Chapter Text
Aria could feel the eyes of every single one of her classmates. Their stares were palpable, burning into her skin. She quickly scanned the room for the looks of her former friend group. Hanna of course was smirking. Probably imagining dirty things going on between her and Mr. Fitz that weren’t far off from the truth. Emily looked concerned. Not having connected the dots as Hanna had, but she looked curious as to why Aria and Mr. Fitz reacted the way they did.
Spencer was by far the worst. Aria had never been able to keep anything from Spencer when they all still hang out, none of them could. Spencer was too smart for her good, a Hastings through and through. Her gaze was calculating, and Aria could almost see the gears turning inside her head while she tried to piece together her version of events. Spencer’s face gave away nothing, so Aria couldn’t even try to decipher where her train of thought was going. It made Aria sink even more into her seat, if that was even possible, as she tried to will herself into oblivion.
After several more uncomfortable seconds, Mr. Fitz stumbled through his introduction, only to be interrupted by the obnoxious chirp of a phone.
Aria’s phone.
Aria scrambled to grab and silence it, hoping she didn’t look as mortified as she felt when the message on the screen caught her attention.
Maybe he fools around with students all of the time. A lot of teachers do. Just ask your dad. -A
Millions of thoughts rushed through her head, making it harder to focus and comprehend anything going on around her. One thought pushed itself to the forefront of her mind. Only one other person knew of her father’s infidelity, they had been with her when she found out. It couldn’t be possible. She had been missing for over a year, and as much as Aria hated to admit it, she was probably dead. Still, nothing else made sense. Aria couldn’t help but think
Alison?
-----
Maya St. Germaine was an enigma. One that Emily Fields couldn’t get out of her head for the life of her. Their last encounter had been stuck in her mind for hours. So much so that it messed with her performance at practice. Luckily, her coach hadn’t given her too much grief since their season hadn’t officially started yet. But Emily knew this couldn’t be a constant thing, lest she felt like losing the starting spot she had worked so hard to gain the last two years.
Still. She just couldn’t stop thinking about Maya. The way they walked so close the whole walk back that their shoulders never stopped touching and the backs of their hands brushed constantly. The innocent aura that Maya gave off, even when she said certain things that came off a little too suggestive to just be a coincidence.
Then there was the almost-kiss that the two shared. God Emily was especially stuck on that. Had she moved her face a centimeter to the left they would’ve veered into dangerous territory. Luckily, they both turned their heads too far in different directions and settled with lips brushing cheeks instead. She remembered how the smile on her face mirrored Maya’s, even as they both stumbled through an awkward goodbye. Both were too pleased to hide their emotions. She remembered watching Maya go inside, and secretly wishing that she could follow.
Their first meeting also offered no help in finding out who Maya was. All Emily knew was that Maya was everything that she was not. Where Emily’s casual style was the perfect candidate for parent’s approval, Maya was the definition of grunge and hipster. Her clothes attested to the fact that she didn’t care what others thought about her. She could go from wearing bright pastel colors that, on anyone else, usually clash, but somehow work perfectly for her. To leather jackets and band t-shirts, complete with the ripped jeans.
Breaking out of her musing Emily couldn’t tell if the shudder that ran through her body as she walked to her locker came from the shower she just took or her thoughts.
As she opened her locker to grab her clothes to switch back into she noticed Spencer who, by the looks of it, had just finished field hockey practice. The girl glanced at her and smiled. The most interaction they had had in months.
“Hey, have you been hanging out with Aria?” Spencer asked, trying to make polite conversation in the small amount of time they were forced together.
“Not really,” was her reply, accompanied with a slight shrug as she put in her locker combination. Opening it, she saw a note sitting inside that she didn’t remember putting in there. Curious, she took it out and glanced at it.
Hey Em! I’ve been replaced, you’ve found another friend to kiss! -A
Emily couldn’t tell what her face had looked like at that moment, too caught up in trying to process what this letter meant and who could’ve possibly sent it to her. She just knew that one moment she’s reading the note and the next Spencer is asking if she is ok, face clouded with concern. She quickly played it off, folding the note back into its original form and telling Spencer she’s fine. Hoping she sounds more confident than she feels. When Spencer was out of eyesight she sighed, eyes darting around as she tried to figure out who was behind the note.
