I hope you all had a spooky Halloween! I missed some of my regular reviewers last chapter, but thanks to RHatch89, karma3825, nick2951, and Guest for reviewing! Please let me know what you think.

Chapter 37

Emily and Hanna are waiting by the entrance when I pull into the parking lot. I hurry to join them, eager for details about the plan. "Okay, what's going on? Where's Spencer?" I ask before I've even stopped walking.

"She's meeting us here," Emily replies, exchanging a nod with Hanna. I know immediately what it's about – how much should they tell me? "We found Ali's journal in 'A's' lair. One of the stories mentioned a place called Ambrose Pavilion."

"Ambrose?" I repeat, the name ringing a bell. "Isn't that a place here in the zoo?"

"Exactly," Hanna says with a shrug. "We set up a phone call that Ezra would overhear, about meeting Alison there. We figure that if he's really 'A,' he'll be there, too."

I raise my eyebrows, impressed. This plan is actually pretty smart. Almost something I could see my sister cooking up. But I push that thought away, that horrible memory coming back to me.

One crisis at a time.

We head for the zoo entrance and hand the ticket seller our money to be let in. Emily checks her phone and says, once we're out of the man's earshot, "We have less than an hour before closing."

"Here, take this," I say, handing her a map of the zoo that I took from the ticket stand. "Where's the pavilion?"

"Okay," Emily sighs, unfolding it and holding it out for us all to see. "Ambrose Pavilion," she reads, pointing to where it's marked on the map. "According to this, it should be right here."

I lean over her shoulder, scanning the map. She's right, I realize. "Ambrose Pavilion" is marked basically right where we're standing.

Hanna and I exchange a confused glance, but it's Emily who finally notices something. "Over there," she says, taking off, and I follow, only realizing after a few seconds that Hanna is not with us.

"Come on!" I call, turning back and gesturing for her to follow us to the building a few feet away, marked not just "Ambrose Pavilion," but "Ambrose Reptile Pavilion."

Hanna looks a little nauseous, and I understand why before she even starts speaking. "Look, I'm sorry, but I can't. Just looking at that sign gives me the heebie-jeebies."

Emily smiles, but I can see the impatience in her eyes. "You'll be fine. They're all behind glass."

"Yeah, it's not like the snakes are free to slither around," I add, trying to be helpful, but Hanna shudders.

"Hanna, come on," Emily says, elbowing me and walking over, taking Hanna by the arm. "There's nothing to be scared of."

"I was just kidding," I yelp, rushing after them and following them into the building. And I have to admit – the realization that the pavilion is actually a reptile house is making my skin crawl a little, too.

We walk inside, and all light disappears as soon as the door shuts behind me. It's completely dark in the reptile house, the only light coming from the glow of the tanks containing snakes, frogs, lizards, and I don't even want to know what else. A smooth male voiceover blares through speakers across the winding room, describing the various exhibits.

"God," Hanna exclaims as we stop behind two little boys who are reveling over a huge black snake that is only succeeding in giving me the creeps. "Only Ali would think it's sexy to make out in front of a bunch of reptiles."

I smirk, watching the snake raise his head and blink at us. "Hey, at least she wasn't making out with the reptiles."

"Come on," Emily says sharply, obviously not amused by my joke. We follow her across the room, dodging families and strollers until we find a secluded area. Emily pulls out a paper takeout bag from the Brew. I don't want to take the time to ask, but I assume there's something of Ali's in there, something that "A" wants.

That Ezra wants.

"Okay, can you just toss that thing so we can get out of here?" Hanna says, crossing her arms uncomfortably.

"No!" Emily replies, frowning. "We have to wait for Spencer to get into position."

I scowl and glance away, sick of being left out of the details of the plans. But I guess I can't complain – at least they trusted me enough to include me at all. Baby steps.

"Where is she?" Hanna complains, voicing what I'm sure we were all thinking. I turn in a circle, glancing around the entire room. Aside from a few kids running into the gift shop, and a worker pointing out a snake, the pavilion is empty.

