Somebody That I Used To Know part 1

The clock above the Cavanaugh's fireplace ticked loudly as Toby paced back and forth around the living room. Upstairs, Spencer is getting ready for her school's dance. For some reason she didn't want to get ready in that foster home she's living out, so Marion said she could get ready here. In fact, Marion is upstairs helping Spencer do her hair and makeup. It's nice knowing Toby's mother is helping Spencer since she never really had a mother to do her hair for her. It's a quarter after seven and the dance starts at 8. Toby got his driver's license a few weeks ago, so he offered to drop Spencer off at her school. He also said if she needed him to, he'd pick her up and give her a ride home. Soft footsteps came down the stairs and Toby turned around. Spencer stood at the bottom of the stairs wearing a strapless, knee length black and blue dress with sequins and diamante under bust. Her soft, brown hair is straightened down the length of her back and her lips are coated in a bright red cherry color. Her eyelashes are coated with a dark color and applied dark purple eyeshadow on her eyelids.

"Well," her short heels clicked against the hard floor. She stopped a few feet away from him and folded her hands out in front of her. "What do you think?"

"You look," Toby struggled to find the right words. Is there a word to describe how great she looks? What's the best way to let her know how good she looks without sounding like a creep?

"You look beautiful," he finally settled on those three lame words.

It's not like he could come right out and say she looks hot. Even if it's the truth. She's thirteen years old. He should not be thinking or calling her hot. A wide smile spread across her face.

"Do you think Alex will like my dress?"

Toby nodded, "he'd be crazy not to, but I think he'll like the girl wearing the dress a lot better."

Her smile grew and her cheeks turned a rosy color. Part of her hair hung loosely over her left eye. Toby didn't know if he should brush it back or just leave it. Her hair looks pretty good like that.

"Toby, you can stop drooling over Spencer now," Marion teased while walking down the stairs.

Toby blushed and Spencer smiled. Marion handed over the car keys to the family's black Mazda.

"You drive safe, Toby. This is Spencer's first dance and I would like her to get there and home in one piece," Marion lectured.

Toby took the keys from her, "I promise, Spencer will be safe riding with me."

"I was talking about the car, but her too," Marion teased. Marion gave Spencer a little push and said, "have fun at the dance, sweetie. Call if you need anything."

"Thank you, Mrs. Cavanaugh."

A sandwich wrapped in a plastic bag was thrown down in front of Spencer. She looked up to see Paige getting ready to sit down. Samara Isn't with her today.

"Why did you just throw a sandwich at me?"

"Cause you need to eat something."

"Not you too," Spencer said rolling her eyes.

"What? It's lunch time and you didn't eat breakfast or dinner last night."

"I don't want to eat any crap this place makes me."

"It's a tuna sandwich. You said you used to have those as a kid," Paige said.

Spencer eyed her suspiciously, "where did you get tuna?"

"Don't get mad, but one of the guards gave it to me so I could give it to you. He didn't think you would take it if he gave it to you himself."

"Unbelievable," Spencer muttered under her breath. "Why can't officer Cavanaugh just leave things alone."

Paige looks confused, "officer Cavanaugh wasn't the one who gave me that sandwich."

Spencer looked up in alarm, "he wasn't?"

She shook her head, "no, Officer Reynolds gave it to me to give to you."

Spencer looked up from their table and looked around the room. She didn't see Officer Reynolds standing anywhere keeping an eye on them. There're only three guards out here and neither of them is Officer Reynolds or Officer Cavanaugh.

"Spencer is there something wrong?" Paige asked.

"Paige," Spencer leaned across the table and lowered her voice. "I need you to promise me that you will never talk to Reynolds about me ever again. If you breathe another word to him about me, you will regret it."

With that, Spencer pushed herself up and walked away. Officer Fields escorted Spencer back to her cell where she sat at her desk to do some thinking. Is she in over her head? Did she make a mistake by coming here? She thought getting off the streets would keep her safe from all who's trying to hurt her. Spencer's been in this place for almost three months now and she has three more months to serve. If there is any way she can get out early. There's only one person who can help her do so. No, she can't get him involved. It's too dangerous. It's possible that the one Spencer's been running from is right under her nose.

