12/31/2012

I love stories where they meet for the first time and I haven't seen too many lately. So I wrote one. Enjoy

Aria Montgomery sat in first period, surrounded by her three best friends. It was the first day of school, and having spent the last year in Iceland, the first day back in Rosewood for her. She'd lost touch with her friends in that time, yet here they were, ready to celebrate her return with hugs and a side of gossip. In all honesty, Aria was a little overwhelmed with the sudden socialization; living a small city miles away from Reykjavik and the rest of humanity had bred a sort of introversion within her. But Hannah soon shooed away any awkwardness with her quirky ways, and Aria felt like she was home.

"Okay guys, we need to fill Aria in on the Lisbon matter before she walks in. Volunteers?" She quickly answered before anyone could jump in.

"Okay I'll go. Lisbon is the AP English teacher this year and she has this thing where she's…I don't know, gorgeous? And she will be the reason why I don't have a date for Prom this year because all the guys flirt with her and no one pays to attention me when she's around."

Aria laughed, as Spencer smacked Hannah across the head.

"You're an idiot, Han." She declared.

"Ouch! Spencer, I will sue you for that and I will get your mother to represent me and then I will win and take all your money. Seriously though, this is all I can think about. I hate that she has to teach this course."

"Hannah, there are plenty of guys who will take you to Prom. And newsflash, you have the whole year to reel one in." Emily assured her.

Aria wiped away her tears of laughter. "Obviously I need to see this beautiful goddess who's out to ruin Hannah's one true chance at love and happiness."

Hannah groaned as the classroom door opened and in entered her cause of discontentment.

"Good morning everyone," she said walking to her desk, her exposed long legs the attention of every male in class. She was well dressed, yet her outfit seemed a tad risqué and inappropriate for school. Either that, or Aria's little village private school in Iceland had been extremely conservative.

"Looking good, Marta." Darris Fauxhawk hollered.

Ms. Lisbon smiled and chided him lightly. "That's Ms. Lisbon to you, darling. But thank you." She gave him a brief wink, eliciting oohs and ahhs before the door opened once again, and in entered a young man clad in dress pants and a sweater vest.

"Wow," Hannah breathed, echoing Aria's thoughts.

Ms. Lisbon herself seemed at a loss for a moment before she cleared her throat, running a hand through her dark red locks.

"Hey, you must be Ezra Fritz?" She asked, giving him a wide smile.

Damn. He thought. Ezra Fitz allowed himself a second to check out the hot teacher in front of him before assuming professionalism once again. If there was anything he was good at, it was hiding emotion. Especially after the very recent and most brutal breakup he'd gone through, he realized that he needed to stay away from women for awhile. And that included his eyes.

"It's actually Fitz, but I'll take it." He chuckled, smiling back friendlily. "Can I uh…come in?"

"Uh…yeah, sure. Sorry to…nevermind." She laughed nervously, motioning him inside.

Hannah turned to Aria and smirked as if to say, "That's what she gets for flirting with every guy I've liked." But Aria wasn't paying attention, she was too busy studying Mr. Fitz Not Fritz. She realized that perhaps her gaze was a bit too intense when he suddenly looked at her straight in the eye. Averting her eyes quickly, she felt a blush creep onto her cheeks. She couldn't blame Ms. Lisbon, the man had magical powers.

Ms. Lisbon found her voice in time to introduce him to the class. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet our new student teacher this semester. He'll be teaching here next year so this is really just a trial run for him, if I'm correct?" She asked, facing him.

"Well, almost." He flashed her a quick smile before addressing the class. "I'll actually be teaching at Hollis. This session is mostly to help me get a feel for the teaching environment and the students who will most likely be taking a class of mine next year."

"Ooou, Professor Fitz." Ms. Lisbon crooned.

Mr. Fitz gave an awkward laugh. "Yeah," He answered, unsure of how else to reply.

She flushed slightly. "Alright everyone, why don't we take five to each write two truths and a lie about ourselves, and while that's going on, Mr. Fitz will come around and get to know you guys while I finish getting organized? Sound good?" She asked, turning to the student teacher.

"Let's do it," Ezra replied, looking around at the faces. Everyone except one student was looking at him; she had her head bent, seemingly writing in some sort of journal.

Ms. Lisbon blushed beet red. "Er…yes, let's."

Ezra walked off before he could turn her purple. He wondered if she was attracted to him.

Walking around, he made mental notes of each student: if they seemed into their writing, who sat in the back, who seemed to disregard the assignment to write in her leather bound book. He wondered if he should reprimand the girl or ask what she was writing about. Curiosity got the better of him.

"Have you published?"

Aria started at the sound of the deep voice beside her, dropping her pen on the ground.

"Do you always sneak up on people like that?" She asked, reaching for it.

Mr. Fitz smiled in amusement as he picked it up before she could.

"Naturally. Is there any other way to sneak up on people?" He nodded at her notebook. "What are you writing about?"

Aria hesitated for a second, wondering what to say. "Just…ideas."

"For…" He urged on.

