Hi again, here the 3rd chapter of the 2nd arc: NY.
NOTE: Everything in bold italics, it will be an internal dialogue, I mean, like, their thoughts in their minds. And everything between parentheses () it's to describe the scene.
I hope it's clear and thank you in advance if you have the time to leave a review! Have a great day!
NOTE 2: The * X * it's to mark the beginning of a new scene, I mean, a change of scenario and everything between parentheses () it's to describe the scene.
NY - 3
*** Alison's narrative ***
Why do bad things happen to good people? We ask that question so often it's become a cliche. But that's because bad things do happen to good people, constantly. You just have to hope when it's your turn, you'll know what to do, how to cope, how to persevere. But the truth is, you don't know how you will react to a worst-case scenario. None of us do, not until it happens… and when it does, when someone breaks your heart, when you lose someone, when you lose yourself in a huge sorrow… you ask yourself… why did I ever let them in, in the 1st place? Why I allowed myself to feel? Just to end like this…
Alison opens her eyes and she gulps hard, since once again, she wakes up with tears in her eyes. It has been almost a month since she's in NY with her brother; her leg is healing well, her body is getting better, but her heart… her soul… they're still broken, so broken…
Jason says with concern when he looks at Alison's red eyes. – "You keep crying in your sleep…"
Alison clears her messy face and tries to sound cheerful when she says. – "Yeah… it must be that soap opera I see every night…"
Jason bites his inner cheek, he doesn't buy Alison's excuse but, he decides to don't ask the real reason of Alison's tears, since he knows the blonde will not talk… at least not yet… so he tries another angle…
Jason. – "Do you wanna go to church?"
Alison. – "What? Why?"
Jason. – "I don't know… since you were little, you always liked to go… maybe going will help you to deal with whatever is holding you back…"
Alison. – "I don't know what you're talking about Jason… I'm fine…"
Jason. – "You're not fine…"
Alison doesn't want to argue, and Jason sighs, knowing the blonde will not open up with him…
Jason sighs. – "So, I guess that's a 'no' to the church…"
Alison doesn't say anything at all, she just walks towards the table, to eat breakfast with her brother…
Jason. – "Ok… so… I wanted to talk to you about another thing…"
Alison sits, and Jason serves her breakfast…
Alison. – "About what…?"
They sit together and start eating breakfast when Jason says…
Jason. – "Like you know, my friend Jacob is getting married soon and for the bachelor party, me and my pals, we rent a house close to the beach for this weekend… so… do you wanna come?"
Alison says with sarcasm while she prepares a toast with strawberry jam. – "Yeah… I would love to spend an entire weekend with horny drunk guys…" (Smirks) "You can't be serious, Jason…"
Jason. – "You know my friends, they would never do something bad to you…"
Alison. – "I know they're decent guys but, even then… I think I'll pass…"
Jason mumbles. – "I don't want to leave you alone… maybe I shouldn't go either…"
Alison puts her toast with jam in her plate and says while patting Jason's hand. – "Come on, Jason; you're Jacob's 'best man', you must go…"
Jason. – "But you're still in recovery… I can't leave you alone…"
Alison. – "I'm getting better Jason, I'm starting to walk more… still with the crutches, but, even then, I'm very auto-sufficient, I can handle a weekend without you…"
Jason protests. – "But, Ali… what if you fall or you need something? You shouldn't be alone…"
They hear a knock in the door and Alison automatically gets an idea, knowing who is at the door…
Alison. – "And what if I'm not alone?"
Jason. – "What do you mean?"
Alison walks with her crutches and opens the door…
Alison smiles. – "Hey, you…" (smirks) "It's surprising how punctual you can be when it's about food…"
Hanna rolls her eyes and mumbles. – "Shut up…" (She gets in and smiles) "Uhmmm… smell, good, what are we eating today?!"
Jason chuckles; he's very surprised how these two blondes were becoming closer and closer, so closer, than it has been almost a week since Hanna started having breakfast with them…
Jason says. – "Hello, Hanna… the usual?"
Hanna nods. – "Yeah… but this time, don't be so miser with the bacon…"
Jason laughs, he nods and goes to the kitchen, to prepare Hanna's breakfast. In the meantime, Hanna sits in Alison's chair and eats the toast with jam that the other blonde was so carefully making…
Alison pouts. – "Hey! That's my seat and that's my toast!"
