Long chapter just because you deserve it for being so patient! Yay, Ella is back tonight and we get a beautiful Haleb scene! Thank you for beta'ing, Jennathehaler!
Sometimes I wish I could save you
And there're so many things that I want you to know
I wont give up till it's over
If it takes you forever I want you to know
That if you fall, stumble down
I'll pick you up off the ground
If you lose faith in you
I'll give you strength to pull through
Tell me you won't give up cause I'll be waiting if you fall
Oh you know I'll be there for you
"Hanna, get up! Detective Wilden was found dead on our front lawn!" Hanna woke up to her mother's frantic voice. She groaned and it took her a few yawns to realize what had just happened.
"Wha-how did that happen?" She'd wished him dead for a long time, and she was filled with relief. She clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh my god..."
"I don't know, I just saw his body...we need to tell the police."
"How will they believe that we didn't kill him? He's right there! How about we just take him into a Dumpster far, far away from here, and burn his body?"
"We shouldn't touch him...what if the neighbors see? Hanna, you should go to school. I'll figure this out...and do you mind mailing the invitations on the way?"
"Not at all!"
Hanna got ready for school and willed herself not to look at Wilden's corpse as she left the Marins' driveway. She dropped the wedding invitations in the mailbox and then went to school with Caleb. Hanna saw Alison again as she and Caleb entered the building.
"Hi!" Alison shouted in her fake-sweet voice. "How are you two this morning?"
"We're...fine," Caleb muttered. "Is that Alison?"
Hanna nodded. "The one and only. She keeps popping up. You owe us an explanation, Alison!"
"I know..."
Just before Hanna went into her classroom, she told Caleb, "You're invited to my mom and Pastor Ted's wedding!"
"Awesome! They finally decided to tie the knot!"
"Yep! It's in six months."
"I can't wait!"
"Me neither!"
...
Caleb didn't really do school anymore. He was just there to be Hanna's personal bodyguard and hopefully, boyfriend again. He wanted to take her out on a date and buy her a promise ring. They'd already done it, but the promise ring would signify that he'd never leave her again. The simple piece of jewelry meant forever.
He set his phone alarm to go off when Hanna's lunch period started. He had the feeling she wouldn't want to be alone with the girl who tormented her back in ninth grade. Her friends would be with her, but he figured they would be too scared to stand up to Alison.
Caleb drove to a local ring shop and looked around. He knew he smelled like beer and sweat. He ignored the strange expressions on people's faces. He peered in the glass case and found a fake diamond ring with a gold trim that was only twenty-five dollars. He didn't mind paying that much for Hanna; she was worth it.
"Did you find anything you like, sir?"
Without looking up, he said, "Yes, ma'am...oh, what the hell, I'll just get two of those-one for a woman, one for a man...she wears a size five and I wear a size eight."
"Okay. With tax included, your total is fifty dollars." The cashier rang the jewelry up and he handed her his credit card. "You're all set. Have a nice day."
"Thank you." He saluted her and walked out of the store with his purchases.
He went home and took a shower. When his phone went off, he headed to Rosewood High.
...
The girls, including Alison, were sitting together at a private table where nobody would see them. "Why did you show yourself to Hanna first?" Emily asked.
"I didn't...remember in that place with the elevator? I wanted to see you," Alison said. "That was before anyone else."
"We thought you were dead, and you came to see Hanna in the hospital before you visited any of us," Aria responded.
"It wasn't my imagination...oh my god..." Hanna kept repeating with her head in her hands. She felt like she was an awkward, dorky, fat ninth grader all over again.
"Where have you been all this time?" Spencer demanded.
"I moved to Paris with CeCe. I was sick of this boring town."
"Your parents let you do this?" Hanna asked. She should've been shocked, but she wasn't.
"I'd be in too much trouble. They know I went to Paris, but since I never called, they assumed I died. Plus...I knew there were people after me. They want revenge...I'm talking Mona...Lucas...Paige...Jenna...Cindy and Mindy..."
"Paige is my girlfriend now, Ali," Emily informed her.
"You came out?"
"Yes. Mona got a makeover and now she's dead...from a car crash. Lucas is being homeschooled. Jenna's devastated over her girlfriend-"
"Oh yeah, I heard about Shana. We were close since preschool. I should go find the twins and apologize for calling them gayrons."