-----
“Perfect time for a jacuzzi,” was the first thing Wren said to her as he walked into the kitchen through the sliding glass door, clearly noticing her bikini-clad figure. Confused as to why he was at her house when he and Melissa weren’t supposed to be there for another week, asked him why he was there. Only for him to respond that Melissa had wanted to make sure they were settled before their classes started. Of course , Spencer thought. At this point, after the argument they had gotten into days prior about her and Wren moving into the loft, Spencer figured that Melissa was trying to spite her.
She sometimes wondered if her parents liked to have their children bicker and fight with each other. They constantly pit them together, making them compete to see whoever the more perfect child was. If they weren’t trying to outdo each other through their grades, it was whoever was doing better in tennis at the country club. It was hard for them to appreciate their achievements anymore when they were mostly used as stepping stones to one-up the other person.
Shaking that line of thought off she focused back in on Wren, who slyly asked her if she, by any chance, had a towel. Resisting the urge to glance at the towel resting atop her shoulder, she played along and threw it to him. He caught it easily and used it to wipe off the residual drops of water from his time in the jacuzzi. His body turned slightly, causing Spencer’s eyes to be drawn to the defined lines on his back. She took a second to appreciate the sight, then looked away so she wouldn’t be caught out when he turned back around.
Pain flared up in her shoulder, causing her to palm at it as she tried to rub out the kinks. “Rough day at school?” Wren asked, having taken notice of her discomfort. She replied that field hockey was the actual culprit, their coach having pushed them extra hard today. Wren nodded, saying how he ran for Oxford. Spencer smirked, teasing that running looked so good on a medical school application. Wrenn just beamed at her, stating that he did it because he loved it.
Another flash of pain came through, and this time Wren came up behind her, stating she had some type of medical problem whose name she did not understand. “I bet you say that to all the girls,” She joked, only for him to laugh and say he could help her. As soon as his hands started moving on her shoulders she felt instant relief. Even going so far as to call him Dr. Wren, which earned her another chuckle. It felt so good that she sighed, tilting her head back and reviling in the soft caress of his calloused hands.
The moment was shattered by the loud ‘Wren!’ that echoed throughout the house. Recognizing Melissa’s voice and knowing what this whole scene looked like, Spencer quickly took her towel from Wren and made her way to the sliding glass door. She slipped out quickly and headed towards the jacuzzi hoping that, while nothing had happened between them, Melissa was none the wiser.
-
Her focus on her homework was broken when she heard voices coming from her window, the sound getting louder as they got closer. Moving towards the window she gazed out of it, seeing Wren and Melissa coming back from wherever the two had wandered off to that night. Spencer couldn’t make out what they were saying, but she figured Wren had said something funny because the next moment they were laughing. Wren grabbed Melissa’s face, and the two proceeded to kiss in front of the loft door.
Spencer couldn’t help but stare. Familiar with the ugly feeling inside her but not wanting to name it. When she told Wrenn that he wasn’t like Melissa’s old boyfriends she had meant it. He was sweet, charming, and caring. Everything that Spencer could want in a boyfriend. Of course, she loved her sister, but she couldn’t fathom how he had ended up with Melissa. She may not have been the devil incarnate, but she was nowhere near a princess either. Over a decade of constant competition had shown Spencer just how nasty her sister could be.
Her attention was pulled away by the ding of her computer, signaling an email had come through. Goin over to check it she noticed it was from an unknown sender. Curious, she opened it to see who was trying to contact her this late at night.
Poor Spencer. Always wants Melissa’s boyfriends. But remember, if you kiss I tell. -A
Her heart slowed more and more as she read each word until finally, it felt like it stopped. It was hard to get air into her lungs as the weight of what the message said set in. She scanned the email for any other form of identification for who sent the email, besides the one letter. Seeing none, she quickly turned around to see if anyone was watching her. She couldn't tell if not seeing anyone freaked her out more or less.
If this email revealed anything to Spencer, it was that she had no leg to stand on either. Thoughts of the last summer popped into her head, back when Alison was still there. She, Ali, and Hanna had been at her house relaxing, about to take a dip into the pool. There was a warm pan of cookies sitting on the counter, probably made for them by her mom before she took off for work. Spencer could remember the judgment in Alison’s voice like it was yesterday. Asking Hanna if she really wanted to eat that, then trying to soften the blow by saying that she was just ‘being a friend’. Hanna had looked crestfallen as she set the cookie back on the tray, and Spencer wished to this day that she had said something to Alison then.
