AN: This story is dedicated to my best friend, as she is the one who got me into PLL, and thus the wonderful world of Rosewood. I love Mona in the show, and felt that she deserved better. So, this is my AU.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am not affiliated with FreeForm, Warner Brothers Studios, or any other such organization and all rights belong to their respective owners. All I own is the OC
In Pennsylvania, not far from Philadelphia, lay a little town of Rosewood, It was a medium sized town, bordering on being a city. The day was one that was overcast, no sunlight finding its way through the clouds. Rain was beginning to drizzle in from the sky, and a young woman sighed, swearing lightly under her breath. Her name was Mona Vanderwaal, and this is not how she thought her day was going to go. She wished she could be like other people and be happy with her life. She had friends, she had good parents, and a stable job working at The Brew; there was no reason to wish for more, no reason to yearn for popularity, or all the power that came with being the head of the hierarchy at high school. And yet, lust after it she did.
More important than the need to be popular, she mused as she walked towards school, was the best friend she missed. Hanna Marin had been her best friend since eighth grade, and God knew she was the only friend she'd had for a while. The others came later. Lucas, Toby, they'd been hard won friends. They'd been friends won of patience and common interests, of hangouts and shared dinners, of late night board games and laughter. They were real friends, and she appreciated that. She nodded to herself with a smile on her face, brief but clearly there in the rain, before she dove back to the safety of her porch, picking up her nearly forgotten car keys. Her phone beeped with a text and she saw that Hanna was waiting by her own door.
They arrived at Rosewood High a short 17 minute drive later, and Mona slammed the car door shut, slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder. Hanna was by her side, falling into step as they quickly crossed the parking lot to the broad doors through to the faded yellow lockers and matching yellow paint. Hanna bumped her shoulder as she snapped her head to look at Hanna, then at what she was pointing at. Across the hall was Caleb, unlocking his locker and shoving some items inside while yanking others out, as if he had had a bad morning. Mona smirked as Hanna ducked her head and blushed.
"Still pining after Caleb like, what is it now, a year?" Hanna groaned and tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear. "One year, three months, four days and nine hours, but hey, who's counting?" "Certainly not me!" Mona says with a laugh. She'd be better off with Lucas, Mona thinks as their friend Emily comes up from behind them, walking quickly and ducking into a nearby classroom to avoid the searing stalkery gaze of Paige.
Nearby, Alison DiLaurentis, Queen of Rosewood as she was, was leading a small entourage of Spencer, Aria, and several cronies that she didn't know or care to know. What she did care about, was the look on Emily's face of abject fear as she followed Emily's gaze to Paige McCullers. Her soft look, normally reserved for secret glances at Emily, quickly turned into a look of anger and contempt as her eyes narrowed. Pigskin,she thought. It was well known throughout Rosewood High, sort of an open secret, that Alison had a soft spot for Emily Fields, and God help anyone who crossed Emily.
Mona noticed the look in Alison's eyes and sighed, grabbing Hanna by the wrist and pulling her along into their Homeroom, led by one Ella Montgomery, Aria's mom. Mona slid into her usual seat in the third row, fourth from the left while Hanna sat behind her. They whispered in hushed tones about their plans even as the others trickled in slowly but surely until the bell rang. Ella spoke up as someone new stood up from the front row and Mona's honey brown eyes tore from her phone as she took in the new guy's visage. She had to make a conscious effort not to openly stare as she took him in; He had sparkling green eyes and dark brown hair, an almost oval shaped face with with a cleft chin. He wasn't built super heavily like Noel Kahn or one of the meatheads on the football team, but she could see a slenderness to his frame, like he had been on the wrestling team at his previous school and for some time at that. Mona's first thought was that he was adorable. Certainly cute but he clearly possessed a charm his fellow athletes didn't possess. He dressed for comfort clearly, but it was not without taste.
He said his name and Mona detected the barest hint of a southern accent, like he'd been down near Georgia or somewhere similar; quickly she scrawled a note to herself to ask Hanna of his name. She'd been so caught up in how he sounded that she forgot to listen to what he said.
This is gonna be an interesting year, she thought.