Pretty Little Liars: The Beginning {Episodes 1-10} (REVISED)

39. Spencer 🤓

"You can't avoid seeing people, sweetie," Mrs Hastings said to her eldest daughter as she crossed off some the events they had planned to get ready for Melissa's wedding. The calendar had been a staple in the Hastings' kitchen for months now, proudly displaying what was supposed to be the happy union of Melissa and Wren. "It is what it is."

Spencer watched Melissa sort through the various wedding magazines sitting on the kitchen island, some of which she had perused herself, imagining her own wedding, from the doorway behind them. She had basically hidden in her bedroom ever since Wren left, trying to avoid her family as much as possible. Melissa had always had something against Spencer, and she could only imagine how much worse it was going to get from here on out.

"And what is that? Sad? Pathetic? All of the above?" Melissa asked, frowning at the magazine she had spent hours poring over and debating dresses. "Just take someone else. I don't want to have to explain a wedding that's never going to happen to every last club member."

Melissa was devastated, Spencer knew that. She took a deep breath and decided to follow her mother's advice. It was what it was, and there was nothing she could do to change it now. Spencer had enjoyed the kiss with Wren, but she also regretted it. Although Melissa had always been a bitch to her, Spencer was the reason that her engagement was called off. That was a bad move on Spencer's part.

"Morning," she said as she stepped into the kitchen, avoiding eye contact with her family as much as possible.

"Hey," Mrs Hastings said before she took a sip of her coffee.

Spencer crossed to the other side of the kitchen to get away from Melissa, who she could feel staring daggers into her back. If looks could kill, Melissa could take down an entire crowd with one glance in their direction. Melissa picked up the stack of wedding magazines she had been sorting through and pushed her way past Spencer toward the small metal trash can. "Excuse me," she spat, glaring at Spencer as she threw them away one by one.

Spencer had expected this kind of ice from her. She took a deep breath and tried to brush off Melissa's anger. "Where's Dad?" she asked her mom.

"He left for the office," Mrs Hastings replied.

Melissa stomped back to her seat at the table, making sure to knock into Spencer on the way. "Already?" Spencer said, ignoring her. "So, he ran without me? Why didn't he just knock on my door?"

Spencer and her father typically went for jogs in the morning before they had to go to school or work. It was a little tradition that she had with Mr Hastings, and she was actually really hurt that he didn't try to wake her before he left. It would've at least given her a chance to explain herself without Melissa interjecting every five seconds.

"He was busy," Mrs Hastings said, eyeing Melissa cautiously. Even she knew that Melissa was bound to explode at any moment. "He was helping Melissa dispose of some things that Wren left behind."

"Unfortunately, you weren't one of them," Melissa grumbled.

Spencer returned Melissa's glare with one of her own. She understood that she had made a mistake, but the snarky comments were getting old really fast. "How many times am I going to have to say it?" Spencer asked, her hands on her hips.

"Oh girls, please!" Mrs Hastings exclaimed. "I can't arbitrate on one cup of coffee."

Melissa took her eyes off Spencer and turned to her mother. "Who's calling the paper to pull the announcement?" she whined. "It was hard enough changing my status on Facebook!"

"I'll take care of the newspaper," Mrs Hastings said blandly.

"What about the engagement dinner?" Melissa continued. "Do I have to make that call?"

"No, honey, of course not. Just look up the number and I'll leave a message," Mrs Hastings replied. Spencer could tell that she was getting sick of Melissa's whining, however justified it was under the circumstances.

Spencer gave up on trying to make peace with her family, at least for that day. It was obviously going nowhere. She grabbed muffin off the glass display case on the kitchen island and put it on a small plate. She took one more look at her family and started to head back to her bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Mrs Hastings asked her.

Spencer paused and turned back to her. "I'll eat in my bedroom," she explained.

"Oh, no, you won't," she said. "I just dry cleaned your bedspread. Sit at the table."

Spencer balked at the idea. Her mother wanted her to sit at the table across from Melissa so she could take more verbal abuse from her sister and listen to her incessant whining. "I don't think I'm welcome," Spencer said slowly.

"That's never stopped you before," Melissa spat.

That was the last straw. "I did not invite your fiancé to kiss me, Melissa. For the last time, he made a move on me!" she exploded.

"Spencer, please," Mrs Hastings groaned.

"Right, and you just sat there like a throw pillow with your tongue down his throat!" Melissa shouted back with equal hatred.

"Look, I get it!" Spencer cried, exasperated. "Okay? You're upset, and I feel for you, but don't dump it all on me. Maybe you should ask yourself why Wren felt the need to—"

A glance from her mother shut her up quickly. Maybe she had gone too far, but Spencer was hurting too. She knew it was her fault, she knew she had been the one to throw a bomb into her family dynamic, but this animosity needed to calm down a little or Spencer was going to lose her mind.

"I'm sorry," Spencer said. "Okay? I'm not perfect, but I don't want to be accused of something I didn't do."

"Oh, stop, please, both of you!" Mrs Hastings said. "Go get dressed for school. You can take your muffin to go."

Spencer could feel the anger bubbling to the surface still, but her mother was right. This bickering between her and Melissa wasn't going to make anything better. She wasn't hungry anymore though. She took the muffin over to the trash can and tossed it in amongst the wedding magazines and stormed upstairs to get ready for school.