A/N: Thanks guys! I read all of your reviews, and they're so amazingly sweet. To the person that told me not to put A in this story: don't worry, I wasn't going to. It just makes things too complicated, and I don't want a mystery-solving story. So, this story will NOT have A in it. Thanks again!

And for your information, there's a little bit of a hot scene in here. It's not too hot, but it does involve some partial nudity... oh wait, complete nudity haha :D

Chapter 4

I couldn't sleep that night at all. I still couldn't believe that I witnessed what happened, and I stopped it. Sure, I was at a party when I wasn't supposed to be, but if I wasn't there, imagine what could have happened to Spencer! There was this beating in my chest that night, but it wasn't the kind that felt like I was in a crapton of trouble—it felt heroic. I didn't get to feel like a hero very often, but that one night, as conceited as it sounds, I knew I did something really good.

I didn't know why, but in the morning, I decided to take a little more interest in the way I dressed for school. Instead of gelling my hair back and wearing big jackets and baggy pants, I wore a flannel shirt and black jeans (that were a little tighter than usual, but nothing like skinny jeans). And instead of gelling my hair, I combed it nicely. It felt good to look in the mirror and see somebody that could be successful.

Luckily, I avoided the commentary from my parents, since they weren't downstairs that morning. I ate a breakfast bar and just laid back until I heard a knock on the door, and I knew it was Spencer. I wasn't even irritated that morning, because I knew for a definite fact that she wouldn't bring Andrew with her after the events of the party.

"Morning," I greeted warmly, but noticed her weird attire.

She seemed to have a change in the way she dressed for school, too, but not a good kind. Even with her being a stuck-up goody-good, she always used to wear clothes that weren't odd. Sometimes those clothes even showed a little cleavage (and I do confess that I looked when she did). But that morning, she was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and baggy jeans. It looked like something I would wear.

"You look different," she said.

"So do you," I said back.

"Okay, you know why I'm doing this," she said, annoyed. "After last night, I just don't feel comfortable anymore! I... feel frigid... What would have happened if you didn't show up?"

"Don't question it, just be glad I did show up somehow," I said with a smirk.

"So what's with you?" Spencer asked. "New shirt or what?"

"My parents got it for me last Christmas, but I was so keen on wearing all that other baggy stuff and big jackets that I refused to wear it," I explained. "But, something felt different today. I had this need to change my look. The other one wasn't working for me."

"Well, this one is working for you," Spencer said.

I glanced at her and bit my lip. Did she really just say that? It felt good to get a compliment on my new look already.

Last period of the day—gym class. I was so happy when the dismissal bell finally rang. I went to the locker room and changed into my day clothes (that awesome flannel). I looked all around, but Jacob and Posey—the two guys I talked to the most in gym—weren't there for some reason.

I tapped Tyler, the guy near me and asked, "Hey, where's Jacob? And where's Posey?"

"Well, Jacob's taking a make-up test for math, and I don't know where Posey is," Tyler told me. "I saw him earlier in the period, though. Maybe he's a fast changer."

"Maybe," I said, shrugging.

It felt a little weird to change without them, and Tyler didn't seem to be interested in talking to anybody, so I changed by myself. I waited in the locker room, just in case Posey came back, or maybe even Jacob, but I didn't think Jacob was coming back at all. Posey's always been a slow changer, so what changed? There was no way he could have been so fast.

When I got the message that Posey wasn't coming back for sure, I decided to go check if he was in the shower room. That was where everybody took showers after swimming. Luckily, our school could afford private showers with doors, unlike a lot of other high schools.

"Posey?" I called, since I heard the shower water running. "You in there, man?"

"Toby!"

But, I knew it wasn't Posey, because it was a girl. And more specifically, that girl was Spencer. I knew the voice so well because I had heard it a billion times.

"Spencer, what are you doing?" I asked. "School ended a while ago! Why aren't you changed?"

"Because I can't!" Spencer cried.

"Why not?" I asked.

"I hung my clothes off the shower door, I finished showering, and then I reached to take my clothes, and they're gone!" Spencer cried, panic filling her voice. "Somebody stole my clothes!"

"Whoa, what?" I said, shocked. "That's crazy! Who would do that to you?"

"I don't know," Spencer quietly said, sobbing. "But now I can't leave!"

I scratched my head. I wanted to help her, but what could I do? If I gave her my shirt or something, it would like we hooked up. I would walk out shirtless, and she would walk out wearing my shirt. People would just love to make rumors off of that, and I was sure Andrew would come after me if he heard a rumor like that.

Spencer... she was in there... naked and soaking wet! How was I not supposed to find that hot? I couldn't think straight. How could I think of a way to help her when I was thinking about her naked body in there?

