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Chapter 7
Sunday, September 5, 2010 Rosewood, PA – Hastings' Barn
Alison and Spencer had spent the afternoon getting the barn ready for the other girls to arrive. They had compiled a ton of music, junk food, and some of wine from the Hasings' liquor cabinet. Aria was due back with her family from visiting her grandparents in New York. As they were working Alison keeps getting messages from A.
Blocked: Your hours are numbered!
~A
Blocked: Your clock is winding down bitch!
~A
Alison slams her phone down in frustration. Spencer looks at her worry evident on her face. "Is everything okay Ali?"
Alison tries to shake off the eerie feeling she's had all day. "Yeah, I'm fine. My mom needs me to come home for some shit before the others get here."
Spencer can tell there is something else bothering her, but she knows better than to push her. "Okay, Hanna said she'd be here in about an hour along with Emily."
Alison cringed at the mention of Emily. "Is Maya coming?" She tries to ask nonchalantly.
Spencer shakes her head, "No she had some jazz band party thing or something to go to tonight."
Alison lets out a sigh of relief. "Alright I will be back as soon as I can,"
Spencer smiles, "Okay, thanks for the help." She says looking around the barn that was covered in blankets and pillows for their sleepover.
"No problem Spence." She says as she heads across the backyard to her house.
She walks in through the back door to see her mom with a glass of wine sitting in the living room. "Alison." She says smiling as she takes another drink. "I got you a little something." She says as she hands Alison a box.
Alison opens it to find a tank top with simple ruffles on it in her favorite color of yellow. "Thanks." She says as she looks at it. Her mom had started buying her gifts lately out of guilt especially after an incident like the one they had a few days ago.
Alison temper was extremely short today after receiving multiple threats from A. She just wanted to get out the house for awhile, so when Spencer and Hanna offered to meet her at the Brew she was all for it. However, as she was leaving her mom called, "Where do you think you are going?"
"Out!" She said rolling her eyes.
"You and Jason just got back; can't you go out another time?" Her mom asks her voice starting to rise.
"The girls are waiting." She said rage starting to bubble up.
"Well they'll just have to go without you!" She said as she downs her glass and stands up.
"Why do you fucking care, all you do is drink!" SLAP! Her mother slapped her across the face and she stumbles back.
"Go… to… your… room… now… Alison." She says in a dangerous tone.
She decides to take a shower to relax a bit. She gets out and dries her hair letting it curl naturally; she does her makeup, and gets dressed in her new yellow tank top and pair of jeans.
She makes her way across her backyard and pushes through the bushes and she gets the feeling someone is watching her. She folds her arms around herself suddenly feeling chilly as she runs the last few yards to Spencer's barn.
As she pulls the door open she is greeted by Aria and Spencer who are sitting on the couch eating popcorn and watching an old movie. "Hey Ali! How was the rest of the summer at Cape May?" Aria asks making room for her on the couch.
"Pretty boring once you all left honestly," She says squeezing on the couch with Aria and Spencer and grabbing some of the popcorn. "How was New York?"
"It was great!" Aria said beaming. "That guy I meet at your birthday Ezra was there visiting his parents and we went on a few dates!"
Spencer looks at her with a giant grin, "Where all did you go?"
"We went to the theater and he took me to the Guggenheim Museum." She says practically giggling.
"Sounds serious." Spencer said looking at Aria as she was bouncing with giddiness.
"He just graduated from Hollis and he's going to be a teacher."
"Does he know you are still in high school?" Alison asks a bit more fiercely than she meant too.
"N-Not exactly…" Aria says looking down at her shoes guiltily.
"Ar?" Spencer says waiting for her to go on.
"Well… he sort of thinks that I am a college student." Aria says softly.
"And why would he think that?" Spencer asks looking confused.
"When we were talking at Alison's party and we got to talking about when I was in Europe and he 'assumed' I was a college student." She says blushing.
"Yeah, cause there is no way that's going to backfire…" Alison said snidely.
"I probably wouldn't have said it so bluntly but I have to agree with Ali on this one. You need to tell him." Spencer adds.
"I will… when the time is right!" Aria squeaks out.
"Sooner rather than later." Spencer says with a knowing look.
The bar door opens and Hanna comes in with a bottle of vodka and a container of mashed potatoes. "What's up bitches!" She says with a smile.
