"She asked if I was getting the texts again," Hannah tells us in the girls bathroom, all of us recounting what happened the previous night.
"That's all she said?" I clarify.
"Isn't that enough?" Emily asks.
"No. That's not enough," Spencer says like that's crazy. "Okay, Hannah you have to go back there. Alone."
"It's not so easy. Caleb is all over me right now."
"I don't need to know that," Spencer half jokes.
"Well Caleb's not finding dug up jewelry in his locker," I start. "Who's earring did Ali find in my dad's couch?"
"Okay one question at a time." Spencer tries to slow this down.
"Wait you're not gonna ask your mom why she is suddenly Garett's lawyer? I mean, seriously Spencer, what is that?"
"He probably told her it's time to lock Jenna up," Emily says, finally stopping the pacing. "She was driving that car that night, I remembered."
"Yeah we believe you, Emily. But honestly, I don't think you remember anything clearly from that night. Alright, you kept calling me Arlene." I say seriously, not wanting to put down Emily but needing us all to take what she says with a grain of salt.
"Guys she can see. She's probably on Mona's payroll."
"Mona doesn't have any cash," Hannah defends again. "They don't even allow her to have floss." The bell rings and Spencer grabs her bag, all of us needing to get to class os we don't get a detention for being late all of the time. We walk out the door then Spencer pushes us back in. "She's coming in here. Jenna's coming in here. Where's the earing?"
"What?"
"Give me the earing I have an idea." I fish out the earring that is not Meredith's.
"Ooh, Do I get to slap her again?" Hannah asks excitedly, Spencer shoots down that idea and takes the earring and places it on the sinks where anyone that could see would notice it. "Get in the stalls!"
We all pair up into a stall and watch as Jenna walks into the bathroom and rinses out her water bottle. We basically hold our breaths, keeping silent and holding the doors closed as we watch through he cracks, looking for proof that Jenna's surgery worked and she can in fact see. Jenna rinses out the water bottle and while she is putting the the bottle in her bag I can tell she caught sight of the earring because she pauses. Once the bottle is in her bad she picks up the earring and raises it up to her eye, taking down her sunglasses so we can watch her eyes follow it. Once she was done examining it, she put it back where she found it and left the bathroom.
"You know what? That is it. I'm going in for way more than a slap!" Hannah almost yells as we exit the stalls.
"Hannah stop." Spencer orders.
"Stop why?"!" Hannah yells, fed up like the rest of us with this bullshit. Spencer turns to me to speak logically but I was just as pissed.
"Don't look at me. I'm ready to hang a sign that says 'BITCH CAN SEE!'." I tell her, completely serious.
"Guys, she doesn't know that we know," Spencer tries to explain.
"She will in a minute," Emily snaps, and in my mind I was picturing Hannah holding Jenna down while Emily threw the punches.
"No. We don't let her know that we know. Not yet." Spencer says, finally showing she is mad too. "We can use this. And we will."
"Are you okay?" Jason squeezes my shoulder, and I realize the movie must have ended a few minutes ago. I sit up and look around, I wasn't even sure what movie we had been watching.
"Yeah, sorry." I get up and walk into his kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and lifting myself onto his counter to sit as he walks in looking worried.
"What's wrong, Aria?" Jason asks, putting down my drink and taking my hands. "Did you have another panic attack today?"
"No, I'm just distracted that's all." I smile at him but he doesn't smile back.
"What's distracting you?"
"I'm going to Jenna's house tomorrow to help her practice for some performance." I tell him, cringing at the thought.
"Blind Jenna?" Jason clarifies, making me chuckle at his bluntness. "If you don't want to go, then don't go."
"I want to help her and-" I stop, and take a drink of my water again, but Jason takes it away again and crosses his arms.
"And what?" I pause and think about it. Who would Jason tell? And if A is listening they already know, but if Jenna is A she can't know that I know.
I bite my lip and pull on his hand so he leans closer, I lean by his head and whisper. "Jenna doesn't know that we know she can see."
"What?" Jason jerks back, but I pull him back and start explaining the earring incident, leaving out that the earring was in his sister's casket and was returned to me by A. When I'm finished he watches me with narrowed eyes and leans against the fridge. "So you're going over there to look for the other one?" I nod. "And if she finds out?"
"Emily lives just down the street." I answer, probably overestimating my getaway abilities but I might as well practice them if this A is going to stick around.
"Or I could be parked outside," Jason states. I raise an eyebrow and hop down from the counter to take his hands. "I can be your getaway car."
I laugh at the thought of Jason in one of his father's black rental cars but turn the idea down. "I'm meeting the girls at Emily's afterwards."
"Okay, call me later to tell me what happens."
