CHAPTER 8:

"Toby Cavanaugh, are you asking me out?" Spencer folded her arms across her chest.

"Maybe," Toby bit his lip and reached down to take her hand. Ever since they first kissed the other day, things had been great. Their relationship felt exactly like what it had been, except… more flirty.

She giggled and took his hand, "If you were, I'd say yes,"

"Okay. Spencer, would you like to go on a date with me?" Toby asked, a wide smile spreading across his face.

"Hmmm… let me think about it…" Spencer teased, a glint in her eye. "Okaaaay, I guess so," She leaned in a kissed him hard on the lips. She could feel him smiling in her mouth, and she reached up a hand to cup his neck, while one of his hands flew up to caress her cheek.

They pulled away, leaning their foreheads against each other. "Wow, I'd almost forgotten how good you are at kissing," She bit her lip and he chuckled softly.

"So, tomorrow. I'll pick you up at 8?" He looked into her brown eyes and felt something pulling him in.

"Okay," She nodded, giving him one more peck on the lips before turning and walking back to her house. Toby stood there, watching her walk away, her brown hair waving ever so slightly in the breeze, and sighed.

The next day, promptly at 8, Toby arrived at the Hastings' front porch, a single rose in his hand. He knocked, and stepped back, waiting for someone to open the door.

When the door finally opened, it was Spencer. She was wearing a gray dress with a black belt and mesh at the top. Her hair was done in perfectly shaped curls that accented her pink lip gloss.

Toby's jaw practically fell to the floor. "You - you look - you," He couldn't find the words.

"Speechless," A teasing glint formed in her coffee brown eyes. "Just what I was going for. And by the way, you don't look too bad yourself, Cavanaugh," She leaned in to peck him on the lips, but not before turning around to make sure her parents weren't watching. She hadn't told them about their relationship yet, and they certainly didn't know that tonight was their first date. Spencer had just told them that she and Toby were going to a party. As friends, of course.

"Miss Hastings," Toby bowed down, offering his right hand and the rose he had brought to the girl in front of him. She gladly took it, stepping off of her front porch with her silver mini heels.

Once they were seated comfortably in the taxi Toby had ordered, Spencer asked "Will you tell me where we're going now?"

"You'll find out soon enough," He smirked at her before pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. "I know how impatient you are sometimes, but I promise, you won't have to wait that long" Spencer giggled a little, suddenly realizing how well Toby knew her. They had known each other for so long, but you know what they say - time flies when you're having fun. And indeed she was. She was going on her first date with her best friend in the whole world, and the best part was that they didn't have to awkwardly make small talk while munching on food. They already knew each other so well that they could laugh and joke and cuddle as they pleased.

When they were about five minutes away from their destination, Toby shielded her eyes with a blindfold. As they stepped out of the car, he held her body close to his, her hand encircled in his, making sure not to let her fall. He could never let her fall.

After what seemed like forever to someone like Spencer, Toby finally tore the blindfold off her eyes. She gasped, looking around at what surrounded her. It was Greatest Park, a small amusement park just outside of Rosewood. When they were really little, Veronica and Marion used to take them to this amusement park and they have a picnic lunch in the park nearby.

"Toby, I don't even know what to say. You know me too well," She wrapped her arms around his torso, and he instinctively pulled her closer.

"So. Which ride should we hit first?" He asked her, even though he already knew what she was thinking. "Wait, let me guess. Piranha Coaster?"

"Heck yes!" Her face lit up as she pumped one first into the air. Piranha Coaster was her all time favorite ride, and they hadn't been in - oh - 3 years. "Oh my god Toby thank you so much!" She hugged him again.

"It's my pleasure, honeybunch," He winked one eye as she giggled and took his hand.

"C'mon, sweetiepie. We have to get there before the line gets long!" And she dashed off, dragging Toby behind her. He let Spencer pull him to the ride, admiring her natural competitiveness.

After a long night of riding the Piranha Coaster seven times, and then settling down for a delicious picnic, they were both exhausted. Well, mostly Toby. Spencer just really wanted to ride the Piranha Coaster one more time. But alas, she finally agreed to go back home, it was getting late. He dropped her off at her front porch, giving her a quick goodbye kiss. He stood outside of her door for a while, wondering how he could have gotten so lucky. He had been in love with Spencer for a while, practically since he met her. And now, getting to kiss her and take her out on dates just seemed unreal to him. He just couldn't believe that he, Toby Cavanaugh, the silly dork who loved cuddling and video games, had someone as amazing and beautiful as Spencer to call his almost-girlfriend.

Little did he know, Spencer was leaning on the other side of the door, the exact same subject on her mind. Sure, she had dreamt of kissing her best friend for a long time. She had long since fantasized about cuddling with him, pressing kiss after kiss to his lips. But never, in her whole existence, would she have thought this dream would come true. But now it has, she reminded herself, and she swore she could not have been happier.