Back to Me

Girl Time

"Thanks for coming over you guys. I know I told you to go away when you first got here, but I really appreciate all this." Aria said as she initiated a group hug.

Aria had skipped school today because her mom found out about her dad's affair last year and the whole family was a mess. So to cheer her up Hanna, Emily, Mona, and I came over after school with enough of Aria's favorite junk foods to feed an army. At first she told us to go away and that she wanted to be alone, but Hanna wouldn't leave and within fifteen minutes I could tell Aria was feeling a little better.

"Of course we came, that's what friends are for right." Emily said sweetly as we separated.

"Yeah, but if you're sorry about earlier and want to make up for it you can agree to go to homecoming." Hanna stated without bothering to beat around the bush.

"No way, I am not going to homecoming. You guys have made me feel better but not that much better. And it's in four days and I don't even have a date or a dress." Aria argued.

"You don't have to have a date, Aria, none of us do except for Hanna. We're doing this as a group thing not as a couple-thing." I told her trying to persuade her to go with us.

Even though I didn't want to go myself, I wanted Aria to be there because things were better when all of us were together.

"What do you mean I'm the only one with a date? That's a lie, Spencer, and you know it. Jason is going to be there as a chaperone and that's practically the same thing in your case." Hanna pointed out.

"Ugh, for the last time, Jason means a lot to me but not like that." I sighed in aggravation. "And he's not the person I would want to go with. In fact, I don't really want to go that much but I'm smart enough not to argue with the rest of you."

"You don't want to go but you're teaming up with them to try and convince me?" Aria asked in disbelief and I could imagine that she was giving me a look that said, 'Really?'

"You don't want to go? But you seemed pretty excited about it last week." Mona asked curiously.

"I was but it was because I was hoping that Toby would ask me to go with him as friends. But hope breeds eternal misery because his dad is making him take Jenna." I replied with a little jealousy.

I knew that Toby didn't care about Jenna. But she still cared about him more than she should, and made up excuses so their parents would make him help her.

"Well, at least he'll be there, maybe you two could sneak in a dance or something when Jenna needs to use the bathroom." Mona suggested.

"Spencer, don't get me wrong, Toby seems like a nice guy. But don't you feel weird hanging out with the guy who's a suspect in Ali's...you know." Aria commented.

"I thought we decided to drop that. The rest of you can believe whatever you want but Toby didn't do it. And unless you can prove to me that he did don't accuse or suspect him of anything in front of me." I stated doing my best to defend Toby.

A few days ago the girls and I got into a small argument at lunch about Mona and Toby being suspects. I wasn't really mad at any of them because they just want Ali's killer to get what they deserve and so do I. But Toby didn't do it and I would do whatever I could to make sure he didn't take the blame a second time for something involving Alison.

"Spence, we're not accusing him of anything, we just don't want you to end up getting hurt." Emily told me and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Toby would never hurt me. Besides we're just friends, it's not like we're dating. And no offense, but how come you guys are subtly avoiding Toby but Mona is sitting right here."