"Maybe when it becomes known that you're in fact alive," Spencer said. "Anyone else feel like they've taken a shit ton of drugs?"
"Yes," Hanna and Aria both muttered.
"I'm just...I'm happy you're alive. You scared the fuck out of me!" Emily hissed. "We have to find some way to tell the whole town you're not dead."
"I'll just say I got kidnapped."
"They're gonna ask who did it. You can't lie to the police!" Spencer exclaimed.
"Cyrus Petrillo."
"Who is that?" Aria asked.
"He attacked me...and I know how to find him again. I'll take care of my mess. So...let's get lunch. I'm hungry."
Hanna felt so awkward about eating anything except for salad in front of Alison, because the last time she did, Alison would question if she was really going to eat whatever junk food she was snacking on.
...
"Hey, where are you?" Caleb asked as soon as Hanna answered her phone.
"Behind the school with Alison." He could just see Hanna rolling her eyes, since the tone of her voice when she spoke Alison's name wasn't very happy. "Did you eat already?"
"Yeah, some pizza in my apartment. I'll be right there."
"Okay."
Pretty soon, he found the five girls. He took a seat next to Hanna at the end. He caught the girl who mistreated Hanna sizing him up. "Who's that?" Alison asked. "This is a private meeting, us five only! Shoo!" She made a gesture like she was waving him away.
"Caleb...he's our friend. He's not gonna say anything," Hanna snapped.
"What happened to you while I was away? You're, like, stick thin and into eating salad."
"I have you to thank for that, Alison. You opened my eyes to how fat and ugly I was, so I binged and lost a lot of weight."
"Oh, I know. You've been good at keeping off the pounds. You won homecoming queen, that's how beautiful you are."
"I think she's beautiful, no matter what," Caleb interjected.
"She could be three hundred pounds, and we'd still love her," Aria added.
"Just call me Hefty Hanna again, I dare you!"
"Hanna, stop it!" Emily shouted.
"Should I tell my story or not?" Alison asked.
"That depends on if you're gonna lie or not," Spencer said.
"No, I'm going to tell you the truth. While I was in Paris...it changed me. It was so extravagant...people were so nice...and I realized that I was a bitch back then. For that...I'm sorry. I finally got what it felt like to be abused. I was in a relationship with Cyrus, and he would always push me around and stuff. He stabbed me in the thigh one night and left me with a scar. That's when I decided to come back here. Mona suggested for me to go to Paris if I was so bored of this place, so I did. I gave her a makeover and then went on my merry way with Cece. She and Noel paid for the plane tickets and everything. They left me there alone when I met Cyrus, because I insisted I wanted to be by myself. What a big mistake that was...and so they came back here. When I returned, I met up with them and Cece decided to move to Paris and pose as Holly Varjack from Breakfast at Tiffany's, and I am now dating Noel. Sorry, Aria."
"Why? I'm no longer interested in him."
"It's not just that. It's everything...you know, with your dad and Ezra...he says that he hopes to win you back if he keeps me from danger. We met at a college party..."
"I don't need to hear that. I don't even care. I wouldn't mind if he dropped off the face of the earth, actually," Aria said bitterly. "I'm with Jake anyway. He's my martial arts instructor and he treats me special...like Caleb is to Hanna."
Caleb squeezed Hanna's hand under the table upon hearing Aria's words, and they both smiled.
"That sucks, Ezra was one of my favorite boyfriends for you. How is your mom?" Alison asked Aria tauntingly. "I bet you still haven't told her."
"I don't see how that's any of your business, but I'll have you know that I'm no longer that weirdo with the pink stripes in her hair, and I told my mom eventually, when you were gone, and she's with someone new. Don't ask me if the rest of my friends know, because they do."
"Thank you for following my advice." She turned to Spencer. "I like you and Toby together. He's much better than Melissa's boyfriends, isn't he?"
"Yes."
"Now you, Em...how did everyone react when you stepped out of the closet? I always knew you were a lesbian."
"Yeah, I already told the girls that you were my first kiss. Everyone accepts me for who I am. I'm proud of it! My mom was iffy about it at first, but I think she was just shocked. She's fine with it now."
"It's been fun catching up...but I have to go. Meet me at the Kissing Rock when you get out of class for the day, Emily."
