Chapter 6
Dating Makes Things Different
Spencer's date with Alex must've went well because Toby had barely seen her the weekend or the rest of the week. He didn't know how to feel about it. Sure, he liked hanging out with his own friends, but Spencer was his friend and it was okay to miss her. That's why Toby decided to wake up early in the morning on Monday to head over to the Hastings house with coffee and donuts.
He knocked on the front door of the Hastings residence and waited. It wasn't Spencer who opened the door, but someone who looked like her, but slightly older in her twenties.
"Hi, can I help you?" The woman politely asked, but Toby could hear the irritation in her voice.
"I'm looking for Spencer. Is she home?"
"Sorry, you just missed her and Alex."
"Thanks,..."
"Melissa. Melissa Hastings." Melissa finally introduced herself.
"Alright, thanks, Melissa."
Toby nodded his head and turned away from the door. He was about to walk back to his truck when someone called his name. He turned around to see Jason had replaced the woman in the doorway.
"Hey, Toby. What are you doing here?" Jason asked.
"Well, I came to bring Spencer breakfast," Toby held up the coffee and donuts to show to Jason."but she isn't home, so I was just gonna go."
"Well, we can share those donuts and coffee. Come on inside." Jason said and walked away before Toby could say yes or no.
Toby entered the house and closed the door behind him. He walked into the kitchen where Jason was sitting at the island, waiting. Toby placed the food on the island and sat down on a stool like Jason.
"I haven't seen you in a while, Toby. You've been hiding out from the hellish Hastings?" Jason joked as he stuffed a glaze donut in his mouth.
"No, I've just haven't been invited lately. As you know, Spencer's been hanging out with Alex."
"Just because you weren't invited hasn't stopped you before. Remember you snaked your way into the house before. When I wasn't home, I might add."
"I know, but I had to do that to make sure she was okay. I didn't just want to come over when Alex would be here." Toby said and watched the corners of Jason's mouth twitch up into a smile.
"Yeah, I hate to see her and her boyfriend all cuddled up when they're here." Jason said and Toby nearly chocked on his coffee.
Boyfriend? When did they get together like that?
"I didn't know they were together. When did that happen?"
"It happened a few days ago, but before then she was with him almost every hour of every day if she's wasn't with those girls, Aria, Hanna, Emily, Paige, or Samara. You really did something nice for her, Toby. My sister is really happy."
"Thanks, I'm glad to here you say that. Look, Jason, I've gotta head to school before I'm late." Toby said as he got up from the stool and headed for the backdoor.
"Hey, Toby." Jason called after him as soon as his hand was on the door handle. Toby turned around to look at Jason."Why did you help my sister make all these changes?"
"I didn't want her to be a victim anymore. She didn't deserve the way people treated her because she is so much better than people make her to be. She needed me and I helped."
"Are you sure she needs you or do you need her?" Jason asked before turning his back to Toby, signaling that the conversation was over.
Toby left without saying a word because really he couldn't form any. He didn't get when Jason said that he needed her. He's never needed anyone in his life because he's always had to fend for himself. Toby let the matter slip from his mind as he headed to school.
Toby pulled into Rosewood Highs parking lot a few moments later. He opened his door and got out. Before he could take a step something caught his eye across the parking lot. It was Spencer. It was Spencer and Alex. It was Spencer, Alex, and all their friends. They were all hanging around Alex's car, laughing and talking.
"Are you okay, Toby?" Toby turned his head away from the scene in front of him to see Alison standing next to him.
"Hey, Ali. I'm fine." Toby said trying to sound as nonchalant as he could.
"Really 'cause you don't look like it. Are you upset by how your friends traded up so quickly?" Ali asked and looked over at his friends. Toby looked over at them too and Holden and Caleb were clowning around with Alex like they've known him for years."I know it hurts when your friends ditch you because they did the same thing to me, but I've still got Kate, Mona, Noel, Sean, and you."
Toby turned his attention back to Alison."Ali, what are you getting at?"
"I just predicted this would happen. Spencer would change who she was because of you and now, she moved on and took your friends with her. I'm sorry, Toby. I know you really thought she was your friend."
Toby turned back to his friends across the parking lot. Spencer had kept the look the girls gave her. Her hair was wavy and down instead of up in a neat ponytail. She wore a hint of make-up and her clothes were still classy, but more stylish and edgier. Spencer finally looked up at him and waved him over. He heard the rest of his friends calling his name when Spencer waved him over. Alex just stood back and rolled his eyes. Alex got the attention back on him and they stopped calling Toby over. That was it for Toby.
"Let's go, babe." Toby said to Alison before he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and walked away from the parking lot.