"For stories. I write short stories." She laughed nervously.

"Hmm…I'd love to read one some day."

Aria smiled. "They're mostly private. Just for me."

Mr. Fitz opened his mouth to continue the conversation but thought better of it. He'd spent more than enough time acquainting himself with this curious girl. And judging by the constant looks the other girls were giving him, jealousy was in the air.

"Alright, well…if you're withholding some sort of literary masterpiece because of "privacy," I will hold you accountable. Carry on."

Unexpectedly, he gave her a wink before walking away. Why did I just do that? He questioned, turning his back away as he approached other students.

Aria coloured at the gesture, quickly eying her friends to see if they had noticed. They were all still busy with the assignment. Cut it out, cheeks. She thought. He was just being friendly.

Ms. Lisbon called Mr. Fitz to her desk just as he'd started talking to Dan Farrin, asking if he had his phone with him because she'd left hers at home and the school clock wasn't working.

"Uhh..sure." He appeased, handing her his phone, albeit reluctantly. He thought about some of the embarrassing pictures on his phone and groaned inwardly. Did he really have a choice though?

"Thanks, Ezra. It'll just be for the duration of the period. Oh, should I put my number in your phone while I have it?" She asked.

Ezra agreed, standing awkwardly as she tapped it in.

"Are you going to the teachers' social tomorrow night? Should be fun. It'll be good for you to meet the faculty."

"Err…I wasn't sure if I was allowed to go, being a student teacher and all." He began. "But you could always take me as your plus one." He grinned.

"Oh, right…of course, I mean I'd love to." She answered, slightly flustered.

"Great." He shot her a quick smile before they both turned to face the class. Ezra's eyes immediately met the girl with the notebook and he quickly looked away. What was with him?

"Alright, kids!" Ms. Lisbon announced, "The bell will ring in about a minute since today's a half day. We will present the assignments next class, and begin on our first novel. So be there!"

The bell sounded and the chatter began as people left for third period. Ms. Lisbon asked Ezra if he wanted to grab coffee during their spare, and he agreed. He waited for her to collect her things, saying bye to students as they left. From the corner of his eye, he could see the girl with the notebook making her way to the door with her friends. One of them called her Aria. A beautiful and name. Well suited. He thought immediately, before mentally berating himself once again.

"Goodbye, Aria." He said with a smile as she walked by, trying desperately not to catch his eye.

She looked up and smiled without responding.

Later that night, approximately 9:14pm.

Ezra Fitz drove through town, lost in thoughts of his ex-girlfriend. It was raining hard, and nothing helped relax him or clear his head more than driving in the rain. She'd broken up with him two weeks ago, after a two year relationship. It was the longest he'd ever had, and the best he thought he'd ever get. But it turned out she didn't feel that way. She'd moved on to another guy from her old college, and here he was, still hung up over her.

Half an hour and many a blocks later, he wondered if he should go home. But the thought of going to an empty apartment was too depressing. So he turned into the first residential street he saw and decided to see where it took him.

The rain began to beat down harder as he drove through the empty roads. It seemed as if he was the only lunatic outside, before he spotted a little figure on a porch, punching keys on a phone. As he got closer, he realized it was Aria. Of all people. Driving snailpace, he realized she was frustrated with her phone. Maybe she had to get somewhere and had no reception? Should he stop and ask?

He hesitated, wondering if it was in his place. But then again, he couldn't exactly call himself a prospect teacher and leave one of his students out in the cold rain. Making an executive decision, he decided to stop. She noticed the car. He opened the door. She saw who it was-and ran towards it.

Once inside, she shut the door shivering and breathing heavily. Ezra didn't utter a word as he watched her buckle her seatbelt in, her hair splashing him with drops of rain as she did. She was quite a sight. Noticing that she was still shivering, he took off his coat and offered it to her.

She looked up at him and smiled genuinely. "Thank you, Mr. Fitz."

"Anytime. You looked like you had somewhere to be."

"Well, I was exactly where I needed to be, except without a key." She told him.

He raised an eyebrow.

"My parents are out of town until tomorrow and I left my only copy of the key at home. So, I'm pretty much homeless right now." She explained.

"Ahh. The classic key debacle." He joked, "Happens to the best of us. Well, do you have somewhere else you can go? A friend's house, maybe?"

Aria sighed, looking out the window. "None of them are picking up. They're at a party that I am sure will not break up until early morn. I'm pretty screwed as of now. May have to check into a motel or something."

"No, don't do that." He seemed genuinely horrified.

She giggled. "I really don't have much choice. The two things I need right now are warm clothes and a bed."

Ezra thought for a moment. "How about this, how about we drop by the laundry mat at my place so you can dry your clothes, and in the meantime I'll lend you some clothes?"

Aria stared at him. "Are you sure? I mean, wouldn't that go against the teacher's code or something?"

He chuckled. "I'm pretty sure they don't have a section on lending your laundry machine to students, Aria." He threw her a wink.

She smiled, biting her lip. Her name sounded really good on his lips. "Actually, I'm pretty sure that's the second amendment, Mr. Fitz."