Crickets sang out in the mid of night as Toby parked his car in the driveway. He dropped Spencer off at her dance then went to get pizza. When he stepped up to the porch, he heard something moving in one of the chairs. A soft sniffling sound came from the same direction. He looked to the left of the porch and saw the outline of someone curled up in a chair on the porch. He opened the front door and flipped on the porch light. Sitting there in the dark was Spencer curled up in a ball with tears streaming down her face. Her nose was bright red and they're mascara stains running down her cheeks. Toby's heart immediately went out to her.

"Spencer," he walked over to her and kneeled down by the chair she's currently curled up in. "What are you doing here?"

She peeked her head up and sniffled, "Alex stood me up."

"What?"

"I went to the dance and waited for an hour, but he never showed. This one girl I kind of talk to at school sent me a picture of Alex playing mini-golf with his girlfriend. It was all a bet for him. One of his friends bet him to ask me to the dance."

"Aw, Spence," Toby reached out to rub her arm. "I'm sorry."

"I was stupid to think he actually liked me."

Spencer buried her face into her knees. Toby wrapped her up and held her while she cried. Alex really hurt Spencer tonight and he's going to pay for it. He hasn't figured out how he's going to pay for it, but he will.

three weeks later

"Stop spying on me you creep!"

Spencer yelled while barging into her's and Mona's bedroom. She slammed the door shut behind her and leaned back against it. Sighing, she crossed her arms over her chest. All the older boys are always trying to catch her taking a shower. Gary has already seen her twice. Why won't the parents do anything about those pervs?

"Don't sweat it, sweetie," a small voice said.

Spencer looked up to find Mona sitting on her bed. She didn't even know she was in here. Then again, Mona spends a lot of time hiding away from everyone. Whenever Spencer has the chance, she stays over at Toby. A place where none of the boys in this house knows where to find her. Spencer wants to tell Toby what's going on, but what will he be able to do? Some of these boys are bigger and older than he is. Toby would try to be a hero by fighting them and end up getting himself hurt.

"I'm sorry," Spencer said. "I didn't see you there."

"It's okay," Mona shrugged. "I'm used to being invisible."

"No, I didn't mean it like that."

"I know what you meant. Those boys try to do one thing and one thing only and that's to piss you off. That's all they're doing. They're just trying to get a reaction out of you. The best thing you can do is try to ignore them."

"Are you telling me that I should just let those boys spy on me whenever I'm taking a shower or changing?"

"They're boys. What do you expect? They like to gawk over girls. I bet even your boyfriend gawks over you."

Spencer looked up, "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Then who was that boy I saw giving you a ride home a few weeks ago?" Mona asked. "He was tall, had light brown hair, and I couldn't really see his eyes, but I think they were blue. He was cute."

"That wasn't my boyfriend. His mom asked him to give me a ride home safely."

Mona smiled, "oh, Spencer has a guy friend with a car. That's hot."

She laughed, "just please don't tell anyone you saw him, okay? I don't want anyone here to start following me everywhere I go. Gary's already followed me to school once."

"I won't say anything."

"Thank you."

They heard the door from downstairs open then close meaning somebody just left. Mona waited a minute before rolling around on her stomach to look for something under her bed. Spencer sat across from her on her own bed and watched while Mona dug something out of an old shoe box. It's some white powder in a plastic bag.

"What's that?" Spencer asked.

"It's pot. You want some?"

"Pot?" Her eyes popped out.

"Yeah, do you want any or not?"

"Um, I'm pretty sure we're not supposed to be smoking that. We're only thirteen."

Mona shrugged, "you'll be fourteen soon."

"Yeah, that still doesn't make me old enough. No matter what age I am, doing pot is wrong."

"It's only a little."

Spencer crossed her arms, "I don't want any."

Mona shrugged, "suit yourself."

Back in the laundry room, Spencer stood folding newly washed jumpers then stacked them on a cart. Her along with Samara and one other girl is in here doing laundry. There's one guard standing by the door keeping an eye on them. Samara moved around the room so she was standing right beside Spencer.