"Han!" Aria says as she stands up and runs over to hug Hanna.
As Aria lets go she sets the bottle and potatoes on the coffee table and sits in one of the chairs near the couch. "You are not going to believe who I saw in town earlier?"
Spencer rolls her eyes at all the dramatics, "Han… out with it already!"
"Jenna!" She says, everyone looks around uncomfortable. "Lucas was helping her around town like her own personal seeing dog."
"I think you mean seeing EYE dog Han." Spencer says trying not to snicker.
"Whatever, she has a stick and dark glasses on and she practically was walking into poles!"
"Maybe we should try talking to her or maybe tell…." Aria starts to say.
"We are NOT talking to anyone or talking about anything to do with Jenna!" Alison says her old Alison DiLaurentis temper flaring up. "Don't make me sorry I decided to include you in our little group Hanna!"
"Ali… back off, okay." Spencer says trying to break the tension.
"Yeah Ali, be nice." Aria jumps in.
"I'm sorry Han… I've just been under a lot stress and I don't need any more with the whole Jenna mess."
The barn door opens and Emily comes in with a smile till she sees Alison and her face falls slightly. "Em!" Hanna squeals as she runs over and grabs Emily in a tight hug.
"H-Han… can't… breath…" Emily says out of breath.
Hanna lets go, "I'm sorry, I just missed you. You've been spending so much time with Maya."
"Sorry Han. I brought the barbeque and corn." She says setting it on the table.
Aria hugs Emily, "So how is Maya?"
"Who cares? I thought we were here to party!" Alison says aggravated that everyone keeps bringing up Maya. She gets a text that Jake is at her house. "I'll be back bitches!" She says as she walks out of the barn.
"Hurry up I am starving!" Hanna yells as Alison walks out.
She runs to the front of the house to see Jake leaning against his truck. "Cowboy!" She says as her eyes light up.
"Hey little lady." He says looking a little bit upset.
She hugs him tight and he winces a bit. "Jake, what's going on?"
"Nothin' you need to worry your pretty lil head over." He says trying to smile but it doesn't reach his light green eyes.
"Jacob Carter, don't you dare lie to me!" She says feeling hurt that he is hiding something.
"I have stomach cancer…" He says
Alison gasps, "Wh-What… you, you're going to be alright though, right?"
"I'm scheduled to have surgery this week and then soon after start chemo." He tells her trying to keep his voice from quivering.
Alison feels like the walls are closing in. She falls to the ground and Jake grabs her in his strong grip and holds her tight. "Ja-ke?" She says feeling broken.
"Darlin' I'm going to fight as hard as I can." He says rubbing her back gently. "How about we forget about it and we enjoy some time with your friends."
She wipes her eyes and shakes her head with a smile at him. "How do I look?"
"You will always be beautiful my southern belle." He says as he kisses her cheek. "Now let's go enjoy this shindig!"
She can't help but laugh, "Say what now?"
"Shindig… how down… you know party?" He says smiling widely.
"Got ya cowboy!" She says putting her arm through his and leading him towards Spencer's barn.
As Jake and Alison enter the barn Hanna yells, "Alright let's eat!" excitedly.
"We got your favorite Jake." Emily said with a smile, "Barbeque beef!"
"Sound great darlin'!" He says with a smile.
They all sit down and enjoy some of the barbeque beef, mashed potatoes, and corn while Aria had a salad instead of the beef. As they were finishing diner Jacob started to act a bit strange and he was holding his stomach, he took some pills from his pocket in a pill box. "Are you okay Jake?" Emily asked concerned.
"Yeah, I think the beef didn't quite agree with this southern boy's stomach!" He says laughing and playing it off.
Alison looks at him concerned and he just smiles at her and whispers, "I'll be alright little lady."
As the night wears on they all talk and catch up. They decide to play I never, but Alison decided not to drink as she wanted to be careful of what she let slip and she makes Jake a special glass.
"It's sweet tea." She whispers to Jake as she hands it to him.
"Thanks little lady." He says with a wink.
Emily grabs her flask she's brought with her while everyone else has the rum that Hanna had hidden in the barn.
"Okay, okay… I'll start!" Hanna says already a little buzzed. "Never have I kissed a girl!"
"Really?!" Emily says rolling her eyes as she takes a drink and so does Jake, Alison and Hanna.
