A/N: So here is the next chapter- I hope you all like it :) By the way, I do not hate Emison or Ali, I just wrote her like this in this chapter for the sake of the storyline, because I do really love Sasha in real life. Please review if you like it with any comments of any ideas for storylines, they really inspire me to write and update more often. Thankyou!
EMILY'S P.O.V
I woke up the next day with a smile on my face. Climbing out of bed and getting in the shower, I let the warm water stream down my back as I scrubbed my hair with shampoo, singing Arianna Grande's 'Break Free' at the top of my lungs. Turning off the shower a good 30 minutes later, I dried myself off, brushed my teeth, did my makeup and lightly curled my hair. Skipping happily down the stairs, I made my way into the kitchen to see my mom unpacking the dishwasher.
"Hey Mom, how did you sleep?" I asked her with a grin on my face, taking a seat at the bench.
My mother turned away from the cupboards, looked at me and sceptically replied, "I slept well thankyou... and yourself?"
"Yeah really good!" I answered her enthusiastically as I poured myself a bowl of cornflakes.
"That's good honey, you seem strangely happy today. Something happen at school or with the girls?" She questioned me curiously.
"Well kind of...Paige and I got back together last night." I spilled excitedly. Although my excitement was overcome with a moment of worry as I feared how my mother would react to my news due to some of her past negative responses to my love life.
"Really? That's great!" She exclaimed.
A breathed a sigh of relief as she leant over to give me a hug, "I'm so happy for you Emily. Why don't you invite Paige over for dinner tomorrow night? If she's not too busy." She asked me with a smile.
"Are you sure mom?" I questioned her cautiously, while putting a spoonful of cornflakes in my mouth.
"Of course I'm sure! Ask her if 6pm is okay." My mom clarified as I swallowed my mouthful and checked the clock above the wall.
"Thanks Mom, I'll ask her and let you know. But I better get going now, I'm meeting Aria for coffee at the Brew." I told her as I picked up my bag and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge.
"Okay, goodbye Emily, have a good day." She told me smiling as I kissed her on the cheek and headed out the front door.
I hopped into my car and quietly hummed to myself as I drove to the Brew. I pulled up outside and spotted Aria inside at our usual table. I parked my car and walked in, sitting down on the seat next to her.
"Hey Em, sorry I just ordered us both coffees." Aria said as I picked up my cup and took a sip.
"Yeah that's fine, thank-you." I replied gratefully as I held the warm coffee tightly and spoke up again, "So how are you and Hanna doing?"
Aria sighed and looked down at the full cup of coffee sitting before her, "I don't know honestly, I mean she was drinking the night of the Zack incident! And I don't want her ruining everything for my mom because of her stupid behaviour or mistake."
I was shocked by her reply, "So what if she was drinking Aria?! Do you really think Hanna would ever lie to you about something so serious?"
Aria paused as she contemplated her answer, "You're right, I know she wouldn't lie. But are you sure the alcohol didn't alter her perspective or she just misread the situation?"
"If you'd have seen the way she's been so torn up about it you'd understand, I promise you. But she's been drinking almost every hour these days, how did we not notice something was so wrong with her?" I asked Aria sadly, ashamed that I hadn't been able to protect her.
"I know, she just seems so... lost." Aria replied thoughtfully, "I feel terrible for not believing her, I guess that I myself just didn't want to believe it could be true, but that wasn't fair to Hanna."
"It wasn't, but it's okay Aria, she will forgive you, but I think you've got to tell your mom about Zack." I said as I tried my best to encourage Aria.
She nodded, "I'll tell her this morning, I think this situation ranks higher than one day of school."
"I agree, just call me if it doesn't go down so well okay?" I asked her.
"Yeah of course I will Em." She paused and then continued, "But back to Hanna, has she been acting like this since Ali came back? I've been so caught up with this wedding and Ezra that I've barely noticed her slipping away from us."
I hummed in agreement, "Yeah me too, I've totally been somewhere else with Ali back as well. But I just remembered yesterday something that she said which was odd. It was a few weeks ago while we were driving and she asked me just out of the blue what it was like to come out."
Aria raised her eyebrows and swallowed her mouthful as she replied, "And what did you say?"
"Well she asked me what it was like to stop being one thing and start being another and I told her that it wasn't becoming another thing, it was becoming who I really am." I told Aria
"And what did she say?"
"Well then she asked me if I always knew, and I said yes. Then, as she turned her head to look out the window, almost like she was ashamed and she quietly spoke, 'Not me, I never knew who the hell I was'." I leant my head on the palm of my hand as I finished my story, and tried to consider once again what Hanna had meant.
