"spencer…"

paula looked slighted, as if someone had reached across a table and slapped her across the face. she was momentarily paralyzed, but so were spencer and ashley. the moment couldve lasted like this forever if arthur, mr.carlin, hadn’t made it to the doorway, out of breath and deep in thought, as if he were searching for the right words to say. "excuse me…" paula roughly pushed her way past the couple. though her face was the picture of serenity the tears that were making trails down her face gave her away. the car door slammed followed by the whirr of an engine as mrs. carlin pulled out of the driveway leaving a silent and grave aura behind.

spencer looked down, a tear hitting the pavement even as she tried to covertly wipe it away. "hunny…spencer, come here" arthur pulled his daughter into a tight embrace even though his head was still searing, the after effects of hard liquor. spencer shook in her fathers arms but pivoted around as she felt ashley moving away , walking back to her car. "no, ash. please. please don’t leave me." "yes, ashley stay. i think we all need to talk." ashley’s face was unreadble, after all she had worked hard to be as mysterious and cryptic as possible. it added to "the mystery" of ashley davies. she was on ther verge of refusing, feeling as though she had interfered enough as it was, but spencer pulled her in the house, mr. carlin’s hand on her back ushering her in. they all took a seat at the kitchen table, each shifting awkwardly, nobody knowing where to start. "this is who i am dad. i’m gay. i’m a lesbian, a dyke, whatever. i can’t change that and i don’t want to. i’ve spent so long trying to figure it out, trying to deny it, forget it. but i cant…i won’t let myself…" the blonde said with conviction "spencer, i love you no matter what. you know that. and ashley, you know you’re always welcome here" he smiled at ashley who had awkwardly subjected herself running her hands through her brown curls. "your mother…she’s going to be taking some time away..some time to figure things out. i know that for now your relationship is going to be strained, but give her time, hunny. it might… it may be, all she needs.". spencer sighed. she knew that her mother would take work and in all honesty, she wasnt feeling sorry or bitter that mrs. carlin was leaving the house to "figure things out". spencer didnt even jump upon the opportunity to call her mother a hypocrite. in a strange way, she felt sorry for her mother. spencer knew she was gay, it was irreversible. it wasn’t a cold or a cough that could be treated. she had been born blonde, blue eyed, and queer. no, the reason spencer felt sympathy for her mother was because here she was, her own daughter, forcing her to reevaluate everything she has believed in. she understood where her mother was coming from. she didn’t agree, but she understood. "glen hurt his knee yesterday….doctor’s say it’s his ACL. hunny hunny" arthur paused, anticipating spencers interjections "he’s going to be fine…he’ll be able to play again, it’ll just take time and tons of support which i know you’ll give him. clay had a rough night too but he won’t talk about it…maybe you can cheer him up, huh?" spencer and ashley looked at each other curiously, spencer shrugging then leading ashley up the stairs. "i’ll be coming up and checking on you guys so keep it PG" arthur laughed. so did spencer and ashley.