Chapter 2
"I really just got back into town yesterday, so I haven't been anywhere or seen anyone yet," Serena explained as she and Ashley headed towards St. Jude's School for boys. They were going to meet Nate Archibald, who, despite being Blair's boyfriend, was one of the guys Ashley hung out with a lot at parties or social events. It had actually been Nate who had given Ashley all the information she had about Serena.
Ashley nodded. "So why did you come back? If you don't mind me asking…" The girl nervously prodded, hoping she didn't overstep any boundaries.
"No, its fine. I'm back for more than one reason, really, but the main thing is because I had left in order to pull myself together and everything." Serena shrugged, looking over at the other girl, "So that's what I did and then I decided I was ready to come back and right my wrongs. Or try to at least."
"I get what you mean. Sometimes I just want to get away and clear my head of all these things going on in my life."
"Exactly," Serena smiled as they walked up to the school.
Nate stood near the building's main steps, waiting for them. Serena ran up and enveloped him in a bear hug that he seemed more than happy to return. As they were in the embrace, Serena had told him it'd be best if he didn't mention to Blair that he had seen her. He agreed it was for the best, though he was disappointed that his girlfriend had to be brought up at that moment. It made him feel a bit of guilt as he enjoyed the hug from Serena a little more than a friend should.
When they parted, he greeted Ashley and gave her a quick hug, then motioned for them to follow him to the parking lot where his driver was waiting.
"So, ladies, where are we off to?" Nate opened the car door for them as he asked.
Once they were all inside, Serena answered, "Well, I told my cousin we would hang out as soon as I got back into town."
Nate nodded, then asked. "Which one? Spencer?"
"Of course," Serena said and turned to Ashley while Nate told the driver their destination, "I doubt you know Spence, too, 'cause if you do, Manhattan must be smaller than I remember."
Ashley smiled, "I don't know, the name doesn't seem familiar. What school does he go to?"
Serena and Nate both glanced at each other and laughed, leaving a confused Ashley hanging for a few seconds before Serena explained, "Yeah, I don't think you have. She is a freshman NYU."
Ashley's eyebrows shoot up. "Oh, wow, sorry. I just kind of assumed…"
"Don't you know what Principle Mclean says about assuming?" Nate chided jokingly receiving eye rolls and laughs from both girls who then recited their principle's favorite saying:
"When you assume you make an ass out of you and me."
Serena then assured Ashley, "Its okay, a lot of people are thrown off by it. Spence hates it."
"I kinda like it," Nate interjects, "Its different. I think it suits her."
Serena furrowed her eyebrows, "Are you saying that she's different?"
"In a good way, I mean," he says quickly and the two girls laugh. It was going to be a fun night.
When they arrived, Ashley hadn't been surprised that Serena's cousin owned her own loft in West Manhattan. She knew the van der Woodsen's had old money. She also wasn't surprised to see the girl had blonde hair and blue eyes like her cousin. She'd seen Serena's mother, Lillian, and brother, Eric, at the social events her mom dragged her to.
They were greeted warmly by Spencer, who'd let them in and played hostess fairly well, offering food and drink. Growing up a WASP tends to mold you into the perfect housewife before you even think about finding a husband.
What Ashley remembered most about the visit was the laidback air of Serena's cousin. Her bohemian-hippie style had intrigued Ashley. She'd figured all the van der Woodsen's to be well polished and dressed in designer chic, but Spencer pulled off the hippie look very well, and was shy and modest despite her background.
"How is NYU?" Nate asked before taking a sip of water. His eyes, though focused on Spencer while asking the question, kept wondering back to Serena. They had been on her practically since they'd first met up at his school. This, no doubt, was picked up by the brunette who kept thinking back to earlier that day and the exchange she'd heard between Blair and Serena. She now understood why Blair was so adamant that Serena stay away from Nate. There was definitely something going on there, even though it appeared to be one sided.
Spencer shrugged, "I've only been there a month but I like it. The work load can be rough at times, but I wasn't expecting anything less."
"What're you majoring in?" Ashley asked the blonde after snapping out of her 'what's going on with Nate and Serena' daze.
"Communications and Business Management," Spencer answered happily.
"Well its good you like the school. Now what about the parties?" Serena cut in, grinning devilishly at her cousin who just smiled back and shook her head.
