Chapter 1
Love Is Just A Four Letter Word
For Toby Cavanaugh, love was just a joke, a scam, and big fat lie. The lie was that guys were dating girls because they want to spend time with them, but Toby knew what all guys really wanted. The scam is that a lot of girls would lead on helpless chumps, who fell in love with them, and squeezed out every dime they could without having any real feelings for the guy before moving on to the next guy.
And love is a joke because no one was truly in a relationship because they loved someone, they were just looking to gain something. Whether they're looking to gain money, popularity, experience, confidence, or just sex. Toby, knew how relationships worked and it wasn't about love, but about how much you could gain from someone else.
Toby's parents were divorced and both remarried, but they were still in his life. He just had a new stepfather, stepmother, and stepsister. A bigger family meant a happier family to him. His parents aren't to blame for his disbeliefs in love, but at some point they just stopped being in love with each other, so they got divorced.
His best friends believe in what he says too. Expect for Andrew and Travis. Andrew always believed in finding the one while Travis already claimed that he found his one in Hanna Marin. Noel and Caleb were a different story. Noel didn't believe in love because he didn't like being faithful to one girl, he thought that it was virtually impossible and Caleb, he hasn't been a big fan of love since his bad breakup with Hanna.
It was weird when Travis started dating Hanna, in fact, he and Caleb got into a fist fight about it when Caleb found out. They worked it out though and were soon friends again. His last friend, Emily, was the one who believe that love is for any and everyone. Toby just guessed that she thought that because she and her girlfriend Paige have been together since freshman year.
Toby, may not believe in love, but he has no trouble making female friends. Girls just seemed to fall in love with his deep blue eyes and his way with words. He wasn't the most popular guy at Rosewood High, but no one was stealing his lunch money and he had plenty of friends. He was just one of those kids, who just knew how to fit in at school.
This was his and his friends senior year and Toby wanted it to be the best year of high school ever. He had no worries or responsibilities, he was just going to cruise the through the rest of the school year. Everything was going to be perfect this year and he didn't have to worry about any girlfriend dragging him down. Expect, this year he was about to do a complete 180, he just didn't know it yet.
Toby groaned when he heard the loud blaring coming from his alarm clock. He wasn't exactly a morning person, so waking up for school everyday was not one of his favorite things to do. He blindly reached out to shut off his alarm and he succeeded, but the clock still fell to the floor.
"Toby, let's move it you've got thirty minutes to get ready and go to school."
"I'm up, dad." Toby said horsely has he rose up from the bed and stretched. He almost forgot where he was for moment.
He would usually alternate between his parents houses. One week he might stay with his dad, stepmom, and Jenna. Other weeks, he'll stay with his mom and his stepdad. He had his own room in both houses and they both looked completely different, so sometimes he got confused when he'd wake up.
He stood from the bed and made his way into his bathroom. He looked in the mirror to see that his hair was all over the place, but he decided to keep the bed head today. He hopped in the shower, brush his teeth, and got dressed before heading downstairs for breakfast. On his way down the stairs, he got a text from Noel.
I need a ride to school, can you pick me up on your way?
-Noel
Sure, no problem
-T
"Toby, I need a ride to school." Was the first thing his stepsister, Jenna, said to him when he walked into the kitchen.
"Well, good morning to you too." He said sarcastically while he stacked his plate with pancakes that his stepmom made this morning."What's wrong with your car?"
"The battery died and dad said that'd go get it fixed when he gets off work. I don't have a car, so I need you to take me."
Toby sat down across from Jenna at the little table in the kitchen."Just know if you ride with me, then we'll have to pick up Noel on the way."
Jenna groaned and Toby smirked. He knew that would stop her from wanting to ride with him."Can't he just jog along side the car on the way to school?"
"Jenna, he's my friend."
"Well, you need better friends. That guy is conceited, arrogant, overconfident-"
"Sounds like you've got a crush on him." He teased and she smacked his arm with her book before getting up and walking out of the kitchen."Isn't that how it goes sometime? When a boy and girl are mean to each other that means they really like each other?"
"Whatever, I'll just call Shana and get a ride with her."
"Whatever you say, sis." He finished his pancakes and put the plate in the sink. He grabbed his backpack and his keys off the hook before heading for the door."See you at school."
Toby honked the horn for about the third time before Noel came running outside."Hurry, up before we're late!"
Noel picked up the pace and finally made it to Toby's truck. He pulled open the door and slid in before Toby pulled back onto the road."What's with the sudden urgency to get to school?"
