12: WHY DO THEY KEEP TALKING ABOUT RAIN IN SPAIN? DOES IT EVEN RAIN IN SPAIN?

« walk? not bloody likely. i'm going in a taxi. »

15.12, Toby Martin: aw cmon, please??

15.12, Toby Martin: you'll like this one, I PROMISE

ALLISON GLANCES at the teacher at the front of the classroom, who looks more bored than most of his students, and quickly begins to type out a response.

15.14, Allison Reed: That's what you say every time.

15.15, Toby Martin: has to be true for one of them

15.16, Allison Reed: You say that every time too.

15.16, Allison Reed: Don't you have a class to be paying attention to?

Toby seems to take this as a dismissal of some sort (which it kind of was), because he doesn't respond. Only a few minutes later, however, her phone vibrates again in her hand, and she rolls her eyes. But a quick glance shows that the text isn't from Toby.

15.25, Lydia Huntington: Who're you texting?

15.27, Allison Reed: I was texting Toby. Not that it's not any of your business.

15.28, Lydia Huntington: ;)

Allison rolls her eyes and doesn't even bother responding, choosing instead to change the subject.

15.29, Allison Reed: When are you next seeing Emmett?

15.30, Lydia Huntington: We'll probably meet up about the project tomorrow. Why?

15.31, Allison Reed: Just

15.31, Allison Reed: Be nice?

15.31, Lydia Huntington: What's that supposed to mean?

The bell rings, signalling the end of the day, and Allison packs her things into her bag quickly before going to Lydia's desk.

"It means," Allison says out loud, but making sure to keep her voice down low, "be nice. Emmett isn't as insensitive to your sarcastic comments about his dress sense as he makes out, okay?"

 Lydia opens her mouth as if to say something, but Allison catches her eyes softening and gives her a tiny nod. Lydia closes it again.

"You're not a bitch," Allison whispers to her, their noses almost touching. "Don't let him think you are. Okay?"

"Okay," she murmurs in response. Allison pulls back slightly with a grin.

"Good," she says. "I'm still sleeping over tonight, right?"

"Well, obviously," Lydia rolls her eyes. "We were literally just talking about it at lunch."

"I was just checking," Allison defends with a soft smile. "Although I'll probably be a bit late," she rolls her eyes. "Toby wants to watch another musical."

"Oh, please, don't let me stop you," Lydia snorts as they both exit the classroom. "Be as late as you like. I wouldn't dare stand in the way of something as beautiful as musical theatre. It sounds like the perfect way to spend your Monday afternoon."

"Thanks, Lydia!" a voice chirps from behind them. Allison grabs Lydia's arm on instinct, and Lydia herself lets out a tiny squeal of shock.

"Oh my God, Toby," she breathes out once the aforementioned boy comes into view. "You can't just sneak up on people like that!"

"Sorry, Lydia!" Toby replies, in much the same tone as he used before. "How are you, by the way? Also, Allison, you ready to go?"

Allison rolls her eyes and says "Yeah," at the same time Lydia rolls her eyes and says "Fine." Toby beams and shoves himself in between the two of them, flinging his arms over each of their shoulders. Allison glances at Lydia, who throws her an exasperated look, but has an amused smile playing on her lips.

"I'm glad you're fine, Lydia," Toby says seriously. "You ever seen My Fair Lady?"

"Yes, actually," Lydia replies.

"Really?" he asks excitedly, craning his head to look at her.

"Really," she confirms.

"Well, wanna watch it again? With me and Allison?"

"Allison and me," Allison corrects with a mutter, still trapped by Toby's arm over her shoulders.

"Wanna watch it with Allison and me?"

Lydia pauses and purses her lips, looking between the two of them. "Okay," she concludes after a few long seconds. "Why not?"

"You just made the biggest mistake of your life," Allison tells her best friend grimly.

"I'm sure I did."

"No, really," Allison twists slightly to look at Lydia, who, much like her, is hulking beneath one of Toby's arms on his other side. "You did."

"I will be the judge of that," Lydia replies lightly. "Toby, I don't have a car, so I'm assuming I'm getting a lift?"

