Hello.
PREQUEL TO THE SHOW. SET RIGHT AFTER ALISON DISAPPEARED.
Before anyone asks, I did change the name of Alison's little sister. It was originally Sasha, but I changed it to Beth, mostly because I kept typing Shana instead of Sasha, so I decided it would be better if I changed it to something I would have a hard time mixing up. I also called her Bethany until I realized there was a Bethany in the show, so I shortened it to Beth.
Disclaimer: I do not own the TV show Pretty Little Liars in any way, shape, or form.
Beth Di Laurentis looked like a younger version of her older sister, Alison, with curly blonde hair and a face that looked beautiful with or without make up. Her blue eyes sparkled, and her naturally pale skin tanned easily but was very hard to burn, so during the summer, she had a permanent tan. She had a few freckles (not a huge amount, but a few were sprinkled across her nose and cheekbones, which only made her look cuter). Beth wore glasses, unlike her older sister (but her parents promised to get Beth contacts once she reached high school), and they were wire rimmed, oval spectacles with small gems on the very edge of the rims that held the glass lenses. If anything, the glasses just made her look adorable.
Ten year old Beth was usually a very kind girl. If she didn't like you, she wouldn't say it to your face, but you would know when she started to avoid you and ignore you. Beth was the kind of girl that didn't let anyone in, except for Alison, Aria, and Spencer. Even Hanna and Emily, who were almost always over at her house, she kept at arm's length. She was on the more average side of things when it came to talents- average intelligence, average musical and artistic ability, average writing ability, and so on.
Except for a single sport that Beth excelled at, even at ten years old. Karate. In the town of Rosewood, most kids don't even earn their blue belt until they're eleven or twelve (and those are the advanced kids), but Beth was not anything if not a unique-stand-out-in-the-crowd kind of person. She earned her black belt the night before her older sister went missing.
There's something you need to understand. Her older brother spent his days getting high, and her parents weren't very involved. Her father worked the majority of the time, and her mother hadn't wanted children, but when her friends started having kids, she felt left out and had two of her own. She wanted to stop at two; Beth had happened by accident; she was, in her parents' eyes, a mistake, and her mother constantly reminded her of that when she ignored Beth. Sometimes she'd even forget to feed her, but Alison stepped in when she first noticed her mother's less-than-caring attitude towards Beth. She gave her little sister the affection and care and love their parents and brother didn't. Alison made sure Beth never went hungry or cold or sick or tired. Alison was more than a big sister; she was like a mother.
That's why Beth was so broken up when she disappeared.
Beth fiddled with the edge of her shirt as she laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling, and the door creaked open. She thought it was Jason, high as a kite on drugs, wandering into the wrong room again, but the female voice that sounded surprised her.
"Beth, you okay?"
Beth shook her head.
Aria Montgomery sighed and sat on the edge of Beth's bed.
"I know this is hard," Aria began.
"How would you feel if you lost the only mother figure you ever had?" Beth whispered.
"Good point," Aria replied. "I'm sure she's fine, though. She probably just ran away to be with a boyfriend."
Beth shook her head. "If that were the case, she would've taken me with her or at least told me that she was leaving and that she would be back. She did neither. She didn't run away, Aria. Something bad happened to her."
Aria was silent for several moments.
"If there was one thing I know about Alison, it was that she loved you very much, Beth, and she wouldn't want you to be cooped up in your room all day because she's gone. She'd want you to remember her, but she wouldn't want you to be sad all the time. And Alison did leave behind something that can help you," Aria told her.
Beth frowned. "What?"
"Me. Spencer. Even Hanna and Emily, and I know you guys don't like each other that much, but they don't dislike you enough to leave you in this room to mope," Aria pointed out.
Beth nodded. "I guess you're right."
"I am right. My family is leaving for Iceland in a few days, but I will write to you, and we'll video chat. Spencer will be here, and Hanna and Emily will help if you really need it. Alison wouldn't want you to waste your life missing her twenty four/seven, so if you really want to do something for Alison, honor her wishes by not spending your days rotting away, depressed and pushing everyone away. I'm here for you, Beth, and so is Spencer. We love you."
That was when the dam broke, and Beth's tears began to flow as she sat up and clung to Aria like a lifeline.
"I love you, too," Beth murmured.
She'd never told anyone she loved them except for Alison. It felt good to know that she had someone else in her corner, someone she could count on, someone who would love her just as much as Alison did. They could never take Alison's place, but maybe they could fill the hole in Beth's heart that Alison left behind.
Alison may be gone, but we are still here for you. Spencer and I will always love you and comfort you, and even if we can't take Alison's place, we will be here for you in every way we can.
What do you think of chapter 1? I love feedback, so please tell me what you thought in the form of a review or a PM! Thank you all for reading! Goodbye, everyone!
