A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! I'm so excited to share this chapter with you guys! I wanted to update sooner but I needed to leave some suspense ;) I also needed to make sure this chapter was everything it needed to be. This chapter is long and really a turning point. I almost left you at a really big cliffhanger but I decided that that was just cruel. Read on!

FYI For those asking, I'll be updating my other in-progress story, Quite Like You, tonight or tomorrow. I've put more focus on this one because it's been more popular, but I haven't forgotten about the other story! Sorry!

It had been a whole weekend and Ali was still fuming. How could he honestly sleep with her? What is he trying to prove? We belong together. She's a nobody.

She was out for blood.

She sat with Lucas at his high-tech computer, watching him do as she'd bribed him to do. "This is brilliant," she laughed at the screen. Her mind was flooded with the satisfaction of victory, and the premonition of things going back to normal; her and Toby would be dancing as prom King and Queen in no time. Just as they should be. It was written in the stars.

"This doesn't seem right… I don't understand why this is so important to you," Lucas momentarily stopped manipulating Ali's vengeful creation.

"Shut up, Hermie." Ali shot back. "I didn't pay you to come here and give me a lesson in morality. I know what I'm doing. Sometimes people just need a little…help, getting back to their place. I'm doing her a favor. I'm doing both of them a favor." She hissed.

"But—" Lucas started, but Ali gave him a death glare. "Alright, fine. I'll stop asking." He went back to the project, Ali barking orders into his ear.

xx

It was a three-day weekend, and Spencer had spent all weekend home alone. She preferred it that way, honestly. Especially as of late. Ever since the Wren thing, her parents looked even more disgusted and disappointed to be around her. She was embarrassed, herself. She murmured quiet one-word answers around them, lately. She obliged to anything to win any respect she had back.

But this weekend was different. She was alone, and she had nobody around her to ruin what had happened between her and Toby. The feelings she'd accumulated after the act; the illusion of beauty she'd recently started to feel radiating through her veins hadn't faded yet. She wondered if she was changed for good. She held onto the moment, trying desperately not to get her hopes up that she had become anything new, but still smiling at the fact that she felt different. She felt like what she imagined her sister might feel like, or maybe Aria, even. The people in her life who were always so genuinely happy. And she was happy. She couldn't get the prospect that somebody had wanted her for a little while out of her head. She hoped these feelings would stay for a while.

Of course, if it were up to Ali, she'd never have felt them in the first place. And she would make sure that Spencer would snap out of it as quickly as it all came on.

xx

Toby had spent the weekend similarly, trying to get the tall brunette out of his mind. He had texted her once, offering to come bring her food if she was lonely, and invited her to Noel's party on Saturday. She never answered. He was paranoid that he had really wrecked it. But he didn't press it; he just figured he would see her at school.

"Tobes, pay attention!" Toby heard Noel's voice bringing him back to reality as a basketball bounched dangerously close to hitting him in the face. Luckily Toby was swift enough to catch it.

"Pleeeease tell me this isn't about Hastings." Noel laughed.

"He hasn't snapped out of it in weeks," Caleb laughed, stealing the ball from Toby and jumping up to dunk the ball.

"Come on, leave it alone." Toby ran for the ball.

"He loves her," Caleb mocked, making kissy noises.

Noel laughed, "No way, Hastings?"

"She—" Toby gave Caleb a warning look before Caleb blurted out what he'd done with her Thursday afternoon. Normally, Toby basked in bragging rights over the girls he'd turned into notches on his bedpost. But he felt funny about telling people about Spencer. He didn't know what it was, but he felt defensive about it. It was like he needed to protect her, even when there wasn't anything around to protect her from.

"What about her?" Noel stopped and held the ball in front of his chest, waiting for a juicy story he felt was coming.

"Nothing. She's just different." Toby looked down when he said it.

"Toby Cavanaugh you really do have feelings. Damn," Noel laughed.

"Told ya," Caleb smiled.

"Whatever. If we're not playing another round can we stop gossiping like 12 year old girls and just get a burger?"

"Fine by me," Caleb tossed the ball into the bed of Toby's truck.

Noel and Toby play-pushed one another as they walked to the car laughing.

xx

It was Monday, and Spencer was dreading going back to school. But when she turned the corner to her locker, she was surprised not to see Toby waiting for her. Only Aria, who was at her own locker a few down from Spencer's, was in sight.