"Okay."
She says jump and Emily says how high, Caleb thought while rolling his eyes in Hanna's direction while the rest of the girls' backs were turned.
Hanna and Caleb went to the Brew after school with Aria and Spencer. They all went up to the counter. Nobody was there at the moment, but then Caleb overheard Zack saying, "I wanna bang that hot body of hers." Caleb could only guess he was talking about Ella.
"Okay, I don't need to know that!" Spencer exclaimed.
"He must think he's alone since he yelled that...there's nobody here but us," Aria said.
"I don't even know why he would tell someone something so personal like that," Hanna said.
The owner came out from the back room and he was on his phone. "Yeah, man, I gotta go. Talk to you later. Hey, kids, what do you want this afternoon?"
They each ordered coffees and pastries. Hanna and Caleb sat on the blue leather couch while Aria and Spencer took the red chairs across from them.
"Emily's taking the day off from work so she can take care of Alison. Her parents aren't home, and she's gonna text me when she's ready to take Alison to the police station," Spencer reported. "Honestly, I don't know why she can't just tell the truth for once."
"Moving to a different country and letting everyone believe you died is insane! Though, I'm not surprised she did something like that. She always played games," Aria said.
"I didn't buy her innocent act. She put herself into this situation. That's what you get when you run away," Hanna said.
"I agree," Caleb said and put his arm around her and she cuddled into him. He caught Zack staring at them. He almost looked jealous. "Hey, take a picture, it'll last longer!"
"Sorry, guys, you're showing way too much PDA. Would you want to see Ella and me getting it on behind the counter?"
The four of them laughed. "I'm just tired. I'm leaning on Caleb, that's all. We're not a romantic couple. I mean, we used to be..." Hanna trailed off. "We're trying to get close again."
"I see. I wish the both of you good luck in your relationship."
"Thank you," Caleb said and rubbed circles on Hanna's shoulder with his thumb. "Same thing goes for you and Ella."
Zack smiled and went back to work.
"You guys are like, blushing. This is good," Spencer told Hanna and Caleb.
"Why?" Hanna asked through a giggle. Spencer was right, Caleb noticed that Hanna's cheeks were tinted a rosy red, and his own face felt hot.
"It means that you're embarrassed that you got busted for canoodling, and that you...might get back together." Aria smiled. "You make a cute couple."
"We're kinda too messed up to think about that right now, but thanks," Caleb said.
"That's sweet of you to say," Hanna added. "You know...I wanted to share some news...but Alison came back, and I felt rude bringing it up."
"What's up with you?" Aria wanted to know.
"My mom and Ted set a date for their wedding, and you're gonna get the invites soon. I mailed them today. I am so excited to get my maid of honor dress!"
"That's cool! Don't you mean the bridesmaid dress?" Spencer asked.
"Yes, and no. I'm assuming my mom's gonna ask me and Aria's mom to be her maids of honor. We're the closest to her. You two, and Emily, however, will be bridesmaids, but you know that already. Six months can't come fast enough!"
The girls' phones chimed with new texts. Spencer announced, "It's from Emily. Time to go to the station."
...
"Caleb, you don't need to come with us," Hanna told him.
"I just want to support you."
Hanna was glad to have him there with her. Listening to a crying Alison tell Holbrook her fake kidnapping story and having to back it up was so boring, and every time she looked at Caleb, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Blah, blah, blah!"
"Watching you shop at the mall in your girly stores is more fun than this bullshit," Caleb whispered to her, and she smirked.
"Watching paint dry would also be more fascinating." She closed her hand over his. After it was over, Alison ran into her dad's arms while crying. Strangely enough, her mom wasn't there. Hanna hadn't liked Kenneth DiLaurentis ever since he yelled at her for telling him that Alison was alive. She could've sworn she saw Alison outside Mona's window while they played with Mona's Ouija board. He glared at Hanna as he hugged his daughter. "I told you she was alive!" Ashamed, she looked down at the floor and focused on the patterns of the linoleum until he and Alison left the room, with Emily in tow, of course.
"She completely worships her, though I don't understand why," Hanna hissed.
"Well, I've gotta go to Radley," Aria excused herself.
"I'm meeting my mom at her new apartment. My parents are going through a bad fight and I'm afraid they're gonna get divorced," Spencer said as they walked out to their cars.
