OK! I'm so sorry for not updating for so long. I was kind of in a rut and wasn't sure what to do with my this story. Also I just found a box that had a ton of my old stories and I've been reading through them.
Thanks to my reviewers: silvioforever, MzPink4, csifan35, HarrylovesGinny09, crazyatbest, raybug, SolitudeMyLove, Bailey, Lisabeth, Carey, Arianna, Auden, RandomGuyNamedSean, .dreamers, Televison Lover, msbookworm93, AddictedtoFICS, bite-me-im-irish, lalala17, anonymous
I hope you are all still with me and I hope you forgive me for being such a jerk. I tried to make this a longer chapter. It's not as long as I would have liked, but here it is anyway.
As much as Aria tried to concentrate on her classes, she couldn't get past the conversation with Ezra and her English teacher. She needed to speak with the gym teacher during lunch, so speaking with her friends had to be postponed. She sent them all a text and asked if they would meet her at the coffee shop after school.
At four o'clock, Aria was the last to arrive. Emily chuckled, "This is your meeting and you are late. What's up?"
"We've got a problem." Aria slid into the booth next to Hannah.
The blonde rested her hand on Aria's shoulder, "What happened?"
She sighed, "Someone figured Ezra and I out."
"Who?" the girls asked in unison.
Aria leaned in closer, "Mrs. Glossenger. She knows."
"How did she find out?" Spencer questioned with an intense look on her face.
"Because she's not stupid and Ezra's an idiot." Aria crossed her arms.
Hanna gasped, "What happened?"
Aria went through the process of explaining to her friends what had transpired between Mrs. Glossenger, Ezra, and herself. When she finished, no one had anything to say. When a minute went by, Aria shrugged, "What?"
"Well it has been a little obvious there is something there." Emily tried to reply quietly.
Aria was shocked, "What do you mean? Why didn't you guys tell me?"
"We just thought it was us. We get your moods and we thought maybe our perception of your relationship was heightened since the hospital and the wedding. But after we thought about it, maybe it wasn't just us." Spencer explained rationally.
The newlywed crossed her arms and leaned in closer, "Well it would have been nice if you had told me. Luckily the principal hasn't asked to see us. Again. I'm so sick of dealing with him. I wish I could just finish my classes online then it wouldn't be anyone's business."
Hanna gave Aria a concerned look, "You're not going to do that, are you? We all want to graduate together. If you do online classes you won't be on stage with us."
Aria reluctantly smiled, "Of course I am going to keep going to Rosewood. I just wish things could be easier."
"I all honesty, you knew this was going to be really hard when you started all this." Emily nudged her.
Aria shook her head, "No, not when this started. When it started we were in a bar making out. The next day he was my teacher and I was already in love with him. I had no chance at making this an easy thing."
"Yeah. You are right. I'm sorry." Emily apologized.
Aria grinned, "Don't worry about it. I forgot to tell you the good news. I got the scholarship for the U of PA! I don't have to pay for it myself."
"That's amazing!" Spencer exclaimed and they all leaned in for a group hug.
After a little while, the girls decided to go home to change since they were going to be helping Aria's parents move stuff out of their house. Aria caught up with Hanna, "Can I talk to you a minute before you go?"
Hanna escorted Aria to her car, "What's up?"
"Well I know that you guys need money and I have some money to spare…" Aria began.
Her friend cut her off, "Aria, I can't take your money. I love you and I know you want to help, but I can't."
Aria smirked, "Would you let me finish?" After Hanna nodded, she continued, "I am going to want a lot done to the house, like painting, carpeting, and some landscaping. I want to hire Caleb. He seems like a jack-of-all-trades kind of guy. He'd help me and I'd pay him. That way I trust someone to be in my house when I'm not there and you get a leg up in the process."
"Well that's a very generous offer, but I still don't feel like it's right." Hanna stared at her feet as she kicked away a stone.
She put a supportive arm around the mother-to-be, "Well you think about and talk about it with Caleb. We'll need to get settled into the house before we start planning how to remodel anyway. I'll see you over there in a little while."
Aria climbed into her car as she watched Hanna walk to hers. She hurried to her parents house and noticed the U-Haul was just coming down the street. Aria pulled in the driveway and waited in the yard as her father attempted to park the monstrous vehicle. She chuckled as she watched him pound the steering wheel, throw his hands into the air, and slam it into park. He got out of the truck and grinned when he realized he'd been caught. "Hey Sweetie. Sorry you had to see that."
