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This is my longest chapter so far. When I started writing out the words I just couldn't stop. I think you guys will really enjoy this one. I know this is just a fanfic, but I'd love to hear from you on how you like the writing style so far. Am I pulling you in enough? Do I leave you wanting more? Please, let me know.
Chapter Nine: It's a Haunting Affair
Halloween was just around the corner. With the trees changing leaves and the taste of pumpkin spiced lattes, Spencer was ready to go shopping for costumes for the big Halloween party event. When Spencer was in high school, Halloween used to be important for the girls. As a child, she used to go out trick or treating with her sister Melissa. Then when her sister started to ditch her to hang out with boys on Halloween, Spencer went out trick or treating with her friends for a couple of years in a row. Spencer was eleven when she and her friends had decided they were too old to trick or treat. On their first Halloween not going trick or treating, she and her friends started going to Haunted houses and Haunted forests. By the time she got to middle school, Spencer would attend parties and dress up in costume contests. Spencer always liked Halloween because it was the one day a year where she felt comfortable being crazy, wild, and fun. This year, Spencer and her friends bought tickets for the Halloween ghost train. Now, this event only happens every five years so, this will be the first year Spencer is able to attend.
"I think I will be Britney this year," said Hanna.
Spencer, Alison, and Hanna zig zagged through the racks of costumes searching for the right outfit. Spencer has an idea to dress as a movie character from the 1940s but wasn't set in her decision. Alison and Hanna were thinking about dressing up as iconic pop stars.
"I'm thinking Lady G," said Alison.
"What are you going to be, Spence?" Hanna asked.
Spencer twisted her lip as she looked among all the costumes. There were so many from marvel superheroes to slutty outfits to fluffy animal costumes.
"I know." Alison pulled a silky shimmering dress from a rack. "You should go as a slutty folk singer. You've got the legs for it."
Spencer chuckled, "I don't think so."
Hanna pulled a short blue cock tail dress from another rack, "you could wear this. I bet Wren would just drool all over you in this."
Spencer looked at the ground. "He's not going."
"What?" Alison stepped closer to her. "You've been looking forward to this party for weeks. Wren knows how much this party means to you."
"I can't believe he would bail on you," said Hanna.
"It's okay," Spencer shrugged. "He's picking up a shift at the hospital for his buddy that has a kid."
"We could skip the party and just go to a haunted house like we used to," Hanna suggested.
"No," Spencer shook her head. "I still want to go to this party. It will be fun. Plus, I don't think haunted houses will hit as much as they did when we were thirteen."
"We'll make sure that Spencer has a good time," said Alison. "Who knows? Maybe, we can get her to dance with a handsome stranger."
Hanna elbowed Spencer in a teasing way and said, "in that case I would go with the sexy folk singer dress."
"Did I tell you who Emily plans to be for Halloween? Said Alison.
Spencer and Hanna shook their heads.
"Kesha," Alison grinned. "Her costume is inspired by her Die Young music video."
"That one black outfit!" Hanna smiled. "I love that one. She's going to look amazing."
"I know." Alison blushed just thinking about Emily in that outfit.
"Which Lady Gage video inspired your costume?" Hanna asked.
Alison hummed as she thought for a second. "I can't decide between Poker Face and Just Dance. I love both."
"I think I saw some Lady G costumes over there." Hanna pointed towards the back corner of the store.
"Let's go look."
Hanna and Alison walked off to that section leaving Spencer to look through the racks of 1940s inspired clothes. Spencer found a red silky dress and a blue velvet dress that looks like the one her favorite actress wore in an old film. Spencer took the blue velvet dress and found a few other accessories to go with it. She smiled at the costume. She knew that if she wore this, she would look incredible in it. A costume like this was a bit daring for her, but she didn't care. She had been planning to attend this party since August and she plans to look great. If she happened to make a few heads turn, that would just be a bonus.
