Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Pairing: Aria/Jason. Some Aria/Ezra. Others are mentioned.
Summary: She never meant for this to happen but it did and now she has no clue what to do about it. Jason/Aria.
Author's Note: Hope you all like! This goes out to my youngest sister who is an even bigger Aria/Jason shipper than me. Lol. Love ya, kid!
seven day fool
chapter 2
And underneath the dark waters, I will show you the real me.
The Deer Tracks- Bless the Waves
Tuesday morning
There's a twenty-four hour pharmacy down the block from her house and sometimes when Aria can't sleep, she goes there. She walks down the aisles and runs the tips of her fingers over supplies. Sometimes she stares at the food section, carving something but never knowing what. Sometimes she stares at the various Hallmark cards and reads them. She reads the sad ones, the happy ones, the funny ones.
(Other times, she doesn't really know what she's looking for. Just that she's looking).
This time, her feet take her to an aisle and she stares at the box for a long time. She stares and stares until she blinks and her vision becomes blurry. She snatches the box and goes to the cashier who rings it through and lifts his eyebrows in acknowledgement.
She doesn't know what possesses her to get it. She doesn't know what makes her rip the package open, stare at the contents and (actually) do it. But she does it. As in there's no going back.
(Who's she kidding? She always goes back. Always. To that year, to that summer, to that night. Everything leads back to the past).
She sets the alarm and she walks around in her room. She can't sleep. She's too wired to sleep. Her mind is working a mile a minute. All she can think about is Jason. Jason and his kiss. Jason and his hands. Jason and his voice. JasonJasonJason. She feels like a teenager (okay, she still is a teenager but she feels like that teenager, the one from that summer).
She feels sick to her stomach when she thinks about Ezra. God, she can just imagine what he'd say. She can just imagine the wounded look, the disappointment, and the utter travesty that will befall him because of her. (She's a bit dramatic but she thinks she deserves the right to be). The last thing she wants is to hurt Ezra (but realistically, was their relationship ever going to be anything but hurt and secrets and lies? Aria has had enough of secrets for one life).
The alarm sounds and she sighs as she bends over the tub and washes her hair. When she's done, she towel dries her hair and then stares at herself in the mirror. She grabs the strand of bright pink hair and twirls it around her finger. It was a rash idea. It was a stupid idea but somehow she thinks it's a good idea.
"Hey. I liked the pink hair. I miss the pink hair." She can hear his voice in her head. It's taunting her. Mocking her.
"I like it too." She whispers to herself in the mirror.
She's staring at the old Aria, the one who doesn't care. The one who doesn't have all these secrets swirling in her head.
(She goes to sleep as soon as her head hits the pillow).
Her parents are shocked but they recover easily, chuckling over the old days. When Mike hurries past her room, he comes to a halt and looks at her. His head is cocked to the side. He doesn't say anything. Doesn't nod, doesn't tease her, he says nothing. Then he's gone.
(Hanna squeals when she sees it. Spencer is shocked but she recovers nicely. Emily stares at it and then smiles. People stare at her but she doesn't let it bother her).
Her phone vibrates before she enters first class. Resorting back to the old days? Don't u no the past comes back to bite you in the ass? A.
Tuesday afternoon
Ezra calls and she answers. She always answers. "Hello?"
"I miss you." He sounds so earnest and she smiles.
"I miss you too." The words sound funny coming out of her mouth and that scares her because it's never felt that way before.
"What are you doing this afternoon?"
What is she doing this afternoon? She was planning on locking herself in the room and committing Jason's kisses to memory. Not that she'd tell Ezra that. She doesn't think that conversation would go over so well.
"Nothing." She squeaks out.
"Then come visit me. I missed you yesterday."
Ah, yes, yesterday. Jackie. The conversation that she was never meant to hear. "I don't know, you have any visitors planned?"
She can almost see him frown. "No, of course not. Why?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all." She sighs and looks around the school. "Yeah, sure I'll stop by."
He's silent. "I don't want this to be a chore."
"It's not. I miss you."
She hangs up feeling like the shittiest person in the world.
(Her relationship is turning into a big lie and she doesn't know what to do about it).
"What did you do to your hair?" Is the first thing he says. It's not hi, how are you? It's not, I've missed you. It's not even a kiss. No, it's what did you do to your hair?
