Chapter 4- Tainted Obligation

As soon as Spencer got home, she tried so desperately to forget about all of the –A business and the suspicion that lingered around her due to Jenna's funeral and the ongoing murder investigation. And now that –A was stepping up their game, none of her secrets were safe anymore. She changed the hiding place of her Adderall pills just so that nobody found them if –A sent anybody looking. Yeah, Spencer was so onto that bitch.

She thought about what they knew about –A thus far. They were good with computers, had a reason to hate all six of them and somehow knew everything about them. For a horrible moment, Spencer wondered if one of her friends was in cahoots with –A, even inadvertently. She shook her head, knowing that none of her friends would ever do such a wretched thing to the others, even if circumstances were different.

Sometimes, when Spencer was not caught up in all of her schoolwork, she would mourn the fact that she was single. A boyfriend was not imperative or even encouraged due to all of her scholastic pressure, but she wanted somebody who could calm her when she was too erratic or cuddle her when she couldn't help it. Spencer tried to refocus on her paper due in Government, but images of cute romance movie scenes kept popping into her head. Plus, she had been made aware of the imminent arrival of Melissa's perfect boyfriend, Wren, who was a medical student. She tried not to scoff at the irony of her angel of a sister to find an attractive, intelligent, ambitious guy who was fucking British. It just figured.

"Hello," a voice said from the door. Spencer turned around and smiled. Talk of the devil and thou shalt appear.

"You must be Wren. Unless there are other British guys in Rosewood staying at my house."

Wren shook his head. "I am Wren. I just wanted to say 'hello' considering you are going out for dinner tonight. Your father is taking Melissa and I out to some place in town. The official 'meet the boyfriend' dinner."

Spencer chuckled. "Well, it's a shame I can't be there to protect you from the scalding glare that my father has honed over the years for future med student boyfriends." The moment Spencer laughed, she saw Wren's eyes flicker towards her cabinet.

Oh fuck.

She had forgotten to hide them.

"Adderall?" Wren tutted. "Spencer, these can get extremely dangerous. I can't believe you're taking them. How long have you been on them for?"

Spencer sighed. "Ever since I learned what they did."

"Why, Spencer? You're better than this?"

"First of all, we've had like not even a full conversation and you're already making judgements about my character. I'm not Melissa, Wren. It may seem pretty tame to Mr. Oxford, but my classes are all AP and I'm drowning. In between those and parental pressures and trying to live up to the fantastical legacy that is Melissa Hastings, I have no time to do anything else. So I free up my nights for studying so that I can be a human in the daytime. Now here is usually the part where I beg that you not tell my parents, but accusing me of this looks worse for you, so…"

"From what I hear, you're plenty smart without the help of speed."

"Well, not everyone can make it to Oxford. The rest of us little people need a little leg up once in a while. This is my leg up."

"Spencer, all of your classes are AP for a reason. They wouldn't let you take all AP courses if they didn't think that you could handle it."

She sighed again, sick of his prying but flattered that he cares enough to be nosy. "Sometimes I think that I'm not naturally smart. I've been in advanced programs and taking summer classes ever since I learned the alphabet. All because of the Hastings reputation. My lawyer parents and my Wharton older sister are a lot to live up to. I'm forced every day to maintain the respect of my family and uphold the Hastings tradition of getting into UPenn."

Wren didn't miss the bitter tone on her final word. "I take it that you don't want to attend UPenn? Where would you like to go, Spencer?"

Spencer blinked. "What?"

"Never been asked that before, have you? Does Veronica just expect you to dream about UPenn like the rest of them did."

"It's not like I ever countered that. I can predict the sheer sandstorm of judgement and derision that I'll be subjected to should I consider anywhere else. You would think it would be enough that I'm planning on going into criminal law like my parents, but I don't want to attend UPenn. I am aiming for Ivy, though, I don't think anywhere else would cut it. I would probably get disowned. But I was looking at brochures at my friend Kurt's house and I quite like the look of Dartmouth or even Harvard."

"I think you should go for it."

"Wren, it's sweet that you care, but I'm already being ostracised due to possible suspicion in a murder. My mom is hoping to ignore that at our talk with the UPenn administrates tonight. I'm the sidebar entertainment to Melissa's main act, so I doubt I'll get much time in anyway. You know what, forget I said anything. UPenn is where I want to go."

"Spencer…"

"Could you just go please? I have to get ready for this dinner and I don't know who is going to be harder to impress: The guys at UPenn or my mother." Spencer laughed quickly before she turned the other way, hearing his footsteps on the way out.

Spencer took off her top, leaving her in just her bra when she impulsively turned around. Wren was still there, eyes unfocused. "Wren."

"Sorry, I'll go."