"Toby, the water won't turn off!" Spencer cried.

"Turn it," I told her.

"It's not working," Spencer told me. "How do I fix this?"

I furrowed my eyebrows and tried to think of a solution to help her, but I couldn't. Of course, everything was wrecked when I heard Coach McDonald walking into the shower room with Principal Hackett.

"So, you'll be at the meeting, right?" Hackett asked.

"I think so, I just have to lock up all the rooms," McDonald answered, and I knew they were going to be coming in. Students got detentions if they were in the locker room after school hours!

"Spencer, turn that shit off before Coach McDonald and Hackett come in here!" I whisper-yelled frantically. "They'll give us a fucking detention if they catch us in here. My parents will kill me if I get in trouble!"

"It won't work!" Spencer cried.

"Oh my god, I know this is weird, but please just unlock your door, okay?" I said, staring at the floor. "I can fix this. Don't take time to process it, just do it. We're running out of time."

"But I'm not wearing—" she started.

"I know, Spencer," I said, sighing. "But you'll just have to open it because you have no other choice."

She unlocked the shower door, and I walked inside of it. I knew there was running water getting my clothes wet, but I didn't really care. There was something jamming the shower from turning off, but I managed to push at it really hard until it turned off. I was trying to walk out of her shower room without making eye-contact, but Coach McDonald walked inside the room.

Freaking out, I shut the door and we stepped on the bench to make sure our feet weren't visible from the bottom. My eyes couldn't stop looking at her. She was trying hard to cover herself up, and I was trying hard to look away, but it was just impossible for the both of us.

"Hello? Is anybody in here?" McDonald asked suspiciously. Coach waited a few moments before saying to Hackett, "I thought I heard someone in here, but I guess not. Let's lock this thing up and get to the staff meeting."

I sighed in relief when I heard the door shut. Spencer made eye-contact with me for the first time.

"Toby..." she mumbled.

"You know you're beautiful," I whispered, grinning at her.

"Stop it, please," she said, starting to cry.

"Why are you crying?" I asked. "Because I'm looking at you? It's not a bad thing, you know." I smirked at her before throwing my shirt off. "Here, I'll join the party. Do you want me to take off my pants, too?"

"Put your shirt back on!" Spencer cried, covering her eyes. "Will you get out of here, please?"

"Unless you want to leave this school naked, I wouldn't ask me to leave," I said, smirking at her.

"No, I mean please leave this shower!" Spencer cried. "This is uncomfortable."

"It's kind of hot, don't you think?" I asked.

"No, not at all!" Spencer yelled.

"Hey, better me than somebody else," I said, grinning at her.

When she didn't answer me for a few moments, I got confused. And then I smirked again when I saw her eying my shirtless body. Good thing I'd been working out, because over a year ago, I had nothing but flab, and she wouldn't have been drawn to that.

"Having fun?" I whispered, cupping her cheeks.

"Don't you d—" Spencer began, but stopped talking when our eyes met.

Okay, I admit, I was going to kiss her, but I didn't. We were just about to, but she pulled back when she noticed something on the floor. Plus, I didn't think she was very comfortable kissing me while she was butt-naked.

"Um... I've got a shirt in my backpack, but I don't know if you'll want it," I said. "I also have boxer shorts..."

"Anything is better than leaving naked," Spencer said, picking up the piece of paper from the floor. It was practically soaked, but she picked it up, anyways.

I tossed her my shirt and boxers, but she was so engaged in the note that she didn't notice for a few moments. I stared at her body for the last time. I thought it would be the last time I got to see that beautiful body of hers.

"Spencer, you gonna change so we can get the hell out of here?" I asked.

"Yeah... but..." she started.

"What's so interesting in that note?" I asked, annoyed, and grabbed it from her. "I'll read this by myself. You go change!"

She nodded her head weakly and closed the shower door to change into my clothes. I looked at the soaking wet note, and read it.

The slut doesn't mind getting naked for Andrew Campbell? Then she can get naked for us all, too. Come on out, whore.

I was surprised. Spencer was getting branded as a whore? That person was a douche, for real, and I had a feeling Andrew did it. It just seemed like the perfect crime, didn't it? Spencer humiliated him when she refused to have sex with him, so he wanted to get her back and humiliate her. Why didn't he get me, though? I'm the one that stopped his little rape attempt.

Spencer unlocked the shower door and came out.

"Can we leave, Toby?" she asked, sobbing.

"Yeah..." I mumbled, crumpling up the note. "We both know the note isn't true. We'll find out who that dick is, I promise. It was probably Andrew, anyways, and I can nail his ass to the wall."

