Pretty Little Liars: Paying the Cost

First chapter of the first story in my first Pretty Little Liars series, hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars or its characters.

Season 1: Episode 1

The streets of Rosewood Pennsylvania were deserted at that late time in the night, except for one person, a shadowy hooded stranger who walked towards one of the lamp posts. Attached to the lamp post was a missing persons poster, below the words 'Have You Seen Me?' was the portrait of a pretty blonde girl and below that, the name Alison DiLaurentis and below that a few vital stats about the girl. Unseen in the shadows of their hood, the stranger gave a wry smirk as they reached out and pulled the poster off the lamp post and pulled out a red pen. They then made an addition to the poster before casually throwing it aside with a laugh and walking off.

XXXXX

One Year Earlier

The laughter of the five girls as they sat around the table in the Hastings family home, currently empty as the parents and older sister of one of their friend group, Spencer Hastings, were out. Spencer was the tallest of the five girls, sitting laughing as she set down the bottle she had slipped from her dad's liquor cabinet in front of the others. Spencer had a very slim face complimented with high cheekbones, thin lips, and almond shaped eyes. She had a peach and cream complexion and long medium brown hair usually worn down in waves. She also had a very slim and athletic figure from playing field hockey, tennis and other sports that she did to keep her image and figure perfectly intact. For that summed up Spencer exactly, striving for perfection in everything she did.

"There you go girls, just as requested." Spencer joked, her speech slightly slurred.

The other girls giggled, already tipsy from the booze that Alison had smuggled into the house when their party started, hiding it until Spencer's parents and older sister left.

Alison grinned. "Perfect, that's much better, quality stuff."

Alison was a very attractive young woman with golden blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a heart-shaped face with a dimple in the center of her chin. She was slender and graceful while also bold and well-known for being in control of practically any situation she was in. Alison's bold personality was easily reflected in her confident stance and walk. They got the bottle open and refilled their glasses and Alison smirked around at the other girls.

"Alright girls, enjoy the fruits of Spencer's labour."

They all shared another laugh and drank.

Of the other three girls, one of them sat next to Alison, occasionally glancing in the blonde's direction. This was Emily Fields, Emily had a slightly round-oval face with full lips and deep set hooded eyes. Her dark brown hair, which is usually worn down, complimented her olive complexion. She had an athletic body type, as she was a swimmer. The star swimmer of Rosewood High School's swimming team in fact. On the other sofa, seated next to Spencer were the other two girls in the friend group, first Hanna Marin and then Aria Montgomery. Hanna was a very attractive young woman with golden blonde hair, a heart-shaped face complimented with piercing blue eyes, full lips and a dimpled smile. She had a curvaceous frame with slim, shapely legs. Her skin was light with a milk and rose complexion which perfectly summed up her innocent and playful personality. This was a big change in Hanna from previous years where she had been overweight but thanks to Alison, in various ways, she had changed herself to how she was now. She even wore heavy, brightly toned makeup and was always dressed in high-fashion now including several accessories and a variety of heels. Finally was Aria who had a pale ivory complexion complimented with round hazel eyes and plump lips. Her natural dark brown hair was wavy and had pink highlights She had a petite frame and stood approximately at 5'2 ft, making her the shortest of her friends.

The party had proceeded for some time and it was quite clear the girls had all got quite tipsy, if not outright drunk. It was then Alison's eyes widened, something which told the others that she had an idea and they braced themselves. Thankfully, instead of the usual Alison DiLaurentis drunken ideas, what she suggested was very tame.

"So guys, I just had a thought." Alison said. "I know how we all have secrets together, but we all have a very...special secret that we've not told ANYONE else, am I right?"

The other girls nodded, all looking a little uncomfortable. But Alison then picked up the sheets of paper and pens from the table and began passing them around.

"So here's an idea. We all write that deep dark secret down, fold it up and then put it in here." She gestured to a small box on the table with a slot on top and a padlock keeping it shut. "Then one of us takes the box and the key and keeps it for a week, therefore we are safeguarding our secret and the others secrets, then at the start of the next week we hand it over to one of the others, each taking turns. The ultimate trust."

