A/N- Please excuse any errors and the late update because I'm sick with the flu :(

Chapter 15

Take Your Pick

After weeks of waiting, today was the day that Toby was finally able to go back to school. He didn't like school per se, but he did like the fact that he got to see Spencer everyday. They still haven't been able to really spend a lot of time together. He'd still have to scale the side of the house to visit her every night. One night, they accidentally fell asleep on her bed and the next morning, he had to hurry out of the window and into the bathroom to make it seem like he had just gotten out of the shower. That wasn't easy because he almost broke his neck that time from trying to hurry and get to the bathroom.

Still, it felt good to be getting out of the house for a few hours. He called his boss and told him that he could return next week. He eagerly got ready for school in the morning and the task was much easier without his cast on his arm. He finished up and headed downstairs for some breakfast.

As he was eating his cereal at the island, he was anxiously waiting for Spencer to come downstairs. He would look over his shoulder every once in a while hoping that she'd be standing on those stairs.

"Goodmorning, Toby." His head instantly turned to the stairway hoping to see Spencer, but instead it was Melissa.

His smiled faltered a little."Oh, hey, Mel."

"Are you excited to be heading back to school." She asked as she made her way over to the coffee pot.

"Yes and no. School has never been my cup of tea, but now I have a reason to like going."

"Spencer?" She guessed and took the blush on his cheeks as a yes.

"Look, can you go up and tell Spencer that if she doesn't hurry well be late for school."

"Sorry, she already left this morning. She said she had to finish up something before school, so she asked me to take you."

His sudden excited turned to disappointment."Oh, great."

"Don't sound too excited." She teased and Toby tried his best to smile, but he really wanted to have a few minutes alone with her before they were immersed in school." Hey, she really wanted to be here this morning for you."

He smiled before picking up his bag off the floor."I'm gonna be late if we don't leave now."

"Okay," She poured her coffee into a paper cup before following Toby outside to the car.

Spencer waited patiently at a table inside of the Brew. She came to the Brew early this morning, so that she could get Toby's favorite coffee and brownies for him. It was his first day back at school and she wanted to start it off with a special treat for him. The barista, Angie, told her that her order would be ready in a few minutes. Of course while she waited she sat down and pulled her French book out to get a little more studying time in. She was so immersed in her studies that she failed to notice a girl was standing next her table.

"Excuse me, but aren't you Spencer Hastings?" The girl asked and Spencer head snapped up from her book.

"Yes."

The girl sat down across from her at the table."I'm Jenna. Jenna Marshall."

"Okay, Jenna," Spencer eyed her curiously as she closed up her textbook to give Jenna her attention."What is that you want?"

"I'm Toby's stepsister and I really need to talk to you about Toby."

Spencer knew that Toby had family that he didn't talk about. He's had problems with them and that's all she really knew about it. She didn't know why Jenna would just show up out of the blue looking for Toby.

"What about Toby?"

Jenna cleared her throat and looked around to make sure no one was listening."Toby's,well, he's...troubled," She put on her best look of concern and fear and it seemed to grasp Spencer's full attention."there are things about him that you don't know."

Spencer furrowed her eyebrows."He's troubled? What don't I know about him?"

"You think he's sweet and charming now, but he'll change. I learned first hand a few months after his father married my mother and we moved in with them." Jenna said on a frightened tone and started the waterworks."He became very violent and...aggressive. I was terrified of him for a long time until he decided to move away when I had threatened to tell our parents."

The Toby that Spencer knew wasn't aggressive. He couldn't hurt a fly let alone his own stepsister. But how could she know that for sure. She's only known Toby for a little over a two months and he still hadn't shared stuff about his past expect his mother. She didn't know what kind of person he was, he was basically a stranger.

"Jenna, why are you telling me this?"

"I wanted to save you before it was too late. I wanted to help you before he got to you and do the same things he did to me." Jenna quickly wiped her tears and hastily stood up."I'm sorry, but I have to go. I don't want to risk running into him."

"But-" Spencer was going ask more questions, but Jenna was already waking towards the exit.

It was a shame that Spencer couldn't see the smirk on Jenna's face as she walked away. Jenna put on a worthy performance and now all she had to do was wait for things to erupt.