"What the hell is wrong with Toby?" Spencer asked Caleb after she put her books in her locker because it was time for lunch.
Toby hadn't talked to any of them all day. Spencer and Caleb had tried to talk with him in first period, but he ignored both of them. In the halls, they would see Toby walking around with Alison under his arm and talking with Noel and Sean.
"I have no idea, but I tell you what, I'm gonna find out in a minute." Caleb said determinedly as he and Spencer walked to the cafeteria together.
Spencer walked over to the table where the girls, her boyfriend, and Holden was sitting at. She started siting in the cafeteria a few days ago when Alex said he missed seeing her beautiful face during that time. Toby wasn't sitting with them. He hadn't been sitting in the cafeteria in over a week and now he was sitting with Alison, Sean, Noel, Mona, and Kate at a table in the far corner.
Spencer sat down in the chair next to Alex and kissed his cheek. He smiled at her before slipping his arm around her waist.
"Hey, baby." Alex whispered in her ear before he quickly pecked her lips."How was French class?"
Before Spencer could answer Emily groaned and Spencer understood why she did."French, wasn't all that great. Toby kept ignoring us and was getting really snappy with the teacher which caused him to get detention."
"That's not the worst part," Emily spoke up and everyone turned their heads to listen to her."when the teacher gave him the detention slip, Toby balled it up and threw it in the trash. After that he was sent to the principals office."
"What happened with him and the principle?" Paige asked.
"We don't know. Besides he wouldn't tell us even if we asked." Emily said.
"What's wrong with him? He was fine last week, right?" Hanna asked and everyone nodded their heads because they didn't notice anything wrong with him.
"Maybe we missed something?" Samara suggested.
"Guys, come on, he's just being a jerk, so let him. He doesn't deserve your friendship if he's going to act like that." Alex said blandly because he really didn't care what was wrong with Toby.
"We can't just do that to him because he's our friend. We need to find out what's wrong with him." Caleb said and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Hanna asked.
"I'm going to ask about what pissed him off. Come on, Holden." Caleb said and Holden stood up to follow him, but so did Spencer.
"I'm going with you." Spencer declared and Alex took her hand him his, making her look down at him.
"I don't think you should. I don't know what's wrong with him and I don't want him to hurt you."
"He's not going to hurt me, Alex. Toby would never hurt me." Spencer pulled her hand out of Alex's and motioned for Caleb and Holden to follow her.
Toby couldn't believe how much he had truly missed his old friends. It surprised him how quickly they took him back after everything. They all apologized to each other and picked up where they left off. He ignored his other friends because it hurt too much. He knew he was being replaced so he was giving them an out, so they wouldn't have to come out and say it.
"Uh-oh, Hastings and her bodyguards are coming over." Noel warned everyone. Toby turned away from Sean to see Spencer, Holden, and Caleb coming up to his table.
"It's okay, man. We've got your back." Sean said and patted Toby on the back.
Toby leaned back in his chair for the show that was about to begin. Spencer, Holden, and Caleb were finally in front of the table.
"Can we help you?" Mona asked coldly before they could even speak.
"We need to talk with Toby." Holden said and Toby didn't move, he just crossed his arm over his chest.
"He's unavailable right now for you and he never will be again. Now how about you go back to your table before you cause some trouble for yourselves." Noel said as he and Caleb stared each other down.
"Is that a threat." Caleb said as he took a few more steps closer to Noel.
Toby stood up before Noel could and said."It's not a threat, but it could be."
"Toby." Spencer said his name in shock that he would try to pick a fight with Caleb.
"Look, Toby, I don't know what's wrong with you, but I'm not gonna fight you." Caleb said.
Toby stalked around the table until he and Caleb were face to face."Oh yeah?"
Toby pushed Caleb back, Caleb on stumbled two feet before regaining his stance. He and Toby got back up in each others faces. Spencer didn't notice before, but when she looked over at Holden, Sean and Noel was in his face. Spencer had to do something and she had to do it now.
"Let's go, Caleb. Right here. Right now." Toby taunted and this time he grabbed Caleb up by his shirt.
There was a little bit of a struggle between them, but Caleb got free. Toby went after Caleb again, but Spencer got between them. She did the only thing she could think of to get him to stop. She slapped him, hard on the face. You could hear it echo around the cafeteria.
Toby rubbed his cheek, it hurt like hell. He was sure her hand would leave a mark or a bruise. Spencer could see the hurt behind his angry eyes even when he tried to hide it.
"Hallway. Now." Spencer said sharply and pushed through the crowd that had formed. Toby was right behind her.
