[alternative summary]

When Alison DiLaurentis graduates from dolls, she moves on to people.

CHAPTER II

xoxo

[a perfect day to lie]

xoxo

{Emily}

xoxo

A grin spreads across my lips. The water looks amazing, perfect for swimming. I just need to find a good spot to set my stuff up in.

"Hey, need a spot?" Someone asks.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," I awkwardly nod, turning to see a really pretty blonde girl. Wow.

"You can set up next to us, we don't bite — well, Spence is a little scary but she's not too bad," the girl tells me, smiling coyly.

"Hey," another blonde girl, Spencer, I assume, pipes up, "I'm not scary. Am I scary?"

"Your coffee is," the first blonde girl tells her.

"I have to agree with Ali on that, Spencer," a pale, dark haired girl says.

"Her coffee isn't scary," a light haired boy laughs, "but you people are lazy. Making me carry everything — I'm not your butler."

"I wish butlers were as hot as you," "Ali" sighs.

"Ali," the dark haired girl says, "he's my brother."

"It's a joke, Aria, God. So, Emily, right? The offer is still up," she smiles at me.

"Yeah, Emily Fields," I nod, "and, I think I will."

"Great. Well, you're pretty new here so, I'm Alison DiLaurentis but you can call me Ali," she sticks her hand out, that coy smile still in place screaming, "I'm Ali and I'm fabulous."

"Spencer Hastings, contrary to the filthy lies Alison will tell you, I'm not scary, that's my sister," the other blonde girl says, shaking my hand. I smile politely.

"Your sister isn't really scary, just bitchy," the boy shrugs, "anyways, I'm Alex." No last name? We didn't have to do that?

"I'm Aria Montgomery," the pale girl introduces herself. Oh, she mentioned Alex being her brother, I think, so that's his last name too. Weird, they don't really look alike. I should probably leave it alone, I mean, Spencer and Ali could be sisters but they have different last names.

I'm probably over thinking this.

xoxo

{Alison}

xoxo

"Alex, set everything up over there, okay?" I instruct, not bothering to smile softly at him. He nods, heading over to set up the beach chairs and umbrella.

"You aren't going to help him?" Emily asks.

"Oh, God no, sweetie, new manicure," I tell her, fixing my hair as Spencer and Aria go to help Alex.

"Oh," she says, quietly.

"But you can if you want to," I smile at her.

"Yeah, sure," she quickly nods, heading over to help. Good. She's already scared she might get kicked out. I like it when they squirm. It's fun to have that power over someone. I look around, sure to memorize who's here. Your surroundings are always important. Not knowing them could get you killed.

I don't know about you, but getting killed isn't exactly on my "to do" list.

"Ali, your chair's set up," Alex announces, grinning a little.

"Thanks, Al," I flash a pearly smile and wink.

"No problem. Hey, Spence, I'll set your chair up, just set Ari's up." I plop down in my chair, right under the umbrella, watching my little worker bees working. Just as planned.

"He's cute," Emily whispers to me as we sunbathe.

"You can say it loudly, Em, Ari only minds when I say it," I laugh, "go on."

"He's cute," she says, louder this time, with a furious blush.

"Alex? Cute? Are you kidding? The boy looks like he fell out of photoshop," Spence points out.

"He is . . . Very good looking but he's also my brother, can we talk about other boys?" Ari awkwardly tries to change the topic.

"Ari, please, you aren't blood related, like me and the stoner," I tell her, putting a hand on her pasty arm, "besides, if we should be talking about anything, it's how you need to get a tan — I know that some guys like the whole "vampire" look but, Sweetie, most guys don't."

"That's a little harsh, Alison," Spencer pipes up.

"Relax, Spence," I instruct, "I'm just being a friend. So, Em, you're on the swim team, right?"

"Yeah, it's actually really fun," she smiles, nodding quickly. Someone's glad I kept Spence from biting.

"It looks like it but I like field hockey, Spencer plays too," I say, tilting my head thoughtfully, taking a moment to think about my plan for when she comes to visit. No, I can't think about that right now. One of my other plans needs to take action, and it's right about to — just look what the cat dragged in.

"Hey, girls, I got the waters." Alex. Just in time to see the real fun. We all give a murmur of thanks to him and take our waters.

xoxo

{Emily}

xoxo

I smile at Alex when he hands me my water, he smiles back. My heart doesn't skip a little. Why doesn't my heart skip a little? He's good looking, he's friendly, he's funny — he . . . No, I'm not going to think about this, it's probably just because I know that he's Aria's brother and if Ali wants me in her group of friends then I'm going to be friends with Aria and that means he'll be off limits. Yeah.

I glance over at Ali. She smiles, it's a really pretty smile with dazzling white teeth. It makes my stomach do a flip. No. Nononono. It's just the delayed reaction from when Alex smiled at me. It has to be — no matter how gorgeous Ali is.

"Hey, Spence, isn't that your sister and her boyfriend?" Ali asks, pointing out a couple on the opposite side looking for a spot to set up in.

"Uh, yeah, crap, it is them," Spencer mutters, propping herself up a little.

"What if they see us? I hate your sister, she's such a bitch," Alex groans.

"Is she really that bad?" I ask.

"She scowls at my pink highlights," Aria mentions, "who scowls at a 12 year old's pink highlights?"

"Bitches," they chorus back.

"Oh . . ." I trail off, awkwardly.

"Yeah," Aria says, "crap, Spence, they see us." And sure enough, they do. The girl, Melissa, waves and takes the boy's, Ian, hand.

"Oh, my God," Spencer face palms, "oh, my God."

