The flight back from Iceland had really taken its toll on me, because right now all I want to do is sleep. I walk in to my old bedroom and there are boxes scattered all over the place. It has been a whole year since my family uprooted our life and moved to Iceland. It has been a whole year since Alison went missing. But standing in this room, it feels as though it never happened and I'm going to go meet with the girls and Alison will be sitting in the middle, laughing at my stories from Iceland. I let out a huge sigh and rummage through my bag to find my phone.
Hey it's Aria, I'm back from Iceland and really want to see you girls. Meet at the park at 2?
I send to Spencer, Hanna and Emily, I hope they haven't changed their numbers. Luckily enough I get three replies almost instantly. They all agree to meet me; I want to catch up on everything I missed while I was gone. I check the time, I have just over an hour, just enough time to have a shower and change in to fresh clothes. I plug my iPod speakers in and turn my music up really loud and go have a shower and get ready to meet the girls.
I walk to the park because I can't be bothered finding my keys, it was only a couple of blocks away and it would give me a chance to take in the Rosewood air. I notice that my favourite bakery had been replaced by a coffee shop; I stop just outside the door and look inside. It looks busy; if I wasn't in a hurry I'd stop and get a coffee. I begin to walk off when I run smack bang into the back of someone.
"I am so sorry; I wasn't looking where I was going." I apologize.
I look up to see a tall, blue eyed, dark brown haired gorgeous man looking down at me.
"No, its fine, I wasn't paying attention." He mumbles.
If I wasn't mistaken I swear I saw a tear run down his cheek. I stand there awkwardly.
"Sorry again" he says before rushing off.
"Aria!" I hear someone yell from the opposite direction.
I spin around to see Spencer coming toward me.
"I missed you!" she wraps her arms around me.
"I missed you too Spence, but you're strangling me" I laugh.
"Oops sorry." she let's go.
"What was that all about?" she asks, pointing in the direction of the man I just ran in to.
"I have no idea." I laugh and link arms with her and we walk the rest of the way to the park.
Emily and Hanna run towards me with their arms outstretched, almost knocking me over as they both squeeze me.
"We missed you!" Emily says.
"Omg Aria, you look so different! So much older" Hanna hugs me.
"Aww guys" I squeal. We walk over to the spot under the tree. We always used to come here with Alison when we had to catch up on something we missed.
"So who wants to go first" I look around at them.
"Well as boring as it sounds, not much has changed since you left." Emily says.
"Except with Spencer" Hanna laughs.
"Spencer, what aren't you telling me?" I playfully growl at her.
"Well do you want the long story or the short story?" she asks.
"Short" Emily and Hanna say in unison.
"Short for now, you can tell me the long story another day" I laugh. Spencer sighs.
"Well. Melissa brought her new boyfriend over a couple of weeks after you left. We hung around a lot and he told me he was going to propose to Melissa, but then he met Me." she pauses.
I take a sharp intake of breath.
"Well, Melissa ran away with some other guy before he told her he didn't have feelings for her anymore." she sighs.
"Wow Spence" I say, my eyes wide.
"Well yeah, anyway, Wren and I have been happily dating for eight months now." she smiles.
"What? You guys are together? What did Melissa say?" I ask.
"She doesn't know" Spencer trails off. We all just sit there for a few moments, my phone buzzes and we all jump.
"Sorry guys it's my mum. She wants me home to unpack. I promise to tell you all about Iceland tomorrow at school." I say getting up.
"Oh and Spence, I want to meet Wren too" I smile before walking off.
Once I get home I walk straight in to my parent's room to find my mum. But instead I can hear my dad on the phone. He didn't see me walk in so I walk back out and listen to his conversation.
"Meredith, we can't... No, only Aria knows about us... Ok I'll meet you in my office tomorrow morning... Nine o'clock it is." I hear him flick his phone shut.
"How could you!" I scream at him, walking in the room.
"Aria, it's not what you think. I would never do that again." he walks over and puts his hand on my shoulder.
"what in case you get caught by your daughter again?" I step away from him.
"No! What I did was a mistake. I have never contacted her before today" he pleads.
"Bullshit" I say, before storming out the room and slam the door behind me.
I need to get out of the house; I can't stand the thought of having to be in the same room as my lying, cheating father. I search through my suitcases full of clothes to find a nice dress and a pair of heels. I touch up my makeup and fix my hair and run out the door. Without thinking I pull up to a bar in Hollis, it seemed pretty busy, the perfect distraction. I walk in the room and I can't even hear myself think over the loud music and people talking, it's exactly what I need. I sit down on a bar stool and order myself a soda. My plan for tonight is to find someone who will buy me drinks, because getting drunk is what I need. I look down the row along the bar and lock eyes with a man. His blue eyes burn in to mine and his curly hair flopped over his face, there is something so familiar about him but I can't determine where I've seen him before. He raises his glass at me and walks over,
"So we meet again." He drunkenly smiles.
I remember now, we ran in to each other out the front of the coffee shop earlier today.
"Can I buy you a drink?" he asks.
"That would be lovely." I bite my bottom lip.
Perfect.