May 21st

2007

That's the first time I saw him. Not the first time I really saw him, no that would come later. But the first time I saw Ezra Fitz he was in a cobalt blue cap and gown, three people down from my half sister Jackie. He was nose deep in a book so all I saw were those alarming ice blue eyes. I remember feeling giddy because he was reading my favorite Hemingway novel, but not in a romantic or even a crush way. It just made me feel . . .less alone. I was fourteen and had a total of four friends. My mom . . . My dad . . . my little brother . . . and Jackie.

"Drool much?" she asked me nasally, walking over to me. Okay so Jackie being my friend was a slight stretch. "No . . ." I shot back, annoyed. I was prettier than Jackie. I don't say that out of malice or hate but as a fact. It's cold outside and I am prettier. Jackie, being my mom's child, got her musty grayish brown hair and I got my dad's thick, black hair which fell down in waves over my ballerina figure. Plus, even at fourteen, I had bigger boobs. I'll never forget the first day of seventh grade and how I felt so special because all the guys were noticing me and being nice to me . . . then Ali DiLaurentis spread a rumor that they were fake and it was back to loser dom.

Jackie rolled her sickly green eyes. She got those from Joey, her dad who never saw her or even paid child support. "Whatever. That's Ezra, he's just a freakish bookworm." Why did Jackie have to be like that? I glanced back over at him, noticing he was laughing with a group of very non-dorky guys and girls. He had the sweetest smile ever.

"Yeah, well he seems nice." I spied a coffee shop across the street. "Tell mom and my dad I'm at the coffee shop." I trekked off and forgot about Ezra Fitz . . . for a few years.

FOUR YEARS LATER . . .

Current Date,

Thursday, March 9th 2011

"We're going to pick up Jackie and Ezra now." Ella smiled at me from the door.

"have fun with that . . ." I yawned pouring a cup of bitter coffee into dad's Flintstone's mug. Ezra . . . why did that name sound so familiar. Ah, yes. Book Worm. I had all but forgotten those blue eyes. If it was even the same Ezra. But then, there weren't that many Ezra's running around. I looked down at the coffee and decided it could wait and that my neck was killing me.

I danced upstairs and grabbed my hand massager of my bathroom counter, pushing it against my neck. The vibrations didn't sooth anything though so I just threw it into the top drawer. I decided I might as well get properly dressed. One look at me and Jackie would do that weird sewage dump face and I was just not in the mood.

Raking through my closet I grabbed some jeans, a turquoise and black lace bohemian top and black wedges. I wrapped my hair in a sloppy\sexy side braid and drew on a thin layer of eyeliner. My brother came out of his room at the same time as me. He gave me a once over and chuckled.

"What?" I was clearly annoyed.

He smirked, "Maybe next time you seduce Jackie's boyfriend, be less subtle." I rolled my eyes and clopped downstairs. It wasn't even that seductive of an outfit. I dipped my finger in the coffee, and to my slightest relief, it was cold. It was shitty anyway.

"I wonder what this guy will look like . . ."

"I've seen him before." I said coolly . . . "He's cute. Y'know like a puppy." Mike nodded. I grabbed my iphone off the counter and started listening to My Morning Jacket, this band that Jackie hated. "All their songs are the same. Weird lyrics and orgasmic vocals." It made me smile, thinking of a 6th grade me blushing at the word orgasm. Screw her, the songs were great. I heard a muffled mike over the lyrics and turned it down.

"What?" I asked. I took mike in as he rolled his eyes. His 'lucky' Redwings jersey had a small tear in the left sleeve and his jeans were muddy from whatever queer lacrosse event he went to last night. Mike was my dad's son but not Ella's technically he and Jackie weren't even related. And I know it's a little fucked that he's my younger brother and isn't my mom's but my dad donated sperm to a friend of his and when she decided she didn't want to be a mom, he decided he wanted his son. We're a weird family . . . but we work.

"I said, do you think this guy is a jack ass?"

I snorted lightly, "No." I decided to remove the ear buds all together. "Not that I know him from more than a glance, but he look too much like a . . . like . . ."

" . . . Liiiikeee a pussy?" Mike chuckled.

I wrinkled my nose at him, "Like a nice guy." The bell rang loudly not a second after I finished.

"Guess we're about to find out!" Mike jumped off the couch mischievously. Mike ran to the kitchen leaving me to get the door.

"Sorry I was in the other . . ." I trailed off as I looked up at him. He had thick, adorable brown curls. His brilliant blue eyes were even more stunning all these years later. And that boyish smile . . . oh it had never faultered. ". . . room . . . um, hi. I'm Aria. The little sister?" I tried awkwardly.

"Ezra." He smiled, making me get queasy in a good way. "Did you come to Jackie and I's graduation party?" my stomach flipped. He remembered!

"Yeah . . . you were reading The Sun Also Rises. I remember because it's my favorite." Ezra smirked and looked as though he was about to say something when Jackie walked up and passed Ezra a bag.

"It's his, too. What did I tell you Z? You two should be in a club or something." She sashayed past him, Ella and Byron following.

Ezra looked down, a slightly annoyed look taking place on his face. "Z?" I asked, easing the tension. He rolled his eyes, "All my college friends call me that. Jackie thought it would help my image when we started out."

I nodded. Help her image. "If it makes you feel better, from ages 2 to 7, my parents called me Pookie Bear. But . . . all good things must come to an end." Ezra laughed and nodded, beginning to walk upstairs. I had a feeling I was going to like Book Worm.