Hey guys. I love you all. Thanks for the reviews. Bad day so not much of an AN. Have a chapter. Enjoy, review, whatever.
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Mr Merrygold turns to face him, his expression of surprise transforming into one of confusion when he sees who's standing there. He doesn't speak, just narrows his eyes slightly, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Toby Cavanaugh," Toby offers, seeing that the vice principal doesn't recognize him.
"Of course," Mr Merrygold says with the air of someone who's feigning familiarity to avoid embarrassment. "Toby, what can I do for you?"
"I'm one of Spencer's friends," Toby explains, watching carefully for a reaction. His words have the desired effect: Mr Merrygold begins to look uneasy, clearly imagining where this is going. "I was hoping I could talk to you about a… situation."
The vice principal looks down at him, then glances at his watch, his manner making it clear that he'd hoped he wouldn't have to deal with anything like this until the school day started at least. For a moment it even looks like he's going to turn Toby away, but then he just shrugs wearily and says, "Come to my office."
Toby follows him to the office, passing a few people on the way. Most of these glance at him and then look away, evidently thinking that Toby the Lady Killer is at it again. He doesn't bother trying to defend himself, because for once it doesn't bother him – and he has more important things on his mind at the moment. Once they're inside the office Mr Merrygold closes the door and gestures for Toby to sit down at the seat across from the desk.
As soon as he sits down, Toby starts second-guessing himself. The last thing he wants to do is make things worse, but according to most of the student body that's all he's good for. But if there's a chance this could help Spencer, he's going to try.
"Some of this information is confidential," Mr Merrygold says, pulling a folder out of the filing cabinet behind his desk. He starts flicking through it, and for a second Toby thinks the vice principal has forgotten he's not alone. Then Mr Merrygold stops flicking and looks up at him. "I don't want to make any assumptions, although it's fairly easy to guess why you're here. So why don't you tell me what you know?"
"I know that Spencer has been accused of stealing Mona's extra credit French project," Toby says, choosing his words carefully. "And I know she didn't do it."
This doesn't seem to surprise Mr Merrygold, who just nods slowly and starts turning pages in the file again. "And what makes you so sure she didn't do it?" he asks, not looking up.
Toby hesitates. To him, the answer is so obvious that he can't even put it into words. As the silence stretches on he realizes his mistake: he has no proof. He just has his word, and against an anonymous tip that doesn't mean much. Someone said they saw Spencer stealing it, which holds more weight than Toby saying she didn't, simply because he believes she's a good person. He feels a surge of anger toward Mona, who doesn't believe in Spencer, and toward Jenna, who's undoubtedly behind this.
"I thought as much," Mr Merrygold says. "Unless you have any proof, Mr Cavanaugh, I think -"
"Do you have proof?" Toby interrupts, surprising himself with his audacity. This gets Mr Merrygold's attention; he sets the file aside and looks up at him, an unreadable expression on his face. Gathering his courage, Toby barrels on. "All you have is someone's word that Spencer did it, and I'm sorry, but that doesn't mean much."
"And all you have is your word that she didn't, and no other suspects that I can see." Mr Merrygold gives Toby a look that would be firm if he wasn't so tired. "And that's even less."
He has a point, but Toby's not ready to give up yet. "What if I did have another suspect? What if I can prove that it wasn't Spencer who did it?"
"Fancy yourself a detective, huh?" the vice principal says, with the ghost of a smile.
"No," Toby says, his voice stiff. "I just don't want to see an innocent person punished."
Mr Merrygold leans back in his chair, regarding Toby evenly. "You have to understand that all we have is your word on this," he says finally, "and with your track record, that doesn't mean much."
And there it is, a slap in the face, a reminder that no matter how much Toby tries to change, people will always remember who he used to be – or at least who Jenna used to make him out to be. But this time he has something worth fighting for. "Just give me a chance," he urges. "Give me a few days to prove that Spencer didn't do this. You don't have to do anything but sit down and wait to hear from me again. If I can't prove it wasn't her, or at least give you reasonable doubt that it was, then you can do whatever you want. Does that sound fair?"
Not daring to consider what will happen if he doesn't manage to prove it wasn't Spencer, Toby waits for the response. The clock on the wall counts the seconds, reminding them that school is about to start. As soon as Toby realizes that, the bell rings to signal the beginning of class.
"All right," Mr Merrygold says at last. "How about this. I give you until the end of the week to find some proof. If you haven't come up with anything, then Spencer, Mona, and I will discuss the consequences."
Toby nods, accepting the deal. It's the best he's going to get, and as long as he plays his cards right he might be able to find a way to clear Spencer's name – or at least put enough doubt into Mr Merrygold's head to avoid getting Spencer suspended.
"I have to warn you, Mr…"
"Cavanaugh," Toby supplies, frowning slightly.
Mr Merrygold smiles apologetically, picking up on Toby's frustration. "Mr Cavanaugh," he says, "the chances of proving that it wasn't Spencer are very slim. And if I see you doing anything that could be perceived as even slightly against the rules, you will not only be getting yourself into trouble as well but jeopardizing Spencer's chances of being exonerated."
