AUTUMN LEAVES

The sun was beginning to set as I took the last lap around the abandoned track. Running in pace with my racing heart, I slowed to a stop as I neared the bleachers. Breathing heavily, I glanced at my watch and realized I had beaten my last record. The strain of pushing my body past its limit took its toll on me and I fell to my knees, heaving into the bushes. A shiver crawled up my spine and I gave into my gag reflex.

I knew it wasn't healthy but I never planned to do it forever. Just until I could fit into the same jeans as Ali, anything to finally ditch Hefty Hanna.

With the contents of my stomach spilled all over the dirt, I stood up, wiped my mouth, and headed back home before the street lights kicked in.

After a relaxing shower, I scrawled a quick note to my mom before leaving for Spencer's annual sleepover. I let myself into the kitchen to find all the lights on but an empty house.

"Spence?" I called out. "Spencer?!"

"Han?" I could faintly hear her voice coming from the second floor.

I followed her voice and found her lying on the four-posted bed in her room with a pile of college directories open in front of her.

"School hasn't even started yet," I teased. "Besides, I thought you already had your heart set on Penn."

"I just want to make sure I have my bases covered," she shrugged.

"Can you do that after our sleepover?" I pleaded. "The other girls will be here soon."

Rolling her eyes, she slammed the book shut, but not before marking her place, and then leading me downstairs. Spencer opened the stainless steel refrigerator and pulled out trays of pre-cut fruit and cheese.

"I think my mom got a little carried away," Spencer scoffed. "She ordered platters from The Brew."

"I'm not complaining," I said as I took a bite of watermelon. "Remind me to thank your mom."

"Can I get you something to drink?" Spencer offered. "She also stocked up on natural sodas and almond milk."

"I have a better idea," I smirked, pulling a bottle of clear liquor from my duffel bag.

"Wow," Spencer raised an eyebrow, "you brought the good stuff."

"It's peach flavored," I replied. "My mom got it as a gift. She hates the stuff. She won't even know it's missing, but I'm sure it will go well with diet raspberry soda."

Before Spencer could grab glasses from the cupboard, the door opened and Emily let herself in, dropping her bag on the ground. I heard a car drive away and noticed her smudged lipgloss.

"Ben dropped you off?" I asked.

"What gave it away?" she retorted.

"You have a little…" I gestured to the pink stain on her chin.

"Oh," she breathed, a faint blush crossing her cheeks. "I was at training for ten weeks. You can't blame him for missing me."

"We all missed you," Spencer told her. "

"Should we all kiss you then?" I teased.

"Stop it," Emily said, rolling her eyes.

We were giggling about interrupting Emily's romantic reunion with her boyfriend of three years, when Aria walked in the door, looking flushed.

"Hey," she gasped, gathering her hair into a ponytail.

"Did you run here?" Spencer asked her.

"No," Aria shook her head, "why?"

"Because you're glistening," Emily laughed.

"I'm...no," Aria said quickly, "I just lost track of time. I rushed to get here."

"Oh," Spencer flashed her a wink, "okay."

"Fine," Aria plopped down onto the couch.

"So?" I asked. "Who is he?"

Aria broke into a smile before she told us about the guy she had just met. After her father coerced his fellow professors into writing her letters of recommendation, Aria literally ran into a beautiful dark-haired man and wasted no time before hooking up in a coffee shop bathroom.

"But it's not just that," she said, finishing up her story. "We talked for hours. He's so smart and well-read. I probably would have slept with him if Ali hadn't bombarded me with text messages."

"Speaking of," Spencer looked out the front window, "where is she?"

"She's coming back from Cape Cod," Aria explained. "Her train should be arriving any minute."

"Wait," I turned my attention back to Aria, "when are you going to see him again?"

"I don't know," Aria sighed. "I was in such a rush, I never got his number."

"I'm sorry," I scoffed, "you met the literal man of your dreams, and you ran off before getting his number?"

"You guys were waiting for me," she protested. "What do you expect me to do?"

"You were already late," Spencer reminded her. "What's another minute."

