Chapter 97
Arias pov
We sat around as Caleb tracked Emily's phone to see if 'A' has her at radley with Hanna. We have to focus on getting Hanna and Emily back, along with unmasking this bitch. Ezra had closed The Brew earlier for 'maintenance' and had the employees take a half day.
"Who do we think 'A' could be?" Toby asked quietly.
"Everyone knew about Jenna and Alison's rivalry, and maybe Jenna wanted payback for that stink bomb accident." Chloe said.
"It could be anyone she saw that night, except for Ian obviously. Guys, what if it's cece? She's a taller version of Alison, and in the text we got about us seeing 'A' at Noel's party when school started... who was the only person we met there? Cece! We never knew about her until she showed up back in September!" Spencer exclaimed.
"Yeah, but that was the only time had any interaction with her. It wouldn't make any sense for it to be her." Toby pointed out.
"Both Cece and Noel both knew Alison was alive, we didnt know that yet though. But, Alison had always been able to manipulate people to do her dirty work. Im still sure it's Alison herself." I mentioned.
"Aria, you said that you swore you were seeing Alison that day. Maybe, she had Cece walk into the school to mess with your mind." Caleb suggested."
"What if it had been Alison, making us think we were seeing Cece pretending to be Alison!" Caleb asked and I stared.
No one else said anything as they tried to grasp what Caleb and I were saying. But if both Cece and Noel helped Alison fake her death... who had killed Bethany that night? Was Alison that cruel of a person to possibly let someone kill her twin sister? Or did she not know someone killed Bethany?
"Alison loved playing mind games with us. And its so obvious that having to run away and lay low for the past few years had no effect on her. I think you're right about Alison being A." Spencer said, looking at me.
Everyone went quiet as they tried to grasp the idea of Alison being behind this 'A' mess. Ezra wrapped his arm around me and I snuggled into him a little bit, taking his hand in mine. The only things we could hear now was Caleb tapping away at his phone, and the birds outside the window.
"Tobes, I think you're right about bringing cops into this. But it has to be Barry, we all trust him and he's the only cop we've gone to for help on our own. And not Tanner, she's like the female version of Wilden. I said and he nodded.
"It's probably just to enter Radley the same way we usually go in." I said and everyone stared at me and I rolled my eyes.
"I don't think all of us should go. It'll be too suspicious if we all go." Spencer said before I could say anything else.
None of us said anything as Caleb's phone beeped and he stared at the laptop. Just then, we had a knock on the door and Chloe opened it to reveal Lucas.
"I found out who 'A' is." He said and we let him in.
...
The guys led us towards the back of Radley as we tried to come up with a plan. Ezra was hesitant about not coming with me, but he knew it'd be easier for him to stay there. Plus the boys were going to be home soon and he'll have to pick them up anyway.
"Alright, here's my idea. Maya and I will go in through the back. Toby, lucas, and Spencer you... find another spot. There's a side door for nurses that you could use." I said.
"I don't like you two going in alone and neither would Ezra." Toby said.
"Tobes, why don't you go with them then? I can handle Lucas." Spencer said and he didnt seem sure.
I placed the ear piece Caleb had given me as everyone else did the same. Toby sighed as I was struggling to turn mine on and did it for me.
"Thank you. Why don't we all go in and Lucas can find his own entrance." I suggested, getting Lucas to look slightly offended.
Without saying anything else, I turned and opened Radley's basement window open and carefully jumped in. Maya followed first with Toby on her trail. Spencer jumped in with some help from Toby, and Lucas made sure we were all in before heading towards the nurse's entrance. Spencer quickly dusted herself off as Toby placed the window back in place.
"I'm going to look for Emily." Maya said and I took her hand.
"I'll go with you. We'll be fine." I said, the last part for Ezra and Toby.
Toby reached into his back pocket and handed me a gun. I raised an eyebrow at him before handing it back to him.
"When has anyone in this group having a gun with them ever been a good idea? You keep and you can be shot." I said.
"Please don't give your sister a gun!" Ezra exclaimed
Maya took it from me and emptied out the bullets. Handing the gun back over to me, and giving Toby the gun.
"Hey, Toby could join our brotherhood!" Caleb said, getting me and Chloe to groan.
"Not funny! And we're wasting time, we're taking the gun. Maya and I will take the East Wing, you two can take the West. If we find Em and Hanna, code word is found." I said and took maya's hand before hurrying off.
We ran towards the East wing as we listened to everyone talking at once about how we should've stuck together. I glanced over at maya as she slid the gun into her back pocket, I took a deep breath and pressed the mute button on the earpiece. Hearing something, I quickly muted Maya's and motioned for her to listen.
"Mona's old room!" We whispered and I unmuted our pieces.
