Hey guys! So I've been reading fan fiction on this site for a while, but I've always been too afraid to post my own work. But after seeing a serious lack of Sparia stories, I decided it was time to share mine with the world. Of course, the main focus of this story will be a romantic relationship between Spencer and Aria, but you'll see the friendship between all four liars, as well. There will be some Naria and Spandrew thrown in for dramatic/angst reasons, but yeah. Tons of sparia loving coming your way. I've decided to not include -A for now, and I don't see that changing anytime soon, but it should still be an entertaining story. Of course, comments and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism are always welcome so let's get on with the show!
Aria stood in her now empty bedroom, a heavy sigh passing her lips. Her eyes moved towards the wall that used to hold all of her pictures. Most of them were of bands and really old authors, but a good amount of the art on that wall were pictures of Aria with her four best friends: Hanna, Emily, Alison and Spencer. The number of that group had since been downgraded by one, however they still remained an important part of her life. But even she couldn't deny that the disappearance of their fearless leader had caused a strain in the relationship before the surviving four. They'd grown distant, and even when they did spend time together, they were usually short and impatient with each other. This move to Europe couldn't have come at a better time for Aria. But on the other hand, it couldn't have come at a more frustrating time for the friendship between her and Spencer.
Speaking of her friends, they had already gathered in Aria's front lawn, waiting to say their goodbyes. She headed downstairs, telling her parents that she'd be ready to go in a few minutes. She wanted to make this quick and painless. The sooner she got out of Rosewood, the sooner she could leave the horrible memories of her fallen friend behind. There was a bittersweet smile on her face as she approached the other three. Sure, they hadn't been as close to each other as they had been when they were a fivesome, but these girls were the only friends she knew. Of course she was going to miss them.
They stood there on the lawn, awkwardly saying nothing for a few seconds until Emily finally decided to speak up.
"We're going to miss you so much. You're gonna have an amazing time in Iceland." She said with her signature sweet smile.
This encouraged Hanna to finally chip in. "Make sure to meet lots of cute European boys."
If anyone had been paying attention, they would have noticed a brief look of disgust cross Spencer's face at Hanna's comment.
They waited patiently, expecting Spencer to say something in contribution to their farewells. But when she didn't, Aria decided it was her turn.
"Try to have a good school year, okay? Keep in touch, please. I wanna hear from you guys. I wanna know how you're doing." Her eyes moved between each of her friends, trying to sound hopeful. But she knew she wouldn't get one letter after she left. The divide between them had begun long before the first moving box had been packed.
After the majority of the girls had said something, next came the hugs. Like before, Emily was the first to step forward. "Stay sweet." Aria said softly, giving her friends back a little rub.
"It's not going to be the same without you here." Emily almost whispered.
"It hasn't been the same here for a while now." Hanna muttered in response, which caused the other three to spare a glare in her direction. She looked back at them before her head dipped. Finally, she moved towards Aria once Emily moved away, pulling her friend into a hug. "Who's going to help me with my English homework now?"
This question caused Aria to chuckle quietly, "You're smarter than you give yourself credit for, Han." She replied as she pulled away, looking Hanna in the eye, "And…if you ever find yourself stuck, I'm sure Spencer can help you." She added, her vision shifting towards Spencer.
Her eyes had been locked on Aria the entire time, almost as if she were getting a long enough look, not knowing when she'd get to see her beautiful face in person again, if ever. But when she heard Aria say her name, she blinked, looking away as if she hadn't spent the last three minutes staring at her. She nodded her head, "Of course, Hanna. You know you can always come to me for help."
Aria cleared her throat, taking a tentative step towards her tallest friend. "Umm…Bye, Spence." It was funny. She never had a hard time talking to Spencer, but now she could barely come up with two words to say.
Spencer plastered a quick smile onto her face, moving towards Aria, as well. There were so many things she wanted to say; things she probably should have said last night. But in the presence of Hanna and Emily, they didn't seem appropriate. "Y-You're gonna have an awesome time in Iceland. You're gonna forget all about us." She said with hidden honesty, covering it with a small laugh.
Aria gives her a sad smile in return, shaking her head, "Impossible. I could never forget you…" She paused, "You guys." She added, hoping her slip up would go unnoticed.
The two girls looked at each other for what felt like minutes before Aria blinked, letting out another shy laugh. She stepped towards Spencer again, closing up the space between them as her arms went around the taller girl. Nothing was said between them, but their hug definitely lasted longer than the ones she shared with Hanna or Emily. And during that hug, Spencer surreptitiously slid a note in the pocket of Aria's cardigan, praying that the other two hadn't caught her. They pulled away with somber smiles on their faces.
