Hey there! This is my first PLL story, and one of my first stories ever on FFN. The first chapter is longer than I usually write, so sorry if the next few chapters aren't as wordy. Review if you would like too (I would absolutely love it if you do!), but please just enjoy reading this. Hopefully it's not a huge piece of crap. :)
-Bethanynel813
Hanna's heart nearly stopped as she stared at the phone in her hands. Or rather, the text she just received that was sure to ruin her life. But wasn't that A's game, to ruin people's lives?
After a full minute with her thoughts racing around like crazy, Hanna made up her mind and dialed her four best friends' numbers. She started with Spencer, and then Emily. Lastly, Hannah reluctantly dialed Aria's number.
Emily and Spencer both answered immediately, but Aria took a while and was a bit breathless when she said "Hello?"
Hanna bit her tongue, but forced herself to start speaking. "Can I... Talk to you guys? Like, could we meet up at my place… or at the Grille?"
Aria was the first to answer this time "Actually, Han. It really isn't the best time." Hanna heard a male voice over the phone, and suddenly Aria giggled in a way that wasn't very common recently- it was her laugh of pure happiness. It didn't take a genius to figure out who she was with. Hanna's heart broke in two; how could she hurt her best friend like that? But she had too... Or else.
Spencer mumbled something about how she was with Toby, and Emily started talking about being at Applebee's with some of her friends- most likely her lesbian poker buddies. How come all of her friends had lives on a Thursday night but her? But that really wasn't the point right now.
Hanna sighed, and said "Guys, it really can't wait. Like one bit. It's, like, life or freaking death. Like-"
Emily interrupted her. "We got it Han, breathe. Where should we meet, I guess?"
Hanna shrugged, even though she knew her friends couldn't see her over the phone. "My house." She bit her pinky nail, a nervous habit she picked up from Aria. Her mom wouldn't freak out about her friends coming over unannounced. Besides, Emily was already staying at the Marin household and her mother had no problem with that.
Spencer spoke up "I'll be there in about twenty minutes."
Aria coughed. "Spence, you live like three minutes away from Hanna." she teased. Everyone could almost hear Spencer blushing over the phone.
Hanna was starting to feel herself crack. "Yeah sure, you guys can spend like twenty more minutes with your boyfriends. Or girlfriends, whatever. You might as well have one more happy night before A screws everything to hell soon.
"Han, you're really freaking me out. Is it...you know..." It was obvious Aria didn't want to talk about their stalker in front of Ezra.
"I'll explain when you get here." was all Hanna said, tears starting to form her eyes at the thought what she had to tell her friends. She blinked hard, shoving her emotions back down inside.
"Now you're worrying me out, Hanna." Spencer said, and receiving wholehearted agreement from the other girls. "I'll be there in 10." She said.
Hanna took a shaky breath as the other girls told her when they were coming. And every minute felt like it was ticking down to when everything would explode. No wait... Her life had already exploded when she got that text. The time was ticking down before she had to ruin her best friend's life.
Hanna looked down at the last line of the text. "Karmas a Bitch, but I'm a Bitch too. Mwa, -A" How true it was.
Spencer arrived first, as she was the closest. And, because it was Spencer, she immediately wanted to know what was going on. But Hanna was stubborn; she wouldn't drop the bomb until everyone was present.
Aria and Emily came in, both soaking wet as it was pouring rain, at about the same time.
The four girls all went up the stairs to Hanna's room, noting her tear- streaked face but smart enough to not ask questions until they were sitting in Hanna and Emily's room. They were also smart enough to let Hanna talk first, even though it looked as if it pained everyone to not blurt out questions.
Hanna took a shuddering breath "I got a text from A before I called you... And it's not good."
She tried to explain it, but for what was possibly the first time ever , Hanna Marin was at a loss for words. She eventually just sighed and shoved her phone, dreaded text opened, under Aria's nose. At first, Aria looked confused and a little scared at why she was chosen to read the text first. And then, after reading the lengthy text (or threat, whatever you want to call it), all the blood drained from her already pale face and she looked as though she might pass out.
When Aria gave a strangled cry that sounded a bit like "Ezra." The other girls snatched the phone from Hanna's slightly shaking hand.
"Let me make you a deal, Hannikins, I'm a little sick of that gross relationship that's going on between your best friend and her illegal certain someone. In fact, it kinda makes me sick. I'll cut you a little deal- I'll make sure Mommy Marin and that bad boy Caleb stay away from death's arms (or my arms, really) if you tell the police about Aria's secret affair (or whatever you call it). To show how generous I am, I'll give you two days to do it. You can even tell your little friends if you want. I'm sure Aria will be happy. Tell her... Karmas a bitch, but I'm a Bitch too.
Mwa!