"Shut up!" I hissed into it and heard Ezra muffled his laughter.
Hurrying up to Mona's old room, I saw Hanna in Mona's old bed and that the gated door was closed. As we got closer, we saw Emily was in the corner and Hanna looked up to see us.
"Guys! We know who 'A' is!" Hanna said and Emily looked up to see Maya.
Without saying a word, I pulled my Bobby pin out of my hair and quickly unlocked the door.
"Don't open it!" Hanna and Emily said as i had already pushed the door open, sounding off alarms.
"You know, we may have needed those damn bullets. Found in Mona's old room."I said into the ear piece.
They pulled us into the room just as Spencer came running. She gave us the signal that Toby was calling the police, but he was with us through the ear piece.
"Did you enjoy my game for the past few years?"
We turned around to see no other than Alison walking towards us. I know that I've been saying it's Alison behind this, it's still shocking that I was right about this. Was she behind it all or just when Mona went to Radley? I have so many questions.
"Alison?!" We asked.
Emily and Hanna stayed over by me and Maya as Alison entered the room and shut the door. Lucas saw us and stared in shock, like he had believed someone else had been 'A' and not Alison.
"I have so many questions." Spencer said as Alison walked past and sat down in the one chair that was in here.
"When did this all start?" Spencer asked first.
"It really started in the begining of seventh grade, right before I chose you all." Alison said.
Flashback - Sept 5th, 2006
Alison's pov
Mona and I were playing with her dolls in her room. Her mom and my mom were in a board meeting with Radley of the board. Looking at the dolls, they made me think of some losers at school. Spencer Hastings, the know it all who lives next door to me, Hanna Marin who is always eating doughnuts or something, Emily Fields, one of the girls on the swim team, and Aria Montgomery, the real freaky girl. Looking at the dolls, I came up with a brilliant game for me and Mona.
"I have a fun game for us to play." I said, setting down the doll that made me think of Emily.
"What kind of game Ali?" Mona asked curiously.
"In a few weeks after we start junior high, I'll pick some losers to be my minions and train them enough that they would do anything for me. Before Sophomore year starts, I'll disappear somehow and you'll mess with them . I could show you how to do it, trust me it'll be so fun!" I said and Mona looked excited yet conflicted, why does my mother make me hang out with her during these stupid meetings?
"Okay Ali! But who are we playing with?" Sje asked.
"Four different girls. That weirdo girl Aria, the one who's always either knitting or pining after MY Noel. Spencer that goody two shoes bitch next door, who is always with Aria. Emily Fields, that girl on the swim team who's clearly in love with me. And last girl, Hanna Marin but I like calling her hefty Hanna.
"Hanna Marin? But she's my friend." Mona said quietly.
"Oh please, you two haven't hung out in years. She went from being your friend to being friends with freaky Montgomery." I told her.
"She's still my friend in my heart." Mona whimpered.
I scoffed and rolled my eyes at her. Now I can see why no one wants to be her friend, she's so damn clingy and way too sensitive.
"Mona, she doesn't care about you. But, if you play the game right... she'll be your friend again. But in order to play, you need to stop taking that stupid medicine of yours." I told her.
"Ok! For Hanna I'll do it!" Mona said.
End of flashback
We stared at Alison in shock from learning that she had been the mastermind behind the entire 'A' game. Even Mona's part... wait a minute! Foes that she planned Ezra being shot?
"Mona knew I was alive and I used that to my advantage. She worshipped me, you all did. I played her well enough for her believe that everything was her idea. Messing with Mona's pretty little head was part of my plan." Alison said before we could ask her anything.
"You planned on her running Hanna over and kidnapping me? Setting the school on fire AND shooting Ezra?" I asked and Hanna took my hand in hers, making sure I wouldn't attack Alison.
Without saying another word, Alison stood up from her chair and walked over to me. Staring her down, she cackled quietly before pushing me and Hanna to sit on the bed.
"You girls should've played the game right. Didn't you ever wonder what had really drawn my attention to four losers like you?" Alison asked and I realized that she had never cared at all for any of us.
"Obviously for Spencer, it was her smarts. Spence, for a brainiac like you, I'm surprised you never put the pieces together. For Em here, it was the fact she was so in love with me. I knew she would be the most loyal sidekick ever, until she betrayed me. As for you two, Hanna you admired me so much, and why wouldn't you? I wasn't fat like you." Alison said.
I quickly stood up and walked right up to her, I've had enough of her fat shaming Hanna. Before she realized it, I slapped her hard and loud enough for anyone on the earpiece to hear.
"I'm gonna jump in and say you picked me because I'm compassionate? Since we have smart, admiring, loyal... the only one missing is compassionate. You wanted someone who feels a lot, since you feel nothing at all." I said for her.