"That's probably best. Thank you, though. For the advice." She shot him a winning smile.

"Anytime."

Spencer picked up her blazer before hearing her phone emit her loud text tone. Rolling her eyes at the chance of it being –A, she opened the notification.

Looks like old habits die hard in your romantic life as well, Spencer. Is Wren the new Ian? –A

"Bitch," Spencer hissed and put the finishing touches to her outfit as well as completing her hairstyle.

She saw her mother walk past her room before popping her head in. "Spencer, you're running late! Oh, that's what you're wearing? Never mind. But you could have at least done your hair for tonight. This is a big deal, Spencer."

Spencer wanted to cry. She had spent a lot of time on doing her hair and she thought it looked nice.

Apparently, nothing she did was ever good enough.

Emily rubbed her shoulder as she walked into her room. Her mother was on the phone in the sitting room and she thought it best not to disturb her. Pam Fields was an extremely kind woman at times, but hostility was never too far away where she was concerned.

She immediately went for her journal. Paige McCullers had been extremely temperamental in today's practise and she felt the need to write about it. Emily rarely ever ranted in her usually serene journal entries, but she was feeling rather irked by the girl at the present moment. She had figured that Paige was gay. She wasn't one hundred percent sure, it was just a feeling that Emily got. Emily didn't know whether it was a competitive nature that lay within Paige of a more personal vendetta, but there was something that she was doing that did not quite feel right to Emily. She couldn't put her finger on what the problem was, but it was definitely present.

Emily flicked through the pages of her journal until she quickly skimmed over the most recent entry about Alison. Just as she was about to turn the page, striking black ink at the bottom of her page caught her eye.

Poor Emily, thinking that you have a chance with the most coveted girl in Rosewood? Think again, little Liar. I own you now –A

"What?" She hissed, horrified that somebody, -A, had read her journal. –A already knew about her crush on Ali, but the bitch likely took pictures for photographic proof of her love. If Alison ever found out…Emily shook her head. She didn't even want to think about it.

Her fingers traced over the leather-bound book before they ghosted across a jagged edge in the centre, almost as if…

Her eyes widened. A page had been ripped out of her journal. She sighed. –A probably wanted it so that they could use it against her. Emily was so sick of –A.

Looking around, she sighed again, realising that there was absolutely nothing that she could do about the missing page. Deciding to go and get a snack, she swallowed.

Her mother was still on the phone as she reached the fridge. Stretching her arm out to grasp the handle, she paused, her heart plummeting down from her chest.

Reading the familiar lines of her own penmanship, Emily wanted to cry.

Something amazed happened today. Alison and I kissed. I don't think there is any better feeling than kissing the girl you're in love with. It makes everything seem brighter and better. What better way to experience your first kiss than with the person you can see yourself marrying. It doesn't matter if it doesn't happen, the hope is all that matters. Sometimes, it's so much that you find yourself caught up in what you want rather than what is going to happen.

"I just got off the phone with your father. I hope you realise that he's as livid about this as I am." Emily is crestfallen.

"I don't understand."

"When you leave parts of your diary on the refrigerator for me to see, you can't play dumb, Emily. I saw what you wrote and it makes me sick to think that I raised you to be...this way."

"This is who I am, Mom. This doesn't change anything." Emily's sob ripped from her throat like acid.

"No, this changes everything. I thought I raised you right. What is everybody going to think about you now? What are they going to think about me?"

"I don't care what the neighbours think, Mom."

"You know what? Maybe you should. Because then at least you might learn that you can't be…this way inclined when the town is so small. It's not right!"

"Mom, please!" Emily was fully crying now.

"I don't want to see you again tonight. Just go upstairs."

"Mom-."

"EMILY JUST GO UPSTAIRS!" Pam shouted, surprising Emily. Her mom rarely shouted at her. She guessed that this was worse than merely forgetting to take out the trash. Her life was spinning out of control and, ironically, all she wanted was Alison. She dialled her number and planned to climb out of the window.

"Ali?" Emily sniffled.

"Em? Is everything okay? Is it –A? Do you want me to come over?" Alison's voice is like medicine.

"No, don't. My mom would flip. Can I come over instead?"

Alison swallowed. "Yes, of course. Stay the night if you want." Emily thought she heard a faint trace of something in Alison's voice.

"Thanks, Ali."

"I'm just gonna go to the bathroom. I'll be right back," Sean muttered to Hanna, who was somewhere else entirely. Physically, she was sat in Sean's living room. Mentally, her brain was all over the place; thinking about –A, Jenna and her relationship with Sean. She knew that was going to lose him sooner or later, and she didn't know which she preferred.