"Of course,"
I lean up and peck Jason on the lips as the news starts talking about politics instead of Rosewood. "I think normal seniors only watch the news for assignments."
"You aren't a normal senior," Jason whispers, moving my hair and kissing my neck. "That's what I like about you." I chuckle and lean my head back against the couch, the news turning to background noise.
"Garrett Reynolds, the top suspect for Alison Dilaurentis murder and in custody of the Rosewood Police has gained a new lawyer," The news was say. Jason jerks a little when he hears his sister's name, still on edge about the missing body. He pulls away and leans onto his knees to watch the news. I move closer to him and rub his back, leaning my head on his shoulder as we listen to the newest change in the investigation. "One of the top defense attorney in the state Veronica Hastings, has taken Reynolds case for free."
"What!?" Jason roared, standing up fast and throwing the pillow he was leaning back on. "Is this some way of getting back at me?!" Jason turns to me, noticing my expression and calming down a smudge but still looking like he needs to break something. "I'm going over there." He grabs his jacket and heads for the back door but I run into the kitchen and stop him.
"No, Jason stop. It's eleven at night. You can't just go to the Hastings house and yell at Spencer's mother."
"To hell I can't!" Jason yells at me, trying to reach the doorknob. I place my body in front of it, both of us knowing he could move me if he wanted to but he wouldn't. "He murdered my sister!"
"I know!" I shout back, surprising both of us. "I know." I start over, speaking quieter. "I don't know why Mrs. Hastings is doing this for Melissa but I know if you go-"
"For Melissa?" Jason catches, narrowing his eyes. "Did Melissa date Garrett and now Veronica is doing this for her?"
"I don't know," I say, all the truths and lies getting jumbled in my head. "Spencer said Garett use to take Melissa to the hospital for her ultra sounds."
Jason sneers and shakes his head, turning away from the door and walking back into the living room. "That family is full of whispered conversations and hushed up events. I'm sick of it." I walk into the room and watch him sit down on the couch again and put his head in his hands. I walk over and sit down next to him, kissing his shoulder before leaning on him and rubbing his knee. "I'll call in the morning, but them not answering didn't stop me last time and it won't stop me this time."
"I understand," I whisper, turning the news off and taking Jason's hands. "I'm sorry everyone in this town makes your life harder."
"Not everybody." He glances at me and manages a half smile. "I'm sorry I scared you." He looks down at our intwined hands, ashamed of what he saw in my eyes a moment ago.
"Don't be, you have every right to be mad about this. I'm glad you're comfortable enough around me to show those feelings." I lift his face up and kiss him lightly on the lips.
"You're the only one that can calm me down from those emotions." Jason pulls on my arms and lets me curl up against his chest and listen to his heart beat. "Thank you."
"For?" I close my eyes and focus on his heartbeat.
"Being you." He kisses the top of my head as I chuckle and leans back against the couch.
"Okay," I say as Spencer and Hannah fight over the last piece of the brownie. "Do we really believe Jenna was out for a joy ride that night?"
"Or was her plan to take Emily to Ali's grave all alone." Spencer accuses, letting Hannah have the brownie.
"Seems to me like she was scared of someone," Emily admits to believing Jenna's story.
"And it seemed like she was blind for five months when she wasn't," I remind her.
Hannah rubs her head. "For purposes of my head not exploding can we just say that she is telling the truth?"
"Well that would mean we crossed her off the new A list," Spencer says, I can see her mentally crossing the name off too.
"And who's still on it?" I ask.
"Lucas?"
"No way," Hannah shoots down Emily. "He might be a little unhinged lately, but he's not capable of digging up a grave."
"Guys, all roads lead back to the Black Swan," Spencer says. "We know she was working with Mona, the sketches were in her lair.
"Spencer," Melissa interrupt us, asking for her mom if Spencer wanted anything. We all look Melissa up and down, noticing how good she looks for someone who was supposed to have lost her baby two months ago.
"Melissa is looking good," I comment.
"Yeah back to size two skinny," Hannah remarks, we notice her tone and give her a questioning look. "Black Swan skinny. I mean think about it, we know that she lied about when she lost her baby."
"Whoa back up," Spencer stops.
"Wait, you think she was pretending to be pregnant for five months?" I clarify, interrupting Spencer before she can defend her sister.
"No, there's no way. She wouldn't do that to my parents," Spencer sounds sure, but the rest of us aren't.
"Who else could it be?"
"Mona started talking again so maybe she can give us some answers," Hannah offers, taking a tiny crumb off the brownie plate. I look over at Spencer to ask her if Jason called her, when I see him walk into the Grille, his eyes on Mrs. Hastings. I jump out of my chair and hurry up to him, trying to stop him from making more rumors spread about him and driving a wedge between him and his other family.
