CHAPTER ONE
Rosewood is a sleepy town with perfectly preened lawns and neighbors who can't mind their own business. Secrets are aplenty and they rarely stay secret for long. And in this tiny town with it's big secrets, a timeless friendship exists.
After a summer in England studying Shakespeare, Aria Montgomery has grown a little too big for the small town life in Rosewood. Her shoulder bag is heavy with paperbacks and she slinks into the nearest pub to grab an empty booth. It's early enough that no one bothers to check for ID plus she always leaves a generous tip.
While a year ago she might have spent her time in the library, inhaling the musky scent of old books, London changed her. Now she finds that her best work is done, surrounded by stale beer and barrels of scotch. So she orders a pint and digs the books out of her bag before curling into the cozy booth to read.
It's not conventional, but no one troubles her and it's actually more pleasant than a library. The only other patrons are quiet drunks who mumble to each other, occasionally letting out a shout of exclamation when their favorite team scores on the televisions.
She keeps to herself, highlighting and marking notes in the margins. When inspiration strikes, she scribbles in her notebook, writing poems and passages that might lead to bigger things. No one ever bothers her, at least not until today.
But there he is, all dark wavy hair and starry blue eyes, one arm resting against the wall as he leans over her shoulder. If he wasn't so good looking she might be annoyed by the intrusion.
"Sorry to bother you," he says with a smile, "but I have to know, how do you get any work done in here?"
"It's more for pleasure," she replies.
"You're a writer?" he asks.
"Something like that," Aria replies. Then she pats the seat next to her. "You gonna stay for awhile?"
"If you'll have me," he replies with a laugh. He extends a hand. "Ezra Fitz."
"Aria," come her reply. "Nice to meet you."
He slides in next to her, glancing at the open page before she subtly shuts the notebook closed. She clears her things to the side to give them space and accepts the beer he orders for her. They make small talk which leads to real conversation and not a moment goes by with a lull in the conversation. They talk for hours, ordering a plate of fried onion rings and another round, until he excuses himself to use the restroom.
Alone for a brief moment, Aria decides to take matters into her own hands. She thinks about her friend Alison, so bold and fearless. Quickly, before she can talk herself out of it, she heads to the restroom just as the door creaks open. The look of surprise on Ezra's face is unmistakable as she pushes him back into the dingy bar bathroom.
She rises to her tiptoes to kiss him and is met with an equally enthusiastic response. Locking the door behind them, Ezra scoops her up and a second later she lands on the wet sink, legs wrapped around his waist. Aria can't remember the last time she kissed someone like this, was touched like this. It's grimy and dirty but irresistibly fun.
Across town a naked Hanna Marin stands on the scale of her mother's bathroom. Guilt settles in the pit of her stomach as she stares at the numbers. Ten more pounds and she would be happy. Instead, she steps off, pinching the skin around her waist with disdain. Envy takes over when she catches the photograph of her mother, skinny and smiling. If only she had inherited that metabolism.
She groans as she kicks the scale aside, wrapping a towel back around herself before she pads down to her own room. Hanna spends nearly an hour trying to find the right outfit. Something cute, but comfortable, but also slimming. Eventually she settles on a pair of gray jeans and a loose tank top. She slides into her favorite pair of tennis shoes before grabbing her overnight bag on the way out. The first stop is for coffee at The Brew.
The coffee shop is bustling with college students from Hollis and teenagers on summer break. Hanna almost has to push two jocks aside to get in the door. Despite the crowd, the line is short and she quickly walks out, two iced coffees in hand. But not before pissing off the resident grouch.
"Watch it," she hears him snarl when she nearly trips over the cord of a computer charger.
"Careful where you put that thing," she snaps back.
But terror sets in when she sees who she's talking to. He stands up, broad-shouldered and nearly six feet tall. Dark long hair peeks out from under his knit cap and a scowl is planted firmly on his face. He mutters something vulgar before leaning down to plug the charger back in. Ruffled by the exchange, Hanna stops in her tracks, but a familiar face steps in to help. Standing in the doorway, Lucas Gottesman from the yearbook staff flashes her a smile.
"He's harmless," Lucas tells her. "Don't sweat it."
"Thanks," she says, before quickly slipping out the front door.
With two coffees in hand, she puts the exchange behind her and walks the familiar path over to Emily's house. The door opens after a single knock and her friend greets Hanna with a smile, kindly accepting the coffee.
"You look excited," Emily says.
"It's our last Labor Day sleepover!" Hanna says. "Plus Ali gets back. We haven't seen her all summer."
"I know," Emily replies eagerly, almost too eager. "I've missed her."
"Me too," Hanna says quietly. "It's different when she's not around."