"It's alright. It was amusing." Aria led the way into the house to discover it barely looked like her home anymore. Every picture had been removed from the wall and the bookshelves had been stripped of their contents. Ella was in the kitchen wrapping the last of her wine glasses in bubble wrap and placing them carefully in a box. "Need any help Mom?"
Ella smiled, "No dear, you just take it easy."
"Mom, I'm fine to help you pack things. I just can't lift." Aria stated and picked up the tape to tape off the box her mother just finished packing.
Her mother smiled, "Aria, it's really okay. That was the last of what I was packing." Everything else we're leaving here for you to start off with some things. I know Ezra has some things in his apartment, but he was a bachelor so I'm guessing he doesn't own a lot of appliances. Most of these I never used, but I know you like to cook so I'm leaving them. When are your friends arriving?"
"Any time. They all went home to change and then they'll be here." Aria explained.
"What about Ezra? When will he be here?" Ella wondered.
Aria shrugged, "I'm surprised he's not here yet. I'll call him." She stepped into the backyard and returned a minute later. "He's on his way. He had to talk with Mrs. Glossenger."
"Ok, well you are in charge of the movers when they all arrive. Please don't let Mike carry anything that says 'fragile' on it. We'll make him help with the furniture. We're going to leave your bedroom as it is. You can do whatever you want with the furniture in there. So do you have any big plans for the house?" Ella smiled.
Aria shrugged, "We figured we'd turn my room into another office area that way one of us can use the office and the other can use the new office. We don't get a lot accomplished if we work in close proximity of each other. We're going to have Mike's room as the guest room and have your bedroom as our bedroom. I was thinking of a pool in the backyard…"
Ella raised an eyebrow, "A pool?"
"Well it would be nice, but I doubt we'll get one. If we do it'll just be an above-ground pool you can buy at Walmart. Are you sad to be leaving?" Aria asked as her mother looked blankly into the backyard.
She smiled, "I am sad to be leaving. I mean, you are a newlywed. I have this dream scenario that you still need me. I know that's not who you are, you are strong. I just can't help but feel like we made the wrong choice."
"Don't worry Mom, I'll always need you. But I need Ezra too. And he loves me. He'll take good care of me." Aria hugged her mother tightly.
Ella returned the hug but released her quickly as her daughter squeaked in pain, "I'm so sorry!"
"It's ok. I forget they are broken sometimes too." Aria forced a smile for her mother as she heard Spencer's voice down the hall. She went to greet her friend as her mother released a sigh.
Spencer smiled, "Wow, this place looks different. So where do we start?"
"We're going to make the guys carry out the furniture first then we can fill the boxes in around the big stuff." Aria explained.
Her friend looked around, "Where are they staying tonight if they aren't leaving until tomorrow?"
Aria rolled her eyes, "Mike is sleeping in my room tonight. So I'll have icky boy smell all over it. My parents are sleeping on the foldout couch in the basement. They are leaving it here in case we need it." She and Spencer chuckled as Hanna came in looking like she was ready to dig in the dirt.
"Do you even own any junk clothes? Where did you get those?" Spencer couldn't contain her laughter.
She huffed a little as her pants almost fell down, "They are Caleb's. I thought they'd be alright but the pants keep falling off. I know in a few months they'll fit but they don't now and they don't tighten any further."
Aria locked arms with her friend and led her to her old bedroom, "I'll have a pair of pants you can wear." They descended the stairs a few minutes later. Hanna wore the same shirt but Aria and tied some of the extra material off to the side and let her borrow a pair of neon green leggings. They didn't go with the shirt but at least they fit.
Emily had arrived while the girls were upstairs and was chatting quietly with Spencer. Hanna and Aria approached them, "What's up? Em, are you okay?"
"Paige and I broke up." Emily replied casually.
Hanna looked confused, "What happened? You guys were ok the other day."
"It's not a big deal. We have talked it over a lot. I'm staying here for school and she's going to Michigan. We knew that it wouldn't be fair to either of us if we were to try to continue a long distance relationship with her still 'in the closet.' She can have her space and her freedom there and I can find someone who wants to tell the world they are with me. If later in life we find that we still want to be together we may try again. Don't worry guys. I'm happy about this. I actually have a date for this weekend." Emily beamed.
