A/N: Hey guys! What's up? How's everyone doing? This is a new little fic I came up with before I saw the PLL 3x01 preview clips (the one with Lucy as Aria locked in the bathroom scared the c-r-a-p out of me!). Originally, I was going to use this as a second chapter for one bAttle At A time, but I think that stands better as a one-shot, so it's going to stay that way. If you read that, thank you, I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you'll also enjoy this, too :)
Disclaimer: NOPE. (BUT I WISH!)
-close call-
When school starts back up again six months later, you're all dreading the thought of it despite the fact that you've finally reached your senior year. You're sick and tired of always having everyone's attention thrown on you because of Alison, and Ian, and A (Mona) and you don't need any more peer scrutiny or communal whispering when you pass someone on the street. You want to be known as more than just Ali's posse of "pretty little liars," because very simply said, you are.
You're a group of four young girls with thoughts and feelings and quite often, people seem to forget that. People don't see you for who you truly are, they see you for the supposed "trouble" you've caused, and you don't appreciate that.
You each walk into school side by side well aware of the silence that seems to immediately greet you any time you happen to enter a room. You ignore your peers' intense stares and judgmental banter and take your places in line for class registration. You chat amongst yourselves to try and block out all the other jargon. You scan your paperwork one last time to make sure you've taken the right amount of AP classes (Spencer), adjust your makeup (Hanna), bite your lip nervously (Emily) and check your phone anxiously to see how much time has passed since you've stepped into this seemingly never-ending line (Aria). You sigh and you groan and you tap your feet, annoyed.
"This is ridiculous," you all say, shaking your heads. "What on earth is taking so long?"
Your peers swivel their heads around at you, telling you to shut up because they've been waiting longer than you have, so you cuss them under your breath (Hanna) and then stifle your giggles (all four girls). And when all the laughter has finally died down, you quickly announce that you need to use the restroom and ask your friends to hold your spot in line for you (Aria).
You proceed toward the girls' restroom; pushing the door open hard and then letting it swing shut behind you. You slide the latch on the stall door twice (once to open and once to close) before locking yourself safely inside. You move toward the toilet, preparing to lift the lid up when the sound of the restroom door creaking followed by footsteps approaching startles you. You spin around and through the slit in the stall you can see a hooded figure wearing all black approach where you are.
You rush to sit down on the toilet (with the lid still covering the actual seat of course) and pull your feet beneath you shaking in fear. Your breathing shallows and you try your best to be silent but you can see the figure (A's) feet standing just a short distance away from you.
"Somebody help me!" You scream. The stall door suddenly rattles and your eyes grow wide as you witness A struggle to pick the lock and gain entrance. You quickly spring up from the toilet, pushing hard on the stall door. A pushes back harder and soon the two of you are having a war until you abruptly let go and slam the door open in a flash. You smack A's chest hard with that one fluid motion and you run faster than you've ever run in your life out of that girls' restroom.
You catch up to where your friends are still waiting in line and upon realizing how startled you look, their eyes grow round, alarmed.
"Aria, are you okay?" (Emily)
"What happened in there?" (Spencer)
"Did you get hurt?" (Hanna)
You're too shaken to even speak so when your phone goes off barely a second later, you can hardly manage to retrieve it from your purse. You type in your passcode, scroll through your texts, and push read, only to have your body completely freeze. You're still unable to speak and your friends realize this, gently taking your phone out of your hands.
Be careful, Aria. You might not get so lucky next time. –A
And once they've finished reading the text, they understand exactly why you're freaking out the way you are.
Because they are, too.
A/N: So, what did you think? Like it? Hate it? Sorry for any proofing errors, I know everyone hates those (I do too, but I love uploading my work so much that I sometimes neglect reading it over, lol). Okay, that's it, I guess. Love you all 3 and thank you. You rock :)
