Hi everyone! So, it's been a long time since I've posted anything but after the episode last week (I think everyone on here is just as angry as me) I had some inspiration. This is basically what I think should happen following the day Aria didn't answer Ezra's call. Probably two or three chapters, depending on what you guys think.

So, as always review the story and give me your thoughts on the chapter as well as letting me know if you'd like to see more. Thanks and Enjoy!

Chapter 1

That morning as Aria walked into school she dreaded going to her first class of the day, and even more than she would usually. English, which used to be her favorite hour from 8:30 – 3:00 Monday to Friday, due to a certain handsome teacher being there, had become the hour she now skipped the most often. It was hard on her to sit in her desk and listen to him talk about books that they had already discussed over wine whilst sitting on his couch. When she didn't pay attention, he never bothered her; he didn't call on her in class, or tell her to pay attention, probably for that same reason. They had come to an unspoken agreement simply not to come in contact with each other unless absolutely essential.

It worked well enough she had thought, until he broke it that was. Last night when he had called her she didn't know what to do. She wanted to answer but at the same time she wondered where that would take them. She didn't want to put herself back into that mess of his life. As much as she loved him, and she knew that no matter how many dates she went on with Jake that feeling wasn't going away, she also knew it wasn't the right time for either of them.

She needed to graduate. She needed to figure out this A thing. She needed to be able to go to high school dances with a date.

He needed a job. He needed to raise his child. He needed to sort things out with Maggie.

Neither of them were in a place in their lives anymore where they just fit together. Not that there had ever been a time in their relationship where things were simple for them; whether it was the secrets, the fallout with her parents, the other people who seemed to get in the way. They had always figured it out though.

The more Aria thought about it she wondered why this time they hadn't been able to. She wondered if maybe they were just in two very different places in their lives and the age gap was finally catching up with them.

She knew that when things got to real she ran away. She asked herself if she really ended things for his safety and for Malcolm's safety a lot of the nights she lied restless in bed. She knew it was that night when Malcolm had been taken that was her breaking point, but she wasn't sure if it was the looming threat of A that was the scariest factor or if it was that she was 17 and playing step-mom to her boyfriend's 7 year old son.

She wasn't ready to be a mom. She had a hard enough time taking care of herself most days and it wasn't fair to her or Malcolm that she was trying to be something she couldn't and didn't want to be. She wanted to be with Ezra, and she hoped that one day in the future she would be able to take on everything that came with a relationship with him, but at that moment, she wasn't. She also couldn't tell him to wait for her. That wasn't fair and she knew it was unrealistic. They needed to part ways, and if someday fate brought them back into each other's lives she would happily welcome it.

That was why as the phone continued to ring she pressed the decline button and carried on with her date with Jake. However the rest of the night, even when her lips were pressed against another man's, her thoughts went back to Ezra. She wondered why he called and wondered if it was something important. She shook that thought from her head though and told herself it was probably just a moment of weakness. She had them too, but she never actually let the phone ring. Aria would just dial the number she had long ago memorized and then catch herself before she could do anything she would regret, like tapping that green call button.

When Aria got to the door of the English classroom and stepped inside she walked quickly to her seat, eyes never turning to glace at the front of the class room or in his general direction. The idea of him approaching her was stuck in her head. Maybe he would ask her why she didn't answer, she thought, but as soon as she did she told herself he would never be so stupid as to call her behind after class. Not now that everyone knew about their past.

As determined as she had been Aria's eyes faltered and for one brief second she simply wanted to see him and see that he was okay. Yet when her eyes went to his seat behind the large wooden desk she saw it was filled by a woman. Aria did a double take of the classroom, confirming that in her thought clouded walk into the school she hadn't mistakenly entered the wrong classroom, but every poster and every student was exactly where they should have been. She knew that she could easily find her way to this classroom blindfolded due to the amount of times her high heeled feet had made this journey.

At that moment panic ensued. Aria, who had never dealt with stress well and was quite prone to panic attacks thought of reasons why this woman could be taking over Ezra's class. Immediately her thoughts went wild, what if he was hurt? What if Malcolm was hurt? What if that call she pettily declined was important?

The worried brunette found herself rising from her seat and pattering over to the woman looking at papers on the desk which did not belong to her. "Excuse me. Where is Mr. Fitz?" Aria asked.

The woman looked up at her and flatly replied "He's out, I'm subbing for him today" which was not the response Aria was looking for.

"I can see that. I can see he quite clearly isn't here. I want to know where he is." She snapped at the woman.

"I don't know where Mr. Fitz is, but even if I did I wouldn't be divulging that information to you. His personal life is of no concern to a student." The prissy woman replied to Aria and without a second thought Aria walked to the classroom door, opened it, and slammed it behind her before scampering down the hall and to her car. She quickly dialed his number on her cell phone while rushing through the school but there was no answer on the other end. Everything concerning Ezra Fitz was most certainly her business, and Aria was desperate to find out what the substitute teacher couldn't tell her.

"Who was that!" the sub asked directing her question to Hannah, who was not going to rat out her friend.

"Who was who?" The blonde asked simply.

"The girl who just ran out of here!" The sub fumed. It was clear that she was new and took her job way to seriously. Most teachers at Rosewood simply would have carried on as if that was a regular occurrence.

"I didn't see anyone run out of here." Hannah lied straight faced, and then turned to Spencer sitting beside her. "Did you?" Hannah asked the most composed and thoughtful of their group which so well trained in this craft.

"No I didn't see anything" Spencer replied and then gave the teacher a look that dared her to say otherwise. Although none of the girls knew what exactly was going none of them needed any more information or even a request form their friend to cover for the petite girl. It was simply what they did.

The teacher was almost prepared to surrender when a male in the back spoke up to her. "That was Aria Montgomery." Noel informed while smirking at the two liars sitting rows in front of him. "I guess she just can't handle a day without seeing Mr. Fitz. After the breakup this is probably the only time the teacher's pet gets with him, right? Or does she still do extra credit work on the weekends and after-school? " Noel smugly added and while Spencer prepared to fight back the teacher with a shocked expression on her face attempted to gain control of the class.