So first, the Taylor Swift One Shot Collection is going on hiatus. Probably until summer. But in return I have about five stories I've started. I will not post them all at once. One of them will not be posted until all the chapters are done.
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"Spencer Hastings has been bullied and friendless since she can remember. Toby Cavanaugh gets a better look into her messed up personal life, and for once, maybe Spencer has some hope. Can he save her from her family, as well as herself?"
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Students snickered as the new rumor went around about Spencer. She could still hear Alison's words from across the hall, "I hear she still wets her bed at night."
She had rolled her eyes, they were seniors, and fifth graders. But she was used to it, ever since kindergarten she had been an outsider. In school and at home, Melissa, her older sister, had stole any attention she ever got.
Spencer saw Aria and Alison laughing at something really funny, probably about her. Maybe her hair was equal on each shoulder, or she wore the same shirt they "spilled" their lunch on three weeks ago. When she sat her stuff down at her desk in AP Biology, Caleb, who was dating Hanna, Alison's twin sister, pushed all her stuff off her desk.
She clenched her teeth as she heard Emily, Noel, and Toby laughing at him. They were the jocks of the school, the collaborated with Alison to make her life miserable.
"Nice one Rivers." Noel yelled. "Maybe you should push her next."
Spencer hid her face from everyone, you're so weak. She thought to herself, and stupid. Just die, nobody will care. They'd probably celebrate. She wiped the tears that had fallen down her cheeks.
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Toby watched Spencer, he knew she tried to hide her emotions, but he saw right through her. He was knew to school in the middle of sophomore year and for whatever reason he joined in on the torture Spencer Hastings had gone through.
He'd never done anything, but he laughed at her, and he'd point at her. But why? He didn't know. "Stop crushing on her Cavanaugh." Caleb spoke. "That's the third time this week I've seen you starring at her. She's just a stupid slut."
"How do you know?" Toby asked, "What has she done?"
"Well, rumor has it she slept with the debate team. All of them." Caleb shrugged. "Why are you so worried about her? Do you actually like her?"
"No." Toby shook his head. "But why are people so vicious to her?"
"I dare you to find out." Caleb smirked. "Make her fall in love with you, then kick drop her better than David Beckham."
"I don't think he was a goalie, Caleb." Toby laughed.
"I think Caleb has a great idea. And when she reveals all her secrets, you tell the whole school." Emily joined in.
"What happens if I don't?" Toby tested.
"You owe us all fifty dollars. If you do it, we all owe you fifty dollars." Noel betted.
"Deal." Toby agreed.
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"Spencer!" Toby called after school.
She looked back confused, no one had ever called her by her actual name since middle school, skank, whore, slut, lesbo, flatty, fatty, geek, nerdy, stupid, idiot, and the list goes on.
"Wha-what?" She questioned hesitantly.
"I heard you were smart, and I'm failing French." Toby told her.
Spencer nodded, "Okay…" she replied in a small voice. Toby didn't think he'd ever heard it before.
"Can you tutor me?" He asked.
Spencer hesitated. This can go two ways, if she says no, he'll hate her even more and make her life more miserable, and if she yes he can create some stupid rumor about her personal life.
She'll go with the second option, "Yeah, sure." She shrugs, again in a small voice.
Toby smiled at her, "Great, I'll meet you at your place at three. Is that okay?"
Spencer nods and gives him her address.
"Hooking up with someone, slut?" A guy questioned.
Spencer looked at him then walked away, covering her face with her hair.
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She found herself in her bathroom. She had to hurry, Toby would be at her house in fifteen minutes. She grabbed the pencil sharpener from her back and took the razor out. She pulled up her sleeves and looked at her scar-covered arm.
She felt hot tears trickle down her face as she added new ones. She was so tired. She didn't even know why she tried anymore. She hadn't had a hug since she could remember, she didn't think she ever got "I love you" said to her, she was alone.
She cleaned herself up and changed into sweats and a long sleeved shirt. She also she decided she needed go for a run later. She was back up to ninety pounds.
Spencer had just finished putting her hair into a quick pony-tail when she heard a knock on her door. She ran down her stairs and opened the door.
Toby was surprised to see Spencer's attire. He didn't know why, but she looked different with her hair up and in sweats. "Hey." He smiled.
"Uh, hi." Spencer spoke, louder than she spoke at school. She moved aside so he could walk in. "So what did you need help with."
"Uh, Français." Toby replied. "Just with fluency and stuff."
"pouvez-vous comprendre cela?" Spencer talked, Toby nearly collapsed, it turned him on hearing her talking in French. "Je prends ça comme un pas."
"What?" Toby asked, flabbergasted.
"I asked if you could understand this, then I'll take that as a no." She told him. "We have work to do."
Toby was surprised by her assertiveness. She was a completely different person now. He only knew the quiet girl that kept to herself so she wouldn't get it any worse than she had.
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He got her to smirk, but the atmosphere changed when her father came home.
"Who the hell are you?" He asked.
"Oh, Spencer is just tutoring me." He told him.
He scoffed, "Tutoring? You're better off being tutored by a skunk. But I guess Spencer kind of resembles one."
He watched as Spencer continued writing a lesson for him. "She's very smart."
"In what world?" He laughed. "But it's time for you to leave."
Toby nodded walking out, but he didn't leave. He peered in the door since it was mostly made of clear glass.
What he saw broke his heart. Her father's face was red as he pointed at her, yelling at her. Spencer starred at her father, taking in what he was calling her.
Toby left before things got bad though. Peter grabbed Spencer by the hair and pulled her up. He threw her on the ground, again by her hair. "You're worthless." He seethed before kicking her.
