Hey guys! Thanks for all the kind reviews :D This chapter is kinda a long one so I'll keep this note short. This chapter was inspired by the Florence + the Machine song "Shake It Out." ENJOY!


Chapter 7: Shake It Out

Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play

Glimmers of orange and yellow trickled through Spencer's window as the sun began to rise. Spence awoke the next morning a state of panic. Toby's arm was draped over her as he held her tight against his chest. They were so close she could feel his heavy breathes tickle the back of her neck. Carefully, she slid out from under his hold, embarrassed at their sleeping position. She sat up on the side of her bed, holding her head in her hands trying to recall her memories of the night prior.

Suddenly it hit her. She kissed Toby. She kissed him three times.

Then she begged him to stay the night with her as though she was a little kid afraid of the dark. How could she let things get so out of control? She was always had a strict boundaries and always knew her place. Worse than her confusion, Toby had a girlfriend. Spencer had kissed and slept next to a guy with a girlfriend. Her head was spinning, and all she could think about in that moment was how badly she needed a cup of coffee to keep her head straight. She headed down the stairs to make a fresh pot in the kitchen, leaving a sleeping Toby alone in her bed.

And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues drawn
It's always darkest before the dawn

Toby's eyes fluttered open as the closing of a door awoke him. He looked around to familiarize himself with his surroundings, it took a moment for his brain to kick in as he realized he was in Spencer's bed, the memories of the night before flooding his brain.

What had he done? Guilt filled his conscience as thoughts of Mona crept into his mind. While Mona wasn't perfect, she had never been anything less than loyal to Toby. Sure it appeared she cared more about her Louis Vuittons than anything else, but he knew deep down she cared for him too and this would crush her.

Why had he been so stupid? Part of him wished he had simply driven Spencer home after finding her drunk. Why had he kissed her? Why had he agreed to spend the night?

Then he remembered the look in her eyes as she danced in his truck. It was as though nothing could touch her, she was so carefree for that one moment in her life. It was captivating to say the least. And the way she looked at him when he told her she was beautiful, it was as though she didn't want to believe it. He knew he couldn't regret the happenings of that night, no matter how heavy his conscience.

And I've been a fool and I've been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I'm always dragging that horse around

Before his confusion could heighten, he decided it was time to face the world. He chanced a glance at the alarm clock sitting on the nightstand beside Spencer's bed, it read 7:39.

Great. He had exactly an hour and twenty-one minutes before he had to face the consequences of the night prior as he would have to see Mona at school.

He removed the covers and started making his way down the long hallway that led to the stairs. He spotted Spencer sitting at the kitchen table sipping on a cup of coffee looking as though she was contemplating the worries of the world.

She spotted him as he finally reached the last stair, she turned to him as she spoke, "Hey, want some coffee?" her concerned expression transforming to a light smile.

"Sure," Toby shrugged. He grabbed a cup from the cupboard and poured the dark liquid into the mug. The rich aroma filled his sense as he took a sip before taking a seat at the table across from Spencer. They sat in silence for a moment, neither knowing what to say to the other.

Finally, Toby broke the silence, "so…about last night..."

Spencer took another sip before she spoke lightly as though it was no big deal, "Yeah, sorry about that, I was so drunk I didn't know what I was doing."

Toby looked at her questioningly. He was not expecting that response. She was drunk last night, but she wasn't completely wasted. Toby doubted if she had even had a hangover this morning. It wasn't like Spencer to blow off a thing like this. She analyzed everything, from the impression her shoes made to the tone in someone's voice, she never let the little things slide let alone something sort of major that could change the meaning of their relationship.

Our love is questioned, such a mournful sound
Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground
So I like to keep my issues drawn
But it's always darkest before the dawn

He stared at her agape as she continued, "Maybe we should just forget last night even happened? You know, for Mona," she suggested.

"Um..okay yeah for Mona," Toby agreed, "but maybe we should talk about it."

