“Fuck!”

“Alright, pay up.”

“No way! Fuck you!”

“Dude…”

“Dude!”

“Would you just give him the money, already?”

“But it’s mine…”

“It’s the rules.”

“Fuck rules, I hate rules…Ow! Don’t hit me!”

There to be had: the results of a rousing game of Monopoly.

Now then, the million dollar question comes into play: How the hell did dart throwing and pain on Easy’s part turn into playing a board game?

It’s hard to know for sure, really. Just one of those random occurrences.

The easiest way to explain it would possibly be just that, it was like one of those times where you were fighting with someone, and then someone else would interject saying, ‘Who wants ice cream?’ or something equally ridiculous, but the people fighting would agree anyway. Instantly forgetting whatever the problem was.

So, while Easy was complaining about his thigh and yelling profanities at Ashley, she was bickering right back at him calling him a baby. It wasn’t like the dart actually stuck into his thigh.

Spencer got fed up with it after about 5 minutes, so she looked around the room, spotted the board game, and suggested Monopoly.

Now, just like the ice cream scenario, both Ashley and Easy forgot about their nothing fight and agreed to the game idea with an ‘Ooh!’.

Then they proceeded to bicker about who would get to be the dog piece. That, of course, turning into a race to the box, with them almost knocking Spencer to the floor as they both fought each other. Easy ended up winning that one, which left Ashley bitter.

The fight that was going on, now, was Ashley refusing to pay Easy, after landing on his property. She was just angry because she was losing…badly.

Spencer ended up smacking her on the shoulder, and paid for her. Using her own money and everything. After all, what’s a good significant other for? Also…Spencer was getting more and more money by the quick because she was in possession of all the railroads.

Easy and Spencer took their respective turns, both earning their way more into small fortunes, with Ashley scowling the entire time.

Ashley’s turn rolled around, once more, and she had to pick up a chance card. Doing so, she looked at it, seeing that it read: “Go to jail. Move Directly to Jail. Do Not Pass ‘Go’. Do Not Collect $200.”

With a grunt of frustration, she threw the card down, and proceeded to tell everyone how she felt about it.

“Fuck this game! It’s late, and I’m sitting on Baltic with crap, paying luxury tax out the ass! Also, I hate it when you’re the banker!” she pointed at Easy. “Where’d you get the pink fifties, you cheating whore?! The fifties aren’t even pink. Did you, like, jack them from the Life box? I don’t think the fifties are pink for that game, either!”

Spencer reached out to calm Ashley down some, but the brunette wouldn’t have it.

“Don’t touch me, Spencer! Easy is a cheating whoooore!”

Easy chuckled, as he leaned his back against the couch. He put his hands behind his head and smiled his chip-toothed smile up at Ashley. “Well, someone’s PMSing.”

Ashley glared at him with her jaw set. “Well, at least I don’t whine like a baby when a dart barely even touches me.”

Easy shrugged, “Whatever. I still have this, though.” He smirked as he picked up his dog piece and wiggled it in front of her.

Spencer sighed and buried her face in her hands, “Oh, here we go…”

Ashley’s eyes glowed with agitation. “The dog was mine!”

“But I just so happened to get it first.” Easy’s smirk remained in place.

“I had it in my hand, until you fucking bit me! I had to be the damn cannon because Spencer took the racecar!”

“Blah, blah whatever. I win, you lose!” Easy’s eyes suddenly sparkled with an idea. “I’ll tell you what, since I’m a nice guy, I’ll give you the dog, and we can continue the game. Yes?”

Ashley held out her hand and bent her fingers in a beckoning motion. “Give, give.” Her eyes didn’t leave the small, metal figure.

Easy held out the piece closer to her, and she reached out to take it, but right before she could grasp it, Easy snatched his hand back.

“Whoop, too slow!” he shouted playfully.

Ashley squealed in anger and stomped her foot. “Give it to me, or I will destroy you!”

Easy just kept to his mocking smile.

Ashley smirked right back at him and pretended to be ungazed by this.

She turned away from him and walked over to the end table next to the couch.

Spencer shook her head disapprovingly at her cousin, but he just focused his innocent smile on her, instead.

“Your girl’s violent, Squirt,” he chuckled.

The blonde simply sneered at him.

Yes, they’d talked briefly about the whole situation. Of course, after Easy had found them in such a close proximity, it was hard to sway him.

Easy knew.

But it was okay. He didn’t judge, but it was plainly obvious that he was jealous of his younger relative because he, himself, had the hots for Ashley.

