Chapter 2

A month ago…

Taking her usual seat, Spencer sat next to her friend Bella in study hall as she did every day. However, something was different today; the look on her friend's face told her just that. Without a word, she watched as the brown haired girl slid a note towards her. Taking the note, she let her bag fall to the ground. "What's this?" She whispered as she opened the note and read it.

'Is it true about you and Carmen?' the note read.

Spencer looked confused, and the blonde scrambled to pull out a pen and rushed out her reply.

'What about me and Carmen?' she wrote and pushed it back to her friend. Gauging her reaction, she could tell something was definitely off. As Bella was writing her back, Spencer was beginning to think that she didn't really want to know. Bella handed her the note back.

'Alex was going to the restroom in between periods. Heard someone in the restroom stall, two girls. Alex says she knew it was Carmen but she didn't recognize the other voice right away -'

Stopping mid sentence, Spencer looked up at her friend and tried to keep her voice as low as possible despite her anger rising.

"So you're telling me Carmen was in the stall with another girl?" Bella nodded. Spencer wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to the question she was about to ask. Before she lost her nerve she muttered a single word.

"Who?" Bella glanced at the teacher who was eyeing them both suspiciously and wrote down on the piece of paper.

Spencer's eyes started to water as she read the name on the note. 'Sam'

"Spencer, are you OK?" Bella whispered as the teacher was clearing her throat loudly.

Without a word to her friend, the blonde shot her hand up.

"Yes Ms. Carlin?"

"Um..." She said trying to think of a reason, any reason to get out of that room. "I need to go to the restroom." She said halfway standing. "Can I use the hall pass?" Seeing the teacher nod, she quickly made her way up to the front of the room to grab the pass. She burst through the door not knowing exactly where she was going. 'I just need to get out of there'. Tears streaming down her face, she ran towards her locker. As she was about to round the corner she froze at the sound of a familiar voice, precisely the one she didn't want to hear at that moment. Right there, around the corner, stood her girlfriend and best friend.

"So, am I coming over tonight?" Carmen cooed as she was standing in front of Sam who was leaning against her locker.

"What about Spencer?" the other girl asked, running her hand along Carmen's arm.

"What about her?" She exclaimed, twirling some of her hair around her finger. "She's so hot and cold… It's like she doesn't even want me anymore." Leaning in, she kissed Sam on the lips

"You're the one I want."

"I just hate sneaking around on her." Sam said playing with the hem of the brunette's shirt.

"She's my best friend… you're her girlfriend… this is just all wrong…we've been friends since birth." she sighed "I don't know. I just don't want her to get hurt. She's like my sister… All of them, they're gonna hate me."

"Sam… baby, they won't hate you." She said pulling her close to her. "They won't even know… Who's gonna tell them? I'm not...are you?" She said trailing her finger up and down her arm.

"No…But." She said closing her eyes.

"But what?"

"I don't…" Sam sighed, her heart breaking as she was thinking about what she was doing to her best friend.

"Give me one good reason." Carmen leaned down, kissing her neck, somehow trying to persuade her.

"I...uh…" Sam licked her lips as a moan escaped her mouth.

"That sounds like a reason for us not to stop." Carmen grinned as she continued to kiss her neck. "You want it, I want it…why stop a good thing?" she let her hand run up her shirt.

"Stop…" Sam pushed her back a little, which made the other girl pout. "We can't do this here." The girl pulled on a loop in her pants.

"Spencer, there you are." Bella said finding her friend. "Mrs. Porter sent me to check on you. Are you OK?" she asked trying to catch her breath.

"Shit!" Carmen jumped away from Sam.

"It's true." Spencer whispered, unable to hold back her tears anymore.

"Are you kidding me?" Bella stared at Carmen and Sam furiously, when they heard footsteps down the corridor, as their friend Alex was heading towards them.

"I knew there was a reason I never liked you." Alex sneered at Carmen as she stepped into the scene unfolding before her. "And you…" she turned to Sam. "I've never been more ashamed to call you my best friend… No." She held her hand, stopping Sam who was about to reply. "We grew up together… mud pies in our backyards…girl scouts…slumber parties…birthdays." Glaring at them, she said. "This is the worst kind of betrayal."

"I know." Sam whispered. "I never meant for this to happen…I…I…"

"You what? Fell in love? Ha!" She said throwing her head back and laughing. "Pathetic...that's just pathetic… You could have at least had enough respect for Spencer to tell her." She put her hand on the small of her friend's back as the blonde girl was now sobbing. "And as far as I'm concerned you're dead to me." She glared at her, not caring that Sam was also starting to cry.

"Spencer, I'm so sorry..."

"Just leave her alone, Sam." Bella gritted through her teeth.

