Ezra woke up to a pounding on the bedrooms door. He quickly jumped out of bed, flicked the light on and opened the door, which was no longer locked.
"Where's Aria?" Caleb said bursting into the room. "Oh my God she's gone too!" he screamed.
Ezra looked back at the bed, noticing Aria wasn't there. He panicked. He quickly checked the bathroom, but she wasn't there. He raced into the kitchen where Caleb and Toby were, also freaking out like him.
"Gosh dang it there gone!" Toby yelled hitting the counter.
"Have you called them?" Ezra said.
"Yes, a million times." Toby said.
"How did I fall asleep? I tried so hard to stay up and watch Hannah." Caleb said hurt.
"I tried to stay awake too, how did we all manage to fall asleep? Ezra asked.
"Gas," Toby said quietly. "A gased us!
"What?" Caleb and Ezra said.
"You know the loopy gas the dentist gives you before they chop out your teeth? I smelt it last night before I remember falling asleep." Toby said.
"I smelt it too!" Ezra said.
"Okay but that doesn't help us find the girls." Caleb said nervously.
"You can't track them at all?" Ezra asked Caleb. Suddenly, Ezra's phone rang. "It's Aria!" he quickly answered. "Hello?? Aria?? Where are you are you okay?" He quickly blurted out. They boys eagerly awaited an answer. Suddenly they heard all the girls scream. "Aria?" Ezra yelled.
"Spencer? Hello?" Toby yelled.
"Please don't hurt us," they heard Hannah yell.
"Hannah please where are you?" Caleb yelled, tears filling his eyes.
"We will do anything," Emily said.
"What did we do to you that was so horrible you'd want to kill us?" Allsion asked crying.
"What did YOU DO?" a voice yelled. It was obviously female. "Allison, you have all the looks, all the boys, a rich family, and I NEVER had any of that!! It isn't fair!!" the girl screamed. "And Spencer, so hardworking, but you ALWAYS got the big houses and good grades just handed to YOU!"
"Jackie please!" Spencer screamed in terror.
"Jackie?" Caleb Ezra and Toby said.
"And little Emily, your beautiful! You have the perfect group of friends who love you and accept you for who you are. I NEVER HAD THAT. I always had to do everything to get my way to the top, and when I did? Someone would knock me down."
"Please dont-" Emily began.
"Shut it, or it's gonna happen faster." Jackie said.
"And little Aria. You stole EVERYTHING from me!!!" Jackie yelled. "Ezra was everything I ever wanted. But all he would talk about was you. Aria this Aria that. I was SICK of it!! He'd always say how much fun you all would have together, and how great and amazing his friends were. He never talked about me that way. AND ITS NOT FAIR HOW YOU ALL ARE PERFECT AND HAVE EVERYTHING." Jackie screamed. "And now you'll pay."
"WAIT NO PLEASE!" all the girls screamed.
Ezra Toby and Caleb looked at each other in panic.
"Where are we?" Aria asked dumbly.
"Are you seriously asking me that Aria? Not like you'll love to tell though. We're in the basement of the community south beach clubhouse." Jackie then began to laugh.
"Let's go!" Toby exclaimed and the three boys ran out the door and got in the car, still on the phone with Aria.
"Somebody please help us!" Hannah yelled.
"There's no use Hannah. Nobody knows where you are, unfortunately your little boyfriends won't be able to save you all now." Jackie said. Aria began to cry. "Oh little Aria, don't cry! It will only hurt- well a lot."
"Don't touch her!" Ezra yelled.
"I don't think she can here you" Caleb said speeding up.
"Now I'm going to-" Jackie began, but then the phone call ended.
"What happened?" Toby asked.
"I don't know! Just hurry Caleb!" Ezra yelled. They got to the clubhouse in 10 minutes. Hopefully they weren't too late.
They boys rushed into the clubhouse and went to find/open the basement door, it was locked, but Toby managed to bust it open. Some of the girls screamed at the loud boom. The boys ran down the stairs and saw a horrific sight. Emily, Ally, and Hannah were sitting in the corner tied up. Spencer was past out in what looked like a shocking chair, and Aria was lying on the floor, looking lifeless.
"Aria!" Ezra said rushing to her on the ground. "Aria please, please wake up!!" he yelled, tears beginning to form.
Toby had rushed to Spencer as well, but after a few shakes she woke up. Caleb finished un-tying the rest of the girls. Hannah began to ball as she hugged Caleb tight.
"Call 911!" Toby said as he also rushed to Aria to see if she was okay. Caleb quickly did, and then went to see if he could find Jackie. The escape door in the back of the basement was open; meaning she must have escaped.
