Disclaimer: I once invited the Creator to tea to discuss the possibility of owning South Of Nowhere, that is until my Cherubi served him sour dough bread instead of normal bread, and Frank ate his foot. So close yet so far.
Shout Outs!
My-Life-Is-In-Music: Tell me about it. I'm a toughy sometimes, but those moments in the show make me squee. I need them in the story.
lettykoalamelomane: Ahh! I'm originally Brittish, (grew up around Brighton) and when I moved to the U.S 5 years ago, I was so confused. XD And thank you. I know I am. I strive to entertain.
Charlee: Oh... believe me. Ashley will come around. So much planned for the pair. Hope you enjoy the next chapter
SheemaSheem: Ha! I had secretly enjoyed writing that part the best. Expect for Katie to be around for a while. She is crucial to my devious plannage.
victorial117: Frank is evil. I taught him well. Except when International Security came to my home. That was uncalled for. Honestly... I swear I had nothing to do with any explosion... yet.
"Aiden. Aiden...Aiden! Stop, this doesn't feel right." I panted, trying to push him away.
He continued pushing from behind, breath hot on my neck. "Hold on, almost there..." he muttered, continuing to push me.
I ripped the blind fold off my eyes and turned around to face him. "Aiden! I said stop. That's poor communication." I hissed, slapping his arm with it. He leaned against the wall.
"Spencer, we're the last team of our class. We're so far behind. Can't you just let me do my thing?" He gave me a pleading look, pointing to our gym class up ahead of us. We were doing some kind of trust exercises, blind folds included. Today were trying to walk around the entire school, relying solely on the communications from our partners. There isn't supposed to be any physical content, however, it seemed that Aiden missed the rules speech.
"Aiden, it's not a race." I tied the blindfold back on, flinching when a few of my hairs got pulled into the knot and yanked out of my scalp.
I heard Aiden shuffle back to his position next to me. "Fine, Spencer. Um... forward?" I started to walk until Aiden yelled for me to stop. His yell registered a second too late and I walked into a wall.
I ripped off the blindfold and pinched my nose, wincing in pain. "Aiden! That is not forward!" I hissed, checking to make sure my nose wasn't bleeding. It wasn't, but I couldn't help but feel it was.
Aiden, the ass he was, chuckled. "You have to admit, Spence. That was kinda funny." He pulled me into a hug from behind, and I swatted his arm.
"Was not, that hurt, Aiden. Did you do that on purpose?" I pulled out of his grasp and turned to face him, giving him a menacing glare.
He flinched and moved to me. "I'm sorry, babe. Really, I am. I just got the controls mixed up." he said quickly. "Forgiveness?" he asked, holding his arms out.
I walked into them, feeling his arms wrap around me. It felt off, not like it usually does. It felt more possessive, constricting, than it used to. I used to feel safe, loved. Now I feel like maybe Aiden was just trying to keep me from leaving. I guess that is partially my fault. I have been a little absent the past few days. Easy to think that I was getting bored.
He leaned down to kiss me and I pulled back. "Aiden, what are you doing?" I asked, surprised.
He looked at me funny. "Um, I'm trying to kiss my girlfriend."
I looked down. "I never said you were forgiven. How could you get the controls mixed up?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at the ground.
He shrugged. "I dunno. I'm not exactly the brightest guy in the world. I was trying to please you. It seems like lately, every thing I do is wrong, or your not here with me, your mind is else where." I looked up and saw his facial expression had gone from pleading to suspicious. "Even when we sleep together, you just sit there, off somewhere else. It makes me feel... dirty."
I winced and pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry, Aiden. I didn't realise." I reached up and pecked the corner of his mouth. "I just have so much going on at home, I've been a bit distracted." I straightened the front of his jacket, running my hands down the front.
He pulled my hands away and tilted my head up so I was looking at him. "That's the thing, Spencer. I talked to Glen, I thought it was your home, too, but he says everything's fine, and that you and Paula were getting along fine the past few weeks. It's something else, isn't it? Someone else?" He stared at me almost desperately, and I couldn't help the twinge of regret in my stomach.
"No one else, Aiden, but you and me. I just have a lot of stress, things I'm confused about, things in school I've got to worry about. It's not you, I promise. It's me." I hugged his middle and felt his hands rest on my lower back. He rested a chin on my head and swayed us gently.
