Reality Bites

B-26

It's a number.

It's a song.

It's a girl.

Smooth.

Pearl joy packed.

Gold falafel,

As through ice.

It's four-thirty.

Morning with Phone calls.

It's deaf mute.

It's cheap.

A foreign car.

Maybe bingo.

Lucky night?

Something says It smells bad.

I had reread the poem so many times that I had lost count. It couldn't be true. Ezra Fitz, my Ezra, could not be the person who has been tormenting me and the other girls for years now. Ezra Fitz could not be "A". I felt the familiar sting in my eyes and lack of air as the tears overwhelmed me once again. My throat choked back the wails and cries that threatened to escape my mouth and give away my complete and utter undoing. The tears that I tried to hold back were the ones you didn't want to fall, the tears that you knew were being wasted on someone who didn't deserve them, the tears that made your head ache, but they always fell despite the hope that we would be strong enough to hold them in.

I ran up the stairs and down the suspended metal walkway. I could see redcoat just steps in front of me, and I knew that I was getting closer – too close. I saw her scrambling, but only finding a dead end. I ran faster, harder, knowing that this was my one chance to see if CeCe was really the person we thought she was, or if we were wrong, once again.

I moved closer to her, more hesitant and less brave than I was a few moments ago. I knew that she had nowhere to escape to, but I wasn't sure what to do. Would she explain everything peacefully, or would this suddenly turn into more than I had bargained for when I chased her up here?

In a moment of desperation and need for the truth, I lunged forward and towards her. She tried to block me, but, thankfully, having a martial arts instructor as a boyfriend was paying off. I kicked her in the stomach – hard, and watched her fall to the ground. I reached forward to pull off her plastic "Ali" mask, but she grabbed my wrist and pushed me backwards. I came at her again, this time kicking higher – kicking her in the chest. She fell backwards and I snatched the mask off of her face. CeCe. She jumped over the rail and clung onto a rope. Apparently she was even more desperate than me. The only difference was she was desperate to get away from me, not to know the truth.

I saw her grip slipping from the rope, and saw the rope beginning to fray and give away. I groaned inwardly, knowing that I couldn't watch her fall to her death. I wasn't as harsh and bad ass as I often thought I was; I couldn't let another human being's life be taken and let it be my fault.

I reached out a hand and looked at her face. I could only read one expression – terror. Her blue eyes pleaded with mine to save her, help her, forget what had just happened – that she had almost sawed Emily in half.

I felt her sweaty palm sliding out of my grasp and I tried to hold onto her tighter, but it was to no avail. I watched her fall downwards. Down from the metal platform in the sawmill. Down to the cement floor. I saw her leg bend at an unnatural angle and her eyes clamp shut. I ran down to see if she was ok and leaned forward to check her pulse. I felt my own pulse racing as I prayed and hoped that she wasn't dead.

"He's 'A'," she whispered, almost inaudibly.

"Who's 'A', CeCe?" I asked frantically; I was too close. I had to know now. It had gone on for too long.

"Ezra," she muttered before her brow furrowed and her eyes fluttered shut.

He was "A". The other girls didn't know. I couldn't possibly tell them that I had been the link and insider to "A". I had literally slept with the enemy, on more than one occasion. I had gotten texts from Ezra asking to meet up. Ironic, wasn't it? The one time he needed to know something, "A" was oblivious and ignorant? Irony, it was a funny thing. I felt my stomach flip as my phone went off once again.

"Hey, Aria, can we please meet up? I need to see you…E.F."

Could I go? Could I meet up with "A"? Could I risk not going? Was it better to play along and pretend that I didn't know or confront him? This was one scenario that I had never imagined or played out in my mind. I had never once thought that my boyfriend, my soul mate, the love of my life would be "A". Somehow, that thought never crept into my mind, but I really wish it had. I hated being the last one to the party, but I was surely going to raise hell now that I had finally been invited.

"Hey, Ezra. Sure, The Brew in 30? –A"

A:N/

Hey, guys! So, this story was obviously inspired by the summer finale where we found out that Ezra is "A". I, personally, hated it and am still trying to cope with the fact that everyone's favorite English teacher is also the girl's stalker and tormenter. I couldn't really write a story about their love right now after that, so I decided to pursue this idea that Ezra is in fact "A" (which I hope he isn't). Hopefully writing this story will help. Let me know your thoughts! Xoxo, PenGirl97