With that, Aria let out a heavy sigh and sunk into her seat. She wrapped her arms around her knees until Emily made an attempt to cheer her up.

"Hey," she rubbed Aria's back, "you'll see him again. Hollis isn't that big."

"Yeah," Aria nodded. "I'm sure I will."

Thankfully, Aria didn't spiral too deeply into her depression after potentially losing the love of her life, before Ali burst through the back door in her usual glory. She was in rare form, flaunting a bold yellow top with ruffles and dark denim pants.

"Hey bitches!" she said animatedly, strolling through the room.

"You made it," Spencer replied, half-heartedly.

"Sorry for the delay," she said rolling her eyes. "The train was late and then I had to make a quick stop before I came here."

"Well, you're here now!" I gushed. "Time to celebrate!"

Spencer passed out disposable cups and I grabbed the fruity alcohol I had swiped from my mom. We filled the cups high with the sugary concoction and Spencer cleared her throat before raising a toast. We echoed her and tipped back our drinks, until we noticed Ali was abstaining.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked her.

"I'm not drinking," she said slowly.

"Ali?" I breathed, fearing the worst.

"It's okay," she told us. "It's nothing bad, it's just...I'm pregnant."

"Nothing bad?" Spencer practically spat at her. "What's the upside to being pregnant in high school?"

"It's a great thing, really," Ali said, but I could tell she was putting on a front. "I wasn't sure what I wanted to do after college. I'm not like you guys who basically have scholarships knocking at your door. I mean, even Hanna, you've been working in that salon all summer. I didn't know what I wanted to do and now my decision is made for me. I'm going to be a mom."

It was a rare moment of honesty on Ali's part and for a moment I realized that she really didn't have it all together. Sure, she was the ringleader of our group and a master manipulator, but she didn't have Spencer's grades or Emily's athletic ability. Aria and I were following our passions and Ali didn't really have a passion, aside from making everyone miserable, but there's really no way to capitalize on that.

"You're kidding, right?" Spencer crossed her arms.

"I'm not," Ali said pointedly.

"Who's the dad?" Emily asked. "Is he going to be involved?"

"What about school?" Spencer cut in. "Aren't you worried about what people think?"

"People think what I want them to think," Ali said. "They'll want to be just like me. I guarantee it."

While Ali tried to justify her decision to Spencer, the rest of us were still befuddled. Ali might be the most popular girl in school, but getting pregnant was definitely not going to win her any favor. In fact, I was beginning to think that this might mean the end of her reign.

After the disastrous sleepover ended with Ali storming out and Spencer running after her in vain, I found myself avoiding them both on the first day of school. Obviously Emily and Aria had the same idea because the three of us were huddled around an empty table at The Brew.

"So," Aria took a sip of her latte, "has anyone talked to Ali since…"

"Nope," I sighed.

"Do you think she made up with Spencer?" Emily asked.

"Considering they're the two most stubborn people we know," Aria reminded us, "I'm going to guess they didn't."

"I can't believe she's really pregnant," I breathed.

"I know," Emily echoed.

"She's gonna get so fat," I said, bursting into a fit of laughter.

"Stop," Aria playfully slapped me, stifling her own giggles. "That's mean."

"She's mean," I reminded them. "After all the Hefty Hanna jokes, she kind of had it coming."

"Hey," Emily wrapped an arm around my shoulders, "you're not hefty. In fact, your guns look bigger than mine and I just spent ten weeks training."

"Oh, I can take you," I teased.

Emily and I were engaged in a heated arm wrestle when Ali sauntered over.

"Where have you girls been?" she asked. "I've been texting you all day."

"I don't have my phone," I said quickly defending myself. "It fell in the pool this morning after my swim."

"Well, at least you're hitting the gym," Ali shrugged.

I tried to pretend that her comments weren't painful. I had spent the entire summer working hard to lose weight, and when the old fashioned way didn't work, I was throwing up my breakfast and surviving off of diet soda. I was doing it to please myself but somehow I still yearned for Ali's approval, or at the very least an acknowledgment.