20 minutes later an ambulance arrived. Caleb, and Hannah explained all that's happened the past few days, as Aria and Ezra left in an ambulance.
All the girls, Toby, and Caleb went back to the beach house so they could pack their things, and pack Ezra and Arias things for them, and bring them to the hospital. They all badly wanted to go home after what they just went through.
In the hospital, Aria went in for examination, and Ezra was crushed when he couldn't stay with her the whole time.
Ezra was pacing in the waiting room for 30 minutes when the nurse approached him.
"Are you here for um- Montgomery, Aria?" she asked.
"Yes yes," he said quickly.
"So Arias going to be fine. She seemed to suffer major electric shocks, but she will make a full recovery. She just lost conscience for a while. We're giving her some fluids, and are monitoring her for the rest of the day. She should be waking up soon if you'd like to-"
"Yes please yes I need to see her," Ezra said.
"Okay follow me," she said leading him down the hallway. Aria was in room 157-C.
"Thank you," Ezra said to her as he walked into Arias room. She was sound asleep in the hospital bed. The nurse left and closed the door to give them privacy. Ezra sat down in the chair next to Arias bed, grabbed her hand and began to cry.
"Oh Aria, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I didn't believe you about Jackie, I'm sorry I didn't protect you. I love you so so much and I never wanna lose you. Your my happiness, I need you to be me." he said still crying. His head was down looking at he floor. He couldn't see Aria flutter her eyes open and smile at the sight of him.
"I've never seen you cry before," Aria said. Ezra quickly jerked his head up to see his Aria smiling at him.
"Oh my gosh Aria," he said standing up hugging her in her bed. "I'm so glad your okay."
"Yeah, me too" she said weakly smiling. "I knew you'd find us."
"If it weren't for your phone call I wouldn't have." Ezra said sadly.
"Good thing I fell asleep with it on me." Aria said laughing slightly.
"What did she do to you Aria?" Ezra asked squeezing her hands. Aria looked down and bit her lip. "You don't have to talk about-"
"She told us we had everything she wanted and it wasn't fair. She gave us each long lectures about our lives and then put us in this chair and-" tears began fall from her eyes. "Well you probably know." she said wiping her tears.
Ezra leaned in and softly kissed Arias lips. He was extremely gentle with her. They broke apart and smiled lightly at one another.
"You always know how to make me feel better." Aria said. Then there was a knock at her door and the girls burst in running to Aria. Ezra quickly went to the opposite side of the bed so the girls could greet her.
"Aria are you okay?"
"How long do you have to stay here?"
"I'm so glad your alright."
"Hey hey I'm fine" Aria said laughing. "Are you guys okay?" she asked, they all nodded.
"I'm gonna go talk to the guys outside and give you girls some alone time," Ezra said slipping out of the room.
"Guys," Aria said beginning to cry again. "This is all my fault, if it weren't for me you guys never would've had to go through that.". Aria said crying.
"Aria don't you dare say that." Spencer said grabbing Arias hand.
"None of this was your fault!" Ally said.
"It was Jackie and her jealousy." Emily said.
"But you heard her if I haven't taken Ezra away from-"
"No, Aria, no. Do not blame this on yourself. We love you and are never going to blame you for this." Hannah said sweetly.
"Thanks guys." she said wiping her eyes.
"Well we packed up and brought your stuff here, cause we figured you'd want to go home with Ezra afterwards" Emily said.
"We all need to go home," Ally said.
"Thanks guys, I love you all." Aria said. Then the nurse came in and had Aria sign her hospital release papers.
The girls all left and soon after Aria and Ezra did too. Ezra drive the two hours home, hold Arias hand the whole way. Even when she was still sleeping.
"Hey Aria honey, we're home," Ezra whispered.
"Huh?" Aria said waking up. She saw they were at Ezra's apartment. "We're at your home not mine," she said laughing and rubbing her eyes.
"Well what's mine is yours right? I thought you could stay with me tonight since it's late." he said stroking her cheek.
"Okay" she said smiling sleepy and getting out of the car. Ezra grabbed their things out of his trunk and they headed up stairs together. As soon as they got in Aria flopped down on the bed. Ezra changed out of his jeans first then got in bed next to her. They both got under the covers and laid there admiring one another.
"We've been through so much this past week," Ezra said.
"Yeah, it's been rough" Aria said. "Except for that one time in the shower and-"
"Okay okay okay," Ezra said and they both laughed.
"We've survived 13 years of being friends, a relationships just a little harder, but I have hope in us." Aria said smiling.
"Me too, I love you so much Aria," Ezra said before kissing her.
"I love you more." she said, and they both fell fast asleep.