Then you made your move on me
You started moving on me strongly
Even though nobody was around
I still had to tell you to slow it down
And we don't have to rush the night away
There's always gonna be another day
A time to make love and a time to play
What I'm trying to say, take love slowly
Ella opened the bathroom door. "Hanna, are you in there? Caleb was looking for you and he's worried." Aria and her friends shuffled out quickly and quietly.
Ella heard someone snivel and Hanna came out of the stall. Her face was stark white and she had a streak of vomit on her cheek. "I'm a slut."
"What? No, you're not, now what's wrong? Why are you so upset?"
Hanna cleaned herself up with a napkin. "I told them what happened…with your ex…and they didn't believe me. My own friends...they thought I instigated it! Aria is icing me out, and I'm avoiding Emily and Spencer. I made myself sick, which is something I haven't done in a while...since Alison...and now, I feel so horrible."
Ella gave Hanna a hug and rocked her from side to side. "I'll talk to Aria at home. I'm going to have a discussion with the whole class about this. I won't mention you or the other girls at all. Would you prefer to be out of the classroom while I do this?"
"No, it's okay. I'll stay." Hanna wiped her wet face with her hands and texted Caleb that she was fine and with Ella.
Ella didn't understand how Aria and her friends could be so cruel. From what Aria had always told Ella, Hanna had always been there for her girls, through thick and thin. In fact, her motto was hurt me, shame on you, hurt my best friend, you're dead freaking meat.
Ella walked into the classroom and saw Aria, Emily, and Spencer, with their heads bent close together, whispering, sharing secrets, and giggling. Hanna sat on the other side of the room and hugged herself. She looked so wounded that it broke Ella's heart.
Ella pressed her mouth in a thin line and clasped her hands together before beginning her lecture. "Hello class, I want to talk about something different today," she announced. "It's come to my attention...this is very hard for me to say...but I have to bring it up, because it is a serious issue. I understand side talking and gossiping, I was seventeen once. It gets too far when it becomes bullying...going behind someone's back...betrayal. What would your response be if say, your older sister was walking back to her dorm from a wild college party, and she got sexually assaulted?"
"Was she drunk? Was her dress too tight? Why was she out that late at night? Why was she alone?" Noel asked. "She should have a car!"
"We can talk forever about why it was her fault. The crazy thing is, it's not her fault at all! She didn't ask to be raped. Nobody does. Oh, men can't control themselves, people say. That's just the way it is. Well, I'll tell you something, that's rape culture. It makes me sick. You know who can't help what they do? Animals...animals are not as smart as humans. Humans do know between right and wrong. Animals act on instinct. A person who takes advantage of someone is a monster...and if you ever blame the victim, you can count yourself lower than an animal, because you aren't thinking."
Aria was concentrating on braiding her side ponytail. Emily was chewing on a hangnail. Spencer kept switching between sliding a pencil in her hair and behind her ear.
Were they doing things to distract themselves now because they were embarrassed of their actions? Good. Ella walked by their desks and said, "I could go on and on about this subject, but I won't. I am requiring all of you to write an essay on slut shaming...what it is...why it's wrong...describe a news article about someone who was raped-it doesn't matter how old the person was, what gender they were, or the date of the article. Hand it in to me Friday morning. It needs to be two pages, double spaced, twelve point font, no spelling or grammatical errors, and completely free of excusing the perpetrator for his or her behavior. Any questions?"
Mona raised her hand. "What if the person got away with it, like they didn't get arrested?"
"It wouldn't be reported...which reminds me...if anyone in here has any personal experiences, you may write about those too. You don't have to use a name, make one up."
"Okay."
Hanna sighed visibly and shook her head.
After class, everyone but Hanna and Mona left the room. "Mrs. Montgomery, you can't make Hanna do it. I...I heard what those girls were saying...I was in the bathroom with them...and I believe that your ex is a creepy pedophile. I followed your daughter and Alison the day they found out that he cheated on you, and if he likes college girls, there's no doubt he'd like teenage girls. I believe you, Hanna. I'm also deeply sorry for what I did to betray you."
"I can't forgive you for drugging Caleb, making out with him, taking off his clothes, and then faking being crazy to avoid jail for date rape! You're gonna have to work hard to be my friend again."
"I'll use that for my homework assignment. You don't know how guilty I feel. I love you, Hanna, and I'd die to make up for all of this...if only you could...forget it all and start over. I was just jealous, and..."
"You joined the bitch club a year ago when you were a slut with Caleb, and last week, you were making fun of me! The sight of you disgusts me. Get out of here."