-A"
Attached was a picture of Aria and Ezra kissing, their faces easily identifiable.
Hanna couldn't meet her friends eyes. "What the hell am I supposed to do?" She squeezed her eyes shut. Emily wrapped her arms comfortingly around Hanna, and Spencer did the same to the shell shocked Aria. They were sitting in that order, so they hugged in that order.
The more freaked out Spencer got, the more blunt she seemed to get, despite Hanna's fragility. "It seems A says you have two options- tell the police and ruin Aria's life, or don't tell and A will try and kill your mom and Caleb." Hanna drew in a sharp intake of breath as though she had been slapped in the face.
Aria voice was hallow. "It wouldn't be my life your ruining. Sure, my parents might hate me for a while and the kids at school would be horrid.. But Ezra... He- he would probably get arrested and fired and...Oh God." Aria's voice, emotionless at the first part of her words, grew thick and almost hysterical when she talked about her forbidden boyfriend. She buried her face in her hands. Aria usually avoided all mention of Ezra with her friends, as that almost always made her the subject of teasing. But tonight, she wouldn't be teased. It seemed she would be pitied.
Spencer's voice grew a little softer. "You didn't let me finish. A wants Hanna to believe those are her options. But there has to be more."
Emily hadn't really added anything to the conversation yet, but now she spoke up. "You could make Mrs. Marin and Caleb leave to somewhere where A couldn't get them. Wait… isn't Caleb still with his mom? So he's safe, right?"
Hanna mumbled "He's coming back for my dad's wedding soon. And anyways, I could never make them leave Rosewood forever! At least, not without an explanation."
Emily sighed semi-dejectedly and said "I guess we would run into the same problem if we sent Mr. Fitz away." She took the other girls silence as a conformation of her statement.
Hanna growled her next statement. "We could stop that Bitch before she hurts us and everyone we know."
The girls all looked in agreement with that idea, but there was a gaping hole in the plan. How where they to find out who A was and stop them in less than two days? If they couldn't do it in the months they had been tortured by A's taunts, there was almost no chance they could do it before Hanna's deadline was up.
"We could... Go to the police?" Emily suggested. When she saw Aria glaring daggers at her she quickly clarified "I mean about being threatened."
"Like that has ever helped us before." Aria said bitterly. "And anyway, wouldn't the police find out about me and Ezra anyway? The picture attached to the text is a bit suspicious."
After seeing Emily's slightly wounded expression, Aria bit her lip and spoke again. "I'm sorry, Em. It just… looks really bad right now and I'm kind of freaking out." Aria pressed her hands against her eyes as though trying to push back tears.
"No need to apologies, Aria. I could never imagine being in your situation." Emily felt a little bad all of the sudden.
It was quiet for a moment as the girls racked their brains. "I can't think of anything." Hanna murmured, and Spencer and Emily had to agree.
"I can." Aria said, her hollow, pain-filled voice back yet again.
The girls all raised there perfectly manicured eyebrows.
"I have to- to break up with Ezra. A will have nothing on you then, Hanna." Her voice sounded like it might crack, and you could almost hear her heart splintering in the silence that followed her opinion.
Pitying looks fell on her, but Aria kept her face like stone. Finally, it crumpled as a silent tear slid down her cheek.
"No." Hanna said surely, and the girls looked a bit confused.
"That wouldn't work. I'm sure A will hurt my mom and Caleb anyway. And that slut will probably send that picture to the cops for good measure. I can't ask you to do that, Aria, because there's a large percentage it won't even work."
Hanna's dry humor suddenly poked through out of nowhere as she tried to relieve the tension. "So, I can't ask you to break up with your boyfriend, but I will send him to jail. What a great friend I am."
Aria didn't smile, though. "Could he go to jail, Spence?" she looked at Spencer with pleading eyes as though she made the laws.
"Um..." Spencer started. "It depends on whether you press charges. Which I know won't happen-"
"Unless my parents do." Aria interrupted, and then something dawned on her face, it looked like she just got hit by a train. "Holy crap, my parents." And her face went into her hands again.
Spencer started again. "I suppose so, yeah. It also depends on... What you guys have done. If you have slept together it's almost certain he would be arrested for statutory rape. And you can't really lie about that one; the police have a bunch of tests they could run."
Arias cheeks flushed a little pink, some of her natural coloring returned because of slight embarrassment. "Then there's little to no chance he could go to jail, then?"
"Well..." Spencer began and Aria groaned.
"Because of the whole student teacher thing being frowned upon, he would probably get his teaching license revoked. And I doubt he would be able to see you again, Aria." the last part was spoken in barely a whisper.
Aria's eyes filled with tears, but she closed them with pain written in her face. She knew her next words would change her life and the life of the man she loved.
"Just do it Hanna. You really have no other choice." Aria whispered.
-