The week flew by. Halloween is here. Spencer pulled the black gloves over her hands to complete her costume. Then she stepped forward to view herself in the mirror dressed in her vintage costume. Spencer turned to the side to check her profile and her back side. She loved the way the dress hugged her curves. She turned to face the front and admired the way her corset hugged her breasts. It had been a long time since she found herself pleased with her image. Spencer wasn't one to be too into her looks, Hell, she never considered herself to be one of the pretty girls, but right now, she felt pretty, damn good about herself. If she were being honest, ever since her passionate night with Toby, she had been feeling a lot better about herself. Was it sad that she hadn't felt this way about herself these last six months with Wren? Spencer shook her thoughts away and prepared herself for a wonderful evening. Even if she was going without her fiancé.
"Oh my god!" Aria grinned from ear to ear.
The second Aria found Spencer through the crowd she ran over to her. Aria wrapped her tiny arms around her friend and squeezed tight.
"You look amazing!" Aria exclaimed.
"Thanks," Spencer grinned. "So do you. Are you supposed to be a character from The Great Gatsby?"
"Yes," Aria nodded. "My boyfriend is here dressed as Gatsby."
"Aw couples costumes."
"Yes," Aria smiled. "I'm excited."
"Hey!" Hanna's voice pierced through the crowd. From a distance, they could see Hanna elbowing her way through the crowd with her boyfriend, Caleb trailing behind. Hanna was dressed in a Britney Spears outfit inspired by her Baby One More Time music video. Spencer thought Hanna pulled the look off well. Spencer wasn't sure what Caleb was supposed to be. All he wore was a black cape with a weird mask on his head.
"You look so good!" Hanna said to Spencer. "I was right, you do have the legs for this."
"Hanna, you look so cute," said Aria.
"Thanks," Hanna looked at Aria. "What's with the feathers?"
"I'm Daisy!" Aria exclaimed. Hanna looked at her quizzically. Aria slanted her eyes forward at her. "From The Great Gatsby."
"Oh!" Hanna perked up. "I love that movie!"
Aria chose to let it go. The three girls focused on the sudden shift in the atmosphere as they spotted Emily and Alison making their way through the crowd. Alison decided to go in Lady Gaga's Just Dance costume and Emily came dressed like Kesha from the Die Young music video. Spencer thought they looked good together.
"Hello, ladies," Alison greeted them with a sly smile.
"Hey," Emily greeted them with a sweet smile.
"Okay, you two look so good," said Hanna.
Emily smiled, "thanks. I was worried this would be too revealing."
"Don't be silly." Alison squeezed Emily's arm in a flirtatious way. "You look sexy."
The dim lighting of the room hid Emily's blushing. A man whistled loudly over the crowd to get everyone's attention.
"The shuttle to the Ghost Train is leaving in five minutes, so everyone please! Make your way towards the shuttle!"
The crowd migrated to the shuttle. The ride took about twenty minutes. Then, they were all directed towards one of the train cars. As they waited in line, Spencer tried to hear the guy listing off the rules over the noisy crowd when she felt a tap on her shoulder. At first, she thought it was one of the girls, but they were all ahead of her. She turned around and felt her heart about to burst through her chest.
"Toby!" The blood rushed to her cheeks.
Spencer looked at Toby surprised to see him for two reasons. One, she did not expect to see him here. She didn't know if Halloween was something Toby was in to. Second, he too was dressed in vintage clothes that could match Spencer's costume. Toby wore a vintage suit and a fedora. Spencer thought he looked downright sexy.
"Hi," Toby grinned. "This is a surprise. I didn't expect to see you here."
"Same here," she smiled. "I didn't know you were into Halloween."
"I'm not usually, but I saw the signs all around town and thought it looked fun." He shrugged. "So, I decided to give it a try."
"Well, good. I hope you and your date have an enjoyable time."
"Oh, I didn't bring anybody."
Spencer felt a pinch of happiness in her chest. "I'm not here with anyone either," she said.
"Where's Wren tonight?"
"Working. I'm here with my friends, but I know eventually they'll break off to be alone with their dates."
"Well," Toby offered. "Maybe I can keep you company while they do that."
She smiled as the warmth from her chest cascaded up through her whole body.
"I'd like that."
The train was five cars long, not including the engine. Two cars were used for the main party zone for dancing, drinks, and other fun activities. The third car was made for a social environment where people could talk, relax, and just enjoy themselves. The fourth car is where people could go to use the bathroom. The last car was set aside for the working crew. Spencer and her friends made their way to the party car where a live band was playing.
