So, it's Friday (just barely), so here's chapter 4. If reading shout-outs and answers to reviews interests you, go ahead and keep reading like a normal person. If not, feel free to skip all these bolded words and enjoy the chapter!

So, huge thank you to everyone who has read this story so far. The stats are saying there's been 84 views in the past 2 days, so that's pretty exciting. Thanks for making that happen, guys! Also, a special shout-out to Boris Yeltsin, 27elliee, and Aria Montgomery Fitz for leaving me those reviews. Really appreciate them, guys! And, to answer your question, 27 elliee, on if there's a happy ending: I won't be giving away any spoilers, but let's just say that I absolutely love this ship too, so I hope that gives you some kind of answer :)

And for those of you who read through all that, here's your invitation to go ahead and enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 4: Secrets

It was an evening in the middle of November. Aria was in the kitchen with her mother, drinking a chamomile tea and trying to find the courage to open her mouth.

"Ella?" she began. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course, sweetie," Ella responded in her warm, motherly voice. She had always had an open relationship with her daughter and liked to think that her daughter didn't keep any secrets from her. But she knew that it would be foolish to believe that her daughter didn't have a few secrets.

"I, um, I don't know how to say this," Aria began crying a little.

"It's okay, sweetie," Ella said, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "Just tell me when you're ready."

"I... I want to switch schools, Ella," Aria got part of her confessions out of the way.

"Why?" Ella asked with concern. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Please just say yes," Aria begged, knowing that there was no way that she could explain the whole situation. There was no way that she was telling her mother that it was because she was pregnant with her teacher's baby.

"Of course you can switch schools, honey," Ella agreed. "You know that your father and I trust you to make your own decisions. I just wonder if I should be worried about anything."

"No, Ella. You don't have to be worried about anything," Aria told her. "But there is something I need to tell you. Something that I don't want anyone else to know. Promise me you won't tell anyone else."

Ella was concerned, of course. There were very few times when her daughter had made her promise to not tell anyone else.

"What is it?" Ella asked. Her daughter knew that she wouldn't make that promise without knowing the situation first. But Aria knew that she would keep it a secret if she could.

"Ella," Aria said beginning to sob. "Please, please don't hate me."

"I won't hate you sweetie," Ella soothed. "I promise, no matter what it is."

"I'm... I'm pregnant," Aria whispered before letting out another sob.

Ella was in shock for a moment. She, of course, was not expecting her daughter to say that. In fact, she didn't know what she had been expected her daughter to say.

"What... What happened, sweetie?" Ella asked as she continued to hold her daughter close.

"I don't... I don't wanna talk about it. Please."

"We have to talk about it at some point, sweetie," Ella said. "Not now, but at some point."

"I know," Aria said. "Just please don't tell anyone."

"I won't until you're ready," Ella promised now that she knew the situation. "But what about Byron?"

"Is he going to be mad at me?" Aria asked, looking up for the first time.

"I don't know, sweetie," Ella said. "But he needs to know."

"I know," Aria said. "I just don't want him to be mad at me."

"I know, sweetie," Ella said. "I know."

Aria slowly fell asleep in Ella's arms and woke up in her own bed the next morning. She knew that the hardest part was over, but there was still more to come.

As Aria had feared, Byron was upset when Ella told him about their daughter's pregnancy. They started fighting, he stayed at Hollis for a week, and Aria cried more than ever. She wished she had someone to comfort her. Someone who wasn't also trying to comfort themselves like Ella was. But she couldn't tell anyone. She knew that for Ezra's sake, she couldn't tell anyone yet. Byron came home after a week. Mike had found out about the pregnancy at that point, but unlike the rest of the house, he didn't really react. Things were not the same as they had been before, but Byron appeared to have forgiven Aria and he and Ella were making up.

Aria finished the semester at Rosewood Day without anyone knowing that she wouldn't be returning for the next one.

The first people outside of Aria's family to find out were her best friends. It was the last day of the semester and they were having a sleepover that night to celebrate. Aria decided that it would be the perfect time to tell them. Alison had always said that sharing their secrets made them closer, but it was also dangerous. The more people who knew, the more who could tell. But the other girls already knew about her night with Ezra and they hadn't told, so she knew she could trust them with the rest of the secret.

"I have something to tell you guys," Aria nervously began.

"What is it?" Hanna asked a bit too eagerly. Hanna was a wonderful friend, but she was also super curious and was drawn to secrets, just like Alison had been.

"I'm pregnant," Aria said.

Mouths hung agape on all three girls. What had she just said?

"Have you told Noel yet?" Emily finally asked.

"It's not Noel's," Aria slowly said.

"You mean..." Spencer trailed off.

"Yes," Aria said. "It's Ezra's."

"And you've kept it from us for this long?" Hanna asked.

"I didn't want to take any chances of him finding out," Aria explained.

"Well he'll probably figure it out when you're sitting in his class too pregnant for it to be Noel's," Spencer said.

"That's the other thing..." Aria said. "I won't be at Rosewood Day next semester."

"What?" Hanna asked, completely gobsmacked.

"I'm switching to North Rosewood," Aria revealed.

"You're leaving us?" Hanna whined.

"I can't let Ezra find out," Aria said.

"Would it really be that bad if Ezra found out?" Hanna asked. "I mean, he found out that you were his student and that worked out well enough."

"This is something he wouldn't walk away from," Emily realized as Aria nodded, a few tears in her eyes. "And that's why you're still not over him."

"It hurts," Aria said, completely breaking down for the first time as she threw her arms around Emily. The girls soothed her for the rest of the night. This was worse than heartbreak, they knew. This was worse than a break up.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope that you guys enjoyed this (short) chapter. If you did and you want even more, click that next button to read chapter 5 right now. Thank you again for reading, guys!