Chapter 1
Grave New World
The girls got dressed in their newly bought Edwardian wear in the eerie costume shop's dressing rooms. The girls stepped out of the store and realized they had absolutely no plan.
"Wait, do we think Board Shorts is the killer?" Emily paused, "er, attempted killer? CeCe did say that Alison said the Beach Hottie would kill her if he found out…"
"Oh, we're trusting her now?" Aria challenged, motioning to her slightly bruised forearm before continuing, "Who do you even think Board Shorts is?"
Hanna had to bite her tongue. She knew if she said what was really on her mind, Aria would kick her ass worse than she did to CeCe a mere hour before. As much as she was staying quiet, a voice in her head chanted "Ezra." The second she opened the closet full of suits, she felt it. She read Alison's letter to Beach Hottie and again, she felt it. That's why she was so relieved when she grabbed Ali's diary. She didn't say anything, though, part of her knowing it wouldn't be Mr. Fitz. It couldn't be.
Ezra was Aria's shoulder to cry on, even after they broke up around the time of the lodge fire. Hell, he had been all their shoulders to cry on in a way. He helped Spencer when she got rejected by UPenn, he helped Emily out a lot with tutoring when she didn't pass junior year and guided her through what colleges she should apply to, and he had let Hanna slide with at least six missing assignments. When she checked her grades, each missing thing had anywhere from a B to an A. After that, she flinched at her own thought. A.
Spencer eyed her before saying, "I still think it's Wren. He's shady. Always been, really, she paused, "and he wears suits."
They all looked at Hanna, waiting for her to put in some input. She hoped like hell that Spencer or Emily or definitely Aria weren't jumping to conclusions like she was. Suits. Ezra wore suits lots of times. She hoped nobody put that together. And if they did, she hoped they wouldn't throw out that idea. Alison was alive, CeCe was probably already plotting revenge on them, Caleb was coming to the creepy party, and Mona was God knows where. She couldn't deal with Aria being pissed at them for suggesting something. She remembered when they suspected Byron, when they suspected Paige, when they suspected Melissa. It was just A's plan to frame someone. It was never actually them. It just caused a lot of tension when they suspected someone another was close to. Hannah didn't need Aria mad right now.
"Why are we even discussing this! We're always wrong!"
"We weren't wrong about CeCe being Red Coat!" Emily pointed out.
"We're running out of time," Spencer told them. "A cannot get to Ali before us!"
"Ok, if we see a Redcoat, just go after them. Don't wait for the rest of us. If it's CeCe, we need to get information out of her. If it's Alison, we've got to do the same and keep her safe from A," Aria ordered.
The girls were about to head to the cemetery when Emily's quiet, quivering voice piped up. "I don't know if I'm ready to see Alison."
"We have to get to Alison before A does," Spencer stated, repeating some of what the girls had already said.
"Emily, we already have," Aria said sounding as gentle as possible despite knowing that they had to get the graveyard now and not worry over Emily's worries.
Where were they? Where was Ali? He saw clusters of people gathering under tents and gawking at others costumes. He had seen a few young men in similar costumes without the mask part. He, if he was caught, could say they had the same costumes for some made up reason. Those girls would believe it without even thinking twice. He knew more than anyone how gullible Aria was. The rest probably were, too.
And besides, what had they to suspect? He never was mean to them, except when he barked at Emily about her recommendation letter a few days ago. He still treated Aria like a princess even when she was practically shoving Jake in his face at the Brew, twice, and the hoe down. He remembered what he said to her two weeks ago.
"You know there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you?"
In a way, it was true. He beat the shit out of that punk's car and once Mike was the one to get in trouble, he swooped and was a second away from blackmailing the principal, his boss, like Mona had about a year ago.
He did love Aria, despite everything, and all those feelings were as strong as Popeye the Sailor Man. He wouldn't tell anyone -not even his closest friends- that he cried when he got home after she told him to take the job at Rosewood. He cried again after she walked away from him in the stair well the next day. Stairwells usually meant hookups for them, but not that time. Nor the time she yelled at him for caring about her. God forbid, he snickered. There was part of him that told him he deserved better. Aria told her friends about them even after they swore to secrecy. She cheated on him more than she probably admitted (he caught on to her and Wesley pretty fast after CeCe spilled.) He got her an expensive camera then she just dragged him to Jenna Marshall's party then left him alone with the ex-blind girl. Yeah, great girl.
