I do not own Pretty Little Liars.

Chapter 10 - Silence

Paige was about to step off the porch, when Emily grabbed her wrist. "What was that for?" She asked quietly.

She shrugged. "I guess I like you," she said. "I wanted to get it off my chest." She offered Emily a half smile, hopping off the porch, grabbing her bike, and speeding back home. Spencer and Alison didn't watch the entire scene. By now, Spencer had driven off.

Emily couldn't let what just happened sink in. She was afraid to face her tomorrow at the swim meet. She was going to have to tell her the truth. It was only Paige after all, the girl who tried to drown her.

"Go Emily!" Hanna cheered, clapping her hands a little. Aria sat next to her, keeping quiet about her newly found information. Even though, she didn't get to read her essay. She planned on talking to Hanna about it after the meet.

"She's not swimming yet," Aria told her. Emily saw her from her place at the edge of the pool. She smiled to herself. Alison sat quietly next to Spencer, sulking. Glaring at Paige, hoping she'd slip and hit her head against the pool ledge.

"Are you okay?" Spencer whispered to her.

"Fine," she muttered back.

Spencer observed her. "Crying and heartbroken one night. Angry and annoyed the next morning." Alison shifted her glare towards Spencer. "You don't even know if Emily actually has-"

"Don't," she pleaded. "I really don't want to talk about her."

"Then why'd you come here?"

"I never miss a meet."

Aria turned to them. "Why are you two whispering?" Spencer and Alison turned their heads, almost simultaneously. Their lips quivered, trying to come up with a good lie.

"We-" Spencer began. How does one explain this? Hanna then turned to look at them, as Aria tilted her head, waiting for an answer.

"I needed a tampon," Alison blurted. Luckily, nobody heard except for the few folks around them, Spencer, Hanna, and Aria. She laughed, embarrassingly. "I need to use the bathroom. Spencer, come with me?" She had already stood up, and dragging Spencer along with her.

"Uh, yeah sure," she said as they were out of the room. As they left the room, Hanna got a text.

"Whose it from?" Aria asked, as Hanna looked at the message.

"Nobody," she answered. "It's just a friend." Aria nodded, mustering up a fake smile as she knew Hanna lied to her.

From Mona: I missed you in bed this morning ;)

To Mona: I'll be back from the meet soon. Wait for me? :)

"You know, you're going to have to tell them some time," Spencer reminded Alison as she closed the door to the empty girls bathroom.

Alison shook her head. "I'm not going to tell them."

"Why?" Spencer asked. "They are our best friends."

Alison thought about it. "I know, but Hanna tells Emily everything. I can't tell her, and it wouldn't be fair to leave her out if I tell Aria."

"What about Emily?"

"What about her?" Alison asked, unable to answer the question.

"Well, you know how Emily is," she started. "She doesn't know you saw something last night, and if you avoid her, she'll be hurt."

Alison sighed. "I can't talk to her, not right now."

"Why not?" Spencer asked. "You don't even know if Paige and her are, you know, an item."

"Yeah, well, I don't want to find out either," she said.

Spencer pondered for a moment. "Why don't you ask her about Paige?"

"I don't want to come off as jealous," she answered. "I don't really want her to know unless I know she feels the same."

"Then don't come off as jealous. Come off as the curious best friend," she suggested. "And how are you going to know if she feels the same way if you don't ask her."

"I don't know. Can I get the thing now?" Alison asked, changing the subject.

"What thing-?" Spencer furrowed her eyebrows until realization hit her. "Wait, you were serious?"

"Yes, I was serious," she answered, holding out her hand. "Do you have one or not?"

Stuttering, she reached into her bag to get it. "Uh, yeah." She took it out of her bag, and handed it over.

"Thank you," she said, going into the stalls.

Emily occasionally turned to look over at Hanna, but saw no signs of Alison or Spencer. To her luck, Spencer came back, but still no Alison. She had hoped she wouldn't get caught looking at them, but Hanna gave her a big thumbs up. It warmed her heart, and she felt a little bubbly inside.

She knew she was going to have to talk to Paige about it later. And then, if there are no interruptions, she'll tell Hanna everything. Today, she all of a sudden has this new burst of confidence. Her team member was swimming closer towards her as she noticed Toby cheering her on in the stands. She put on her goggles, adjusted her cap, and prepared to jump in.

"Hey, Spencer!" Toby called from his spot close to Hanna and Aria. Spencer smiled, walking over, and sitting down next to him. He wrapped an arm around her. Alison had already come back by then, in time to find Emily already in the middle of the pool line.