"You know I'm not like that S. That whole scene doesn't do it for me but there are a lot of good underground concerts and clubs where you can just relax and hang out. Speaking of relaxation," she said suddenly, looking over at Nate, "I have something you guys might wanna try." With that, she got up and disappeared down the hall and returned seconds later with a bag of, of course, weed. She tossed it over to Nate, who's eyes lit up at the sight, and sat back down in her seat.
Nate examined the substance and nodded, "Very nice. Where'd you score this?"
"My friend Margaret works at a hedge shop a few blocks away. She knows where to get all the good stuff and I figured since S was back in town it'd only be a matter of time before I'd be seeing you again." All three girls laughed at this as Nate nodded in agreement.
"So you wanna try it?" he offered, looking around.
"I thought you'd never ask," Serena smiled widely.
"P-put on some music," Serena stuttered as she shrugged away from Nate's tickling fingers. The four of them had just finished off a blunt and were seated still in Spencer's living room. As hostess, Spencer got up from her position on the couch and walked over to her large sound system and speakers. She hit a single button and the low, awkward voice of Juliet Simms was heard around them.
"Just. Keep. Breathing… 'cause if ya don't then you'll die…
The door slams, I wake up
Another illusion I have made up
For this, I cry…"
Ashley softly nodded her head to the music, unfamiliar with the artist but enjoying her scratchy voice. She watched the two across from her as Serena swatted Nate again and laughed, stopping suddenly and looking around for the source of the music. "Oh my God. Juliet Simms! She is sooo hot!"
Ashley smiled, having the urge to find the nearest computer and google the singer. If Serena thought she was hot then…
The other blonde laughed, shaking her head, "Okay now, S, I'm the gay one here, not you."
"But she is!" Serena said lazily as Nate perked up.
"Dude, that's so hot," he said looking over at Spencer with red rimmed eyes and she continued to laugh with more force.
"You're such a perv." she observed inoffensively.
He ignored it, looking between the two blondes. "Have you ever heard of kissing cousins?" He asked seriously and the three girls laughed loudly, Serena nearly falling off the couch.
"Not happening," Serena said, gasping, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes.
"Fine." He then looked between Spencer and Ashley, "Friends with Benefits?"
Ashley snorted at this. "We just met, I'd hardly consider us friends to begin with."
"True," Spencer said, somewhat disappointed.
Serena was the only one to pick up on it, and she interrupted., "But haven't you heard of random drug induced hook-ups?" she showed a look of mock surprise.
"The best kind," Ashley told her, nodding, then looking at Spencer, and biting her lip. "You are pretty cute," she smiled lopsidedly at the blonde, who returned the grin.
Through her hooded eyes, Ashley saw Spencer's pink tongue gently slip out and wet her lips and mimicked the action, feeling slightly excited and nervous, but her high overcame it as she leaned in and captured the blonde's full lips with her own, immediately getting a reaction and seconds later feeling Spencer's tongue lick her bottom lip. She opened her mouth eager to deepen the kiss.
Serena and Nate sat in silence. Nate had his mouth open, his tongue practically out and drooling. Serena watched with a wistful and far off look of a deeper sadness.
After long seconds of kissing, the girls were forced to pull away for breath. During their epic first kiss, they had forgotten they weren't alone. They also had managed to get in a lying position on the couch with Ashley beneath Spencer.
Spencer was the first to pull away, opening her eyes and looking down at the brunette below her, she whispered, "Whoa."
"Yeah," Ashley replied breathlessly, keeping her eyes locked with the blonde's.
"Holy shit!" Nate drawled happily as he watched the girls. Spencer was off of Ashley quick and sitting beside her on the couch, staring at her hands, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Ashley smiled widely and resumed her seat next to Spencer before reaching over for the blonde's hand and giving it a squeeze and leaving her hand wrapped around the girl's fingers. Spencer gave Ashley's hand a squeeze back and looked at her, smiling when she saw the brunette grinning at her. They were still pretty high.
It had been an amazing kiss and at that moment, all Spencer wanted to do was kick out her cousin and Nate and have her way with Ashley.
"So," Nate groaned, stretching out his arms and pretending to almost hit Serena in the face. This earned him a swat in the ribs as they both laughed. "Who's hungry?"