Author's Note: I feel like I did this exact one-shot a while ago...

Day One-Hundred Seventeen: …Baby One More Time by Britney Spears

I pulled my books out of my locker and began to walk to class with Aria. Aria opened her mouth to speak, but stopped completely when we saw who came around the corner.

My heart almost stopped when I saw who.

It was Jenna Marshall and Toby Cavanaugh.

A few moments later, Hanna walked up to the two of us. We exchanged looks with Emily, who was standing with the new girl Maya. We were all confused.

"Did you know that Toby Cavanaugh was back? I thought he got sent away for…" Hanna trailed off.

"He did. I didn't know he was back," Aria replied.

"Does he even know that we were the ones who—"

"I'm sure he figured it out," Aria responded sharply.

"But why is he protecting us if he knows we did it?" Hanna inquired quietly.

Aria shrugged. "I don't know."

"Guys, it doesn't matter. He's keeping our secret for us. Why are we questioning it?" I asked. I was secretly scared.

"Now that Alison is dead, who's to say he'll still keep our secret?" Aria questioned.

I shrugged.

Later, when I walked home, I thought about the day.

That was the first time I had seen Toby in almost a year. And it was…weird, to say the least. Something seemed really different about him. He was brooding before, but now…it was like there was quiet violence somewhere inside of him.

I had seen him sometime around last Christmas. Actually, it was Christmas Eve when he saw me. He was home from reform school for the holiday. He somehow got onto my family's property and wanted to see me.

I remembered that it was snowing, which was odd for our area of Pennsylvania at the end of December. The backyard looked gorgeous, though nobody else was there. The grass was blanketed in snow probably about an inch thick, judging from the snow accumulated on the railing. The back deck was cleared of snow, though.

I was getting snowflakes in my hair and shivering as he walked over to the deck. I noticed that he couldn't stop staring at me.

I looked down at my dress. My parents had invited just about everyone they knew to their huge Christmas Eve party. They told me to dress up nicely and I had this sneaking suspicion that they wanted me to hang out with (and by hang out, I mean go on a date with) Andrew Campbell, whose family they invited over that night. I was wearing a red lace dress. It was pretty, but…I didn't think I looked particularly pretty in it.

"What are you doing here?" I inquired, trying not to shiver. I felt goosebumps cover my entire body.

"Spence, you're freezing," he told me.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"I just…wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. Are you alright?"

I was silent for a moment. I shrugged. "I'm cold."

"Are you upset with me?" he inquired.

"Why didn't you just tell them about what Ali did? What we did?" I asked.

He bit his lip for a moment. "I…I didn't want to do that to you. Or Emily, or the other girls. And if I said Alison did it…she'd drag the four of you down with her."

I sighed. "Didn't you tell your parents you didn't do it?"

"They didn't believe me," he said.

"But can't you say anything now? Alison is missing. She can't do anything to you if she's not here."

"I practically already took the blame for it, Spencer."

"Aren't you at least going to try?"

He was silent before he shook his head. "There's no point, Spencer. It'll make things worse. Plus, I'm glad I'm away from Jenna."

"Are you glad you're away from me, too?" I asked.

He was silent. In retrospect, I knew that that was not what he meant. But I had such tunnel vision at the moment that I couldn't think straight.

"Goodbye, Toby."

It was such a dumb move on my part! How could I have let him go for something that stupid?!

And now I was just lonely. I had friends. I hadn't gone on a date or even kissed anyone since he left for reform school last September.

And now…he looked amazing. It sounded vain, but he really did. It almost made me feel uncomfortable.

On the flipside, I knew he probably changed, too. What if he hated me? It drove me crazy that I didn't know. And I couldn't just go up and ask him. That would be…weird.

I had one class with him today—French. I tried to sit somewhat close to him, but I couldn't gauge his reaction to me.

So I made up my mind on the walk home. If he didn't know me how he felt about this whole thing, I was going to have to pry it out of him. And I'd need Emily's and Hanna's help.

"Spencer, this better be really fricking important because I cancelled my appointment with my colorist," Hanna answered with a pout as she and Emily entered my bedroom.

