I'm terrible, but I had an idea today and it's been stuck in my mind all day. This is an AU Aria and Ezra are friends, but he's in love with type story. But, they're going to be a little bit like Ross and Rachel and the group is going to be like "Friends", so this excites me!

Please tell me if you like this! I know it's tiring of me to keep starting new ones, but I really like where I can see this story head.

I OWN NOTHING.

One swipe of black nail polish was all Aria needed to complete her daily routine. She had a somewhat strange addiction to painting her nails. Every day served a different color based solely on her mood. She wasn't necessarily in a horrible mood, but that Friday, she felt very bland and un-vibrant. Plus, the white and black polka dotted blouse she was donning that spring morning helped.

"You know, you've really got to stop doing that," chimed a voice from her doorway. Aria spun around from the stool at her makeup vanity and laughed.

"Spencer, calm down. It's not like I paint them three times a day." Her best friend was a doctor, always worrying about everyone's health. Ironically enough, she wasn't all that concerned for her own and often found herself laid up in bed with a cold from working too hard.

"But you paint them enough to get poisoning from the acetone."

"You need to stop worrying," chuckled Aria in a wry tone. She closed the cap of the small nail polish pot and moved onto the over coat. Spencer started to protest until Aria stopped her mid-sentence. "You've got to let me at least finish it off."

With her hands thrown up from her sides, Spencer walked away in defeat. Aria rolled her eyes and coated all ten fingers in the shiny top coat before blowing on the instradry liquid. Soon enough, she was ready to go.

Fridays were heavy workdays the bookstore. After graduating at NYU with a degree in Journalism, Aria took up the position of manager of an adorable little bookstore down in SoHo while she looked for a more permanent position. The walk from her large Midtown apartment that she shared with Spencer and their other friend, Hanna was long, but the regulars who showed up to browse books were enough to keep her working there for the time being.

She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder before giving her hair a final toss. With the smack of her lips, Aria felt ready to go.

When she emerged from her bedroom, Spencer was brewing coffee and her boyfriend, Wren, who lived across the hall with another one of their friends, Caleb Rivers, was seated at the breakfast bar with an amused expression. Spencer seemed to be rambling to herself angrily. Aria could over hear the words "formaldehyde" and "acetone".

"You know, you should stop stressing her out like this. In a way, she's right." Wren himself was a doctor of sorts. More like a surgeon, but he still knew the ins and outs.

"But," Aria pouted, "It'll totally ruin my daily routine. I'll be completely thrown off." Before either one of the medical professionals, Aria left the apartment with a giggle. Spencer and Wren knew she was completely joking. That and the fact that if she had stayed a minute longer, she'd be late to work.

Springtime in New York was one of Aria's favorite times, besides Christmastime. There was a feeling she got deep down inside when her hazel eyes saw the tiny cherry blossoms blooming on trees in Central Park. Or the smell in the air of fresh air that was new and not bogged down by the industrial fumes that gathered too quickly. New York had its own distinct scent. It wasn't something Aria minded, but to smell that breeze of freshness reminded her of home.

The walk to the bookstore was like a daily workout for her. Her foot used to blister over, especially in the hot months, but they'd grown accustomed to the journey. It only took twenty minutes and in no time, the scent of musky books surrounded Aria.

Miller's Books had been standing in a secluded area for years, but hadn't been buzzing with business until Aria took control. She revamped the entire place from the lighting to the wood the dark mahogany coloring on the walls. The shop was Aria's "baby". There were times when she considered never finding a job as a journalist and just staying her. The income didn't matter to her; only the sentimental value.

Mornings were never that fast paced, except for those who can in to stroll around and steal a cup of the coffee she brewed for customers before noon. But sometimes people stopped by during the lunch rush and on their way home from work. Things ultimately picked up late afternoon, especially on a Friday.

Aria spent her morning powering through The Hunger Games until lunch came around. With a tray of sushi in her system, she continued reading until the tinkling bell that rang when the front door was open sounded.

At first, she put on her official face, ready to welcome the customer, but her entire demeanor softened when she saw who it was.

"Well, look who's here," Aria jeered playfully in the direction of the tall, dark haired man. His blue eyes crinkled up at the sound of her voice.

"You sound so unhappy to see your best friend," laughed Ezra Fitz. He had been Wren's college roommate. When he and Aria met, something with them just clicked and they had been close every since.

With their friends, they had a sort of group complex. Most of them dated within the group; Wren and Spencer, Hanna and Caleb. They did yearly events as a group, such as the annual Thanksgiving feast and New Year's Eve party.

Ezra lived a few blocks away from Aria's apartment building and was an English teacher at one of the prep schools in the Upper East Side. Most afternoons during his lunch break, he came in to see Aria, but often excused it as needing a new book. Lately, his feelings for her had reached beyond platonic, but it wasn't something Ezra could ever tell Aria. They'd laid a strict friends only policy when they first embarked on their friendship.

For Aria, Ezra was the most constant thing in her life. She didn't need them to break up and her lose him completely. Despite her growing attraction for him, Aria squashed it by dating other men; something that had lately been hurting Ezra deep down. Never in his life had he felt what he felt for Aria towards any girl. It was difficult to keep his emotions in check around her.

"Whatever do you mean," she asked, coming around from her post behind the front counter to hug him. Ezra completely towered over Aria. His arms wrapped around her slight figure. He tried not to hold her too tightly.

"Stop faking your disappointment that it was me and not Ryan Reynolds, Montgomery," Ezra laughed, pulling away. He didn't want to torture himself further by keeping Aria in his arms. "You know you love it when I stop in during my break."

"You're relentless, Fitz!"

"You love me."

"You're right." Aria beamed up at him, making Ezra's heart pound against his ribcage. "Are you coming around tonight? Spencer's demanding a game night. Wren will be there, so the estrogen won't overtake you."

Even with papers to grade, there was no way he could decline. "Yeah, I'll drop by. I don't know how long I can stay for."

"Papers to grade?"

"Yeah," he sighed, picking up the book she'd been reading that was set on the counter. The Hunger Games…girls in Ezra's class had been talking about the book the other day. Raving almost. It seemed to be some worldwide phenomenon, like that past series about the girl who fell in love with the vampire. Ezra only hoped that these books would be far better written. "Is this good," he asked, flipping through a couple pages.

"From what I read so far. I haven't gotten quite into it yet," replied Aria.

Ezra placed the book down, tweaking the tip of Aria's nose as he realized the time. Even though he stopped by during his break, the walk to and from school took up most of the time. "I've got to head back. I'll see you tonight, Ar."

Snatching the cup of coffee Aria always left for him, Ezra emerged from the store and back onto the New York City streets with his heart banging erratically. Would there ever be a day when she didn't affect him like this? Probably not.