She felt silly for assuming she'd have to put up with pushing Toby aside, since she'd ignored him over the weekend. Maybe this really is it, Spencer felt sadder than she'd expected.

She went to her locker when she felt the presence of the brunette next to her. "How was your three-day weekend?" Aria piped up, going on her tip-toes in excitement.

"Fine," Spencer's cheeks burned, wishing she could tell somebody about her and Toby. Wishing there was a her and Toby. Wishing that she and Aria could continue being normal girl friends. Spencer slammed her locker shut as she balanced her open book bag on her knee against the lockers, trying to fish out her planner.

Aria pouted. "Well that's convincing," she spat out sarcastically. "Why weren't you at Noel's on Saturday? Best party of the year so far! I was looking for you!"

"I, uh, I don't know." She sighed. "Hey, do you know where Toby is?" Spencer looked defeated. She hated herself for asking.

"He's got that conference today with a scout and some other students with potential in Philly or something. He didn't tell you that?" Aria narrowed her eyes.

"You know what, he probably did, I'm just a ditz lately." She spotted Ali across the hall death-glaring at her. "I have to run," she said, pushing through the crowded hallway, leaving Aria stranded near her locker.

xx

Toby spent his whole day talking about his future, football, and moving across the country. You'd think he couldn't be happier. But he kept wondering if Spencer could ever fit into that picture. He had to go outside for a cigarette break and shake it off. He ended up texting Spencer. He wouldn't wait to go back to school the following day.

"Can I see you after school? I really need to talk to you. It's important." He sent it quickly, hoping she'd reply before he finished his cigarette and he had to go back inside.

She was sitting in the library at lunch, eating alone to avoid Aria and anybody else she wasn't supposed to be talking to. She needed time alone. It was funny to think she used to hate being alone, and now she felt like she needed it.

Her phone buzzed and caused her to jump, as she was reading her book and was off in another place.

Toby. She sighed. She opened it excitedly, cursing herself for not stripping herself of her feelings yet. She was a Hastings, being emotionless was supposed to be easy for her.

"I have student council, sorry." She sent back, painstakingly.

"I'll wait." He answered again before going inside.

The bell rang before she could read his response, and she too returned to her responsibilities.

She didn't check her phone the rest of the day.

xx

It was almost the end of the day, and Spencer cut through the courtyard when she saw Wren sitting at a club table with a few others dressed in lab coats.

"Miss Hastings," he called her over.

"What are you doing here?" She narrowed her eyes.

"I'm helping out the nurses' office with some other local physicians for seniors who need their immunization forms for college. Have you filled yours out?"

"I'll take care of it," she rolled her eyes.

He grabbed her wrist. "I could take care of it for you," he said, his eyes scanning her up and down. She felt like he had mentally undressed her and it freaked her out. She tugged her arm away.

"Please, Wren. Stop this."

"You don't know what you're missing," he smirked. Spencer marched off, scoffing. He was a troll.

xx

"It's time, Lucas, help me." Ali snarled as she grabbed Lucas in the hallway. It was the start of the last class of the day, and they were the only two in the hallway.

"I'm late for AP History," Lucas whined.

Ali groaned and pulled out a pad of hall passes she'd stolen from Mr. Fitz, a young, impressionable English teacher. "You're fine. Come on."

Lucas followed, hesitantly. The hallway had cleared as everyone was in their last class of the day.

"We have to do it now so no one sees that we're the ones posting them, and everyone will see them when they stampede into the halls after last period." Ali smiled as she took a large stack of fliers out of her locker, handing half the stack to Lucas. She was smiling devilishly at the genius of her plan.

"Whatever you say," Lucas sighed as he helped her hang the posters down the hallway.

Soon, classes were let out. Students spilled into the hallway and immediately saw Ali's revenge.