Hanna put her arm around Spencer. "They'll work through their problems, I hope."
"Yeah...me too. My dad and Melissa are acting sketchy. I'd rather just stay with my mom for now."
"That's a good idea," Caleb said.
"Are you and Aria gonna get on this Alison train too? You remember everything she did to me, Spence! She wanted me to shave my head, until you and Aria stopped her, and she gave me an eating disorder. I had such low self esteem because of her."
"I know, but we have to be civil. She can't do that to you anymore. She knows she can't."
"Of course, we'll bow down to the queen," Hanna muttered.
Caleb wrapped his arm around her. "You don't need to, Han. You know your place. You are the queen, in fact...not her."
Hanna's confidence boosted somewhat. She was walking between her best friend and the guy she loved, and it made her feel better. "Thanks. I needed to hear that."
"I know."
As Hanna was sleeping, she felt something cool and wet on her head. It slipped over her closed eyes and she woke up with a start. "What's this?" she asked groggily. She wiped whatever it was, away, and saw Alison over her with a flashlight in one hand and a razor in the other. She screamed and Alison held her down. "She's trying to shave my head!" Hanna struggled to say while Alison clamped her hand over Hanna's mouth.
"Oh, it was supposed to be a joke! I really don't want to hurt you, Hanna, so stay still. Stop your shaking, will you? You're gonna make me mess up!"
She shrieked one more time before she burst into tears. She was going to have a panic attack. The razor was an inch away from her hair when someone grabbed it away from Alison.
"Are you serious?" Spencer asked. "I will cut you with this if you touch her like that again!"
"It was supposed to be a surprise," Alison whined.
"It's a cruel one!" Aria snapped. "How would you feel if we did that to you and then we were like, 'Oh, just kidding!'?"
"You don't have the power to do that. If you don't, Hefty certainly doesn't. She's too busy being a scaredy-cat! I'm sorry you can't lighten up, Hanna. It's unfortunate but that's the way it is, I guess. Not a word of this to Emily, she's too delicate to know about our fight. That's why I drugged her. I should've done the same to you guys. Hanna would not have even felt it."
Hanna's belly started aching and she hiccuped violently. "I have to use the bathroom."
"Poor piggy," Alison muttered and snickered to herself.
Hanna got up and Aria and Spencer followed her. She slammed Aria's bathroom door behind her, locked it, and started throwing up in the sink while gasping. She was in a cold sweat and very pale. She felt some wetness inside her pants and sat down on the toilet to see if maybe Alison had literally scared the piss out of her.
"Han, are you okay?" Aria asked, her voice filled with concern.
"Yes, go back to sleep."
"We're here if you need us," Spencer said.
"Thanks, but I'm fine...really." Hanna's voice was strained.
The cramps were getting worse and she discovered she'd just gotten her period, as evidenced by the red stain on her underpants. This was real, this wasn't like the time Alison painted her brand new white pants a nasty bright red color. She searched for a pad underneath the sink while groaning in pain. She found one and put it on. Sluggishly, she went downstairs to get Advil and a glass of water. Aria's mother was sitting on the couch, watching some late night television program. She was in sweats and her hair was in a bun. Mrs. Montgomery turned to face Hanna as she gulped her pills down with water and started up for the stairs, but she slid to the floor and started sobbing again.
"Hanna, what's wrong, sweetie? What's in your hair?" Mrs. Montgomery asked her.
She wrapped her arms tighter around her knees. "I'm having girl problems. My thing just started. Alison was about to shave my head when your daughter and Spencer stopped her. Also, I want a midnight snack to go with my Advil I just took...besides, I'm hungry for cookies or a big ass ice cream sundae with cake and whipped cream and sprinkles..."
"Of course," Mrs. Montgomery said warmly. "I can make you anything you want...but first, let's get this shaving cream out of your blonde locks." She felt Aria's mom wiping the mess out with a paper towel.
"You don't know what happens behind closed doors. I have to impress Alison, and she won't like me eating very much. She controls us all the time...but it's a rare occasion where she's nice to me. She's such a bully! She's mean to everyone in school, myself included, and she favors Emily, so Em of course kisses up to her. She's competitive with Spencer...and Aria sticks up for me all the time. It doesn't stop Alison from calling me 'Hefty Hanna'. That's my nickname," she blubbered.