"Oh, my God," Alex laughs, "you poor thing." It's funny, how unsympathetic his voice is, and I laugh. But I don't giggle into my hand and avoid eye contact. I just . . . Laugh. Like it's a joke my best friend made. Weird. He's so funny and hot, I should be giggling like a schoolgirl.

"Careful, Al, bitchy's genetic, she might bite you," Ali teases him, smiling coyly at him. I giggle into my palm at this as Aria and Alex crack up, Spencer scowling at Ali's joke. Wait. I giggle into my palm. Like a schoolgirl. No. No. No. Ali is just more intimidating than Alex so I'm nervous about laughing at her joke, Alex is so inviting and friendly that I'm already comfortable with him. I don't like girls, I'm normal. I'm completely, 100% straight — Alex is cute and funny and friendly and I'm starting to like him. End of story.

"If bitchy's genetic, I don't even want to imagine your family," he laughs, smiling widely at her. The smile he gives her is really warm, it's crooked but he has dimples so it balances out. Actually, the crooked smile is pretty cute. It doesn't make my insides feel warm and fuzzy though — probably because he's smiling at Ali.

Spencer joins in our laughter as Ali's dies out.

Playfully, Ali pushes him with a cute, slight smile, "shut up, Alex."

And it's the kind of smile that makes your stomach do backflips but it's not — it can't be. It's just the rush of taking all this in. Adrenaline, happiness, it's amazing. To realize that maybe you can have these people as friends.

"So, Emily, what's your favorite book? Mine's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, I love classics," Aria says, smiling slightly dazedly.

"My favorite book . . . I've never really thought about it, probably something like Great Expectations, I'm a sucker for Charles Dickens, I guess," I admit sheepishly.

"No way, I love Charles Dickens," Alex laughs, "he was brilliant."

"That is so cliché," Spencer groans.

"Oh, you know you love his works, besides, it's not like he's my favorite author — I'm a Poe person," he teases her.

"Really? You seem more like a Homer kinda guy," she cocks her head.

"If he could sit still long enough for that, Al is basically ADHD," Aria laughs, sending him a surprisingly playful glance. She seems like such an introvert, it's almost weird to see her like this.

"Oh, really, now, Ari? Since when are you a doctor?" Ali teases, her smile turning deviously seductive in that alluring way that makes you want to be her best friend even if you're terrified of her. Aria curls up, burying her bright red face in her knees with a fit of giggles.

"I wasn't aware they let 10 year olds into med school — oh, wait, you're 12, baby sis," Alex joshes, hugging her.

"Come on, Alex, she doesn't look that much like a 10 year old, more like an 8 year old growing boobs," Spencer joins the taunting, "right, Emily?"

"Well, maybe a little," I pinch my fingers together, deciding it's safe to join too.

"Shut up," Aria laughs, playfully checking Alex.

"Ooh, when did Princess learn to check?" He laughs, giving her a brotherly noogie, she bursts out into laughter, not even struggling. Is that what having a sibling is like? It makes me jealous, having someone like that would be . . . Wonderful.

"God, will you two get a room? Take the sibling love away from me," Ali scoffs, looking on at the scene.

"You're just upset because you're brother is a pothead and I'm actually sane," he waves her off while releasing Aria who smiles kindly at me.

"If anyone should be jealous of a sane sibling it's me, my sister is — " Spencer cuts off as the girl Alison pointed out waves and smiles this award winning smile, this —

"Hastings' smile, that's what that is, Em," Alex murmurs.

"Hastings' smile?" I ask, what the hell is that?

"The smile all Hastings wear, it seals business deals and secures court wins, it's the Hastings' smile," he explains, "right, Spence?"

"You named my family's smile?" She asks him.

"Sweetie, we all did, everyone in Rosewood," Ali points out.

"What? Why didn't I get the memo?" Spencer asks, her voice thin and almost whiny but she's a Hastings and, from what I've heard, they don't do whiny.

"Because you're a Hastings, we couldn't tell you," Alex scoffs.

"Would your parents sue if they knew we named your family's smile?" Aria asks, genuine curiosity in her voice.

"I'm guessing that's part of the reason they were left out of the loop," I tilt my head, trying not to sound stupid. I don't want to blow my chances at being friends with them. They're . . . Different. And I like that.

"And bingo was her name-o. Way to go, Em," Alex smiles.

"My parents wouldn't sue over you people naming our family smile. If they did they'd win," Spencer says with arms crossed. I laugh. I think it's okay to laugh. And I must be right because they laugh too.

And then, "hey, Spencer, Alex, Alison, Aria, and . . . Hm, you I don't know." There's a different tone for every name; Spencer's annoyed, Alex's uncertain, Alison's resentful, Aria's curious.

"Emily, Emily Fields, it's nice to meet you," I smile, shaking her hand. She's the girl Ali pointed out, the one with the Hastings' smile.

"Melissa Hastings, Spencer's older sister," there's something about her smile, like she just beat her sister out, it's unnerving. "And this," she points to the older boy with her, he's cute, "is my boyfriend, Ian Thomas."

"It's nice to meet you all," he smiles, his gaze lingering on Ali who smirks. She sits up a little, her chest a little more noticeable, like she's sticking it out a tad, and that charming electricity to her eyes.

Spencer looks away, trying to avoid eye contact. She mutters into my ear, "welcome to Alison DiLaurentis' band of scum sucking road whores," and turns away, not looking at Ian with a red face.

I can't help but feel like something's seriously wrong. And the way Melissa glares daggers at Ali . . . Someone is lying to us, aren't they? Well, they aren't lying but, they're hiding something. Just . . . What?

"You can join us if you want." I think Ali just declared war.

I'll take reviews over favorites and follows,

Please and thank you,

They make my motivation grow,

With luck they'll get through.

Hugs and Kisses - C and A