Posters lined the lockers and the walls with a poster that claimed to promote the tutoring center. GO TO THE TUTORING CENTER, GET FREAKY WITH FREAK HASTINGS, the poster read. Underneath was a manipulated photo of Spencer's face on an exotic dancer's body, and another of her face and Toby's face photoshopped onto a couple in bed. The bottom of the poster had a disclaimer; reading FOR REFERENCE, SEE TOBY CAVANAUGH

Everyone was grabbing at the posters, hysterical at the idea of Spencer Hastings being anything more than a loser goody-two shoes, and Toby Cavanaugh sleeping with her for a better grade. Ali stood against her locker, smiling, waiting for Spencer's reaction. Her eyes scanned the hall for her, but nothing yet. Lucas felt so guilty that he just left school as quickly as he could.

Spencer had stayed in her classroom a few minutes after class had ended, since her teacher wanted to talk to her about a scholarship opportunity via an essay contest.

When she stepped out into the hallway, she was surrounded completely by groups of students around her giggling, whispering, pointing, and staring. She searched the crowd for a familiar face; Aria, maybe. She tried to figure out what was going on. When she finally was approached by Ali, who handed her the poster.

Spencer's eyes widened as she read the poster and examined the depiction of herself, barely clothed, dominating Toby. Her face burned red, her eyes welled up but she bit her lip, because she didn't usually let herself cry in front of anybody. Toby had been the only exception.

Was he part of this? Was that…did he sleep with me just to make fun of me? Was I always a part of a grand scheme to a senior prank? But he told me all those nice things…

"How did you like my leftovers?" Ali hissed. "Stay away from what isn't yours, Freak."

Spencer opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"You're more of a freak than I thought if you really ever thought Toby could ever see you as more than what you are – a loser. It was never real. I know you had a deal… he was never into it. You were just another hole to screw. Like shooting practice." Ali smiled manically. She loved to twist the knife.

Spencer just pushed past her to run to the parking lot; she was feeling as if there wasn't enough oxygen in her lungs no matter how many deep breaths she took to steady herself. Ali and others followed outside, some to watch her unravel, the rest to leave school.

Except when she got to the parking lot, people were still standing around with the flier, calling out random things to her, some guys whistling and cat-calling, others propositioning her with a laugh.

She wanted to crawl inside of herself and disappear.

xx

Though Toby hadn't heard from her, Toby was set on seeing Spencer that afternoon. He had to tell her everything. Or, in the very least, make sure she was okay – physically and emotionally. He knew that a girl's first time was painful, and he had even found a few specks of red on his sheets after she'd ran out on him. He also knew that girls also often had more emotional attachment and feelings about sex than he was used to having, and wanted to make sure she didn't feel badly about what had transpired between them. He had been worried all weekend and he needed to put an end to his wondering.

He had come in the back entrance of the school just after classes had gotten out. He wasn't able to find Spencer, but he was able to find one of the leftover fliers on the floor.

All color flushed from his face. This had Ali written all over it. How the fuck did she find out? Did Caleb tell? Did Caleb tell Hanna who passed it on? Idiots! I'm going to punch someone in about ten seconds. He was outraged. He ran through the halls and then outside towards the lot, to find Spencer. He prayed that she hadn't seen it, although he knew that that was highly unlikely.

He searched the crowded lot for his favorite brunette, but saw the demonic blonde instead. "You did this!" He screamed at Ali.

She just smiled back. "And you did that." She motioned to the picture of Spencer.

It took everything inside of Toby to remind himself not to hit a girl. "Where is she? Why did you do this to her? Who told you? GOD DAMN IT ALI."

"You just needed to come back to your senses. You don't want to end your senior year with a laughing stock."

"I wanted to end my senior year happily, thank you very much." He tugged his arm away from her reach.

"Spencer!" he called as he saw her a few feet away in her car, trying desperately to pull out of the lot, but her car wouldn't start. She was clearly on the edge of tears as she continually turned the key in the ignition, praying to hear the rumble of the starting engine.

"Leave me alone," Spencer growled at him. She didn't want to talk, because she knew she would cry.

Ali came over once more, hooking her arm in Toby's. "Let her go. We can go back to normal now," she cooed.

xx

As Ali tried to win over Toby, or at least distract him, Spencer got out of her car and started to march down the walkway, hoping to just walk home and turn invisible somewhere along the way.

Wren pulled up next to her, driving slowly to match her pace. "I can drop you off," he offered.

Spencer looked at him. She knew the ride wouldn't come without a price.

"What's in it for you?" She glared, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We can work that out later," he smiled, and hit the brakes. "Come on, it'll be faster."

