Ezra walked into the Hollis bar and took a seat at the counter. He ordered a scotch from the bar tender and settled in with a book. He couldn't concentrate on the words, and even one drink and then another, couldn't calm his nerves. He put the book aside and tried to find something else to distract himself.
It wasn't until he saw the poster of Allison DiLaurentis on the cork board across the room, that he realized he'd come to the wrong place to drown his sorrows. He couldn't believe it was still there, four years later. His eyes dropped to the empty seat, two down from his. Five years ago, Aria would have sat there, and he would have known nothing about her. He would have asked her a question, and she would have told him that she had been to Iceland, and another in which she'd tell him she wanted to major in English. And they would have gotten lost in each other's lives and ended up in the girl's bathroom, making out.
Ezra began to wonder, if he'd known that he would be here today, if he would've done what he'd done back then. If he'd known, would he have asked that question? If he had known, would he have gotten lost in her eyes. If he'd known would they have remained in their separate worlds up until the first day of school? Would they just have been student and teacher, with maybe a "hey have I seen you somewhere before?" thrown in the mix?
But he was selfish, and he knew that if he'd known, he would have done the exact same thing. Ask, a question, then another, eyes, kiss. Nothing of that first day in the bar would change. No, it wouldn't, he would have changed his later actions. He wouldn't have slept with her, and when he left for New York, he would have stayed gone. If he'd known...