Aria Montgomery sat on her bed, thinking. She had done a bad thing last night. She had cheated on Noel with Ezra. She didn't know how it had happened, either. One minute her resolve was strong and the next, they were kissing.
Normally the thought of having Ezra back would fill her with joy. She loved him, after all. And he loved her… even if he didn't always know how to show it. But still, they loved each other.
But joy was not the emotion Aria was feeling. It was guilt. She had cheated on Noel. And while they weren't really "official" she knew there was something between them. And she had betrayed it. She felt like a cold, heartless person.
She didn't get why she felt this way though. There was the obvious, she was hurting a great guy argument, but it seemed to go deeper than that.
Yes, she loved Ezra. It was easy for her to admit. It was something she had awhile to come to terms with. She was in love with Ezra Fitz, who just so happened to be her English teacher. It was a well-known fact in her head.
But then, Ezra broke up with her. She was heartbroken. How could he just abandon everything they had together? Didn't he love her as much as she loved him? She didn't think so, because shortly after, he left. She was crushed.
Her friends had no idea what was wrong with her, either. They thought it was because of the drama with her parents. She hadn't even thought about her parents' drama since Ezra left. Hanna got closest, thinking she was in love with a guy from Iceland. But even she was wrong.
Then, Hanna had begged her to double-date with her and Sean. She would be going with Noel Kahn, someone she had a crush on seventh through tenth grade. At first, she declined, not wanting to get close to another guy, because even though Ezra was gone, it still felt like cheating on him.
She went anyway, though, for Hanna. She was miserable for most the night. She felt bad for Noel for getting stuck with such a lame date, but she couldn't bring her heart out of the Hell it was in since Ezra had left.
But that night, Noel had actually made her smile. It felt good to feel happy again, just for that moment. What made her really like Noel was that he didn't even try to make a move on her. Sure, he admitted he was going to when he made her smile, but didn't when she told him about the "boy from Iceland" (also known as one Ezra Fitz).
Then, SATs were taking place, and everyone got locked in the school. Ezra had been back, and Aria had tried really hard not to care, but failed. The truth was, she still loved Ezra, but she hated him at the same time, too.
She and Noel had snuck off into the music room and Noel had played a song she knew really well, and ended up singing it. She didn't know at what point, but sometime during the song, her old feelings for Noel arose again. They weren't as strong as her feelings for Ezra by any means. But they were embers that had been still burning when the flame for Noel died last year.
They were about to kiss, when Noel looked over to see Ezra standing in the doorway. He told them to get back to the library.
After that, she and Ezra got into a fight and she started "dating" Noel. She was happy. Noel treated her way better than she thought she deserved to be treated. The embers were still there, and they seemed to be warming up, it was taking longer than she would've liked though. Especially with the flame for Ezra still burning so brightly.
Then, Camp Mona happened. She had given into Ezra once again and it felt so good to be with him again. She was comfortable. She felt happy. She felt loved. They had fought of the B-22 poem, but that was all past them now. They were together again.
But now, here she sat at home, on her bed, all alone, thinking about what a terrible person she was. The embers that had sparked her interest in Noel again were making her feel like a monster, because she did care about him, a lot. He was a really good guy.
She didn't know what to do. She knew she needed to tell Noel, but how could she? Could she just say she cheated on him and not give him any real explanation? Maybe say the guy from Iceland visited and she had a lapse of judgment? Both of those choices would result in her losing Noel, and she didn't want that. She liked him… a lot. He helped her heal the wound Ezra had so carelessly left her with. But she couldn't not tell him. A was everywhere and they could easily tell him, too.
But, she knew if she chose Noel, she would lose Ezra, and she wasn't sure if she could accept that yet. She loved him. She really did, and the thought of never being with him again scared her to death.
She laid down on her bed and clutched a pillow. She closed her eyes to go to sleep, hoping that a clear head would help her make the right choice.
She just didn't know which one it was.
So, are you Team Ezra or Team Noel? Personally, I'm Team Noel. He's just so cute and sweet and treats Aria so well. I know she's probably going to end up with Ezra, but I Noel&Aria so much!
This is a slight AU, because it's after the finale, but Hanna didn't get run over by the car driven by A (cuz I don't think Aria would be thinking about Noel and Ezra if her best friend was in the hospital)
This was my third PLL fic, first time writing something Aria-centric, I hope I did okay. Were Aria's thoughts IC? Do you think I got her feelings for Noel and Ezra down? Let me know! I'll give everyone that reviews a huge virtual chocolate chip cookie!
Random Fact of the Day: This was supposed to be a Noel/Aria oneshot, but when I saw how much Ezra was in there I turned it into a Noel/Aria/Ezra oneshot.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars if I did, Toby and Emily would've gotten together (same with Lucas and Hanna) and you would see A LOT more of Alex and Spencer (their adorableness is off the charts). Also, there would've been a LOT more of Toby Cavanaugh, cuz he's the bomb!