Chapter Eight

"You kissed her!" The dark eyed girl nearly chocked on her coffee, and halted in her tracks stunned.

The two best friends were strolling around the park on a breezy Tuesday afternoon in late May, and Toby still hadn't told Emily the big news. Until now of course. He was planning too, but he was just too busy with work. He finally got a job, and he was working on a huge design for a building. He was nearly at his office the whole day Monday, and the whole morning of Tuesday. He didn't mind though, ever since the kiss, things have been awkward with Spencer. He wasn't trying to avoid her per se, but it was kind of hard getting over the girl you were in love with when you see her constantly. It was also a good distraction from her and everything else. He really needed that distraction.

"Why am I just hearing about this now?" She scolded with a yell, as a lady with a German Shepard jogged past them and shot Emily a weird glance. Emily just brushed her off, she didn't care if she sounded insane. This situation was worth yelling about.

"C'mon Emily." Toby mumbled as he pulled her to a nearby park bench. He sat down, and Emily followed his actions. She looked at him raising her eyebrows, and waiting for an explanation.

" Long story short, we ran into Holly-"

"You ran into Holly?" Emily said astonished. "Holly as in-"

"Yes," He said sternly "What other Holly would I be talking about?"

"Whatever," Emily mumbled rolling her eyes. "Go on." She urged.

"Any way," His voice trailed. "Holly isn't important." He said in a rush. "Spencer pretended to be my girl friend." He said quickly, "I ended up enjoying the charade a little too much, and kissed her."

"Did she kiss back?" Emily asked her eyeballs practically coming out of her eye sockets and as if Toby had left her at a cliff hanger. Like dramatic T.V shows did on their season finales.

"I didn't really give her the chance," He said meekly. "I pulled away instantly." He sighed running his hands through his hair on the side of his head.

"Toby!" Emily growled as she smacked him.

"Ow," Toby groaned rubbing the place Emily hit. "What the hell was that for?" He demanded.

"Why-" She pinched the bridge of her nose, totally ignoring his statement. "After hearing you talk about this girl for the last two years, you finally kiss her, and then you pull away." Emily said narrowing her eyes at her friend who sat beside her, emphasizing on the last part. Two children rode their bikes passed them and Toby wished he was a child again, back when girl's had cooties and all that hurt was falling off his skate board.

"Wren," He began to say.

"Who gives two shits about Wren?" Emily exclaimed, irritation filling her words.

"He's my friend." Toby said sternly. "I'm not just going to do that to him?"

"Why?" Emily snapped bitterly. "He did the exact same thing to you." She muttered harshly.

Toby rollled his eyes, and then looked at the kids playing base ball in a far away field. He felt the soft breeze move against his face, and he let out a sigh.

"Look," Emily softened her voice taking Toby's hand. " I know he's your friend," Her voice trailed "But, what about your feelings?"

"I'll move on." He said firmly after a pause, still staring off into the field.

"But-"

"Emily," he said straightening his posture. "I'm serious." He said sternly.

"Toby," Emily said in disbelief dropping her head. "I've heard you talk more about Spencer, than any one has ever talked about anyone."

"Well," Toby said shrugging his hands away from Emily. "Not anymore." He said shooting up into a standing position. He took a look at Emily who was still sitting on the wooden park bench, and starring up at her hopeless friend with sympathic eyes as if he was as hopeless as building a snowman in May.

Toby grabbed Emily's hands, and tugged her up so that she too, was also standing. "I'll be fine." He said softly.

"Okay then," Emily huffed fluttering her eyes her eyes away from him. She knew how Toby felt about Spencer, and she knew Toby was in denial if he thought he could just erase those feelings.

Meanwhile, on a whole other part of town was some one having almost the same exact conversation.

"I don't understand him. At all." Spencer said frustrated. "It's like one minute, he kisses me, The next, he's acting like i'm that chubby pimple covered girl at those awkward middle school dances." Spencer said her voice filled with irritation as she flipped through the pages of People magazine aimlessly sitting on her friends couch, while her dark haired friend's big hazel eyes glued to her.

"Wait go back." The tiny girl said stepping up to Spencer, and taking the magazine away. "He kissed you." She said her voice full of shock, and her eyes wide as she sat her self on the sturdy coffee table in front of Spencer.

"Yeah," Spencer shrugged fluttering her eyes. "But, as soon as it happened, it ended." She said with a huff.

"So was it like a peck or?" The smaller girl questioned.

"I don't even know. It all ended so soon." Spencer replied, aimlessly twisting a piece of her hair in between her index finger, and thumb.