Hanna. – "Oh, come on! Don't be a baby, there are other seats and there are more toastes too…"
Alison pouts and sits beside the other blonde; she sees how Hanna makes herself another toast with a lot of jam and before Hanna could bite it, Alison takes it away from the other blonde…
Hanna pouts. – "Hey! That's my toast!"
Alison smirks. – "Don't be a baby, Hanna, there are more toastes…"
Hanna chuckles, she's amused of how Alison used her own words against her…
Hanna. – "Touché…"
Both blondes keep playing with each other's toasts and, Jason just stares at them in the distance. He has never been a huge fan of Hanna, but, he's glad that she and Alison are in good terms and getting closer because Hanna has a natural talent to make Alison laugh and, hearing Alison's laugh, it's music to Jason's ears; so, if he needs to feed another mouth to see her sister smile, then, he's happy to cook for Hanna, everyday…
Jason. – "Here, your eggs with extra bacon… happy?"
Hanna licks her lips and nods. They eat breakfast together and for a moment of the day, Alison forgets her pain…
(After having breakfast)
Hanna stands up and says. – "Ok… I already ate free, so… I'm ready to go now…"
Alison stops her. – "Wait…"
Hanna turns around and looks at Alison into the eyes…
Alison. – "Do you've plans for this week-end?"
Hanna. – "Nah… nothing special… why?"
Alison. – "Would you spend the weekend with me?"
Hanna blushes. – "Huh?!"
Alison explains. – "Jason has plans with his friends and, he's afraid to leave me alone… I don't want him to stay and don't go just because of me, so… to put his mind in peace… could you spend the weekend with me?" (She pouts and makes deer eyes) "Pleeeesssseee…"
Hanna blushes, her heart beats faster than usual, and she doesn't know why… she can feel how a smile was going to shape in her lips; why her request makes me happy? Hanna asks herself that question and, she quickly shakes her head avoiding eye-contact, she doesn't want to think about that question neither the answer of the question…
Hanna mumbles trying to sound cool. – "Well… I guess, I've to say 'yes' if I want to keep eating free, right?"
Both DiLaurentis chuckle
Alison. – "So, is that a 'yes'?"
Hanna shrugs. – "Yeah… why not…"
Alison smiles. – "Cool!" (She stares at her brother and says to him) "See! Problem solved… you can go without being worried about me…"
Jason teases. – "Well… I'm not so sure about that, I mean, leaving you under Hanna's care, it's riskier than leave you alone…"
Hanna pouts. – "Hey! I can hear you! And for your information, I have worked like a nanny before, and the kids are still alive… so, I'm not that bad…"
Jason chuckles
Alison pouts. – "Wait, nanny? You're not going to be my nanny, I'm not a child!"
Hanna smirks. – "You're right… I'll not get paid so, it will be more like my good action of the year…"
Alison pouts and everybody chuckle looking at Alison's pout. That weekend, Jason was getting ready to leave but, before going out, he makes sure that Hanna will take good care of his precious little sis…
Jason. – "So, here's the schedule of her pills, she doesn't like them, so don't let her trick you, she has to take them…"
Hanna smirks. – "Ha! Like if she can ever trick me…"
Jason. – "Can you take this seriously? Please…"
Hanna raises an eye-brow. – "I'm serious… your sister can't trick me…"
Jason rolls his eyes and keeps giving instructions to the blonde. Hanna is getting annoyed with so much rules and indications; she's thinking on changing her mind but, when she sees the fridge filled with food; she's decided to spend the entire weekend there and eat all she wants…
Hanna. – "You cooked all that?"
Jason nods. – "Yeah… I know how much you love my cooking so…"
Hanna. – "You cooked all that for me?"
Jason. – "You're going to take care of my sister, cooking, it's the least that I can do…"
These two siblings, there's really something; Hanna thinks while she smiles to herself…
Jason says while grabbing his bag. – "Ok, I'm going, you've my number… call me if you need anything… ok?"
