Aria's room was pitch black and both she and Emily laid in silence. It was midnight and Ella and Byron had finally cleaned up most of the dishes and trash from the party. There were a few stragglers lingering that were two drunk to drive themselves home. The girls found this funny, seeing as they were all their teachers. At one point Mr. Haught had climbed on the table and declared an unseeded love for pineapple. The girls took themselves upstairs after that, even Aria, who had to tear her eyes away from a laughing Ezra, deciding that seeing their teachers drunk and wild wasn't something on their to-do lists.

Hanna and Spencer were still awake but somewhere downstairs. Aria, too struck with love, wasn't adding much to a conversation and Emily was so deep in thought with her conversation with Rebecca that neither Spencer or Hanna could get through to her. Emily had been very mum about what had happened inside when Hanna visited her on the porch. Admitting defeat, the two non love diseased girls hid themselves away in the quietest corner of Aria's downstairs.

"So they made up," Hanna looked over to Aria's parents. They were still smiling but they both looked tired and worn. A couple of the sober teachers were gathering those too trashed to drive and leading them out the front door.

"Apparently." Spencer popped a raison in her mouth. "Judging by the goo goo eyes they kept sending each other from across the room."

"Have you had a chance to get to Melissa's phone?"

"No,"

"Spencer-"

"I know, it's important. She watches that phone like a dog watches a squirrel. If I went anywhere near it, she would claw me. I've offered to make calls for her and do work and everything but she won't budge. That phone is not going anywhere."

"Have you talked to Jason anymore?"

"About that," Spencer lowered her voice. "I'm getting a bad feeling about Jason. He's never been a great guy but he seems crazed, Han. Most of the day he spends ripping apart boards and digging holes in the backyard and I hear hammering and saws going all the time. What if he's looking for something?"

"Like what?"

"Alison was sneaky. Don't you remember her telling us that once she hides something, it isn't found until she wants it to be? What if Alison had something of Jason's and he bought the house back from Maya's parents because he realized that it was somewhere inside."

"Even if that were true," said Hanna. "What does that have to do with us? He probably just wants his porn magazine back,"

"No. He's desperate. You don't hear him tearing up that house everyday. It's like something in that house will prove who killed Alison. I've never seen him so determined."

"So he thinks he has proof?"

"Or he's trying to hide proof,"

"Why would he hide something that would prove who killed his sister?"

"Ian never liked Ali. What if Jason was the third person we were talking about?" Hanna looked as though she were about to protest and Spencer shoved a raison in her mouth. "No, really. I know we said there being a third person wasn't practical but Jason is acting really suspicious. Jason and Ian were friends and when I asked about Jason to Melissa she got really quiet and uncomfortable."

"So what," Hanna swallowed. "Jason helped Melissa and Ian kill Ali?"

"Jason and Ian were high that entire summer. Maybe he found Ali and Ian together and got really pissed. He was high. Ian yells at Ali. Melissa shows up and starts yelling at his sister too. They all get into a fight and someone kills Ali. They don't realize who. I mean, if they're all high and struggling they're not going to know who threw the final blow."

"I don't know, Spence. That seems pretty far fetched. Why would Jason come back now, then? Why not stay away? All eyes are on Ian."

"For the same reason that Ian didn't stay away. Melissa."

"Oh come on,"

"It's not the most absurd theory we've come up with."

"No, but it's close."

"Maybe him and Melissa had a thing going," Spencer shrugged. "Or maybe he just really cares about Melissa. Jason is guilty of something, though. I can feel it."

"We all felt Toby was guilty of something too, Spencer."

PLL

On Sunday, Emily was the first one awake. She pulled on jeans and a t-shirt that she found on the floor. Not caring if it was hers or Aria's, Emily ran downstairs and out the door before anyone could tell that she had woken up. She bypassed her car and chose to walk instead.