"I don't have my car either," Toby frowns.

"I have mine," Allison interjects. "So I can drive."

✦

"Do you know how to get there?" Toby asks from the backseat as he buckles himself in.

"You're kidding, right?" Allison raises an eyebrow at him in the mirror. "How many times have I been to your house now, Tobyhj?"

"Uh...a lot?"

"I think I can feel my way," she says wryly in response.

"Oh, I think you can feel your way too," Lydia contributes in a light tone of voice from the passenger seat next to her. Allison waits till she's turned out of the parking lot before shooting her a warning look, because even though she isn't quite sure how exactly, that statement was hovering a little too much between innocent and not.

Thankfully, Toby doesn't seem to notice – and if he does, he doesn't comment. They sit in silence for a few drawn-out moments, before Lydia sits up and says: "Allison, where's your music?"

"Where it always is," Allison shoots Lydia a sideways glance.

"Well, excuse me for being polite and wanting to ask," Lydia rolls her eyes.

"That's a first," Allison snorts in response. Lydia doesn't respond, thumbing through the selection of CDs and settling on an old Michael Jackson album that Allison is pretty sure actually belongs to her mother.

"And so is this," she says, dragging her eyes away from the road to give Lydia a quick once-over. "Since when have you been a fan of MJ?"

"I love this song!" Toby says brightly when rough guitar riffs begin to fill the car.

"Great," Allison mutters under her breath. Lydia slaps her arm.

"How's the musical going, Toby?" she inquires, twisting round in her seat to face him. "You're doing..."

"Cinderella," Toby finishes. "But the Rodgers and Hammerstein's one, because it kinda...gives off less of a children vibe."

"Oh, I like that one," Lydia nods, and Allison brakes a little too violently at the traffic lights, shooting Lydia an incredulous look – but to no avail. The girl is concentrating on Toby, not even bothering to return her look.

"You're the prince, then, I'm guessing?" Lydia asks with genuine interest.

"Yeah," Toby nods with a smile. "I'm not exactly prince material, but..."

"Right," Lydia rolls her eyes. "Not like you're tall, handsome..."

"I'm blonde."

"So? You're blonde in an attractive way. Right, Allison?"

"Right," Allison says, glaring at the road ahead.

There's a few awkward moments of silence, before Lydia says: "So who's your Cinderella, Prince Charming?"

"Oh, Laura got Cinderella easy," Toby says, admiration seeping into his tone and a reverent smile on his lips. "She's amazing."

Allison recalls Daniel mentioning Toby's ridiculous crush on Laura Bell more than once while they were dating. She realises with a jolt that that's a side of Toby she's never really thought about – he's had crushes and he has crushes and he's had girlfriends and dated girls and kissed girls. It feels strange and Allison feels horrible for having overlooked it. But part of her wonders absently – and more objectively than anything else – what it would be like to have Toby for a boyfriend. How he'd behave. She wonders how he behaves around Laura Bell.

"...after Christmas," Toby finishes, seemingly referring to the date that the musical is due to show.

"Well, we'll be right there watching," Lydia winks at him. "Right, Allison?"

"Yeah," Allison says, and even though she's concentrating more on turning into Toby's road, she does mean it. "Okay, we're here."

"Nice house," Lydia comments as she steps out onto the sidewalk. Allison rolls her eyes.

"Thanks," Toby smiles, and they go to the door.

"Is his dad not home?" Lydia whispers quietly to Allison as they slip off their shoes in the hallway.

"His dad is never home," Allison replies, making sure Toby can't hear them. Lydia's eyes widen ever so slightly, but she nods and doesn't comment further.

"So, Lydia," Toby starts as he leads the way into the house, "usually me and Allison – "

"Allison and I – "

" – Allison and I usually heat up some popcorn and hot chocolate or whatever, but," Toby pauses to give Allison an apologetic look, "we're kinda low on the ground with supplies right now, so..."

"Oh my God," Allison groans. "It's back to the carrot sticks, isn't it?"

"Oh, come on, like you don't love the cherry tomatoes," Toby teases with a grin.

Lydia can only watch in slightly confused silence as Allison scowls at Toby.