"I understand."
"Good," Mr Merrygold says briskly, apparently energized by the thought of this meeting being almost over. "So unless there's anything else, may I suggest you head on to class now?"
"Right." Toby pauses, unsure whether he's meant to thank him or make some sweeping declaration about his intent and determination to prove Spencer's innocence, so he settles for a strained smile and then exits the room. As he does so, he thinks he can hear Mr Merrygold sigh.
The morning passes smoothly, although Toby's mind is in turmoil. Now that he's committed himself to clearing Spencer's name, he's realizing that he has absolutely no idea how to do so. All he knows – or all he assumes, at least – is that Jenna is probably the one behind it, but that doesn't exactly get him any closer to finding out how to prove it. If she stole the project, it's not because she wants or needs the grade. She just wants to mess with him, to get between him and Spencer. Which means that she's not going to talk to either of them about it, and that doesn't bode well for his mission. What he needs is either a way to get close enough to Jenna for her to confess what she did, or a way to trick her into confessing it – and right now neither of those seem likely to happen.
He could always ask Caleb to tail her, he muses as he takes his customary seat at lunch, but that seems like too much to ask even of his best friend. He could tail her himself, but he's never really been one for stealth. He's used to being invisible, sure, but not by choice or tact – and not from his sister. She's out to sabotage him, which means he's not going to be able to get within fifty feet of her without her noticing.
Trying not to give away how stressed he is, Toby forces himself to concentrate on what's going on around him. Caleb and Hanna are talking so softly he can't hear them, and Spencer is quietly sorting her M&Ms by color, arranging them in a rainbow on her tray. Lunch is almost halfway over before Toby even realizes why something feels strange.
"Has anyone seen Mona today?" he asks the group at large.
Caleb and Hanna look up at him, shake their heads almost in unison, and then go back to their conversation. Spencer glances over at him, and then her gaze slides past him, focusing on something beyond his shoulder. He turns, not sure what he's expecting, but his face falls when he sees what Spencer is looking at.
A couple of tables away, Mona is sitting with Noel, laughing at something the other member of their group has just said. And that other member just so happens to be Jenna, who, seeing Toby looking at her, smirks slightly before turning her attention back to her new posse.
"What?" Toby asks, turning back to Spencer. "Mona's friends with Jenna now?"
Spencer shrugs, popping a blue M&M into her mouth. "Apparently," she says, and if Toby didn't know her better he would think she sounded unconcerned. But he can hear the slight tremor in her voice, and he knows it means she's upset. "I guess when I stabbed her in the back she decided that Jenna was the better choice."
This at last gets Hanna and Caleb's attention. They stop talking, looking at Spencer in confusion, and Toby realizes they're not aware of what's gone down. He looks at Spencer, silently asking if she's going to explain, but she just wearily shakes her head and focuses on her food again.
"Mr Merrygold thinks that Spencer stole Mona's French project," Toby summarizes, and both of his friends look at him in shock.
"And Mona believes it?" Hanna asks, looking over at her friend. "And now she's sitting with Jenna?"
Caleb shakes his head, disappointed. "Why would anyone sit with Jenna?"
Toby listens to Hanna and Caleb openly share their dislike for Jenna, and then he realizes the words they're not saying: they believe Spencer. They don't have to say it, but it's clear in the way they talk, in the glances they shoot at Mona. He feels a rush of warmth toward his friends, and he knows Spencer does too. She smiles at them, silently thanking them, and Caleb dips his head slightly in acknowledgement. They don't talk about it, because they don't need to. In that moment of silence they all understand the implications, they all know that they've just chosen a side. And it seems that Mona has already chosen hers.
"I talked to Mr Merrygold," Toby says to Spencer, who drops her next M&M in surprise. It rolls across the table, coming to stop next to the packets of sugar. She stares at it for a second, then shifts her gaze to Toby.
"About the project?" she asks, alarm clouding her eyes. "Toby, you shouldn't have -"
"It's okay," he says quickly. "He's given me a couple of days to prove it wasn't you. I promise I haven't made things worse. We just need to find a way to prove that Jenna did it -"
"Hold up," Hanna says. "Are you saying that Jenna framed Spencer for stealing Mona's project? And now Mona's suddenly friends with her?"
"Yeah," Toby says, watching as Hanna falls into a contemplative silence. When it becomes clear that she's not going to say anything else, he turns back to Spencer. "We're all here for you, you know," he says, and she looks up at him. "We're not going to let you take the blame for something you didn't do. We're going to get through this – together."
As soon as he says the words he realizes how melodramatic he sounds, and expects Spencer to laugh at him. But instead she just smiles, rests a hand gently on his cheek, and says, "Thank you."
The moment over, they turn their attention back to ordinary things, like what classes they have after lunch and what they're going to do after school, and Toby breathes a sigh of relief. Whatever is coming, he knows that he and his friends can handle it. Together.
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Next chapter is a Spoby talk and a kind-of-confession and stuff. Read if it you want. Or not.