"Fine. I'll go," Mona said tearfully. "Goodbye."
"Can you believe her?" Hanna cried. "She actually thinks we can erase the past! She completely destroyed my trust in her!"
"I know, but she was trying. There's always second chances, and maybe in the faraway future, you two would bury the hatchet. You don't have to do the essay, by the way. You can pretend to give it to me on Friday morning, but not really do it."
"Thanks, Ella."
...
Zack's phone buzzed with a text. He pulled it out of his pocket and grinned cockily. It was from Ella. She sent him a smiley face, so he sent her one back, and that was the end of it. She wouldn't suspect a thing, and neither would Hanna. Zack had asked Byron to flirt with Hanna to see how she responded when she was hit on by an older man. Of course, Byron had much more years on him than Zack. He knew that Byron wasn't a hit with the teenage girls, but he was. Everyone adored Zack. He doubted Hanna was much different.
She was perfect to him...blonde hair, blue eyes, built like a model...she was under eighteen, but he could get around that. Having a crush on a girl that hot wasn't a crime. It couldn't be. He didn't have to let anyone know. He would choose the right moment to expose his true feelings to her, and only her. He was lucky to be behind a bar most of the time, because whenever she walked in, it would do inappropriate things down south. He could tell she liked him, it was obvious the way she enjoyed talking to him. She would smile or wave in his direction, and it would send everything downhill. Seeing her vulnerable made him even more horny than when she was confident. He moved in on Ella because she was pathetically shy around him. He wanted to laugh at how much she adored him. She was forty, but she acted as if she had a mental disability. She reminded him of a middle schooler. Hanna, however, acted her age, and sometimes a bit older. It turned him on.
The best part of it all was that he knew Ella's weak spots. He'd worked his way into her heart and knew exactly what not to do. The part he had to play wasn't hard at all. As long as he was dating Ella, he would get more than enough of being around Hanna. The two of them were like best friends. Hanna and Ella both trusted him, and it was what he needed...for now. The prize was won, and he would have to be patient for the real target. Ella was the perfect bait and Hanna was the best fish in the sea.
While she thought he was listening to her, he was just staring at her and imagining her in lacy lingerie. He kept fighting the urge to lick his lips, reach out to touch her milky, soft skin, and rock her hard against his counter.
Sex with Ella wouldn't be as hot. He knew he had to do it, though, just to show her how much he loved her. Every thrust, every whispered sweet nothing, it would all be for Hanna, inside his mind. It was easy to just say Ella's name in place of Hanna's. He would lather Ella with lotion in attempt to make her feel like Hanna...feel younger. Motherhood had taken a toll on her, though, and he couldn't do much about that. He braced himself for all the stretch marks, all the flabbiness, double chin, dimples where they shouldn't be, and cellulite. He wouldn't even be able to lift her up, but the fact that he could easily throw Hanna over his shoulder and swing her around, made him feel so much better. To achieve something, you must go through many struggles. Ella was definitely a struggle.
...
The only sound heard was the clock ticking as Aria walked in the room. The smile faded from her face when she saw Ella looking at her sternly.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
"Sit down," Ella snapped. "I can't even look at you! I have been angry with you and disappointed in you, Aria, but I have never been embarrassed to be your mother...not until today. How could you do this to Hanna? Not only are you supposed to be her best friend and always have her back, but...whether she was your friend or not, how could you? She told you something...something that, presumably, took her a lot of courage to say...and you blatantly accused her of...of being unacceptable with your father!"
"Did...did it really happen? Is it true?"
"Of course it's true! Your father is a pig! He's hungry for more, more, more! I don't know what the fuck would have happened if Caleb and I didn't show up! He was about to put his arm around her and pull her in for some...ugh!" Ella shouted.
Aria lowered her eyes in shame. "I'm sorry..."
"I don't want to hear your apology, young lady! You talk to Hanna right now, over the phone, you better pray that she forgives you, and you tell Emily and Spencer that the three of you were wrong!" Ella folded her arms across her chest. "After that phone call is made, you will be grounded for a week! During that week, you will be typing up a paper on what happens to people who get bullied. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Mom."
"Sometimes they self harm, become bulimic, anorexic, and some may even commit suicide."
"Hanna wouldn't ever go back to bulimia since Alison died and she's not suicidal..."
"She was trying to make herself sick!"
Aria looked completely stunned. "How do you know that?"
"She was in the bathroom when you girls were there! Luckily I came in before she did any more damage to herself."
"She was..."
