Chapter 49: WhAt hAppened lAst night

I open my eyes slowly and sit up, my head throbbing. I look around. Lindsay lies on the ground next to me, and empty bottles of alcohol are scattered around us. I start to panic.

I can't remember anything since Lindsay came back into her house, looking terrified.

"Lindsay, wake up." I shake her until she groans and rolls over to face me.

"What?" She moans, rubbing her eyes.

"Do you remember what happened last night?" I look around self-consciously. It feels like someone's watching me, so I know ~A is nearby.

Lindsay forces herself to her feet, rubbing her temples like she has a headache, which she probably does. "No. I think I drank too much." She stares at me. "What time is it?"

I glanced at my phone. "Like ten." It took a minute to register what I'd just said. "Oh my God. It's ten!"

"I'm not going to go. We already missed like half the day." Lindsay shrugs. "What's the point?"

"I guess you're right." I yawn. "I just wish I could remember what happened last night."

"Me, too." She tries not to yawn, unsuccessfully. "But it's not like anything could have happened, right? We had to have been here the whole time."

"You're right." I gather my things. "I'm going to go. There's something I need to do."

"Okay." Lindsey's phone buzzes. She looks at it and momentarily pales, but then her normal expression returns.

"Are you okay?" I ask. "I don't need to stay with you, do I?"

"No, I'm fine." She smiles, though I don't buy it.

I give her a skeptical look. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure." Lindsay replies quickly.

"Um, I'll see you later." I can't stand the awkwardness of this conversation anymore, so I walk out the door.

I dial a number which immediately goes to voicemail. "It's me." I start, shivering as I walk across the street. "We need to talk."


At the same time, Aria, Spencer, and Emily were waiting to their next classes. Emily was about to leave the group, but Spencer grabbed her arm.

"Do either of you have any idea where Hanna is? I haven't seen her all day." Spencer questioned, seeming worried.

She probably should be, Emily thought. She and Aria shook their heads. "I haven't seen Lindsay, either." Emily beckoned for the girls to follow her into the bathroom. As long as no one else was in there, they shouldn't have to worry about anyone hearing. The bell rang, taunting everyone who was now late for class. "Do you guys think something's wrong?"

"I don't know. Did anyone see Lindsay after school yesterday?" Aria asked.

"No." Emily and Spencer simultaneously replied.

"Maybe they're together." Emily suggested hopefully. She couldn't imagine how guilty she would feel if anything had happened to Hanna. Her phone started to ring in her bag, but she turned it off before Spencer and Aria could notice.

"Do you think Alison got to tell Hanna?" Aria shivered, thinking about their encounter with Alison the night before.

Right after Alison told the girls they needed to leave, the squeak of a door cracking open sounded and Mrs. Hastings had walked in.

"Girls?" She'd asked, a concerned expression on her face. "Is everything okay?"

When they turned back around, Alison was gone.

"Maybe." Spencer paced nervously around the bathroom.

"But what about Lindsay?"

"Maybe she got sick." Aria shrugged.

"We should probably get to class." Emily shifted nervously. They could talk about this later. "I don't want to miss anything."

Spencer gave her a skeptical look, but agreed. They all walked out together.

"Aria? Spencer?" All three turned at the sound of the voice, even thought they didn't mention Emily. Noel Kahn stood in front of them. Emily paled. The last time she saw him, she splashed what she thought was fruit punch in his face. The girls stared at him. "Please tell me one of you has seen Lindsay today."

"Why would you care?" Emily spat. Just because he wasn't ~A didn't mean Emily couldn't still hate him.

"Because she's my girlfriend." Noel glared at Emily, who took a step back in shock. Aria and Spencer's eyes widened. "Have you seen her or not?"

"No, we haven't." Spencer kept her tone steady, though Emily wasn't sure how.

"Shit." Noel started to walk in circles with his hands on the back of his head.

"What's wrong?" Aria's voice sounded small.

"I haven't seen her all day, and she isn't answering her phone." He gave them a desperate stare. "I think something's wrong."

Emily pulled out her phone and turned it on, about to call Lindsay herself. When she did, she saw she had a new voicemail and text from Hanna. Don't tell anyone about this, the text read. "You know what, guys? I actually don't feel too good. I think I'm going to go home." Emily gave them a wobbly smile. Each of them gave her odd looks, but didn't try to stop her as she walked out of the school.

She listened to the voicemail as she started the car. "Its me." Hanna's voice sounded. "We need to talk."

It was all she said, but Emily knew that something was going on, or she wouldn't be calling her, of all people.

Emily sent her a text. Where do you want to meet?


Lindsay sat in her room on the edge of her bed, staring at herself blankly in the mirror. She couldn't concentrate on anything except for the night before, and the texts she received. Hanna was too drunk to remember what happened, but Lindsay wasn't, even though she wished she was. She'd been avoiding everyone's calls, including Noel's. Lindsay didn't know who she could trust anymore. Someone knew everything.

Her phone started to ring, and she stood up to get it. It was Noel again, but she still didn't answer. Instead, she opened the message she was sent earlier that morning.

Hanna may not remember what happened last night, but I do. ~A


Author's note: I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm going to start italicizing the texts so you can tell the difference between someone reading them in their head(s) or out loud.

Also, to the bitch that called my story "shitty," I would like to say,

1) Your words don't affect me. It's my opinion that matters about my story, not yours.

and

2) If you're going to insult me and/or my story, at least do it under an account, not as a guest like a coward. Thank you.

Xoxo ~L