"Jason, not here." I whisper, placing my hands on his chest and trying to push back, but he doesn't even look down at me and I can feel his fast heart rate under my hands. He takes my hands and moves around me.
"Did you really think you could avoid me forever?" Jason demands, Mrs. Hastings turning around, as does most of the room.
"Jason," I whisper, but he gently pushes me behind him and stands his ground, glaring at Mrs. Hastings. I glance at my friends and Spencer looks worried while the other girls interested, Spencer told them about Jason and her family over the summer.
"How could you defend Garrett?" Jason accuses.
"Let's not have this conversation here," Mrs. Hastings says, looking around the room and at her two daughters.
"Oh, it doesn't bother you that he murdered my sister?" Jason snaps, getting in Mrs. Hastings face and using the tone of voice I recognize as his 'are you trying to insult me?' tone.
"Look, I understand you're upset but this isn't the place." Mrs. Hastings tries to motion towards me and her girls but Jason told me about all the calls he made to her and I knew he wasn't going to back down now.
"Just tell me why you're doing it."
"Everyone deserves a competent legal defense," Mrs. Hastings answers the same answer she gave to the press, which pisses Jason off and he aims low.
"You sure that's the only reason?" Jason asks, looking straight at Melissa with a sneer on his face. Melissa squirms under his gaze, which makes Jason smirk back at Mrs. Hastings.
"Let the process play out, Jason," Mrs. Hastings requests. "Focus on taking care of your family, and yourself." Jason smiles a humorless smile and nods.
"Don't worry. I am." Jason glares at Mrs. Hastings before turning and walking out of the Grille, both of us moving to take the other one's hand before he has even turned. The girls get out of their seats as I pass them and give them a look to follow, hurrying to keep up with Jason.
When we get outside he lets go of my hand and walks up to a post, still fuming. "Jason are you okay?" I whisper, watching him staple a sign to the post. He turns around and looks at me, his eyes dark and his jaw clenched.
"No," he turns and starts walking away as the door behind us opens again and the girls come out.. "But I will be."
"Is he okay?" Spencer asks, but I don't answer, walking up to the pole and looking at the sign.
It's the picture of Alison, the picture that is still everywhere in town, but instead of the large 'Missing' above the name it's a reward, $50,000 for information leading to the recovery of her remains. The girls examine the sign, and just as I'm about to run after Jason, all of our phones ring and buzz at the same time.
"Imagine what I could do with fifty grand -A." I sigh, and shake my head, but still run after Jason, Spencer following me.
"I don't want to hear it, Aria." Jason says when I catch up to him and take his hand to stop him. "I know what I'm dong." He turns around to continue a one sided argument, but I get up on my tiptoes and kiss the words away.
When I pull away I place my hand on his face and look him in the eyes. "I want you to do whatever makes you feel better, Jason. I just don't want you throwing the money away to some stoner that doesn't have any real information."
"Maybe you should let the police handle this," Spencer says, I step away from Jason and take his hands again. I feel them clench at her words and realize Spencer and Jason may be very similar, but they don't know how to handle each other yet.
"Because they did such a great job handling Alison's case," Jason sarcastically remarks.
"You shouldn't have to field through a bunch of calls from crack pots," Spencer says, taking the comforting side instead of accusing.
"All I need is one person to tell me the truth."
"How will you know who is and who isn't?" I ask, he looks down at me and his expression softens.
"I can tell when someone is lying," I gulp as he looks back at his half sister. "Can you?"
"What's that suppose to mean?" Spencer snaps.
"Why do you think your mom took this case?" Jason asks.
"You told him?" Spencer yells at me, narrowing her eyes at me. Jason moves in front of me and towers over Spencer, but he is only a few inches taller than her and she holds her ground well. "She had no right to tell my families secrets to you."
"I'm sorry, Spencer," I step around Jason but he puts his arm out. I push him away and give him a look to back down. "You told me you cared about Jason and wanted a good relationship with him, well I already have one with him and I care for him as much as I do Hannah, Emily and you. If the positions were switched and Jason was Toby, you would have done the same thing. Don't lie." I attempt to hold my ground like Jason and Spencer can, glad Jason was there to back me up but also knowing that I will need my own strength to survive this new A.
Spencer stays quiet, too stubborn to admit I'm right so she turns and walks back to Hannah and Emily. "I'm sorry, I should have kept my anger in check," Jason whispers, cupping my face and kissing my eyes when he sees tears start to form.
"It's not only our faults, it's this damn town." I say angrily, wiping my eyes and refusing to cry.
"Come on, I'll drive you home," Jason takes my hand and we walk to his car.