Disclaimer: I do not own Pretty Little Liars or these characters. Not written for money only enjoyment.

The past year had flown by. Aria returned from Iceland wondering if things would ever go back to normal. The girls had all kept in touch but something seemed to be lost in translation. Hanna had finally gotten down to her ideal weight and beat anorexia, oh and was dating Caleb Rivers. Emily had come out of the closet to them and was dating this great girl named Maya. Spencer was still Spencer, but she had started dating Toby Cavanaugh. Alison was still queen bee and was dating Noel Kahn. From what Aria got from everything things were going great. Well everything except her family. She was still keeping her Dad's dirty secret.

After dropping Mike off at school Aria took the car home and walked around her neighborhood and ended up at the DiLaurentis house. Sitting on the front porch was the one guy that had filled her thoughts for the past two years, Jason. He looked amazing. Ali had told her that he had forgone his fall semester sophomore year to go to rehab and get clean. Well whatever he had done it agreed with him. Even from a distance, Aria could see that his eyes were clear for the first time in years and he still had somewhat shaggy blonde hair. Hair that she was desperate to run her hands through.

Jason was sitting on the front porch of his house waiting for his girlfriend, CeCe Drake, to come out with the lemonade when he saw someone walking towards the house. Shifting he was able to see that it was Aria. His heart started to flutter, God I haven't felt that in a long time.
"Aria?" Jason asked.
"Hey Jason. Is Ali home?" she asked
"No, she went with the other puffs to get pizza. I think they were heading back here though."
"Puffs? I see you finally shortened the nickname." Aria said laughing at the old nickname. "Is it okay if I just wait for them here? If I try to find them we will miss each other." She added motioning to sit beside him.
"Yeah that's cool. You're probably right. Rosewood is just big enough to miss someone on the street." He said nudging her shoulder.
Smiling, "You look good Jason." She told him honestly.
"So Ali told you I went to rehab." Jason said rubbing his neck.
"Yeah she did." Aria nodded, "But whatever you did it agrees with you. You look great. Your eyes are clear for the first time since I've known you." She told him happily.
"Thanks Aria." He said wrapping his arm around her shoulders to give her a hug.
CeCe had opened the front door just in time to see her boyfriend of 4 months hug another girl. She was livid. She didn't know who the little brunette was but she didn't like her.
"You know what I most lividly remember?" Jason asked smiling.
"What?" Aria asked curiously. Please say the kiss, please say the kiss, was what was going through her mind.
"Your pink hair and that dare that Ali made you do." He said looking down at her. "The one where you had to sit on my lap and kiss me."
Yay! She thought, "I was so mad at Ali for making me do that." Aria admitted.
"Well you weren't the only one who wanted that kiss to happen." Jason admitted quietly.
"Really?"
"Really. I had sort of a thing for you. You were different from the other puffs. You didn't put up me." He told her, looking into her shocked hazel eyes.
Now CeCe was beyond livid. Her boyfriend had liked another girl and there he was right in front of her flirting with her. How old is this girl 12? She thought.

Aria was about to say something when Spencer's highlander pulled into the driveway and Alison jumped out, "ARIA!" she squealed running over. Alison wrapped her up tight in a hug, "I see you have met my new and improved brother." She said teasing Jason.
"Thanks Al." Jason said standing up.
Emily, Spencer and Hanna all came over and gave Aria hugs and asked how she was. Jason in the meantime had stolen about 3 pieces of pizza, "Jason stop eating our pizza." Ali commanded.
Jason just chuckled and closed the box. "Come on lets go inside so we actually have some snacks to eat for the sleepover. Can you stay Aria?" Alison asked.
"I'll call home and see." She answered following the girls.
"Ug, move CeCe." Ali whined. "God you would think she lives here with how she acts." She said as she went inside.
Aria turned back and smiled at Jason and got a glare from CeCe.

Once the front door shut, "That wasn't necessary CeCe." Jason said aggravated.
"Jason you just told her that what you remember most from before rehab was kissing her." CeCe whined, "I'm your girlfriend. The girl deserved a glare."
"No she didn't." Jason shot back getting angry. "Aria is a friend of Ali's. I've known her for years and yeah I remember that kiss because I found afterwards that it was her first." He said stepping towards her. "She had this big crush on me and I thought it was cute."
"So you don't want to kiss her again?"
"No. Like you said you're my girlfriend, Aria's not." He said cupping CeCe's face, "Plus I love you." He finished by kissing her.

