Chapter 4 - Best laid plans
After dinner on the Labor Day Alison convinced her new roommate to drink a cup of water with a lot of Bella's old sleep medicine. The moment the rail thin girl fell asleep Alison used the keys she'd stolen from the main office and exited the Preserve.
She didn't stay out to admire the clear skies instead she shot like an arrow to the passenger seat of a sleek black Cadillac.
"Where did you get this?"
She asked Bella who sat behind the wheel.
"Stole it for the day. Put gloves on"
"I ruined you"
Alison declared as nineteen year old Bella laughed and pushing pedal to the metal she drove fast to Pennsylvania and then to rosewood.
"Where is she?"
Alison said as she looked around. Everything was the same in rosewood. It was eerie.
"Sleepover at your neighbor's place. The one with the barn"
She informed. She had disguised herself as a caterer in the last party the Hastings, Ali's neighbors had thrown, and she had gotten a good feel of the land and the back roads and yards. Bella looked at the frightently calm and determined Alison
"Be careful or it's both our butts to jail"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alison followed her sister determined. She was going to get her life back. Courtney was running as if her life depended on it but working out for two hours everyday gave Alison the strength to follow alone.
Suddenly both sisters came upon a shocking spectacle. Their mother, Jessica DiLaurentis was playing the 'monster with two backs' in the back yard of the house with the barn.
"It's pretty shocking, huh?"
Courtney jerked her head up. A figure stood opposite her, shrouded in shadow. Her face was tilted toward the entwined couple in the Hastings' yard.
"Looks like our family tree has a lot of rotten apples"
The person said. Then she stepped into the light, and Courtney swallowed hard. It was her sister.
Both sisters gazed at each other sizing them up. Alison's eyes glinted. Her teeth glowed. Half her body was hidden in the mist, like she was a ghost. Courtney read her sister's eyes and knew she wouldn't win.
Courtney whipped around and began running to the house and the safety of their parents. Her twin caught her arm and dug her nails into her skin.
"You're not going anywhere, Courtney"
"Let go of me,"
Courtney said, trying to yank her arm away. But Alison's grip was firm.
"I'll scream"
Fake-Alison warned, fear rising in her voice. The real Alison chuckled.
"No, you won't. You won't say anything"
"Yes, I will. Mom and Dad will come running"
She insisted. Alison guffawed.
"Um, didn't you just see what I saw? Mom's a little busy right now"
"Then I'll call Dad"
Alison's smile stretched wider.
"He's out with Jason, remember? Father-son night out"
Alison hit her with the fact she knew their family's schedule. Courtney backed away, suddenly trembling. But Alison just pulled her back.
"Let go of me!"
Courtney exclaimed. Her arm was starting to sting from the pressure of her sister's fingernails, and her heart was beating so fast she thought it might explode in her chest. Her nostrils caught a whiff of strawberries and freesia. Someone was close!
"What are you doing out here?"
Courtney asked her sister. She was supposed to be locked up like she had been locked up in far too long. Ever since she realized that their parents didn't need another daughter and that she was the best daughter. When they were nine years old she had tried to kill her sister jealous that their parents loved Alison more. She had failed and gone to that hospital. Ever since she had plotted ways to be the one and only Alison DiLaurentis and had done it. She had switched places with the real Alison and she wasn't going to go back!
"You're going back 'Ali' and I'm reclaiming my life"
Alison announced before yanking her sister towards the car, where Bella waited.
"I'm not going anywhere"
She said, planting her feet in the wet, chilly grass. She laughed as confidently as she could.
"Do you really think it would be easy for you to step into my life and be me? I've done things you aren't capable of. I'm better at being you than you ever were"
"It's my life"
Her sister snarled, placing her hands firmly on Courtney's shoulders.
"You really think I'm going to have a hard time? I can even be friends with those stupid bitches, if that's what it takes. I can do this with my eyes closed"
"No, you can't. You don't know anything"
Alison snorted.
"Please. I read your diary — my diary. I know everything about them, about you. You put every secret in there, everything important"
"Not everything"
Courtney snapped.
"You certainly put in enough in your diary"
Alison taunted.
"That's how I figured out that we've been calling the wrong guy Dad. Watch where you store your secrets, Courtney. Anyone can open up a diary and find out all kinds of things. And now it's it me for you to say good bye"
She clamped down hard on Ali's shoulders and tried to steer her toward the car, but Courtney folded her body in half and twisted away. Alison grabbed her around the waist and yanked her across the grass, but Courtney stumbled, pulling her sister down with her.
"Get up, bitch!"
Alison yelled losing her patience.
"I'm not going anywhere with you!"
Courtney pulled hard on her twin's hair and rolled over on top of Alison, pinning her onto the prickly grass. The old feelings rushed back — she was that little nine year old girl again, needing to prove to everyone that she was the rightful DiLaurentis daughter. The only one that should exist.
"I should have done this years ago. You HAVE to die"
She began hitting her sister, slapping her, pulling her hair. Alison was suddenly afraid freezing like she had done when her sister tried once again to kill her in the pool when they were kids. Back then she hoped Jason would save her. Now she placed all her hopes on Bella.
Like Dees-ex-machina Courtney suddenly slumped on her, Bella standing behind her holding the dart gun the guards at the Preserve used.
"What the hell happened?"
Bella grabbed Courtney and pushed her away from Alison whose eyes were glassy and was staring off to space just like Bella had for so long.
Bella acted like no one had acted with her. She slapped Alison. Hard.
"Ouch"
The girl with the torn and dirty black full body coveralls rubbed her cheek. When she saw Bella she jumped in her arms quickly filling her in on the events she missed. Bella shook her head when she was done
"It was taking too long and I knew something was wrong. I lost you both for a bit and then heard her say she was going to kill you"
Bella exclaimed. Both their gazes returned to the passed out Courtney.
"Come on, let's change you"
Together Bella and Alison stripped Courtney down to her underwear and quickly redressed her in Alison's clothing making sure to take her -A- ring and the bead bracelet that signified something horrible Courtney had done in her Alison guise.
"I'll take her back and you go home okay? Be as casual as possible and cover those bruises up"
Alison nodded trembling
"Don't leave me"
She whispered in Bella's hair as she hugged her tight. Bella shook her head
"I'll be back tomorrow and I'll find a way to meet you, okay? You're Alison and you're fabulous"
She reminded her of Alison's motto and watched as the blond girl carried her bruised and battered form to her house. Then she carried Courtney to the stolen car, stored her in the trunk and drove her back to the Preserve.
She barely had time to put her in her room and leave before the sun rose, the lights were on and the stuff was making their morning rounds.