"It is. It's about a boy," I answered.

Immediately, Hanna's entire aura changed. "A boy! Since when do you like boys?"

Emily and I raised an eyebrow, but shook it off.

"Never mind her, Spence. Who is he?" Emily asked excitedly.

I bit my lip. "You have to promise you won't freak out."

"Spencer, I'm going to slap you," Hanna interrupted. "Just spill it already."

I took a deep breath. "It's Toby. Toby Cavanaugh."

They both looked…confused, to say the very least.

"Is there a second Toby Cavanaugh I'm unaware of? One whose stepsister isn't a bitch?" Hanna inquired.

I was silent. Emily continued. "You and Toby? When did that become a thing?"

"Well…we kind of…we had a thing last year, before he left. And I was really stupid and broke things off with him after he came back home last Christmas. I guess we sort of split up after he left, since I didn't really talk to him when he was away, but…it felt really solid last Christmas."

The both of them were silent. They were still trying to process it.

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around it," Hanna said finally.

"Can you wrap your head around it and help me figure out how to get him back?" I asked. "What if he's dating someone?"

"It's Toby Cavanaugh we're talking about here, Spencer. I think the last time he talked to a girl aside from Jenna was probably months ago."

I rolled my eyes. "Have you seen him lately?"

"Yeah, he's obviously hotter now, but I don't think I ever even heard him talk until like the seventh grade. And I've known him since I was like six."

Hanna sighed before walking over to my closet. Emily and I sat down on the bed.

"What do dark, brooding types like Toby even like in a girl, anyway?" she asked.

"And you should be the one to talk, Hanna," Emily piped up. "Caleb?"

Hanna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but he's like…he's different, okay? He's kind of annoying and really sarcastic."

"Such a nice way to talk about your boyfriend, Hanna," I retorted.

"Hey, Hastings. Do you want my help or not?"

I thought about it for a moment. "He likes the color red."

I walked into French class the next day and sat at the desk right next to his. I probably looked ridiculous, but I really didn't care.

I guess I really did think that maybe the way I was dressing would at least catch his eye. I was definitely blinded by my feelings—maybe not feelings, per se, but my lust—for him. Obviously, since I was willing to do this in order to win him back.

It didn't exactly go how I had planned it to. I ended up going home with Emily so I could vent to her for a while. We ate ice cream and I did some of her homework, but I didn't really feel any better when I left.

Thinking this really was an awful day, I left Emily's with disappointment written all over my face.

I was just turning to walk home when I heard a very familiar voice behind me.

"You know you didn't have to do that, right?"

I turned around to see Toby sitting on his front porch steps. In my (similar) tunnel vision, I hadn't even realized I was walking past the Cavanaughs' house.

"Do what?" I inquired. I wasn't even defensive or denying it anymore.

"Change how you look entirely. For me," he said.

Suddenly, something in me changed. I couldn't even describe it. "What makes you so sure I did this for you?" I asked.

He stood up and walked over to me. I felt my muscles tense up. "Well, because the Spencer Hastings I knew and loved would never wear something like this, especially for no reason at all. And even though you hate it, you never do anything without some sort of reason," he said.

I felt a shiver course through my body; he was standing so close to me. "It was dumb, I know," I replied.

"I think it's kind of cute."

I scowled at that dumb word, cute. "Wait, if you thought it was so cute, then why didn't you say anything before?"

He shrugged. "I wanted to talk to you after school, but as soon as I changed from PE, you were gone," he answered with a shrug.

"Yeah, I didn't want to be there any longer than I had to. I was really embarrassed."

"You look really pretty."

I sighed. "What do you want from me? Are you stringing me along right now?"

"No, I'm not."

"So what are you feeling like?"

"I feel like…" he trailed off for a moment. He looked at me and smiled before taking my hand and kissing me. It felt exactly the same way as it did the last time I kissed him, over a year ago. I guess some things never changed.

So maybe this ridiculous makeover was worth it.

I literally have no time! I promise to start with the reviews again tomorrow!

The next one-shot is Never Gonna Leave This Bed by Maroon 5. Bye! -Kayson