Veronica Hastings tucked a blanket around Spencer's shoulders as her daughter rested in her own bed for the first time in over three weeks. She had just been released from the hospital a few hours ago, and was already exhausted by the busy day. Mrs. Hastings was careful not to pull the blankets too tight and put pressure on Spencer's 5 broken ribs, or too loose and have the blanket rub against the skin on her sore stomach, still tender after the surgery three weeks ago.

Her mother kissed Spencer's forehead lightly, and Spencer winced. Shooting pain shot through her skull, a result of the not-yet perfectly healed fracture. The doctors said it was a miracle that it was a clean break and that she didn't need brain surgery, but Spencer still had horrible headaches and pain at even the slightest bop on her head. The headaches made it nearly impossible to think, which is something she had been doing a lot of lately.

After Toby had left that day, she had a panic attack, resulting in the two broken pieces of her skull rubbing together a lot. She had terrible pain afterwards and needed heavy medication. The doctors hadn't seen Toby come in, nor had she told anyone that she saw him, but to be safe, they limited her visits to family only. She held it together, making weak conversation when her parents or Melissa visited, but as soon as they left, she did nothing but cry silently to herself.

She kept replaying her conversation with Toby to herself, and she felt sick to her stomach each time she remembered his words. There was no way this boy, the boy who rubbed her back when she was sick and brought her flowers when she was studying for exams and went to every one of her field hockey games with a big sign that said "GO SPENCER," had betrayed her. She couldn't believe everything that he told her about A, about Alison, everything that had been happening without her even knowing about any of it. She had no idea what she would do with that information, or how she would break it to her friends.

Suddenly the doorbell rang, and her mother went to go answer it. She groaned inwardly, knowing what was coming next. It was probably Aria, Hanna, and Emily at the door. She hadn't seen either of them since waking up from her coma, at first because she wasn't allowed, but later because she refused. She needed to plan out what to say to them. She couldn't lie; she had to tell them the truth of what happened between her and Toby. She couldn't bear to think of the shock, the anger, the fear, and the pity the would have for her. They would panic when she told them everything she knew about A. But she loved these girls; they needed to know.

Her mother appeared at the door. "Aria is here," she said gently.

"Hanna and Emily?"

"No, just Aria." WHAT? That was weird. Why hadn't the others come? And why was Aria here alone? There was no way she would be able to handle telling the girls separately. But now that she thought about it, maybe it would be easier to tell Aria first. Although what Toby had told her would probably be the most devastating to Aria, she would understand how sad Spencer felt because she was the only one who knew she was pregnant.

She was pregnant. Shit. That hadn't gone away, hadn't it?

Aria walked in the doorway tentatively, nervous like Spencer was going to explode like an atomic bomb. It occurred to Spencer that this was how she must have looked to Aria the day she told her she was pregnant. Now the roles were reversed: Spencer was lying in bed helpless, and Aria was her nervous visiter.

But something that had stayed the same was that both then and now, Spencer needed her, so so badly. She could only hope this time went better.

As her mother closed the door to leave them alone, she couldn't help notice for a moment how happy she was she had jumped in front of that car to save Aria. She couldn't imagine one of the only people she was certain that she loved lying in bed, broken and twisted.

She looked at Aria's face, the face that she had seen laugh like a maniac when the two had a few too many pixie sticks during sleep overs, but also the face that had cried into her chest when Ezra passed away. She looked the hands that intertwined with hers as the two walked gleefully through the mall, shopping bags swung around their arms. But most importantly, she saw the arms, small but fierce, that wrapped around her when she cried.

It was those tiny, tough arms that let her know that the next few minutes were going to be okay.

How wrong she was.

"Aria, there's something I have to tell you."

"No, Spencer, there is something I have to tell you first. Toby is A. He's A. I saw him put the box with the plastic shovel in your locker, and I was scared because I- I wasn't sure how to tell you, and I sent you and Hanna and Emily that text so I could tell you somewhere private, but I guess A, well, Toby, beat me to it, and I am so, so sorry you had to find out this way."

Aria bit the inside of her cheek. She said the sentences exactly how she had rehearsed them in front of the mirror for the last week, quick and to the point. As much as she loved Spencer, she had to say it. She knew that Spencer would appreciate her honesty, and after the shock wore off, it would all be okay.

Aria looked at her friend's face, expecting the open jaw, the disbelieving eyes, the anger and denial. But all she saw was the anger. Spencer's jaw was quivering, like it always did when she was holding back a scream, and her eyes had murder in them. She looked at Aria sternly, and two words slipped out of her tightly locked lips:

"You knew?"

The world was silent for a moment as that words hit Aria. What did she mean, Aria knew? Was Spencer in on this? Was this some part of a cruel joke? What was happening?

"You knew, and you didn't tell me," Spencer whispered at a low register.

"Wait, Spencer, you knew too?" Aria said, gasping.

"Well, I do know," Spencer growled. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Aria was shocked. "I wanted to, but I was afraid. There wasn't a right moment-"

"WHAT? Are you fucking SERIOUS?" Spencer exploded. "We were alone! That day you went home sick! I asked you what was bothering you, and you lied! You could have told me! How could you keep this from me?"

Aria whimpered like she'd been slapped and took a step back. "I was trying to protect you," she whispered as a tear slid down her cheek.

"You lied to me, Aria. It was a lie of omission. After I was completely honest with you, you betrayed me. And you know what? I am so, so SICK of people betraying me. First Toby, know you? Can I fucking trust ANYONE?"

Aria hiccuped, trying to stop herself from full on sobbing. "Spence, you can trust me. I promise. I'm sorry! Please, trust me."

"Aria, I thought we were best friends!" Spencer cried.

"Spencer, we are!"

"Aria, you don't know what best friends are! Best friends don't keep secrets from each other. Who the hell do you think you are? ALISON?"

"Spencer, please," Aria whimpered, wiping tears from her face. "You can trust me."

"No, I can't! Not after you did this. Not after I-" Spencer cut herself off, and the room was silent again. Aria pleaded for forgiveness with her eyes, tears streaming down her face.

She waited for Spencer to breathe, to sigh, to calm down, but it didn't happen. Spencer took a breath and said the words Aria least expected to hear:

"Get out of my house."

"What?" Aria gasped, too surprised to cry.

"Just go away. I can't do this right now. Just leave." All the fight went out of Spencer in those words.

Embarrassed and hurt, and she turned around and walked out of the room, away from Spencer, as quickly as she could.