I'm back again!
Firstly, I want to apologise for any confusion in the last chapter with the switching of POVs. Somehow, my computer glitched really badly and deleted all the chapter breaks. I'll try to edit that soon, but for now just try to imagine where the lines should be.
Secondly, a big thank you to everyone who favorited/followed the story or reviewed. It means so much to me since I didn't really think this story would succeed (it was just a way for me to relax).
Finally, I just need to clarify that from this point on, the story is in an AU. Which means the rest of 7x18, 7x19 and the finale didn't happen (except for the part where the find out Alex is A and she gets arrested).
Anyway, here's Chapter 3!
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Chapter 3 – Shattered friendships
Four beeps rang out, each belonging to a different phone. Spencer, Alison, Hanna and Emily looked down at their phones, stiffening in that typical reaction to an A text.
'Roses are red, violets are blue,
You picked on my friend,
Now I'll pick on you. –A.D.'
"What does it mean?" Emily asked. "It means that A.D. is being her usual bitchy self again," Spencer groaned. The girls sighed, not looking forward to more torture. "Wait. A.D. referred to Aria as her friend, which can only mean one thing. Whatever Aria said last night was a big fat lie," Hanna observed. "I don't know, Han. She seemed pretty genuine," Emily countered.
"Because she's ARIA, for god's sake, Em! We've all been turned into liars by A! Of course she seemed genuine! She was lying to us to that we would forgive her and let her back into our lives, then she would spill our secrets to A one by one! She's just being A!" Hanna practically screamed. Emily bit her lip, unsure of what to think.
"Say for a second she really is committed to A. What do we do?" Spencer asked. "The only thing we can do," Alison replied, "we confront her."
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Hanna snuggled deeper into Caleb's arms as they began their movie night. They were rarely with each other anymore, what with Caleb constantly working and Hanna's non-stop shopping. For that reason, Hanna enjoyed these rare moments of togetherness, when it was just the two of them.
"Hanna?" Caleb said.
"Yea?" she replied half-heartedly. "So a little birdie told me that Ezra came over yesterday-" he began, but Hanna cut him off. "Oh yes, that guy. If you ask me, he's just too blinded by love to see the snake in a kitten's clothing looking back at him," she sighed. "Snake in sheep's clothing, Han. And I for one think that Aria really meant it when she said she was sorry."
Hanna nodded blindly, too busy shoving popcorn in her mouth to register her fiancée's words. "So… You'll go visit her?" Caleb asked hopefully. "Sure, why not-"she began, before her eyes widened with shock. "No, of course not!" she corrected, springing to her feet. "And if you thought for one second that I would forgive her after what she did to me, to all of us, then you're as daft as Ezra!" Hanna barked. She raced upstairs, locking herself in the bathroom, and sighed, blowing hair out of her face. Why did everyone want her to be so forgiving?
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He raced down the aisle, not acknowledging the flustered receptionist in the slightest. He had to see her now. Before she went back to sleep.
Leaping into the elevator just a second before the doors closed, he punched the floor number, to the bewilderment of a patient in the lift with him, and raced out before the doors fully opened. Ward 346… 347… 348… He skidded to a stop before the corner room, a tiny ward labelled '359'. He practically kicked the door open, flew in and dropped to his knees beside the bed, where the love of his life was still hooked up to what seemed like millions of machines, her frail, tiny body shaking with pain. But this time was different from all the other visits. This time, Aria was very much awake, the pillows propped up so that she could sit upright.
"Aria!" Ezra cried, tears of pure joy already flowing down his cheeks. She was awake and alive despite all odds. Aria smiled back, but her expression soon changed to sadness and confusion. "Ezra, where are the girls?" she whispered sadly. He froze. Of course he would eventually have to tell the truth.
"Aria, if I tell the truth, do you promise not to freak out?" Ezra said, dead serious. "Of course I- Ezra, what's going on?" Aria replied, worry etched on her face. Ezra took a deep breath. "The girls… They never forgave you for helping A. They… They refused to come," Ezra stated firmly. Aria's expression remained the same. Three, two, one… he thought.
"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Aria shot, unamused. "Cause if it is, I know that they're hiding behind that door, waiting to jump out and scare me any second now…" Obviously, nothing happened. "Ezra..? This is a joke right?" she whimpered, tears streaming down her face. Ezra didn't reply. "But… But why wouldn't they forgive me? I didn't mean to do what I did and I know it was dumb and crazy of me but I realise my mistake now… And… And…"
The beeps on the heart monitor went from 80 per minute to about a hundred and fifty in seconds. "Aria! Calm down! Don't do this to me! Not when you just woke up!" Ezra screamed, the memory of what Aria had said to him on that rooftop flooding in. "No, you stay awake, do you hear me? Don't you dare close your eyes!" the voice echoed. She had done everything to save him. Now it was his turn. "SOMEBODY GET A DOCTOR IN HERE!" he yelled, trying to ensure Aria stayed awake. Doctors rushed in, Ezra was pushed out, and all he could do was to sit and wait.
The doctor emerged, pale and shaking as he delivered the news to Ezra, and in that millisecond, what little care he had left for the other four girls vanished. The world seemed to go in slow motion. As the doctors still in the ward came out, shooting Ezra sorry looks.
No. This could not be happening. He now was left with just two options: continue to wait for a miracle, or take action.
And after everything that happened, he knew nothing good ever came out of waiting. Nothing good at all.
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"We're having a spa day today. No buts, ands, ifs or no's allowed," Alison announced. Spencer groaned, dragged away from her work by her best friends. "After all this Ezra drama, we deserve a break. Get in the car now," Emily commanded. The four girls walked out the door, chit-chatting and gossiping like they did when they were teens. Or as much as they could, anyway. It was like A never existed, all that drama never happened, they were now a carefree clique missing a friend whom they no longer waited for.
That is, until Ezra came back.
He was looking even worse that the day before, eyes dark and murderous, fists balled up in fury, deep circles under his eyes. He seemed to no longer care about his hair or his clothes; both were in a mess. "What now," Spencer muttered.
"You four are the reason everything happened to Aria. You are the reason why this is happening. It's all your fault!" Ezra bellowed. "Woah, hold your horses. First of all, I would have thought you'd come to us much sooner for what happened to Aria. Second of all, haven't you already tried to get us to visit? Third of all, we already said no, so leave us alone, for the last time!" Spencer fired back.
And for the first time in a long while, the rage and fire in Ezra's eyes snuffed out. Before it always just flickered slightly before coming back stronger than ever, but not he seemed to have given up hope completely. Spencer heaved a sigh of relief.
"You're right. I should stop fighting. If Aria can't fight by me, then I'll have to join her," he mumbled sadly. "Ezra, what do you mean?" Emily asked softly. Ezra looked up, spitting, "What do you care?" Emily shrank back. "Tell us, Ezra. What happened?" Spencer said, half of her wanting to forgive Aria, to go back to the way things were, when it was just Team Sparia against the world. Ezra grimaced, looking back at the girls he had once taught sadly. Then he delivered the news that made the girls' blood stop cold, but not in the way you'd expect.
"Aria's dead."
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Please don't hate me. I really love Aria because we both love writing so much, but I think that when she started working for A.D. she was out of her mind. Seriously.
Some people may also tell me that I'm focusing too much on certain Liars and leaving out the rest. Well, for now that's my plan, but don't worry, I'll write about the others over the next few chapters.
Lastly, another BIG thank you to all the people who reviewed and followed/favorited my story; it means so much to me. The next chapter will be up in 2-3 days, but if I have the time, I'll post it tomorrow! Stay tuned!