Emily nods, taking a sip of her drink. She turns her attention to the plate of cupcakes on the counter and the pile of dirty dishes in the sink next to it. "Give me a hand?" she asks Hanna. "Then we can head over to Spencer's." With a smile, Hanna agrees, eyeing the cupcakes like they're made of poison.
Spencer Hastings reclines in a wicker chair on her back porch, her lugs tucked under her while Andrew Campbell, her sometimes rival, sits across from her reciting SAT words. Between them a wooden table totes an open book but she hardly glances at it.
Instead her gaze drifts toward the piles of moss and mountain of bricks on the other side of the lawn. More specifically, she's distracted by the man working on the barn renovation. Even from twenty feet away, she can see how every muscle in his back ripples as he works.
"Recalcitrant," Andrew snaps her back to reality when he repeats the word.
"What?" she asks.
"Recalcitrant," Andrew says again.
"Uh...resistant to authority," she rattles off quickly.
"Good," he responds, marking that word off his list. Then Andrew shuffles his notes into a single heap. "I think that's all for today. I should head out."
"Right," she nods. "I guess I'll see you at school Monday."
"Yup," Andrew replies. "Bye Spencer."
He picks up his things before heading out, leaving Spencer to stare longingly at the shaggy haired man working on the gardens. It doesn't take long before he notices, jerking his head slightly to motion for her to come over. She pours him a cold glass of iced tea, any excuse to assuage suspicion if they're seen together.
"Thirsty?" she asks, offering him a drink.
"You read my mind," he says, gratefully accepting it. He tips the glass back, swallowing nearly half of it in one gulp. When he's done, he puts the glass down and snakes a hand around her waist to pull her close. His lips ghost across her neck, hot breath warming her cheek before she comes to her senses.
"Toby," Spencer says, putting a hand up between them. "My friends are on their way over."
"Right," he groans, taking a step back. "Wouldn't want them catching you with the help."
"It's not that," she says quickly. "I just want to keep you to myself a little longer."
"Alright," he replies, "but you owe me."
"Tomorrow night," she tells him. "Your place."
"See you tomorrow," he says, letting her slip away.
The doorbell rings just as Spencer steps inside. As usual, her friends don't bother to wait and let themselves inside anyway. A smile crosses her face when she sees Hanna and Emily saunter in.
"Are we the first ones?" Emily asks, taking a look around.
"Ali's train doesn't get in until later," Spencer explains, "and Aria is…"
"I'm right here," Aria says, stepping into the open doorway.
She catches a glimpse of herself in the hall mirror and makes a vain attempt at livening up her disastrous hair. She silently prays none of her friends discover how she spent her afternoon and eventually throws her hair up in a knot to mask the messiness.
"Just on time," Hanna says with a smile, bringing her back to reality.
"Come on," Spencer says. "We should go to the barn. Ali can meet us there."
The girls grab their overnight bags and load up on provisions from the Hastings' fully stocked pantry before heading outside. From the garden, a shirtless Toby eyes Spencer, a move that doesn't go unnoticed by the other girls.
"What's Toby Cavanaugh doing in your backyard?" Emily asks once they get inside.
"He's doing some landscaping work for my parents," Spencer explains. "Someone at their firm recommended him."
"He looks a lot better than I remember," Hanna blurts out. The girls all shoot her a look. "What? It's true."
Spencer stifles a laugh before quickly changing the subject to their impending return to school which only elicits a communal groan from her friends.
"What?" Spencer asks. "It's senior year. It's supposed to be fun."
"I just wish it wasn't here already," Hanna says with a pout. "I can't believe we'll all be moving away in a year."
"Hey," Aria says, reaching out to hold her friend's hand. "We'll keep in touch and be back for summers and holidays. Plus we have all year to make the most of it."
"I know," Hanna says quietly. "I guess I just didn't realize it would be so soon."
"She's right," Emily chimes in, "we don't have to think about that right now. Tonight's supposed to be fun!"
To prove her point, Emily gets up to put on some music and Spencer follows her lead, grabbing pillows and blankets out of the cupboards as they all spread out. They're getting situated when the door opens and Ali, in her favorite yellow top, steps inside. Her duffel bag drops to the ground and she puts on a bright smile.
"Miss me?"
"You're back!" Emily says.
Ali leans against the wall, arms crossed over her chest with a smug grin plastered to her face. Her golden hair glows in the evening light, falling in long waves over her shoulders. She carries herself like someone decades older than her friends as she walks through the room, eyeing the girls like cattle.
"I'm glad we're all here," she says finally. "Now let's have some fun."
It might be Spencer's barn, but Ali commands the room. She sits cross-legged on the floor where she can see all of them and brushes her hair back behind her ear. The girls lean in as if her very presence is intoxicating and they wait for her to speak.
