The next day came quickly and painlessly. Aria got up to see Spencer gone from bed, for once up before she was. She herself got out of bed and got dressed before going downstairs and sitting down at the table, looking at Spencer who was making breakfast. She frowned as she remembered Spencer's new rule. Spencer looked at her and smiled with a "Good morning" and gave her a plate with French toast on it.

Aria smiled and greeted Spencer as well. Then, as she picked at her food, she cast glances up at Spencer often. She finally said hopefully, hoping that Spencer would forget her own idea, "Could we go for a walk? It's so nice out today." She winced when she was met with a harsh glare from Spencer, a cold look that she wasn't used to.

"Nice try, Aria," Spencer said harshly, her eyes still narrowed at the smaller girl. "I know you remember what I said. You really think that I would just forget? Aria, I'm never going back on my own word. You're not allowed to leave the house. It isn't safe for you. There's a crazy person out there that we know is targeting you."

Aria sighed and looked down, unable to keep looking at the burning gaze of Spencer. It hurt her to look at that expression of anger and disapproval. She knew that Spencer was just being over protective, but it still pained her to look into those cold, scolding eyes, and not flinch or back down from the sight of the harshly blazing light in them.

"I'm going to go nuts though," Aria whined, turning away from Spencer altogether and putting her head back to look up at the ceiling above her. "You're not acting any better than 'A' when I was kidnapped," Aria said plainly, "forcing me to stay inside, to stay hidden."

Spencer gave her a hurt look and Aria could sense it without looking. It hurt her, but she forced herself to swallow and not back down after she'd made her point. "Yeah well," Spencer retorted, her voice cracking no matter how hard she tried to keep it from doing so, "at least I'm not hurting you this time. My goal is to protect you, not to destroy you."

"I'm sorry Spence. I didn't mean to say that. I just hate being contained like this. I feel like a bird that just got her wings ripped off. I feel trapped." Aria tried to explain, hating herself for hurting Spencer. But she had to make her girlfriend understand that she was entitled to freedom.

Spencer shook her head and said, "Fine, Aria, we can go for a walk, but not far, and you're not allowed to leave my side." Aria brightened up immediately and the two of them headed out to get fresh air.

As they walked, Aria brightened up visibly, almost as though she'd been a flower beginning to wilt from a lack of sunlight, and now that she had her sunlight back she could stretch out again. Spencer relaxed slightly. She didn't like having tension and arguments between herself and Aria. They walked a few blocks before heading back.

"See, Spencer," Aria said as they entered the house, "I went outside and nothing happened. You have nothing to worry about. I can take care of myself." Spencer rolled her eyes playfully and chuckled.

"I still don't want you to go out alone, but I suppose if you're with me it'll be alright."

"What about Hanna and Emily?"

Spencer hesitated and Aria frowned, having been merely asking the question out of curiosity. She hadn't wanted Spencer to delve too deeply into the question. "Sorry, Spence, I understand your concern about me. But I'm tougher than I look."

"I know you are. Aria, I don't think you're weak. I know you're strong. But I couldn't bear it if you got hurt, because I don't have that strength Aria. I'd never forgive myself," Spencer explained herself, shaking her head and sighing at the end of her words.

Aria smiled softly. "I get it Spencer. I just wanted to make sure you aren't underestimating me." Spencer nodded and the two of them finished their resolution almost in a telepathic manner with their little nod and exchanged glance.

Just then, Jessie came to the door. Spencer got up and got it, smiling at the new girl. The girl smiled warmly back and asked if Spencer and Aria wanted to hang out. Spencer nodded, inviting her to come in while making the fact that she wasn't keen on Aria leaving a secret. Spencer made tea, and the three of them sat down to talk.

"Where are you from?" Aria asked curiously before sipping her cup of tea slowly so that she wouldn't burn her tongue on the steaming liquid.

Jessie smiled and said, "I used to live in California, by the beach. All I ever saw growing up was the sand and the blue ocean. So when I finally got the chance to move somewhere else for the summer, I took it, you know? I wanted a change of scenery. The forest was a perfect change."

Aria nodded in understanding, but then she hesitated as a few things didn't seem to add up. "But Jessie, why did you move all the way across the country? I understand why you would want a change of scenery, but from California to Pennsylvania, wow. That's pretty far for one summer."

"Yeah," Jessie said with a shrug, "I wasn't always close with my family. That's another reason I wanted to move out, not just the land and the weather, but also because I didn't want to have to spend a summer with my family."

Spencer gave a soft laugh that was harsh sounding and mirthless. "I know that feeling," she said, "my family expects me to be perfect, to get great grades and get a job like a lawyer or something along those lines. Luckily for me though, they've been going away a lot recently, so I haven't really had to put up with being smothered by the need for perfection."

Their conversation went on like this, just talking about what Jessie's life was like before she moved to Rosewood and the things that they all had in common. Jessie was surprised at how well everything was working out. Aria and Spencer both took an immediate liking to her, and so her job required almost no work at all.

The next step after befriending the four, mainly Spencer and Aria, was to gain their trust, and Jessie had already achieved half of that goal by earning the trust of both Spencer and Aria in one little conversation. She could laugh for hours at their obliviousness, their obvious stupidity, but she decided to do nothing of the sort.

After a while of talking, Jessie bid them a farewell and left, going to finish up this step by gaining the trust of Hanna and Emily, the two that made up the other half of the four friends. Aria and Spencer were sad to see her leave so soon after she'd come, but weren't too upset as Jessie was their neighbor.

