Okay, so I was overwhelmed when I read your comments. I'll try to update soon. But that torture adults improvised called school is getting in my way. Also, I'm trying not to use as many commas. (No promises.) It's just my natural way of life to add commas onto everything. Okay, now onto the story! By the way this chapter is going to be way more "romanticish" (So yeah, I couldn't resist the lure of being cheesy.), but the mystery part shall be in here too!
-Spencer-
I grunted as Toby won jet another game of scrabble. Honestly, how many games did I have to lose to win?
"I'll be right back." I grunted. Toby raised an eyebrow.
"Can't stand to lose… Again? "He teased.
"No. I'm just… Thirsty" I said. He smiled. Of course, that took the breath out of me.
"Hurry back." He said. I nodded.
I went to the bathroom sink to get some water. I really was thirsty actually. When I turned the tap on, nothing came out. Great. Just perfect. I groaned.
"What wrong?" He asked. His face was twisted up in the way it was when we was concerned.
"Water won't come on." I said, afraid to look at him. Because if I do I would end up doing something stupid.
"Let me see. "Toby said. He turned the knob slowly. Then steadily the water came on.
"Seems to be working fine. You just turned it on too quickly. Impatient much, Spencer?" He asked, eyeing me.
"You have no clue." I joked back. He was about to leave, but a devilish thought surfaced in my head. I couldn't resist and did it.
Water went flying across the room and splattered him in the back of the head. He turned, stunned.
"Spencer!" I said, as I blushed. He walked over took water and chucked it at me. I ducked, but wasn't fast enough for the next one.
And just like that we began throwing water at each other. I don't have any clue how long we stood there, like idiots. Chucking water at each other. At some point I started laughing. And just like that Toby cracked up. Pretty soon we stopped and fell on the floor laughing. We weren't idiots throwing water at each other anymore. We were soaking wet idiots laughing on the floor. This should've bothered me, but it didn't. In fact, just the opposite. I liked it. And… when I looked at Toby and saw him laughing I loved it even more.
We looked at each other and in that small moment, something passed between us. I… I can't describe it. But it was perfect and understanding. Enough to make me shiver… In a good way.
"I love you, Spencer." He said, drawing nearer.
"I love you, Toby." I said. We got really close and then he kissed me. As always with him I felt whole.
-Aria-
I looked at Ezra ordering for us over my menu. I sighed, happily. He just looked… happy. I loved it when he was like this. It made me happy.
"Okay, you wanted a burger and fries, right?" He asked, hopefully pushing the bag towards me.
"Yes." I giggled, taking it.
"For a second I thought I'd messed it up." He sighed.
"You could never mess it up." I reassured.
"Aria. Um… I want to ask you something. I mean, I just want to let you know you can tell me. That you can talk about it." He said. Was he going to break up with me? Please no.
"W… what?" I asked.
"Y… Your friend, Alison. You just never talk about her. And I'm not trying to be nosy… But it's not healthy. I just don't want you to feel like you have to keep this all bottled up." He said, looking at me.
It caught me off guard. Sure, my parents had asked me about it, but come on. They were my parents. If I told them anything they would freak out… But as Ezra said it, I realized he was right. I hadn't talked about it with anyone, but Spencer, Hanna and Emily.
"I guess, I never really have. B… but I don't know what there is to say. Basically, she was here when I went to bed. Then I woke up and… BAM she's gone." I said, looking away.
"What was she like?" He asked. I smiled, remembering Ali's personality's and mood swings.
"When she was in a good mood, could make you feel so… So good about yourself. She was funny and wild. But also one of the best friends you could make… When she was in a good mood." I said.
"And when she was in a bad mood?" He asked, sipping his drink.
"Oh. That was horrible. Just bad. If you caught her when she was in a horrible mood… she could make you life hell. She could tell all your deepest darkest secrets. Remind you of things you never even want to think about. Discover things… Terrible things. But she was rarely in a bad mood. That was only when you got her angry. And no one got Alison angry. It was like law." I stooped. There was one person that ever dared to make Alison angry.
"But who?" He asked.
"How'd you know someone did?" I asked.
He smiled and said, "I could tell."
"Spencer. She was the only one who dared to make Alison angry. And she succeeded. Other than her no one ever wanted Alison angry. No one." I told him. He nodded.
"So she was the worst and the best?" He asked. I nodded.
"And how did you feel when she died?" He asked. The question surprised me. No one had ever really asked me about that. I mean, it was like a no-no topic.
"Honestly, I don't know if I could answer the question with one emotion. I'm kind of mixed up about it. I was… Sad that she was gone. But… At the same time relived. Ali had this… Way of knowing, everything about you. Horrible things that you'd never want to think about. When she dies, it felt… Like no one, but you knew that anymore." I answered. I didn't add on that part about A. He didn't need to know about that.
"Sounds bad. But do you ever wonder if she was afraid?" He asked. Afraid? Alison was never afraid of anything. Period.
"Alison. What is there for Alison to be afraid of?" I asked. Honestly, there was almost nothing in the world that could scare Alison. The only thing that Alison was afraid of would be the Jenna thing and she took care of that.
"What if she had a secret? A dangerous, deadly one that she wanted no one to find out?" He asked.
"Good point. So tell me, what's up with you and your new college teacher life? "I asked, smiling.
"Very good, in fact. Better than Rosewood. I might stay." He teased. I bent over the table and kissed him. Which earned us a couple hoots.
"Well, our new English teacher is good. In fact, she might be better than you." I critized. He raised an eyebrow.
"Well, maybe I should come back." He teased.
"Maybe, you should." I teased back.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted my mother entering the restaurant. Oh no. I had no clue what to do. I ducked my head, grabbed my purse and told Ezra "I have to go. I'll call or text you later."
