-Hanna's POV-
I rush my way to the lockers to catch up with the girls. After that moment at the peak I gave Emily the space and time she needed for herself and so far she was doing well. After passing through some random students I finally saw Spencer and Aria.
"Hey guys. Where's Em and Ali?" Both girls looked at me with a look that's a mixture of being pissed and disbelief, and pointed at Emily. My head turned to the direction they were pointing at and just when I thought Emily was doing well already, I was wrong. I marched towards Emily with heavy steps. She was being all flirty girly with a guy from the lower year who must've forgotten that she isn't into boys.
"Unless you got the V, she's not into you. Now scoot!" I rudely dismissed the guy who was brushing the hair on Emily's face.
"And you are?" he asks me cockily
"Her girlfriend. Now go" he tried to size me up but I was not backing down.
"I'll see you around mermaid" he says sweetly to Emily then looks judgmentally at me before leaving.
"What the hell Hanna?" Emily asks right after the guy was out of earshot
"No. What the hell Emily? We, the whole school know you're not bi-curious. You're into girls not guys. What kind of stunt was that?" I don't see Emily going back to the confused stage again. I mean she had been with quite a handful of relationship with girls.
"I guess my luck isn't with girls so why not try with guys. Maybe my mom was secretly casting voodoo chants for this." She says nonchalantly.
"Are you drunk again? I know I'm dumb at times but you're sounding like me right now. What has gotten into you Em?" She rolled her eyes at me and heavy sigh she spoke up again
"My relationships always crash and burn. I never manage to make my relationship work. Maybe a relationship with a girl isn't for me" Her voice starts to break but her face is kept composed.
"Didn't it cross your mind that maybe it didn't work because it's not meant to be? Emily change who you are because you're moping over Alison. She's…ugh!" I can't even find the words to describe Alison. I hate how much she could affect Emily.
"This is not me moping over Alison. I'm so over her. This is me trying to get in the game again. I stuck for Ali, I trusted her when no one else did but she betrayed me. What I had with Paige was more genuine and now we can't just kiss and make up and pretend nothing happened. She found someone else. She's moved on and here I am trapped in a hole because I chose to open a chance on Ali and I's book. I want to show Ali that she doesn't control me anymore" Her voice rose as she talked. I held her arm in attempt to calm her.
"Emily you're the most caring person I've come to know and you deserve the best. If you're insecure of Paige moving on and you want Ali to see that you're not her puppet then don't do this. Don't throw yourself to some random someone. You're way better than that." She seem to process what I said and before all my neurons get to function my mouth spoke out something ."Use me as your rebound"
"What? I c-can't do that Hanna. You're my best friend" I was thankful that she didn't see it as an insane idea which now seems like it really isn't
"That's the point. I will do anything for you even being the rebound girl" just then the bell rang and to cut all the explanations and convincing I did another stupid thing for the second time around today. I kissed Emily, on the lips, long enough for it to be remembered. She was too taken back to respond to the kiss or say something. "Think about it" I said to her before heading to class.
-Emily's POV-
Hanna surely had taken me by surprise. Maybe flirting with that sleeze was a bit crazy but her idea, it was insane. I wonder why it surprises me, Hanna always had the most crazy ideas. It would also be ungrateful of me not to thank her. I know she was just doing it for me. Pushing all the disturbing thoughts away I walked my way to class.
Over lunch break the girls and I discussed things regarding A and Alison leaving town. Few weeks ago A didn't allow her to leave now we wonder what changed but it was a breather without her around. Hanna didn't verbally bring up her suggestion but kept on sending me a reminding look.
Nothing interesting happened for the rest of the day. I went home straight after the swim practice. It was another buzzkill for me to be the assistant swim coach when I badly wanted to swim competitively again. I lay on my bed thinking over things. Word from the street was that Alison was coming back to school tomorrow. Time to prepare the banners and flowers. I say sarcastically in my head. I thought about getting myself some drink but decided not to. With all the frustration and heavy feeling I closed my eyes and forced myself to sleep.
Unlike her first day back from the dead, Alison's comeback was more low-key now. She wasn't drawing too much attention but her new recruits of us wannabes are. I don't know if I was amused or saddened by the fact that she had gathered up girls who were like us to be around her. She stares at our group and gives us her signature smirk.
"She's gone full pyscho" Mona says as she looks at them. So are we? I asked myself. We've gone over the edge that we sought to seek for Mona's help. We've worked with Mona before and still at the end she turned against us, hopefully this time she wouldn't anymore.
After what felt like hours of staring at them I walked out and went to the lockers. While busy sorting out the things I needed, I felt someone stand beside me.
"Emily" The voice had me stiffen. I close the locker door and put my bold face on.
"Looks like you've gathered up your own army" I say to Alison yet my sight focused on the girl who resembles me that she was with.
"I needed people who believed in me and will not leave me." She says in reply
"You must've forgotten who left who Ali. You decided this" I finally had the courage to stand against her
"I never wanted you to hate me Emily. We can still change things. You can still come with me" Her tone was soft. Usually she would've said something sharper than my words
"I'm not your puppet anymore" I saw her flinch with my words but I do not let my guard down. She looks at me for a moment without blinking.
"Let's go killer" she said to girl and so they left. It was my turn to flinch. How dare she use that nickname on her. I feel my body heat up. It's not like it was still special for me. I just feel bad for the girl who's going to be played around the way I was toyed.
I lost my focus during class. It would be a lie if I say that no part of me was jealous because a small part of me was. But I was more furious than jealous, no one deserves to be manipulated. It's like Alison is back to her old queen bitchy self. All the regrets of trusting her and giving her another chance and sticking around, came rushing like rainfall. I am too occupied by over thinking that I didn't notice everyone leaving except for me and the girls who were waiting for me.
"Emily?" Spencer broke me away from my thoughts. I quickly packed my things and stood up to leave. I could faintly hear Aria asking them what was wrong with me.
All eyes on the cafeteria seem to move from Ali's group to ours. Are we really that of a big thing? To add to my already annoying day, I saw Paige with that blonde girl that I haven't seen much before.
"Emily don't play with your food" Mona says as she sits down on our table. I could see Hanna observing me from my peripheral view while Spencer and Aria look at each other. I take a bite of my pasta but it doesn't taste best, not with all that's on my mind now.
"Han can you come with me? I need a hand on something" I asked Hanna who nodded immediately.
"Sure" We stood up and I almost dragged Hanna to the restroom.
"What do need me-" before Hanna could continue I smashed my lips on hers and pushed her so she was leaning against the door. I pulled away to look at her reaction. She didn't look surprised. If I wasn't mistaken she was waiting for me to do this.
"I'm taking you on that offer" I said before leaning in again for a kiss to which she now responded. Hanna Marin, my best friend, had become officially the rebound.