No dice, there, though. So, he was happy for Spencer. He liked Ashley a hell of a lot better than he ever liked James, anyway.

Before either of them could blink, Ashley was running back towards Easy with a malicious gleam in her eyes.

“Shit!” he exclaimed, as he quickly jumped up from his sitting position. He noticed that Ashley had a dart in tow.

“Give me the damn dog!” She hurdled the table that the game was set up on, and landed in front of Easy, brandishing the dart.

Easy crossed his arms at the wrists, making an ‘X’, to ward off the menacing girl. “Back! Get back, demon spawn!”

“Alright!” Spencer yelled, making her cousin and girlfriend freeze and look her way. “That’s enough!”

She walked between Easy and Ashley. “God, what are you? Five?” She took the dart from Ashley.

“Hey!”

Spencer pointed a finger in Ashley’s face. “No.”

“But—”

“No.”

“I—”

“No.”

“He—”

“No.”

“Bu—”

“NO!”

Spencer flicked Ashley on the nose and warned her, once more, with a shake of her head.

Ashley grunted in defeat and crossed her arms over her chest in silent protest.

“Right,” Spencer nodded, “Well, I’m tired, it’s late; Ashley and I are going to our room.”

Easy’s brow perked up at this.

“To sleep,” Spencer clarified. “Perv.” She turned to Ashley and added, “I think I”m going to shower first, actually.” The brunette nodded, acknowledging her.

She turned back to Easy to say goodnight, but she found him grinning like a fool.

“God, Easy!” she yelled exasperatedly. “Alone! I’m showering alone!”

If she had turned to Ashley, she would have seen a disappointed frown flash across her face.

“Yeah, whatever,” Easy droned. Under his breath he mumbled, “Sexy time.”

Ashley picked up on it and quirked a questioning brow, “Sexy time?” she echoed. “Who says that?”

“Moi.”

“Mhmm…” Spencer hummed. “Right. ‘Night, Ease.”

He flashed a peace sign at them, as they went to leave. Once they got into the hall, they heard him call out the door.

He had yelled: “Sexy time!” in a mocking tone.

Spencer rolled her eyes, and then noticed that she still had the dart in her hand.

“One sec,” she told Ashley.

She skipped over to the door and hurled the dart in Easy’s direction.

Ashley laughed at what she could hear.

“AAHH!”

A short pause, a thump – presumably Easy falling to the floor, and a whimpering groan. All followed by a barely audible: “Not a pleasant place for that…”

-~-

What’s the best thing for an emotionally trying day?

Well, that would be a hot shower, duh.

If you said otherwise…well…uhm…you’re wrong…So there.

Anyway…not to digress.

Spencer spent a good half hour in said shower. Give or take ten minutes. Waste of water? Possibly. But she deserved it.

As she stepped out of the shower, a breeze of cold air hit her skin, making her shiver. That was the one thing she hated about showers: the shock of the cold air, when you’ve been under hot water for an extended period of time.

She walked over to the sink and wiped a circle in the fog on the mirror, so that she could see herself clearly. Staring at herself for a few moments, a new million dollar question came into play. What or who exactly was it that she was looking at?


Even after a couple days, Ashley was still having trouble adjusting to the weather of Ohio.

How could people live like this, she found herself thinking.

She was lying in bed, under all the covers, even using the duvet. Still, the brunette found herself freezing, so in about a span of ten minutes she had hopped out of bed, changed from her shorts to sleep pants, and threw on one of Spencer’s hoodies.

Then came the problem of what to do with herself. Ashley found herself becoming bored with staring at the wall as she waited for Spencer. So, as any bored person would do, she began to poke around in all the drawers she could find.

Finally finding something that caught her fancy, she settled back down and began to turn what she had found around in her hands, studying it. Reading the writing on the back. Reviews. The like. She flipped through the pages, reading sentences here and there.

Oh, yes, dear Ashley had found a book. And it had caught her fancy. Positively shocking.

Spencer had dressed in the bathroom, and opened the door to walk into the room. She was slightly stunned at the sight. Ashley, being quiet…with a…book? Yes, Spencer, a book.

“Hey,” she called out to the other girl.

Ashley’s head shot up. “Helloooo.”

Spencer was toweling her hair. “You okay?”

“Yeeesss…” The brunette’s facial expression asked the question, ‘Why do you ask?’

Spencer obliged the silent question. “You’re reading.” She pointed at the book.

“Well, aren’t you observant.”