Spencer walked out of the Brew a few minutes later with Toby plaguing her thoughts. She didn't want to believe anything that Jenna said, but she had to consider that she may be telling the truth. Expect, it was hard to picture Toby being violent with anyone. A long time ago, she thought that Andrew couldn't hurt a fly either, but he proved her wrong.

Speak of the devil. As she was approaching her car, Andrew was already leaning up against the hood waiting for her. She was in town in an open space, so she didn't have to worry about him doing anything with all these people around.

"Hey, Spence." He said once she was finally up close to him."Did you get my flowers?"

"Yes, I threw them away." She said firmly and he put a hand over his heart while having a look of hurt on his face.

"That really hurts my heart, Spence. I really wanted us to go to homecoming together, you know, how it's supposed to be."

She rolled her eyes at him and tried to walk past him to get the driver side door, but he blocked her path."Andrew, move."

He let out an exaggerated sigh and shook his head."I don't think so. I came here to ask you to the dance and I intend to get what I came for. We could do this the easy way or the hard way."

She scoffed slightly."What are you gonna do? Hit me again? Because I'm not gonna be your victim anymore."

"Fine, I don't have to hit you to get what I want," He said simply before a wide smile appeared on his face."I could just as easily blackmail."

"Blackmail me? I'm sorry to break it to you, but I don't have any secrets."

He raised an eyebrow at her."Really? Well, what about Wren Kingston giving you medications illegally. You thought I didn't know about that?"

She looked at him wide eyed "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I? He used to treat you for your... injuries and he'd give you pills to take away the pain. Expect, I still know that you take them." He pulled a pill bottle out of his pocket and Spencer immediately recognized them. She tried to reach out and take them, but he held them out of her reach."Yeah, imagine my surprise when I found these in the back of your locker the other day when I was putting in a note for you. This is some pretty heavy stuff to be taking, but you look fine to me. I bet if I told your parents you were taking this stuff they'd ship you off rehab, so quick that it'll make your head spin."

She sighed in defeat."W-what do you want from me?"

"It's simple." He placed the pills in his pocket as a sinister smile spread on his face."Go to the dance with me. That's it and I'll leave you and Toby alone forever."

"We go to the dance and then it's all over for us? For good?"

"Scouts honor."

This is what she wanted. She been waiting for this moment for years. All she wanted was her freedom from him and he was giving to her a silver platter. Who was she to not jump at this chance.

"Okay, we'll go."

He's been staring inside his locker for the past ten minutes. He started the school day off by not seeing Spencer this morning. Of course his friends and the girls were there to greet him this morning, but still no Spencer. After he hadn't seen her after second period, he began to get nervous. He tried to call, but she didn't pick up the phone.

He was so focused on his thoughts about Spencer that he failed to notice a girl had planted herself beside him.

"Hey, Toby." He finally looked her way. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Mischievous smirk. Yep, he knew exactly who it was standing next to him."I'm-"

"You're Alison D." He said for her before turning back to his locker to get out his English book before closing."How can I help you?"

"You can help me by being my date to the homecoming dance." Her eyes roved over his body like an animal would do their prey."I've been wanting to ask you for a long time, but you've been away. I heard you got into a little scuffle with the cops."

He raised an eyebrow at her in surprise."You knew about that? How?"

"Don't forget where you live. Rosewoods a small town and people love to talk." She stopped closer to him and laid a hand on his forearm."It looks like you're everyone's favorite topic nowadays."

He chuckled in disbelief. People just couldn't keep their mouths shut around here."I can't go to the dance with you because-"

"Look, I've just really had this huge crush on you since you got here, but I've been too afraid to act on it. I was thinking now would be a good time, since Spencer was going with Andrew and we both don't have-"

"Whoa! Jump back. Spencer's going to the homecoming dance with Andrew? As in Andrew Campbell?" He asked in shock and utter disbelief. Alison nodded her head in conformation."I didn't know that she got back together with him."

Alison shrugged slightly."It's a recent thing. He asked her this morning and she said yes instantly."

His heart felt like it had dropped to his feet and slipped out of his shoes. Alison was still talking to him, but he had tuned her out. This couldn't be true, could it? Andrew was her first love in a since, but does that mean she'd give in so quickly? What about them or did they ever even have a chance?

"Toby!" He snapped out of his thoughts when an impatient Alison called his name.