"So, anything fun happen while I was gone?" she asks.
"Not really," Hanna says, rolling her eyes. "Just the usual."
"What about you Aria," Ali says, turning to face the small brunette. "I thought you'd have lots of stories from Europe."
Aria shrugs, tracing patterns into the rug as she undoes her bun and tries to hide behind her hair. But it's too late. Ali's already spotted the small purple bruise on her neck and a matching one below her collarbone that peeks out from under her top.
"Where'd you get those?" Ali teases.
Aria looks up in shock as the other girls fixate on her neck. She feels her face burning but only offers a coy smile.
"His name is Ezra."
"What is he, like eighty?" Hanna asks. Aria shoots her a look.
"He's twenty-four," Aria retorts. "And he's amazing."
"Oh my gosh," Spencer says giddily. "You're like, in love."
Aria blushes again. She shakes her head, trying to dodge the attention and attempts to change the subject. "Weren't we going to order pizza?"
Spencer rolls her eyes but obliges, getting up to call for delivery. Hanna requests a salad which gets a scoff from Ali but Emily comes to her rescue and changes the subject by pulling out a board game from her bag.
"Remember this?" she asks, causing them all to squeal with nostalgia.
"Em, where did you find this?" Aria asks.
"My mom was about to throw it out," Emily replies. Then she nudges Hanna. "Did you bring it?"
Hanna reaches for her own bag where she procures a bottle of clear liquor and starts pouring five cups to pass around.
"Swiped it from my mom's cupboard," Hanna says triumphantly. "She usually sticks to wine so she'll never miss it."
The girls gather in a circle, shuffling cards and setting up a game of Truth or Dare. It's a long standing tradition, one that always brings them closer and results in belly-aching laughter. They're only two rounds in when there's a knock at the door and Spencer gets up to tip the pizza guy.
An hour later, greasy pizza boxes are spread around the floor and the bottle of vodka is nearly empty. The game cards have been abandoned in favor of gossip and catching up as the girls moved to the loft. They lounge on mountains of pillows, huddled under knit blankets.
"An' then she wallforgove…" Hanna said, erupting in a fit of giggles.
"You're wasted," Spencer tells her, laughing. "Maybe it's time to switch to water."
"Yousha smitch to water," Hanna slurs, slumping onto Aria's shoulder.
"For once, I agree with Spencer," Ali says. "Or you'll hate yourself in the morning."
"Fine," Hanna says, rolling her eyes. She reaches for a bottle of water, sipping greedily. "But you're getting real boring, Ali. You've hardly had a drink all night."
The girls look at Alison. It's true, her cup is still full and she's the only one whose eyes aren't heavy with drink. For an instant, panic crosses her face, but then she forces a smile.
"I guess the secret's out," she says.
Instinctively the girls move in closer. A secret from Alison is like a gift. They watch enraptured as her eyebrow arches mischievously. She reaches into her back pocket and pulls out a dark photograph which she places in the center of their circle. It's hard to make out in the dark but Spencer recognizes the shady outlines before anyone else, gasping softly when she finally puts it together.
"You're pregnant?"
Ali nods. "With twins."
"Ali," Emily says, shock all over her face, "have you told anyone else?"
"My mom knows," Ali explains, "she's not thrilled but she knows this will make me happy. I'll get to be a mom."
"What about the father?" Hanna asks. "You didn't tell us you were seeing someone this summer."
"I haven't told him yet," Ali says, "but I know he'll be excited."
"Aren't you scared?" Spencer asks. "You'll be pregnant in high school. What will people think?"
"They'll be jealous," Ali replies confidently. "People always want to be like me."
"You're really not worried about any of it?" Aria asks dumbfounded.
"Not really," Ali lies. "I mean, I'm going to get huge, but I can always borrow some clothes from Hanna."
The comment stings Hanna. She spent all summer trying to lose weight and Ali was oblivious. All she wanted was approval from Alison and she was met with saccharine retorts. Their fearless leader might be growing up and becoming a mother, but she was not any more caring toward her friends.
In fact, Ali had fear running through her bones but she would never let the girls see that side of her. If they even suspected she was losing control, she would never regain her power over them. Overcome by weakness she desperately wished someone else understood the reality she was facing. And in that moment she concocted her most ingenious and malicious plot to date.
AN: I know it's a little cheesy and there's a few of these out there but I wanted a stab at it. Plus I can't resist a good play on words ;)
It will get darker as the story goes on. And for the Haleb fans, I know all the girls are in the story and that's because I love their friendship but yeah, it's mostly Haleb and I can guarantee a happy ending for them...the jury is still out for everyone else. Thanks for reading!