'm a Davies… Plus how else am I supposed to grow creatively and learn NOT to write songs about my dead goldfish Butters… Whatever I think it's cute though." Wait who's the crazy one?

"For real? No joke?" Ashley gave Lily a blank stare. Lily took that as her cue and she went off into an animated explanation of what Spashley was, hand gestures and everything.

Spencer watching the interaction from the bar noticed Ashley beaming over whatever Lily was so excitedly revealing to her. Spencer had no idea what these girls were talking about, but she knew she didn't like it. She knew that this girl was now another 'very attractive' obstacle in her long course to get to Ashley. This made Spencer feel that familiar tingle in her belly, and not the cute 'she just gave me a friendship bracelet' feeling. Nope this was the 'Ugh why is that pretty girl talking to MY girl, making her laugh like only she should laugh for ME!' acid burn in her stomach. Some people might call that jealousy. Yes, the JEALOUS burn that can only be quenched with a nicely loaded alcoholic beverage (because as previous events have proven that's always a great idea.) Make that two nicely loaded alcoholic beverages. Both of the drinks Spencer was holding in her quivering hands were now empty.

"Are you serious?!" Ashley looked incredulously at Lily's over zealous grin.

"Oh my word! I can't believe you didn't even know!" Now she was flashing Ashley all of her pearly whites.

"I have to see it!"

"Do you have a computer?"

"…well no…"

"Oh wait… I have it book marked on my iPhone…"

"Wow… You ARE a fan!"

"You know it!" Lily pulled out her iPhone and tapped on the screen until it took her to her desired destination; a picture of a bathing suit clad Spencer straddling over an equally dressed Ashley laying on a beach somewhere. Spencer was hovering over Ashley holding her arms down, looking intently into her eyes, mere inches from each other's faces.

"Oh my god!" Ashley gasped incredulously. Remembering that day on that white sandy beach in Cabo. Remembering how happy and innocent everything was back then. Or so it seemed.

"So?"

"Wow! That's hot…. I mean I see why you'd think… but no… I'm sorry, Spencer is…"-cringe-"straight… sadly we're not a couple" she hesitated sorrowfully.

"Come on… Then how do you explain that picture?"

"We were goofing around. She wanted to play two Pussycat Dolls songs in a row so we were fighting over the iPod"

"Yeah, me and my straight friends play that game all the time…"

"Whatever… How did they get that picture? I mean I've never seen it before"

"Welcome to the digital age there, non-Google-er… Now back to the pictures… what about this one?" Lily was a fan and she needed answers. Anyone could see that it was more than just a friendly straddle on that beach, but she pressed forward looking for more evidence to present. She tapped lightly against her screen a couple of times before she showed Ashley another picture.

This picture was different from the one before. This picture, a medium close up of Ashley leaning into Spencer as if to confess a secret, was definitely worth a thousand words. The lust in which Ashley was looking towards Spencer was one of those words, but the way Spencer was looking at Ashley as if catching her breath at the proximity of the brunette spelled out more words than Ashley could've imagined. And Ashley could see it. She could read it in those eyes, those eyes that would be the death of her. Those eyes that she'd spent many nights dreaming about. Those eyes that she'd learned to read after 5 years in an airtight bond with the blue-eyed princess. Those eyes that had never looked at anyone else that way; she could see the want, the frustration, the desire, the excitement, the innocence, but most importantly she could see the love in those eyes.

"ohmygod" Ashley breathed as the realization hit her.

"I told you!" Lily was proud.

"No I mean this is a great picture but… Spencer… is really … uhm Straight…" Not even Ashley believed that anymore. Not after seeing that picture. Not after hearing her voice go up 5 pitches too high.

"Oh yeah, then why does she look like she wants to stab me in the eye?"

"What? …Oooh" Ashley noticed the intoxicated fiery gaze coming from the bar, which made her REALLY excited. "She's jealous?" Ashley's eyes eagerly widened. The pieces of the puzzle finally coming together. She was jealous. Even in that dress. Even though she was finally getting all the attention Ashley knew she'd always deserved. She was jealous. The way Ashley was jealous. The way she had been that night at the Abbey. Everything at long last making sense. The reason she'd gotten so upset, not because Ashley had been keeping secrets from her, but because she was utterly 100% painfully jealous. "Oh my GOD she's jealous!" Ashley chirped in uncontainable excitement. Her head swimming with the realization of the things that made it real. The looks, the lingering hugs, the shy smiles and the now undeniable sexual tension evident even in those pictures. They weren't just a product of Ashley's hopeful mind. They were real. This was real. It finally made so much sense. "Oh my fucking GOD!...We are so gay for each other!!!" She whispered giddily into Lily's face.

"He! he! This is so exciting!"-Lily let out her own tipsy giggle.-"…I can't wait to write about this… you should check out my stories…"

"Sur… wait who's that?"

"Oh no! What is Madison doing?... Wow she is on a mission to hook everyone up tonight!"

"Who is that … 'beefy' guy? …And why is he all over MY Spencer?!"

"That's Sam... My arch-nemesis"

"Fuck." Once again, although uncharacteristic for the over confident brunette; Ashley panicked. A lot.


Next time on The Sweetest Thing: The battle of the vain and beautiful