Chapter Three

"I cannot believe you poured coffee over her head."

"She deserved it," Spencer said in an apathetic voice. She was trying to finish up some homework before her next class and quite frankly was getting sick of everyone talking about her little stunt.

Casey searched for Ashley across the quad and laughed when she saw her in some King High gym clothes. "I'm not saying she didn't deserve it, but it must've been embarrassing for her."

Spencer looked up and quirked her eyebrow. "You want to talk about embarrassing? Do you remember what she did last year?"

Even at the mere thought of it, Casey had to stifle her laughter. Last year during Valentine's Day, Ashley had paid some members from the glee club to serenade Spencer during lunch. Casey had never seen Spencer so red both from embarrassment and anger.

"Maybe now she'll leave me alone," Spencer said hopefully.

"Um, no such luck," Casey said and pointed behind Spencer. Ashley was making her way over to their table with a smile on her face. She looked quite ridiculous in the gym clothes but she plopped herself down right next to Spencer anyways.

"Hey," she said cheerfully but Spencer had resumed her usually ignoring. "Just want to tell you that there's no hard feelings about this morning." Ashley smiled at her even though Spencer wasn't even looking. She just continued to write in her notebook as if Ashley had never even sat down. "Well, I'll see you around." Ashley waved to Casey before leaving their table.

"Well, that was strange," Casey said as she watched Ashley sit back down at hers and Sally's table.

"What?" Spencer said acting like she didn't hear anything that just transpired.

Casey studied Spencer's attitude and thought it best not to mention Ashley. "Nothing."

---

"So you're not mad at her?"

"Why would I be mad?"

Sally scoffed. "Maybe because she spilled coffee on your head and embarrassed you in front of everyone? Not to mention you have to wear that for the rest of the day."

Ashley shrugged. "Well, it could've been worse."

"How?"

"She could've not cared," she said quietly.

"Ash, don't you think this has gone on long enough?" Sally asked exasperated. "I mean you're losing your dignity and making a very nice girl's life a living hell."

Ashley ran her hand through her hair. She had managed to get all the coffee out by running it under the sink but it still smelled like hazelnut. "I just thought she'd give in by now."

"Why are you even bothering? It's not like you're doing bad in the dating department. Do you really need to date Spencer? Is it that important to you to uphold your reputation?"

Ashley looked at her friend totally offended. "You think I'm doing all this just for my reputation?"

Sally took a step back a little confused. "Well, aren't you? I mean you don't really like Spencer, right?"

Looking down, Ashley tried to avoid her friend's eyes. "I admit at first it was just a game. She was the only girl who didn't fall all over me and I thought of it as a challenge. But overtime, I started to realize that Spencer isn't just some girl I wanted win."

Sally didn't know how to react to her friend's confession. "Then why are you still doing all this? Why don't you just drop the act and ask her out like a normal human being?"

Ashley let out a laugh. "Because it's fun. And I like getting her riled up. She's cute when she is. She's different, Sally and I want to get to know her."

"But she seems to hate you, Ash," she pointed out truthfully. "I highly doubt Spencer will let you get to know her by the way you've been acting."

Ashley waved it off like the comment was ridiculous. "Nah, she doesn't hate me. She thinks I'm annoying yes, but she doesn't hate me. It's only a matter of time before she gives in." Ashley gave her a smug smile.

"I don't know, Ash. One of these days your cockiness is going to be your downfall."

"Confidence, Sal," Ashley corrected. "Confidence. Besides, Lily didn't go out with James until their seventh year. And she thought he was an arrogant toerag as well. Not that Spencer has ever called me that."

Sally looked at Ashley like she just completely lost her mind. "Okay, first, who the hell are Lily and James? And second, seventh year? High school is four years, you crazy fuck nut."

"It's a Harry Potter reference, Sally," Ashley said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Right, I keep forgetting those are the only books you've ever read." Sally teased. "So Spencer's your Lily?"

"Yup, and we all know how that story ends."

"You guys get killed by some lunatic psycho while your son lives to be the most famous wizard of all time?"

Ashley rolled her eyes. "No, they ended up getting married."

"You are fucking crazy, you know that?"

"That why they love me."