Spencer looked back and the last thing she saw was Ali's arms wrapped around Toby's neck; she was leaning in for a kiss. Spencer's stomach flopped. Maybe she really was just a pawn in Toby's twisted game with Ali, she thought. She sighed, feeling more worthless than she had in a while.

"Fine," she agreed, climbing into the car, deciding that whatever Wren had up his sleeve was better than seeing Toby celebrate her demise with Ali the devil.

xx

"Get off of me," Toby ripped Ali's arms from around him, backing up to avoid the kiss. "Do me a favor, Ali. Never, ever speak to me again." He said firmly before running out to his bike and speeding towards the Hastings house.

Ali stood there with her jaw hanging open. How could he walk away from her for Spencer?

He must really love her. Ugh.

xx

When Spencer got home, she jumped out of the car almost immediately.

"I'll see you at family dinner this week," Wren winked, obviously having a plan up his sleeve. She just nodded, not caring anymore about anything.

She collapsed almost immediately upon entering the house. She fell to her knees and crumbled down, all the tears she'd held back all afternoon finally pouring out of her eyes.

She heard a knock at the door and assumed it was a delivery for her parents, so she wiped her face and opened the door, reading to sign for a package.

Instead, it was Toby.

"Spencer, please let me in," he said as he put his hand in the doorway so she couldn't slam the door in his face.

"Go," she bit her quivering lip, trying to not cry in front of him.

"Spencer… I didn't do this. I didn't tell her. I don't know how she found out,"

"It was all just a game anyway, right?" Spencer said harshly.

"Spencer, I'm so embarrassed." Toby admitted, thinking about all of the times he should have told her how he felt. He never, ever should have convinced her to play the game from the beginning. Although without it, they might not have uncovered their feelings. Still, he was so embarrassed of how he'd treated her – a perfectly innocent, beautiful, kind girl, who had somehow overnight become a slut and a joke. Because of him. He never should have let her think that it was a game.

The words hit Spencer like a ton of bricks. This wasn't the first time someone close to her expressed embarrassment to her. Except then, it was that they were embarrassed of her. Spencer was so used to feeling shame that she didn't realize that that wasn't what he'd meant in the slightest. She felt her whole body droop a bit, not sure whether to feel sorry or just upset. The desire to disappear hadn't left her yet.

"Spence?" He looked at her for a response.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen," she started, her breathing shallow, trying to control herself from showing the overwhelming emotion that was bubbling up in her chest. She was overrun with the fear that if it were true he wasn't using her as part of a prank, she might have effectively ruined him,

"Me neither," he said softly, looking down. He didn't know where to start with his apologies. He wasn't sure what she was sorry for.

"You should probably go." She nodded, looking up at him.

"Spencer…" he trailed off. "I really am sorry," he wanted to touch her, but he didn't know if it were appropriate. He was also coming off a bit more hostile than he'd meant to, because he was still so mad at how Ali had found out. He was going to Caleb's next to rip him a new one. Or at least get some answers.

She nodded. "Goodbye, Toby." She shut the door on him, and retreated once more to pulling herself into a ball, crying about how much she'd wanted Toby to rescue her, but now that was just a pipedream. The word goodbye rung in her head, wishing that she could rewind and keep the beautiful goodbye she'd made for herself just a few days ago.

xx

Toby drove to Caleb's, ready to fight.

"You promised you wouldn't tell! Ali attacked her!" He pushed Caleb into the wall as soon as Caleb let him in.

"Relax," he shoved Toby off. "I didn't tell anybody. Not even Hanna."

"Then how come Ali knows?!"

"I don't know man! That bitch is psycho! She has eyes everywhere!"

Toby started to calm down, and then slid down the wall to sit. He put his face in his hands. "I've lost her, man…"

xx

Aria was at Ali's after school, after having skipped the end of the day to go to a doctor's appointment. She saw the flier in Ali's bag.

"What is this?" she pulled it out and examined it. "Did you make this?!" She looked up at Ali.

"Impressive, isn't it?" She laughed. "The Freak needed to get off my man. If I hadn't interfered he'd probably have taken her to prom. Iiiick." Ali laughed.

"That's not funny, Ali. They really liked each other,"

"Oh no they didn't. I read everything Toby said to Caleb. It was a deal they had when she was tutoring him. She'd tutor him if he pretended to be her boyfriend. How pathetic, right?"