"How come Mona never mentioned any of this?" Hanna asked as I went back over by her.
"Part of the game... besides, I tricked her into believing we never had the conversation and her torturing me was all her." Alison said as she pushed us aside, to look out the window.
"You're sick!" Emily said
"You bitches didn't care that I was dead!" Alison shouted
"WE DIDNT CARE? Who do you think was trying to uncover who killed you? Who created your memorial? WE ALMOST DIED MULTIPLE TIMES BECAUSE OF YOU! Alison, YOU'RE the one who never cared about us!" I yelled back at her and Hanna pulled me into a hug like hold.
"You never answer the you plan on Mona shooting Ezra?" Spencer asked and I realized why Hanna was holding me.
"Who do you think told her that he was just planning on stealing the game from her? And why do you think I got Aria sick enough for her to think she was just imagining me?" She said and I held back my tears.
I took off my ear piece and handed it to Hanna. Emily looked at me confused, and Spencer seemed to know exactly what I was about to do. Walking up to Alison, I slapped her and before she could look back up, i shoved her into the wall. She pushed me back, getting me to trip backwards a chair, and I pulled her down with me. Pulling her up, I quickly shoved her into the desk.
"Break this up!" Barry yelled as he and Toby pulled us apart.
"She was behind EVERYTHING we went through! Mona was just a puppet, Alison planned everything! She planned Hanna getting hit, us being kidnapped, and she planned out Ezra getting shot! She's the one who had put mom in the hospital!" I yelled as Toby rubbed my back.
"You might as well also be the one who killed everyone." I snapped at Alison.
"Who said I wasn't?" She said and we stared at her.
There's no way she killed all those people, is there? Could it be that Alison did kill Wilden and her mother? What about the other two cops that had been killed back when school began?
"First, I killed Wilden the day Mona kidnapped Toby. Before I left Rosewood; Ian and I were doing it all the time throughout the summer, and I ended up pregnant. But, I was also fooling around with Darren as well. So I told Darren it was his baby, and that I had to leave town." Alison said as she sat on the desk chair.
"Turns out, I was never pregnant. But Darren had written our baby as his sole inheritance in case something ever happened to him while he was at work, and I needed that money. So, I got those fake pregnancy bumps and took fake sonograms." She continued.
"Did he find out that you weren't pregnant?" Hanna asked.
"He found out around the time Ella married Toby's dad for some insane reason. He said that if I ever came back to rosewood, no one would ever believe me since I had faked my own death and it would be my word against his. And that he was changing his will back to the original, all $200,000 would be going to the police department. But he had already promised ME that money, I wasn't about to let him it away!" She said.
We all stared at her in shock, I actually think she's insane. How was all of this in her plan? Wilden knew she was alive the entire time... and he kept harassing us about us killing her?!
"No Alison, he did not promise the money to you! He promised the money to his child! Which wasn't even his... if the child actually existed!" Spencer told her.
"Well... he found out when he came out to visit me, and saw no traces of little baby DJ. He was my neighbor's son, and I always wanted to watch him on the weekends when I knew Darren would be here." She said and I felt sick to my stomach.
Someone trusted this insane person watch their precious little baby, trusting her with their life! I ran over to the trash can and fell down, throwing up my breakfast and the iced vanilla mocha Ezra had made me as a treat for my math final. Without missing a beat, Toby had my hair back and rubbed my back. How the hell did none of us see this side of her before?
"What about Bethany? She was the one who ended up in your grave." Emily asked as Toby helped me up.
"I had convinced Mona to try and kill me that night, so she would believe that was the real reason I was leaving. And since our hair is so similar, all I needed was for her to wear that yellow top." Alison said.
"I cant hear anymore." Emily said and came over by me and Toby.
Before anyone else could say anything, more officers showed up and I ran into Ezra's arms. He kissed the top of my head as Alison got handcuffed.
"The boys are with Chloe and Caleb." He whispered as I breathed in his scent.
"Wait! There's one death you didnt mention - your mother's death." Spencer said as maya pulled Emily into her arms.
"Easy, an eye for an eye. Maybe next time, she won't bury someone." She said as Barry led her away.
I shared a look with the girls as Ezra held me close. We all knew the same thing - the 'A' game was over for real this time. Now, we just have prom and Graduation to look forward to, before we all leave Rosewood at the end of Summer.
AN - So the 'A' game has finally ended! I feel Alison should've been 'A' in the show. Anyway, Life with Oliver is almost over BUT there is still the final story.
I do want to thank you all for staying with me as I write these chapters, I know waiting for the chapters can be a pain when i get stuck and take forever.