---

Spencer was having one of those proverbial bad days. In fact, her day was going so bad that Spencer could've sworn someone was humming Daniel Powter's song as she walked down the hall.

Her alarm didn't go off in the morning and nobody bothered to wake her up. Glen then decided that it'd be a good idea to leave for school without her. Spencer had to ask for a ride from her mom who was also running very late and pretty much dropped her off two blocks from school. She had to run to avoid being late but couldn't make the bell. Spencer's apathetic teacher didn't give a damn about her woes and gave her a detention for her tardiness.

It didn't help that Spencer had a student council meeting after school with mandatory attendance but couldn't go because of her detention. To make things even worse, Spencer got back her math test with a big red C- on the front and a note that said "See me after class." The teacher gave her a disappointed look and told her that he expected better.

Spencer was feeling like absolute shit by the time lunch came and remembered that she didn't have time to pack a lunch and she didn't have money to buy any. Not that Spencer would ever buy food from the cafeteria but she was starving. She put her head down on the table and felt like either screaming or crying.

"Rough day?" Casey asked taking a seat at the table.

Spencer didn't even bother to pick her head up. "Don't get me started."

Casey patted her head to comfort her. "Want some of my lunch?"

"Yes please." Spencer sat up and took half of Casey's tuna sandwich. It wasn't the most appetizing of things but it was food. It was pretty much the high light of her crappy day.

"Hey there, sunshine."

Spencer felt her blood boil as the familiar figure of Ashley Davies sat right next to her.

"Ashley, this isn't really a good time," Casey warned her before she could speak. She looked at Spencer and saw that her jaw was clenched and her fists were balled up.

But Ashley chose to ignore her. "Listen," she said smiling at Spencer again but before she could continue, Spencer interrupted her.

"No, you listen." Her voice was very steady and was laced with rage. "Stop it."

Ashley continued to smile unaware of how angry Spencer really was. "Nope, not until you go out with me," she said cheekily.

"I will never go out with you. Don't you get it? I can't stand you, Ashley!" Spencer yelled. A few people turned their heads to see what was going on.

Ashley looked around and gave a nervous little laugh. "Come on, Spencer. You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do." Spencer stood up and glared down at Ashley. She could feel her head pounding with anger. "I don't like you, Ashley. In fact, I fucking loathe you. You are nothing but an arrogant little bitch and I wish you would leave me the hell alone!" Her voice was getting louder and by this time everyone in the quad had turned their attention to them.

Ashley stood up as well, looking a little perplexed and tried to ease the situation. "Come on, Spencer, calm down. You don't mean that," she said again.

"Don't fucking tell me to calm down," Spencer snapped. "And stop telling me what I'm feeling."

Not knowing what to do and not wanting to cause a bigger scene, Ashley grabbed a hold of Spencer's arm and tried to lead her somewhere else. "Let's take this elsewhere, alright?"

Spencer slapped her hand away. "Do NOT touch me. Why can't you just take a hint? I don't like you. I will NEVER like you. I can't even imagine being with someone who doesn't care about anything but herself and someone who is as selfish and heartless as you!" Spencer's eyes were livid with anger. "You know what? I can't even stand to look at you." She gathered her things and left the quad. Casey, who was sitting there completely dumbfounded, went after her. Everyone buzzed the second they left and started whispering amongst themselves while shooting stares over at Ashley.

Ashley stood there feeling like someone had kicked her in the gut. Spencer words hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Ash, are you okay?" Sally voice came through Ashley's foggy head.

"Yeah," she croaked looking down. "I'm fine. Wow, that was," Ashley didn't even finish and started to walk away. She wasn't even aware what she was doing.

"Ashley, come on, let's sit down and talk about this," Sally said chasing after her.

"Talk about what? The fact that Spencer thinks I'm a heartless bitch?" Ashley let out a humorless laugh. "No thanks." She continued to walk and her feet led her to the parking lot and to her car. Ashley got in and put her key in the ignition. She didn't even realize that Sally had also gotten in the passenger sea.

"Ash, are you okay?"

Ashley turned to face Sally and gave her a little smile. "I'm fine. I mean, the girl that I really like thinks I'm the worst person alive. I couldn't be better." She started her car and drove off. Spencer's words were still echoing in her head.

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