The other girls were a little wary but in their drunken states they all agreed and soon got to work taking the pens and paper, writing their secrets down and folding the slips of paper up, making sure none of the others could see. They then all slid the slips of paper into the box. Alison then put the key down on the table next to the box.

"There now...each week one of us holds the others secrets in our hands...this is how we prove how much we trust each other." She looked around at each of them carefully. "Right girls?"

They all nodded and later, when the party ended, the girls all went their separate ways, Spencer bidding them farewell while the others all went home. Alison took the box with her for the first week, but that was the last time anyone ever saw her for a whole year.

XXXXX

Present Day

Arriving at Rosewood High School, Aria Montgomery sighed as she wondered about that day.

'So much has changed in that year, since Ali disappeared.' She thought sadly. 'Especially with us, the four remaining girls...we're not, close anymore…'

That simple fact couldn't be more clearer than the sight of Hanna walking up the school steps, glamorous as ever and accompanied by the now equally glamorous Mona Vanderwaal, a former 'loser' girl who Alison had an acrimonious relationship with at best. Now Mona was hardly recognizable as who she had been before. Now Mona was an attractive young woman with black hair, round hazel eyes that communicated most of her emotions, and a fine bone structure. She had plump lips and a mole under her right eye, but nowadays it was mostly hidden under her make-up. Mona was roughly the same height as Aria but as she was usually seen in heels or pumped sneakers she looked taller.

"Aria."

She turned and was startled to see Emily approaching her quickly, looking worried.

"Emily, what…?" She began, a little surprised.

After the first month and a half following Alison's disappearance she had drifted away from Emily and hadn't spoken to her since then and then she left with her family for Iceland before now coming back to Rosewood.

"Hey...it's good to see you back." Emily began awkwardly.

Aria gave a smile, also feeling awkward. "Yeah, thanks."

But she couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong, judging on Emily's look of concern.

Briefly spotting Spencer also making her way into the school, separately from them, another friendship that faded away, Aria turned back to Emily.

"What's wrong, you look...worried?"

Emily bit her lip then fished something out of her bag. "That missing poster for Ali that was on the lamp post outside the Applewood Grill."

She pulled the poster out of her bag and held it out.

"It had been torn down, and then...on it." Emily began to explain then sighed. "Well, see for yourself."

Confused Aria took the poster and checked it, her eyes widened at what she saw. Scrawled over the poster was a red spiky single letter. A.

"What...what is this?" Aria murmured, confused.

Emily bit her lip. "I have no idea…"

Grimacing Aria handed the poster back and entered the school with Emily.

"Look, Emily I um...I know we've not exactly…" Aria began.

Emily nodded. "I know...don't worry, I'm not asking for us to be all buddy-buddy again. I just...you're the first person I saw that felt I could trust enough to show that too."

Aria nodded but was left to dwell on what the strange symbol could mean as she parted ways with Emily and headed for her own locker. She paused for a moment and then smiled lightly as she saw three familiar looking boys standing nearby. The first one was the one she knew best, his locker was right next to hers. Ryan Ericson, a sixteen year old like her, medium height with short dark red hair, hazel eyes, fair skin and a normal build, a quiet somewhat shy young man who came to Rosewood with his family a mere three months before Alison's disappearance and despite being the kind of nerd that Ali loved to tease, he somehow avoided being on her radar.

The other two boys were also sixteen and friends of Ryan. The first being a young man the same height as Spencer with brown almost black eyes, light blonde almost brown hair with a slim but athletic build named Antony Bruno, known as Tony to his friends, he carried a heavy New Jersey accent from where he was originally from and was known to very outgoing and loud, sometimes obnoxious but good at heart. The third boy was a little shorter with semi-long blonde hair, green eyes and fair skin with an average build, he was notably meek and quiet, pretty shy, more so than Ryan who was his best friend, his name was Anderson Franklin. A young man who had settled in Rosewood with his family after having moved from New England a few years back. Aria couldn't help but feel a little guilty upon seeing him, knowing Ali had at least targeted him for her little games.

"Hey." She greeted them with a smile.

