I heard Jason was back home, from Georgia apparently, but I had yet to actually see him, which was strange, since we lived together. But I couldn't begin to express my relief; Jason was home, he was safe- where I could keep an eye on him, and make sure A didn't try anything. Toby was harder. He called, texted, emailed…and for the first time ever, I didn't reply, I would hit ignore, delete…It was for his own good, but it was the worst feeling. He was my best friend, and I had to sever our inseparable bond.

I was already at school when Jason got back to the house, and I was chatting with Kate about horseback riding. She preferred English, I liked western, but we could interchange if needed. I didn't actually like her, I was acting, and maybe I hated her for Hanna, but Kate struck me as like my older sister. A lying bitch.

"You're so sweet, too bad your friends haven't been." Kate told me.

I shrugged, and changed the subject, away from Hanna and the girls. She thought I was her friend, shivers went down my spine.

Even later, at the lockdown that night, I was in Kate's group with Hanna and Noel. After watching Hanna get publicly tortured by Noel and Kate, I went to run after her, but Mrs. Montgomery held me back. I didn't even get to scream after my friend, much less go forward 5 feet.

Mrs. Montgomery simply said to me quietly, "You can't fix everyone." Then she directed me back to my spot and walked away. She meant Mike. I could only repair him so much, and as much as I wanted to help everyone, I couldn't do it all. I was no superhero; I was just Madeline DiLaurentis, sister, girlfriend, daughter, and pal.

I didn't see the others all night, until I was asked to go find Caleb, and I went up to the roof, because Emily told me that was where Aria was headed to look for him but she hadn't come back yet. I didn't know whether to worry, or to casually think she'd just been locked out, but I went anyway.

I got up to the roof and opened the door, the cold front immediately clashing with the heated insides of the school. I could practically see my breath. I put a brick in front of the door to keep it open, and then, with my arms tucked in around my torso, trying to preserve warmth, I called out hello, to no answer.

I rounded the corner after a minute because I thought I'd heard something, and I was right. It was Noel, the bully, lying on the ground by the ladder, beat up.

"Hey, Maddie!" his face lit up.

"What happened?" I asked innocently, going forward to help him. He sat up and got very close in my face and I stuttered, and then pulled back. He was my childhood crush, and his face was a slight movement away.

"Joking...Aria…Holden…crazy…ninja attack." He still rubbed his jaw delicately.

"Ninja huh?" I laughed, and he did too.

"you have a pretty cute laugh." He commented, and got close again.

"Well, um, Noel, thank you, but I have a boyfriend." I looked down, hoping he'd take the hint. He was trying to take advantage of me, just like every other girl at the school.

"Yeah, I know. He's my friend, and because of him I carpool you sometimes."

"Please don't take it where I think you are." I groaned.

"And noticed then, that you were really, really cute. And now I can see that you have pretty eyes too. You're gorgeous."

Oh. He was good.

"Noel, really. You're very sweet, and I'm flattered but Mike and-" I never finished my sentence. He crashed his lips down on mine, and he smelled so good, and he was a great kisser…and for a split second, I kissed him back, feeling like I was in my childhood fantasies, until I remembered Mike again. He was better, in every way. Personality and looks. No matter what. I abruptly pulled away, and then slapped Noel across the face.

He yelled at me, asking what that was for, and I stood up, began to walk away, then turned and said, "You think you can have anyone? Well, you may have gotten my sister for a time even, but you're not getting the other DiLaurentis girl. Als warned me about you, years ago, when she figured out I had a puppy dog crush on you. And FYI, if you want the depressed guy's girlfriend, think again. Mike is your friend, and you should respect that."

I waited for an apology, but all he got out was, "You had a crush on me?"

"You're such a womanizer." I groaned and then marched back inside, making sure to kick the brick out of the way, and shut the door firmly. When I was sure he wouldn't get back in, I smiled and went to the stairs to rejoin everyone when my phone beeped. I pulled it from my pocket and read the message.

"Tsk tsk. Kissing the enemy. Now, we wouldn't want Mike to find out would we? He may do something he could never take back. Cheers! –A."

