They Can't Take What's Ours.
Aria Montgomery laid on her bed for the third day in a row. She really only got out of bed to go to the bathroom and get the occasional snack from the kitchen. Other than that, she was pretty much a permanent fixture on her mattress. Ever since her parents forbid her from seeing the one person she loved and wanted to be with, she didn't have much energy for anything. How could they do this to her? Okay, so, dating your former English teacher isn't what every parent wants for their daughter, but she couldn't help falling in love with him. She and Ezra hadn't even met in the classroom. They had no idea of the situation they were about to be put in. They tried to stop what was already forming when they discovered the truth, but they just couldn't. They loved each other, damn it. Why couldn't her parents just accept that?
"UGH! I hate them. I hate this whole situation! It's not fair!" She shouted at no one. She was so frustrated.
Deciding she needed some musical stimulation, she got off her bed and walked across her room to retrieve her iPod off her desk. Once she had it in her grasp, she walked back to her bed and lay back down. She searched through her many songs, trying to find one that suited her mood. Finally, she came upon one of the newer songs she had added. She put the ear buds in her ears and turned up the volume.
"Elevator buttons and morning air, stranger's silence makes me wanna take the stairs. If you were here we'd laugh about their vacant stairs, but right now, my times is theirs. Seems like there's always someone who disapproves, they'll judge it like they know about me and you…"
It was crazy how much this song described Aria and Ezra's relationship. Aria almost felt as if Taylor Swift had written this about them.
She began to sing along.
"Don't you worry your pretty little mind, people throw rocks at things that shine and life makes love look hard. The stakes are high. The water's rough, but this love is ours…"
She was interrupted by a knock on her door.
"Go away," she told whoever was knocking. It was probably her mother or father and she was not in the mood to see either of them.
"Aria, it's us," She heard the familiar voice through the door.
"Let us in," Another familiar voice.
"This is an intervention," Confirmation that all three of them were there.
She figured they wouldn't go away, so she may as well let them in.
"Ugh, fine. Come in."
Spencer, followed by Hanna and Emily waltzed into her room. Once they spotted Aria lying on her bed in tattered sweats and a Hollis sweatshirt she stole from Ezra's apartment, they shared knowing looks with each other.
"Aria," Spencer was the first to speak, "You can't lock yourself up here for the rest of your life."
"She's right, Aria," Hanna began, "Fitzy still loves you and you two are totally meant to be."
"Yeah," Aria turned away from the wall and took her ear buds out of her ears, "Well, if we were so 'meant to be' we wouldn't be in this situation would we?" She snapped.
"Aria," Emily attempted to calm her friend.
"No, Em. If our relationship was meant to be it wouldn't be this hard! If we were meant to be, my parents wouldn't be being such complete assholes right now! If we were meant to be, Ezra and I could go out in public without fear of who would be watching us! I can't even see him! Do you realize how hard this is for me? I fell in love with a guy and no one seems to care about anything except the fact that he was once my English teacher! It's just not fair!"
She was crying hysterically now. All of her emotions from the last few days came pouring out of her and she broke down.
All three of her friends rushed to her side and gave her a hug.
"I love him, guys," Aria began, "I love him more than I've ever loved anyone or anything in my life. I just love him and I can't be with him because of the fact that he's a little older than me. How could my parents do this to me?"
"I don't know, Aria," Emily stated, "You're right, it's not fair what they're doing, but locking yourself away from the world won't do anyone any good."
"Yeah, I mean, Fitzy wouldn't want you to be like this. It'd break his heart to see you crying this much," Hanna said.
"I know that," Aria said, wiping some of her tears with her sleeves, "It just sucks, you know? I haven't even talked to him since he left my house that day. I just want to know he's okay."
"Spence, why are you being so quiet?" Hanna asked.
The three girls looked over at Spencer who was sitting at the end of Aria's bed. She was deep in thought.
"Earth to Spencer," Aria said while waving a hand in her face.
"Spencer!" Emily exclaimed, wondering why Spencer was staring off into space.
Spencer seemed to come out of her trance at the sound of Emily's voice.
"Sorry, I was just thinking," She said.
"About?" Hanna asked.
"Aria, what if we made it possible for you to see Ezra?"
Aria looked a Spencer, confusion written all over her face.
"Well, I mean, that would be great, but pretty impossible considering my parents won't let me out of the house unless it's for school."
"Yes, but what if we told them we had a project to work on and need your help?" Spencer said with a triumphant look in her eyes.
"Wait, what?" Emily asked.
"Spencer, there's no project we need to work on." Hanna said.
"I know that and you know that, but Aria's parents don't know that and as far as I'm concerned, they don't need to know that." Spencer stated simply.
"Spencer, you are a freaking genius and I love you!" Aria exclaimed.