"My parents have been on my case lately about academics and I promised that I'd do better."
"Why?"
Toby smirked before pulling something out of his glove compartment and showing to Noel."This is why. If I don't get focused in school then I could kiss these goodbye."
"Two plane tickets to Cancun. Wow, your parents must want you the honor for the rest of the year."
"That's not even the best part. The tickets are for spring break I'm going to be spending spring break in one of the hottest places to go for spring break. Jenna's going too, of course my parents weren't going to let me go without giving her tickets to go too." Toby explained and he noticed how Noel rolled his eyes when he said Jenna's name."At first it was just a reward for doing so good in school, but if I don't start being on time for school and class I'm going to be here for spring break working with my dad and not in Cancun."
"Sounds like you better step on it then, so we won't be late." Noel said."Have you heard from any of the other guys?"
"Andrew's probably at school already with his nose in a book. Travis is probably kissing Hanna somewhere. And Caleb is most likely with Aria, they have a project to do together in art class."
"What's the deal with Aria?"
Toby furrowed his eyebrows."What do you mean?"
"Is she seeing anyone? Does she have a boyfriend?"
"I don't really know. I don't talk with Aria that much or her group of friends, expect for Hanna, but that's only because she's Travis' girlfriend."
"I guess I can ask Caleb, he's been seeing a lot of her."
"Yeah, good luck with that."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that you aren't her type." Toby said and that was putting it lightly.
"We'll see when I ask her out today."
"Yeah, I guess we will see."
Toby sat down for lunch a little bit later in the day. He always enjoyed lunch because not only was it a break from class, but it was the time he could catch with his friends. He only had one class with Andrew, one with Caleb, and one with both Travis and Noel in the same class. He was usually with Emily throughout the school day since their schedules were almost identical.
He looked across the lunchroom to see Travis sitting with Hanna on his lap. Toby rolled his eyes because he knew that soon enough they'll find out that love isn't real. He saw Emily come over and joinbthem at the table and she was followed by Paige, then Aria.
Lastly, was the brunette that always seemed to stand out to Toby. She was beautiful, no doubt about that, but she wasn't the girl for him. She liked relationships and believed in love or at least she used to believe in love. Her and this guy, Alex Santiago, had been dating from freshman year to the end of their junior year. No one knew the reason for the break up, but they did know that Alex left town and Spencer stopped dating.
"Why are you staring at Emily? You do realize she has a girlfriend right?" Caleb teased as he sat down at the table with Toby at the table. Noel and Andrew joined them shortly after.
Toby averted his eyes away from Spencer. He was really glad that Emily was sitting right next to her."I wasn't staring I was just thinking about something."
"Uh-huh, what's wrong with you Noel?" Caleb asked when he turned his attention his other friends and he saw Noel looking pissed off.
"I don't want to talk about it." Noel grumbled out before getting up and storming off from the table.
"Jeez, what's his problem?" Andrew asked and Caleb and Toby just shrugged. Maybe Noel was just in one of his moods."And where's Travis?"
"Over there probably professing his love for Hanna." Toby said, but noticed the way Caleb shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Hey, Toby." Toby looked up and before he could even register it, Mona Vanderwaal planted herself in his lap and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck."I'm having a party tonight, are you and your friends going to come?"
"Like I'd miss a chance to see you." Toby said as his hands reached out to hold her waist and his thumbs slowly stroked the bare skin that was peeking out from under her shirt."Just text me and I'll be there."
"Great, see you tonight." She hopped up from his lap to go rejoin her friends at their table.
"So anyone up for a party tonight?"
Toby was sitting at his desk that night doing homework. If he had to pick one subject that he liked it would be English class. There was just something about books and words. He was fast at work when he heard a knock at his door.
"Enter." Toby said and the door was opened and his dad came into his room."And what do I owe the pleasure of my father coming to visit me in my room?"
"I just wanted to let you know that your mother has to go out of town on a business trip, so you're going to stay here next week too."
"Okay, is that it?" Toby asked when his dad hadn't left yet after telling him the news.
"Dinners going to be ready soon or are you going out like Jenna?"
"Where's Jenna going?"
"To some party with Shana thrown by a girl she knows at school."
"Yeah, me and the guys were actually gonna go to that party." Toby said."But I can stay if you want me to, so that you could at least have dinner with one of your kids home."
"No, go out and have your fun with your friends. Just don't get into too much trouble tonight and be responsible."
"Sure thing, dad." Toby said and saluted his dad before his dad left his room. Toby closed his textbooks because he had a party to get ready for.
