About this story:

This story will mostly be an Ezria story with Alison interference in their relationship. In the summary I said Alison never died and that there was no A, BUT that doesn't mean that won't happen in the future. *wink wink* I decided to start this today, and I have a timeline written out for the majority of it. However, the kinks are still being worked out, so bear with me.

Suggestions? Please leave them! Just no rude comments, please. Thank you!

Till Truth Do Us Part

Prologue: Friends for Life

September, 2005

It was the first day of school for Rosewood students. For all it was a new year, a new season, a fresh start. And for a small minority of them, it was the beginning of sixth grade.

By the time lunch came along, eleven-year-old Aria Montgomery had already given up finding anyone to spend the school year with. As usual, she sat alone at a table and observed her peers around her, flipped open her sketchbook, and drew.

What looked like average lines transformed into faces, and those faces were put on matching bodies, and those bodies were seated in the cafeteria. No one else followed her eclectic ways. In fact, despite having a younger brother she was close to, she was used to being a loner. Sometimes she even enjoyed it. Being weird made her different, and different made her special.

After finishing one sketch, she went on to another. This time her target was the table in front of her where a blonde girl sat, surrounded by three others who seemed to fawn over her.

While she was drawing, Aria didn't notice the preppy brunette poke the blonde in the ribs and point at her. Even when the blonde stood up and started toward her, Aria still didn't look up; she was struggling on getting the bone structure of the blonde's face right.

"Hello." Aria's hand froze and she looked up apprehensively. It was the intimidating blonde. "I'm Alison," she introduced herself.

"Aria." Aria wasn't sure what else to say.

"Would you like to sit with us?" She gestured to her table where the preppy brunette smiled and waved, the two other girls twisting their bodies so they could see who Alison was talking to.

Aria's mouth dropped open, and she had to remind herself to close it. The last friend she had was Holden, but he moved away almost three years ago. Since then her classmates made it a goal to never speak to her unless it was to ask for a piece of paper or to move aside in the hallway. But an invitation…. This was definitely new.

"Sure!" Aria chirped happily, and she tried not to look too excited as she joined the two girls opposite of the preppy brunette, who jutted out her hand formally.

"I'm Spencer," she said. Aria laughed anxiously as she took Spencer's hand and shook it.

"Hanna," piped up the other blonde girl, who was on the slightly chubby side, sitting next to her.

"And I'm Emily." Aria recognized her from the swim team, and she smiled shyly as all eyes stared at her.

"Welcome to the club," Alison said. "Once a member, always a member."

To Aria, there was something wrong about that statement, something that made her skin prickle, but she pushed it aside because now she had friends. People she could share stories and have sleepovers with. Instead of going home to do her homework and finish her latest art project or dark mystery novel, she would go to their houses and watch TV while snacking on chips and gossiping about the latest rumors. It was too good to be true, yet it was.

Alison picked up her water bottle, which was met by Spencer's matching water bottle, Emily's Gatorade, and Hanna's juice box. They all looked at Aria patiently, and Aria scolded herself for not picking up on their ritual sooner. Fumbling with her thermos of hot chamomile tea, even her lunch wasn't lonely anymore.

"To a great year!" Alison preached, and the others all reiterated her words before bursting into giggles.

"To a great year," Aria said, more to herself as she watched them laugh uncontrollably.

They were going to be best friends for life. Aria could just feel it.