"I supposed I might have been reading to far into things." He admitted, pulling me closer. I hummed in response and felt him kiss the top of my head. "We are okay though, right Spencer? Cause if we aren't, I have a whole queue of people just waiting for me who think I'm hot, cause I am hot. And special, and amazing..."
"And not to mention modest." I added sarcastically. He laughed and pulled away. I sniffed and smiled up at him. "You are all of those things, though Aiden. I'm lucky I got to have you. I'm pretty sure Madison is desperate to get a piece of you."
Aiden's eyes lit up and he smiled. "Really? Madison is looking to snag me?" His eyes glazed over and I felt a spark of anger flare. I punched his arm.
"Ow! What the hell, Spencer?" He glared at me and rubbed his arm, annoyed. "Don't be jealous. Madison is a nice piece of ass. I can't help it."
I rolled my eyes. "So when one of the boys mentions my name, do you get that goofy look on you face and practically have an erection in front of them?" I growled, tapping the front of his jeans.
He looked down at the front of his jeans and adjusted himself. "Well then, look at that." I snorted and he looked up. "I...Sometimes...The boys don't really talk about you very often, so..."
My eyes widened in shock and anger and I shook my head, turning to walk away. "I don't believe this. I don't need this right now." I looked back at him. "Honestly, Aiden? I've noticed this attraction to her for ages. I'm not the only one who's distant, even in sex, and I'm not the only one who is is looking at someone else." I turned back around and started to walk down the hall.
"Spencer! What about the rest of gym class?" he called to me, holding up the blindfold.
I turned around and stared at him coldly. "We're over, Aiden, so I suggest that you find a new partner who can trust you." I spun around and stalked down the hall, passing Kyla in the process.
She trotted after me and set a hand on my shoulder. "Spencer? What just happened?" She lead us over to a bench in the quad and sat us down, looking at me worried.
Me and Kyla were never really friends, more or less just squad-mates. All I really knew about her was that she was Ashley's half-sister, had fantastic flying skills, and was a bit feisty. And Ashley's sister just saw my argument with Aiden.
"It was nothing, Kyla. I just... he just... I don't know. All I know is that Aiden has a thing for Madison, and I..." I trailed off, looking across the quad at a tree. I didn't know what I was doing. I don't know why I was so distant with him. I don't blame him for starting to distance himself and look to another for entertainment. It doesn't excuse anything, but it makes it understandable.
Kyla folded her legs underneath herself and tilted her head. "Does it have anything to do with Ashley?" she asked curiously. I looked over at her and saw the concern in her eyes and thought for a second.
"What makes you think it has anything to do with Ashley? I haven't talked to her in three days." I said cautiously. It's true. I haven't talked to her since Tuesday, and I probably wouldn't until Monday. She was always toying with me. Or at least she did Tuesday. I was actually jealous about Katie for being with Ashley. I didn't understand it. Why would I feel like that?
Kyla shrugged. "Just a guess. Ashley has been acting pretty weird the past few days. I mean, the thing with Katie? No idea where that came from. I mean, honestly? Why Katie? I've seen all the guys and girls she comes home with, and some of them are tolerable, but Katie?" she scoffed, shaking her head with annoyance. "I just don't get it."
"Ashley brings people home? Like as in, up to her room, and kicks them out in the morning type thing?" I questioned.
Kyla narrowed her eyes. "I didn't say that, did I?" She thought back for a second. "Oh, so I did. Yeah, Ashley kinda sleeps around. Mostly girls nowadays. She had a thing with Aiden ages ago. He used to be a regular until he started to date you. Ashley was upset, but I don't think it was because of Aiden." She moved her legs out from underneath her uneasily.
Wow, Ashley slept around? That didn't really surprise me, and I already knew about her and Aiden, but I didn't realise the extent of it. And why would Ashley be upset with me?
"Why would Ashley be upset with me?"
Kyla looked at me in surprise. "Not at you. Because of you. I think she was jealous. See, she's had this thing with..."
A loud voice cut across the quad stopping Kyla mid-sentence and she looked over annoyed. Then, seeing who was approaching, looked at me panicky. "I didn't talk about Ashley with you, got it? I said things she'd kill me for saying if she knew I told you." She grabbed her bag off the ground and got up, walking quickly away. She waved to Ashley briefly before leaving.
Ashley sat down in Kyla's spot and looked at me puzzled. "What's up with Kyla?" She watched as Kyla turned the corner and disappeared from view.
