Chapter 5:

The sound of a cell phone ringing sent Spencer flailing, bolting upright in bed and clutching the bed sheet to her chest. She felt around sleepily for her cell phone on the dresser. "Are you kidding me?" She groaned, throwing her head back.

Toby stirred beside her, "Hmm?" He said hazily, rubbing his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"This." Spencer said, annoyed. She shoved the illuminated cell phone screen in front of his face. "Aria calling me at seven thirty in the morning."

"Are you going to answer it?" Toby asked. He ran his hand through his bedhead-overrun hair.

"I have to, don't I?" She grumbled. Accepting the call and raising the phone to her ear, Spencer sighed. "What?"

"Hey, Spencer!" Aria said, just as cheery as always. "Oooh, were you asleep?"

"No, Aria, I was just on my way out to the barn to milk Bessie." Spencer said sardonically. She swung her legs off the bed, reaching for Toby's t-shirt lying beside her jeans. Pulling it over her head, she stood up and started walking towards the bathroom. "What's so important that it couldn't want until I meet you at the florist later? It's a Saturday morning, Aria."

"I know, I know, I'm sorry, I just…wanted to ask your opinion on something."

Spencer began to run the hot water in the shower. "How about this: I meet you at eight instead of ten to grab some coffee. You can ask my opinion then." She said. "And, hey, why aren't you with Ezra? I mean, he is the groom-to-be…"

"Oh, I am, silly!" Aria said. "We're out for coffee. See? Say hi, Ezra!" Aria said. In the background, Spencer could hear a muffled, "Wha?"

"It's Spencer, say hi!"

"It's okay, Aria. He knows I'm here." Spencer assured her. "I'm getting in the shower. I'll see you at eight."

"Okay! How about I pick you up at Toby's apartment?"

"Sure. Sounds good." She replied, rubbing the goop from her eyes.

"Oh, and Spencer, real quick, I – "

"Aria, in a moment, you're going to hear something that sounds like someone hanging up the phone." Spencer said, and promptly hit the END button on her cell phone.

Toby chuckled and Spencer peered through the doorway. "What are you laughing at? You have work later today!" Spencer exclaimed.

"It's not that." Toby shook his head, still buried in the pillows and sheets. "You're just such a good conversationalist, Spence. You even make being hung up on sound good. If only I had your great skill." He teased.

"Shut up." Spencer giggled and slid off his t-shirt, chucking it at him, "Get up, Romeo. We both have things to do. It's morning, and there is oh, so very much to get done."

"Is this what adulthood feels like?" Toby asked, rolling onto his elbow.

"Yeah, and you're ankle deep in it, so you better get used to it!"

"I have to admit, I'm a little surprised you called." Melissa said across the table as a waitress poured her a glass of iced tea.

After helping Aria select white roses and pink tulips for the engagement party, Spencer had been dropped off at her dorm room – and Toby had set off for work – and she decided to pick up her phone and invite Melissa to lunch.

"Why?" Spencer asked. "I mean, we haven't talked in a while. I thought we should catch up. Besides, it's my treat."

"Uh, you don't have to do that, Spence." Melissa said. "I know that you had to quit your job at The Bean because of schoolwork, so money must be – "

"It's fine." Spencer shook her head. "Mom and Dad are still supplying me with cash until I can find time to get a job. In fact, they cut me another check last night." She said.

"Alright, if you're sure…"

"I am." Spencer said, ending the subject. She took a sip of her coke, "So how's Taylor?"

"Fine." Melissa smiled softly. "She's almost five now, so I think I'm going to have a party for her and her little friends from preschool."

"That sounds great." Spencer grinned. "I'll have to see her again."

"Well, I'm probably going to be taking her to the engagement party, so…" Melissa replied.

"Oh, ya, Aria…Aria told me she invited you."

"Are you disappointed?"

"No! No, no." Spencer reassured her. "I'm thrilled. I'm just…surprised, I guess."

"I understand why. I mean, I wasn't always the nicest person to your friends when we were younger." Melissa cast her eyes to the floor.

"Hey, it's no biggie." Spencer said. "I mean, it's water under the bridge."

Melissa sighed. "Good."

A beat of silence.

"So…how's Wren?" Spencer finally got the nerve to profess the question, revealing the huge elephant in the room.

"He's fine." Melissa said quietly.

"Is he with Taylor now?"

Melissa snorted. "Don't make me laugh." She said. "Nah, he's at work, probably."

"Oh."

Another beat of silence.

"So Aria's finally tying the knot with Fitz, huh?" Melissa asked.

"Yeah, weird huh?" Spencer said. She stirred her straw in her glass. "I mean, I can't say I never saw it coming, I just didn't think it would hit us all so…soon."

"I know what you mean." Melissa said. A look of mischief crossed her face.

"What?" Spencer knit her eyebrows.

"And, uh, when do you suppose Toby will be popping the question?"

"And how much did Hanna pay you to ask that?" Spencer asked scornfully, which sent her sister into a fit of giggles.

"Nothing, nothing, I'm just curious! I mean, you guys have been together for, what, four years?"

"In November, yes, four years. But he probably wants to wait until I graduate before making any rash decisions." Spencer's cheeks burned.

"Well, are you spending the nights at his apartment?"

"Melissa!"

"What, I'm just wondering!"

"Yeah."

"Then you're practically married as it is. So why not make it official?"

"When we're ready, we will, okay? Why is that the main topic of everyone's thoughts? Did they put it out on the papers or something?" Spencer asked, incredulous.

Melissa laughed. "Alright, what are you going to have to eat? Here comes the waitress."

"Okay," Spencer said, pausing the movie. "Why is that girl wearing heels while battling a psycho monster?"

Beside her, Toby shrugged, "She's probably mastered how to walk in them. And it's better than being barefoot. I mean, getting glass in your feet…"

"But, really, I mean, come on don't you think – "

Toby's head fell back against the spine of the couch in exasperation, "Are we really going to do this again, Spence? It's a movie. Of course it isn't going to be realistic."

"Alright, fine, fine. I'll shut up." Spencer held up her hands in surrender, unpausing the movie. But within seconds, she picked up the remote again and paused the screen, causing a very nervous-looking Megan Fox and grime-covered Brad Pitt to freeze in midair.

"Okay, but can we just agree that there would be no possibility for her to jump that high in those shoes?" Spencer asked.

"Maybe she'd been practicing. Maybe she goes to the gym a lot." Toby reasoned.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize she was your girlfriend." Spencer said, her face a mask of faux offence.

"Can we please just watch the movie? We've had it rented for two weeks. It's holding up our DVD queue. Can you just power through it?" Toby asked.

"Alright, fine." She unpaused it again.

Within seconds, another error presented itself on the screen, and Spencer promptly picked up the remote and paused it again. "Alright, just for future reference, if you ever wait until we are both seconds away from our death to tell me that I 'complete you,' I will leave you for a normal person…"

Toby groaned and laughed, tackling her down onto the sofa, ripping the remote from her hand and sending it flying across the room. He kissed the tip of her nose. "Okay, I guess the movie's out."

"Hey, next time you want me to watch a movie, pick one that makes at least some sense." Spencer said, gasping.

"Come here, you." Toby grinned and pressed her further down into the cushions.