"There's nothing to talk about Toby, I was drunk and didn't know what I was doing. You were just being friendly, end of story," Spencer declared getting up from the table to rinse out her coffee cup in the sink putting an end to their short conversation.

"Now, I need to get dressed for school….shoot my car…" Spencer was more or less talking to herself at this point as Toby continued to watch her still in shock.

"Um.. I guess I could drive you, then we could pick up your car after school?" Toby offered.

"Yeah, I guess we'll have to," Spencer agreed.

Toby waited patiently in the kitchen while Spencer got ready for the day. He found himself pacing back and forth, his mind racing too much for him to sit still. Why had Spencer made what happened last night not seem like a big deal. It wasn't an accident, that's something Toby knew for sure. Last night he experienced a comfort and spark that he never experienced with Mona. It was different, but in a good way that sent chills through his spine. Yet Mona had always been there for him when he needed her, and never questioned why he needed comfort. She didn't mind that his family had a lot of drama, and was understanding when he didn't want to talk about it.

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa

As Toby's mind played tug-of-war, Spencer appeared on the bottom of the stairs.

"Let's go, you still need to change at your house and we're running late," Spencer ordered as she rushed around the kitchen, gathering her book bag and a large textbook.

Toby followed her out to his truck and drove to his house speedily, running a few stop signs in the process. Upon arrival of his home, Spencer practically pushed Toby out of his truck, while trying to hide his laughter he ran inside to change. Moments later Toby come running back out to meet a strangely silent Spencer. Her mood had drastically changed from when Toby entered his house. Toby let her be with her thoughts as he backed out of his driveway, and started to drive toward the school.

Spencer continued to look out the window, not acknowledging Toby's presence. They were half-way to Rosewood High when Spencer finally spoke, "turn right," she told him.

"What?" Toby didn't understand, one second she was freaking out about being late to school, now she wanted him to go a totally different direction.

"Turn right," Spencer practically yelled at him.

Toby spun the steering wheel in the hand, not wanting to miss the turn. The truck skidded at Toby's sudden change of course. After regaining control of the vehicle, he decided it was safe to speak, "Spencer, what's going on?"

Still looking out the window, Spencer spoke in a monotone voice, heavy with underlying emotion and anxiety, "I was just thinking about yesterday at school…I just can't go there… I can't face him. Not now, not after how he treated me."

And I am done with my graceless heart
So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart
'Cause I like to keep my issues drawn
It's always darkest before the dawn

Toby nodded simply, "ok, where are we going?"

Spencer smiled at his willingness and acceptance of her answer, "go straight then turn left at the next light."

Eventually Toby pulled into a parking spot in the near empty parking lot outside of the local movie theatre. "What are we doing here?" Toby questioned curiously.

"I'm not really sure to be honest, it was just the first place I could think of to distract myself and hide from the world," Spencer explained.

They got out of the rusted truck and Toby bought them two tickets for the first show playing. They entered an empty theatre and took seats in the exact middle.

They had barely spoken since arriving at the theatre, and Toby couldn't stand the awkward tension anymore, "Hey, do you want popcorn?" Toby offered.

"Sure," Spencer answered simply.

Toby left Spencer briefly as the previews started playing, coming back only a few minutes later with what Spencer swore was the largest bucket of popcorn she had ever seen.

"Holy shit, are you hungry much?" Spencer gawked at the large bucket Toby had in his arms.

"What? I didn't have any breakfast, and besides I knew I'd be sharing with you," Toby replied, glad the awkwardness was subsiding for the time being as the playful banter Toby loved came out.

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa

"Are you implying something?"

"Yeah, you eat a lot. I have no idea how you are still so skinny," Toby admitted.

"Hey!" Spencer slapped his arm with her hand only slightly offended, stealing the popcorn in the process.

"Do you mind sharing?" Toby batted his eyelashes at her, but Spencer kept faced forward, her eyes glued to the screen as she poured a handful of popcorn into her mouth, ignoring Toby completely.

