"Tell me there's more to the story. Tell me there's something I don't know." Spencer managed to crack. Her throat was tight and the tears that normally never escaped flooded over her cheeks. In one instant her world finally crumbled. She sought reassurance in the eyes that once brought her comfort, but she only managed to find coldness. Toby's eyes hardened as they broiled back into hers. With his jaw set he took a step towards her and Spencer froze.
"Didn't you once say that the devil had a name and it's Toby?" He spat. She let the key drop to the floor as she went limp. Her heart was breaking in her chest. For the past months it was the person she cherished most tormenting her. Still in disbelief she looked back at him. The black hood framed his face creating a shadow over his features and it was hard to read his expression as he waited for her response.
"Toby...everyone in town thought...that was before.." it was getting harder for Spencer to think rationally her head was foggy. This wasn't calculus where you had to find the limit, this... this was -A and -A had no limits.
"How long Spencer did you think you and your little posse could go with out some sort of punishment? Did you suddenly decide to grow a backbone after Alison died?" Toby asked taking another step forward. Thunder roared outside of her home and it filled her ears. Spencer placed her arm on the door facing to stabilize herself. She felt queasy as her stomach churned again.
"You are a monster...you killed her..you took her body!" Spencer whispered. It took all her power to look Toby in his eyes to try to hang on to some of her pride. She couldn't allow him to realize how broken she truly was.
Toby let out a sadistic laugh, tilting his head back in the process. The hood fell to his shoulders and he raised his hands in front of his chest. "I never claimed to be a saint Spencer, but I am not a monster. It is revenge. Everyone has secrets and eventually they will bite them in the ass."
Spencer opened and closed her mouth in shock. She was weak in her knees and she leaned her head against the wall. Her head throbbed and she placed the palm of her hand to her forehead. She was clammy, "Toby...you, you are -A."
"I am not in this black hoodie for nothing Spencer."
"Why Toby? What, what the hell did I do so wrong to cause you to seduce me, make me fall in love with you and then this? For nothing? To punish me for Allison's doings? Alison messed with everyone, it was her thing!" Spencer stood up straight as she gained some of her nerve back and took her first step towards the stranger she loved so dearly. "Do you know Toby what I said to her before she died? I told her she was already dead to me. I was best friends with her for years and as bad as I want you to be dead, as bad as I want to hate you, to despise you to loathe everything about you," Spencer chocked on her words and she swallowed trying to muster the strength to finish her rant, "I can't, I can't hate you, loathe you or despise you. I have loved you, I do love you and all I can do is sit her and ask why."
"Alison was a bitch Spencer you know that. She hated me the same as she hated anyone that wasn't of any use to her. Do you think she had any regret when she sent me off to reform school? Hell no. She thought it was quite comical. Her way of expressing her power, her reign over others."
"Is this why you are doing this to my friends and me? To get revenge on a girl who is already dead?"
"Spencer, I want you to listen to me very closely. You are a Hastings." Toby's voice was bitter as he closed the gap between them. "It was by bad fortune that we got together in the first place. If you wasn't framed for murder you would have never doubted my accusations. You would have never agreed to tutor me in French, you never would have looked at me twice. I am not apart of the high class world that you belong in. There's a storm coming Spencer, a revelation. You and your friends better batten down the hatches, because when it hits, you're all gonna wonder how you ever thought you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us. There is more to this and don't go running to the cops because we all know how well that works out for you."
Spencer stood firmly putting her last brave face on she crossed her arms and said sternly, "I want you to leave Toby, leave my house. Go back to Mona, back to your lair, to your planning and scheming because when this storm does hit my friends and I will be ready. You can bet on that."
In one swift motion Toby turned on his heel letting the door slam behind him. The thunder roared once more as she finally dropped to the ground next to the key and let out a bitter cry pulling on her hair. It was all a face. She was wrecked. What little bravery she managed to put forth in front of him was nothing but an act. Her mind swam with memories of their happier times but Toby was replaced with the hooded figure that had tormented her for the past year.
Spencer wasn't even able to pick up her phone to call her friends. She was only able to sob mercilessly into her arms. Alone in her house, her mind filled with only images and nightmares; a single thought was able to creep it's way in. It was a piece of advice her Nana had once given her, "Every storm runs out of rain Spence." and with that wisp the rain poured harder.