"Byron, this is a disastor!" Merideth whispered sharply, trying not to disturbb Mike. He had put his headphones in shortly after Aria had left, but didn't turn on any sound.

"Did I or did I not tell you that Aria and Mike might still be greiving the loss of their mother? The women who had raised them since birth?" Byron exasperated. He slammed his napkin down on the table and looked towards the washroom where Aria wandered off towards approximately ten minutes ago.

"Where the hell did she go?"

_ break.

"Ezra Michael Fitz!" Aria laughed. She hugged his neck and breathed in his rugged scent. A mix of cinnamon, scotch, and a hint of cherry poptart. "I thought you were coming earlier so I could meet your sister?"

"Oh, she's too busy enjoying my credit at the bar." Ezra laughed. "How's dinner so far?" Aria rolled her eyes and gave Ezra that "are-you-serious?" look. "That bad?" she simply nodded. "Well, let's go get back out there so they don't think you drowned."

"Drown in a toilet?" Aria giggled.

"It's happened before." Ezra explained with eyebrows raised.

_break.

"Oh! There she is!" Meredith announced excitedly before smoothing out her dress and looking calm. "Wait…who is that?"

"That's Ezra Fitz, a former student of Ella and I's. He's working at the highschool now." Byron said, standing up to greet the younger man. "Ezra, hey! How's it going?"

"It's great actually. I ran into this one on my way out of the lavatory." Aria gave him a cheeky smile. "I'm actually looking for my sister. She was supposed to meet me here for her birthday dinner." Ezra lied, looking around for the 'missing' Carter.

"Oh, well, how about you have dinner with us for the time being?" Aria suggested. Hopefully her father would catch the hint and not let Meredith protest the idea.

"Well, I wouldn't to impose on this…uh," he looked at Meredith who had daggers in her eyes. She probably had killed him three times already. "…this lovely dinner."

"Oh, nonsense. No trouble at all. Come sit with us. Mike, go find an extra chair." Byron stated. Mike rolled his eyes but reluctantly got up and got an extra chair.

The five sat back down again and had small talk until their meals came. Ezra's sister sat at the bar chatting it up with the bartender who later took her home that, her being too hammered to form a straight line, but sober enough to know she wanted to sleep with him, and tell him at that fact.

Aria's hand held on to Ezra's most of the night. The two talked during most of the awkward silences that were caused at Meredith's expense. The blonde would either say something wrong or something would hit a sore spot, like bringing up something Ella did. Everybody would try and brush it off, but Aria and Mike were completley irritated and annoyed by the end of the night.

A good ninety minutes later, the family and Ezra were ready to leave.

"Well, Ezra it was good catching up with you. Maybe your sister should stand you up more often." The group awkwardly laughed at Byron's lamed attempt at a joke. "Maybe one day, you'd have a spot on the staff at Hollis." Byron shook Ezra's hand and shrugged on his coat.

"Well, actually, the dean asked me to try out teaching a few night courses. Then, maybe, down the road, get an office, a lecture hall, and a teaching job." Ezra smiled. Aria's head shott up and narrowed her eyes at the back of Ezra's head.

"Oh, really?" Meredith asked, trying to butt into the conversation."

"Yeah, I actually start next week." Ezra laughed.

_break.

Aria was sitting in her car, hands on the steering wheel…not moving. Her phone had been going on and off for the ast twenty minutes, probably all from Ezra, but she mad no attempt to answer it. Now she had Boyfriend by Justin Bieber stuck in her head.

If I was your boyfriend, I'll never let you go

Keep you on my arm girl, you'd never be alone.

I can be a gentleman, anything you want.

If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go

I'd never let you go

She finally reached down and answere the phone after listening to the hook twice around.

"Hello?"

"Aria? Thank god. Listen, can you come over? We need to talk."

She just sat there wishing she had never picked up the phone.

She was happy for Ezra, she really was, but she wondered why he never told her sooner.

"Hello? Aria?"

"Y-yeah. Yeah. Ezra, I'll be over in twenty minutes."

_break.

When Aria reached Ezra's old Hollis apartment, she looked up to the third floor apartment and saw him pacing infront of the window. His hands were moving wildly, so obviously, he was practicing what he was saying. How cute.

Snap out of it, Aria; you're supposed to be mad at him.

She looked down at her wardrobe and noticed her legs had goosebumps travelling down them.

What the hell? It's not even cold out. It's a good seventy-four degrees.

Then she realized it's because she's nervous.

Of what?

Of Ezra telling her they can't be together anymore because he's going to be working closer with her father now.

That's what. Fuck.

After spending way too much time in her car then necessary, Aria stepped out and crossed her arms over her chest tightly. She was taking deep, soothing breaths too calm herself but ended up on the midst of hyperventilating.

When she got to the door, after ringing up to let Ezra know she was here and getting an immediate reaction, she was torn between taking the stairs or the elevator.

Finally deciding on the stairs, she took off her heels and walked bare foot up the three flights to apartment 3B.

Ten minutes later then expected, she walked slowly on the stairs, she arrived at the door. She raised her hand to knock but Ezra must have been looking through the peep hole because the door opened before her hand touched the wood. Her fist flew down, not enough reaction time to stop it, and hit Ezra square in the nose.

"Oh my gosh! Ezra! I am so sorry!" Aria apologized sincerely.

"It-it's fine." Ezra forgave nasily as his hand was covering his nose.

"Are you sure? Do you need ice?" Aria rambled on. She stared for the freezer and got a bag of frozen corn.

"You need to wear less chunky rings that could possibly break skin." He joked when he put the corn on the bridge of his nose.

"Sorry." She said sheepishly when she sat on the chair opposite from the couch.

After an awkward silence, Ezra sat down on the couch.

Another silence passed before Aria spoke.

"I feel like I'm in trouble." She laughed. Ezra responded by tilting his head back and smiling.

"I honesetly feel like your going to yell at me or something." Aria sighed. "I keep replaying the night over and over in my head trying to figure out what I did wrong."

"Aria. I'm not mad at you at all. I don't even know what I could be mad at you for." Ezra threw the bag on the table and went over to where Aria was sitting. He picked her hands up, making her stand up.

"Aria, I could never be mad at you..for long anyways." They both laughed. "I know it might be too soon, but, Aria…" she looked into his eyes and she saw nothing but truth, happiness, and honesty. "I love you." He whispered.

Guys, that was beautiful.

Next chapter is going to pick up at school. Shit's about to get real (:

I deleted Fate As We Know It…I know, I know. Tears.

It's going to be re-uploaded after I finish this and the sequel. Any ideas of a title for the sequel?

All are taken into consideration (:

The JB part, I legit can't stand the little thing, but I love his new song. It's beautiful (:

Oh, have you guys seen the video he, Selena Gomez, Ashley Tisdale, and a bunch of other people made to the song Call Me, Maybe? It's really funny and I really like the song. (:

-Abby xoxo