But, she was a great girl. She trusted him. He was willing to bet that she trusted him more than Caleb, or Paige, or maybe even her clique. He knew he'd win a million if he had bet that she trusted him way more than she ever trusted Alison. Alison wasn't one to be trusted. Ezra had no clue as to why he ever did.
As he lingered near the woods framing the headstones, he thought about that summer. It had been a few years after Maggie, and a few months after Jackie. A couple weeks before the blonde temptress, he met the sultry green-eyed girl in Cape May, before Alison blinded her. It was merely a fling, nonetheless. Just a few make out sessions to help him get over Jackie. Still, he was shocked when he read Jenna's name on the class roster. At school, she knew it was him. She knew when and possibly why he started playing the A game. She even taunted him with almost Alison expertise when they met at the woods before the mask ball. She tried talking him into ending it all because he was more in charge than Mona and she even offered up little Aria as the reward. He "relented." Ezra figured she forgot how to read people's eyes when they lied, because he certainly got away with it.
All though, he did keep his word and enjoyed carefree life while Mona was locked up. That all changed when CeCe showed up back in town. CeCe spilled all kinds of information on Alison that he never found out. She told him about how she knew about A. She told him about how she was almost positive that Alison was alive.
Bingo. The two soon began to be partners. They even got Mona out of Radley from time to time to help. The most she helped was when "Ali's" grave was dug up. He remembered the three meeting up after and putting the body in a safe place. He remembered the chill that crawled up his spine when he unzipped the body bag. He remembered how he felt when they figured out it was, in fact, not Alison. Thank God they had a friend who could do tests like that.
He heard the girls at a nearby gate and decided to pick a better hiding spot. He had already set up where his plan would take place and had it all mapped out in his mind. Time to get started. Before walking away though, he turned and watched them briefly. They were stuck at the gate and couldn't get in. He laughed and almost considered just opening it for them, but what's the fun in that?
"What kind of town throws a party in a graveyard?" Aria asked no one in particular while Spencer jiggled the lock more.
"Do you think CeCe will show?" Emily asked, "We could look for her too."
Spencer got it opened and they all stood together watching the scene before them. Spencer sighed, "Really, right now, we're looking for anyone. People who could know Alison, Alison herself, CeCe, Gas Mask…"
Right when Spencer lost her train of thought, they all saw it. A flash of red ran into bushes. They all were taken aback, then ran after her; whichever "her" it was, they needed to get to them. They all started running as fast as their dresses would allow them, which wasn't that fast. When they chased after her, they could all keep the unknown girl in sights, but when they rounded a bush, she disappeared like a ghost. Maybe that's all that Alison was. A taunting, teasing ghost. They all stood still and kept absolutely quiet. None of them heard a clack of heels, a rustle of leaves, a sigh…nothing.
"There's something seriously weird going on in this town," Aria announced after a few seconds passed.
She held her breath to keep from making noise and she slid through the forest with expertise. She had gotten great at hiding and sleuthing over the last few months. She paused for a while before trying to remember where he'd be. She suddenly remembered. She headed to the cellar of the hosting mansion before trying to locate where those Nancy Drew wanna-bees were. She figured it was safe and walked a little closer to the cemetery than the heart of the woods. Even though he was a creep and he had it coming for years, woods reminded her about why she did it, why she was hiding, and why all the most recent events were happening. But, in a way, she didn't feel remorse.
She sighed, pulling her coat tighter around her body and re-adjusting the plastic, mask on her face that she'd somehow gotten used to in the last months. She needed to get to Ezra now for their devious plan to go smoothly tonight.
CeCe sighed again thinking, "Let's get this party started" before stepping out of the woods completely.
A/N: Bet you thought it was Ali for a second, huh? For this story, I'll use some of my theories and some facts the cast and crew have given up regarding 4B episodes. For example, they told us Maggie would be in episode 17, so when i get to that episode chapter, I'll try to put her in how i suspect the writers will put her in.
As for Ezra's involvement, Mona's B-Team involvement, and Ali's fake death, I'll be going on my own theories. Don't agree with them or like them at all? Make up your own story!
I'm also trying to use scenes and quotes in the Halloween epsiode promos to put in to the Grave New World chapters. I'm sure you recognize some of the girls' lines from trailers in this chapter.
Also, a million thank yous to each and everyone of you! I've been writing fanfiction for a while now and never have i gotten such a positive response to a story i wrote! i had three reviews, ten favorites/follows, and over 100 viewers in less than eighteen hours! i appreciate it immensely! please read and review!
ps, if you have any 4B spoilers, predictions, hopes etc dont be scared to send me a message! i might include it in my story!
