Spencer Jill Hastings was not okay. Her head was pounding in time with her rapid heart rate. It hurt to open her eyes to more than slits. Swallowing was difficult. The first day of school and she looked like someone strung out on drugs.

You are strung out on drugs.

She sucked her lower lip into her mouth and bit down hard. The pain was reassuring. Solid. Real. She rolled another pill onto her tongue before she had even made the conscious decision to do so. Immediately she felt her heart rate slow, by the time she left the house she was feeling almost like herself.

"Spencer, do you want a ride to school?" Veronica called as she reached the end of her drive way.

Her head jolted up. Her mother was as pressed and perfect as always. Form fitting, black pencil skirts and a classy yet attractive white blouse. Every strand of shiny brown hair had its place and there wasn't a molecule of blush out of place. Spencer ran her hand self-consciously through her frizzy bed hair.

"No, thanks," she said, a weak smile taking far too much effort.

"Don't be silly, come on, I'm driving that way anyway."

Veronica didn't wait for a response. Spencer followed out of habit.

Spencer couldn't tell if the journey took five minutes or five hours but the second they pulled up outside of the school she was out of the car before her mother could utter a goodbye. The large arches above the doors loomed above her like a bad omen. A building that used to provide such comfort and such affirmation now only heralded anxiety and foreboding.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been standing still until a small voice floated into her ears.

"Spencer?"

It was familiar. So familiar. Yet, when she turned around to find the owner of the voice she still experienced shock. "Aria? Oh my God."

The tiny human offered a smile. Spencer closed the distance between them with the intention of hugging her but stopped short. It had been a year since they had seen each other and there had barely been so much as a text message since then. Guilt pooled in her stomach.

She had changed. There was no longer a rebellious strip of pink in her hair and no sparkle in her eyes. In fact, the girl had lost weight, and her face was drawn and tired.

Aria was making her own study. There was something different about Spencer too. The way her hands fidgeted at her sides and the fact that her eyes couldn't seem to stay on one place for more than a couple of seconds.

"When did you get back?" Spencer offered, after a silence that was much too long. "How was Iceland?"

The smaller girl pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "It was great, a really… adventure," she laughed. "And just last week actually."

"Why didn't you call me?"

Aria shrugged. "Where are the others? Do you still all meet on the front steps? I figured that's why you were just standing there."

"Not exactly, a lot has changed while you've been gone," she replied slowly. "We didn't just lose touch with you – but…"

Before she could finish her sentence a soft-top two seater roared its way past, screeching to a halt a few metres down the road. Out of the driver's seat stepped a tall, raven haired girl with a top of the line handbag and heels that could only be described as far too tall. However, it was the girl striding from the passenger side that really caught Aria's attention.

Hanna Merin pulled the strap of her designer handbag higher on her shoulder, adjusted the way her sunglasses were sitting on her nose and flipped her long, wavy, blonde hair. It was almost like slow motion. Aria watched, slack jawed, as the pair waltzed into the school, barely even noticing anyone around them.

She turned back to Spencer, unable to form words.

Spencer just rolled her eyes. "Don't even ask."

"Hanna, and… Mona? When? What? How?"

The bell tolled, signalling that the girls were on their way to being very late.

…..

"Good Morning," Ben drawled into Emily's ear.

She resisted the urge to jump out of her skin attempt to fit her entire self into the locker and disappear. He ran his finger along her spine and pressed his body closer to hers. His jeans did nothing to disguise the boner forming against the small of her back.

"Hey," she muttered.

When she turned to face him, she was greeted instantly by the feeling of his rough lips pressing to hers. She broke the kiss quickly, too quickly, he narrowed his eyes.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, too quickly. "I have to get to class."

Emily squeezed past him and dashed away, ignoring the way he called after her. She was so preoccupied with getting away that she wasn't paying attention to where she was placing her feet. Moments later she collided with another student, sending both sprawling to the floor.

"Oh my Gosh, I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying any attention, here let me get that for you," Emily babbled. Cheeks blushing red.

Aria placed her hands over Emily's frantic ones and smiled. "It's okay."

The pair jumped up, dropped items forgotten. Spencer crossed her arms awkwardly over her chest but still smiled warmly. Emily almost squealed as she wrapped her friend in a long overdue hug. At first Aria hesitated, and then relaxed. The feeling of familiarity and comfort washing over her.

"It's so good to see you! When did you get back? How was Iceland?" she continued, and then she waggled her eyebrows. "Meet any boys?"

"Emily," Aria giggled. When she let go she hit her friend playfully on the arm. "What about you? Want to tell me why Ben is looking at you so longingly?"

Emily glanced over her shoulder and her smile vanished. She shrugged and dropped to the floor to finish packing their things away. When she stood she hooked her arm through Aria's and pulled her along the hallway. Spencer followed behind.

The three of them sat in a row at the back of their class. It felt both strange and yet oddly comforting, the way in which things had returned to their regular programming. They didn't even speak to confirm their seating arrangement, just moved as one to the three seats.

Spencer balled her fists on top of the desk. She listened absently to the babbling of Emily and Aria, offering the occasional grunt, or affirmation, but mostly checking out of the conversation. Her thoughts were consumed by the fact that Aria's surprise arrival had prevented her from speaking to Andrew. Andrew who had her pills. Andrew. Good old Andrew.

She felt vicious panic build in the pit of her stomach. It crawled its way through her bones. Her eyes bored holes into the wood of her desk. When Aria tapped her on the shoulder she all but fell out of her chair.

"Spence? Are you okay?"

"Ye…" she coughed. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired I guess."

Before Aria could pry any further, Hanna and Mona arrived, just as the second bell echoed through the building.

"You have got to explain that to me," Aria muttered to Emily, Spencer's behaviour temporarily forgotten.