Chapter 14- "Algo Esta Cambiando" Julieta Venegas
"Fuck…. Wait your arch nemesis? Isn't he like your cousin?"
"Well yeah that too…I guess he's not my nemesis per say… he's more like a rival, that's also my cousin"
"Yeah?! …" Ashley exclaimed exasperated, not caring which of the Duarte's was a mortal enemy or just a friendly adversary that was also a cousin "..So what is HE doing with SPENCER!? Madison can't set them up! She has a boyfriend…"
"But I thought we just had a breakthrough? … You just said…"
"Forget what I just said! Everyone knows she has a boyfriend! …Does nobody care that she has a boyfriend!?" Ashley was beside herself, panicking from a distance.
"Yeah no, I don't think so…I mean two seconds ago YOU didn't care…"
"Well I care now!" At this rate of madness, Ashley might have to change her last name to Duarte.
"Hey take a chill pill. You're going to give yourself a heart attack… anyway now that Sam has his eyes on' YOUR' Spencer I don't think he's going to give up the chase… especially if she puts up a fight… plus Spencer is easily a Ten pointer" Lily added factually.
"A what?"
"Oh right… you see my primo over there thinks he's all bad because he's a swimmer, a fire fighter and a model… anyway he thinks he can get any girl he wants and usually he does… except for when I come around…" Lily's thick brows danced above her smug face "So we have this little competition when we meet up at parties. We scout the hottest girls and then we rank them from One to Ten. Then we make our move. If we get a kiss that's a third of the points, if we… what do you white people call it? … Oh yeah get to 'third base' that's two thirds of the points and if we… you know…"-she giggled-"we get all of the points… Of course going all the way with a ten is harder so we always go for it… it's funner." Lily was very self-assured for someone who played a sex game but giggled at the word sex.
"That's retarded!!!…Plus I would so kick your ass…" Ashley's trusty smug self peeked out for a second, lured out by the intrigue of the asinine game. It was immediately crushed by Ashley's newborn panicked persona though.
"Ha! You wish! I would've already collected my Spencer points…" Lily guaranteed.
Ashley's new anxious spirit had no words for Lily. No comeback. Nothing. Not even a patented Davies' eye roll. Something her usually confident self wouldn't have had to even think about. Witty remarks were just second nature to her like blinking and flirting. Now with the prospect of the blonde sharing similar feelings looming over her brain though, she was malfunctioning. Not able to charm her way out of a paper bag as usual. She was too busy dreading the potential the Ricky Martin look-alike had of mesmerizing his way into Spencer's confused heart. Sweeping her away before Ashley ever had the chance to pick up a broom. Worried that Lily was right and she probably already lost her chance with her favorite genius. Her heart fluttered once again as it filled with ache and her belly scorched with more panic. Ashley was a mess. She'd have to go see a doctor soon with all the emotions swirling inside; they were taking a toll on her small but curvy body.
"I should go over there and save her…" Ashley stood up, suddenly terrified by her own thoughts.
"Hold on there thug life…"-she giggled at Ashley's haste resolution-"I don't think she needs saving… plus you do NOT want to run over there and start acting all crazy… We have to play this cool…" Yeah. Lily WOULD know about crazy.
"Right… I'm not cool though!!…I mean Rico Suave is over there charming MY Spencer!" Ashley was missing the good old days when all she had to worry about was a dorky Patrick, now she had a professional whore to fear.
"I know… that's why you're lucky I love you two together… Plus I took that oath to 'Save Spashley'…"
"I don't even know what that means!"
"Don't worry about it… just follow me, I got this…"-Lily stood up-"… you're gonna need a drink…" Ashley looked at Lily with hopeful eyes now, praying Mama Duarte taught her a thing or two about taking down threats. "...Man you're going to owe me BIG time"
"Sure whatever you want" Ashley sighed a breath of relief feeling the confidence in Lily's reassurance. But it was very short lived.
"Ok first give me your number just in case plan A fails…"
"Why? Why would plan A fail?"
"It won't, but just give me your number anyway…"
"Lily this is no time to be flirting with me!"
"You wish…" Lily giggled still kind of tipsy "No offense but I'm a blonde girl myself…"
"Yeah me too…" Ashley sighed longingly.
Ashley and Lily exchanged phone numbers before making their way towards the bar where Spencer and Sam were chatting.
"Ok so here's the thing… most straight girls are suckers for his charm, but if we're right about Spencer, which I KNOW I am, then she'll be resistant to his charisma"
"Ugh! What is he doing?" Ashley winced at the sight before her.
"Oh that's an oldie but a goodie, he's trying his Latin lover technique. It works best on the white girls… a kiss on the hand is cheesy, unless the girl is really interested…"
"Spencer is too smart for that crap… I hope…Ok, well she doesn't seem to be giggling like a school girl sooo… that's good right?"
"Yes Ashley, so far so good!"
"Ok" Ashley took a deep relieved breath.
"Now if I know my primo as well as I know I do… he's going in for the kill with his perfected Salsa moves, he's almost as good as me" Lily boasted as they reached their destination.
"Hey Ash! This is Sam… he's going to teach me how to dance Salsa" a very tipsy Spencer declared.
"Is he?" Ashley's nostrils flared in aggravation but sill managed to keep herself composed. "He's going in for the kill, what do we do!? What do we do!?" Ashley inconspicuously panicked into Lily's ear. Spencer noticed Ashley and Lily's close proximity and of course her overactive tipsy brain assumed the worst.
"Ok… we'll be back then…" Spencer grabbed Sam's arm and headed out for the dance floor.
"Spencer wait!!" Ashley reacted quickly. Finally.
"What?" Spencer was annoyed for some reason.
"You owe me a drink remember?" Ashley lifted her right wrist and reminded her.
