Dont own the characters. Well maybe the character of Miss Palladino.
Alice walks back into the building after making sure Logan left the campus. It was amazing how much trouble that guy could get into. What was even more amazing or rather interesting was the fact that his ability to fall into trouble was the reason she liked him. Weird. Maybe Ezra's suggestion of having her head examined wasn't such a bad idea.
Alice spotted Jenna walking into the music room and sighed. She had a few questions some of which Jenna could answer. She makes her way to the music room.
"Jenna."
Jenna rises her head at the mention of her name. She recognized the voice.
"Miss Palladino. I haven't been anywhere near Spencer." Jenna says turning around.
"I know. I must apologize for the way it sounded. I didn't mean for it to come out as a threat. Because it wasn't."
"You are the English teacher after all." Jenna states putting away the sheet music.
"It doesn't take a genius to see that you want Spencer and her friends to pay. And that's where I get a little defensive."
"I wasn't aware that you knew them."
"I am their teacher."
"And yet you only mentioned Spencer before. Why is that?"
"We are getting off the subject, Jenna. The reason I wanted to speak to you is to give you this." Alice hands her a card written in Braille. "Dr. Carthew is one of the best in the area."
"I don't need a shrink." Jenna hands back the card.
"She's not a shrink. Dr. Carthew is an eye specialist."
"Is this some sort of bribe?"
"Call it an olive branch." Alice says handing the card back to Jenna. She takes the card, smile creeps to her face. "Let make a deal. The girls won't come after you if…"
"How can you be so sure?"
"Trust me. But I do need your help."
"Help? With what?" Jenna asks confused.
"Your friend Garrett. I know he's following me." Jenna is surprised.
"He's not. I didn't ask him to." Jenna admits. Sensing her disbelief she adds, "I am not lying."
"I believe you."
"I have to go. My ride is almost here to pick me up." Jenna walks to the door.
"Whatever happened to you that night…it wasn't the girls' fault."
Alice sits in the empty room alone for a few minutes before taking out the flute from its case and setting up the sheet music.
What's the use being the music teacher if she didn't know the music.
The familiar melody draws Spencer to the room. She peer through the glass window and sees Miss Palladino playing the same melody Jenna always plays.
"Hey Spencer." Alice says putting the flute down.
"I didn't know you played."
"I was just reviewing the music Jenna and I will be going through over the next few days."
"Oh."
"I haven't been able to figure out who damaged your locker. But I did get it switched out for a new one. Here's the combo."
"Thanks." Spencer says taking the piece of paper.
"Its no problem. Are you ready for today's practice? Its fine with me if you want to skip out today."
"No I'm fine." Alice smiles. The faint tune of Alice's phone alert her to a new text message.
I need to talk to you. Come to the parking lot now. - Logan.
Alice's smile fades upon reading the text message.
"Okay. I have a few things to do before practice. So I will see you there."
Alice searches the parking lot for Logan. Just like him to call and not show up. She makes her way to her car. Alice was not expecting what she saw.
Her shiny new navy blue car, still in its original parking spot, was completely trashed. The windows were smashed in. The seats looked like Freddy sliced through them. Her belongings were thrown everywhere.
Where was Logan?
As if on cue, Logan strolls down the parking lot carrying a banana split. He had yet to see the car, but notice Alice standing in the middle of the parking lot.
"Hey, Ace. I got you a split."
Alice turns to face Logan. The anger on her face surprises him.
"I made sure they added the cherry on…" Alice steps aside so Logan could see the vehicle. "…top."
"What the heck happened to my car?" Alice practically yells. "I left you my car and this is what happens to it!" She motions to the damaged car.
"I…I left it here to get you the ice cream."
"What about the text you sent me?" She asks still steamed.
"What text? I didn't send you a text I left my phone in your car."
A crowd has begun to gather around the parking lot to watch the new English teacher yell at some guy. The damaged car did not go unnoticed by the crowd.
"I can't believe you!"
"None of this is my fault!" Logan notices the crowd then whispers, "We better discuss this elsewhere." Alice looks to their audience.
"Fine. Lets go."
The girls make their way through the crowd. They see the totaled car.
"Ouch. And that was such a nice car." They stare at Hanna. "What? It was."
"Who the hell is doing this?" Alice exclaims shutting the door to her office.
"Take it easy. It was only a car. A couple of kids probably did it." Logan ushers her to a chair. "You probably gave them a bad grade or something."
"I've only been their teacher for a few days. I haven't given any grades."
"Well its obvious you made somebody mad."
Alice remains silent. She mulls over the events or the last few days.
"Its hard to believe someone as pleasant as you could have enemies." Logan says sarcastically.
"Are you going to say something, Ace?"
"Alice?" Logan touches her shoulder. "You okay."
Alice faces him. A look crosses her face. A look that Logan normally didn't see in the confident and determined Alice Palladino. She looked deflated.
"No. I think someone is following me."
"What? Are you sure?" Alice nods.
"I found these outside Ezra's door yesterday." Alice hands him a folder she retrieves from her desk drawer. "And then some more this morning."
"Who is following you?"
"I don't know. But I have to figure that out."
"Why? Lets just go. You don't have to stay here."