He shook his head, laughing. "We're here."

Aria looked out the window at the apartment building in front of her. Not too shabby, Mr. Fitz. She got ready to get out of the car but he stopped her with the shake of his finger. Climbing out of the car, he ran around and opened her door.

"After you, m'lady." He said, getting drenched in the rain.

Aria smirked, watching him shiver. "You could've spared yourself."

"And risk the death of chivalry, absolutely not." He grinned.

They both ran inside the building and up to apartment 3B. Aria could feel the her student teacher's nervousness as he fiddled with his keys; she could tell that part of him was wondering what the heck he was doing.

"I really appreciate this, Mr. Fitz." She said to put him at ease. "I would've been royally screwed if it weren't for you."

"Don't mention it." He replied, opening his door and ushering her in.

"Wow." Aria breathed, looking around. His apartment was a writer's dream. He even had a vintage typewriter.

"Do you use this?" She asked incredulously, tapping away.

"Mostly as a paperweight." He laughed.

Aria raised an eyebrow. There was paper in it.

"Okay, so maybe occasionally." He admitted embarrassedly. "I can be…technologically challenged, at times."

"That's kind of cute." Aria didn't realize what she'd said until he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I didn't mean-"

"I'll just go get the clothes and then we can head to the laundry room." He said hastily, making a swift escape.

"it like that." Aria sighed. "You've done it now." She muttered to herself, walking around the rest of the room. Looking around, she spotted a conversation piece that could potentially offset the tension when he got back. It was a picture of Mr. Fitz chomping down on a hot dog from the famous hot dog stand in Reykjavik, the Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur. He wasn't alone.

"Here we are, two pairs of sweatpants and two tees each."

Aria graciously accepted the clothes. "You've been to Reykjavik." She stated, motioning to the picture.

Ezra ran a hand through his hair, staring at the picture. He wasn't particularly fond of it.

"Yeah, last summer. You've been too, I'm assuming?"

"I lived just outside Reykjavik for a year. But I was actually in the city during the summer, taking some classes and I always stopped by this hot dog stand. We could have very well ran into each other without knowing it."

Ezra disagreed, shaking his head. "I think I would have remembered you."

Aria didn't know how to respond so she asked about the girl in the picture. "Is that your friend?"

"Girlfriend, actually. Well, ex." He gave her a tight smile, walking away from the picture.

"You mentioned some writing classes? What were they about?"

Aria could spot a sore subject when she saw one. Also, he made it quite obvious. The ex-girlfriend was clearly still a part of his life.

"Yeah, it was mostly studying older forms of English. We travelled to England, France, and some parts of Switzerland to study where the greats studied."

"I'm impressed." Ezra told her truthfully. "Do you want to be a writer?"

"Not just a writer. I want to leave a mark on the literary world. I know it's a little…out there." She laughed nervously. I can't believe I just told him that.

Ezra stared at her, unblinking. "Repeat that without the last part."

Aria gazed back. "Not just a writer. I want to leave a mark on the world of literature."

He smiled, patting the seat next to him on the sofa until she sat. "That's better. Never sell yourself short. I do have to tell you though, if you want to really write, you need to let someone read and criticize your work. Like those short stories you won't let me read. That's how the great writers did it. Take F. Scott Fitzgerald and-"

"Hemingway. I know." She thought for a second. "I'll bring one to class tomorrow. It's a little rough but-"

"Do I need to make you repeat that sentence over too?" He asked, giving her a look.

Aria laughed, fixing a strand of stray hair. Ezra seemed mesmerized by the action. For the first time, he let himself look at her. Really look at her. And he found that he couldn't look away.

Aria seemed to hold in her breath as he did so, not daring to break the moment. She didn't know what was happening and part of her told her to stop it, but she didn't want to.

Finally, Ezra seemed to get out of his trance. "I, uh…uhm should we get going?"

"Yeah," Aria got up. "Let's go."

They changed in separate rooms and headed down to the room, only to find that it was closed.

Ezra shook his head, exasperated. "You have got to be kidding me."

Aria worried about what she would do. She had to get her clothes dry. There was no way she could stay the night at one of the girls' houses with Mr. Fitz's clothes on. Ezra seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"I guess you could stay the night." He said unsurely.

Aria could see the battle taking place in his head.

"No, I couldn't do that." She thought quickly. "I'll just book a motel online and then take it from there."

"No." He told her firmly. "There is no way I'm letting you do that."

"You don't have to "let" me do anything, I can make my own choices." She told him, slightly irritated.

"Aria, there is no way you're staying at a motel in Rosewood. End of. You can sleep in my bed-" He flushed and quickly moved on, "and I'll sleep on the couch. Your clothes can dry on the heater overnight."

"Mr. Fitz, thank you but-"

Realizing there was only one way to win the situation, Ezra grabbed her clothes out of her hands and made a mad dash towards the stairs. Aria stood in stunned silence for about a second before sense kicked in and she ran after him.

It was going to be a long night.