Toby followed Spencer down the hallway and away from the cafeteria. Surprisingly, no one had followed them into the hallway and a fight didn't happen. Spencer came to a sudden halt and Toby almost knocked into her. She turned around to face him and he'd never seen her so angry.
"Do you want to explain to me why you're being an ass today?" Spencer said calmly even though it was obvious she was upset.
"Why do you care how I act?"
"Are you serious? I care because you're pissing your friends off and you're scaring me."
"Good, maybe you'll take that as a hint to leave me alone." Toby yelled and tried to got back to the cafeteria, but Spencer turned him around and pushed him against the locker.
"I'll leave you alone when you tell me what we did to you or what happened to you. I'm your friend, Toby. I care about you."
"You know what, Spencer. I never wanted to be your friend." Toby said firmly and he watched the anger leave from her eyes and be replaced with sadness."I pitied you. I knew you were weak. I fixed you up and then I was gonna hand you over to Noel."
Spencer didn't know what to say. She was angry and sad at the same time. She felt sick to her stomach. Before she even knew it, she went to slap him again, but this time Toby grabbed her wrist.
"I hate-" Spencer couldn't finish her sentence because she lost her word. Toby spun them around so that it she was pressed against the locker. She looked into his eyes and they were darker than his crystal blue.
"Walk away from this, Spencer." Toby croaked out because he was trying to hold back his emotions.
"This isn't you. You're not this person. I don't know why you're doing it, but you can fix it. Be the good guy I know you are." Spencer pleaded and let out a breath of relief when Toby let go of her wrist.
"You don't know me, Spencer. You don't know what kind of guy I am. Just leave me alone, please. I don't want to do anything to hurt you." Toby didn't look Spencer in the eye, he just walked away.
"What? No Alex today?" Spencer looked up from her book to see Jason standing in her doorway.
After her and Toby's conversation/ argument, she didn't feel like staying at school so she went home. She went home and flopped on her bed with a book. Now, Jason was here to mess with her.
"Nope, I just want to be alone for right now."
Jason didn't take the hint and went further into the room to sit on the edge of her bed."Toby, came by this morning. Did he tell you?"
Spencer winced when he said Toby's name. She looked away from Jason and back down at her book.
"Well, he came over with breakfast for you and you weren't here, so me and him ate it while we talked." Jason said and Spencer didn't even look up when he spoke."So why did you come home early from school?"
Spencer ignored him and continued to read her book. Jason snatched the book out of her hands and held it out of her reach.
"Hey! I was reading that." Spencer yelled at him as she sat up to try and retrieve her book from his hands.
"You can have it back once you tell me what happened at school today."
Spencer huffed and laid back down on her bed."Toby happened. Toby was being an ass and we had a fig-verbal disagreement. He made me upset, so I came home. Happy now?"
Jason handed over the book and chuckled."Why can't you just kiss and make up?"
"What? Why aren't you offering to kick his ass right now? You're my big brother, that's what you're supposed to do."
"Look, I don't know what happened at your school between you and Toby. But I know that Toby isn't a bad guy and he didn't mean to hurt you."
"Well, you didn't see the look in his eyes when he-" Spencer stopped talking when she remembered the darkness in Toby's eyes when he grabbed her and pressed her against the lockers. She didn't know that guy in the hallway. That wasn't Toby.
"When he what?" Jason asked now concerned that Toby might have physical harmed her.
"Nothing. It doesn't matter. Toby made it clear that we weren't friends anymore and I'll just have to accept that."
"But you're a Hastings. You never give up and you especially never give up on a friend. You two need to make things right. I like the guy, he's cool." Jason patted her knee before he headed for her door.
"Do you like Alex?" Spencer asked to stop him. He turned around and sent her a crooked smile.
"Do you really want the answer?" Jason asked and Spencer thought about it for a moment, but shook her head."I didn't think you would either."
Toby was walking to the school parking lot because school had just ended. He and Alison were holding hands as they walked to his truck. When they got to his truck, Toby looked across the parking lot to see his friends standing around Alex's car like they were this morning. Except, Spencer wasn't with them and his friends weren't his friends anymore. He didn't need them to tell him because after that stunt he pulled with Caleb it was clear that their friendship had ended.
He didn't want to do what he did, but he knew it was best for everyone. Alison and her friends would never mix with Toby and his. He was like an easy way to solve his problems and besides they had already replaced him with Alex. Alex didn't come with baggage and Toby came with Alison, so there's many more words to say for that. The thing that made him regret his decision the most was when Spencer had that look of fear in her eyes when he pressed her against the lockers. He never wanted to hurt Spencer, but it was too late, she was already afraid of him.