"Yes I do! I can't leave her here." Logan sighs.
He gingerly touches the side of her cheek. "We can send some detectives. We don't have to stay. I promise you your sister will know who you are."
"I can't, Logan. You know that."
"What do you need me to do?" Logan says knowing he would not be able to change her mind.
A small smile appears on Alice's face. "Thank you."
"No problem. You've helped me every time I needed it and more. Now what do you need?"
"Can you call your contacts and find out who is doing this?" Logan's eyes widen.
"I thought you were against me using them for a job."
"Its the only way I know we can find out whose doing this." Logan places a kiss on her knuckles before exiting the office.
Spencer walks toward her car and sees Miss Palladino kneeling by her car.
"Miss Palladino?"
Alice looks up to see Spencer heading her way. She stands up dusting herself off.
"How was practice? I asked Coach Ramirez to cover for me."
"We spent the whole time running."
"Sorry about that."
"Its ok. Need a ride?" Spencer offers.
"I'd appreciate it."
The girls sat on Spencer's front porch waiting for her to arrive.
"Where is Spencer?" Hanna asks.
"She probably lost track of time. She was still in the locker room when I left." Emily says taking a sip of her lemonade.
"Do you guys think A was the one that wrote on her locker?" Aria asks.
"It wouldn't be the first time."
Spencer pulls up to a very familiar apartment building. Mr. Fitz's apartment building. She had drove Aria to this very apartment building on several occasions to visit Ezra.
"Thank you so much for the ride." Alice says stepping out of the vehicle.
"You're welcome."
"Oh and would you mind telling Hanna I'm giving her a one week extension on her Greatest Works paper."
"Sure." Spencer says with a smirk. Alice closes the door and makes her way towards the building.
Spencer turns to the recently vacated passenger seat and finds a small black phone. The shrill of Spencer's own phone takes her eyes off the abandoned phone. A new text message.
Don't trust Miss Palladino.
A quick glance at the number told Spencer it came from the same phone as the other texts she received from this new mystery person. Another beep.
Look at her phone you will know I'm telling you the truth.
The door slams behind Alice as she makes her way into the small apartment. She had been holding in the anger since she returned to the parking lot to survey the damage. She was missing several items from her car. Very important items. She was furious.
"Welcome home, dear." Ezra says sarcastically.
Ezra is standing over the stove cooking their dinner. Alice huffs and takes a seat on the couch.
"What happened?"
"Someone wrecked my car."
"Didn't you say you were going to let a friend borrow it today?"
"Big mistake." Alice says tossing her purse on the coffee table.
"Your friend wrecked it?" Ezra turns off the stove and makes his way to the living room.
"Logan left…."
"Logan? You aren't talking about the same Logan that punched me a couple of years ago when I gave you a hug on your birthday."
"In his defense I was trying to make him jealous that day." Alice says grabbing her purse from the coffee table.
"Well it might have helped to know that beforehand."
Ezra looks at Alice curiously as she searches through her purse almost frantically.
"You okay?"
"No I can't find my phone." She says taking things out as she searches for the phone. "I just saw it."
"Someone text me this." Spencer hands Aria the phone for her to read aloud.
"Don't trust Miss Palladino" Aria reads before scrolling down to the other message. "Look at her phone you will know I'm telling you the truth."
"How about we find out what the teach is hiding?" Hanna says grabbing the phone from the dresser.
"Its not like she's hiding the test answers in her phone." Spencer says.
"Woah! Look at this." Hanna shows the others.
On the phone display is a picture of Ian with his arm around the waist of their English teacher, Miss Palladino. The picture appeared to have been taken at a backyard barbeque. Aria scrolls to the next picture which happens to be one of Ezra and Miss Palladino arm in arm at a school dance. She hands Emily the phone and walks back to the bed.
"She knew Ian and Mr. Fitz."
"By the looks of the pictures I'd say are getting rather cozy."
"Hanna!" Spencer admonishes.
"What? Its true." Hanna looks to Aria realizes she stuck her foot in it again. "I'm sorry, Aria."
"Its fine." Although her tone said otherwise.
"Someone obviously knew these were here." Emily points out. "And wanted us to know."
"How?"
"I guess we are not the only ones being followed." Spencer says.
The sun was just setting when Logan walked down the alleyway and stopped in front of a livid Alice Palladino.
"Where is it?"
"I'm getting tired of you accusing me all the time. I did not take anything."
Logan's words did nothing to soften her current mood.
"My phone is gone. I had it in my purse."
"Don't look at me you were gone when I came back with the tow truck." Logan says holding his hands up in surrender. "You probably left it in the taxi you took from the school."
"I didn't take a taxi I …" Alice's eyes widen. "Oh no!"
"I will take that apology now."
"Forget the apology. We have to get that phone."
"What so important about that phone? I thought you had another one. You called me from it."
"You don't understand. Its the phone I had back in college when I was dating Ian. Not to mention the same phone you used when you spoke to Ian."
"Great more trouble."
Thats it for now. This chapter was a little hard to get out. I'm not really sure how this chapter made out compared to the others. Oh well I still hope you like it. Please review. I enjoy reading what you guys have to say. Again please review!
Until Next Time,
Ancient 85