"Paige told me what happened," she whispered.

"I thought I told her to keep my name out of her mouth when it comes to others," Spencer hissed.

"She didn't mean any harm."

Spencer tossed another jumper on the cart and turned, "I know she didn't."

"What is going on with you?" Samara asked. "Why are you so guarded about everything?"

"Things have happened to me in the past that are coming back to haunt me in the present."

"Does this have to do with why you're so afraid of Officer Reynolds and Cavanaugh?"

"Yes and no."

"What does that mean?"

"I can't tell you anything, Samara. It's too dangerous. I just wish he would understand that."

Spencer turned away from her and angrily started folding clothes again. Samara opened her mouth to say something else when another guard came in. Just their luck. It's Officer Reynolds. He whispered something to the female guard then she left. Reynolds walked over to the table Spencer and Samara are working out. He gestured with his head for Samara to leave. Samara was hesitant to leave Spencer alone with the guard but left anyway.

"Is there a problem here, Hastings?" Reynolds asked.

"No, sir," Spencer whispered to herself.

"I can't hear you."

"No, sir!"

"Better," he said while stepping closer. Spencer took a step back. "Why so edgy?"

"I'm trying to do my work and you're bothering me. I'm starting to feel a sense of harassment coming from you," she murmured.

"There's not harassment going on here, Spencer."

"Why do you keep watching me in the halls?" She snapped. "Why did you give Paige a sandwich to give to me?"

"You haven't been eating and it says on your medical records that you get low blood sugar. I thought maybe getting you something you do like to eat would get your blood sugar up."

She looked at him dangerously, "how did you know I like tuna sandwiches?"

"Lucky guess," he said shrugging.

"I'm starting to get a bad vibe coming from you. You need to leave me alone before I report you."

Reynolds smirked, "so you're getting a vibe from me? I'm flattered."

"Bad vibe. A bad vibe," she spat in his face.

Toby walked down the halls and started heading towards Spencer's cell. Today's the day he confronts her about what's going on. It's 4 o'clock, so she's supposed to be in her room by now after getting back from the laundry room. He got to the end of the hall and scanned card to open the door to her room. He steps inside and frowns seeing her room empty. Where the hell is she? Spencer should be back by now. Maybe now that she's not here, he can look around her cell. Maybe he'll find something on what's going on with her.

He started by looking through her desk. There's nothing here but a notebook, but what's inside the notebook? He was about to look but decided not to. Back when they were kids, Toby promised he would never look at her notebook without her okay. Lots of kids would steal her journals back in grade school. He's not about to do that to her now. He put her notebook back and walked over to her bed. What will he find here? He lifted up the covers and found nothing. Next, he picked up her pillow to see if she's hiding anything under her pillow. That's where she used to hide stuff when she was ten. There's nothing under her pillow. So much for that, he thought while putting her pillow back down. When he did that, something slipped out from the pillowcase and floated to the ground. Curious, Toby kneeled down to pick it up. When he turned it over he gasped at what he saw. It's a picture. Not just any picture. This was the picture he was planning to show her today. When he looked through his wallet the other night, he thought he lost it. No, Spencer's had it this whole time. That means she knows who he is, but why is she hiding it?

"Toby," a female voice spoke up behind him.

Toby spun around and hid the picture behind his back. It's one of the girls Spencer sits with during meals. He thinks her name is Sarah or Samara maybe?

"Why are you walking around on your own?" He spoke in a stern tone.

"I just left the laundry room when Officer Reynolds was walking in. Spencer is in there now and something in Reynolds's eye didn't look right. Before I left, Spencer gave me this look as if she was telling me to come and get you."

The water faucet made a squeaking noise when it was turned off. Toby held up the cold, damp rag and flinched when it made contact with his black eye. He dabbed his eye a couple times before just holding it over his right eye. A minute later, there was a loud pounding on the front door. He knows who that is. Toby walked downstairs and opened the door for her. A red-faced Spencer came stomping into the room. He shut the door behind her and she spun around to face him. She had her arms crossed and she glared at him.