Hanna nods. – "Got it…"
Jason nods. – "Ok… and Hanna…"
Hanna. – "Yeah…"
Jason smiles. – "Thank you…"
Hanna nods smiling and, she walks towards Alison, throwing her body on the sofa. Jason hugs his sis and put a soft kiss in Alison's head…
Jason. – "OK, I'm leaving…"
Alison smiles to him. – "Have fun Jason…"
The blonde sees how much her brother is struggling to leave her so, she says…
Alison pats Jason's arm and says with a big smile. – "I'm fine, Jason… just go…"
Jason smiles, looking at Alison's big smile and leaves.
Hanna says staring at Alison. – "Why are you faking a smile?"
Alison. – "What?!"
Hanna takes the tv remote and says while zapping the tv channels. – "Why you pretend to be upper cheerful when you're with your brother…?"
Alison drops her jaw, she wasn't expecting that someone would notice her act… especially Hanna but, she can't talk about her truth… not with Hanna, not with Jason, not with anyone… so, she does what she does best… pretend everything is ok...
Alison. – "I don't know what you're talking about…"
Hanna smirks. – "Yeah… well, keep pretending with your brother, if you want, but I don't buy it… so, you don't need to act cheerful with me, blondie… got it?"
Alison sits beside her in the sofa and nods. They watch some tv shows, they even play Jason's Nintendo, and Alison rolls her eyes, each time that Hanna wins a game and makes her victory dance…
Alison. – "Your dance is embarrassing…"
Hanna smirks while dancing her victory. – "You just say it, because you're a bad loser…"
Alison chuckles and, they keep playing till very late. At night, they make a movie marathon with Alison's movies collection…
Hanna smirks. – "Look at you, you really have a nice taste in movies…"
Alison squints her eyes to Hanna and says while throwing a popcorn to the blonde. – "Shut up, and just put the movie!"
Hanna smirks and the movie night starts. They eat popcorns, watch a marathon of old movies; they playfully throw popcorns to each other and, once again, Alison is able to don't think about anything and just have a nice moment. Eventually, both blondes fall sleep with the tv on. It was around, 2am, when Hanna wakes up, she pats the sofa, and she frowns when she finds the side beside her empty. Hanna walks towards the bathroom, she needed to pee but, while she's getting closer and closer, she realizes a strange noise, a sobbing…
Hanna mumbles while she looks at the crying blonde who's sitting in the floor of the bathroom. – "Ali…?"
At 1am, Alison woke up with pain in her heart, she can't control her subconscious mind, she keeps dreaming about her 1st love, about everything she lived in Havana over and over; and each time she remembers how everything ended with Emily, how she lost her 1st child without even have the chance to see him or named him, Alison cries, the blonde cries without stop. Hanna sees the big sorrow Alison reflects in her eyes, and she gulps hard because she has seen this look before, yeah… Hanna recalls the 1st time she saw that painful look…
*** Flashback ***
Hanna yells furious. – "GO TO HELL!"
Hanna was more than furious but, when Alison turns her head in her direction; when Hanna sees so much sorrow reflected in Alison's eyes; somehow, Hanna doesn't feel so furious anymore…
Alison mumbles with sorrow. – "I'm already in it…"
Hanna gulps hard and stays in silence while she sees the sad blonde walking away.
*** End of the flashback ***
Hanna stands there, in silence, recalling that night when she saw that sad look for the 1st time; Alison sees Hanna zoning out and she tries to dismiss any interrogatory…
Alison says while clearing her tears. – "I… I guess you want to use the bathroom… I'll leave…"
Alison tries to stand up by herself; she almost slips and, the 1st instinct of Hanna was to rush over her and help the other blonde but, Alison stops her before she could make a step…
Alison. – "Don't! I'm fine… I don't need your help…"
Hanna stays there, without moving, Alison slowly walks with her crutches and before she's out of the bathroom, she says…
Alison. – "You can sleep in Jason's bed…"
Hanna. – "You don't want to share the sleeper sofa?"
Alison shakes her head. – "It's too little for the two of us…"
Alison restarts her walk but, she stops when she hears the other girl talking…
Hanna. – "It's that the reason or it's because you don't want me to see you crying…?"
