Ashley fled to her car to find Spencer waiting for her usual lift home after school. Without breaking her stride she blipped the automatic lock open and climbed in. Finally she allowed herself to breathe as Spencer got in, seeing the pain on her face, asked "Ash, what’s up?" rubbing Ashley’s shoulder comfortingly.
Blinking back the tears she gave Spencer the cliff’s notes version and watched as Spencer’s face grew colder and closed.
"Take me home" was all she said.
The journey was in silence and it was all Ashley could do to blink back the tears.
As she pulled up outside the Carlin residence she turned to Spencer who was already halfway out the car.
"Spence" she called after her. Spencer turned round with a blank expression on her face.
"I’m so sorry" Spencer just shut the door and marched into her house without looking back.
Feeling completely defeated she drove home.

Later she text Spencer "Spence, im so sry. pls cn we tlk?"
Fortunately for Spencer she arrived home before Glen and managed to avoid disaster by allaying his fears and making him promise not to tell their mum about any or it. Mostly because she didn’t want her mum to tell her she was right about Ashley all along.
Reading the text she pondered over a reply for a good half an hour before she decided she couldn’t think straight (excuse the pun) at the moment and she’d let Ashley sweat it out for a while longer.

Ashley was despairing at home. She’d listened to most of her angry rock as she internally cursed her stupidity but now she was starting to feel sorry for herself.
She got up and found the CD at the bottom of the rack. Putting it in the player she found the track she was after and lay on her bed and finally allowed herself to cry.

Can you forgive me again?
I don’t know what I said
But I didn’t mean to hurt you

I heard the words come out
I felt that I would die
It hurt so much to hurt you

Then you look at me
You’re not shouting anymore
You’re silently broken

I’d give anything now
to kill those words for you

Each time I say something I regret I cry "I don’t want to lose you."
But somehow I know that you will never leave me, yeah.