"That would make sense actually, I mean since Ali came back she changed her clothes, dyed her hair and carries a flask with her like 90 per cent of the time." Aria replied in a concerned tone.
"So you think she's changed all that because she doesn't want to look or be just like Ali?" I questioned her.
Aria nodded, "Exactly! Think about it, after Ali went missing Han became the new it girl and dressed and wore her hair just like Ali did. Maybe she's realised she doesn't know who she really is if she was just imitating someone for the past 2 years."
"I think you're right, it would explain everything. I feel so bad we missed all these signs!" I spoke desperately, while in my mind, I ran over all the things I could have done to help.
"It's okay Em, what matters is we have noticed now. It's not too late to try to help her." Aria replied as she stood up to go get a refill to go.
Returning a few moments later Aria placed her cup down and I told her, "Okay well we better act on Hanna soon, but I've got to get going to school and you've got your mom to talk to."
I lifted my bag from the seat beside me and standing up, I set my coffee mug back on the counter.
"Okay, I'll talk to you later Em?" Aria asked as we made our way out of the Brew and walked towards our cars.
"Of course Ar, good luck with your mum." I told her genuinely as I pulled her into a hug.
She just smiled lightly before climbing into her car and driving away.
Getting into my own car I started the route to school and made it in record time. As I parked in the parking lot I spotted Alison from a distance. I attempted to keep my head down as I grabbed my books from the backseat, yet my plan to avoid her was not successful as I heard a voice call out my name, "Emily!"
I turned around and waved over at Ali who motioned for me to come over to her. Locking my car, I walked over to Ali who smiled at me, "Hey Em! How are you?"
I glanced over at her cautiously, confused by her unusual interest in how I was doing, "I'm good Ali, how are you?"
"Well... I'm not so great, I saw Tanner this morning and she was asking me more..." Ali continued to rant all the way into school, yet she had lost my attention only moments into her explanation.
When she finished her chatting, she looked at me expectantly for a reply, "Oh no, that's such a shame, I'm sure Tanner will leave you alone soon enough." I muttered half heartedly as I stopped off at my locker and began to open it.
"Um earth to Emily, it's not just a 'shame'! It's a big problem!" Ali exclaimed, clearly frustrated at my lack of interest.
I sighed, she was really starting to annoy me with her neediness, "Ali, you'll be fine, but I really do not care enough at the moment to keep talking about your stupid story. You can either be interested in me and my life for a change or go to your own locker because it's way too early for all this police talk right now."
Ali slammed her hand down on the locker beside me, causing a few other people around us to stare. "What do you mean you don't care!?"
"Exactly what those words mean Ali, I do not care to listen to this anymore, it's your problem, not mine and I'm tired of having to take on all this responsibility for you." I told her, with a hint of anger still in my voice.
Ali leaned against the locker next to me and tapped her fingers, considering her answer. "This is about Paige isn't it?"
I rolled my eyes at her constant need to force the blame on someone else, "No it's not because of Paige, Alison! Don't you see how controlling and manipulative you are? To me? To all of us?"
Ali slammed my locker, almost jamming my fingers as she glared at me, "Whatever Emily, I've had it with you. Why don't you just go to the pool and see if you can find your loser girlfriend Pigskin!"
Her last few words made my blood boil as I took a step closer, bringing our faces close together, "Don't you dare ever even think about calling her that again Alison. Her name is Paige, and I swear if you do one more thing to her OR me, 'A' won't be the only person you're afraid of."
And with that I turned and walked to Calculus, thankful for the fact that Ali didn't share any classes with me and I wouldn't have the chance of running into her again until lunch. I felt my heart beating rapidly in my chest, still surprised by the harshness of my own outburst.
I arrived in Calculus early and took my seat next to Spencer who was already there opening her books. She looked up at me and the smile on her face disappeared quickly upon noticing my angry expression. "Emily what happened? You look mad as hell!"
I put my books on my desk loudly and turned to Spencer, "Oh nothing... I just went off at Ali." I told her, still fuming slightly.
"You did what? Wait what about?" Spencer questioned me, clearly surprised.
"Well she was just being her usual annoying self and then insulted Paige and I just snapped." I answered her.
Spencer nodded, "And so how did she take it?"
"I didn't leave her much time to reply, I kind of stormed off." I told Spencer.
Spencer laughed, trying to lighten the mood, "You? Miss Emily Fields, 'stormed off'?"
I laughed too as nodded, "I guess I did!"
Spencer then changed the subject to a date she and Toby had recently and the argument with Ali left my mind as I listened intently to my friend, smiling at all the cute things Toby at planned for them to do. Soon enough our teacher arrived and we ended our conversation, turning our attention to the questions on the board, while I made a mental note to remember to invite Paige over for dinner tomorrow night.