Before Ever After ~ SPOBY

"It's all going to be fine? It's not!"

But you can't jump the track,
We're like cars on a cable,
And life like an hourglass
Glued to the table,
And no one can find the
Rewind button, now,
Lay your head in your hands.

Spencer slumped down against the throw pillows on the couch in her parents barn.

"Why don't you call your friends?" Veronica offered, placing a glass into a cabinet.

Spencer only glared, causing Veronica to huff.

"I know your mad at me but you can't sit on that couch for 9 months, can you?"

Spencer didn't flinch. Yes, she was upset. Yes, she was more than upset. Yes, she wanted to call her friends. Yes, she wanted to call Toby. No, she wouldn't call her friends or Toby because that would be letting Veronica win and Spencer was far too stubborn to do that.

Veronica groaned. "The silent treatment? Your not five."

"I don't want to call my friends." Spencer stated simply.

"I know you don't." Veronica sighed. "I know this is hard and it's not the way you wanted to do it but-"

"But what?" Spencer demanded. "It's all going to be fine? It's not, mom! It's not fine!"

Veronica nodded. "I can see that you're very irritable right now. I'll come back later."

Spencer heard the door click shut as Veronica exited the barn, leaving Spencer to her thoughts.

Spencer leaned over and reached for her phone which was face down in the table.

her case tightly gripped around her phone, she picked at the corner, as she stared at her screensaver: Toby's transfer letter.

It was the day before graduation, and Spencer was fiddling with her hair as she placed the word Gluten in scramble letters.

Toby shook his head, smiling. "300 points for me." He put down the word surfboard, using my u. "Thanks for the u, I was waiting for it."

She groaned as he won.

"Toby, do you love me?" Spencer asked, biting my lip.

He chuckled. "Is that even a question? Of course,"

He leaned forward in attempt to press his lips to hers but Spencer pulled back.

"I mean, do you love me enough to come with me? To college?"

Toby beamed and reached into his back pocket.

"This was meant to be a surprise, but..." he handed her an envelope.

Spencer took it, hesitantly, and tore through the white paper. Inside was a letter which She skimmed quickly.

"Toby!" Spencer smiled.

"I applied for a transfer. It's not as close as I would've wanted but it's only an hour. That means weekends." Toby explained.

I leaped into his arms. "I love you so much!"

"I love you, too."

In that moment, Spencer had made it her screensaver and had forgot to change it.

She stared at it, remembering how happy she was.

Spencer quickly opened her photos and switched the saver to a picture of Hanna, Caleb, Aria, Ezra, Emily, Alison, Herself and, of course, Toby.