"Spencer has apparently been forbidden to talk to you and Jason." Emily told me over the phone. She had my number, of course, she was like a protective older sibling- we talked, and therefore we exchanged our cell numbers.

"Mads! We have to go!" Jason called from downstairs.

"Was that your brother?" Emily asked from her side of the conversation.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. We're going to Aria's dinner party- and he's got flowers and everything. Wants to be presentable. He's trying too hard to prove he's changed since last year." I frowned.

"Well, I won't keep you waiting. Have fun!" Emily hung up before I could, and I knew by the way she talked that she felt like she was talking to Alison…when they had their good moments.

I sighed and put the iPhone in my purse. Just then, Siri's voice rang out from it, saying call from Toby. I ignored it, and went downstairs to my brother. "Let's go." I smiled.

"Sorry we're late." Jason smiled to Aria apologetically.

I grinned. "My fault. I was chatting with Em on the phone."

Aria said it wasn't a problem, and let us in.

Inside the car had been a silent ride. The one time I spoke, I messed everything up.

"Jason, Aria told me you think you may have killed Als."

He'd said nothing, he just focused on driving.

"Jay, Als dying was not your fault. You cared for us a lot, you'd never hurt us- even…under an influence."

"Drop it Mads." He said quietly.

"No. Jason, you need to hear this and I need to say it. You shouldn't feel like you should be 6 feet underground right now instead of her. Without you…sure, I'd have Ali…but it was you when we were little who made time for me. Not her. She dumped at the Montgomery's place all the time. You're my brother Jason- don't you know that Mom, Dad, and I, that we love you? The way you are?"

"Maddie, drop it!" he hissed.

"You don't love someone because they're perfect, you love them in spite of it!" I ignored him, but he suddenly in a loud tone shouted, "Madeline! Leave it!"

"I just thought you should know." I said back quietly after a minute, and looked out the window the remainder of the ride.

But, when we got to the party, he decided we'd pretend nothing happened in the car, and we went up to the door with smiling faces.

I smoothed my dark blue, almost black halter dress while Jason handed over the flowers. We were all later talking about biking when the doorbell rang. Aria went to answer it, and I heard the distinctive police question, are the parents home, and she called her parents over. I followed too, knowing this wasn't going to end well for anyone.

"It's Mike." My heart pounded. Dear god, please let him be okay. Please let him not have been in a fight or deadly whatever.

"He's broken into a house." Jason looked the same as Aria. Guilty and ashamed at the same time, and I felt relief that he wasn't dead, and also disappointment.

Aria's parents left with the police, and the guests soon went home, besides my brother and I, and the man I'd recently been introduced too- Ezra Fitz.

"You teach literature?" I asked, intrigued as we shook hands.

"Yeah, it's kind of my thing."

"I love the classics, and famed- Shakespeare, Poe…I adore writing too. I have a whole binder of stores I hope to publish someday."

"Really? I'd love to read them sometime, if you'll let me." He added the last part on.

"For sure! I need some criticism. You work at Hollis right? I'll bring them around sometime."

He nodded. "Sounds great."

Now, however, Aria and him were talking, while I sat next to my brother, sipping wine, even though I shouldn't have, and looked at nothing, not acknowledging the person beside me.

Aria came over though to offer coffee, and she sat down, and in front of me, started talking about Mike.

"Maybe if I'd been there more, he wouldn't have done this." She said, her voice full of guilt.

"No no. Trust me, you're not the reason he's doing this. Plus, Mads tried to be there for him as much as he could…he's just not letting anyone in right now." They looked at me for a moment, and they should've noticed the empty wine glass beside me, but didn't.

A little while later, Jason said, "Go home. Take the car." He threw his keys at me, and I caught them.

"What? I can't drive!"

"Sure you can. Dad taught you like 3 years ago."

"But I'm not supposed to! I'm 14! What kid learns to drive at 11? And how will you get home?"

"I'll walk or something. Don't worry about it."

"But…but I was drinking."

"Not enough to make you lose your mind. You had half a glass, and you didn't chug it down. You're safe."

"The things you make me do." I grumbled as I grabbed my coat and purse and headed out the door. He just laughed. The whole time I was driving, I kept looking out the side mirror, fearing I'd be caught by the police somehow.

But I got home, unscathed, and just as I got inside and put my stuff away, Siri spoke again, relaying the same message as before.

I sighed and clicked a button, then pressed the device to my ear. "What?"

Toby had found a hockey stick on the border line between my property and the Hastings' property…and then Mr. Hastings burned the stick.

"Tell her we tried to stop it."

"Tell Spencer hi." I grinned.

Toby relayed the message and Spencer shouted, "Why do you have owl ears!"

I laughed and settled onto my bed, the mess with Mike momentarily forgotten.

...

Well aren't you lucky I update so fast? ;)

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