Who's the Liar?

Chapter 1

"How was it that a week which was supposed to be as mundane as any other ended with me covered in blood holding a shovel?" Paige McCullers thought as someone put a blanket around her shaking form. It was a welcome relief. Her body was ice cold which seemed odd, as nights in Rosewood didn't get frigid until at least December.

Paige was incapable of piecing things together right now. Nothing was right about her circumstance. Desperately trying to keep her eyes on anywhere but the ground in front of her she was grateful her legs were still working. The smell of metal and dirt was starting to overwhelm her as her grip on the heavy metal tool was being carefully pried loose by a kind looking police officer with brown eyes and a gentle smile. He gave her something to concentrate on but where had he come from?

It dawned on Paige as she tried to concentrate on him that the uniformed Rosewood officer, who was now carefully handing off the shovel to someone holding a large clear plastic bag, was speaking to her. Paige couldn't make out the words, which sent her heart racing. Her head was pounding and she could suddenly feel a warm, wet, sensation come over her. Ringing in her ears replaced the silence as her eyes glanced where she told herself not to look and the room started to spin.

In the split second before everything went dark her thoughts were on only one thing. Emily.

...

One week earlier.

The school year was in full swing and never short of interesting developments. Most high schools only had to deal with stupid gossip like which cheerleader was dating which jock or which teacher was getting a divorce but Rosewood High School was different.

It had been the disappearance of Alison DiLaurentis, which had started Rosewood into a tailspin. Parents watched their kids like hawks and for every student at Rosewood there was a theory on what had happened to Alison. It wasn't until her body was found that the glib theories about her running away for one reason or another turned into over exaggerated grief. Sure some in school, like Alison's close friends, deserved to mourn her but it was the rest of the school that Paige McCullers couldn't stand hearing cry over the dead blond. Alison had been the definition of 'mean girl' so hearing students Alison used to make cry fain sadness caused Paige to immediately turn the other direction and turn up her iPod.

As time passed the chatter about Alison's death evolved into unfair whispers about her close circle that seemed cursed by their friend's death. The four girls were as thick as thieves, which was surprising as they couldn't be more different.

Spencer Hastings was the brainiac of the group. Having shared a couple classes with the straight A student Paige found that Spencer was insightful but seemingly stoic. She didn't have what anyone would call a sense of humor but there was no denying her intelligence or her understated beauty. This made the youngest Hastings completely unapproachable but someone Paige secretly admired.

Aria Montgomery was the most artsy of the foursome and seemingly the most rebellious. The fellow high school senior had recently been seen around town in close conversation with the school's former high school English teacher. This had some of her classmates quietly whispering. Perhaps it was some kind of tutoring arrangement but having witnessed Aria and Mr. Fitz chatting at a coffee shop Paige suspected their was more between them than words. Whatever their deal Paige didn't care one bit but if they were dating it would explain the former teacher's departure from the Rosewood Faculty.

Hanna Marin was the group's fashion plate. The blonde could have easily qualified for most popular girl in school but she instead defied stereotypes and was probably the groups must accessible member. There wasn't a hint of mean that ever came off Hanna unless someone was mean first but if you were unlucky enough to piss her off it was best to look out. Recently the blonde had been a little lost looking as she wandered through the hallways of Rosewood. Her best friend from outside the circle, Mona, was placed in Radley Sanitarium diagnosed with some kind of personality disorder. Paige had seen Hanna once or twice over the summer and had wanted to say hello but there didn't seem to be a polite way to say, "I'm sorry your friend is nuts".

Then there was Emily Fields who Paige was not so secretly in love. Emily had served as Paige's wake-up call, first kiss, and first heartbreak. Having watched Emily from afar as she tackled the hallways of Rosewood as an out teen was remarkable. As they began to face off during their time on the swim team it felt safer to be as confrontational as possible than risk exposing her feelings of attraction to the dark-haired beauty. Paige's plan didn't last long and in one very unguarded moment she revealed all in an unplanned passionate kiss in the front seat of Emily's car.

After a couple starts and stops the pair began quietly dating but as fearless as Paige tried to be she failed. Where Emily was confident about whom she was and what she wanted Paige's cowardice ended up ending something that made her happy. By the time Paige got around to taking the step towards acceptance it was too late. Emily had moved on with an ex.

The foursome, Paige predicted, would be forever bound by friendship and grief over the loss of Alison in the same way that Emily Fields would forever hold a big piece of Paige's heart.

So when the conversation in the school courtyard during lunch turned to more gossip surrounding the disappearance of Alison's remains and someone, a little to loudly, accused Emily and her friends of the crime Paige couldn't help but step in. Getting up from the bench next to the cliche of jocks Paige moved in to silence them. "Maybe if you spent as much time practicing your jump shot as you do running your mouth off our school would finally win a city championship."

"Mind your own business dyke."

A year ago Paige would have considered running away if someone had said that but not anymore. She wasn't afraid of words in fact Paige liked to think she wasn't afraid of anything anymore. Through therapy she had learned giving anything power over her happiness was no way to live. Before Paige had a chance to make that particular point clear one of the faculty stepped in.

"Mr. Polar! Principal's office. Now!" Ms. Montgomery demanded.