"Aria…" I heard him call behind me, but I was already out the door. In a couple minutes, I was in my car driving home.
Remember my warning Aria, dear. –A
I was so annoyed; I threw my phone across the car. Screw A. You know, screw how wrong this would be to my mother. I was telling her and there was nothing A could do to stop me.
-Toby-
Spencer and I were sitting on her bed watching a movie on her laptop, when it occurred to me how silent she'd been. I looked over at her and found her deep in thought, staring at the screen like it would solve all her problems.
"Spencer?" I asked, curious.
"Hm?' She asked.
"Penny for your thoughts?" I asked, slowly. A wide smile slowly crept against her face.
"I was just thinking about how little problems these characters have. Yet, how it could sabatodge them. Strange, really. I mean, how do people like that live with themselves?" She asked curiously staring at the screen. Instantly Alison crept into my mind. Her slow venomous smile as she realized she had something on me.
"I think that those people find that as a sense of security. Insurance. As if that'll keep them safe from their secret being exposed." I answered. She smiled and slowly put her head against my shoulder.
"Toby, when were you expected at home?" She asked.
"Six… thirty." I said trailing off as I glanced at the clock. Way over 6:30.
"You probably should go then. I wouldn't want you to get into trouble." She said, getting up.
I walked over to the door with her, holding her hand. I didn't want to leave, but if I stayed any longer… Well Jenna would create even more problems. But this time I wasn't concerned about them being problems for me. I was concerned they'd be problems for Spencer.
"Bye." I said, leaning in to kiss her. As soon as our lips impacted, I didn't want to go. But… I had to.
"Bye. Love you." She said, as I turned to leave.
"Love you too." I said, turning around. I smiled at her as I left.
Within minutes, I was at the hellhole.
Or I suppose you could call it home, too.
I unlocked the door and stepped inside, the warm air of the house. I knew something was weird. For once, it was silent. Usually Courtney and Jenna would be arguing intently over something and my parents trying to stop them. But… tonight I only heard soft whispers.
Something within me, my gut instinct I suppose told me to come closer. As I crept towards the room the whispers were coming from, I realized it was Jenna's voice and someone else. It was a familiar voice… But at the same time I couldn't recognize it at all.
"Its different now. He's with her. It's more complicated than that." Jenna's annoyed voice said.
"Well, you're right in that pretense, but honestly. Jenna, darling it's not that hard. Expose those liars for what they did to you." The voice said. Who was that?
"Why should I? You threw the firework. You set the fire. I am indebted to them, not you." Jenna said. Was she talking about the fire? But Alison was the one she'd have to be talking too. Alison threw the bomb, right?
"You will do what I say." The voice commanded. The doors to the room were closed, but there was crack through the middle. I took this opportunity to peak through. I gaped at what I saw. Was that? That couldn't be…
Alison?
-Aria-
My mom got home around six. I was pacing my room when she came in. She was just here to get some stuff, that's all. I took a deep breath and decided that this was it. I was telling her. Before I went down my phone rang. A.
Last warning Aria. Don't tell her or you will be joining me. –A
I put the phone back down. I needed to tell my mother. She needed to know. I didn't care about A's threats anymore! I was tired of them and annoyed.
"Mom?" I called.
"Yes, Aria dear?" She called from downstairs.
"You know the guy you saw me kissing at McDonalds's the other day?" I asked she nodded.
"Well I'm going to tell you who it was." I said. She sat down waiting.
"Is it Noel Kahn?" She asked. I winced.
"No. Ew. Are you insane?" I answered for her
"Who is it then?" She asked, looking at me.
I took a deep breath. There was no turning back now.
"It was Ezra Fitz."
-Spencer-
My computer chimed, alerting me I had an email. I checked. It was A. Of course.
I wonder what mommy would have to say to this.-A
Attached was a picture of me kissing Toby at the door. I couldn't help, but get scared for Toby when I looked at the picture. What if A was following him now? I didn't want A stalking Toby. Toby was everything to me.
So I did something that I thought was forbidden to me. Something that might have gotten me in trouble. But something that might have done the opposite.
I hit reply.
I wrote back to A:
Listen, I don't know who you think you are, but you've made it clear you don't like us. You can continue stalking us, but please leave Toby out of it. He's done nothing.
A didn't reply back. I exited out of everything as quick as I could. I didn't want to read A's reply. All I wanted was to keep Toby safe.
-Aria-
At first she was still. Like I had hit her. Then she raised her eyes to mine.
"Aria. How could you be dating a teacher?" She whispered.
"He's not my teacher anymore and I didn't know he was my teacher when we… Well got together. It was all fate. Mom, I know that cheesy and all, but its true. I love him. He's worth more than my own life." I explained.
"Well, if you do love him that much, I'm not going to take him away from you." She said. I breathed a sigh of relief. It was okay. Ezra and I were still going to be together.
-Spencer-
I went to school today. The scratch on my cheek had faded to a light pink. The girls squealed when I showed up.
"Spencer!" Hanna called, running up to hug me.
"HI guys." I said, warmly as I undid my lock.
"Finally, the brain of the operation is here." Aria teased.
"Yeah, I had no one to cheat off from." Emily joked. Even though we all knew she would never cheat.
"Hilarious, guys." I said. I opened my lock and a big envelope fell out. We all looked at each other before I bent down to pick it up. Inside was a picture of me, running at gym. Probably a day old. We all looked at each other. A note was scribbled across the picture.
You can run, but you can't hide. –A
So that's it! This chapter was way more romanticish and cheesy because I got sucked in and couldn't resist the lure, but I swear next one will be so much more better, okay? More mysterishishy. If you can understand my mixture of words and 'ish.' Please review or A will get you! Ha-ha. Still, please review.