"I never meant for this to happen." She wiped her own tears away. "Please believe me." She was sobbing uncontrollably as she ran away from them.

"Whatever…you're really gonna wish you hadn't listened to your friends, Spencer." Carmen was trying to get to the blonde, but her friends were protectively surrounding her. "Who else is gonna love a loser like you in this town? Huh?"

"Carmen, this is your last chance before I kick your ass." Alex seethed. "Leave NOW!" her anger was flaring. With a roll of her eyes, Carmen gave them one last look before turning around and striding away down the hall. "Spence, can I give you a ride home?" Alex offered, trying to calm herself down. "I'm sure Bella can explain to Mrs. Porter." Bella nodded.

"Yeah. When school's over, I'll be right over." The brown haired girl said gently and hugged her friend, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

Looking out of her office door, the woman got that tingly feeling down her spine…the tingle that only happened when evil was around. Silently closing her door, Buffy Summers went to make a few calls. Her new job as a counselor at Three Rivers High School wasn't going to be as boring as she thought.

"I'm sorry." The brunette replied after hearing what had happened to Spencer. She reached up to the girl's face and gently wiped away the tears that had been falling down her cheeks.

"It's fine." She gave her a weak smile. "We were starting to lose that spark anyway." She added with a sigh.

For the first time in her life, Ashley was truly speechless. Everything the shopkeeper had told her was truly breaking her heart. She wanted to say something wise that would make her feel better, but she knew she was better off keeping her mouth shut.

"Thanks for letting me vent…I really needed that."

"It was my pleasure." They were silent for a minute "She's wrong, you know."

"Who is?" the blonde said confused.

"Your ex." She smiled at her. "She shouldn't have asked 'who's going to love a loser?'" She said with a high-pitched voice and air quotes. "What she should have said was 'who wouldn't love someone as perfect as you.'" Ashley grinned at Spencer playfully.

"Ash, let's go, we got our stuff." Aiden said walking in.

"Ugh." She said groaning. "Boys…always know how to ruin a perfect moment." She turned to Spencer "So I'll see you later?"

"Yeah...definitely." the blonde nodded and she watched her walk out. Sighing, she went back to labeling the products. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts of her new friend that she didn't even realize that she was completely done pricing the new items. "Way to go Spence! You just met her and you're already obsessed with her." She stood up and was making her way back to the counter when the bell went off once again. "Carmen what are you doing here?" sighing she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I wanted to see you." The young woman said walking towards her.

"Well I'm working." she replied coldly to her, although she knew that her working never used to be a problem before. She just wasn't in the mood for another argument. Moreover, Carmen was the last person she wanted to see…especially after what she did…

"I know it's just…"

"Carmen, I don't have time for this, we're done…" placing her pricing gun behind the counter.

"Now go be before I call my dad." She didn't want to do it, but the threat of her police chief father would scare anyone.

"Would you just think about it?" Walking slowly towards her, she placed her hand on her cheek. "I want you back… I… Sam was just… I don't know she came on to me." She paused, trying anything to get Spencer to believe her. "I never wanted her."

"You looked like you wanted her to me." She snapped jerking her head away from the offending appendage.

"So are you just gonna to listen to your friends? Spencer I…" dropping her hand feeling slightly jaded.

The two of them were so consumed that they didn't even notice the ding of the bell, or the girl standing next to one of the shelves, her arms crossed.

"Don't…" the shopkeeper said glaring at her ex. "Don't say it… if you loved me, you wouldn't have slept with Sam… she was my best friend for God sake, and you slept with her!"

"I…we didn't sleep together."

"Not yet." Spencer shook her head "And anyway why should I believe you? You both lied to me for months. And I had to find out on my Birthday of all days."

"Come on Spencer, it was a mistake… How many times do I have to apologize?"

"Till you turn blue in the face…" She spat fighting the angry tears. "I've never been hurt so much by anyone."

"Just don't give up on us."

Ashley had heard enough. She walked to the pair and stood firmly before Carmen.

"Too bad you beat me to the punch." Gasping, Spencer turned to see her new "friend" walking up to them. "When did you-" she said being cut off by Carmen.

"Store's closed!" Carmen shouted angrily at the intruder.

"Damn, I guess my teacher in elementary was right I suck at spelling." Ashley smirked "And here I thought closed started with a c." She pointed at the open sign in the store window.

"Well come back later, she's busy!"

Looking at Spencer, Ashley saw her wiping her tears away. She didn't know what it was, but something was drawing her to this girl and she didn't want to see her hurting like this; she had to protect her, though she didn't know why. So without a second thought, she ignored the other girl and walked over to the blonde. "Is that what you want Spence? Do you want me to leave?" she intertwined her hand in hers and winking at her.

TBC...