Chapter Eleven - Ready as I'll Ever Be

This day is going to be great Aria thought standing in the parking lot of Rosewood Day High School. Aria's English teacher/Ex boyfriend was now working at her school again I think should be added. This is something she decided she would not let get to her and she was determined to keep that promise to herself. This is something she remembered talking about with her new boyfriend Noel yesterday before she left his house so he could go to lacrosse practice. Aria remembered ever word in the conversation clearly and she replayed it in her head.

"I'm not talking to him" she told Noel.

"Aria you might have too, if they make him your teacher, you have to talk to him" he said. That isn't what she wanted to hear.

"I guess you right" she sighed.

"I don't think he will bother you Aria, he's not that bold"

"If he still wants me back I don't know what he will say or do" Aria admitted. Ezra had always been soft spoken and never really stood up for himself, but every now and then he would have an outburst where he would indeed tell someone off, you never know what people are capable of she thought.

"I just don't think it will matter" Noel said.

"Why is that?" she asked him.

"I'd like you to be my girlfriend" he said, Aria wasn't sure what to say, she wasn't expecting it now. Noel watched her, waiting for her to say something but she couldn't instead she leaned forward and kissed him.

"Is that a yes?" Noel laughed when he pulled away.

"Yeah, I guess it is" she said smiling. Noel kissed her again and she couldn't imagine it being any other way.

This memory gave Aria the courage to walk to the doors of the school and walk in. Hanna and Spencer were waiting for her at her locker. They looked worried and that made Aria worry, usually if her friends had something to worry about it meant she would be worrying soon too.

"Hey guys" she said when she reached them.

"Hey" they said back to her, still not telling her why they had worried looks on their faces.

"I know somethings up" Aria said opening her locker.

"Did you guys see that they replaced Mrs. Jones with Mr. Fitz" Emily said as she almost ran up to them.

"What?" Aria almost yelled.

"Yes Emily, we knew but we were trying to break it to Aria gently, not just scream it at her" Hanna said glaring at Emily.

"Oh my god Aria, I'm so sorry, I didn't know" Emily said to her. Aria could tell Emily was sincere, she usually was.

"It's okay, I've been trying to prepare myself since yesterday" Aria told them.

"Just forget about him" Spencer said.

"Yeah, he was a jerk anyway" Hanna included "He didn't tell every thing he should have I mean he has a kid somewhere for Christ sake, You tell people about that!"

"Well he didn't really know but your right Hanna" she agreed "but it doesn't matter because I'm with Noel"

"Wait what?" Emily said.

"Noel asked you out?" Hanna asked before Aria could say anything.

"Yes he did, yesterday" she told them.

"You didn't tell us that last night" Spencer said.

"I know, I'm sorry I just wanted to wait till I saw you guys"

"Mr. Fitz is gonna be so pissed" Hanna smiled "He hates Noel"

"Thank you Hanna, your really helping" Aria said to Hanna, was she serious right now?

"Oh... Ummm that's not really what I mean't..." Hanna said but the bell rang before Aria could say anything else. The group broke up to go to class Spencer walked with Aria since they had first period together.

"Don't worry about it Aria" Spencer told her when they sat down.

Aria wasn't going to worry about it, the only thing she worried about now was where her painting went. Noel actually wanted the painting right? Did he get rid of it because he really didn't like it? No, Aria concluded, nothing Noel had done could prove that he would do something like that. Aria felt bad for thinking Noel would do something like that. Noel had been nice to her since that Friday night, after she thought about it she knew his affection for her wasn't fake he wanted that art and he wouldn't lie to her if he didn't like it. That only mean't that someone had stolen it which then brought Aria back to her A days. A was always stealing things from them and giving them back when it was convenient, pining the girls against each other and forcing them to lie and sneak around. That was not something Aria wanted to think about anymore, it's obvious A was gone, there's no way the A had stolen the art from Noel's car. Then who did Aria thought as the bell rang for the end of first period she gathered all of her stuff and told Spencer to go ahead without her. When Aria walked out the door Noel was standing there waiting for her with a smile on his face. Aria was so glad to see him and his perfect smile, his blue eye lit up when she smiled back.

"Hey" he said giving her a quick kiss.

"Hi" she smiled as she smelled his Gucci cologne. Aria was growing very fond of that smell.

"Are you ready for second period?" Noel asked, she knew what he mean't. Ezra was now there second period English teacher and no was the answer to his question, Aria was not ready.

"Ready as I'll ever be" she said to him with a faint smile and she grabbed his hand, Noel squeezed it and they continued to class.

Please be sick or something Aria begged in her head or maybe fired already would be nice she also thought. Unfortunately none of those things had happened and Ezra was indeed in his classroom but Aria never expected to see what she did, well what Noel pointed out to her because she was too busy trying to get to her seat as fast as she could to notice anything let alone this thing.