South of Nowhere 1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Okay…I don't own them. TheN owns them.**

**Summary: This takes place somewhere in the abyss of time between "Under My Skin" and "Say It Ain't So, Spencer" **

**Outing**

Part One: Propositions

"This sounds like…._fun_." Spencer glanced back down at the brochure in her hand and then up into her parent's expectant faces. She truly hoped that she _sounded_ more enthusiastic than she felt. She even dredged up a small smile in an attempt to encourage them.

"You have to be joking!" Glen said aloud, voicing Spencer's internal sentiments _exactly_. "Mom, Dad…as much as you'd like to remain in denial... we aren't kids anymore…" He held up the brochure. "The family day trip thing is so far off the cool chart it isn't funny."

"I don't know. I think t might be fun." Clay said, assuming he was being helpful by siding with his sister. He even put his arm around Spencer's shoulder to show his solidarity. She wanted to step on his foot right then and there.

_Shut up, Clay. There's only room enough for one goody-two-shoes in this family…and that's me._

Besides…she was hoping that Glen would talk them out of the trip altogether. A day spent with her family in a theme park sounded…_torturous_.

Actually a few months ago it wouldn't have been so bad, heck…she might have even enjoyed it, but lately, a whole day away from Ashley was sounding more and more like physical torment.

"We've never even been there. How do you know spending a day at Disneyland won't be _cool_?" Their mom challenged. Glen would not be that easily won.

"Spending a day with parents at a theme park is nowhere near the _realm_ of cool." Glen said, but Spencer observedhow his mental gears began to churn out an _idea_... "Unless we can… invite a friend…"

_Brilliant_! Spencer perked up suddenly, she tried her best to feign disinterest in the conversation, but she listened intently as her brother negotiated the terms.

Their parents looked at each other and made a mutual and silent decision. If a few extra teenagers was what it took to have a successful family outing, then it almost seemed like a fair deal. _Almost_.

"Okay…each of you can invite _one_ friend…" Their Dad began. Before he could finish, the three teens were on their cell phones and moving away at breakneck pace. _Speed dial.Text.Text._

"I was just thinking about you." Ashley's smoky voice came over the line after onlytwo rings. She knew who was calling her and Spencer could hear that small wry smile on her friend's lips. Spencer felt that strange-yet-familiar quickening of her pulse, and she turned and walked farther away from her family before they saw the obvious blush that touched her cheeks when she heard Ashley speak.

"Me too." Spencer said, casting a glance behind her. She was certain that her mother was psychic. She watched the corners of herMom's mouth draw down in that oh-so-familiar way she had whenever Ashley's name was mentioned. This time Spencer hadn't even heard the girl's name aloud. Just the tone in her voice had sent her mother's expression downward.

_Oh I hope that isn't who I think it is. _Her face said.

"You were just thinking about _you_ too?" Ashley teased. Spencer walked towards the stairs.

"You know what I meant..." Spencer said, and then waited until she had reached the top of the stairs to breach the question. "I have a proposition for you."

"_Yes_." Ashley answered immediately. Spencer laughed.

"You haven't even heard the proposition…"

"Whatever it is, I'm game."

"I'm allowed to bring one person to a family outing next Saturday."

"Family…_outing_ with the Carlins….sounds _farmy_."

"_Farmy_ isn't a word." Spencer said.

"It is now. I made it up just for the Carlin Clan… _Farmy_." Ashley was sounding very proud of herself and her new word.

"So will you come?"

"On your _farmy_ outing?" She paused just for effect. "It might hold a certain charm for me."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes.That's a yes." She said. By then, Spencer was in her room. She closed the door behind her.

"Aren't you even going to ask where we're going?"

"Are you going to be there?"

"Yes." Spencer said falling onto her bed and looking up at the ceiling of her room, imagining Ashley's comically cynical little smile as she listened. "I'll be there."

"Then it doesn't matter, does it?"

To be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**Outing**

**Part Two: Above It All**

When I told Spencer it really didn't matter where we were going, I really should have been more specific.

I should have known something was up when she suggested that I wear "more sensible" shoes when I came over on Saturday. I should have known because any place that wasn't strappy-platform friendly had the potential to be a yawn fest.

As soon as I saw the gigantic rental van beached in the Carlin's driveway like a huge, blue, metallic whale, I knew Spencer hadn't been joking when she said they were going on an actual outing.

When I saw Madison practically hanging off of Glen Carlin like an overzealous vine; I sat inside my car with the key in the ignition…mulling over my options.

_Okay…You could just drive off right now and no one would be the wiser. They'd just chalk it up to a "crazy, flaky Ashley" thing to do. You can handle that. A day trip in the company of Madison Duarte is so not on your list of daredevil tricks to do before you die…_

My thumb and forefinger pressed harder against the key.

_You could just burn right by them, move to another town, change your name, maybe have a little facial reconstruction…_

Just a fraction of an inch more on the key and a little gas and I would be out of there.