Sooner would let her be free and move on from Sean as he had clearly already done from her. Hanna thought that it was rather selfish of him to stay with her while he was in love with somebody else. Hanna figured that being truthful was always the best way to go about things. That was why she had begged her friends to tell the cops about their involvement in Jenna's accident. The chubbier, more timid version of her had wanted to be honest, but the bolder personalities had won out. Kurt, Alison and Spencer had been terribly scared of what they had done and covered up the crime with a vehement attitude.

As her mind wandered, the buzz of her phone startled her. Sean still wasn't around and she felt a sense of dread in her heart that told her that –A had texted her. Great. What does this bitch want now?

Hey, Hefty! Press play to confirm your suspicions. I have eyes everywhere. Remember that… -A

Hanna scoffed and hesitantly pressed the play button. She wasn't sure what she was about to say, but she had a hunch.

Her eyes were soon overseeing the busy crowds of the mall, but the camera had focused in on one interaction in particular. She saw Alison, looking as fabulous as ever and then…

Her boyfriend, leaning in to try and kiss her. Alison pushed him off and then slapped him hard across the face. Sean's words reverberated around her brain.

"Ali, Hanna's great. But she's not you."

A tear slipped down her face as Sean emerged from the bathroom.

"What's wrong, Hanna Banana?" Hanna really hated that name.

"Don't give me that, Sean!" Hanna hissed and shoved her phone in her face. "Now I have proof! You're in love with Alison!"

Sean paled. "Hanna—."

"No. We're done, Sean! Don't try and talk to me. And don't expect to ever get Alison. She's so much better than you are, the comparison is almost unfair. But I don't give a shit about you." Hanna smirked through her tears and grabbed his car keys off the counter. Sean just stared, his mouth flapping open and closed.

Hanna climbed into Sean's sports car and started the engine. Her tears were starting to cloud her vision, but she could still see where she was going.

Crying and trying to clear her head, Hanna lost control of the car. The wheels spun around and the back hit a tree on a backroad somewhere. In fact, she didn't actually know where she was.

She decided to sit on the floor to ground herself. "Get it together. You're Hanna Marin."

She sighed.

Who exactly was Hanna Marin? She didn't want to simply be Alison 2.0 as she was sometimes labelled. Since she lost the weight, the resemblances between herself and Alison were shocking and people occasionally confused them. Their fashion choices were similar (Kurt picked them out usually) and they walked with a similar gait. Hanna understood why it was sometimes hard to tell them apart, especially from behind.

She wanted to be her own person.

Sniffling, she pulled out her phone and scrolled until she found the person who she needed. She could've called any of her friends and they would have come, but she only knew that one of them would definitely cheer her up right now.

"Hey," Hanna spoke softly down the phone.

"Hanna? Is everything okay?"

"Not really. Could you come and get me? I'm…uh…"

"Wait, you don't know where you are? I thought you were with Sean today."

"Kurt, everything is fucked up."

"Make sure your phone is connected to your data and I'll find you. This is why everyone should download Find My Friends. Sit tight, Han."

"Thanks, Kurt."

Kurt found her twenty minutes later. She was sat on the same patch of pavement that she had occupied whilst on the phone to him. Kurt took one look at the totalled car and sighed. Looking sadly at her, he joined her on the floor.

"Alison?" Kurt guessed.

Hanna shook her head. "Sean. Well, yeah Alison too. He loves her, Kurt. Or at least he thinks he does. –A sent me a video of him trying to kiss her while she was at the mall. She slapped him and told him not to be a dick. He said that I was great, but I wasn't her. I'll never be her, will I?"

Kurt shook her head. "No, you won't. But I'll never b Brad Pitt or Ben Affleck. You're Hanna Marin and Hanna Marin is pretty damn great."

Hanna shook her head. "Being Hanna Marin doesn't exactly get me many places. Not when there are people like Alison around. I'm still Hefty Hanna and I'll always be Hefty Hanna as long as Alison is around."

Kurt took her hand. "You never were Hefty Hanna. Hanna, you've always been beautiful. Seriously."

"Not in Rosewood, I'm not."

"However I phrase this, I'm going to sound like a massive cliché, and I'm honestly not just saying this because you're my best friend, but Sean doesn't know what he's missing out on. I've seen you at our sleepovers and damn, if I was straight I'd be hitting that every day." Hanna giggled.

"Thanks, Kurt, but seriously I cannot think about you being straight, it messes with my head. Can we go back to the world where you're lusting after Jason DiLaurentis please?"

"I am not lusting after anyone, Hanna! I haven't liked anyone since Noel and we all know how that backfired." Kurt sighed.

"That doesn't mean you can't like anyone now! There are guys out there who aren't Noel, Kurt," Hanna pointed out.

"I know that."

"Like Jason."

"Hanna-."

"Admit that you like him and I'll drop the subject. Just admit it."