Spencer looked shocked, "With who?"
Emily smiled, "It's a girl I met from the campus pride group at Hollis. She's two years older than me. Her name is Lucynda, but she goes by Cyn."
"As in sin?" Aria teased.
Ezra walked in just in time to see the playful shove Emily gave Aria, "Why are you assaulting my wife, Ms. Fields."
"She's gay-bashing sir. Believe me, if she wasn't all broken, I'd give her one hell of a tickle torture." Emily playfully turned her claws toward Aria, who had run behind Ezra to hide.
Byron came through the door to find everyone in a fit of laughter. "Excuse me. Was anyone going to help with the furniture or do I have to pull out my spare bucket of radioactive material to get my super-strength up?"
"I'll help you sir. I'm sorry." Ezra grinned at his wife then helped her father carry the couch out the door. Not long after they got all the living room furniture loaded, Mike got home from his final day at Rosewood. Within two hours they had all the furniture and all the boxes from the second floor in the truck. It was nearing eight o'clock and everyone needed a boost. Aria left and returned with pizza, chicken wings, breadsticks, and soda. Everyone sat on the floor and ate off paper plates.
Spencer looked around the living room, "Mrs. Montgomery this place looks creepy."
"Yes it does," Ella sighed, "but I'm sure you will all help Aria and Ezra get this place looking like a home again. How long are you keeping your apartment Ezra?"
He shrugged, "I hadn't really thought about it. I guess until we get everything moved over here. There's not a huge rush to do that. Besides, we don't want a lot of people talking about the English teacher moving his things into Aria's house."
Byron snorted into his soda cup, "Sorry."
"All right," Ella chuckled at her husband, "let's finish up. We need to get some rest before we leave tomorrow."
Everyone shoved their garbage into a grocery bag since the garbage can had already been loaded into the moving truck. They all shuffled though the first floor carrying everything that was left to the truck. After an hour, the moving truck was ready to go. Byron looked around, "Well that wasn't as bad as I thought. Aria, can I talk to you for a minute?"
Aria and her father walked outside to talk since everyone Aria's friends began saying their goodbyes. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I just wanted to let you know that I'm driving up there tonight. I won't be able to sleep tonight and I'm not looking forward to any goodbyes. I wanted to let you know that I'm not exactly happy about the way things turned out for you, but I'm so glad you are happy. Ezra is a fine man, and if he wasn't your teacher, this wouldn't be so hard so me to accept. But I am so proud of you. Your mother said you told her about the scholarship. Why didn't you tell me?" Byron went through his little speech and stuck his hands in his pockets.
The young woman was teary-eyed as she replied, "I'm sorry I disappointed you by getting married to Ezra. I know you are disappointed about the whole relationship. It hasn't been easy talking to you about anything since you found out the two of us were together. It feels like you are judging every word I say. I didn't want you telling me that I should have taken the scholarship to Berkeley because it's better. I want to stay on the East Coast. I've never wanted to live in California. You seem to look down on people if they turn down a better opportunity, no matter what would be the best course of action. I'm sorry that I couldn't be everything you wanted me to be."
Byron was stung by his daughter's words, "I didn't know you felt like that Aria. I have always just wanted you to be happy. I'm sorry I tried to push you for so many years to do what I thought you should be doing. You are so much more than I ever could have hoped for in a daughter. I love you."
"I love you too Dad." Aria leaned into her father's waiting embrace. "I'm going to miss you."
He sighed, "I'm going to miss you too. Just promise me, no grandkids for at least 7 years."
"I promise you, no grandkids until I'm ready. I don't know if it will be one year or ten years until I'm ready." Aria smiled as she turned and went back in the house without letting her father comment.
Ella looked up as they entered, "What was that all about?"
"Dad says he's heading out tonight." Aria responded to her mother's question.
Her mother turned on her father, "When were you planning on telling the rest of us that?"
"Now I suppose. It's only a four hour drive and I know I won't sleep tonight if I stay here. I'd rather drive tonight than drive tomorrow exhausted." Byron explained.
Mike looked at his mother's face and stepped in to help his father, "I can ride with him. I can help keep him awake and give him directions."