"Who is she to do that to you?" Mrs. Montgomery practically demanded.
"She's the queen bee. She can do whatever she wants."
"She's no friend if she thinks she has the right to insult you!"
"She's just trying to help me lose weight by having me throw up all the food I eat. I should stop whining and not be so sensitive."
"A true friend would never give you bulimia. There are better ways of becoming thinner, like a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. Besides that, you are beautiful, Hanna, and I mean it." Hanna sniffled and felt another lump in her throat as Mrs. Montgomery handed her a few tissues. She could barely see anything through her ongoing tears.
"No, I'm large and ugly. Even my dad thinks so. That's why I'm in fat camp. My mom said just to stay away from sweets...but I can't resist them."
"Don't listen to anyone who has something negative to say about you. Their opinions aren't valid. I can talk to Alison, if you want."
"I'm afraid she'll do something else."
"Hanna, if she does, you can talk to your mother, or me...or Spencer's mom or Emily's mom."
"I'd never tell my mom. It was even embarrassing to let you know about it. It's just...I don't feel that awkward around you."
"Good. I'm glad you're comfortable in my presence. Do you want to wash your hair while I talk to her...and then I'll make you something to eat?"
"Okay, but she might have gone back to sleep. Thank you, I would appreciate it."
Hanna took a shower in Aria's bathroom and then came downstairs to find an ice cream sundae on the countertop, just for her. It was small, but she didn't mind. She didn't want to eat too much. She noticed that Aria's mom and Alison were sitting on the couch and the television was now turned off. They had solemn expressions on their faces, and Alison looked very embarrassed as Mrs. Montgomery lectured her.
"Alison, you need to find compassion in your heart. Hanna is your friend, you should never treat her that way. If I find out that you've been bullying her or anyone else at school again, I will be sure to tell your mother. Is that understood?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Hanna actually thought Alison would do what she was told, and she even apologized and hugged Hanna right in front of Aria's mom.
"Good night, girls."
"Night," they said in unison.
"I have to talk to Mrs. Montgomery," Hanna decided immediately. Her eyes felt watery, just thinking about her first heart-to-heart with Ella.
"Why?" Spencer asked.
"I just do, alright? She caught me crying at one of Aria's sleepovers...and I have to let her know I'm okay now."
"We haven't had a sleepover in a long time."
"I thought about it...when Alison was with us...and she treated me like her own personal punching bag. I made the mistake of telling Aria's mom on that bitch, and she slammed a dryer door on my hand."
"Oh my god, Hanna," Caleb murmured.
"You told everyone that you broke your hand because you were clumsy in the laundry room," Spencer said.
"Yeah, well, I lied, to protect myself. Don't say anything to her about it, please, especially you, Caleb. I'm going to let Mrs. Montgomery know what happened."
"You can't do it now, not until Alison's world news. She would have your head."
"Mrs. Montgomery's always said she was entitled, Aria said so! She'd believe me."
"I know she would...but what can she do about it? You don't want us telling Alison off...Mrs. Montgomery can't either. Nobody can stand up for you without Alison launching World War Three on you. She's abused you!"
"Yeah, but I am so done being scared of her! The thing is, part of me actually is. I want to shove my stuff in her face, but at the same time, I want to stay away from her at all costs. She's fucking dangerous. It's like playing with fire. She wouldn't dare do anything with you guys around, but she'd get me when I'm alone. She might have changed for the better, but I still flinch when she comes near me. Last time we were alone together, all she did was give me a makeover. I think the best thing I can do is just leave the past behind and treat her like somebody I barely know."
"You'll never forget what she did to you. How can either of you let that go?" Caleb wondered aloud.
"That's why I wanted to go to Mrs. Montgomery...she gives the best advice. My mom does too, but Aria's mom is like, an expert in forgiveness. She got back with her ex...a year ago, before they divorced for good. I would murder Alison in her sleep if it was legal."
"Hanna, do not think like that," Spencer said sharply.
"What? I'm just saying one of my many wishes. She ruined about four years of my life...always putting me down...and you know, she really doesn't deserve to die...but I'm glad that her being attacked by her boyfriend pushed her into reality. I'm just upset. I...I feel like changing my hair...I don't want to look like her. I mean...with her around...I don't know who I am anymore. Mona made me Alison's clone, though I didn't realize it at the time."
