Chapter 1

How A Friendship Began

Spencer Hastings always just thought of Toby Cavanaugh as the boy next door or the friend there when she needed him. They met when they were only fourteen years old. She never imagined herself falling in love with him when she was only seventeen.

To be honest she never really believed in love after her parents split and her dad left. Spencer would try to date over the years, but they would all end in heartbreak. The only consistent guy in her life was Toby.

Toby never imagined falling in love with Spencer either. He always thought of her as a sister or a pal. Never had he actually had any romantic feelings for her, but something changed when they both turned seventeen.

Their relationship had always been special. Toby was there for her the night Spencer's dad left. Literally, he was there in the house. After he saw Mr. Hastings take off from his bedroom window he looked across his yard and into Spencer's bedroom to see that she was crying. He went over and climbed up the side of her house and into the window to comfort her.

Spencer let Toby hold her the whole night. She knew that her mother would throw a fit if she knew her fourteen year old daughter had a boy in her room at night alone, but Spencer didn't care. She needed to be comforted and Toby was there.

It was the start of their friendship that night, but neither of them would have guessed that it would lead to something bigger for the years to come.

3 years ago...

Fourteen year old Spencer Hastings sat on her porch and gazed at the DiLaurentis house. Today was the day that the new family was finally moving into the DiLaurentis' old house. They moved away a few months ago ever since their daughter Alison and Spencer's friend was murdered. The killer turned out to be her twin sister that her parents were hiding. The twin daughter was sent away to Radley and everything seemed to go back to normal in Rosewood.

The new talk of the town, in Rosewood was this new business owner who was moving in with his wife and kids into the DiLaurentis' old house. Spencer was intrigued , as always, to find out about this new family. She had no choice, but to be interested because her mother had insisted on baking cookies and bringing them over to the neighbors. Baking in the Hastings household is code for going to a bakery and putting the baked goods on a plate, claiming them as your own.

Spencer's family couldn't help it though, they were always busy. Her parents worked nonstop, they fought more than they actually talked to each other. Her sister was busy in college getting her degree. Spencer was always busy with field hockey, tennis at the club, and debate team. She thanked the heavens that she had her three best friends, Aria, Hanna, and Emily to keep her sane.

Spencer smiled to herself at the thought of her friends. They always knew how to make her smile and laugh whenever Spencer was down or nervous. She was so caught up in her thought that she almost missed that the moving van and car pulled up to the DiLaurentis house. A man stepped out of the driver seat of the moving van, he had light brown hair that was graying with brown eyes. A young boy, about Spencer's age, stepped out of the passenger seat of the moving van. He was tall, but only a little taller than Spencer. He had deep blue eyes and brown hair that almost most covered his eyes. From the car a woman and a young girl stepped out of the car. The woman had dark brown hair with green eyes and the girl had the same resemblance.

"Checking out the new neighbors, Spence?" Spencer turned around to see her dad standing behind her.

"Yeah, I'm just waiting for mom. She said that we were going to take cookies over to meet the new neighbors." Spencer smiled at her dad and glanced back over at the family. Everyone was smiling except the boy.

"Sorry Spence, but your mom isn't feeling well enough to go over there today maybe some other time." Peter said and held out his hand to help his daughter stand up. She took his hands and brushed off the dirt from her pants.

"Okay dad. I guess I'll just go inside and study for my test on Monday." Spencer said and her dad pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head.

"That's my girl. Go ahead and go study." Peter patted his daughter on the back and she ventured back inside the house.

Spencer sat in her room, in the red chair by her window and pulled out her science textbook. She making flashcards when she noticed movement coming from outside the window.

The new boy who just moved in next door was unpacking what seemed to be model cars in the room. Spencer guessed that he would be taking Alison's old room. The boy looked up like he felt like he was being watched. Spencer wanted to turn her head and close the curtains, but she didn't. She locked eyes with the boy next door. The thing that surprised Spencer was when he grinned at her and waved. Spencer waved back and looked at him for a few more minutes until she went back to her studying and he went back to unpacking.

That night at dinner Spencer's parents made a decision that would change everything. They decide to separate, but told their girls that it wasn't permanent. Spencer knew that it was a lie, her parents rarely saw each other so how would they work out their marital problems. Spencer didn't let her father finishing explain why it happened because Spencer already knew. People who get divorced don't love each other anymore.

She walked out on dinner and ran up to her room and locked the door. She curled up in her bed and began to cry. Her parents and even her sister came and knocked on the door, trying to get her to come out, but Spencer didn't answer them. It wasn't until she head the snapping of twigs coming from outside that made Spencer get up and go over to her window.

She opened up the window and instantly a boy scrambled into the window and on to the floor. He picked himself up and looked at Spencer. Spencer noticed that it was the same boy from next door.

"Hey." The boy said

"Hi. What are you doing here? Why are you climbing up to my window?" Spencer asked and tried to wipe away her tears so he wouldn't see her cry.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. As I was walking past my window I saw you come into your room crying. And I think I saw your dad leaving with suitcases. Are you okay?" The boy asked with full concern.

Spencer couldn't believe that this boy that she didn't even know was risking breaking his neck and getting in trouble just to make sure she was okay. Spencer shook her head no and collapsed into his arms.

He gently cared her over to her red chair and sat down with her in his arms. He just held her tight while she cried.

"Since I'm in your room and letting you cry on me I thought I should at least tell you may name. I'm Toby." Toby introduced himself and Spencer laughed.

"It's nice to meet you Toby. I'm Spencer." Spencer introduced herself and could see Toby smiling.

"Spencer?" Toby repeats her name and smiled down at her." I like it. It's cool."

Spencer laughed again and this time Toby joined her.

"Thank you for being here Toby. And for letting me use your shirt as my tissue." Spencer joked and Toby chuckled.

"No problem. I'm just glad you're okay." Toby said and he didn't know it, but Spencer had fallen asleep in his arms. "Goodnight, Spence."

In the morning Spencer woke up and Toby was still there with her, holding her. After Toby woke up he climbed out of her window and back to his house. After that they were almost inseparable. They spent so much time together that if you couldn't find Toby look for Spencer. It never occurred to them that there was a deep bond between them that ventured far more than a friendship.

They were about to find out because their senior year was not only going to question their relationship, but is also going to be bringing a lot of surprises.