"Even if that's true, he loves her, Ali. You just ruined both of their lives. If you still liked Toby ruining his life was not the way to show that."

"Why are you sticking up for her?!" Ali shot back.

"Because she's my friend!" Aria stood up. "And a way better one than you!" She grabbed her stuff. "You better find a way to fix this." Aria ran past Ali and left her house, heading right towards Spencer's.

"Spencer it's me, open up!" She banged on the door.

Spencer opened up. "You should go," she had only opened the door a crack. "Ali will get you next,"

"Ali can kiss my ass!" Aria said loudly. "You have to know Toby had nothing to do with that. Are you okay? I'm sorry she did this to you…"

"I already talked to Toby," Spencer choked on his name.

"And?"

"And he's embarrassed that everybody knows that he's been hooking up with a freak. So I said goodbye," she said more than she'd meant to.

"Spence…" She wanted to assure her that Toby wouldn't have said that, but then again, she wasn't there. Spencer had to hear it from Toby.

"Thank you for coming here, Aria. But I don't want you to get hurt…and I really would rather be alone."

"Fine…but come over this weekend? You really need a girl's night."

"I'll think about it." She nodded.

xx

Aria called Toby from her car.

"Change all your passwords you idiot."

"Hi, Aria…nice to talk to you, too. Now, what?" Toby tried to sound like he hadn't been crying.

"Ali hacked into your messages. That's how she found out you were… with Spencer."

"Are you kidding me?"

"It gets worse."

"You're kidding." Toby decided.

"What the hell did you say to Spencer?"

"I apologized! I don't want to talk about this. I feel bad enough, okay?"

"I don't think she knows that,"

"I just left her place…I told her everything."

"She thinks you're embarrassed that people know about the two of you. She thinks that you still think she's a loser."

"What?"

"Toby… she needs space right now, so don't run over there right now. But you have to find a way to let her know – very clearly – what she means to you. Because even if it can't be fixed, she needs to know she didn't sleep with an enemy."

"Shit…yeah. Thanks Aria." He hung up.

God damn it, Ali. If I lose her because of you… I can't believe she thinks I could think that about her when I love her so much.

He ordered for flowers to be delivered to her house, The message read: I hope these flowers are half as pretty as you, -T.

And then he'd wait to give her a chance to make the next move.

xx

When Wren and Melissa came over two days later for dinner, Spencer was in her room, Melissa was in the bathroom, and Spencer's parents were out picking up food when the doorbell rang and the flowers arrived.

Wren read it and laughed, before throwing away the card and bringing the flowers to the kitchen, claiming that he'd brought them as a gift for the Hastings'

And Spencer would never know that Toby had, once again, called her beautiful.

I'M SORRY THIS CHAPTER IS ROUGH. THE NEXT ONE WILL BE HAPPIER, I PROMISE. THE BEST IS YET TO COME. PLEASE DON'T BE TOO MAD AT ME.

YOU CAN AT LEAST BE HAPPY THAT ALI DIDN'T WIN. :-)

I know this was hard to read so I will be updating SOON to make them happier, and you guys too! If I get 10 reviews I will update as soon as I hit 10 on this chapter. More reviews, faster update!

As for reviews – if you reviewed while signed in, you should be getting a message from me soon, if you haven't already. I love talking to all my readers!

Maddie: I'm glad you liked the last chapter! My favorite is Somebody to Protect, with the last one being second. I hope you like this one, although I have a feeling you'll be like NOOO again. :P

Spoby312: I tried to change it up! I'm glad it went over well! I love that you love the torture lol I do too!

Guest (Nov 4 II): Toby's feelings are coming so sooooon. He's trying his hardest! I hope it's clear that he's just as nervous as her – he is not unsure of himself as she is so self-aware and self-deprecating, but he has been with a lot of girls and isn't used to falling for any of them or any of his relationships having any depth. He is nervous around Spencer and is afraid to tell her everything because he's never done it before. This IS a spoby romance though, I promise it is coming!

Guest (Nov 4 I): I'm sorry for you to have to see Spencer hurting, but it will be worth it Toby is her superhero.

Amy: Thank you! I try to update as much as I can! I will probably not take a whole week to update this time.