"Yeah, well, you know what I like better?" Allison deadpans. "Doughnuts."

"We need a break from all the junk, anyway," Toby protests, and when Allison retains her glare, he turns to Lydia. "Back me up here," he pleads with her.

Lydia's eyes flit quickly between Allison and Toby for a few drawn-out seconds, before she says, "I'm not siding with anyone."

Toby groans. Allison crosses her arms over her chest decisively. "That means she's on my side but doesn't want to say," she informs him.

"Since when?" Toby disputes her claim.

"Since she's my best friend."

"Jesus Christ," he sighs, bringing a hand to his forehead and mumbling something about how this was so a bad idea. "Well, fine. Whatever. But we still don't have anything, so what do you suggest we do, Almighty Allison?"

"There's a Wal-Mart, like, five minutes' walk away from here," Lydia pipes up. Toby looks extremely betrayed.

"Fine," he concedes, pouting. "Me and Lydia will go –

"Lydia and I," Allison and Lydia correct in unison.

"Oh my God!" Toby exclaims. "Lydia and I will go pick up whatever you want from Wal-Mart, okay? But that means you have to stay here and get the movie ready."

"Fine," Allison agrees.

"Alright," Lydia says, grabbing Toby's wrist and dragging him towards the door. "Let's go, Toby."

So they do.

✦

"So do you still like Laura?" Lydia asks lightly as they pace down the confectionary aisle in search of something suitably unhealthy to eat.

Toby, predictably, stops a little short and colours a slightly adorable shade of pale pink. "Uh..."

"It's okay if you do," she continues, taking two bags of popcorn off the shelves and holding them up next to each other to compare. "I mean, I reckon by the end of your show she'll probably like you too."

"I don't think she will," Toby replies quietly, taking what is clearly the better bag of popcorn out of one of Lydia's hands and placing it in the bag.

"Why not?"

"This isn't exactly our first show playing opposite each other. And if she didn't fall hopelessly in love with me when I was being the Tony to her Maria..." he trails off with a laugh. "It's okay. I used to mind. But I don't anymore."

"Oh?"

"Mhm," Toby gives her an amused sideways glance. "What's with all the questions?"

"I'm just interested," Lydia shrugs. "We're friends, right? We can talk about this stuff."

"I didn't know there was a list of what we can and can't talk about," Toby laughs. "But okay."

"So. Tell me everything."

"Everything?"

"To do with your love life, obviously," Lydia clarifies.

"So nothing else is interesting enough, I'm guessing?"

"Not really."

"Well, sorry to disappoint, but my love life isn't exactly fascinating either. Mostly because it doesn't exist."

"Bullshit," Lydia sings. "Last girl you got off with?"

Toby turns to raise an eyebrow at her, but he still looks more amused than anything else. "Gloria Miller." At Lydia's raised eyebrows he explains, "it was a party. We both entered the engagement with a mutual agreement that it was a onetime thing."

"Hm," Lydia purses her lips. "So she was a distraction."

"I never said that."

"You implied it."

"I did not," Toby looks affronted.

"So, who do you like? Apart from Laura, who you always seem to have a permanent crush on."

"No one," he responds, but he doesn't look her in the eye as he does so, and Lydia smirks.

"You know that I've probably already guessed."

"I know," Toby keeps his eyes trained steadily on the shelves in front of them. "You're just doing this for confirmation."

"I'm glad we understand each other," Lydia hums, placing a hand on his arm.

"Well, I'm interested to see who you think I like," he says evenly, placing one more pack of popcorn in the basket before beginning his retreat to the cash register. Lydia trots after him, smirk still firmly in place.

"But that would spoil all the fun," she drawls in response.

"It really wouldn't," Toby laughs.

"Okay, fine," Lydia concedes as they line up. She crooks her finger at him slightly, and Toby, getting the hint, leans his head down, close enough for her to move her lips to his ear. "You like Allison," she murmurs, smug smile only widening.

"What?" Toby pulls away frowning, but the flush creeping up his neck doesn't escape her notice. "Allison?"

"Who did you think I was going to say?" she asks idly as the line moves forward.