"Wow, Aria, hi." Ryan gasped, seeing her.

Anderson also smiled. "Hey there."

Tony grinned, nodding. "Well, well, look who's back, good to see you again."

"Same...can't believe how much things have changed since I left...at least in terms of people." Aria remarked as she got what she needed from her locker. "The town itself of course hasn't changed at all. When does it ever."

Walking together to class the boys agreed and Ryan looked up ahead towards the class door.

As they did so he spotted Hanna and Mona and nodded in their direction.

"Yeah, you're right about people changing, I mean...look at Hanna and Mona, they're the new it girls now." He remarked.

Aria nodded. "Yeah, I saw that, hard to believe that's Mona, she looks amazing."

The other two boys nodded in agreement as they drew closer to the door.

"I heard we're getting new teachers this year too, two of them." Tony added.

Anderson nodded. "Yeah, one for our English class here and um. I think that's the other one over there."

He nodded towards the end of the corridor and they all looked, walking down the corridor was the teacher, a young woman with long platinum blonde hair and grey eyes, slender and rather beautiful.

"Th-that's her?" Ryan asked, sounding strangely nervous.

Tony looked at him confused. "Uh, yeah, that a problem dude?"

Ryan shook his head. "No, no problem at all, it's fine."

But he seemed rather quick to enter the class after that. Regardless they were soon all seated and waiting as the new English Literature teacher entered. Like the woman they had seen, he was young, in his twenties roughly. He had short neat brown hair and brown eyes, fair skin and a normal build, dressed relatively smart and gave off an air of confidence and passion for his subject. As he finished writing his name on the board he turned to greet them.

"Okay, good morning, I'm Mr. Fitz and as this is our first lesson together, I think we should start getting to know each other, so...who'd like to begin."

While he seemed an easier teacher to work with, the other boys were a little concerned as they noted that Ryan still seemed on edge.

XXXXX

"Wow, I mean, seriously...was that really Aria Montgomery back?" Mona was saying. "She looks a little different."

Hanna shrugged as she got out of Mona's car. "She looked the same to me, well, except she's not got the pink in her hair anymore."

Mona shrugged. "Yeah, maybe that's it."

But it was clear that she was just humouring Hanna who merely shrugged.

"Well, thanks for the ride, see you tomorrow." She said.

Mona nodded. "You got it."

With that she drove away and Hanna began to approach the front door of her house but stopped as her phone indicated a text. She pulled it out to check it.

XXXXX

Returning to her own home, Aria bit her lip, unsure if she was going to be able to go another night keeping that secret close to her chest.

'I...What if tonight is the night mom finds out and…' She thought worriedly.

"Aria."

She started and turned to her brother Mike.

"You gonna just stand there?" He joked.

She shook herself. "Sorry."

She went and unlocked the door when suddenly her phone indicated a text. She let Mike head on in while she pulled out her phone to check it.

XXXXX

Riding her bike into her driveway Emily sighed and stretched her neck around, rotating her head slowly and finally she got off her bike and began making her way towards the door of her house when suddenly, to her surprise, her phone made a sound.

'A text, who could…?' She wondered.

Curious she went to dig her phone out and paused upon seeing Alison's defaced poster again, biting her lip as she stared at it for a moment she quickly gathered herself and pulled her phone out, checking it.

XXXXX

Reaching her own home driveway, Spencer paused for a moment and looked over at the former DiLaurentis house. They'd moved away a few months ago, shortly after the search for Alison began to wind down and hopes of finding her dimmed. She then noticed that the For Sale sign that had been in front of the house since then had finally been marked with a Sold sticker.

'So, new neighbours...interesting.' She mused before noticing the cars in her own home's driveway and rolled her eyes. 'Of course right now I've got to survive dealing with Melissa being home.'

With a heavy sign she once again approached her door only to hear her phone which she quickly pulled out and checked.

XXXXX

Unaware that the other three were also reading the same message, each girl stared in shock at the message from an unknown number they had received.

"Do you like games? I do and I have a very interesting one for us to play. There is only one rule, no cops or she pays the ultimate price. The name of the game? 'Where is Alison?

A"

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.