"Yes. Your atrocious behavior drove her to do it. What your father did was completely inappropriate, but the way her friends...I mean, Hanna was there for all of you when you were broken...losing someone you love can make you that way...why are you turning against her now?"
"We've never flirted with a friend's father...or in other words, none of our friends' fathers have flirted with us."
"Okay, I don't care what your excuse was...just go call Hanna."
Aria nodded and dialed her friend's number on her phone. Ella left the room for a while but then listened in five minutes later. "So, you understand that I didn't think you were in the wrong? I...I wanted to believe that my father wasn't a disgusting creep...don't be sorry, Hanna. It's not your fault."
Ella smiled. That was a lot better.
...
Zack was on a break, so he called Ella. As he predicted, she picked up right away. "Hi, Zack."
"Hey, Ella, how are you?"
"Good...you?"
"I'm excellent! In fact...I was thinking that we could exchange addresses."
"Oh, sure."
"Come on over to the Brew, and I'll take you to my place."
"I can't go anywhere for at least a week...my daughter is grounded, so...if you want to hang out with me, it'll have to be at my apartment."
"What did she do?"
"Hanna told her what Byron did, and she didn't believe her at first...and I thought she was bullying her. She's being punished, and I don't want her to sneak out behind my back."
Zack put the phone face down on the counter and laughed for a few seconds. He picked it back up and told her, "You can come to the Brew and pick me up, if you want. She won't find a lot to do in ten minutes. Take her keys so she can't go out."
"Thank you for that idea," Ella said with a chuckle. "See you tonight after you finish work."
"Okay, bye." He hung up and sniggered to himself.
Later that night, Ella showed up. He was disappointed Hanna never came to the Brew, but he couldn't blame her. She was afraid Byron would be there again, but hopefully, someone would convince her that it was okay. Byron had conferences in Syracuse for a few weeks, and everything would soon be forgotten. He just had to figure out a way to tell Ella this without making her think he was in cahoots with her ex-husband.
"Wow, this place cleared out quickly."
"That's because it's closed." She had such long hair. On a younger woman, it would look gorgeous, but on Ella, it was so...witchy. Her bright red lipstick and her made-up eyes were not meant for someone her age or her face. It looked like she was trying to be beautiful, but she couldn't be, no matter how hard-
"Did you smell something awful?" Ella chewed on her bottom lip. "Oh, god, do I have something in my teeth?"
"What do you mean?" Zack asked her as he stifled a guffaw that was dying to come out. "You look good."
"Thanks. You made a bad face. I just thought..."
"Whatever you were thinking, it was wrong."
Ella tucked some brown hair behind her ears and then he noticed her hoop earrings. Who wears that kind of shit after college? "I'm glad to be mistaken." She grabbed his hand and led him to her car. He jumped at how...aged her hand felt. It honestly was like he was holding his mother's hand.
"I just want to let you know that your ex won't be bothering you or Hanna anymore...he told me not to worry about dealing with his ass because he's going to be away in Syracuse."
"Well, that makes me feel so much safer...I'll inform Hanna that she doesn't have to be scared of having to see him pop up in random places. Did he say how long? Those conferences could be over before we know it. When we were...together...they lasted a few weeks. Hopefully, he'll go on another visit to Iceland...and maybe even stay there!"
He loosened his hold on her hand as he let himself in the passenger's seat. "Yeah, that would be very beneficial."
She got behind the wheel and started to drive. "Ready to see my dump?"
He had already seen a dump; he was sitting right next to one. "I'm sure your apartment is wonderful, just like you."
Ella grinned widely. As soon as she parked, they walked inside her apartment.
"Hey, Mom," a brown-haired boy said. "Who's the dude?"
This kid could be Zack's brother. "I'm your mother's new boyfriend, Zack. You must be her son."
"Yeah, I don't think we've ever met. My name is Mike." They shook hands and the teen beckoned him to lean down. He whispered in Zack's ear, "If you break my mother's heart, I will break every single one of your bones."
Zack hid his smirk. Mike would never even know. "You got it, man. I wouldn't dream of it. Aria has already threatened my scones."
"Yeah, well, scones and bones, they rhyme, it's funny."
He patted Mike's back. "I hear you're into lacrosse!" he said in a raised voice while standing up. "I could play more sports with you if you'd like!"
"Sure, cool," the boy muttered.
Ella sighed and took Zack into her kitchen. "You'd be a great father figure to him."
"Yeah, it's fun to talk about guy stuff, you know?"
She nodded.
"Where's Aria?"
"She's typing up her essay, I hope...and she's in her room."
...