Toby reached over into the popcorn bucket when Spencer batted his arm away once more. "Maybe you should have gotten another one for yourself, apparently I eat a lot," Spencer finally looked at him, her eyes narrowed as she challenged him.

Toby took a deep breath, finally giving in to Spencer, "Fine, I'm sorry, now can I have some popcorn?"

"Yes, now was that so hard?" Spencer placed the bucket right between them just as the movie started to play. Neither had really paid any attention when they chose which movie to see, they only chose the one with the earliest start time. It turned out they had chosen an action movie full of brutality and violence. Toby was surprised when he saw Spencer sitting up in her seat as the fight scenes got intense, her eyes practically glued to the screen. Mona would have hated this much gore and ruthlessness and would have most likely gotten bored half way through.

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa

As the credits appeared on the screen, Spencer looked at Toby, the bucket of popcorn only half-finished between them.

"Now what?" Spencer asks.

"Here, we still have more popcorn to eat," Toby grabbed Spencer's hand and ran out of the theatre into the one next door. They lucked out as the movie hadn't started yet, however, this time they didn't have the theatre completely to themselves as there were at least ten others waiting for the movie to start. Toby found them two open seats near the front, as Spencer laughed at him.

"Shouldn't we go pay for this?" she questioned him.

"Haven't you ever theater hopped before? Besides I paid enough for this popcorn, they don't need any more money from me," Toby chuckled at her innocence.

"Aren't we going to get in trouble?" Spencer squeaked.

"Yeah, by the guy that was stoned at nine in the morning when he ripped our tickets? I don't think he'll care. C'mon Spencer, live a little."

"Fine, if you say so," Spencer began to relax, leaning back against the seat as the previews began to start. "I'll live a little," She narrowed her eyes to him once more as she held the popcorn hostage again.

"Not again…" Toby moaned jokingly, luckily he was no longer hungry and didn't bother to put up a fight.

The movie started, this time being a scary thriller about demons and exorcism. Both Spencer and Toby were captivated by it, as they spent much of the summer together doing nothing but watching scary movies. Spencer jumped and closed her eyes, telling herself to be brave as something popped out on the screen.

"Scared?" Toby whispered in Spencer's ear.

"No…" she lied. But Toby didn't push it, letting her think she had convinced him otherwise.

As the movie wrapped up, Spencer had shivers down her spine, "that so good!" she squealed.

Toby couldn't help but laugh at her new enthusiasm –only seconds earlier had she looked as though she was shaking with fear, now she was practically jumping out of her seat with excitement as adrenaline pumped through her veins. Toby checked the time on his phone, school would be getting out in ten minutes. They had spent the entire day in the theatre and unfortunately, he had to get home to face the wraths of Jenna. They exited the theatre, Spencer still going on about how much she loved the movie, and walked to Toby's car.

Toby was glad he had spent the entire day with Spencer, although his mind was still spinning about the happenings of the night prior, he was happy things weren't awkward between them. It made it easier that things were going back to how they were that summer.

Toby drove Spencer to the Hill so she could pick up her car, and says goodbye easily as they part ways.

As Spencer gets in her car and starts the engine, she can't begin to wrap her head around the last twenty-four hours. So much had happened, yet not much had changed. She had successfully made Toby agree to forget about last night, even if she wasn't positive she wanted to, she knew she needed to.

And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
And given half the chance would I take any of it back
It's a fine romance but it's left me so undone
It's always darkest before the dawn

Reality hit Spencer as she realized she had an entire paper to write, that was due the next day. Needless to say, Spencer knew she had a long night ahead of her, she decided to stop for coffee on the way home. As she got in line at the local café, The Brew, she heard someone call her name from behind her.

"Spencer!" Mona greeted her, a concerned expression on her face.

Spencer gulped as all her confidence on what she thought of last night crumbled to pieces. "Hi, Mona," Spencer greeted wearily.

"Have you seen Toby? I've been worried sick. He hasn't answered my texts and didn't show up to school today."