"I should go," I said finally. "I need to get a new phone. Not sure how I'll pay for it, but…"

"I know a guy, actually," Emily offered.

"That sounds like a dangerous path," I told her.

"No really," Emily said. "Apparently he buys used phones and sells them cheap. Ben sold his old one for like $40 bucks."

"Isn't that kind of shady?" I asked.

"Well, do you have cash for a new one?" she retorted.

"True," I sighed. "What's his number?"

"Oh, no number," Emily explained. "You have to leave a note on the swingset. He'll find you."

"Yeah," I rolled my eyes, "not shady at all."

But I had no means to buy a brand new phone and the insurance I paid on my phone plan didn't cover water damage. So I followed Emily to the park where we covertly left a note for the big secret phone guy. I gave him Emily's number since my phone was out of order and then we waited and waited...and waited some more.

"How long did it take Ben?" I asked after nearly two hours without an answer.

"I don't remember," Emily said just as her phone began to ring.

"Hello?" I answered it, practically mowing her over.

"Hanna?" A gravelly voice came in through the receiver.

"Are you, the guy?" ) asked.

"Sure," he scoffed I couldn't help but think he was mocking me. "I'm the guy."

"Whatever," I said exasperatedly. "I need a phone. A good one, not a burner."

"You're in luck." Somehow I imagined him smirking as he said the words. "I just got a new batch in."

"How soon can I get it?" I asked.

"Ten minutes," he told me. "I'll meet you outside Lucky's cupcakes. On Main Street. Bring cash."

Then he hung up without warning. I handed the phone back to Emily and she gave me a quizzical look.

"What did he say?" she asked.

"To meet him outside Lucky's," I shrugged. "Will you come with me?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "but maybe I should call Ben."

"Why?" I asked. "Do you think he's dangerous?"

"I don't know," Emily's voice wavered. "Ben was the one who met with him."

"Em!" I pouted. "He's already got your number. We can't just not show up. He could track us down."

"Shit," she took a deep breath. "Okay, I'll just ask Ben to meet us there."

After a series of deep breaths and a quick trip to the bank for some cash, we walked the few blocks to the center of town. Ben met us at a table outside the bakery and managed to recognize the sketchy phone guy who had hooked him up before.

I had to admit, when I saw him, I expected something else. He was young, not much older than me, with long dark hair that peeked out from under his beanie.

"Hey man," Ben shook his hand.

"'sup," the guy replied.

"This is Caleb," Ben introduced him to me.

"Hi," I cracked a weak smile.

"Alright Princess," I couldn't help but wince at the uninvited pet name. "Let me guess, you want something with a lot of storage and preferably two cameras. Good for music because you listen to lots of boy bands and video space so you can download chick flicks and every season of Gossip Girl. Am I right?"

"Close enough," I said icily.

"I've got the perfect thing," he said pulling a large, slim phone out of his ratty backpack. "Top of the line."

"How much?" I asked.

"Two fifty," he said.

"No," I snapped. "This is probably stolen it's so new. A hundred."

"Don't waste my time," he said, turning away.

Emily shot me a look but I knew exactly what I was doing. I needed a phone and he needed the money. In fact, just as I expected he turned back around and placed the phone on the table.

"One fifty," he said.

"Deal," I smiled, extending a hand.

I handed him the cash and grabbed the phone.

"Pleasure doing business with you," I said.

"Likewise," Caleb replied before turning on his heel and marching back down the street.

"Happy?" Emily turned to me.

I nodded and proceeded to turn on the probably stolen phone. I had to admit, I was surprised that it actually worked and had even been wiped to the factory settings. After setting it up, I tried Emily's number and was pleased to learn it actually worked.

"See," Emily smiled, "he's not that shady."

"I guess," I shrugged. Then I looped my arm through hers. "Come on, let's go to my place."

She agreed and we strolled back toward my house, happy to avoid the drama that was brewing with our group of friends.

Sorry for being so finicky with this story. I didn't fully flesh it out before I began writing but I realized it will work best told exclusively from Hanna's POV. Thank you for bearing with me and I hope you like it!