Zack's eyes were glazed over, and Ella stood on her tiptoes so she could give him a hug. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah, but I just...I can't stop thinking about...what I want to do to you right now."
Ella felt herself blushing. "Are you getting horny before we've even kissed?" She giggled as soon as he pressed his mouth onto hers. "Oh...there you go." She sighed happily at his lips sucking everywhere on her skin, from her forehead down to her neck. He unbuttoned her cardigan sweater and nearly tore it off. She gasped when he slid his hands under her camisole. They crept up to her bra, and she suddenly was extremely self-conscious about her saggy breasts and what he would think once he saw them for the first time. She'd seen herself naked before, and it wasn't a pretty sight. She was ugly and she knew it, no matter what Zack said or did to ease her worries. She moaned before she could think about it, and then she realized he'd stuck one of his hands down her cotton underwear. Her jeans were already to her thighs. Cotton underwear, why couldn't she have worn a thong? Her heart thumped against her chest.
"Zack, stop," she murmured and gently pushed him away from her. "I...it's too early."
He paused. "How is it too early?"
"We just...we haven't even been on a second date yet."
"Isn't this our second date?"
"Yeah...but...usually, people...do it...on the like, tenth date. Shouldn't we slow things down?"
He looked like a sad puppy, and Ella felt so guilty. "Okay, that's fine."
"Thank you for respecting my wishes."
"Sorry that our first kiss wasn't what you were hoping for. You just sounded like you could use some cheering up...when I heard you on the phone, so..."
"Oh no, the making out was perfect." Mind-blowing was what it was. She was crazy in love with him. "Trust me."
"I do." Zack helped her redress, and then gave her a kiss good night. "I don't want to distract you from spending time with your darling children."
"You're still welcome here...tonight, and anytime, really. You should put the address in your phone so you don't forget this place."
"I will."
He invited her to stay at his place, but she declined, because she wanted to call Ashley right away. She needed some relationship advice. She would have talked to Aria, but she didn't want to bother her. She closed the door when Zack left and phoned Ashley.
"Ella, hey!"
There was some tinkling music in the background. "Ashley...are you at a restaurant with Ted or something?"
"Yeah, he took me out for some wining and dining! What are you up to?"
"Um...I...I think that Zack and I kissed for the first time and we were about to go all the way but I stopped things before it got too far."
"Whoa! Ella, getting down and dirty, now are we?"
"Oh, Ash, it wasn't my idea! I just...I have a question. How long after meeting Ted did you kiss him?"
"A week or two. We kissed on our second date."
"That's good. I'm afraid that Zack and I are moving too fast. Are double dates only for people under thirty?"
"Most definitely not! Why, do you two want to go out with Ted and me?"
"That's not a bad thought. We should plan a double date together!"
"Okay, where would it be?"
"Benny and Eddie's Pizzeria. When should we have it?"
"How about this Friday at seven?"
"Sounds great!"
...
Zack was scrolling through his endless photos of Hanna on his phone when Ella's name popped up in the middle of his screen. He pressed the decline icon and continued to flip through the pictures. Ella called him again, and he groaned because he knew that this time, he wouldn't be able to ignore her.
"Hey, you," he said.
"Hey, so I was thinking...why don't we have a double date with my friend Ashley and her fiancé Ted? I feel like you should get to know my friends."
"I like that idea very much." He grinned slyly like a fox. Hanna's mom would be the closest thing to Hanna. Maybe he could learn some personal information about Ashley's daughter. "What do you say about hanging out with my friends and me sometime?" They would tease him about dating an older woman. He would be so embarrassed to have her on his arm.
"Oh, maybe, I don't know."
"Why are you feeling shy all of a sudden? I have no friends in Rosewood anyway, unless you count a video game and popcorn as people."
Ella giggled. "A man like you has got to have friends. Or, are they all very young, and you're worried I won't fit in?"
"That's not it at all!" he said quickly. "I grew up in Vienna, and I never made friends here...not until you."
"You're kidding me. You don't even have an accent."
"I was born in the United States, but my family moved to Vienna...and I traveled here to find someone I wanted to take back to my country. So...it turned out to be you."
"Well, that's sweet, but I don't think I can go to Vienna right now."
"I don't mean right now...I mean somewhere in the future. So, when's this double date thing happening?"
"This Friday at seven, it's at Benny and Eddie's Pizzeria."
"Okay, I'll see you then. Bye."
"Goodbye."
...