"This is so cool!" Hanna exclaimed.
Everyone smiled as they took a moment to take it all in. The train whistled loudly sighingly they were ready to roll. The driver's voice rang through the loudspeaker to welcome and to wish everyone a wonderful time. He also made a note that the ride would be two hours long, but the party would last until midnight. The band switched the song they were playing to a more upbeat tone and more people started dancing.
"I love this song!" said Hanna.
"Come on let's dance!" said Aria.
Aria and Hanna pulled their dates to join the crowd on the dance floor. Spencer, Toby, Emily, and Alison migrated to the second car to mingle over drinks. Toby seemed to get along quite well with Alison and Emily, which surprised Spencer. At first, she wasn't sure how well the girls would warm up to him. Sure, they made comments on his appearance calling him attractive, but the girls could be pretty picky about who they allow into their circle. Spencer loves her friends, but they were extremely judgmental. To see how well the girls warmed up to Toby made her happy for some reason. Toby wasn't Spencer's boyfriend, obviously, but for some reason, Spencer still wanted her friends to like him. Emily especially had a special bond with Toby. They talked a lot about their unique taste in music. After over an hour of talking...
"Okay," Alison stood up. "I've had way too many margaritas and I need to move it. Emily, will you come dance with me?"
"Certainly, my dear."
Emily took her hand and smiled as Alison pulled her up. The two girls walked off to join Aria and Hanna on the dance floor. Spencer watched her four friends laugh as they bumped into each other and started dancing together along with their dates. Spencer desperately wanted to join in on the fun, but she didn't want to leave Toby. Then, she got a bold idea
"Do you want to dance?" she asked Toby.
Of course, Toby wanted to, but he wasn't much of a dancer. In fact, he always thought of himself asan embarrassment to dance. He didn't want to make a fool out of himself, much less in front of everyone here, but especially in front of Spencer. On the other hand, he really wanted to jump at any opportunity he could get to just be with her. Spencer knew she shouldn't dance with another man at a party, but once again, her fiancé failed to show up for her. She wasn't looking to Toby to punish Wren. She looked to Toby because in the past month that they'd met each other, she had grown to really enjoy his company. Toby makes her feel good. In many ways. Tonight, she wanted to feel good.
Spencer could see the hesitation in Toby's eyes. She looked at the floor.
"It's okay if you don't want to," she said. "I just thought I'd ask."
"No, it's not that," he said. "I just… I can't dance."
Spencer smiled, "it's a good thing this isn't a dance contest then."
He chuckled, "I do want to dance with you. I don't want to embarrass you with my lack of dancing skills."
"Maybe it's time you learned." Spencer got up from her seat and tugged on Toby's hand.
She makes it hard to say no to her, Toby thought as he was pulled to his feet. Toby found himself compelled to follow her as if she had him under some sort of spell. He often felt that way whenever he was with her, but he's not complaining.
"The key to dancing is to remember to keep your hips loose," Spencer said.
They reached the floor. Spencer made a bold move by putting her hands on Toby's waist and pulling him towards her. Toby felt the heat rush to his face. She was so close to him he could feel her hot breath on his cheek. She used her hands to try to get him to roll his hips around. He felt silly trying to do it.
"Move your feet along with your hips," she said.
He tried to step along to the beat. Spencer danced slow as she tried to use her hands to guide him along with her steps. Toby felt like an idiot, but when he saw the smile on her face, he didn't want to stop. The band had stopped playing for a break. They were now playing tones from a track. The first song they danced to ended. The next song came on. Spencer slowed their moves down as they heard Lana Del Rey's voice come out through the speakers singing; I've seen the world, done it all, had my cake now Toby got a little bit more comfortable dancing, but still felt silly. He needed to relax.
"Here," Spencer whispered as she pulled Toby closer. He nearly lost his breath when she pulled his body right against hers. They weren't just dancing together; they were dancing on each other. Toby felt his heat rising as Spencer rolled her hips against him.
The crazy days, city lights
The way you'd play with me like a child
Spencer sucked in a deep breath. This time, Toby was the one to pull her closer. He pressed against her, rolling his hips against hers.