I nearly dropped the phone. No one else was up there. I'd checked. Who was stalking me and my friends? Then how did I get this message about the kiss? But the thing that disturbed me most was about Mike. I wished A had just left him out of it. First Toby, Jason, and now Mike. What next, Caleb?

And about the thing he could never take back…I knew exactly what that meant, and it was my greatest fear for someone who was depressed. I swore myself not to tell Mike, under any circumstances, even though I wished to, because I hated lying, and to the people who knew me best, I couldn't get anything past them. But mostly because I loved Mike, and I didn't want to hurt him. I'd seen enough television to know not telling the partner you cheated usually ends badly. But if I told him…A's message hinted at enough. I could only hope Noel wouldn't tell, but then again, I knew he wouldn't. He'd been beaten tonight, by Holden and Aria, and then me. He wouldn't go around bragging about it. No, he'd act like it never happened.

Plus, thinking about it, it didn't make a huge deal anyway, because Mike was still out of school, and I didn't care what others thought of me. And if my friends found out, I'd tell them the truth. We were lumped together now, so it was fine. I had to tell Toby! But then I remembered A had ruined that too, and I sighed, and headed downstairs sadly.

Everything was falling apart, and it was A's fault.

As I was walking down a deserted hall on the first floor, on the other end of the school from where everyone else was, I got another text. I was tempted to ignore it, but I knew I couldn't do that. I opened the message, which read, "Two Dilaurentis children down, one to go." It wasn't signed, but I knew who it was from. My blood ran cold. Had Spencer or Aria or I done something to jeopardize my brother's safety? I wished it was him protecting me still instead of the other way around. Just then, I heard heavy footsteps behind me, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I comprehended the message. I took off, and the footsteps hurried to keep me in their sight.

I stuck my arm out and used it to swing me around the corner and I sprinted without stopping until I reached the end of a hallway full of locked doors. The person was rounding the corner. My heart was pumping in my ears, I was panting, not exactly being stealthy. I then without thinking threw open the door to the basement, the boiler room, and rushed down the clanking metal stairs into a world of heat and giant machines. I ran in between the boilers and into a small open area that was used for storage.

The person was coming through the haze, I could see their shadow. I then looked around, for something, anything, to help me escape.
To my right I saw a little metal ladder that led up to a sub level, full of boxes…and there was a window at the far end of the platform…just big enough for me to squeeze through. I hurried and put my feet on the rungs and began to climb, and just as the top half of me reached the top, the person chasing me grabbed my ankle and started to pull me down. My wide and panicked eyes grew larger and I cried out in fright and tried to throw them off to pull my leg up and make my getaway.

Just then, another pair of footsteps came rushing by and then there was a punch and the hand trying to bring me down slackened its grip, then came off completely. But by then, I had lost my balance, and began to fall, and I closed my eyes, sure to break something, and anticipated the pain awaiting me, but I was caught and a surprised sound came out of me as I landed in strong, broad arms.

I kept them shut, still afraid, until I heard, "You can open your eyes sis."

I peeked and realized my brother was there, with a new haircut, and everything.

"Jason." I let a shocked whisper escape me.

"Not exactly the welcome home I was expecting, but it'll do." He joked and set me down.

I didn't let go of him completely and still held one hand on his shoulder as we looked at the mystery person clad in black lying on the ground, not moving. Jason tried to move closer to see who it was, but I knew that would get him actually hurt.

"No. Let's just get out of here." I begged, my eyes pleading.

He studied me for a moment, and then nodded, putting his hand on my back protectively as we walked out of the boiler room, he looking back at the person until we were out of view. He then spoke up, "Spencer knows. At least that her and me are related. I'm not sure about you."

I didn't answer, just focused on any sounds or signs we were being watched or followed.

I should have known A would try to trick me. A knew exactly how to make me tick. My brother was one of the people I'd do anything for.

I knew he'd ask me what had happened, but I couldn't tell him without putting him in danger. And to think he still thought he was the one saving me.

Great, more secrets to keep.

...

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