"I dyed it." She says, taking the strand and examining it. "You don't like it?"
He gulps and looks at it. "Honestly? Not really. It's just…so pink."
"I used to have it a while ago and I felt like a change."
"It's a big change."
She's upset that he doesn't like it. She's upset that he's not even trying to like it. "You hate it that much?"
"I don't hate it…its just…Aria, it's going to take some time for me to get used to that splash of pink in your hair."
"I understand." Aria says and she forces a smile. She doesn't understand.
(If Ezra loves her like he says he does, he'd accept her and her pink hair).
She's walking back from Hollis, (not really looking forward to going home), the conversation with Ezra still going through her mind when she hears a car honk. She jumps and turns around. She places a hand over her chest and tries to calm down. "Jason! You scared me!"
"Sorry!" He exclaims, holding his hands up in surrender. He drops them and then smiles widely. "Hey! Your hair, it's pink!"
She nods. "You like?"
"I really like. I've always liked the pink." He gestures to the passenger seat. "Get in, I'll drive you home."
She sighs and shrugs. "I actually wasn't going home. I was just…planning on walking."
He frowns. "Get in. I'll take you somewhere to eat. You've got to be hungry."
She is hungry. She glances around to make sure no one's watching and then slides into Jason's car. "Thanks."
"No problem."
(Things should be awkward. They really should be. Except it's not and that realization doesn't scare Aria as much as it should).
He takes her one town over to a small restaurant. "They make the best burgers and shakes here." He tells her.
She gets out of the car and looks down at his outstretched hand. He doesn't say anything as she continues to stare at it. He stands there patiently, waiting for her to do something, anything.
She grabs his hand and lets him lead her into the restaurant.
(Her hand fits perfectly in his and this makes her heart beat faster).
They eat and they laugh and they remember the past. It's comfortable being around Jason. Despite what Spencer, Hanna and Emily say, Aria feels safe with Jason.
(An elderly couple walk by them and compliment them how well they fit each other. How good they look together. Neither Jason or Aria correct them).
Dining with the enemy? Make sure not to bite the poisoned apple Snow White. A.
Tuesday evening
Aria should have known better. She really should have. But she didn't. (This is what she tells herself). Because she's letting Jason trail his lips down her neck and his hands are bunched at the hem of her shirt.
She's breathless. This man literally takes her breath away.
Her hands cup his face as she kisses him back. (She shouldn't be doing this. She's damning herself). She wrenches away from him and it's physically painful. "Stop. Stop. This needs to stop."
"Why?"
She wants to say because she has a boyfriend. Because she loves her boyfriend. She wants to say because she doesn't know if he's not a murderer. She wants to say her friends will hate her. Instead she says, "because you're Allison's brother."
(The quickest way to break the mood is by bringing up his dead sister, her dead best friend).
He drives her home in silence.
"Thanks for everything." She whispers to him before she gets out of the car as he pulls in front of her house.
She's not even two feet away from the car when he calls out her name. He's looking at her, eyes intense, face drawn and tense. "One day, you're going to have to stop hiding behind Allison's ghost."
"One day." She admits. "But not today."
"Not today."
(It's a promise for tomorrow. Or the day after that. It's a promise for someday and it's all she can give him at the moment).
She's kicking off her shoes, when her computer makes a beep. She frowns and opens the message that pops up. She lets out a gasp and almost vomits on the spot. Instead, she just clutches her stomach and wills the nausea to go away.
On the screen is a picture. A snapshot, (a damning snapshot), of her and Jason. In Jason's car. And they're making out. Heavily.
Wonder what dear Ezra will think about your extra-curricular activity . A.
Chapter two! What do you all think? Your reviews me a lot! Thank you so much, I'm so happy that you guys like it. It's so different writing Aria and Jason but I like it and I'm glad you guys do too!
HUGE shoutout to: CommeUnMonieau, Ktbug426, moundane0, rjt040190, ScarlettAndGold13, msbookworm93, Charlotte, daughterofappolo18, Vickey, and Maiqu. Your reviews means the world and I cannot thank you enough. And a HUGE shoutout goes to the people who liked and alerted this story. I love that you all like this story so far. Thanks so much!
Thanks again!
Bex.
P.S. Any mistakes are mine.