When he finished Spencer limped upstairs. She couldn't do this anymore. She was done. With school, with her family, with everything. She felt tear after tear race down her bruised face. She grabbed the same razor as before and started ruining every inch of her skin. She started at her feet and made her way up.
Before she knew it, she was cutting her cheeks. All she saw was red, but she still felt the energy in her. Her dad had left about five minutes she went to her room.
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Toby was home for about an hour before he realized he left his phone at Spencer's house. He drove back and walked in the already open door. "Spencer?" he called.
He felt an eerie silence, and decided to check on her. Something told him to. "Spencer?" He called again.
He checked all the rooms downstairs. When he went up he heard sobbing from the bathroom. When he opened it up he was stunned, "Oh God Spencer." He whispered. She was covered in blood.
He turned on the shower and since she was already naked from slicing every inch of her body, he just picked her up and put her in. She screamed as the water seeped into all her wounds. "No!" She yelled at him. "No! You're a monster!"
Toby shook his head, trying to control his tears, it looked like someone had been murdered by the amount of blood in the bathroom. "It's okay."
"Why? Why would you save me?" She yelled at him pushing him away.
He grabbed her hands, "Stop." He choked on his words. "God, I'm sorry." He told her. He didn't care about his clothes, and he pulled into a hug. When he released her he took his shirt and pants off, but kept his boxers on and stepped into the shower.
He wrapped his arms around her again as she sobbed into his chest. Her bleeding had gone way down by now, and it was just washing the excess blood. "I'll be back. Where do you keep you towels."
"Top cabinet to the right." She replied.
Toby nodded and got out. He grabbed a towel for himself and out it around his waist, and one for her. When he came back she had shut the water off, but was still in the shower.
"Are you still bleeding?" He asked.
"No." She whispered. Toby unfolded the towel as she stepped into it. He wrapped it around her body and lifted her.
"Is there anything I can change into while my clothes get washed?" He questioned.
"You can where my dad's t-shirts. He has some running shorts too." She told him.
Toby nodded and went to go change.
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It was the next day when Toby came to a decision. He could help Spencer, or he could pretend it never happened. He stayed the night to watch her, but went home in the morning.
When he got to school he saw people throwing Spencer around like she was a rag doll. His heart broke at the sight of the situation, no wonder she hated her life.
"Hey Toby." Emily and Noel and up to him, "Caleb's sick again so it's just us three."
"I can't do it anymore." He replied. "I give up. Spencer's life is absolutely awful."
Emily frowned, but Noel smiled, "Well, now you owe us all fifty dollars."
"That's fine, but I'm not going to play with Spencer. Why do people bully her anyway?"
"Nobody really knows. It started with Alison, but I don't think Alison even knows." Emily shrugged.
"We should do something." Toby suggested.
"You can. But we don't have time for her. She's worthless." Noel reminded him.
"Noel's right. Why save her now? She's a big girl. She can handle it herself." Emily agreed walking away with Noel.
Toby rolled his eyes and stomped over to the Alison, Aria, and Hanna, "Stop."
"Stop what?" Alison scoffed.
"Bullying Spencer." He accused.
"Spencer? I don't know a Spencer. But I do know a worthless, fat, slutty, piece of shit." Alison laughed, Hanna and Aria giggled too.
Toby rolled his eyes, "Putting her down just to make yourself feel better doesn't make you cool, Alison. It makes you look like you have no life. And if you think it'll get you places, think again."
"You never confronted me before, Cavanaugh. Why now? Did you hook up with her?"
"Do whatever you want. But there are harassment laws, and it'll get ass thrown in jail. As well as your asses too." He told the three girls.
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After school Toby went over to Spencer's again.
"I didn't think you'd come back." Spencer told him. "Why?"
"Because I felt like I needed to." Toby shrugged. "Tell me about yourself."
"You haven't heard all about my life in that halls? That I'm stupid and fat and ugly? That I sleep with everyone?"
"I don't believe them." Toby replied, "I want your story from your mouth."
"Well I was born on April 11th 1996, I have a sister Melissa, and my mom died about three days after my birth from unknown reasons. My sister and dad blame me for her death so he took care of me until I started kindergarten. Which is when Alison started bullying me since I didn't have a mom and I was thinner than most kindergarteners. When I was in second grade a couple of girls shaved my head, and in fourth grade they pushed me off a slide. Then everyone just kind of started bullying me, even people who didn't know me," Spencer finished. "And twelve years later I'm still being bullied. The hug you gave me yesterday? It's the only one I've ever had. That I can remember.
Toby's breath hitched, that can't be true, it isn't true. "Spencer…"
"And you're the only person besides the teachers that call me by my actual name." Spencer could hear her voice crack. "My dad doesn't even call me Spencer."
Toby couldn't help but wrap his arms around her. It dawned on him that she doesn't know what happy feels like, or what it feels to be safe or loved. She just knows what sad feels like, and hurt, and hated. But in only the twenty four hours that he's actually seen her out of school, he can tell that she's special. She's more than the broken girl everyone sees. And he's going to fix what he can. He has to.
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Yeah, yeah. I know it's been an awfully long time. But I finished a paper that I've been working on since October. So now I have more time. Anyway, so I watched Cyberbully, and we just finished are bullying/suicide/depression unit in health and this was born.
Fun fact: Last year I almost started this really sad story but then thought it was way too graphic and deleted it.
Also, don't know how often I'll update, but shouldn't be too far apart, and it probably won't be every week. But since I'm on Winter Break I might update one or two times.
Please review, the more you review, the more I'm pressured to update.