Alison gulps and, mumbles. – "I… I don't know what you're talking, I'm fine…"
Hanna. – "You keep telling that, like a broken record, but, you're not fine…"
Hanna was right; Alison was broken and, the worse part, it's that the girl didn't know how to fix it…
(The next day, in the morning)
Hanna demands. – "Open your mouth, show me your tongue…"
Alison. – "I already told you I took my pill…"
Hanna. – "And I heard you… but I don't buy it, so… don't argue with me, just show me your tongue…"
Alison pouts, she feels Hanna's piercing look and realizes Hanna will not let it go; Alison swallows hard when she opens her mouth…
Hanna. – "Aha! I knew it! You hided the pill below your tongue…" (She frowns) "Why?"
Alison says with shame. – "I'm not proud of it, but… I hate these pills… they get me sleepy…"
Hanna. – "And, that's bad because…?"
Alison gulps hard. – "I don't like to fall sleep…"
Hanna. – "Is it because you cry under your sleep?"
Alison. – "What?!"
Hanna. – "Don't play dumb… you know what I'm talking about…"
Alison seals her lips avoiding eye-contact and Hanna knows what it means and, normally, Hanna would be ok with Alison's reaction since she's not the kind of sensible girl who likes to talk about feelings and that kind of stuffs but, for some reason, Hanna can't let it go… she just can't.
Hanna makes a call. – "Hey, Mona, what's up? Are you busy?" (She nods) "Oh… I see… well, this weekend I'm the nanny of an annoying blondie, and…"
Alison pouts. – "Hey!"
Hanna laughs with Alison's reaction. She keeps talking over the phone with Mona and, when her call ends, she says…
Hanna. – "So, that was my BFF, Mona, we're going to meet her, so, you've 5 mn to get ready, let's go!"
Alison raises an eye-brow. – "What?! Why?!"
Hanna smirks. – "Don't argue with me… and, just move your ass!"
*X*
(Some moments later, in a church)
Alison asks. – "What are we doing here?"
Hanna. – "I told you, we're going to meet Mona…" (She walks fast and says to Alison) "She's inside there… come on! Move it, Ali!"
Alison freezes in front of the church, she sees the place and she feels angry, so angry…
Hanna says while she sees the blonde walking away. – "Hey! Where are you going?!"
Alison doesn't reply, she just keeps walking away, till she reaches the nearest park. With a broken look, Alison settles her sad look far away while she sits quietly in a swing. The blonde is so entranced in the emptiness of her heart, that she doesn't notice when someone sits beside her. Alison just comes back to reality when the girl starts talking to her…
The girl. – "Aren't you too old for playing in a swing?"
Alison mumbles without turning her head towards the other girl. – "I'm not playing…"
The girl smirks. – "You can't even pretend it? I'm just trying to make a conversation, you could just, you know, roll with it?"
Alison sighs heavy and replies. – "Don't take this wrong, but, I've no interest in talking with anyone right now…"
The girl. – "Mmm… Is that why you walked away from the church?"
How did she know?! Alison asks herself, so, she turns her head towards the other girl and for the 1st time, she meets Mona without knowing it…
Mona smirks looking at the confused look of the blonde and says. – "I saw you running away from the church…"
Alison. – "And you followed me?"
Mona smirks. – "Actually, someone pushed me to look for you…"
Alison frowns. – "Who?"
Mona smirks. – "I'll tell you if you tell me why you ran away from the church…"
Alison rolls her eyes, she doesn't reply, and they stay there, in silence for a long moment till one of them restarts the conversation…
Mona. – "I'm not imagining anything… you ran away from the church… why?" (She sees that Alison doesn't plan to talk so, she says) "I'll not drop it till you talk to me…"
Alison looks at her into the eyes and says. – "You're very annoying, anybody ever tell you that?"
Mona looks at her into the eyes and replies. – "And, anybody ever tell you, you're in a great deal of pain?"
Alison gulps hard
Mona. – "I'm a volunteer in the church, and I make documentaries… I recognize that sad look… I'm not imagining things…. You're in pain…"
Alison doesn't reply, neither she denies it, she just looks down at the ground…
Mona. – "You're wearing a cross necklace… that means, you're a person of faith… so, why you couldn't put a foot inside the church?"