Melissa had walked into the kitchen then, with her boyfriend Ian in tow. The two groups said hi, Melissa asking them why they weren’t at Alison’s house. As if their presence was going to be a nuisance to their afternoon activities. Ian had even offered to help Spencer with her scop for field hockey if she needed it, something she had been struggling with as of late. Before she could accept or deny his offer, Melissa stepped in, asking Ian if he was her babysitter. Spencer had tried to hide the blush that had rapidly risen to her cheeks, trying to look anywhere but at the two. Of course, Alison had used that as the perfect time to strike.
“You need to tell your sister,” Alison had said, loud enough that she knew Melissa and Ian would hear. They obviously did, Melissa stopping and poking her head back around the corner, demanding to know what it was Spencer needed to tell her. Spencer gaped, then proceeded to simultaneously glare at Ali and wish the floor would just swallow her whole. Spencer was quick to say ‘nothing!’, hoping that Melissa would just drop it. Figuring it was just the girls being weird Melissa had left them along, dragging Ian along with her.
Spencer quickly rounded on Ali, practically demanding when she asked her to go outside. Ali followed her, and they went right outside the side door, leaving Hanna in the kitchen. “What are you doing?” Spencer accused, trying to figure out what little game Ali was playing at this time. Alison had this little smirk on her face, the one that Spencer hated because it showed that Ali was way too pleased with herself that she couldn’t fully hide it. Alison told her that Melissa would find out soon enough, which caused Spencer to exclaim that she wouldn't. This secret had been one she fully intended to take to her grave. Of course, Ali had other plans. Claiming that if Spencer didn’t tell Melissa about the kiss that she and Ian had shared a few days prior, Ali would.
Fear gripped her throat, causing Spencer to gulp in hopes of choking it down. She tried to sound as confident as she felt, telling Alison in no uncertain terms that if she even uttered a word of the kiss to Melissa that Spencer would tell everyone the truth about the Jenna thing. Spencer didn’t unusually take pleasure in threatening others, but the look of fear on Ali’s face that she couldn’t quite hide gave her a sense of satisfaction. Alison pushed away from her and left, choosing to leave the house through the backyard instead of going back through the house. Sencer heaved a sigh of relief, content in the knowledge that, for now, Alison wasn’t saying anything.
When she had looked back inside and seen Hanna, the cookie in hand, she smiled.
-----
Hanna sat alone in an uncomfortable plastic chair outside of Detective Wilden’s door. She tried to block out the events that had led up to this point but trying to push them out only brought them to the forefront of her mind. An hour ago she was eating dinner with her mom when she got a text, her mom telling her that if it was Mona she was staging an intervention. The start of her mother’s ringtone, signaling someone from work, had her gesturing towards Hanna with an exasperated smile, allowing her to check her phone while she was on the call. She glanced at her phone and was caught off guard by the all caps text from Spencer telling her that they needed to talk. She frowned, trying to figure out what could be so important when the two hadn’t had a full-on conversation in months.
She hadn’t been able to dwell on it too long before the doorbell rang, causing her mom to sigh and thrust her hand towards the door, signaling Hanna to get it. The last people she had been expecting to see when she opened the door was two cops. Her mom had come behind her then, asking what they were doing at their house, when the cop, who by the looks of it was a detective, told them that there was footage from the mall of Hanna shoplifting. Her mom had instantly denied it, but one look at her daughter’s face told her that it was true.
The detective told her it was and came in to put Hanna in handcuffs, leaving no room for argument. Hanna would never forget the disappointed look on her mother's face as she got into the squad car.
All that led her to this, trying to peek into the detective’s office to see if she could somehow make out what they were saying. She didn’t get far, especially when Detective Wilden’s eyes met hers, causing him to rise from his chair and shut the door. That did nothing to quell her anxiety, and she looked around until her eyes fell on a bowl of candy next to her. She grabbed it, fully intending on stress eating them until her mother came out when the chime of her phone let her know that she got a text. She saw it was an unknown sender and opened it, wondering who was trying to get in touch with her.
