“Okay.”  His head still hung low as he was guided back towards the door.

Ashley laughed inwardly as she thought how it was the second time the family had to guide a man out the door within the last 24 hours. 

Outside of the house there was an old beaten up car, inside seated were three other boys.  Two looked absolutely drunk while the one in the drivers seat looked just as uncomfortable as Ned did.  Ashley, Spencer, and Arthur walked out the door with Ned in front of them.

“dude Ned.  What tha faack??”  The drunken boy slurred.

“James, man shut up.”  Ned yelled back.  For some odd reason the redhead boy felt as if Mr. Carlin were like a father to him and always wanted to please him and having him meet his drunk friends was not exactly ideal.

“oh shit.  We got caught…”  the driver muttered to the steering wheel and himself.  Keeping his eyes fixed forward, body frozen as if in doing so he would become invisible.

“FAAGG.”  The other drunken kid yelled from the back.

Ashley, Spencer, and Arthur all stirred at the word.  If there was one thing they hated the most it was the use of harsh derogatory words.  It was the way Spencer was raised, the way Arthur raised his daughter.  And it was words like these that made Ashley’s high school life hell.

“Fuck man. Shut the hell up.” Ned yelled still ashamed of his friends in front of Mr. Carlin.

“WHAAT?” Chris yelled in his drunken stupor not sure why he was being yelled at.  “Well, hello…”  He then said looking Ashley up and down his eyebrows twitching in a drunken attempt to wiggle them.

“What is this?  Hit on lesbians happily in love week?”  Ashley said throwing her arms up in the air frustrated.  Turning to face Spencer as if she expected the blonde to know the answer to her question.

Arthur turned to Ned, “I think it’s best you and your friends leave now Ned.” He said almost monotone. 

“Sorry Mr. Carlin.”  The red haired boy said once more and turned to get in the passenger seat.  Turning around and punching both of his drunk friends in the arm while the driver very happily sped off.

“Well I think it’s safe to say we’ve had a very eventful night.” 

The two lovers nodded to the man’s words clinging to each other for warmth as no one had gotten all their winter clothes on when chasing Ned out.

“Come on you two, I’ll make us some hot cocoa.”

Ashley and Spencer walked side by side arms linked tightly and firmly following Arthur.

“with marshmallows?”  Ashley’s voice broke into the night’s silence sounding like a child.

Spencer giggled along with her father.

“Yes Ashley, with marshmallows.”  Arthur looked down at the brunette who had so easily captured his heart and made herself comfortable in the role of another daughter to him.  It amazed him how a girl who had a mother like Christine, lost her father at such a young age could become such an amazing human being and he could never question why Spencer had fallen in love with her.  It was very clear why his daughter had fallen for the rebellious girl.  Her heart of gold.  He knew her type, they spent all these years putting up walls to further hide their weakness and in doing so she became cold towards anyone who hadn’t been there before the walls went up.  And he was so happy that Spencer had been able to tear down the walls and reveal what a sweetheart the brunette really was. 

Enough of my mind ramblings.  Must make hot cocoa with marshmallows.