Spencer raised her arms up and used her hands to frame Toby's face. She grazed her fingers over every inch of his facial features as their bodies moved together as one. Spencer's heart was beating wildly the whole time. Toby too, felt his heart going a hundred-mile beats per second. As if his mind was on autopilot, his hands moved all around her waist, desperately trying to grasp at any part of her body to pull her closer. They were already pressed close together. Their breaths mingled, their faces only centimeters apart. Spencer locked her eyes onto his gaze. Toby desperately felt like he needed a glass of water. The Lana song ended. The crowd had immediately moved on to the next song, which was a faster paste, but Toby and Spencer found themselves frozen in time. When conscious finally clicked, the pair took a step away from each other.
"I uh," Toby struggled to speak over the dryness of his throat. He coughed to clear it. "Do you want something to drink?"
Spencer cleared her throat, feeling the dryness in her own throat. "Sure. Um, cherry soda please."
He nodded, "be right back."
Spencer felt the warmth leave her body when Toby walked away. She moved away from the crowded dance floor to cool off alone on the side. She caught Alison's eyes through the crowd, giving her a suggested look that she had seen it all. Spencer tore her eyes away, trying to convince herself that what had just happened with Toby was completely innocent. Spencer finally got her heart rate under control as she felt herself begin to relax.
She felt a new source of heat behind her as someone tapped her shoulder. She thought Toby had come back already, but it was Wren. Spencer's mouth gaped open in surprise. Spencer's heart had been racing so fast before that she hadn't even noticed the whole train had come to a stop. Wren was here, he wasn't wearing a costume, but he was here.
"Wren," Spencer forced a smile. "What are you doing here?"
Wren gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I got off earlier than expected and thought I'd surprise you. I know I missed the first half, but I'm here now."
"Yes, you are. This is great."
Toby navigated himself carefully through the crowd carrying a drink in each hand. When he spotted Spencer again, he felt his heart drop into his gut. The sight of Wren startled him. The sight of Wren's arms now wrapped around Spencer made him feel sour. Toby wanted to do nothing more than to bolt, but he pushed through the hurt. He came back. Toby caught the glimmer in Spencer's eyes as their eyes found each other once again.
"Here," Toby said, as he reached his hand out to hand Spencer her drink.
"Thanks." Spencer took it gracefully from him, trying to ignore the tingle through her veins when their fingers brushed. Wren looked at Toby and eyed him.
"Who's this?" Wren asked.
"It's Toby," said Spencer. "Remember? The carpenter that works for us."
"Oh right." Wren offered a friendly smile. "How do you do?"
Toby was surprised when Wren stuck his hand out. Toby accepted the gesture and shook his hand politely.
"I'm fine." This was a lie. Toby was not fine at all. Seeing Spencer with this guy just does something to him. He felt his stomach turning. On top of that, he had no clue if Wren's sudden friendliness was an act or not. The two men have only spoked a few times, but Wren had never been very pleasant to deal with before.
"Actually…" Toby spoke. "I was just about to take off."
"That's a shame," said Wren. "Did you at least have a good time?"
"I did," Toby nodded. "I have an early day tomorrow, as you probably know."
"You're right. That barn is not going to fix itself." And there it was. A snide remark, but Wren said it in such a polite tone that if Toby were stupid, he would have brushed it off as a friendly remark.
"It was nice to see you here tonight, Toby," Spencer said, giving him a look that Wren had missed. "Really."
Toby nodded back at her, "yeah you too."
They shared a small smile before Toby turned away. He wasn't fast enough. As he made his turn, he could see Wren pull Spencer in for a kiss out of the corner of his eye. He had to contain himself and fight the urge to turn around then and punch that British snoot right in the jaw. Instead, he lowered his head leaving with one last thought echoing in his mind: she's not yours.
I really hope that this chapter kept a lot of people on edge in the best way possible. I'm really trying to work on using my words to paint visuals. I want you guys to feel what's going on in this story. Let me know if you've been getting that from my writing in this story so far. Thanks for the kind words you have said to me so far. Please, keep the reviews coming. I'll be back soon with the next chapter. -Mellie