Toby doesn't answer.

"You do," Lydia concludes in a thoughtful tone of voice. "You really do."

"I don't," he denies. The line moves forward another inch.

"Oh, come on," she rolls her eyes. "You think the sun literally shines out of her ass."

"Just because I think she's cool doesn't mean I like her."

"Reminder that this is Allison we're talking about. Like, that one person that you don't even realise you like until it's too late and you're already way in over your head."

"Well, I don't and I'm not."

Lydia watches him arrange the objects in the basket needlessly, looking as if it's the most fascinating thing that he's ever done in his life. "It's okay to like her, Toby."

"It's really not," he retorts, tone slightly sharper than before. The shift is barely noticeable, but it makes Lydia wince inwardly. "She's Daniel's ex-girlfriend –"

"Emphasis on the ex –"

"– who's still completely hung up over him," Toby finishes, fixing her with a look. "So, even if I did like her, it wouldn't matter."

Lydia is quiet for a long time, watching as Toby pays for the stuff and following him out of the store. Several times, she opens her mouth, but can't think of anything to say, so closes it again. Only once they're two streets from Toby's does she say: "You know, I didn't think you'd be one to cash into the don't take a bro's ex-girlfriend shit."

Toby eyes her carefully. "I'm not."

"Okay, Toby, first things first, since you all but confirmed it, let's just all agree that you like Allison."

"I don't –" Toby stops short, shaking his head. "I might like her," he admits. "I'm not sure yet. Sometimes, all I think is I do like her, but as a friend. You know when you like a friend so much that you're not sure if you like them as your friend or you like them as not your friend?"

"Not really, but I can imagine," Lydia says. "Continue."

"I just...I don't know," Toby shrugs. "I probably just like her more as a friend than anything else. You know when you're, like..."

"Extremely attached to someone. Platonically," she finishes for him.

"I guess." He purses his lips, then shakes his head. "So it's more like that than me actually like-liking her. It's pretty stupid, considering she hardly even sees us as friends."

Lydia rolls her eyes. "That's just Allison being stupid. She likes to sidestep these things. Trust me, the two of you are definitely friends."  She resumes their walk down the street. "Sometimes I even feel a little threatened," she teases.

Toby laughs for the first time since their conversation took a more serious turn, and it leads Lydia to crack out a smile of her own before she can stop herself.

"Don't be," he says. "Remember what I said before? Joined at the hip? Still true. Will probably always be true."

"Hm," Lydia intended to leave her response as being ambiguous, but, Toby being Toby, he turns to give her a questioning glance anyway.

"Allison's pretty much all set to go to Stanford," she says, letting a small sigh escape her lips before she can stop it. "At first she wasn't thinking about going at all, because of the prices and stuff, but then she remembered scholarships are a thing and she's smart enough to get one. She's just juggling between that and Berkeley. Either way, she's aiming for Cali."

His brows furrow. "And where are you – "

"I've been set on MIT since I was in middle school," she tells him honestly. "And that's on the other side of the country. Obviously."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Anyway," she forces herself to brighten her tone, but even she can tell that it sounds completely plastic. "You off to Julliard, then, Fred Astaire?"

"Hopefully," he says with a smile as they reach the house and he fishes the key out of his pocket. "I've wanted to go since I was a little kid. My dad used to be against it, 'cause, you know, not a very steady career and stuff...but my mom would always manage to talk him into it. Now he's okay with it. Plus I'll still be here, pretty much."

"Yeah," Lydia nods, toeing off her shoes in the hallway. At that point, Allison walks out to meet them, looking far from impressed.

"Finally," she huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. "What even took you so long? The movie's been in the player for literal millennia."

"Stop being a drama queen," Lydia rolls her eyes, taking the plastic bags from Toby and heading with them into the kitchen.

"There's nothing wrong with drama queens!" Toby calls after her. Him and Allison follow her into the kitchen, where she's already busying herself with pouring the popcorn into a bowl for microwaving.

Lydia can hear Allison muttering something in response behind her, and even though she can't hear it, she's willing to bet it's very cynical.