Emily checks her phone, and the anxious look on her face makes my stomach sink. "I don't know," she says quietly, her voice tinged with worry. "She should have been here by now."

"She seemed really weird when I talked to her," I say quietly, my voice practically a whisper. "Do you guys think she really is…"

"Speeding?" Hanna finishes. "Yeah. Ezra found her file at school and gave it to Aria. She was taking ADHD meds a few years ago."

If I hadn't talked to a very unhinged Spencer just yesterday, I would take that as more proof that Ezra is "A" rather than proof that Spencer really is on drugs. I shake my head, grimacing. "God."

A heavy silence falls over us at that point, filled with concern for Spencer on all of our parts, plus the dark realization on mine. The quiet is broken only when Hanna walks over, inspecting one of the exhibits, only to scream and leap back when a snake hisses, jumping out at her. I can't help but laugh.

But forty-five minutes later, the last thing any of us feel like doing is laughing. "The zoo is closing in five minutes," a male voice announces through the loudspeaker, and I feel like screaming in protest. The zoo can't close. Spencer isn't even here yet. The plan is all falling apart, and I don't know whether to be more angry or concerned.

"This was Spencer's plan," Emily says worriedly, checking her phone for what seems like the thousandth time. "She wouldn't have gotten the time wrong."

"There's Spencer," Hanna declares, standing on tiptoe to point out a girl entering through the door across the room. With disheveled hair and her head cast downward, she sure looks like Spencer.

"Finally," Emily breathes, nudging my arm. "Let's move."

Since I don't know the details, all I can do is follow them through the room. Emily walks over to an open, empty exhibit and leans the takeout bag against a small tree that stands beside a skull of some huge reptile.

We walk over to the other side of the exhibit, peering through a tank at Spencer, who is standing on the other side of the room. My phone chimes and I grab it, glancing down at the incoming text from Mona: Where are you?

I wince and switch my phone to silent, shoving it back in the pocket of my jacket. I wonder how she would react if she found out what I'm doing right now, that I'm helping these girls. That they've actually started to trust me.

I don't like that train of thought, so I tune back into the present just as Hanna whispers, "Why isn't Spencer doing anything?"

I stand up taller, peering through the glass. She's right. Spencer's standing motionless, staring downwards, her shoulders curved in. Emily shakes her head and answers, "She'll make her move when she thinks 'A's' here."

" 'A' better hurry up," I hiss, folding my arms. "I'm definitely not spending the night with the snakes."

Hanna glances over at us, her brow wrinkling. "And you think it's gonna be Ezra who shows up?"

Emily leans closer to the glass, her nose nearly pressing against it. "I guess we'll find out soon."

I check my watch. "Soon" better mean in the next three minutes.

Spencer suddenly moves, walking over to the bag propped against the tree, and all three of us jump. "When Spencer gives us the signal," Emily whispers, "we'll double back."

I do not know what that means but nod anyway, only hoping that whatever is next in the plan doesn't involve all of us splitting up.

"God, you guys," a voice cries from behind us, and we whirl around in unison. My mouth falls open as Spencer runs up, pulling a blond wig on over her hair. "I'm so sorry I'm late. Help me get this on and then I can get in my position."

"What the hell?" I gasp, glancing over my shoulder at the other girl. But she's gone.

I exchange a frantic glance with Emily, and run with her and Hanna around the tank, over to the opposing door, where a flash of shadow reveals that whoever the other girl is, is now leaving.

I shoot a glance over at the exhibit where we left the bait as I run past. Sure enough, it's gone. I'm still not sure what's in there, but judging by the looks on the others' faces, it's something important. I feel my stomach clench in fear as we dash for the door.

Spencer somehow gets there first and pushes hard, but it doesn't budge. "Dammit!"

"What?" I gasp, throwing my whole weight against it. "How is it locked, that girl just went through!"

"She was just here!" Hanna agrees, frantically brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Who?" Spencer cries, glancing between us.

Before any of us can answer, the lights go out, bathing the reptile house in total darkness. I suppress a scream. The only thing worse than being in a room filled with snakes, in my opinion, is being in a room filled with snakes in the dark.

