The innocence of Mona
While writing another story recently, I wondered how the story would have been different if Mona had not been A, but someone else had. Set early in the first season. I don't envision this being a super long story, but I'll see where the writing takes me.
Aria walked as fast as she could to the table in the cafeteria; so fast that she was practically running. Emily was already sitting there, hunched over her English homework.
"Emily, hey! The others here yet?" Aria asked her friend, concern colouring her voice.
"Not yet, but Spencer is usually here soon" Em replied.
"Good, good" the distracted Aria said as she dropped her book bag and sat down at the table. She looked out of the windows and saw Hanna walking into school. If Hanna was already here, Spencer must be near.
"Woah Aria, where's the fire?" Spencer called out to her from the cafeteria entrance as she rushed over to the table. "Aria, what is so important?"
Aria sighed, totally stressed by the situation. "I really want to wait until Hanna gets here to talk about it."
As if on cue, Hanna's heels could be heard approaching the table, "This better be good Aria. Getting up early is not something I do by choice"
"It's about A." Aria said, "My mom got a note last night."
Spencer, Emily and Hanna's jaws dropped, surprised that A would send a message to anyone else, let alone a parent.
"Don't be so surprised," Aria said as her eyes widened. She leaned down, rustling through her book bag until she found a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it and placed it in the middle of the table.
"Your husband, Byron, is involved with another woman and when I say involved I mean in a "romantic" way," Spencer read.
"This is not something recent. It started before your family went away to Iceland and from the look of things, it may be starting up again now that you're back," added Emily, passing the note to Hanna.
"I know this hard to hear, but it is the truth. If you don't believe this about your husband, ask your daughter. She knows all about it"
"Sincerely, A" the girls read together, dropping the note on the table. Aria buried her head in her hands, unable to believe what her life had become.
"Aria, it's going to be okay! Your parents will get through this" Emily said, in a way only she could.
"Emily, you don't know that" Hanna snapped at her friend, "Her dad cheated and it's not going to be a happily ever after fairy-tale." Hanna had been through a similar thing with her parents and didn't want Aria to get her hopes up.
"Hanna!" exclaimed Spencer.
"Hanna, it's a different situation. My dad and Meredith aren't together now. My dad isn't going to leave my mom and he and Meredith aren't going to go play happy couples in another town" Aria snapped, picking up the note and stuffing it in her bag before standing up. "It's not the same Hanna!" she said as she stormed off, bumping into Mona on the way.
I have another chapter in the works so hopefully you won't have to wait too long. I've already decided who A is and, even though it isn't going to be Mona, I'm going to keep certain A events similar to Mona's canon. Open to all feedback and critique.