After a quick look of anger in Paige's direction, the basketball team's point guard did as he was told. His departure, and the look of seriousness on the face of one of the school's better liked teachers, sent the rest of the group scattering out of the courtyard. It was a good thing they left. Paige didn't want to explain what the group of them had been accusing said teacher's daughter of doing. Spreading rumors about digging up corpses wasn't something a mother wanted to hear and wasn't something Paige wanted to have to explain. Either way the courtyard cleared out leaving Paige and her first period English teacher standing in the courtyard alone.

"I will make sure the principal handles that appropriately."

"No big deal."

"Very big deal." Ms. Montgomery said as she moved closer. "This school has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to language like that."

"I can handle anything that idiot throws my way."

Ms. Montgomery seemed to be holding back a smile as she observed Paige closely. "Maybe but what if there was another student who overheard those words and couldn't handle it?"

The logic made sense considering Paige's past issues with acceptance. "I suppose."

"I heard what was going on before I stepped in. It was nice of you to try and defend Aria and her friends."

It seemed Ms. Montgomery had been in the courtyard long enough to hear the whole conversation, which instantly made Paige feel awful. What else had she had to endure hearing while walking the halls of Rosewood?

"They've all been through enough without having to endure stupid gossip." Paige said avoiding any further discussion of the latest and most tragic development that had recently befallen the group.

"All the girls would appreciate you standing up for them." It seemed, having punctuated certain words in her response, Ms. Montgomery had caught the unspoken piece of Paige's comment.

"No big deal. I should get moving so I don't miss my next class."

"Of course. Thank you Paige."

"You're welcome, Ms. Montgomery."

As Paige walked away she caught her teacher smiling. It was possible the look was a correct assumption about Paige's feelings for Emily but it was easier to think it was more an acknowledgement of Paige's recent growth. She had been a lonely, sad, isolated person for three years of high school but ever sense owning her confidence things had turned around. It was nice to think people had taken notice.

...

Since the start of swim season Paige was getting to see Emily daily and it was always a highlight. So while mindlessly grabbing her books and cramming them from her locker to her bag Paige calculated the time she would spend in her last class of the day before heading off to swim practice. Her distracted state meant she didn't notice as two of her classmates made a beeline for her locker.

"We owe you a thank you." Spencer Hastings said as she and Aria Montgomery appeared seemingly from thin air.

Quickly pulled from her thoughts Paige turned to the pair. This wasn't what she had wanted when she stepped in and tried to shut people up earlier in the school day. Being she wasn't in the mood for a gushing thank you Paige opted to play dumb. "You do?"

Aria leaned against the neighboring locker. "It's all over school. You told off some of the jocks after they started in about the disappearance of Alison's remains."

"No big deal. They were mouthing off and I was sick of listening to it. Don't read too much into it."

"Of course not." Aria added in a tone that left little doubt she was Ms. Montgomery's daughter. "We were going to hang out tonight at my place and thought you might be interested in joining."

"I don't know."

"Emily will be dropping by after work." Spencer casually interjected in a way that sounded like she was dangling the information like it was a carrot.

"We're friends. That's all." Paige blurted out too quickly.

Aria shifted her bag from one arm to the other and smiled. "And as we are also Emily's friends we want to get to know you."

"So seven o'clock and we aren't taking no for an answer." Spencer demanded before the pair continued down the hall.

Paige wanted to go. The idea of getting to know Emily's friends and maybe making some of her own in the process was exciting but it could get complicated. Emily, who had been through enough in the past five months, didn't need to feel like Paige was trying to swoop in. There was a very fine line.

...

"I'll see you tonight then?" Emily asked as she yanked the rest of her belongings from her gym locker.

Having found herself avoiding any conversation with Emily the entire practice Paige was caught off guard by the question. "Aria and Spencer didn't give me much of a choice." Paige said as she tossed her wet towel into the hamper.

"I like that they want to include you. They're my friends and you're my friend."

"Okay, I'll go." The response was meant to keep things casual when in truth Paige was having a hard time keeping her excitement over the fact she would be spending time with Emily in check.

"Good."

Emily smiled in that way that made Paige's heart melt and so eyes quickly counted tiles on the locker room floor. "Good."

"I've got to get going. My manager at the coffee shop gets very cranky if I'm late. Today he's teaching me the difference between a latte and some Australian drink his sister likes called a flat white. From what he described they sound the same but who am I to argue. See you tonight at Aria's."

As she left, Emily touched Paige's shoulder in a friendly way. The contact was quick but the feeling of it lingered. As Paige began packing up her stuff the effect on her from the contact was obvious and hard to ignore but it was imperative that Paige table all her romantic feelings for Emily Fields.

Emily was in no condition to try again after the recent murder of her girlfriend Maya. Having at first only disappeared the poor girl's body was later discovered the night of the town's spring masquerade ball. The death had shook Emily to her core and sent her out of town for the summer to distance herself from what happened. Paige supposed even half way across the world Emily wasn't much able to escape her mourning but could see how the idea of leaving might have helped some.

For Paige's sake it was probably best Emily had been away. The alternative would have been Paige avoiding Emily or trying to console her friend and neither would have been wise or very successful.

Upon Emily's return she had been understandably different. Very few people probably noticed but Paige had immediately recognized the uncharacteristic melancholy in Emily since the school year began. It didn't help that with the trial of Alison's killer about to begin and little tangible evidence to help capture who had murdered Maya the press was having a field day covering anything having to do with Rosewood's murder rate. There wasn't a day that went by where Paige didn't see a picture of Maya somewhere in the paper and if Paige was seeing it she bet so was Emily.

With everything going on Paige just needed to keep reminding herself she was only Emily's friend.

...