"Toby, I need a ride home." Toby snapped out of his gaze ad turned to see his stepsister, Jenna, standing next to him.
"What's wrong with your car?"
"It's broken." Jenna said sarcastically and then turned her attention to Alison."Sorry, Ali, but you'll have to jump his bones later. I've got to get home and practice my flute."
Before Alison could say anything back, Jenna was already hoping into the truck.
Alison scoffed and crossed her arms before she turned to Toby."Are you just going to let her do that to me?"
"I'm sorry, baby, but she's my sister and I have to give her a ride home or else I'll never hear the end of it."
"Fine, I'll just go catch a ride with Mona. Don't call me later." Alison said before she walked away because she was pissed.
Toby groaned and slammed his door as he got in the truck. He looked over at Jenna and she had a sly grin on her face.
"Rough day?" Jenna asked innocently, but Toby knew she did this on purpose.
"Jenna, how about we play a game. It's called don't talk to Toby for the rest of the day." Toby said as he started up his truck and pulled out of the parking lot.
"I have to talk to you, Toby, because I know what happened in the cafeteria today."
"So? Why do you care about what happened?"
"Because you're my brother and I care about you, believe it or not. I just wanted to tell you that you were being a jerk and your friends feelings were hurt."
"What do you want me to do, Jenna? Apologize?"
Jenna smacked Toby upside the head and didn't care that he said it hurt."Yes, you dumbass. Apologize for doing those things just because you were jealous of Alex."
"Jealous? Of Alex? I am not jealous."
"Yes, you are. I saw the look you gave him in the parking lot, at lunch, and in classes. Just because now you don't have a chance with Spencer-"
"Whoa! Back up. I don't want, Spencer. I was just upset at how my friends and Spencer was spending so much time with Alex. They were acting like they've known the guy for years. I doesn't matter now because all of us aren't friends anymore."
"Then fix it. Don't let Alison fill your head with things." Jenna said and when Toby looked at him when she said Alison, Jenna held up her hand to stop him from defending her."I know that Alison made you beloved that now that Alex is around then your friends will pick him over you just because something like that happened to her. Your friends love you so fix your friendships before I hurt you."
Toby cocked his head to the side and chuckled."Is that a threat?"
"Nope, it's a promise."
Toby and Jenna arrived home shortly. Jenna raced inside the house and into her room. There parents weren't home yet and neither of them knew when they would. Toby took a deep breath before he got out of his truck and headed to the front door of his house. He took of his shoes by the door and went into the kitchen to get a bottle of water. After he got his water, he walked up the stairs to his bedroom. He nearly spit out his water when he saw Spencer sitting on his bed.
"Spencer? What are you doing here? How did you get in here?" Toby asked as he entered his room and closed the door behind him.
"I'm here to talk to you and I picked the lock to get in here."
"You broke into my house?" Toby asked more surprised than angry and Spencer just shrugged.
"Yeah, the things that pin up girls hair aren't the only things they are useful for. Now, let's go." Spencer stood up and Toby looked at her like she'd lost her mind.
"Go? Go where?"
"Some place we could talk."
"Spencer, I don't feel like this today. Can we do this tomorrow?"
"Nope. Either come with me or you won't get to have this back." Spencer pulled out a book with lock on it. She didn't know what it was, but it had to be important. From the looks of Toby's face it was.
"Alright, fine. I'll go. Just promise me that you'll give me it back once we get done talking." Toby pleaded and his heart ached as he looked at the book in her hand.
"I promise. Now, let's go."
"Are we breaking and entering?" Toby whispered to Spencer in the darkness.
Spencer had driven them far away from Rosewood. They didn't talk during the ride, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. Spencer drove for hours until it got dark and they pulled up to a wide field. The field was surrounded by a wood fence and off in the distance you could see a house and something that looked like a barn. They had hopped out and Spencer pulled a blanket out from her backseat.
"Technically yes and no." Spencer said and Toby looked at her sternly."what? You told me to have more fun and be more adventures, so I am. Wipe that look off your face and climb over the damn fence.
Toby did as he was told and climbed over the fence with her. He walked beside Spencer as they walked through the big open field. She finally came to a halt when she found the perfect spot in the middle of the field. She spread out the blanket and sat down on it.
"Sit." Spencer patted the spot next to her and Toby sat down. She laid back on the blanket."Now, lay down."
Toby laid down and looked up at the sky. The sky was different out here than it was in Rosewood. There were stars out everywhere and you could see the full moon perfectly from out there.
"Wow, those are a lot of stars." Toby muttered as he continued to watch the stars.
"I know. I love to come out here and look at them sometimes."