Alison mumbles. – "I… I… I'm fine where I'm…"
Mona. – "Don't you like the church? It's a good place to heal any wound… I can tell… You don't think so?"
Alison recalls her sorrow, her lost, her broken heart and she gets angry, so angry because she doesn't understand why God put her under so much pain… she doesn't get it. Mona sees Alison's facial expression and says…
Mona. – "I see… you're mad at him…"
Alison. – "Huh?"
Mona starts swinging and says. – "You know… I believe that God makes mistakes too…"
Alison. – "What you're saying?"
Mona. – "Everybody makes mistakes, even the divinities… so, spill it… come on… give me the goods… tell me the dirt, tell me the skinny…"
Alison sighs heavy and presses her lips together. Mona looks at her and says…
Mona. – "You really think I can't tell when someone's in pain?"
Alison. – "You don't have to worry about my pain…"
She recognizes she's in pain… well that's something; Mona says to herself and then she continues…
Mona. – "You know, my uncle is the pastor of the church you just ran away and, I like to help him in his tasks… it feels good to make people feel better…"
Alison mumbles with sadness. – "You can't make me feel better…"
Mona. – "Well, someone else thinks I can…"
Alison. – "Huh?"
Mona. – "Listen, my uncle says if someone is sick or in need and you can take away 1/60th of their pain, then that's goodness… but, you can't take away a 60th of something if you don't know what it is…"
Alison. – "That's not your job… dealing with my pain, it's not your job…"
Mona. – "Trying to make a better world, it is exactly my job… I'm an activist, I do documentaries, I'm voluntary in many things… and I believe helping someone in need, it's part of my job and, I prefer to do it till the bitter end… so, come on… I can swing here all day long… so, when you're ready to talk… just talk…"
Mona was swinging when Alison says…
Alison mumbles. – "I… I'm fine… I don't need to talk… I don't need anything…"
Mona smirks. – "You're a terrible liar…"
Alison snaps. – "I don't need to talk! I can take care of myself…"
Mona. – "That's all…?"
Alison keeps going. – "Well… yeah… I mean…." (She gulps hard and says with sorrow) "I have faced enough hardship by myself… I don't need anyone's pity… I don't need anyone, not even God…"
Mona. – "Oh, and you realize that, that phrase is not an invitation for narcissism, right?"
Alison says angry. – "You're calling me a narcissist?!"
Mona. – "You know, I don't blame you… it's human nature to lose faith when something bad happens, you blame everyone, everyone becomes the enemy and then, you stay alone because you can't help but think that you're being punished, that you did something to deserve it…"
Alison stands up and yells. – "I did nothing to deserve this!" (She says with watery-eyes) "My whole life, I followed His rules… I studied, I believed, I practiced what I preached. Even after my parents' death, I did every single thing He asked of me…." (She says with a bitter voice) "I'm a good Samaritan…"
Mona. – "And that guarantees you what?"
Alison. – "If you're good, normally life should be good with you, too…"
Mona. – "And, where is it written exactly that if you do this or that, that everything in your life's gonna be good, hmm? Nowhere, in any faith, is there a guarantee…"
Alison. – "I'm not asking for everything to be good all the time… I'm just saying life should be at least fair!"
Mona stands up face to face with Alison and says. – "Fair?! Is it fair to see children dying every day because they have nothing to eat? And where is the fairness when you see starving polar bear, dying on iceless lands or drowning since they're too tired to keep going? I don't know the bible that well but I'm pretty sure, Jesus got a raw deal, too…"
Alison gulps
Mona. – "Nobody lives a life free of suffering or injustice, or it wouldn't be 'living'…"
Alison gulps
Mona. – "And if everyone lives like that, why should yours be different?"
Alison sighs hard and gulps again…
Mona. – "Now, if people only believed in God when things were good, I guarantee you, after the Holocaust, not a single Jew would be a believer…"
Alison. – "Well, see, now you mention the Holocaust, and anything I say after that makes me…"
Mona smirks. – "A narcissist? I was gonna say jackass, but okay, come on…"
Alison chuckles and then, she stares at Mona when the other girl holds her hands. Looking at her into the eyes, Mona says…
Mona. – "Faith wouldn't be real faith if you only believe when things are good…"
Alison. – "Well, so, what? The world is just cruel and random, and there's nothing anyone can do about it?!"