“But why are you reading?” The blonde tilted her head to get a better look at the title. “A Walk To Remember. Interesting. Doesn’t quite strike me as an Ashley Davies forte.”

“Shut up. I was bored, and you were taking for-fucking-ever.” Ashley gave the girl a once over. “Okay, you have to be freezing…”

Spencer was wearing only shorts and a tank top.

“Nooo…I’m quite content,” she answered back with a grin. “You sure do look warm, though.”

“It’s freaking cold here…”

Ashley tossed the book onto the bedside table and got out of bed, walking to the bathroom door, where Spencer was still toweling her hair.

“You alright?” she asked cautiously.

Spencer’s brow furrowed, “What? Oh. Yeah, I’m fine.” She nodded once. “Yes.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound too convincing.”

“Ashley, I’m fine. Promise. Everything’s good.”

Ashley gave her a twice over, warily. “Fine. If you say so.”

“I do.”

“Okay.” Ashley tried to stifle a yawn as she said, “I called Kyla while you were in the shower.”

“Oh?” Spencer threw the towel into the corner. “How’s Rob Thomas?” she asked with a knowing smile. Ashley hadn’t called Kyla to talk to her…she wanted to talk to the cat. And she probably even talked to the cat.

Ashley had asked Kyla to watch Rob Thomas while they were away, and she was happy to oblige. She loved cats, so Ashley figured Rob would end up getting as much love as she did at home.

“Hey, now. Who’s to say that I didn’t call Kyla just to chat? Robs didn’t even cross my mind…”

Who was she trying to kid? Seriously.

Spencer rolled her eyes and looked at the other girl, unconvinced. “How’s the cat, Ash.”

“She’s fine,” the brunette mumbled.

“Good.”

“Hey, Spence?” Spencer lifted her brow in acknowledgement. Ashley sighed quietly as she continued. “I just wanted to tell you that it would be okay if we hung out with your friends some more while you were home. I’ll be good, and I won’t kill them.”

Spencer smiled. “That’s sweet of you. You needn’t bother, though. They’re not my friends, and I don’t wish to see them. They won’t come around, again. I made sure of it.”

“How?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Spencer smiled innocently. “Also,” she leaned closer to Ashley and kissed her lightly on the cheek, “here’s not home. Home’s in LA, with you.”

Needless to say, the brunette was relieved to hear that she wouldn’t have to deal with Debbie and/or James, again. She would probably end up slapping them silly, even though she said she wouldn’t cause them any physical harm.

She was still sensing some bad vibes coming from Spencer, however.

“You sure that you’re okay?”

Spencer wrapped her arms around the girl’s neck and shook her head. “No, not really. But I can deal. I’ll be stressed until I get this out, but I won’t take it out on you. Y’know, sometimes it just makes me mad…or sad.” She furrowed her brow in thought, for a moment. “It’s makes me smad.”

Ashley chuckled, as she wrapped her arms around Spencer’s waste. “Well, thank you for your honesty. Is there anything I could do to make you less smad?”

Spencer didn’t speak, but answered the question by pressing her lips into Ashley’s. Obviously this seemed to solve most of their problems.

It caught Ashley off guard, slightly, so she stumbled back into the doorframe. She seemed unfazed, otherwise, as Spencer continued to attack her mouth, now using the doorframe as a slight trap to cut off most movement from the brunette.

Ashley knew where this would lead. She pulled back. “Spence.” Spencer wasn’t really paying attention. “Spencer, we can’t.” She remembered something Easy had told her about the walls. “Paper-thin walls,” she mumbled.

“So?”

“You and I aren’t necessarily quiet…”

“I can be quiet,” she whispered seductively as she lowered her head and worked her lips across Ashley’s neck.

The brunette tried her best t swallow a moan that was working it’s way up her throat.

“I really don’t think it’s a good idea,” Ashley said in a breathy whisper.

“Frankly, Ashley…I don’t give a damn.”

Ashley nodded. “Alrighty, then…” She found Spencer’s lips, again.

“Still cold?” the blonde mumbled during a kiss. She didn’t wait for an answer as she stripped the hoodie off the other girl.

Obviously that answer was a no.

They made their way over to the bed, awkwardly, still tangled in each other. That caused Ashley to lose her balance, which then caused her to trip backwards. They were close enough to the bed to where she could land on that, but the way she fell caused her head to collide with the headboard.

“Jesus,” she grunted as she rubbed the back of her head.