Lights begin flashing in random exhibits, and Emily is already on the move, grabbing Hanna's arm with one hand and mine with the other. "Let's get out of here!" she yells, pulling us along with her.

We run across the pavilion, back to the door we came in through. But before we can reach it, the loudspeaker crackles, and the same voiceover rings out, stating facts about the black mamba snake. Except this time, no little boys pushed the button.

Another exhibit's information voiceover crackles to life and I whirl around in the direction of the new sound, just in time to see that same blond-haired girl pass by, her face covered by shadows. I gasp, jumping back behind Emily in fear.

Is Ezra here? Is he making all of this happen? If he is, who is that girl?

Lights continue to flicker on and off, droning, automated voices blaring from every direction. I feel a panic attack coming on as I turn all around, pressing myself back against the wall and keeping a firm grip on Hanna's arm.

Emily starts to run for the door, and we follow, pounding on it hard. Then she turns, suddenly rushing in a different direction, so I follow blindly, confused and alarmed until I realize what she spotted.

The bag.

It's laying on the floor, and Emily runs right for it, stooping down to grab it just as Spencer screams, "No, Emily, don't!"

It does look suspiciously like a trap, I decide, and I am proved to be correct when, the moment she makes contact with the bag, a gloved hand shoots out, grabbing her by the arm.

I gasp and look up, fully expecting Ezra to be staring back at us, but it's only the pavilion worker who let us in earlier. "Zoo's closed to the general public," he tells us, his voice gravelly. He probably would have sounded threatening in any other situation, but I am so relieved that I suddenly have to fight the urge to throw my arms around him. "You gotta leave."

"Sorry," Emily breathes, her eyes wide with fear.

"We got locked in," Spencer covers quickly, her breathing shallow. "We're going now."

Aware that he's still watching us, I follow the older girls out the suddenly-unlocked door, breathing hard to slow my heart. It's dark as we exit the zoo, no one talking. Along with the terror of what just happened, the feeling of disappointment is almost palpable.

As far as I could tell, it was a good plan. But it still failed. We're no closer to being able to prove to Aria that Ezra is "A" than we were yesterday.

At least the other girls believe Spencer and me, I tell myself as I say a quick and quiet goodbye, climbing into my car. Somehow we'll just have to convince Aria another way.

I sit for a moment before starting the car, unable to shake the image of that girl in the pavilion. I hadn't gotten a good look at her, but she seemed pretty small. And her hair – or had it been a wig? – had concealed her face completely.

For some reason, I can't get the idea out of my head that the girl was Mona, working with Ezra to distract us. I want to believe that she's not working with "A" anymore, I really do, but after what I remembered a few days ago, it's getting harder and harder to think of my sister as totally innocent, as justified as that whack may have been.

I pull out my phone and stare at her text for a moment, an idea forming. Opening the camera on the phone, I hold it out and grin, snapping a picture of myself in the car. I send it to her, with the message, Home in five. Where are you?

I wait with bated breath. I'm hoping she'll send me a picture in return, and a minute later I'm proved right. I look carefully, able to make out the light green wall of her bedroom in the corner. Home. Thinking we could work on homework together?

I smile and breathe a sigh of relief, setting down my phone. That girl had been in the reptile house only minutes ago. There's no way that Mona could have somehow gotten back home in such a short amount of time, "hyper reality" or not.

At least I can cross my sister off the list for this particular event.

In somewhat lighter spirits, I open the windows as I drive home, letting in the cool November air. I glance out the window as I pass the woods to my left, glancing up at the ski lift. It's rising, most likely the last ride of the night, and I look away to turn on the radio. The music begins to blare, and I raise the volume.

For a second, something echoes in the distance, coming from the direction of the lift. I almost think it sounds like a scream, but I shake my head, brushing that thought from my mind.

I must just be paranoid.

...

Thanks for reading! Next, Viola's good spirits sink when she realizes the true reason behind Ezra's lair...and just how much he managed to find out.