You're No Good At Lying

“Why would I be angry at you?” Demanded Zack the next day as he approached the merch table.

“You’re angry now,” Spencer responded coolly, adjusting the stack of t-shirts on her right.

“I’m not angry,” he replied, blinking a few times.

“Yes, you are,” she argued calmly, “your fists are clenched and your nostrils are flared. They only do that when you’re upset.”

“Alright, alright, fine!” Groaned Zack, as he began to tug at the ends of his hair in frustration. “I was angry, but I’m not anymore. See? I’m calm. I’m calm.”

Spencer shook her head. “I can’t tell you.”

“Wait, what?” Asked Zack.

“I… can’t… tell… you,” she repeated slowly.

“No, I heard you say that,” Zack responded, waving away what she had just said with his hand. “Why can’t you tell me?”

“Because I’m not sure yet,” replied the nineteen year old.

“You’re not sure yet? What? Spencer,” Zack said, “stop being all… cryptic, and just tell me!”

“I’ll tell you after tonight,” Spencer said after a few seconds pause. Zack sighed, reaching out and taking her hand in his. She looked down at their entwined fingers and blinked a few times before removing her hand from his grip. “I’m not telling you until I’m sure, Zack. Holding my hand isn’t going to get it out of me.”

He smirked, “It was a good try, though, wasn’t it?” Spencer just rolled her eyes.

------------

“How do you make them stop?” Whispered Spencer as she and Zack had no other choice but to watch Jillian and Alex make out on the couch in front of them.

“You don’t,” replied Zack, “you just wait until one of them runs out of air.” Rian laughed, having had listened in on their conversation.

“Alright,” murmured Jillian as she finally pulled her mouth off of Alex’s. “I’ve got to go.”

“Aw, baby!” He cooed, trying to drag her back down, even though the other people on the bus stared at them with disgust.

“No, I really can’t Alex,” she said in between giggles. After leaning down for one more kiss, Spencer watched her pick her bag up and exit the bus, Spencer’s eyes narrowed like a bird of prey. “Bye everyone!” She called, just as the door slammed shut. Spencer blinked a couple of times, zoning out Kara yelling at Alex for making them all feel uncomfortable.

“C’mon, Zack,” she said, grabbing his hand when the arguing had stopped about a minute later.

Alex chuckled, “You guys going outside to get it on?” Jack laughed, too, but stopped immediately after Zack glared at him.

“No,” Spencer replied evenly. She tugged on Zack’s hand one more time before he finally stood up on his own. “We’ll be back soon,” she mumbled, searching around her for the red sweatshirt she had come on the bus with. Spencer sighed when she decided it wasn’t worth it; they didn’t have much time.

“Just a quickie?” Alex pressed, causing Jack to have a fit of laughter.

Zack flipped them off, and once they were outside of the bus Spencer nearly tore his arm off, she had pulled him so hard. “Jesus,” he muttered, as their pace quickened, “you don’t have to hurt me.” She didn’t respond, instead just continued walking with her hand linked to his. “Where are we going anyway?” He questioned, and yet again Spencer didn’t respond. “Spencer?” He asked once more, just as she made a sharp right turn in between two busses. “Spencer!” Zack exclaimed, and she turned around swiftly and clamped her free hand over his mouth.

“Be quiet!” She whispered forcefully. “Look.” Zack did as he was told, and much to his dismay he was greeted to the scene of which he instantly recognized as Jillian making out with another guy – guy who clearly wasn’t Alex. He stayed frozen for a few moments, his breath steady and his gaze locked. They continued watching for what felt like an eternity, until the guy pulled himself out from under Jillian, grabbed her hand, and took her on to the bus they had been leaning against. The pair stood there in silence. “Now what?” Spencer asked, turning to face Zack.

“What do you mean, ‘now what’?” Retorted Zack as he ran a hand through his hair.

“What do we do now?” Spencer clarified, attempting to take his hand but he wouldn’t allow it.

“I don’t know… I don’t know. Fuck,” Zack groaned. Spencer pulled his arm down slowly, and though he tried to pull away, Spencer wouldn’t let him. She clasped his hand with hers, and he whispered, “What made you think that I would know what to do?”

For the first time in a long time, Spencer looked truly taken back. “B – be – because you always know what to do,” she said softly, squeezing his hand reassuringly, as if the answer would come to him at any moment.

“No I don’t,” he spat suddenly, and Spencer’s breath became ragged. It was no longer to her a question of what to do over the fact that Alex’s girlfriend was nothing more than a slut, but the notion that Zack – the person whom she thought knew everything – didn’t know what to do next.

“Yes you do!” She exclaimed, pulling her hand away from his. “You always do! You knew that I should apologize to Morgan! You knew that if I put the shirts out in color order, they would sell more! You… you…” By the time Spencer had stopped yelling at Zack, tears had pooled in the corners of her eyes and threatened to spill out. He stared at her with an expression that even Spencer couldn’t read.

“Why are you crying?” He asked softly as Spencer began to wipe her eyes with the back of her hands.

“I don’t know,” she replied, and before Zack could get another word in, she had turned around and began the walk back to her brother’s bus.