It was only a five minute walk to Maya's. It might have been ten, but Emily wasn't going slow. She didn't care that it was only eight o'clock in the morning, either. Emily didn't hesitate as she pounded on the door with her fist. She could hear shuffling inside and a light flicked on. Emily's stomach was in knots as the door slowly opened just a crack so the person on the other side could see who was at the door. Seeing it was Emily, Maya swung the door open all the way. She was still in her dark green pajama bottoms and a tank top that showed her belly button. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Maya waved Emily in.

"You look pissed," she said tiredly.

"Damn right I'm pissed." Emily spat. "Rebecca?"

"What about her?"

"You lied!"

"Oh." Maya just shrugged and plopped down on the couch. This house was much different than their previous one. There were still boxes all over and the walls were such a putrid orange color that Emily contemplated asking to change rooms just to avoid it. There were unopened cans of pant lined against the wall and paintbrushes stacked on boxes. Most of the furniture was covered in plastic wrap. The couch that Maya sat down on was crunching and crinkling from the paper that was protecting the fabric.

"Why would you lie?"

"Why would you care?"

"Don't," Emily warned. "Don't even for a second pretend that I don't care about you. Don't for a second try and tell me that I shouldn't care." Maya was still rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Emily, you lost the right to care when you publicly broke up with me the day after we slept together."

"There are reasons."

"Which you refuse to tell me,"

"Because I don't want you to get hurt!"

Maya lost it. She stood up, her arms flailed out to her sides, and her voice rose so loud that Emily was sure even the neighbors were awake now.

"I'm already hurt, Em. What more can you do to me?" Emily frowned, not having anything to say. "I could have stayed, you know. Where I was. I could have stayed. I made friends there and there was a girl I got along with really well. She liked me, too. But I came back for you. I did nothing with her because I was still so in love with you. I waited for you. Did you wait for me?" Emily stayed silent. "Yeah. I figured. Who was she?" Awkwardly, Emily shuffled her feet.

"Her name was Paige." mumbled Emily. "She was on the swim team with me."

"Did you love her?"

"No," she said quickly. "No, it wasn't like that. Paige was struggling with being gay and she kissed me one night. We went on one or two dates, but it wasn't anything serious. She was too in the closet."

"Anyone else?"

"Not really."

"Not really?"

"A girl named Samara," Emily could feel the heat rising from her cheeks. "We went on one date. I met her when Paige wanted to meet with a group that helped gay teens."

"Did you love her?" Maya asked accusingly.

"We went on one date, Maya."

"So did we."

The girls were silent. Emily sat next to Maya on the couch. She had never thought much of dating other girls when Maya was away. She missed her but Emily assumed that they had broken up. Maya never returned her calls and when they spoke it was brief and awkward. Emily jumped when Maya's hand snaked into her own. Her fingers clasped tightly down on Emily's hand. Emily looked up at Maya, their brown eyes so very similar and so very different all at the same time staring into one another. Maya pressed her lips to Emily's smooth hand.

"I love you." she whispered. Emily's stomach flipped. "I said I could handle whatever secrets you were keeping and I meant it. But I thought you meant what you said, too. You said it wouldn't tear us apart and you're doing exactly that." Sighing and pulling her hand away from Emily's, Maya stood up. "I told you that I was dating Rebecca because in that moment I wanted to see if you cared. It was stupid and mean. I'm sorry. But I can't do this, Emily. I can't keep seeing you every day and knowing that you chose this for us despite everything we went through."

"Maya,"

"I'm thinking of spending some time with my aunt in New York." she said. "She lives alone and likes company. There is a music school that I was accepted to a few months ago. It's really nice," Emily could feel her heart beating so fast that she was sure it would rip from her chest. "I'll probably finish out at Rosewood. It would be stupid to leave right now. There are only a few months left."

"Don't leave."

"There isn't anything left for me here." Maya smiled, but Emily saw how tight and forced it was. "I'm not going to stick around and wait for someone who has no idea what she wants."

"I want you."

"No," Maya took Emily's hand again and kissed her cheek. Emily, shaking, wrapped her arm around Maya's stomach and pulled her in. Maya didn't struggle. The girls hugged, each of them secretly trying to remember how the feel of the others body meshes into their own. When they pulled apart, Maya looked at Emily seriously. "You can change it, you know. Just tell me what you think you can't."