"You're Hanna Marin, and you're your own person," Caleb tried to reassure her.
"Yeah, and Alison DiLaurentis is my evil twin. I don't want to have that. I want to be spontaneous and look totally different."
"I can't wait to see your new hairstyle," Spencer said and gave her a hug. "I'll catch up with you guys later."
"Bye," she and Caleb said in unison. Caleb drove Hanna to the hair salon and she changed her do. She went from completely platinum blonde to regular old blonde with some black streaks in her hair. When she got home, she put on a black beanie, a black tank top, dark blue jeans, boots, and an army green cardigan sweater. She applied extra eyeliner and lipstick. She looked like a darker version of herself, and she liked it a lot. Caleb did, too.
...
The girls, plus Alison, Toby, and Caleb, sat in Emily's room that night and watched the news, for what they would say about Alison's disappearance. The local news of the evening was that Alison DiLaurentis was alive and had and had been held captive for years by a man named Cyrus Petrillo. Allegedly, the dead girl in Alison's grave was a Radley patient named Bethany Young. Then, the report about Wilden's corpse being found in Hanna's front yard came on. They had yet to find Cyrus and Wilden's murderer.
"Why didn't you tell us this?" Caleb whispered to Hanna.
"It's not interesting. Can we change the channel?"
"Look, Han, your mom's on TV!" Aria pointed out.
"I woke up this morning...and I glanced out my window, and there he was. It freaked me out, and Hanna, too. I don't even know what he was doing before he got killed," Ms. Marin was saying.
"Okay, that's it!" Hanna exclaimed and switched off the television. "It's uncomfortable to watch."
"Why was he near your place anyway? Did you see him there last night?" Emily asked.
"No! I just hope they don't pin this on me or my mom. We never did it!"
"I know, it was Cece. That's why she fled the country. She said he was planning to have his way with you...and another unknown man was gonna join in," Alison reported.
"What?" everyone demanded in unison. Caleb wrapped his arms around her protectively. He was so glad she was safe from that asshole.
"A gunshot would've woken us up," Hanna said shakily. "How do I know you're not lying?"
"She poisoned him and I guess he dropped dead at the right time."
"You better tell that to the cops! I'm not gonna let my mom go down for a crime she didn't commit."
"Why would they arrest her? They'd probably question everyone who's talked to him before. That includes...like everyone in this town. Nobody would ever suspect Cece, because she doesn't talk to him."
"They know each other, Ali. You and her were on a boat with him in Cape May. We saw the photo at the police station before it was taken down," Emily said.
"I don't want my best friend going to jail for saving Hanna's ass! That's not a crime!"
"Yes, it actually is. Although I'm thankful that she killed him, it would be easier to turn her in than to watch other people get wrongly accused of it, like Hanna or her mom. She can always plead self defense. That gets her twenty years," Caleb said to Alison.
"Whatever. It's just that he didn't do anything to her. It was all because of Hanna being so attractive," Alison muttered. She received glares from each person in the room. "Okay, that totally came out wrong." She laughed. "You know what I mean!"
Caleb's heart broke as Hanna put her hand over her eyes and groaned softly. "No, I don't, actually," he said through clenched teeth. "If you're gonna speak like that, then I don't need you around us. You're the most toxic human being in this room."
"You cannot kick her out of my house, Caleb. She's home alone otherwise. It's my choice to make her leave."
"Shut up, Emily!" he yelled, and he felt Hanna jump in his arms. "Alison's being a fucking bitch! Why are you always defending her?" He deeply regretted shouting at Emily, but she wasn't getting the picture.
"She's scared!" Alison gripped Emily's arm tighter and it made Caleb angry. He hated that one of Hanna's best friends couldn't bother standing up for her. Aria and Spencer were quiet as well, but at least they weren't big fans of Alison. "God, calm down, Caleb, she's shaking now because of you."
"Oh, bullshit!" Caleb exploded. "Was she scared to give Hanna an insulting nickname, victim-blame her, and then laugh at her stupid mistake? She doesn't give two shits about Hanna! When will you wake up?"
"You've had way too much to drink, buddy." Toby stood up, and so did Caleb.
