Chapter 1

I think about it over and over again. My parents are out, my boyfriend is back in town, and I should be catching up with him and getting some alone time. We've needed it for a long time. So why am I not with him right now? Why am I sitting at school, feeling aches in my head? I know why. Ezra Fitz is why.

It can't wait any longer, can it? The longer I don't tell, the more danger my best friend is in. Hanna and Emily won't tell, either. But I feel like it needs to happen. I'm putting her in danger! I want to tell her, but now I have to face the truth. If she was the one who had told me Toby was A at the time I thought he was, I wouldn't have believed her. Sometimes love can blind people. So why would she believe me if I told her that her little son of a bitch boyfriend is bad? She wouldn't.

Maybe I should wait until I have more proof. Finding the diary in his classroom isn't enough. She won't believe me if I just tell her that we found it, right? If I have Hanna and Emily to back me up, maybe she will. It's a risky move. I sit in the library, just thinking as hard as I can. All this thinking is going to make me freaking explode! Tap. Tap. Tap. I keep hearing it—I hear some god damn footsteps. I didn't see anyone in the library. I look around, all around. Nobody. Is it A?

I feel a pit in my stomach. Then I feel it. A hand touches my shoulder. I nearly have a heart attack when I look back and I see... Ezra. I should have known. A is here. What is he going to do? Kill me for figuring out he's A? Maybe then Aria will figure out that the guy she thinks she loves isn't who she thinks he really is. I have no doubt that he knows Alison. He wants something. He isn't all good. I can't say he's all bad, because I don't know that, but he's not all good. He's told more lies than I have, and that's a fact.

And now he's standing here, like a goof. Does he think I don't know what crap he's up to? Because I do. I see him every day. He should have known that one of the people in our group would figure it out. Hell, he's dating Aria! He should have known that his secrets wouldn't stay buried forever. They're coming back, and they're going to haunt him now.

"I didn't mean to scare you there, Spencer," he says, knowing that I'm startled by him. "I found... your file." He hands me the file, and then takes it back. "I just wanted to let you know that your student file has been found. You might have been alarmed when you heard it was gone. Luckily I recovered it before it got too far off course."

Is he for real? I raise my eyebrows and ask, "So, um, where did you find my student file, Mr. Fitz? I didn't know files could get up and walk away."

"Well, it must have been misplaced by someone in the staff," he tells me, but I know he's lying.

"Is that so, Mr. Fitz?" I ask in a way that is meant to toy with him and hint that I know what he's up to. "Any idea who this mystery staff member could be?"

"No clue," he says. "Maybe it was the new guidance counselor... Jesse... he's been peering into a lot of files to get to know the students better. After all, I did actually speak with him about you... I just told him to keep an eye on you, since I could tell that something is going on. Do you want to talk about it, Miss Hastings?"

"I'm good, I'm fine," I say. "I was just curious of who that darn staff member is."

"I'm sure you are," he says. "Spencer, are you accusing me of something?"

"Not at all," I say, half sarcastically. I know I should watch my mouth. I know I'm dealing with someone far more dangerous than I think. But he can't hurt me here. Not when there's a librarian watching. She would know if he pulled out his gun and shot me. Unless he's devious enough to shoot the librarian, too.

"Good, I was hoping you would say that," he says, biting his lip. "Since you're here, let's talk. I know something is up with you, and we need to have this conversation before it gets out of hand. All your friends are worried about you, too."

"Is Aria worried about me?" I ask, bitterly laughing. "I think she has other things to worry about. More important things. More important people."

He gives me a funny look.

"I don't know what you're trying to suggest, Spe—" he starts.

"You don't? I thought you would know more than that," I say, still toying with him. "You seem to know everything. You know, since you're a teacher and all."

"Teachers know a lot, but we don't know everything," he tells me. "Come to my classroom and sit down. Let's talk."

"Actually, I have to go," I lie.

"And where to?" he asks.

"Uh..." I stutter. "Toby just got back in town. We're going out this afternoon."

"Now Spencer, when your school work is suffering, I don't think it's a good time to go out and be hanging with your boyfriend," he says, stepping forward. "Your grades are more important than some date with your boyfriend."

"How did you know he's my boyfriend?" I ask curiously. "I never told you I had one."

"Oh, Aria must have mentioned it, I remembered the name," he says. "Plus, he was formerly accused of being a criminal, so people definitely talk about it when the ex-felon gets a girlfriend."

"You may be a criminal, but Toby isn't one," I defend angrily.

"Excuse me?" he asks. "I think your tongue must have slipped."

"Right, I just got defensive," I say, trying my hardest not to roll my eyes. "You see, love makes people do crazy things. You know a lot about that, right?"

He stares at the floor and says, "You should go, Spencer. You don't want to keep Toby waiting, now do you?"

"No," I mumble. "I don't."

Something is definitely up. And Aria needs to know.