This is Real

Bad Luck

Ashley grabbed the shot Shay was just about to take because it was going to be the latter's fourth shot and they've only been at that bar for ten minutes and it looked like the second shot a guy sitting by the corner had ordered. Ashley knew Shay was going to try and reach for it, so Ashley slammed the shot and made a face. Too strong.

Ashley had essentially been baby-sitting Shay for the past week and a half, and the brunette seemed to switch from moping the first week to resorting to drinking alcohol the next. Currently, Shay was entertaining everyone who slid her a drink, and it had come to be Ashley's role to glare at everyone who made a pass at her best friend. It was twice as difficult because Shay attracted both guys and girls and she was getting twice the number of propositions now. Sometimes Ashley wondered if their fans could separate PLL from their off-screen lives. From everything that had been reported about Shay, except for the occasional rumor about her and Sasha, Shay was straight.

With an annoyed eye roll, Ashley turned Shay's barstool, the scrape of the metal on the floor making Shay cringe as she tried to focus her eyes on Ashley. Shay already had a buzz. Aside from the three shots she'd had, Ashley was sure Shay had a few drinks before they left their cabin. Ashley was once again thankful that they've been able to escape the paparazzi's radar for the last few days, and they were still free of wandering, curious eyes. They've made a few stops in small towns that offered nature trips, and Ashley had been forcing Shay to move with her during the day so they weren't drunk all the time. But Shay was getting more hungover each morning and they got up and out of the house later. They weren't able to leave the small cabin they rented out until after lunch that day.

"You're not taking another drink anymore. Do not fucking spiral into your misery over she-who-must-not-be-named." Ashley had taken to saying that because saying Sasha's name made Shay mope more, and drink more. "You're attracting too much attention."

"Just one more drink, though," Shay insisted, as she looked back at the last guy who slid her the drink Ashley had drank for her.

Her best friend was about to start lecturing Shay again, when Shay felt a presence near her that had her turning in her seat sideways to look at the person who occupied the barstool beside her. Shay received an almost shy smile before the girl, a blonde turned towards the bartender to order her drink. In Shay's state of lack of sobriety, she continued to stare at the girl, and it wasn't until Ashley turned Shay's face physically so she was looking at Ashley that she looked away.

With narrowed eyes, Ashley gave Shay a warning glance. The girl beside Shay was blonde, blue-eyed. She was shorter than Shay from what the two best friends could tell. In other words, she looked kind of like Sasha. Different, of course, Shay thought, but just looking at the girl reminded her of Sasha and what she was missing back home. She would have given in to the urge to fly back and beg Sasha to take her back and agree to keeping the two of them a secret if Ashley hadn't talked her out of it. Three times.

Shay made a face at how close Ashley's face was to hers. "Why'd we come here if you're not going to let me drink?"

"I followed you here, Mitchell. In fact, you sneaked out of the cabin."

Shrinking in her seat, Shay broke eye contact and stared at the empty shot glass in front of her.

Ashley changed tactics, because she knew how bad Shay was taking all that had happened. In fact, Shay hadn't reacted this way before. "Shan-"

"Ash, just give me another night to deal with this my own way, ok? Then tomorrow you can, I don't know, take me to do retail therapy. I'll blow my savings buying a yacht or something."

"Use it to attract better girls."

Despite feeling her heart clench at the indirect reference to Sasha, Shay managed a half-hearted smile. "Maybe."