"Spencer," he opened his mouth to speak.

"What the hell were you thinking?" She snapped.

"Spencer just listen…"

"I tell you not to worry about it and you go ahead and do it anyway."

"That asshole was asking for it," he argued.

"Toby you can't just barge in whenever somebody tries to hurt me!"

"And why not? All I did was hit the guy a few times."

"Yeah, and he gave you a black eye."

Toby smirked, "you should've seen the other guy when I was finished with him."

Spencer reached out and hit his shoulder. For a fourteen-year-old girl, she punches pretty hard. Although, Toby is pretty strong.

"Why did you hit Alex?" She asked.

"That jerk hurt you," he said as if it was obvious.

"It happened months ago."

"I know, I should've beat him up sooner."

"Toby," Spencer rolled her eyes. "You have to stop saving me."

"You make it sound like me stepping in to protect you is a bad thing."

"Well, it is if you end up getting hurt trying to."

"Alex hit me once and he was on the ground, not even a second after. I can handle myself. It's you I worry about."

"Well, you shouldn't," she turned away from him.

Toby stood behind her, "Spence, I'm sorry. I get a little overprotective sometimes."

She gave him a look, "a little?"

"Okay," he chuckled. "I get overprotective a lot. Can you blame me? I mean you're really tiny."

Her pink lips threatened to form a smile, "you're such an idiot."

Toby poked her side and said, "come on, you can't stay mad at me."

"Why not?" She turned away to hide her growing smile.

"Because, I'm your best friend."

He stood behind her and she playfully elbowed him in the gut, "an idiot is what you are."

Spencer stood still in the laundry room alternating her gaze between Reynolds and the doorway. Are there going to be any more guards coming down here? Surely they discovered that she's not back in her cell yet.

"What do you want from me?" She asked.

"What I've wanted for a long time."

Something in Spencer's gut didn't feel right. How does Officer Reynolds know here? The one she's running from is Gary Reynolds and… Oh, crap. Could it be that Garrett is the same person as Gary? Of crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Spencer put herself in here in hopes Gary Reynolds wouldn't find her. Looks like he has. Why didn't she see it before? Instead of putting herself in a safe place, she put herself right in the danger zone.

"Hastings!" Another strong voice spoke up.

Spencer looked over Garrett's shoulder to see Toby standing in the doorway. A sigh of relief came over her. If Spencer's lucky, maybe Garrett doesn't know who Toby is. She would be pretty naive to actually believe that. Garrett probably already knows that Toby is the friend Spencer talked to back in the day. Damn Toby for always being there. Officer Reynolds turned around and faked a smile.

"It's okay, Cavanaugh, I got her."

Toby stepped into the room, "she is my responsibility. I'm taking her back to her cell now."

"I can do that."

"Wilden made it my job to escort her, remember? I'm the only one who knows how to handle her. Besides, Wilden has been asking for you."

"Fine," Garrett growled.

He walked out of the room leaving Spencer and Toby alone. That was a relief. Spencer avoided looking Toby in the eye and went over to the table to collect her new set of clothes. With her head down, she could hear Toby's footsteps walking over to her. She waited for him to say something, but he didn't. Instead, he pushed a small picture in front of her view. It's a picture of the two of them as kids handing out by the riverbank. The one she discovered after he dropped it then hide it in her own pillow case. She would keep it and look at it when she felt lonely at night. Toby must've been snooping around in her room and found it.

She kept her eyes on the photo not daring to look up just yet. Anyone would be able to feel the strong burning sensation from Toby's stare. He's looking right through her. Just like he always does. There's no turning back now. There's no lie she can use to get out if this. The gig is up. Her past is out. She can't hide it anymore. She's busted and Toby Cavanaugh was the one to do it. Toby finally got her to crack and now, he's waiting for the story. And boy, does he have a lot of questions for her. Spencer finally looked up from the photo and met his eyes. She took a deep breath and let it out. Here goes nothing…

To be continued.

Review please and the story will continue as soon as I have time. What will Spencer tell Toby? Her secrets out and Toby's finally about to get some answers he's been waiting for since she disappeared.