Spencer giggled, making Ashley laugh, herself. The blonde hadn’t fallen, so she sat on the bed and crawled up next to the other girl, where they continued what they had started.

The movements of the girls were causing the ancient bed to squeak. This didn’t go unnoticed by Ashley.

“Uh, Spence…”

“What?”

“The bed.”

“What about it?”

Ashley wiggled slightly to show what she was about to say. “The bed squeaks.”

“Your point?”

Spencer really didn’t care. She just wanted Ashley to stop getting distracted.

“My point being…it’s quite a loud squeak and people mind wonder what’s going on if they hear a, uhm…” She thought for a moment. “‘Squeaky, squeaky, squeaky…boom, owwww’.” The last part was Ashley thinking about hitting her head on the headboard, again.

Spencer laughed loudly. “Oh, my God.”

“Yeeaahhh…”

“You’re right, we’re not good at being quiet.” Spencer got a gleam in her eye. “But, now’s our chance to practice.”

Once again, they found themselves lost. Ashley was taking an interest in this persona of her girlfriend. Usually Spencer was cautious, and she would never even consider doing such things when there was even the slightest chance they’d get caught. But frankly, apparently, she didn’t give a damn.

As hands started exploring, there was a chime coming from the beside table: Ashley’s cell phone.

They both groaned in annoyance.

“Don’t bother,” Spencer grumbled, as she continued her attack on the other girl’s neck.

“Mmm…But it could be important.”

“Doubt it.”

“Sorry.”

Spencer grunted, as Ashley rolled the girl off her and reached for her phone.

She answered it without looking at the ID. “What?”

“Ashley!”

“Kyla…”

“Whatcha dooooin’?”

“I’m kind of busy, Kyla…”

“Wait, but I have a question!” There was a slight pause on the line. “Hold up, what kind of busy…”

“Okay, gotta go, bye!”

“But—”

“Kyla, if you don’t hang up this goddamn phone, I’m going to eat you alive!”

“Psh, save it for Spencer.”

“Kyla! I swear, the next time I see you, I’m going to beat you so bad you won’t even know who your father is! Goodbye!” She snapped her phone shut.

Once she had done so, Spencer snatched the phone from her, took out the battery, and tossed both components to the other side of the room. Then she proceeded to basically ‘jump’ Ashley.

–

Kyla closed her phone after the tone went dead and tapped it against her chin. “I won’t even know my own father,” she repeated to herself. “Clever. I know my father. Hell, you know my father.”

“What are you mumbling?”

“Huh?” Kyla turned to face Aiden who was walking through the threshold of the door, with Rob Thomas, in tow. “Oh, nothing.”

“What’re they doing?”

“Fucking,” Kyla stated bluntly, as she tossed her phone aside.

“Like, they were going at it while you were on the phone?!”

“It’s possible.”

Aiden blinked and stared at Kyla trying to hide certain thoughts. No dice.

“No, I’m not calling them back!” Kyla let out an exasperated sigh. It was scary how she could almost always read everyone’s thoughts.

Aiden hung his head in defeat but quickly perked up. “So, then I’m guessing Ashley didn’t answer your question.”

“Nope. I guess Rob, here, won’t get her food.”

“I still can’t believe you forgot the brand.”

“Well, I wasn’t the one who shoved the empty bag into the trash compactor before reading the damn brand!”

“But it was cool…It, like, ate it!”

Kyla threw her hands up into the air, “Whatever!”

Aiden plopped down into an armchair, while Rob settled herself on his lap. “I’ve got an idea!”

“Lay it on me, Hot-Shot,” Kyla said sarcastically.

“We could take Robbykins to Petsmart. She could pick out her own food.”

Kyla started at him, blankly. “The cat can’t pick out her own food, Aid.”

“Says who?” he protested. “The cat’s smart, Ky.” He picked up Rob’s front paws, “I am Rob Thomas, hear me roar!” He lowered his head to one of Rob’s ears and whispered, “This is where you roar.”

Meow.

Aiden smiled goofily in triumph.

Kyla chuckled. “Fine, whatever. Only if we can stop by Starbucks, as well.”

“Yeah, alright, Coffee-Queen. But after that we’re going to In an Out.”

Aiden stood up with Rob still in his arms.

“So,” Kyla started. “Petsmart, Starbucks, In and out. Yes? Or should we go to Starbucks last?”

“Hell no. I can only deal with your sugar high when I’m working on an In and Out Double-Double Burger. Also, I’m cutting you off at five coffees. You’re running me ragged on cash…and energy.”