"But Sam…" Spencer pouted at her missed opportunity at a free Salsa class. She initially thought it would be fun if she learned and then taught Ashley. This reaction broke Ashley's heart though, clearly believing Spencer was interested in Sam.
"Don't worry about Sam… I'll keep him busy… Can you grab me a Bloody Mary Ashley?" Lily asked politely getting ready to do business with Sam.
"Sure" Ashley responded although unsure of everything.
Spencer walked the few feet to the crowded bar next to a forlorn Ashley. Lily and Sam stood there only a yard away from the two girls who ordered a couple of shots and several drinks. Lily looked at Sam intently as they sized each other up.
"Samuel"
"Liliana… Tienes buen gusto, me gusta la de los ojos de almendra… diez puntos facil"
"No. Ellas no son parte de este juego…"
"What are they saying?" An amused Spencer asked the brunette close to her.
"Why are you asking me 'Buzzed Light Year'? You're the genius remember?" Ashley was being a little mean to the bubbly blonde who was supposed to be jealous. Little did she know, Spencer had already quenched the jealous fire with alcohol (it was just as ineffective as it sounded.) Ashley was crushed though and was coping in her special way.
"Yeah well I only took a semester of Spanish…" Ashley gave Spencer a disapproving look "…What? It conflicted with my AP English class." Spencer felt stupid for taking English instead of a foreign language, especially now, when she had no idea what her new acquaintances were saying but sounded so sexy saying it. Feeling the tension both girls grabbed the Patron shots from the counter and gulped them down simultaneously.
"Claro que si… Mira a mi rubia, es hermosa. Por lo menos vale diez puntos"
"Ugh!" Ashley knew what that meant and couldn't suppress the bile regurgitating from her now sensitive stomach.
"What?" Spencer asked
"He said the blonde one is beautiful" Spencer started to blush and Ashley made a disgusted face. No way that sleaze was making her beautiful blonde blush too. "What?" Ashley asked exasperated when Spencer's eyes remained on hers and not the Spanish showdown in front of them.
"I was just wondering how you knew that…" Oh right. Now Ashley was flushed with embarrassment. She wasn't about to tell Spencer that she was the muse for the first Spanish lyrics she'd ever written.
"No Samuel, ellas no. Esto es mas grande que tu y yo. Este es el destino del universo y no puedo dejar que interfieras"
"Estas loca!" Sam replied huffily.
"Oh! He said she was crazy! And she said something about the universe and fate…" Spencer added triumphantly.
"Well at least HE'S right…" Ashley rolled her eyes, working her way through the hurt.
"Por favor Samuel, haz me este favor." Lily pleaded.
"No." Sam said indignant.
"Esta bien" Lily looking resigned walked towards the bar and grabbed the Bloody Mary that was sitting between Ashley and Spencer. Ashley started to panic. That was it? The clash of the arch-nemesis' that were also cousins ended without blood splatter and subtitles? What a jip! She'd expected more from a Duarte battle of the vain and beautiful. Especially since it concerned Spencer.
Before walking away though, Lily whispered into Ashley's ear "You owe me real FUCKING big!" Right when it seemed that Lily was about to head out to the dance floor, she made a sharp left turn and 'accidentally' slammed her drink into Sam's dazzling white outfit. His white slacks and unbuttoned collared shirt were covered in chunky red beverage. Some of the splash ricocheted on Lily too though. She had in fact sacrificed herself in that kamikaze mission to save Spashley and dispose of the Latin lover threatening the union. Sam was livid but he ran off without saying a word, too embarrassed to even chew Lily out. Ashley's eyes were wide with amusement, she was forever grateful for Lily's sacrifice. Lily winked at the two girls before walking away in to the swallowing dance floor.
"What the hell just happened?" Spencer asked incredulously.
"The universe and fate right?" Ashley was feeling suddenly victorious with a lot of help from her friends Lily and Jack Daniels.
"Sure… But there go my free Salsa lessons… now we'll never know how to dance…"
"We?" A ray of hope lighting Ashley's darkened spirit.
"Yeah, you and me… I figured if he taught me… I could teach you" The words coming from Spencer's brain and out of her mouth always seemed to lack censorship when she'd had a few drinks.
"You're a dork you know that… A sexy dork… but a dork nonetheless" Ashley's words were also frank; a result of the dominance of Jack and the high of success. She had been nervous, upset and very thirsty. Now though, now she was confident and back on track.
"Yup and that's why you love me" Ashley chugged her third drink just as quickly as the first two after hearing those words leave Spencer's lips while dripping with lust. Yup. Back on track.
DING. DING.
Ashley's iPhone vibrated alerting her of a new text message.
Lily Duarte
New Text
"Oh it's a text from Lily!… when did I give her my number?" Suddenly as if out of nowhere Ashley, along with Spencer, was very inebriated
"Yey Lily!" Spencer said in mock enthusiasm. She still remembered the way she was all over Ashley, whispering words in her ear, infuriating the blonde. This encouraged Spencer to go back to the bar and have a fourth drink. Hopefully the last one, since Spencer was a lightweight when it came to hard liquor.
After clumsily fidgeting for a while, Ashley was finally able to press the correct code to get her to her text messages. "She's drunk and jealous. Make me proud and make it count. She wants you. Ten points baby!" Ashley looked up from her phone only to see a now even drunker Spencer intently gazing at her, with the same look of jealousy she'd given her before. The same look that made EVERYTHING fall into perspective just minutes ago. With the courage of the alcohol and the mind of an intoxicated person, Ashley decided to screw the universe and take command of their fate.
A/N: My Ashley sized ego thanks you for all of the love...
NEXT TIME: Garbage's #1 Crush... (if you haven't heard it... AHHH!!!)