The door opened and Ella stuck her head out, "Aria! Time to go!" She called out. The petite brunette glanced back towards her mom before looking at her friends once more. "That's my cue." She said, quickly waving at them, then turning and heading back towards the house to gather the things she'd be taking with her on the flight.
She had almost gotten inside when she felt something drop out of her pocket. She paused, looking down at a folded piece of paper. When she looked back towards her friends, they had already gone their separate ways to their own houses. Her eyes moved back down towards the paper, hesitating for a second before crouching down, picking it up. Her name was written on it in familiar handwriting – Spencer's handwriting. She gulped, fingers moving to open it before stopping again. With a sigh, she closed it back up, shoving it in the pocket of her jeans. She knew she had to read that letter. She had to read what Spencer had to say, but she couldn't bring herself to do so; not yet, at least. The events of the previous night were still too fresh on her mind. She could still feel the way Spencer's lips felt against her own. The kiss caught her completely off guard, but she couldn't necessarily say it had been unwelcomed. But more than anything, it had left her confused.
"I need to do this, Aria. If I don't…I might not have another chance."
She wouldn't admit she enjoyed the kiss (even though she did. A lot.), but it frustrated her a lot, as well, and left her with tons of question. Why couldn't it have happened sooner? Why did Spencer have to wait until less than 24 hours before Aria was about to leave the country? Now she'd have to go to Iceland and wonder what could have been.
"You okay, honey?" Ella asked as she watched her daughter from the door.
Her mother's voice snapped Aria out of her thoughts, looking back up at the older Montgomery as she smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah, just…really gonna miss the girls. That's all." One more than the others, she thought to herself.
"Of course you are. They're your best friends, and you've been through a lot together. But I think this move's going to be good for all of us."
Aria nodded in agreement, giving a small shrug of her shoulders, "I know. I kinda wish I could bring them with me, y'know? I'm sure they can use the escape from Rosewood, too."
Ella smiles, putting her arm around her daughter's shoulders, "Me too. But unfortunately, we only bought enough airplane tickets for the four of us, and I don't think their parents would appreciate them moving to Europe too much." Aria smiles, and Ella continues talking, "Speaking of airplanes, we have a flight to catch so…grab your bag. We're gonna be late." And with that, Aria was walking back up the stairs one last time to retrieve her purse from her room. Her hand kept moving towards the letter in her pocket, but she still couldn't bring herself to read it. Perhaps she wanted to put a few thousand miles between her and Spencer before she did.
She headed back downstairs where her family was already waiting for her. "This is it, guys." Byron said, giving the foyer one last glance. Aria's eyes followed, unable to believe that she was leaving the only house she'd ever known. As much as she hated Rosewood, and as much as she didn't think she fit in, it had been her home for 16 years.
But it didn't even feel that way anymore. It felt like the place where she lost her identity. She was no longer Aria Montgomery to most people. Instead, she was one of the missing girl's friends. She hoped that living in Iceland meant a fresh start, not just for her, but for her family. Alison's disappearance hadn't only caused tension in Aria's circle of friends. Her own family had felt the effect of what happened, as well. She wasn't exactly sure why, but her parents had fought a lot more than they had gotten along since September first. She hoped that as her family put more distance between themselves and this town, the negativity would leave them. But there were some things – or rather, people – that she didn't want to leave behind.
But she had no choice. And this was the best thing for everyone. So as they got into the family Subaru, and pulled out of their driveway for the last time, Aria's eyes remained glued to the window, watching their street pass by. She gave Hanna, Emily and even Alison's houses a final look. And when they drove past Spencer's sprawling residence, she saw Spencer herself sitting outside with a book in hand. Aria bit her lip, forcing herself not to tell her dad to stop the car right there. Instead, her hand gripped onto the note a little bit tighter. She closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths before looking over at her brother, Mike, sitting next to her. He was deeply entranced in some game he was playing on his PSP; Aria might as well not even be there. Perfect. She brushed her tongue against her bottom lip before quickly pulling the note out of her pocket. Her heart was racing as she unfolded it, her eyes skimming past the written words.
Ooh I left it on a cliffhanger! So sorry about that. Next chapter will be from Spencer's point of view, and it will hopefully by posted in a day or two. Thanks for reading!