Inside the house Aria was antsy, "who was that and why did she glare at me?" she asked no one in particular.
"That's CeCe Drake." Emily answered sitting down beside her.
"She's Jason's girlfriend." Hanna explained picking up a small piece of pizza, "They've been dating for what 4 mouths or so."
"Oh." Aria responded saddened by the news.
"Aria please tell me you didn't hold a candle for Jason the whole time you were in Iceland?" Spencer said joining them on the couch.
"I didn't." she sputtered, actually she had. "I'm just surprised. None of you guys mentioned it."
"It wasn't really big news." Alison said sitting in the lazy boy, "Plus our parents hate her. Oh and he remembers kissing you."
"Yeah he told me that." Aria said looking towards the window, slightly broken hearted. "I just don't know why."
"He found out it was your first kiss." Ali told her matter of factly.
"Ali you didn't." she pleaded.
"She did." Their other three friends chimed in as Alison put in A Cinderella Story.

The week that Aria had arrived home flew by and then school started. Walking in on the first day was weird but nice because she had her best friends on her sides. Yes she was the only one single but she was okay with that, eventually she would find someone to take away the 9th wheel sting. Getting to her first period she noticed that they had new teacher.
"Hello everyone I'm Mr. Fitz and I'm your new English teacher. And just because I'm new doesn't mean you can walk all over me." He stated looking around the room.
He's cute, too bad he's our teacher, Aria thought. "Aria Montgomery, are you here?"
"What? Oh yeah I'm here. Sorry." She said.
"Good. Great." Mr. Fitz said looking down at the roster, that's when Aria noticed the wedding band.

After class, "Okay so our new English teacher is totally crush worthy. Don't you think Aria?" Ali asked nudging her elbow.
"He's cute. But he's also married." Aria responded distracted.

A month into the school year and everything was going great. The girls felt as if they hadn't been away from each other for a year. Aria was becoming okay with being the 9th wheel because her friends never made her feel like it. At dances Toby, Noel and Caleb all promised that they would all ask Aria to dance at least once. She was having fun and enjoying being home. Soon that bubble burst when her Mom found out about her Dad's affair with his TA.

Sitting at the café, "I can't believe my parents are getting a divorce. Scratch that. I can't believe I kept my Dad's dirty secret. I should have told my Mom when I found out." Aria said trying not to cry.
Hanna put her arms around her, "It'll be okay. You can stay at my house anytime that the fighting gets too bad." She said squeezing her hurting friend, "I already asked my Mom." Hanna knew what this was like her parents had gotten divorced when the girls had been in 6th grade.
"We're all here for you Aria." Spencer said patting her hand.
"Whatever you need." Emily agreed.
"What are you and Mike going to do?" Ali asked, "I mean do you get to pick who you live with?"
"Our Dad wants us with him, but our Mom won't let that happen." Aria said gulping in air like she was losing it all, "Our Dad moved in with Meredith. Apparently going to Iceland didn't stop the affair." She said breaking down.

The girls all scooted in closer to their friend and kept people from staring, but Aria wasn't making a big scene. She was mostly just crying and trying not to blubber. When they left Aria told the girls that she just wanted to walk alone and think. So they all hugged and went their separate ways, the girls to their houses and Aria to walk around before heading home.

Walking past a dark alley Aria felt her hair being pulled and all the sudden someone had their hands around her neck. Struggling she tried to kick but the person just tighten their grip on her neck making it hard to breathe.

"Poor little Aria Montgomery. Life not going your way?" someone asked in a snide tone.

Aria tried to look around but she was getting dizzy and couldn't see where the voice was coming from. Suddenly there was light in her eyes and she could see blonde hair. Before she knew what was going she was being thrown against the brick wall in the alley. She tried to scream but her throat was burning and then things started to get more and more fuzzy, "Stay the hell away from Jason DiLaurentis! He's mine!" the voice said before all went black in Aria's mind.