"Don't make this about him! You hate Alison as well!" Hanna shouted.
"Yeah, but I kept my mouth clamped shut."
"Someone needs to speak to her about her abusive ways!" Caleb pointed at Alison. "You better not hurt Hanna again. I don't know how you slept at night with those thoughts of torturing her in your head. An eating disorder when you guys were fourteen years old? You're sick!"
"I know, and I said I was sorry!"
"I didn't hear that apology, but you know what, forget it. You're not even worth our time. Emily, please forgive me, but I hate her."
"Fine, whatever," Emily said frostily. "I thought you didn't have a mean bone in your body. Ravenswood has really changed you."
"You don't get to bring that up," Caleb retorted.
"What is going on here?" Spencer asked. "You and Hanna used to be a happy-go-lucky, drama-free couple. I miss that."
"Yeah, where's all the sunshine? Why are you all Mr. and Mrs. Dreary and Under the Influence?" Aria chimed in. "There's too much negativity in here."
"I'm leaving," Hanna said angrily, and walked right out of the room and away from his embrace. He shook his head in Alison's direction and followed Hanna out. He sensed other people behind them.
"Hanna, don't be mad, please, I was only sticking up for you."
"I'm lucky I have you on my side. It's just a shame I can't tell her all that. I can't even get up the courage to slap her across the face."
"You should!"
"Yeah, well that would piss Emily off to no end, and I don't want that. There's been more than enough drama tonight. I need to go home now and get some sleep."
"I don't want you guys to leave in such unhappy moods. That argument was horrible. Emily was about to cry," Spencer said. "I hope you resolve this with her."
"This isn't your fight, and it's not Aria's or Toby's either. Who's side are you guys on?" Caleb asked. "Emily's made it clear that she loves Alison, and I'm obviously with Hanna. I wish Emily could see the meanness inside Alison, but she can't. It's like she's incapable of it, and damn it, Alison can go to hell for all I care!"
"Can't we just be neutral?" Toby asked. "I mean, Emily was my first friend after I got out of juvy."
"Juvy. See, that's what I'm talking about. Alison did that to you, man," Caleb reminded him. "If you pick Emily, you're also choosing the she-demon."
"Caleb, we're both neutral." Spencer spoke for herself and Toby. "I'm both Hanna's and Emily's best friend. Toby's close to you and Emily. It is possible to like one person but strongly dislike one of their loved ones."
"Okay," Caleb said stiffly. "What do you think, Han?"
"Em's awesome...but with Alison here, she's become distant. She spends more time with her than with us. I miss her."
"See, that's what I'm talking about. The old Emily loves Hanna and the rest of us to death!"
"Your mom recently gave our class that talk about slut shaming, right, Aria?" Hanna asked.
"Yes."
"You guys seemed to listen to her and take her seriously...so when Alison said that it was my fault that Wilden was on my property, why didn't anyone, with the exception of Caleb, say anything? Did your mom's lesson just go in one ear and out the other? If something isn't right, then please speak up."
"I seriously thought you'd have the guts to stand up for yourself," Spencer said.
"I couldn't decide whether to punch her in the face or throw up, and then Caleb went off on Alison."
"Um, hi, is this like a team meeting in my hallway?" Emily interrupted them. "If you're going to go, then goodbye. Ali and I are getting ready for bed."
"She's sleeping with the enemy," Caleb whispered to Hanna. "Yeah, have fun with that," he said in a louder voice.
"You should give your new girlfriend some tea to calm her nerves...just a suggestion," Hanna added.
"Why, did you poison it? Your obsession with alcohol is getting out of hand, the both of you!" Emily snapped. "You two are a couple of messes. Since when are you a goth, Hanna? What's with all the leather, Caleb?"
"You're clutching onto her for dear life, which I find pathetic. Don't you dare talk to us about changes until you've taken a look at yourself in the mirror."
"Screw you! Get out of my house and don't ever come back!"
Hanna scoffed and then they all went to their respective homes. The ring was burning a hole in his pocket, and he hadn't yet found an appropriate time to give it to her. She was way too upset about Emily to think about their relationship. It would have to wait until the severed friendship between Hanna and Emily was repaired.
Thank you for reading and reviewing, xxdare2dreamxx1 and feyhazelle!