"Well what happened after?" The tiny girl sat up eagerly. As if she was six years old, and it was story time in the local library.

"He just sort of left." Spencer murmured starring at the coke can that sat on the table in front of her next to Aria. "Then," She scrunched her nose. "He told me he was drunk, and he was just doing it to piss Holly off." Spencer rolled her eyes.

"Aria where's the peanut butter?" A man's voice came from the kitchen.

"In the the cupboard!" Aria shout back. "Babe, do you mind making me one too?" She said with a small cheerful smile, even if her boy friend couldn't see her.

"Fine," He groaned from the kitchen.

"Make me one too, Ezra!" Spencer yelled.

"Do I look like a butler?" Ezra shouted back.

"Don't know. Can't see you," Spencer yelled teasing in her voice. "Just make me one."

"Fine," He groaned again, which led to the two best friends to burst into a fit of giggles.

"So, anyways." Aria breathed through the giggles. "He was just drunk?"

"That's the thing." Spencer said softly, and her voice distant. "He had like two glasses of wine, and Holly could not see us." She said emphasizing the last part, making it clear as she could muster for her friend who was listening in.

"Sooooooo," Aria's voice trailed waiting for Spencer to explain.

"I think," She gulped "He kissed me because he just," She shrugged.

"Finally!" Aria exclaimed clapping her hands excitedly "It took him long enough." Aria shook her head "The sexual tension between you guys is just too much to handle."

"Aria," Spencer said sternly and seriously, taking her friend out of her sudden out burst of excitement. "Have you been listening...at all?"

"Oh," Aria said furrowing her eye brows and nodding her head slowly. "Oh yeah," She said scrunching up her face. Aria could make millions of facial expressions, it was her hidden talent. "Sorry." She mumbled looking away in shame.

"I just-" Spencer ran her hands through her long wavy hair. "I'm pretty sure he feels the same way, I don't understand why he would take the kiss back." She said dazzled.

"Why don't you just ask him?" Aria asked. "I mean," She shrugged.

"Cause," She mumbled. "I send him signals all the time already." Spencer hit her head against the couch. "I literally told him that we make a good couple."

"Maybe your being too subtle." Aria said shyly. "Maybe you should just be simple and clear. and say 'Hey dumbass, I like like you.' " Aria said with a snicker, as a big and bright smile covered her face. Aria was quite childish sometimes, and today being one of those times.

After a minute of pondering Spencer looked in Aria's big hazel eyes, and nodded. "I'm gonna do it." She said shyly.

So that night, when the two; Spencer and Toby were both home alone, Spencer gathered her courage up, and was about to spill her heart out to the one and only Toby Cavanaugh.

"Toby," Spencer said meekly looking at the back of his head as he searched through the refrigerator.

"Mmmhm?" Toby grunted not even looking back at the brunette who was sitting at the counter, reading 'great expectations'. As she closed the book on the one-hundred and twenty ninth page. Toby heard the book clasp behind him, and he just knew she was about to get into a conversation with him. He stood starring at the miracle whip in the fridge mindlessly hoping some one would interrupt them.

"Can we talk." She said shyly.

"Uh," he mumbled quietly. "Sure," The word barely slipped out of his mouth as he slowly closed the fridge's door, and walked over to other side of the counter. He placed his hands, face down, on the counter and stared at Spencer, waiting for her to say something. Anything.

"The other night," She gulped her pride "When you kissed me." She said shakily. "I-"

Interrupting Spencer, was Toby's phone. It began to ring and ring and ring.

"Uh," Toby said awkwardly.

"Just pick it up." She huffed a piece of hair floating away from her face.

Toby gladly took the call, he sure as hell didn't feel like talking to Spencer about their kiss. Although, Toby was suprised when the caller I.D read Philadelphia Hospital. The only reason he had the number any way was because if he ever needed to contact Wren at work, for whatever reason. He just assumed it was Wren. So when a lady answered, and told him that Toby was one of Wren's I.C.E contacts in his phone and Wren had gotten into a accident. Toby's heart dropped. Wren was in an accident? After receiving little news over the phone call, he gulped and pressed end. His face must have shown it all, because Spencer looked worried as ever.

"What is it?" She asked. After no reply, she asked again. "Toby, what is it?" She asked a little more sternly than before.

"Wren got into an accident." Toby said quietly. "He's in the hospital."

I know, another shortish chapter. Don't kill me. And to answer some questions.

-Have patience my dear reviewers.

-Yes, Holly will make a reappearance at one point.

-And thank you for the reviews (: Please keep reviewing. As usual, 10 reviews and i'll update tomorrow.