The day passed smoothly, smoother even than the days that were supposed to be their peaceful days before the redhead's threats took their action. But then, Spencer was alarmed to find out that she needed to go to Ravenswood. Her parents were returning to Rosewood when they got into an accident in Ravenswood, and were in the hospital there.

She was going to leave when her eyes fell upon Aria sitting on the couch. Aria knew that she was leaving, but she didn't know of Spencer's plan. Spencer headed next door to where Jessie was, and asked politely if Jessie wouldn't mind making sure nothing happened to Aria while she was gone.

"I'm just really concerned about her," Spencer explained to Jessie when she made the request, "there have been some troubling things happening and I really don't want her to be alone." Jessie nodded in understanding and Spencer headed out to Ravenswood. Jessie, meanwhile, went over to Spencer's house.

She let herself in and saw Aria whose arm was no longer in a cast from when it'd been broken sitting and reading a book. Aria looked up at the sound of footsteps, her eyes at first curious but then changing to a somewhat annoyed expression.

"Spencer sent you, didn't she? Wow, she really does think I'm weak! She thinks I can't even take care of myself for a few hours." Jessie sighed and sat down next to the now angry Aria.

"I know it sucks, but just think of it as us hanging out." Aria smiled and nodded and the two of them started talking as usual just about random things to pass the time.

Aria yawned after a while and began to drift off to sleep, as it was getting late at night. She was jolted awake at the sound of Jessie locking the doors. She sat up, confused, and looked at Jessie with an uncertain look on her face. "Why are you locking the doors?"

Jessie sat down next to Aria with a smirk on her face. "We see all, Aria," Jessie said with a dark chuckle, "don't you dare tell anyone about anything that happens tonight, or you won't live. And should your friends try to tell, they'll suffer the same fate. So you'll be putting multiple lives at risk if you tattle."

Aria's eyes widened, but she still seemed confused about the situation. "What are you talking about Jessie?" Then suddenly, she realized she recognized the girl in front of her. She gasped and tried to get away, but Jessie grabbed her hand and yanked her back down.

Jessie took out a pocket knife and took Aria's arm, rolling the sleeve up. "You hold still," Jessie growled as she carved the word 'pathetic' into Aria's skin. When she finished, she admired her work and tossed Aria's bloody limb to the side. Aria, finally released from Jessie's iron grip, stood up, grabbed her phone, and ran upstairs, slamming the door to hers and Spencer's room.

Sobbing, she dialed in Spencer's number. It rang for a while and went to voicemail. "S-Spencer…" she started, her voice shaking, suddenly uncertain about what exactly to say into the message. She couldn't tell Spencer about Jessie's identity or they'd all die. So, she made up a quick excuse.

"Spencer… I really need you home soon. Take your time with your parents, please, but when you get back, don't dawdle. I thought I saw someone outside, and Jessie was just as terrified as I am, which isn't helping this situation. Please, I need you right now."

Aria ended the message and sighed, going to the bathroom and washing off her arm before wrapping a light bandage around it and sliding her sleeve down over the wounds. She didn't know how she'd explain that if Spencer saw it.

She crawled into bed without changing into pajamas and fell into a fitful sleep.

It had been an hour, but it felt like it'd only been ten minutes. Spencer shook Aria who was tossing and turning in her sleep. She sat down next to her girlfriend, who bolted up in bed and saw Spencer, immediately hugging her tightly.

"Aria, relax. I got your message. I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner. Nothing happened to you or Jessie, right? Other than getting scared, I mean." Aria hesitated and nodded, hating the feeling of lying to her girlfriend. Spencer sighed in relief and cuddled Aria.

"When I heard you saw someone and you made it sound like it was 'A'…" Spencer shook her head and murmured, "But you're okay. I'm glad you're okay." Aria smiled at Spencer's concern and nodded, still hugging her loosely.

The two broke apart and Spencer said, "Well Aria, it's late. Why don't we go and change and both get some sleep." The two did just that. Aria changed into long pajama pants but a tank top, not even noticing that she had bandages on her arm since she was used to the bandage that was there before when her arm was broken.

"Aria," Spencer said, confused when she saw her girlfriend's arm, "why do you have bandages on your arm?" Aria looked confused, then shocked, and then got a bit flustered as she looked down at her bandaged arm.

"This? Oh, Spence, this is nothing, I just tripped and scraped up my arm. I probably don't even need the bandages anymore." She laughed nervously and unraveled the bandages, quickly holding up her arm and putting it back down to show Spencer the wound but not allow her to read the word. If she read it, it'd be a lot harder to explain.

Spencer looked at her suspiciously before nodding slowly and saying, "Well, alright then." Aria smiled, glad that she'd gotten away with that, and got into bed, followed by a confused and thoughtful Spencer. She turned off the lamp next to the bed and they both closed their eyes.

When Spencer was sure that Aria had fallen asleep, she carefully lifted the covers that were lying over Aria's arm. She was surprised when she read what was carved into her arm; it was the word 'pathetic.' Spencer decided not to wake her now, but to confront her in the morning.

As the lanky brunette went to close her eyes and try to sleep, she couldn't help but wonder one thing.

Did Aria do this to herself?

Here is chapter 14 everybody! I had all day to write this but procrastinated and squeezed it in late. Sorry for how late it is haha!

I'd really appreciate suggestions right now. I'm writing this blindly, I don't have a resolution in mind, and an idea or two would be strongly appreciated.

I don't have much else to say here.

Until next time,

Xoxo,

-England