Ella POV

I sighed as I made my way into Rosewood High. I didn't get any sleep. My mind kept wondering back to Aria and Ezra. Maybe I should find out a little more about what's going on between them before I decide whether or not to confront Aria. They both seemed to smile a lot when they're around each other. I had seen the way he looked at her at the museum. Even from a distance, the glow in his eyes as he peered down at Aria was unmistakable. He was falling in love with her. At the time, I couldn't place the feeling that came with the glow but after a series of endless night pondering it I came to only one conclusion. Ezra Fitz was falling in love with Aria Montgomery. Maybe he was already in love with her. The question I had was: did Aria feel the same? Or were her feelings more of a crush on her English teacher.

I walked into the cafeteria at the beginning of lunch and scanned the crowded room. I saw Ezra sitting alone at a table looking down at his thermos. I weaved in and out of the people until I stood beside him. "Mind if I join you?" I asked politely. His head snapped up. He stood and held out a hand to the chair offering it to me. As I sat so did he. Damn. He was a gentleman. One more reason for every woman on the planet to love the guy. I smiled at him as I popped the lid off the container holding my salad. "You want some of this?" I asked when I noticed he didn't have any food.

He held up his hand and shook his head. "I already ate. Last period is my free period so I ate it then. Thanks anyway, though," he quickly added. I smiled and nodded at him. I felt the seat next me being pulled out. I glanced over my shoulder to see Ms. Welsh sitting and scooting it closer to the table.

"Hello, Ezra," she smiled flirtatiously at him. He gave her a reserved but polite smile in return. "How was your couple of days off? Where'd you go?" she asked curiously.

"I went to New York for an auction," he responded.

"An auction? Did you get anything?" she asked.

"It was a silent auction. A private book signing and coffee with the author," he said. I had pulled out some papers and was flipped through them when he responded to Ms. Welsh's question.

"You know, I really liked his early work," she replied. I looked up and saw her smiling at him lovingly. "That book about the teacher in Newark." I studied him as he took this information in.

"So, do you want coffee with Leonard Adams and an autographed book?" he asked her. The look on his face said he wanted nothing more than for her to reject the offer. I knew very well that she was going to say yes. She thought this would be her chance at a date with the guy. She was pining after a guy who was probably more than half her age.

"Count me in!" she said happily.

"What was the name of the Newark book?" I spoke up.

"Looseleaf," he responded softly. If I remember correctly, the book had been about a teacher who went to prison for being in a romantic relationship with a student. Ironic.

"That was good, wasn't it?" I asked. I hated Adams with a passion but that was actually the only book he ever wrote that I enjoyed. Once again, ironic. Ezra nodded.

"Well, why don't you come with us, Ella?" I was surprised she asked me. She turned her attention to Ezra who was nervously holding his thermos. "How many people can you bring?" she wondered.

"As-As many as I want," he stated as he shifted nervously in his seat.

"Well, come with us, Ella!" Ms. Welsh said again.

"All right, I will," I replied smiling at Ezra. He looked petrified. I was going to go have a coffee with an author I didn't like with my daughter's boyfriend/teacher and the woman who is pining after him. This should be…interesting.

Ezra leaned back and took a swig from his thermos. I picked up my fork and started to eat my salad. I looked up when I heard a harsh, intense voice.

"I'm looking for Coach Walton." Nick McCullers.

"Is the coach expecting you?" Ezra asked as he looked up at the angry man.

"The coach is avoiding me. That's what the coach is doing," he said loudly. The chatter of the students in the cafeteria silenced.

Ezra stood to meet Nick's height. "Are you a parent?" he asked completely oblivious as to who was standing in front of him.

"Yes, I'm a parent," Nick scoffed. "Nick McCullers. My daughter's Paige McCullers."

"I have your daughter in English Comp. I'm Ezra Fitz," he said softly holding out his hand.

Ignoring Ezra's outstretched hand, Nick continued domineeringly, "The coach."

"Tell you what. Why don't we walk down to the principal's office and see if we can't find Coach Walton?" Ezra was doing his best to calm Nick but little did he know that very few people were ever able to do that. Especially when it came to Paige, his prize daughter who could do no wrong.

"I've seen the principal," he said loudly, "and all I got was a lot of politically correct doubletalk about the agenda in this place that's penalizing my daughter. Taking opportunities away from her and giving them to someone who doesn't deserve them." He must be talking about Emily. Aria told me that Emily and Paige were competing for anchor and that Emily ended up getting the spot.

"Everybody gets a fair chance here, Mr. McCullers. We go out of our way to make sure that that's how it works." Although Ezra's voice remained low and calm, it was lined with dead seriousness. He knew exactly who Nick was talking about and why he was there. It had nothing to do with Emily getting the spot. This was about Emily being gay.

"My girl is the best swimmer on that team and you can't give it to somebody just because-"

Ezra was quick to jump in. "You're in a cafeteria, Mr. McCullers, filled with kids trying to have lunch." Ezra was angry. "I don't think that's the audience you want, is it?" I had to applaud Ezra in that moment. If I had been the one confronted with Nick, there was no way I would be able to remain calm like Ezra did.

Nick looked down in defeat. Ezra stepped sideways and held his arm for Nick to go first. After he walked by, Ezra looked down at Ms. Welsh and me before following Nick to the principal's office. I looked over at Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and…Emily. She looked like she was somewhere between shouting and crying. Aria looked at me and gave a soft smile. I stood and followed Ezra and Nick.

"I can guarantee you, Mr. McCullers, that's not the reason Emily got the spot. Emily's been in my class all year and if there is one thing I know about her it's that she doesn't take anything unless she is fully sure that she deserved it." I heard Ezra say as I rounded the corner. Nick looked down before storming into the principal's office. Ezra sighed in frustration as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Everything okay?" I asked him softly. He opened his eyes and looked at me as he clenched his jaw. He nodded as he took a deep breath and placed his hands on his hips. "That was very brave of you," I said. He looked baffled at me. I smiled. "Not too many people are able to handle him like that. He's a loose cannon, always has been."

Ezra sighed. "Big fish?" he asked with a smirk. I nodded. "Great. He'll probably do everything in his power to get me out of a job."

"I'll talk to the principal in your favor if that happens," I reassured him. "I'm sure the rest of that cafeteria will, too." He gave me a wide smile.

He shook his head. "It bothers me. When he got out here he made a comment about Emily being gay. He said it was the only reason they gave the spot to her." He took a deep breath to calm himself. I squinted at him. "My brother's gay." He shook head. "Was gay. He killed himself a few years for pretty much this reason. Everybody looked at him differently, like he was a disease. Treated him like one, too."

I sighed. "I'm sorry," I spoke quietly. He sniffled as he looked down. He shook his head.

"Luckily, my older brother was there for me, you know, to help deal with it. My parents weren't exactly happy with the idea of Rick being gay." I nodded in understanding. I'm sure Emily's mom didn't take the fact that her daughter was gay lightly. Pam was very traditional. She was very set in her ways. She loved Emily but it was going to take her a while to come to terms with Emily being gay.

I stood there silently, unsure of what to say. He sniffled again before looking back up at me with red rimmed eyes. He smiled. "Thanks, Ella." I smiled back and nodded once. He turned and slowly made his way to his classroom.