"Hey," she nestled her head in his shoulder. "You didn't tell me you were coming to Em's meet?"

Toby picked up his head, and looked at her in confusion. "Actually, I did. A few days ago."

"Oh," Spencer pursed her lips. "I guess I forgot."

He gave her a sad smile. "Did you also forget about our date tonight?"

She sighed, feeling her throat closing. "I'm sorry. I spaced, again," she apologized quietly as they watched Emily reach the end of the pool in first place. Excited, the five of them stood up and cheered happily. Another win for the Rosewood Sharks swim team. Spencer turned back to Toby, quietly. "How about I come over after this meet? I'll stay the entire day and night, I promise."

"You don't have to do that," he started to object, thinking that maybe she didn't want to do that.

She took both of his hands. "I want to." She leaned up, and kissed his cheek. "The whole night."

"Are you sure?" Spencer nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. "Okay." He leaned his head down, and kissed her lips.

"Come on," she said. "Let's go congratulate Emily on her win."

When the pair arrived, Emily and Hanna were involved in an incessantly long hug. Toby coughed, to break the seemingly endless arm lock. When he looked down at Spencer, he saw a flash of jealousy enter her eyes. In a blink of an eye, it was gone, just as quickly as it arrived. It was in Alison's eyes too, and Alison knew it. Spencer, on the other hand, was clueless. Her feelings for Hanna were still latent to her, but it was definitely there.

They all took turns to hug and congratulate Emily, before going their separate ways. At least, Spencer and Toby have gone back to Toby's loft. Hanna planned to go back home, but stopped at Aria's car as she asked to talk to her. Emily went to go talk to Paige, and Alison followed her after bidding her goodbye's to the others.

It was only about half past twelve in the afternoon.

Emily ran out to the courtyard where she found Paige. "Hey, Paige!" She called, tapping her shoulder to get her attention. She lowered her voice. "I was wondering if we could talk? About last night?" Alison was a few feet behind them, hiding behind the brick pole to conceal herself away from the two.

Paige was quick to apologize. "I'm sorry I kissed you," she began. "But I was thinking that maybe we could go out sometime?" Alison wanted to scoff, until she heard Emily's voice again.

"Paige, I'm sorry," she started to say. "I don't want to lead you on, but there's somebody else."

The two of them were silent for a long moment, until Paige spoke up again. "Who?" She asked quietly, feeling the lump in her throat closing. She was upset, however, she smiled as she wanted Emily to be happy.

"I think I'm in love with my best friend," she gulped. "Please don't tell anyone?" Alison felt her heart skyrocket, and then her hope was lost again. She had that sinking feeling in her stomach, thinking that it wasn't her. Her chest tightened, and her throat was closing. Her pessimism made her think that she wasn't the best friend she was talking about. Could it be Spencer, Aria, Hanna? They seemed to be pretty close today at the meet. But there was still a big part of her that hoped it was her.

"I won't, but you should tell her how you feel. I want you to be happy."

"So what's up, short stuff?" Hanna asked at her spot in the passenger's seat.

"This is going to sound a little bitchy," she began. "But are you gay?" Aria said it in a more confronting tone, rather than a calm and reassuring one.

Hanna looked at her, gulping. "What?"

"Ezra told me about your essay," she revealed. Fitz. Hanna hissed his name in her mind. "and he told me about you and Mona."

"I was going to end it with her today, maybe."

"What do you mean maybe?" Aria asked. "So this is true?"

Hanna huffed. "Yes, it's true," she said. "I was going to end it with her yesterday, but stuff changed and I don't know what happened. I just chickened out."

"Is it because of Emily?"

Hanna looked at her, getting even more pissed off at Mr. Fitz. "My essay wasn't about Emily."

"Then what was it about?"

"Mona."

"If it was about Mona, then why is Spencer and Emily mentioned?"

Hanna turned her head at her, raising her hand to her forehead to hold it in place. "What makes you think it's about Spencer and Emily?"

"Sam and Elliot Fisher?" She questioned. "You made Emily a boy?"

"Okay, Elliot Fisher could also mean Ezra Fitz."

Aria exhaled. "I don't think you'd talk about Ezra in a short story where you're trying to figure out your sexual orientation."

"Why do you even care?" Hanna snapped, angry that Aria found out. Her tone scared Aria a little bit. A tension filled silence filled the car.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I just feel a little left out." Hanna clenched and unclenched her jaw. "Han, are you in love with Emily?"

Did something happen between Hanna and Emily the night's previous? Hmm hmm.. Is anyone else tired of Mona?