Be careful, Hanna. I hear prison food makes you fat. -A
Hanna reread the text a few times, trying to figure out who would’ve sent this to her before she looked around. Trying to figure out if she was being watched without her knowledge. The text frightened her, and she fidgeted in her chair until her mom exited the detective’s office.
-----
Aria couldn’t believe that she was at Alison’s memorial. The events of the past week that she had been back in Rosewood were nothing short of bizarre. First was her hookup with a guy who turned out to be her English teacher. Then was the mysterious text from ‘A’ who she was seriously contemplating to be her dead former best friend. Next, it was Emily coming over and telling her that she too had received correspondence from A ad that, like Aria, the contents of her note were too personal to share with others. Finally, the ambulances that had crowded her street, forcing her to stop and take in the commotion happening in front of Alison’s old house. She had seen Spencer then, in front of her own house only a few yards away, and went to ask her what was going on. The first time they had talked since she got back.
They saw the body being loaded into the ambulance on a stretcher. Through it all Aria could vaguely see Emily, tears streaming down her face as she was in the arms of the girl that Aria made out as the one who had moved into Alison’s house. After seeing that it wasn’t hard to put together who the body was. A quick glance at Spencer told Aria that she had put together the same thing. Remembering what she had learned earlier of Hanna going to the police station she brought it up to Spencer, hoping she could help her make sense of it. Spencer gulped, asking her if she thought that Hanna might’ve gone to them to tell them about the Jenna thing. Before she could even finish her sentence Hanna appeared beside them, telling them that no, she would never tell anyone about what had happened that night. After all, they had made a promise.
Now Aria was walking down the aisle of their neighborhood church, offering her condolences to Ali’s mother and father as she passed by them. Alison’s mom told her that she had the other girls sit upfront because that's what Alison would have wanted. Aria gave her a silent nod and headed up there. She saw the picture they used for Alison, and it pulled her into a trance. While everyone had already thought it, Aria still couldn’t believe that Alison was dead. She had always seemed untouchable, larger than life in her 15 years of glory. It was crazy how fast everything had changed.
She was brought out of her trance by a hand on her forearm, and she looked down to see Hanna, Spencer, and Emily sitting there. They made room for her and talked about how Ali would’ve loved to see this. Even in death, her life was a spectacle, a parade for everyone to witness. Aria’s phone chirped, causing them all to hold their breath in apprehension. Hanna tensely asked if it was anyone they know, and Aria checked it, exhaling in relief when she saw that it was just her mother. Realizing Hanna and Spencer’s weird moods Aria asked them if they too got messages from A, her, and Emily not being the only ones. They nodded, but couldn't discuss it further before Alison’s parents came and slid in next to them.
Gasps from the back of the church caused them all to turn around. Looking back they saw Jenna Marshall, who was being held at the arm by her stepbrother Toby Cavanaugh. They shared confused looks, why was Jenna here. They all knew that Jenna and Ali weren’t friends. Even Mrs. Dilaurentis spoke up, saying she didn’t know that her daughter and Jenna were friends. Spencer was quick to answer that they weren’t, and before they could spend too much more time gawking at her the pastor signaled for the memorial to begin.
-
The girls walked out in pairs, clasped arm in arm. They headed away from all of the commotion at the front of the church, opting to talk on the corner of the street instead. They didn’t get far when they heard their names benign called one by one from behind them. They turned, coming face to face with a man in a black suit. Hanna looked down, trying not to make eye contact with him. When Spencer asked if they knew him he stated that he was Detective Wilden and that he was going to need to talk to each of them.
“We talked to the police when Alison went missing,” Spencer said, her confusion mirrored across the other girls' faces as to why they would need to talk to the police again. Wilden nodded but told them that the case had gone from a missing person to homicide and that he needed to go over their statements again. He assured them he would find out what happened to Alison that summer, the edge in his voice telling them that he thought that they knew more than they let on. They just stared as he walked away, startled by the encounter. They waited until he was all the way on the other side of the church before they turned to each other, asking if they thought he knew about the Jenna thing. Hanna said no, there was no possible way that he could’ve known about that night and what really happened.
One by one their phones dinged, causing them to look at each other before glancing down at them. They gasped as they saw that they were all from A. “I’m still here bitches,” Spencer said aloud.
“And I know everything, A”.