Toby turned his head to the right to look at Spencer. Surprisingly, she was already looking at him.
"What happened, Toby? Why did you do the things you did?"
Toby ran a hand over his face and looked back up at the stars."I felt like I was being replaced by Alex."
"Replaced? What do you mean?"
"I thought you guys were going to replace me with him. All during the week and weekend, you guys have been hanging out with Alex like he's your best friend."
"Toby, Alex is my boyfriend and of course I'm going to spend time with him. The others, they were just trying to make him feel welcome because they knew how much I liked him."
"Maybe, it's better that I screwed everything up with everyone. Our friendships were never going to work because I have Alison and her friends. When we put all of you together, you guys don't really get along."
Spencer sat up causing Toby to look over and into her eyes."Toby, do you really want to be friends with those people? They aren't the nicest bunch. I understand that Alison is with you, but do you really want to get involved with her friends?"
"They can change. Just look at Caleb, Holden, Emily, Aria, Hanna, Samara, and Paige. They all changed, so why can't Noel, Sean, Mona, and Kate?" Toby sat up and leaned on his forearm.
"They don't want to change, Toby. I love how you always want to be the good guy, but it won't work with them."
"I'm sorry, Spencer. For all those things I said. None of it was true, I just was a little lost today." Toby said trying to change the subject.
"Thank you. I'm sorry, too. I don't really hate you and I'm sorry for smacking you. I don't know what else to do."
"It's okay, but you owe me ice cream for this bruise I'll have on my cheek." Toby said as he rubbed his cheek and faked a moan of pain. Spencer just rolled her eyes at his playing around.
"I never realized how dating makes things different."
"It does. Just wait till you forget an anniversary or a birthday, then your life will be hell." Toby said half serious and half joking. Spencer still laughed anyway.
"Hey, you wanna do something fun?" Spencer asked and the word fun perked Toby's interest.
"Is it dangerous and stupid?"
"It kind of is. There is a lake in the woods over there," Spencer pointed to the woods behind them."we could go for a swim?"
"I don't have swim trunks. Are we going skinny dipping!?" Toby asked excitedly and Spencer smacked his leg.
"No!" Spencer yelled to Toby for his ridiculous idea. She smacked his leg again when he heard him say prude under his breath."Underwear stays on and we just take a dip in the water."
"Sounds fun. Show me to the lake." Spencer helped Toby up and they began walking into the woods. They left the blanket because they wouldn't be gone long.
The woods wasn't far away and neither was the lake. Within a matter of minutes they were at a large lake in the middle of the forest. Toby thought the lake looked beautiful with the moon shinning down on it. He turned his head to look at Spencer to see that she was already disrobing.
She had pulled off her shirt and kicked off her sandals before sliding off her pants. She looked over at Toby and caught him staring at her. When she glanced back over at him, he was pulling off his shirt and Spencer couldn't help but notice how perfect his abs looked. She turned her head when she heard him pulling down his zipper.
Spencer dived into the water not able to keep waiting on Toby. When she resurfaced, Toby was nowhere to be seen. Their clothes were still there, but Toby wasn't.
"Toby?" Spencer called out his name, but only go the respond of an owl hooting."Tob-"
Spencer screamed when she was lifted into the air by two hands only to be dunked back down into the water. She quickly resurface to see Toby's face and his face turning red from laughing so hard.
"Why would you do that?" Spencer splashed water in his face and that only seemed to cause I'm to laugh harder.
"I'm-I'm so...sorry." Toby said in between his laughter as he found it harder to breath." I thought you were gonna pee on yourself."
"I don't like you very much right now. Spencer said after Toby regained his composure and he sent her a very wide smile.
"That's okay because it was so worth it. So what do we do now?"
"Hold your breath contest?" Spencer suggested and Toby nodded his head."1...2...3...Go!"
Spencer and Toby both sank under the water at the same time. Spencer opened her eyes under the water to see Toby already had his eyes open and was looking at her. His eyes seemed to get lighter and sort of blended in with the water. He swam closer to her so that they were only a few inches apart. There lungs were burning a little, but they didn't care because something was making them stay under the water a little longer.
The moment was cut short by the lights of red, white, and blue flashing across the lake. Toby saw Spencer's face change from relaxed to panic. She instantly bolt upward. Toby smiled in victory because he had won the contest. He came up gasping for air and when he saw the scared look on Spencer's face, he knew they were in trouble. He looked around to see that about three police cars were around them and that was not good.
"I guess the dip is over, right?" Toby joked and Spencer glared at him for making a joke at a time like this.
Tonight was the night they would be arrested for trespassing on private property and Toby couldn't think of anything more funny than situation they were in right now.