"What?"

"So are we doing it or what?"

"Doing what."

She rolled her eyes."Are we going to the homecoming dance together or do I have to beg some more?"

After a moment of thinking her shook his head."No, you don't have to. I'll go to the dance with you."

She smiled up at him."Great, I should come over after school to discuss our how we're going to match." She leaned up to kiss his cheek before walking off without another word.

He looked up when he felt someone staring at him. It was Spencer. He smiled at her, but she had this guarded look on her face. He took a step in her direction and she immediately turned and disappeared down the hall. He touched the spot where she kissed his cheek and felt guilty. But he shouldn't be because Spencer wanted Andrew. Right?

Spencer couldn't focus all day. A certain blue eyed has been clouding her thoughts all day. She felt awful running way from him earlier today when she saw him, but how could she talk to him. After her run in with Jenna and Andrew there was no way she could speak to him right now. Then as school went on, she started to hear rumors going around about how Toby asked Alison to homecoming that morning.

All day at school she kept hearing about how cute Toby and Alison looked together. Or how they were gonna win homecoming king and queen. Every time he heard Toby's name and Alison's name in the same sentence, she wanted to puke. She guessed that him asking another girl to the dance was his way of saying that he was finally done with her and all the drama she came with. She was expecting it to happen anyway, now she had to get back to reality.

She couldn't even focus as she sat in her bedroom, trying to study. He didn't come home after school. She guessed he was with the guys or Alison. Or just anyone else. She wanted to call him or at least text him to know where they stood. But of course, she was a Hastings and she was just gonna have to let it go.

"Hey," Spencer looked up from her books to see Melissa standing in her doorway."Can I come in?"

"Sure." She closed up her book while Melissa came into the room and shut the door behind her. She walked over to Spencer's bed and sat on the end."So what's up?"

"I just wanted to talk with you about homecoming. Mom said that you changed your mind about going." She said and Spencer just nodded her head hoping that would end her questions."So is Toby gonna match your dress or-"

"Toby's not my date to the dance. Andrew is taking me."

"What? I don't think I hear you right. Did you say Andrew was taking you to the dance?" Melissa asked and Spencer shamelessly nodded her head in agreement."Why, Spence?"

"Because I'm tired of all the problems and the drama. I just want to be free from it all. Andrew offered mean way out and I took it."

Melissa crossed her arms over her stomach"So what? He just wants you to be his date for the dance and then he's through with you? Spencer, come on you're smart enough to not believe that."

Spencer scoffed slightly and shook her head."You wouldn't understand, Mel. You've never been in the type of situation that I have." She picked up her book and went back to reading, signaling to her sister that she was done with the conversation.

Suddenly the book was snatched from her hands. She looked at Melissa to see a look of anger and sadness mixed on her face. She tried to reach for her book, but Melissa threw over to a corner of the room.

"You're not the only one who's felt pain for this family, Spencer!" Spencer had never seen her sister like this, so vulnerable."We all have to work past it and learn to live with the decisions we make."

"Melissa, what happened to you."

She sadly chuckled."It's not what, but who. Ian and I are were just like Andrew and you used to be. Until the day-"

"Until the day he died." Spencer finished for her and scooted closer to her sister to grabbed her hand in hers."What'd he do to you?"

"You know, Ian decided to be a high school coach, even though his family was loaded. That's what I liked about him. He was different than most guys with money and I knew that I needed him in my life." Melissa wiped the tears from her eyes before she continued."Things were great when he started dating and of course you, mom, and dad loved him. We were very happy, so we got married and that's when he started to change...he'd...he'd..."

Spencer rubbed her sisters back when she noticed she was having trouble going on."It's okay, you don't have to tell me anymore." But of course Melissa shook her head and pulled herself together.

"Over the year of marriage the bruises turned to broken bones. The hospital is where I met Wren and he was so different from Ian. he was sweet, charming, sensitive, and he would always visit me when in went to the hospital, even if I wasn't his patient. It was at that point where I realized that I didn't love Ian and he didn't love me, he just loved the way he could carry me around like a trophy."

"Why didn't you leave him? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I talked to dad and he told me that love would come eventually. He told me that a divorce would be frown upon in his eyes. And I didn't tell you because I didn't want to have to bother you with this. I'm a Hastings and were supposed to have everything together."

