I didn't get as many reviews as I would like for the first chapter of this story, but I'm not going to let that discourage me. I will continue to update this story for my pleasure. (: Please read and review! Enjoy!


Aria woke up the next morning to the sunlight streaming down on her face through the window. She let out a low grumble and then pulled the covers over her face. Before long there was a loud knock on her bedroom door.

"Aria! Get up! It's 7:30!" Ella shouted from the other side of the door.

"I'm up!" she yelled. "Crap. I must have fallen back asleep," she said to herself. She slowly drug herself out of her bed and made her way to the bathroom. She turned on the shower and stepped in. The warm water felt nice and it helped to wake her up. She quickly showered and stepped out. She brushed her teeth before leaving the bathroom and went back to her room to get dressed. She rummaged through her closet and pulled out a white ruffle blouse and a tribal print skirt and put them on. She quickly scanned her shoes and decided on a black pair of ankle high boots. She blow dried her hair and then grabbed her make up case and put it in her bag before grabbing her books and running down the stairs and out to her car. She wasn't going to have time to stop and get her morning coffee, so she went on to school. She got there later than she had anticipated. She quickly got out of her car and ran up to the building. The last bell rang as she opened Mr. Fitz's classroom door. Everyone turned their head to look at her and she blushed and quickly made her way to her seat. Ezra looked at her and gave her a faint smile before going back to writing the assignment on the board. She got out her notebook and started copying what he had written. He finished what he was writing and went to sit down at his desk. He noticed that Aria kept eyeing his coffee thathe had lying on his desk, so he didn't touch it.

Aria was the first to finish her assignment and she walked up to Mr. Fitz's desk to turn it in. She made her way back to her desk and pulled out her makeup and a mirror and started to apply it. She was finished within five minutes and put her things away and then started on her homework assignment. Before long, the bell rang and all the students gathered their things and headed out the door. Aria was last as usual.

"Hey Aria, let me see you for a second," Mr. Fitz said.

"Yeah?" she said as she made her way over to his desk.

"Here, take this. You seemed a little off this morning, and considering what time you walked into class, I know you need this. Oh, and by the way, you look just as gorgeous without makeup," he said with a wink.

"Thanks, Mr. Fitz. I really appreciate this," Aria said with a smile.

"It's no problem, Aria. And if you ever need help or need to talk about anything, I'm here. Remember that," he said to her as she turned to walk away.

"I will," she replied, while turning her head and flashing him a small smile while walking out the door.

The rest of Aria's day went by smooth after that. She stopped into Mr. Fitz's classroom after school to talk to him.

"Aria, what a surprise! Is there anything you need?" he asked her.

"Uh, no. I just wanted to thank you again for the coffee this morning. The funny thing is, I drink the same coffee every morning. Ironic, isn't it?" she said with a small laugh.

"A little. Hey, would you mind meeting me tonight? Please? There is something I feel we should discuss," he said as he walked over to his desk and grabbed a piece of paper and scribbling his number on it. "Here, take this. Just text me your number and I'll text you the details."

"Okay, sounds like a deal," she said with a smile.

She walked out the door and went to her car. She got home and texted Ezra her number and he replied instantly. She smiled when she recognized the apartment he had texted her. It was only three blocks away, right by the coffee shop she goes to every day. She texted him back saying she would be there at 4, leaving her thirty minutes to get there.

Before long, it was 4 and she was walking down the hall to his apartment door. She stopped when she reached his door and lifted her hand to knock.

"Oh, Aria! I'm sorry, I thought I would be back by now!" shouted Ezra as he ran down the hall holding four grocery bags in his hands.

"Here, let me take those," she said with a laugh.

"No, I have this. I invited you over and I'm not going to let you hold these bags. That would be extremely rude of me!" he exclaimed.

"Technically, since I offered, I wouldn't consider it to be rude," she said with a smirk.

"Still not letting you take them from me." He shuffled the bags around in his arms and finally found his apartment key and unlocked his door, allowing Aria to walk in first.