_But then Spence would never forgive you, Davies…and that would hurt worse than anything else… Wouldn't it?_

As if she could read my mind, Spencer stepped around the van, put her hands on her hips, and smiled at me…walking down the driveway and across the street to where I sat pondering my fate.

_Too late to duck down now. Besides, she kind of knows your car._

I took the key out of the ignition, steeled myself with a deep breath, and smiled at her out my window as she came up on my car in that oh-so-Spencer way she had.

I've realized lately that she does not have the ability to not only has the ability to brighten any room she walks into, but the world outside seemed to gain serious wattage when she smiled at me.

"Hey, you." She said.

"Hey back." I said stoically. She squinted and tilted her head. _Cute_

"Are you planning on coming out?"

"Hmm?"

"Out of the car…Or are you planning your escape route?"

"You can get in and we can _both_ escape." I offered coyly. She seemed to think about it for a fraction of a second, and then shook her head.

"Nope. You already said yes to this. Your bound by your word."

"My word doesn't mean much." I offered. Thinking maybe self-deprecation would do the trick. She pulled on the handle of the car and opened the door for me. "Come on. Get out." I remained in my seat and nodded over to the family van.

"What's the Queen Cheer Ho doing here?" Spencer followed my gaze. Madison was still doing her clinging vine act.

"She's Glen's one guest pick…and you were _mine_." She nudged my arm with her finger and gave me another 600 watt smile.

I supposed I could stand a few hours around Madison if it meant being subjected to a few more of those smiles. Hell. I might even learn how to smile back when she flirts with me like this.

_You have to play it cool, Davies. Don't give in too easily…_

"Where exactly are we going, Carlin?" I ask, trying to play off the way my heart was suddenly blundering around somewhere near my stomach.

"Disneyland." She said. I sat completely still, staring at her.

"You're kidding…?"

"I'm really not." Spencer said up at me, looking irritatingly amused by my expression.

"You have to understand that I can't go to Disneyland…" I say very matter-of-factly. She's still smiling up at me as though she knows that she has this uncanny power to make me do whatever she wants you to. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought she was mocking my will to resist her charms. "I can't." I said…a little bit too weak to make for a convincing argument.

"You already said yes, so get out of the car." She said.

_You're not the boss of me, Spencer Carlin._

And yet I get out of the car and shut the door. She reached for my keys and for the briefest of moments our fingers blend together with the promise of something _more_…and then they're gone and she has my keys.

_**'Click'** _go the auto locks.

"This day is going to be great." Spencer promised.

"It is?"

"Well…_You're_ going…and _I'm_ going…" She suggested. I could practically hear the _dot-dot-dot_ after those words.

_Do the math, Ash._

I followed her across the street, not sure what to make of spending a whole day with the whole Carlin Clan at the _Happiest Place on Earth_.

_Might be a Saccharin overload, Ash…_

Spencer turned to smile over her shoulder at me encouragingly.

_But it might end up being very interesting after all…_

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

**The Best Rides**

I feel _giddy_.

Like what a child must feel like when they first see the fun-filled horizon of one of the most notorious land marks in Southern California. I stare out the window of the van as Dad navigates the behemoth into a giant parking structure about a half mile from the actual park. He says something about how Los Angeles has a million SUVs and no actual parking spaces large enough to accommodate them.

I glance beside me at Ashley and find that she is looking at me. Her expression is like a house cat's… mysterious and generally unreadable. Some days I'd give a million dollars to figure out what's going on behind that expression. Other days, Ashley is just prone to just tell me what's rattling around up there.

Today, unpredictable, house-cat Ashley is watching me curiously, gears churning, and I'm left to wonder.

_What in the world is she planning? This is Ashley after all…_

Glen, who ended up having to sit in the very back with us, leans to look past her at me.

"Hey, ladies. Could you break off your little _staring_ contest and open the door? The van stopped moving. "He says this loud enough for everyone to hear and I can sense most of the eyes in the van on us now…I can practically _feel_ my mother's disapproving expression grazing over us. Great. Everyone is watching us now… I _know_ it. Well…maybe not Sean and Clay. They seem to be too busy bantering over what light setting Clay's camera should be on.

Glen seems very pleased with himself to make me and Ash the center of attention.

While I turn every shade of red there is, Ashley does what Ashley does best. She flashes him her devil-may-care smile and reaches for the door handle. "Sure thing, Glen." She opens the door and gets out. "Now don't forget to hold onto to an adult's hand in the park. This place is _much_ bigger than Universal Studios. We would _hate_ it if you got lost." She said this to Glen…_all_ _innocence_… and then offers me her hand to help me out of the van and it doesn't occur to me not to take it.

When I step down out of the van Ashley leans in slightly so only I can hear her.

"Okay…If this is going to be remotely _fun_, we have to ditch the fam as soon as we get in the gates." She winks at me as I look like I'm about to object. I really don't think they'll go for us lighting out on our own. "Don't worry. _You_ have a cell phone and _I_ know all of the best rides."


End file.

South of Nowhere, Romance