"Wait…wait hold up there I expected Emily and Jake but you two… spill!" Spencer says.
"After Emily came out I wanted to see what the big deal was so I kissed some random girl at a bar! It was nice she was soft and she smelled good!" Hanna says with a smirk.
Aria and Spencer turn to Alison waiting. "What?" She said getting annoyed. "CeCe and I got drunk, things happened." She says like it's no big deal.
Emily chokes as she takes another drink at the ease that Alison lies with. Hanna pats her back and Jake looks at Emily understandingly.
"Alright my turn." Aria says thinking, "Never have I ever been drunk", and everyone takes a drink.
"Weak!" Spencer says, "Never have I ever had sex…" Everyone looks around as Emily and Spencer drank.
"Em?" Hanna says with a smirk. "Was it Maya?" She asks. Emily's cheeks turn red. "I guess that answers that question." She says cheering her before taking another drink.
"Did you and Toby…. You know?" Aria asks waggling her eyebrows.
"I don't like to kiss and tell but… yesss." She says in a squeal.
Alison gets angrier but she doesn't want to admit it so she throws out her own, "Never have I ever had a crush on a friend!" Everyone looks around nervously between Alison and Emily.
Sensing the rising tension Jake stands and stretches. "Yelp I better hit the road, and you little ladies could use some 'girl time' I believe it's called!"
"No, stay Jake." Emily says smiling up at him
"Yeah you can be one of the girls, just with a penis!" Hanna says with a giggle.
"Shut up Hanna! But you really should stay we're going to pig out on junk food and watch old horror movies." Spencer adds.
"Come on cowboy! You can sit next me if you get scared." Alison said with a twisted little smile.
He couldn't help but laugh, "Alright, I'll stay!"
Alison wakes up tears flowing down her cheeks, she kept having terrible nightmare about losing Jake. She decides to go for a walk and sneaks out of the barn and closes it as quite as she can but the door still creaks.
She walks toward her house as the tears keep coming and a sob rips from her throat. Her phone buzzes; she pulls it out of her pocket thinking it must be one of the girls or Jake. Her heart drops.
Blocked: Like a lamb to the slaughter, will anyone miss you!
~A
Alison feels a sharp pain as something hits her in the back of the head and everything starts going fuzzy as she falls forward on the grass…
She feels someone drag her but she can't open her eyes….
She's rolled into a hole and she forces her eyes open a slit… dirt starts hitting her…filling her nose and mouth… she tries to scream or yell but it's like she's paralyzed… the dirt keeps coming and getting heavier on her body… everything goes dark as she slips into the dark void.
Emily is woken up by a creaking sound; she sits up rubbing her eyes. Was that the barn door? She thinks as she looks around she sees Aria and Spencer sleeping close next to Hanna sprawled out on the couch and Jake asleep on one of the chairs with his boots on the coffee table and his hat covering his face. Where's Ali? She starts to panic as she hears a cry of anguish. She makes the decision to wake Jake to help her find Alison.
She shakes him gently and he sits up and puts his hate back on. "What's the matter darlin'?" He asks as he sees the worry etched on Emily's face.
"Alison's gone and I think I heard her scream…" She says as Jake pops up and they both run out the door.
"It sounded like it came from over by the DiLaurentis house." She tells him as they both run in that direction.
As they break through the shrubs and bushes they see a hooded figure with a shovel throwing dirt over something. Jake charges toward the figure as Emily runs to the fresh pile of dirt. The hooded figure takes off and a few seconds later the screeching of tires is heard.
"Jake…" Emily screams as she starts digging in the dirt with her hands, she uncovers a yellow shirt that looks like the one Alison was wearing. "Help me… she's here!"
He ran over and helps her clear the dirt from Alison's face as carefully as possible. She weakly opens her eyes, "Ali?!" Emily cries out as she sees her beautiful sapphire eyes.
"When I find out who did this to you, I'm gonna kill 'em." He says rage boiling up in his chest.
Alison's eyes start to roll back, "Ali, stay with me… please, stay with me!" Emily begs.
She hears Jake on the phone, "Yes ma'am, she was conscious when we found her…"
She hears sirens wailing in the distance as she caresses Alison's cheek, "They're on their way Ali… please just hold on… I love you…" She whispers gently into Alison's ear.