"Oh, wow! Your apartment is so… you!" she marveled.

"Uh, thanks?" replied Ezra. He was now in the kitchen getting the groceries out of the bags he had set on the counter. "Do you like Spaghetti?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "Of course I do! Who doesn't?!" she questioned.

"Hey I was just making sure! I didn't want to cook it and you not eat it!" he replied before laughing at how she was scanning his bookshelf and walking around his apartment.

Aria walked around and looked at photos on his desk and bedside table. She then proceeded to his bookshelf and looked at all of his books. He had all of her favorites. Afterwards, she moved to his movie collection, and once again, he had all of her favorites, plus a few. She had never met anyone who had as much in common with her as he did. She was just scared that she would get too close with him and reveal that dark truth she didn't want anyone to know about. But if he did find out, there was only so much she would be able to do.

She was quickly snapped out of her thoughts as Ezra called her name from his kitchen. "Aria!"

She walked into the kitchen and stood beside him, admiring him. "Yes?" she asked quizzically.

"Why don't you sit in here with me? I want to get to know more about you before we sit down to eat."

She pulled out a bar stool and took a seat. She propped her elbows on the table and leaned over. "So, any siblings?" she asked him.

"Younger brother, Wesley. My parents are divorced, I don't have anything to do with my mom, and I barely see my brother. How about you? Any siblings?"

She silently laughed to herself on how he answered her "any siblings" question. "Um, yeah. I have a brother Mike. He is a couple years younger than me. You might get lucky and have him in your class in a couple years. And if he does end up in your class, good luck, Mr. Fitz," she retorted.

"Well, thanks for the warning," he answered. He finished stirring the meat and came over and sat down across from Aria. He looked her dead in the eyes and she swore she saw his soul. "You're beautiful," he blurted.

Aria's face flushed a bright red and she couldn't hide it. This was so inappropriate, her being at a teacher's apartment after school, him cooking dinner for her, and then calling her beautiful. Strangely though, she didn't want to leave. She should have wanted to leave, but something about him just drew her in further and she didn't want to escape from him. There was something special about him that she hadn't found in any other guy she had liked before.

Seconds passed before she finally made eye contact with Ezra again. "Thank you." She smiled at him and he reached across the table and took her hand in his own.

"I know this is wrong on so many levels, and I know we just met yesterday, but something about you is different than most. You are more mature than anyone I have ever met your age and mine. You're captivating, Aria. I want you to know that, and I think I want you to be my girlfriend. We could use tonight to get to know each other better. When I touch you, I feel sparks. I feel electricity surge through my veins. I feel alive. I have never felt that way before. Please tell me you feel the same," he whispered.

Staring at Ezra with an expression of admiration, she spoke softly, "I feel the same way about you, Ezra. I would like to date you as well."

He gently rubbed his thumb across hers and smiled a smile of relief at her. He once again flashed his gorgeous boyish-smile at her and she marveled over it once more.

Aria glanced behind Ezra and noticed the water was boiling over in the pot and quickly jumped out of her seat and moved the pot to a different burner and turning the heat down. She moved it back to its original place and added the noodles, letting Ezra watch her cook. He managed to get up and take her place and allow her to sit back down. He finished cooking and before long, served the meal. They ate in a comfortable silence and washed the dishes together afterwards, which resulted in a fight with the soap. They giggled and enjoyed every minute of it, until Aria had to go home.

"I had a magnificent time tonight, Aria. I hope you did as well. This was definitely one of the best nights I've had in forever. I really needed it, and to spend it with you made it all worth the while. Good night," he said, giving a sheepish smile and pulling her in for a hug.

"It was nice," she replied. She inhaled his scent and then pulled away. She flashed him her pearly-white smile and retreated out of his apartment, the smile that graced her lips not leaving. Tonight had been the best night to date, and it got her mind off of everything. Except the fact that tomorrow was the 16th birthday of Ali, the one who was no longer in their little close knit group. And all at once, the memories flooded back to haunt her once more.