"That won't work. You have to drive your father's car up there because I'm driving mine." Ella didn't like the idea of her husband driving up there alone, but she needed her son to drive.
Aria waved her hand, "I can drive Dad's car. Ezra can follow me up then we'll just come home."
"Hun, can I have a word?" Ezra and Aria moved away from the group. He lowered his voice, "Were you going to ask me if I wanted to drive up there tomorrow?"
Aria nodded, "Yeah, but I don't want my mom to have a lot of time to voice her opinions. I agree with my dad. None of them are going to sleep well tonight. My dad doesn't need to be driving that U-Haul up there by himself either way."
"I've got a better idea." Ezra returned to the group, "Why don't I ride up there with you tonight sir? That way Mike can say goodbye to his friends in the morning and you still don't have to drive up there by yourself. I could even drive part of the way if you want."
Byron seemed like he was contemplating the offer for a few minutes, then smiled, "That sounds like a plan to me. Why don't you go home any grab some of your things and come back here so we can leave?"
Ezra nodded and led his wife toward the door. Aria leaned close to him as they were walking out the door, "Were you going to ask me about this?"
"Sure. Hun, do you mind if I drive up there with your dad tonight?" Ezra inquired with a cocky grin.
Aria gave him a smirk when they got to the car, "I don't mind, but I hope you know the girls will be staying over tonight. And no, I wasn't going to ask you."
"Fine with me. Are they going to be riding up with you tomorrow?" her husband wondered.
She shrugged, "I don't know. I'll have to ask them. Would you mind if they did?"
He shook his head, "No. It'll give you some company. It's a long drive."
By the time they arrived at the apartment, Aria had contacted her friends and they were waiting for her to pick them up after she saw Ezra and her father off. By the time they returned, Aria's family was waiting in the front yard for their arrival. Byron was the first to speak, "You ready to go Ezra?"
"Yes sir. All set." He replied held up his overnight bag.
Aria's father smiled, "If you are going to continue to be my son-in-law, you are going to have to stop calling me sir."
"Ok. I'll try." Ezra replied and tossed his bag in the front of the truck. He took Aria in his arms as Byron kissed his wife and climbed into the driver's seat.
"I'm going to miss you. It's the first time we're going to be away from each other since we got married." Aria hugged her husband tightly.
He sighed into her shoulder, "It's just for a night. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Ok," Aria pulled back, "safe driving. Call me when you get there. I love you."
Ezra gave Aria a loving kiss, "I love you too. I'll call when I get there."
Aria kissed him again before he climbed in the truck next to Byron. "Be safe. Both of you. And Dad, if you hurt him, if will find you."
"Don't worry sweetie. This is just a chance for me to get to know my son-in-law." Byron waved out the window as they drove away.
Ella approached her daughter, "You staying alone tonight?"
"No. I'm going to get the girls and we're having a sleepover. What time are you planning on leaving tomorrow?" Aria questioned.
Ella shrugged, "When we get up and around. Probably not early. You don't have to go up with us anyway."
"I know I guess I'll see what the morning brings. I'll see you tomorrow. Love you." Aria climbed into her husband's rental car and went to pick up her friends for the last sleepover she could see in the near future.
Twenty minutes later they were all settling down in Aria and Ezra's apartment. "So what are we doing tonight? Anything special?" Emily wondered as she rolled her sleeping bag.
"I don't know. Do you guys want to do anything or just hang out? We've got movies we could watch and then talk through them like always." Aria suggested, pulling the air mattress from Ezra's closet.
Spencer flopped on the couch, "Sounds good."
"Do you guys have any plans for tomorrow?" Aria asked loudly over the pump blowing up the air mattress. All three girls shook their heads. "So you want to ride up to New York with me to pick up Ezra?"
Hannah perked up, "Road trip! I'm in. This will be fun."
Emily and Spencer agreed they would go also. Aria thanked them, "I didn't want a lonely drive. Plus I have barely driven since the accident and don't want to push it if I find that's too far for me to drive."
After the Aria and Hannah settled onto the air mattress, they made popcorn, and selected a movie, the girls chatted for a while, but within an hour of laying down, they were all asleep.
So I hope you like this chapter. No cliffhanger. No big surprises. I think it gets them from one place to another nicely though. So like always, please review! Can't wait to hear from you again. Don't want to give you any impossible expectations so I'll just say I hope to have another update within a week