"Um…no I haven't seen him," Spencer lied, "I'll tell him to call you if I do see him though." She tried her best to sound reassuring and truthful while sweat started to brew on her palms and the back of her neck.

Without another word, Mona walked away, as though Spencer wasn't worth her time anymore. A wave of nausea washed through Spencer as she found herself having difficult time breathing. She practically ran out the door, only able to catch her breath once she finally is outside with fresh oxygen. She realized that everything she knew about last night was wrong. She couldn't forget, not matter how much she wanted to, something happened between her and Toby, and she wasn't sure if it was for the better. Someone was going to get hurt, and Spencer knew the odds were not in her favor. Toby had been dating Mona for six months, why would he choose anyone but her? Spencer wasn't even sure what it was she felt for Toby. Last night was a mistake, nothing more, Spencer tried to convince herself.

And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope

Once her head stopped spinning, she walked back to her car without her coffee and headed straight home. As soon as she stepped inside in house, she braced herself as she found her parents waiting for her in the living room.

"Spencer," Mrs. Hastings said calmly in her lawyer voice, "Come here, your father and I need to talk to you." Spencer's nerves heightened, her mother only used her lawyer voice on her children when she wanted something, and it usually wasn't an easy task.

Hesitantly, Spencer walked toward her parents, having a seat across from them on the loveseat.

"We understand you and Andrew had a disagreement," Mr. Hastings started.

Spencer nodded, "We broke up yesterday," she explained.

"Don't you think that was a little bit of a hasty decision?" Mrs. Hastings continued, "You and Andrew had been dating for so long and seemed so compatible together, why don't you try to call him and work things out. I'm sure he'd understand if you apologize, the Campbells are very understanding people."

"It's not that easy," Spencer couldn't believe what her parents were asking her to do. Andrew had spent the majority of their relationship making Spencer feel like shit, then had sex with someone else and blamed her.

"You know, it's not just yourself you should be thinking about Spencer. Think about how this looks for the family. Your mother was just about to seal the deal on a lawsuit they need to defend and this would jeopardize her chance of keeping them as her clients." Mr. Hastings illustrated.

It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat
'Cause looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Well what the hell I'm gonna let it happen to me, yeah

Spencer shook her head in disbelief. She wanted to yell at her parents so badly, it was like her feelings and what had actually gone down between her and Andrew didn't even matter to them, all it was was a sick game to benefit their jobs, like always. Yet despite of this, Spencer couldn't find the strength in her voice to tell them this. She so badly just wanted to scream and walk away. But that would mean losing everything; she worked so hard to make them proud. So instead she looked at the ground, defeated as she mumbled, "yeah, I'll think about it."

"That's all we ask sweetie," Mrs. Hastings replied before getting up and heading to her home office. Mr. Hastings followed suit as he headed for his own office, but paused for a second, turning to face Spencer once more, "You can be on your own for dinner tonight right? Your mother and I have so much work ahead of us to prepare for this case."

"Yeah, no problem," Spencer replied in disbelief. Spencer sat there in silence as her parents left her all alone. How could she agree to go back to Andrew and to apologize for his faults? She hated how hard it was to say no to her parents and to stand up for what she wanted. But they were her parents, how could she say no?

Spencer walked up to her room and closed the door, a whirlwind of thoughts spinning around her. She had been so certain of everything earlier that day, and then reality hit her when she ran into Mona and again when she was cornered by her parents. At that moment she wasn't sure what she wanted anymore, all she knew was that she had an AP English paper that needed to be turned in, in less than fifteen hours and she hadn't even started yet.

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa


So yeah... I'm curious to know what you guys think of the end of this chapter!

Will Spencer listen to her parents and get back with Andrew?

What will happen between Toby and Mona because of this?

Lemme know what you think! All reviews are good reviews, so how about getting some good karma and helping me out by giving me feedback :) Your reviews help me create a road map and helps me determine where i want this story to go. Thanks again for reading!