She pulled her sister in for a tight hug and that's when Melissa let it all out."Melissa, it doesn't matter what your last name is because if you needed help you needed to tell someone. You needed to tell me."

"The night Ian died, it was all such a blur."

Melissa thinks back to the night where it was raining and Ian was driving them home from dinner. He was yelling at her about how she went to the hospital, so much just so that she could see Wren. Which from her bruises would show surely wasn't the case. He kept yelling and screaming at her about how he was going to teach her how to not disrespect him when they got home. She just couldn't take another beating, her body was tired from it all, the lies and the secrets.

As they were going over a bridge, she did the one thing that could free her forever. She took hold off the wheel and steered them off of the bridge. It was like everything happened on slow motion. The look on Ian's face of horror was the face she had every time they were alone together. She just closed her eyes and waited until she could be free. She just didn't expect to be free this way. He was gone and she was still here. She had tried to kill them, but only ending up killing him.

No one ever knew that she had driven them off the bridge. She had never told anyone because she knew her family would be furious with her. So the cops ruled Ian's death as an accident and she's never told anyone about that night, not ever. She's moved on now and married Wren and she's happy. Expect, now her past is coming back to haunt her because now her little sister has to go through what she went through.

"I just want to keep you safe, Spencer. You're my little sister and no matter how much we compete or argue, I still love you." Melissa hugged her sister tighter and that's how they sat for hours and hours just holding each other.

Peter loosened his tie as soon as he stepped inside of the house. He walked into the dimly lit kitchen to get himself a drink before heading up stairs. Expect, when he was walking over to the stairs, he noticed two suitcases waiting by the back door.

"You're home." He looked up to see Veronica coming down the stairs. He smiled at her before gesturing towards the bags.

"Toby movin out so soon?" He questioned, but once she was finally down the stairs and standing next to him, he noticed something was off.

"No, but you are."

He chuckled at her joke."Excuse me? And where exactly are we going?"

"Well, I'm staying here with our daughters that you failed and you can go stay with Robert and his money."

His smile dropped when he realized she wasn't kidding. She wanted him gone because she had found out."How'd you..."

"I found these in your desk earlier when I was looking for something." She handed him a paper that Andrew's father had given him. On the paper were clearly written ideas on how to get rid of Toby that he had forgot to throw away."And it didn't help that when I looked in your safe I found money and not pocket change. You've been...pimping out our daughter, who needed out help. How could you do that?"

"What did you want me to do? Lose everything we worked hard?"

"We already lost it when you got involved with Robert Campbell and their family. Now, I have to dig it's family out of it's grave. And I don't want you here because we're gonna be just fine."

He turned to her with a face as hard as stone."Veronica, I'm not leaving my own house."

"She said leave," They both looked towards the kitchen, where Toby had just came in through the side door."I think you should just go before things get out of hand and someone does something they'll regret later."

Peter marched over to him, so that stood nose to nose and eye to eye."Mind your own business. This has nothing to do with you."

"It my business when it involves Spencer. And if her mother thinks that it's unsafe for you to be here in the home, then you have to go." Toby got right back in his face to show that he wasn't afraid."I'm not asking this time."

It was showdown and Toby was waiting at any moment for Peter to do something. He had his guard up and was just waiting for him to make his move. But strangely, he just glared at for a few more minutes before turning away. He walked over to Veronica to whisper something in his ear before taking his suitcases and leaving. Toby looked over at Mrs. Hastings and she gave him a nod and he knew what that nod meant. It was a silent thank you and he nodded back.

Toby made his way up the stairs after making sure Mrs. Hastings was alright. He immediately headed to Spencer's room once he was up the stairs. The door was open and she was sitting on her bed reading something. He lightly tapped his knuckle on the door to get her attention.

"Can I come in? We need to talk."

"Yeah, we do need to talk." She went over to him and grabbed the end of his shirt to pull him into the room. She closed the door behind him before turning to him.

He awkwardly scratched the fake itch on the back of his neck"Are you mad at me? About the whole Alison thing?"

"I don't know what to feel about it, but right now I don't want to talk about us."

"Then what do you want to talk about?"

She crossed her arms and let out a small sigh."I want to talk about your stepsister, Jenna."