"People probably think I slept with Andrew when I didn't!" Spencer cried. "Imagine all the rumors he's going to start about me."

"We can figure this out," I guaranteed. "Let's get you out of here. Do you have shoes?"

"You really think those bastards spared anything?" she said, rolling her eyes. "They took everything, Toby."

"You can wear shower shoes, or my gym shoes," I said, grinning. "Your pick."

"Seriously?" she said, sighing. "Well, I guess your sweaty gym shoes will be less hideous than the shower shoes, so—"

"It's fine, you can have my sneakers," I said, and kicked them off. "I'll wear my running shoes."

"Really?" Spencer brightly said. "Thank you, Toby."

"No problem," I said, smiling at her like an idiot.

What the hell was wrong with me? I grabbed my gym shoes and put them on, feeling stupid. How did Spencer do that? She made me give her my new kicks to wear!

"That outfit really suits you, you know," I said with a grin. "Boxers look great on you. You should wear my clothes more often, babe."

"You don't ever stop, huh?" Spencer asked, giggling.

It felt more right when she wasn't dating Andrew.

"No, I don't. Ready to go?" I asked.

"I am, but I don't think you are," Spencer responded, tossing me my flannel shirt that I took off. "You forgot something important, Toby."

"Oh fuck, that was embarrassing," I said, laughing. "Now are we both ready to go?"

"Yeah, we are," Spencer said, smiling at me.

We started walking home, and I couldn't explain how many weird looks we were getting. I was sure that people thought we were sleeping together or something. And the greatest part was when one of Spencer's hot blonde friends—Hanna Marin—came up to us and practically accused us of it. She was aided by this other cute girl named Aria Montgomery.

"Spencer! You've been gone for so long," Aria said, walking up to us while we were going home. "Did you fall of the face of the earth or what?"

"Yeah, I totally did," Spencer said, rolling her eyes. "I've got an assignment to basically babysit this oaf over here."

"Yeah hi, I'm the oaf... Toby Cavanaugh," I said, grinning.

"I'm Aria Montgomery, Spencer's friend!" she exclaimed. "This is our other friend Hanna Marin."

"We heard about your split with Andrew!" Hanna cried. "What happened, babe?"

"Shit," Spencer said, shrugging. "We got into a fight at Jacob's party, and it escalated, so we broke up. That's all."

"But we both heard you slept with him!" Aria cried. "Everybody's talking about it. Did you have sex with Andrew at Jacob's?"

"No way!" I yelled. "She didn't. Who the hell told you that?"

"Whoa, defensive much?" Hanna said, giggling. "It's just been this rumor going around. And Mister Toby seems to be growing angry. Are you Spencer's new hook-up? Don't think I don't see the disheveled hair and the boxers! Spence is wearing his clothes, Aria!"

"How cute are they?" Aria asked, smiling. "We're glad you found a new beau."

"Whoa, I'm not her boyfriend!" I cried before Spencer could object. I knew she would say some rude crap about how I'm a jerk or something, and I didn't need that. "Look, you girls seem nice, but shut the fuck up about stuff you don't know about! Some asshole stole her clothes, so I gave her some extra shit I had."

"He's not lying," Spencer agreed, nodding her head. "He was nice enough to give me his clothes at a time like that, but he's still a jerk ass."

I knew her too well, huh?

"Sorry..." Hanna mumbled. "I didn't mean to piss you—"

"It's cool," I cut her off. "I just wish people wouldn't believe rumors and assume stuff. Spencer and I are... sort of friends?"

"We're really sorry about this, Toby!" Aria cried. "We'll talk to you tomorrow, Spence."

The two girls walked away, leaving Spencer and I alone again.

"That was weird," I said, laughing.

"Yeah, we better get back before more people start coming up to us and saying the same thing," Spencer said. "I wish all these rumors would go away. Andrew is an ass."

"I realized he was from day one," I said proudly.

"I should have trusted your judgment," Spencer said, smiling at me. "Toby, when you told Aria and Hanna that you're my sort of friend... I think we can call each other friends now, can't we? Unless you're too immature to accept that you don't hate my guts anymore."

"Friends, huh?" I said, smiling. "Yeah, it's been weird having nothing to label you as. And for the hating your guts part, that was poor judgment. That time where I tried to dodge you was that dark time when I thought I was the most badass guy ever." I laughed, and she did, too.

"But now, you're okay with it?" she asked.

"Hmm... sort of," I joked. "Have a badass day, Hastings." I grinned at her before walking in my house.

Sure, I knew she would be texting my parents to tell them that I walked home safely, but she was still a cool person.