"I...feel somewhat more than friendship for Jason, yes. But I don't think I'm ready to confront those feelings just yet," Kurt explained. Hanna clapped her hands together.

"Well, apparently, he is. Nobody asks to talk to someone in private unless it's about getting on that."

"Oh, how eloquently phrased. Jason is straight, Hanna, just like everybody else I've ever taken an interest in. I'm not going to find anybody who is straight and wants something more than a quick blowjob in a bathroom." Kurt's eyes widened, realising what he had just said. Crap.

Hanna smirked. "What?! You gave someone a blowjob in a bathroom and kept it from me? Ugh, spill everything, Montgomery!"

Kurt explained his brief encounter with Wilden at Noel's party. Hanna asks if it was consensual and Kurt shakes his head, teary-eyed.

"You need to tell the cops about this!" Hanna exclaims.

"Wilden is one of them, Han! Nobody else was there. It was my word against his. He's the big shot detective, who do you think that they'll believe? If it ever came down to me versus him, he would win with a bullet. I'm the one the police suspect for Jenna's murder and he's the one investigating it. I have no leg to stand on here."

Hanna frowns, confused.

"It's a metaphor," Kurt chuckled.

"Do you think that…?"

"If you're asking if I think Wilden is –A then I have no idea. I don't think we can rule anybody out yet. Like Jason said to me the other day, Jenna had a lot of enemies. But she also had a lot of admirers and friends. It could be any of them."

Hanna looks down at her watch and sighs. "Ugh, I have to go. I promised I would meet Mona at the mall and I think I'm late."

"I'm your ride, remember? I'll drop you there."

Kurt returned home after giving Hanna over to Mona and expects to find his family, whatever was left of it, sat around the TV. Walking into the sitting room, he finds that it's just Byron. A funny feeling squirms in Kurt's stomach and he takes a deep breath.

"Where's everybody else?"

"Your mother is out shopping with Aria. Mike is at a lacrosse game and they are picking him up when they come home." Byron's tone was the coldest it had ever sounded.

"Oh," was all Kurt could reply.

"I hope you're happy with the way you just tore this family apart, Kurt," Byron sipped his scotch on the rocks with a furious glare at his oldest son.

"I did the right thing for this family. The longer we covered it up, the more destructive it would get! And let's not forget the fact that this only happened because of you all because you couldn't keep it in your pants!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH, KURT!" Byron splayed his hand and the glass flew out of it, crashing loudly against the far wall. Kurt winced, but recovered quickly.

"No! This has gone too far! You made the mistake, now you should deal with the repercussions!" Kurt yelled.

"Don't you dare speak to me that way! I'm your father."

"You certainly have a funny way of showing it!"

"Don't talk back. Now, Kurt, can't we just discuss this?"

"I'm done talking about this."

"No. You're not! Not until you admit that this was your fault and nobody else's. Well, except maybe Meredith's. Then again, you can't really blame her that much. When older men take an interest, I suppose it's kind of flattering and I bet she couldn't wait to open her legs for you and—."

Kurt was silenced by the powerful force of Byron's fist against his face. Kurt collapsed to the floor, holding his head. He had lost every trace of anger that he had been saving up. Now he just felt sad and confused. "Dad…"

But Byron had already slammed the door shut, leaving Kurt to sob quietly on the hallway floor, nobody around to console him.

So he just cried.

And cried.

And cried until there were no more tears left to shed over his father.

He cried until Ella, Aria and Mike came home and found his still crumpled on the floor, holding himself as though he would fall apart if he let go.

"Oh my God, Kurt!" Aria rushed to his side, as did the others. Mike dropped his lacrosse gear and went to sit by his sister.

"What happened?" Ella gestured to the large bruise that was already beginning to take shape on his face.

Kurt didn't know what to do.

He could have told them or lied. More lies would mean more fallout in the future, but he didn't really want to let them know that Byron had punched him.

Sighing, he saw no other way out of this.

"Dad was angry at me. He lashed out, but he didn't mean to!"

Ella looked furious and Mike swallowed heavily. Aria looked murderous and Kurt just sat there.

"Did he apologise?"

Kurt shook his head. "He left. I don't think he'll be back tonight. If he is, I don't want to see him."

Ella clucked. "Yes, you and me both. I'm sorry, Kurt."

"This isn't your fault. Dad is just…honestly I don't know what to say about him."

The Montgomery family roped each other into a tight family hug, excluding the paternal part of the typical family layout. They would never be a normal family again and, in time, that would be okay with them.

If Kurt had been looking at his phone, he would have seen a text.

Daddy's bruise will heal, Kurt. The effects of my next surprise won't be so gentle. I can't wait to see the look on your face. I'm going to take a picture. –A