Emily turned away and stepped out the front door, only pausing long enough to make sure her shoes were on properly, and she ran the entire way back to Aria's house.

Now that the girls were allowed to be seen together again, Hanna didn't want it. Given any other day, she would have been dying to be close to them and talk. But not today. Hanna was on a mission and as she scoured the cafeteria for person she most wanted to talk to, she had to duck behind a large pillar to avoid Aria's looking eyes. Sliding out a door and pushing past a crowd of overly excited freshmen, Hanna passed down the hallway and peeked into different classrooms. Lunch at Rosewood was split into three different sessions and Hanna wasn't sure which lunch Maya had. There had only been a handful of times that Hanna had seen Emily and Maya together at lunch and Hanna was quite sure that Maya had been skipping whatever class she was supposed to be in to spend time with Emily.

It was the slamming of a door somewhere down the hall that made Hanna turn around. Maya was standing not too far down the hallway at a locker. She was flipping through books and digging through her backpack looking for something. Before she could get away, Hanna ran forward.

"Hi," she said breathlessly.

"Oh," Surprised, Maya dropped her bag. "Hi."

"Look I know you probably don't want to be here talking to me." Hanna picked up Maya's dropped bag and handed it to her. Maya looked at Hanna nervously and stuffed the bag into her locker. "But if you could just hear me out?"

"If this is about Emily-"

"-it is. But I promise I'll be quick."

"Fine."

"Emily loves you," Hanna pushed out. "I've known Emily for four years and I've never seen her so in love with someone in my life. I mean, I didn't realize she was a lesbian and I didn't realize she was in love with Ali when she was but looking back I totally see it. Anyway, she loves you Maya. She is struggling with a lot right now and I know you don't understand it but can you please just trust me?"

"It's not a matter of trusting you. I know Emily is going through a lot. But the fact is, she put it on our relationship."

"Because it affects your relationship. She's protecting you."

"I don't need protection."

"But Emily needs to protect you."

"From what? From who?"

Hanna thought for a moment. A, of course. But ultimately Hanna was confident that Emily was more concerned with protecting Maya from herself. Emily was blacklisted, essentially. A drew a target on her back and had Emily in constant eye. All of the girls were dangerous and to no fault of their own.

"From herself," Hanna didn't delve further. "Don't give up on her." Hanna stuffed her hand in her pocket and produced a thin envelope. There was no writing on the front but the pack flap was sealed shut. "Take this." She felt as though she was always whispering, but Hanna lowered her voice and looked around. "Go into a bathroom stall and read it. When you've memorized everything on the page, I want you to take this," Hanna handed Maya a tiny lighter. "Go outside and burn it until there is nothing left. Make sure you follow everything I wrote. The rules, everything."

"Is this a joke?" Maya cocked an eyebrow.

"Not at all. Make sure no one sees you burning it, either."

"This is ridiculous." she slammed her locker shut and pushed the envelope back at Hanna. "And I feel like it's illegal, too. I have enough marks against me, thanks."

"Fine, don't burn it. Maybe that was dramatic. Just destroy it. Rip it into a million little pieces until there is no way anyone can put it back together. Just please," Hanna handed it back to Maya, this time less forcefully. Maya looked at it. "Take it." Hanna shook the letter in her hand. Biting her lip, Maya slowly pulled it from Hanna's fingers. She didn't look at Hanna again. Maya walked away.

Hanna walked back into the cafeteria praying that Maya followed every single rule she put in the letter.

Short chapter today. I just don't have it in me to keep going. Next chapter will be pretty long, I'm just feeling a little depressed today and I don't think I can crank out a good enough chapter for you guys.

Check out the one-shot I put up last night revolving around Hanna's issues. It's on my profile and it is called "Broken Promises". It's a bit of a debbie downer but it was how I was feeling last night.

It's only one chapter and will stay that way. Let me know what you think.

-Lis