The four of them got an outside table that Friday night, and Ella's crappy mood at the start of the week was gone. Everyone, with the allowed exception of Hanna, had turned in their papers and Hanna seemed to be back on good terms with her friends. Ella even considered ending Aria's grounding sentence, but she wanted to teach her a lesson, so she didn't. Ella and Ashley hugged each other hello and watched the exchange between Zack and Ted.
"Hey, man, didn't you go out with Ella once?" Zack asked.
"What's he talking about?" Ashley whispered.
"MainLineMate found me a match, and it was Ted," Ella answered her. "I didn't think I needed to tell you."
"It's okay."
Ted laughed. "Yeah, but it didn't work out. Ashley's the one."
"That's a good thing, because Ella is my girl." Zack kissed her cheek and she smiled. "That is a really nice dress you're wearing, by the way."
Ella smoothed down the purple fabric. "Thanks. You think so?"
"I know so."
"You two act like you've been married for years." Ashley noticed aloud. "Do you have any tips for when Ted and I get married?" she teased.
"You guys are getting married? That's wonderful!" Zack said. "How did you do it, bro?" he asked Ted.
"I asked Hanna's approval first...and then she told me to go ahead, and I got down on one knee." Ted took Ashley's hand and stroked her ring. "Then, I asked for her hand in marriage." They shared a kiss and he played with her hair a little.
"Aww," Ella murmured. She felt Zack squeeze her thigh. He was massaging her near one of her erogenous zones. She squirmed and giggled.
"Scoot closer to me," Zack suggested, so she did. "Well, that's a nice story. Where did you meet?"
"Church fundraiser," Ashley and Ted said at the same time and then they laughed.
"They split a cookie," Ella added. "Ash tells me everything."
"It's amazing how us two poor divorced women found love again so quickly," Ashley said, and she and Ella hi-fived.
"What happened with your husband?" Zack wanted to know.
"He walked out on me...he sort of replaced Hanna and me with his new family. They moved to Australia."
Ella gave Ashley a sympathetic smile. "Your lives are better without him."
"Yes! He does sometimes contact Hanna, though, so I suppose they're invited to the wedding...Regina, his mother, will make him go. She loves me better than she loves her own son."
"Wow, he must be a jackass," Zack muttered.
"Hey, watch your language, Ted's a pastor," Ashley said. "I'm kidding...he doesn't mind swearing. He's had a few choice words to say about Tom, haven't you?"
"Yes, and I'd rather not say them here," Ted told her and kissed her temple.
"Speaking of exes, where's Byron? I haven't seen him around lately. Hey...what's the matter?"
Ashley had no idea what he did to Ella and Hanna. "He's not even worth discussing," Ella muttered.
When the drinks came around, they toasted to finding love again and second chances, and then they ate their pasta. Near the end of their meal, someone walked over to their table. Ella blinked her eyes to see if he was real. Her heart lurched inside of her chest when he said, "Hi, Ashley!"
"Detective Wilden, what are you doing here? You have a restraining order, you're not allowed to come within-"
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with saying hello to an old friend. You're looking really good these days. Ella, you look like you just saw a ghost."
Ella stood up and placed her hand on Zack's shoulder to support herself. "I feel sick. I'll be back." She rushed to the bathroom with her phone in her hand. She called up Hanna and paced while she panicked and shivered all over. "That monster..." she said to herself.
"Hello?" Someone was crying next to Hanna, and Ella wondered who that was. The door opened and Ashley rushed in. Ella nearly slammed the phone closed, but she didn't want to just cut Hanna off.
"Hi, sweetie, I-I'm sorry, I'll call you again when I get better reception." She hung up. "Mike needed my help with some homework."
Ashley gasped in and out a few times. "I had to get away from Wilden and his creepy talk. He kept saying that Hanna tried to kill him..."
"Don't listen to that loser, he's out of his mind."
"Thankfully, Ted made him leave and he called my lawyer since I was too busy freaking out. I think he's gone now."
"Can I stay in here to just...breathe for a minute? I was about to pass out."
"Sure." Ashley gave Ella a hug and left the ladies' room. She stayed there for a while and put her head between her knees. She was too faint to call Hanna again.
"Are you okay?" Ashley asked her when she returned to the table. "We're just about to go, we're waiting for the bill."
"I don't know," Ella admitted. "I'd be lying if I said I was fine."
"Okay, I'll take you home," Zack said.
"I'm sorry I'm such a nutcase," Ella said as she wound her arms around Ashley. She gave Ted a one-armed hug and then she and Zack left.
Thank you for your amazing support: Jennathehaler, Dollface129, britneymartina, feyhazelle, prettylittleliars39464, Jazzy, Emb, and a guest! Xo :D