Mona. – "Look, someone is waiting for us, and I don't have the time to just pretend I don't know what to tell you, so, I'm just gonna tell you, okay: You sound like a child…"
Alison. - What?!"
Mona. – "Terrible things happen all the time… Terrible, wonderful, devastating things happen. Who the hell are you to know why?
Alison yells with pain. – "Children die! Children who didn't have to die!"
Mona. – "And, who are you to know why some people live and some people die?"
Alison says with tears. – "My… my…" (She cries) "My child d-… a child who didn't do anything wrong, why God gave him life if he wasn't going to have a chance to be whole, to be born…"
Mona hugs her and Alison bursts in tears into Mona's arms…
Mona says while hugging Alison. – "You don't get to know why… you can either believe in God and goodness, or you can believe it's pointless, it's cruel, and it's random whatever makes you happier. Are you? Happy?"
Alison shakes her head while she keeps crying…
Mona. – "Pain… you're in an unimaginable pain… yeah I know the feeling… God's not indifferent to our pain…" (She clears Alison's tears with her hands and says while cupping Alison's cheeks with her hands) "Listen, the world is full of brokenness… life sucks, life is pain, life is not fair… but is that reason enough to just shut yourself off, and throw the towel? No, it isn't…"
Alison breaths deeply
Mona. – "The world is full of brokenness and it's our job to put it back together again… it's to us, to make this world a better place… it's our job to live… to live even if that means to feel pain too…"
*X*
Sitting in the stairs of the church, Hanna stands up when she sees Mona and Alison walking towards her. Hanna sees Alison's red eyes and she gulps hard…
Hanna. – "Are you ok?"
Alison half-smiles. – "No… I'm not ok… but I'll be…" (She stares at Mona and says) "Thank you…"
Mona smiles. – "Don't thank me… I would have never give you a pep talk if it wasn't for Hann…"
Alison looks at Hanna and the other blonde avoids eye-contact while she says…
Hanna. – "When I saw you crying, when I saw that sorrow in your eyes; I assumed you were in need and in pain… I sucks dealing with that kind of stuffs like feelings, but I know Mona's good at it… I knew that if someone could fix you, it was Mona, so…"
Mona. – "So, I'm a fixer, huh?"
Hanna. – "Don't get cocky…"
Both BFF keeps talking and the blonde freezes and blushes when she feels Alison's lips, kissing her cheek…
Alison smiles. – "Thank you, Hanna… you took away 1/60th of my pain…"
Hanna blushes. – "Huh? What do you mean?"
Alison and Mona chuckle, looking at the confused look of Hanna…
Alison stretches her hand and says. – "It's very nice to meet you, Mona…"
Mona shakes Alison's hand and replies with a smile. – "It's nice to meet you, too… Alison…"
*X*
It was the moment of the sunset when Jason came back home. He looks for Alison and he finds her, looking at the sunset from the fire escapes. The blonde doesn't notice Jason's presence till he stands beside her; the blonde looks at him by the corner of her eyes and she takes a deep breath before saying…
Alison. – "So… about Havana…"
*** Alison's narrative ***
Life is full of painful moments, of moments that will hurt you badly, that will break you completely… but, I've to believe that even if something looks broken, it doesn't mean, it can't be fixed…
Sitting in the church, Alison is praying for the soul of her child and, she raises an eye-brow when she sees someone kneeling beside her…
Jason says with tenderness. – "Let's pray together, ok?"
Alison smiles and nods and they were praying in knees when someone else, kneels beside them…
Alison raises an eye brow. – "Hanna?"
Hanna presses her hands together and says. – "Hey you, God! This is our 1st time talking, so, don't judge me if I'm not doing it right… ok?"
Alison giggles and Hanna smiles when she sees Alison smiling.
The pain, the sorrow is still present in Alison's heart but, with Jason and Hanna at her side, the pain doesn't hurt that much anymore…
*** Alison's narrative ***
I want to believe there's a meaning for all that has happened to me till today, I want to believe, it will get better… so all I can do, it's keep breathing… so, let's just keep breathing, let's keep going in this journey called life…