"Sweet or salt?" Lydia turns to them both with questioning eyebrows raised.

"Both," Toby and Allison say in unison, and Lydia's eyebrows only hike higher up her forehead, but she nods slowly.

"Okay," she says. "That's cool too."

She puts the contents of both bags into the bowl, then puts it into the microwave. Toby comes to stand next to her as they watch the popcorn being heated, whilst Allison sits on the counter, yawning as she does so.

"Tired?" Lydia asks, raising an eyebrow. Allison only nods.

"Hey guys," Toby pulls back slightly to look at both of them, a wide grin on his face. "Guess what I just realised?"

"What now?" Allison rolls her eyes, and Lydia thinks to herself that she seems far too used to this.

"It's December!"

"Well spotted," Lydia tells him as the microwave lets out a beep. She moves to take the bowl out, and they head to the television, flopping onto the couch side by side.

"No, but, December!" he exclaims. "That means – Christmas!"

"Oh, Jesus," Allison mutters, grabbing the remote from the coffee table.

"Yes, Christmas does tend to have a lot do with Jesus, Allison," Lydia smirks. Allison turns slightly to shoot her a glare, but the effect is ruined by the slight twitch of amusement that her lips give.

"Are you guys planning anything for Christmas?" Toby asks.

"I don't know, maybe a Christmas dinner?" Allison asks with mock thoughtfulness.

"I might put up a tree myself," Lydia adds.

"I hear some families do presents," Allison looks at Lydia, who lets her eyes widen comically.

"Presents? Really?"

"Alright, alright, whatever," Toby pouts. "You don't have to be mean."

"Aw, you know we're just teasing," Lydia leans across Allison to pinch his cheek and make mock kissy faces at him.

"Guys, if you wouldn't mind, I'm still sat right here. In between the two of you."

"You jealous, Allison?" Lydia arches an eyebrow at her with a playful smirk.

"Yeah," Allison deadpans. "That's totally it. You sure know how to read my mind, Lydia."

Lydia doesn't respond, but she thinks she catches Toby mumble something that sounds a lot like "so sarcastic".

"Well, I suggest we start the movie before we go completely off topic," she says, slipping the remote out of Allison's grip and pressing play.

And they do.

✦

"I don't get it. Why do they keep talking about rain in Spain? Does it even rain in Spain?"

"Of course it rains in Spain, what kind of stupid question is th – "

"Guys! You're missing the best part!"

"It wasn't a stupid question! Isn't it like, really hot over there? Are there even plains in Spain?"

"Are you even on the honour roll?"

"I haven't taken geography since sophomore year!"

"Guys! This is the best part!"

"I'm pretty sure you don't need to have studied geography to know that it rains in Spain!"

"Oh my God, that part is over, can we please concentrate on this part? It's the best one!"

"Toby, you say that for everything –"

"At least I don't constantly talk over the movie – "

"Yes, you do!  All the time!"

"What I'd like to know is how you two actually watch anything, considering you spend the whole time bickering.  Some people are interested in watching the movie."

"Shut up, Lydia. No one wanted you to come anyway."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Bitch."

"Slut."

"Oh my God, if you guys are going to do that weird thing girls do when they call each other derogatory names to show affection, I am so out –"

"Jealous?"

"What? How could I be jealous of –"

"Don't worry about it, Toby, that's Lydia's patented response to everything ever."

"Up yours."

"Hey, Allison, she said up yours! Like in –"

"Sweet Charity. I know."

"You remembered?"

"Yeah. It kinda stands out since it was the part when you laughed so hard you physically fell off the couch."

"He did that?"

"Yeah."

"Please tell me you filmed it."

"I didn't film that. But I do have some other things..."

"Allison! This is betrayal! Oh my God, look, look, this is the best part!"

"This is what you say every –"

 "I mean it this time!"

____________________________________________________________________

a/n: update yayayayayay happy i'm totally diggin the lydia/toby/allison dynamic so we'll probably see more of it soon but ya

does toby like allison????? does toby not???? what about this laura girl?????? FIND OUT ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF

no but really drop me a comment tell me ur thoughts ur feelings ur emotions

ilu all

- mariam