I shrugged. "I dunno. Some kind of project for a class that's stressing her," I lied uneasily. I wasn't a liar in general, mostly because I hated lying, but Kyla didn't want Ashley to find out about her conversation and I didn't want to upset her.
Ashley nodded. "Sounds like Kyla. She's so smart, but she acts like she isn't and stressed about everything. It's annoying." She rolled her eyes.
"Are you avoiding me?" I asked her bluntly, looking straight ahead of me.
She looked at me surprised, and a little confused and shook her head. "No, why would I be avoiding you? You've been avoiding me for the past three days. I haven't said anything, figured you had a reason." she paused looking at me. "Though I was acting like an ass the other day."
I laughed. "Yeah, a little. Though I behaving like a jealous bitch as well. Not sure why, but I was. It's a little freaky to be honest." I scratched nervously at my leg and frowned.
Ashley moved up so she sat up on the bench table behind us. She tapped her leg on my shoulder and smiled slightly down at me. "I'm sure Aiden got a kick out of it."
I looked away and brought my leg up to my chest. "Me and Aiden aren't together anymore." I whispered, settling my chin on my knees.
Ashley slipped down next to me and put an arm over my shoulder, giving me a side hug. "Sorry, I didn't know." I might have been imagining things, but her words sounded a little smug. It bugged me that she seemed happy that we broke up. Almost like she had been wishing it...
"You didn't have anything to do with it, did you? I know you and Aiden had a thing... Ew! Your not trying to get back with him, are you?" I felt my stomach constrict. There was no way that she was going for Aiden, although it would explain her staring at us all the time.
She stiffened, arm around my shoulder slipping off. "No, why would you think that? If anything, it's Madison. Kyla says she and Aiden were acting rather chummy the other day. As in full out tonsil-hockey chummies." She cringed and shivered, as if the image was disturbing.
"While we were dating?" I hissed, standing up. It's a good thing I dumped his ass before I found out. Now I don't feel like the cheated housewife.
Ashley jumped up and grabbed my shoulder. "Honestly, your way to hot to even be with him. Madison's a whore, Aiden is a whore, it was bound to happen." She said with a sly smile.
I cocked an eyebrow. "You think I'm hot?" I asked carefully, trying to keep my voice non-threatening. I wanted to see if she meant it.
I expected her to backtrack on her words and cover it up with something lame like the last time I talked to her. Not that I wanted her to tell me that I wasn't attractive. Instead she gave me a coy look and stood in front of me, eyes trailing down the length of my body. I felt myself grow warm, and I shivered.
Her eyes returned to my face, and with a serious expression replied: "Yeah. Really. I'm surprised that Aiden let you go." She turned around and started to leave. "I'll see you around, Spence," she yelled back to me, turning around the same corner Kyla left before.
I stood there frozen in my spot, remembering the way my body felt when Ashley's eyes slid over the form of my body, dissecting every inch of mine. Aiden never looked at me like that, with blatant appreciation. Nor has it looks ever make me feel like someone turned the heated up to the maximum. It was weird, and as much as I wondered if that was normal for me to feel like that from a girl, another part of me just accepted it. I mean, why wouldn't I enjoy someone appreciating me, regardless of whether or not they were male or female. As long as I didn't start to crush on her, or god forbid, fall in love with her, I was okay. I mean, that's not really possible, right? No one is gay forever, it's not permanent, it's curable. Hell. Why am I even considering it? Carlin's aren't even prone to being gay. Mum even said that it was proven when I told her I might have been infected the other day.
A/N: Woah, where did that ending come from? If Spencer learned that from her mother, then we are going to have some serious Paula issues in the future. We must set up an assassin team to kill her before she continues to poison our Spencer's brain.
Also, the story has been planned from start to finish (had a huge brain break while being eaten by bugs today), and you all should be prepared for some pretty big events. That "thing" that brings them closer? Should appear in the next few chapters. I calculated it. This story might be thirty-odd chapters before it's over, with numerous guest stars. Yes, you read that read that right, my friends. Spashley meets a few special people. If I tell you, I'm going to murder you slowly, and as much as torture is my #1 hobby, I love readers more.
Ooh! question time! How do you think Ashley will handle Spencer's view on sexuality? What do you think the big "Thing" will be? Who do you think they will meet? Review! Tell me and maybe you'll be correct!