This got taken down for some reason. FF has been messing up, so here it is again.

You all are incredible. I'm so glad you're loving this story so much!

-x-x-x-

Less than twenty minutes after I get home the doorbell rings. Knowing exactly who it is and what conversation we're about to have, I swallow my nerves and go downstairs to let them in.

"Hey, what's up?" Aria greets when I open the door.

"I need some advice, and me knowing that you're the hopeless romantic means that you get to give it to me instead of me calling Spencer."

We go back upstairs to my room. Aria sits on my bed, looking at me expectantly, while I pace around the room, not sure how tell her that I'm pretty sure I'm starting to have feelings for the girl that her and Spencer have been telling me to steer clear of since the first day I came to Rosewood.

"Han, you know you can tell me anything, right?" Aria breaks the silence.

"I know. I'm just worried about how you're going to take all this," I say quietly.

Aria gets up from the bed, takes me by the hand and leads me back over, sitting me down on the bed beside her. "I'm not here to judge you."

"I kinda like someone," I tell her.

"Okay? Why would you be worried about telling me that? I'm totally cool with you being gay, Hanna. I thought we went over that," she chuckles.

"No, I know that. It's just... the girl that I like is...Emily," I whisper.

"Emily? Emily Fields? Miss 'Hey You're Hot Let's Go Fuck' Fields?" Aria asks shocked. I bury my face in my hands. I knew this would go terribly. Aria pulls my hands away from my face. "I'm sorry, Hanna. I'm just surprised is all. How did all this happen?"

"Well, we got paired together for a history project and I've been tutoring her in a few of her other classes. She's really nothing like what everyone says. I don't know, she's just different around me. I feel like she's being herself, not the person that the whole school has made her out to be and the person she feels like she has to act like in front of them. She's really funny and nice and she's so fucking beautiful. Her dark brown eyes and her smile. God, her smile drives me crazy! And she always smells really good, her style is on point. And I know she likes me too, at least on some level. I mean she told me that I was different and that she was comfortable around me, unlike how she has been around other people for years and I just...I asked her why and she said she just did and stupid me, I just kept asking questions and then she got uncomfortable and left," I rush out before Aria can stop me.

"Wow, okay. So, why am I here? It sounds like you know what you want," she says, bumping me with her shoulder and smiling.

"Was she always the school's player?"

"No, she was actually really quiet freshman year, pretty much kept to herself. I heard she came out that summer before freshman year and got a girlfriend. She joined the swim team that year and really broke out of her shell. She was the star swimmer, but halfway through the season during sophomore year she quit the team. That was when she started becoming who she is now I guess. We came back from winter break and she was always with a new girl. Never had any relationships with any of them though, just random hook-ups."

"Do you know why?"

"Not a clue. Don't you think that's a question you should ask Emily?"

"I want to, but I don't want her to get mad and shut me out. I really like her, Ar. I know it hasn't been that long, and I hated her before, but that was before she dropped the act and was just herself around me," I sigh.

"Well, here's an idea. Tomorrow's Friday, so tonight or tomorrow at school ask her if she wants to hang out? I don't know, go to a movie or get coffee. Just do something casual and slide the question into the conversation somehow."

"Yeah, that's not a bad plan. Thanks Aria."

"Anytime, but I've gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow?" she raises her eyebrows in question.

"Of course." I give her a hug goodbye and collapse onto my bed, getting lost in thoughts of Emily before sleep takes over my body.

-x-x-x-

"Emily!" I call down the hallway at the end of the day. I watch as Emily's body tenses up, but she stops and waits for me to catch up to her. "Hey, why weren't you in history this morning?"

"I um, I wasn't feeling good," she states.

"Oh, well, are you okay now? I was gonna ask if you wanted to hang out. I don't know, go to The Brew or something?" I ask nervously. "It's okay if you don't want to, I just figured it would be something to do."

"Yeah, that sounds good," she smiles.

We walk to The Brew and order our coffees. Emily tells me to go find us a spot to sit and that she will be over with our coffees when they are ready. I choose a couch in the back of the room where there aren't many people around. Soon enough, Emily comes over and sits on the opposite side of the couch.

"So, what's up?" she asks me.

"Um, well I kind of wanted to tell you something and I guess ask you something, but I don't want you to get upset and leave me like you did yesterday so I'm kinda nervous," I ramble.

"I'm listening," Emily says as she visibly braces herself.

"I know you think I really didn't like you for a while after I met you, and as far as your actions go at that time that was true, but I have to admit that the more we started hanging out the more I realized that you are actually a really great person. The truth is, I was always physically attracted to you, I mean, you're gorgeous. Anyone can see that. But the player thing really killed that vibe for me. And then we started hanging out and you open up to me about all these things, and tell me that I'm different from other people, and it just makes me feel... special, I guess."

"Hanna, what are you saying?" Emily asks, fidgeting in her seat. Great, now we're both nervous.

"I like you," I blurt out, face turning red at the admission.

"I like you too. You've become a really good friend to me."

"No, Em, that's not what I mean. I like you," I say drawing out the word for emphasis.

After the shock wears off tears start to well up in Emily's eyes so she turns her face away from me. "We- I can't. I'm sorry, Hanna."

"What?" I ask sadly.

"I'm sorry, Hanna. I just can't," Emily says as she shakes her head. She grabs her jacket, gets up and rushes out of The Brew.

Just fucking great. Way to go, Hanna.

-x-x-x-

No One's POV

She throws back one shot after another, trying to get rid of the pain in her heart. Why can't she just let herself be happy? She knows she could have that if she just let go of the past. It's different this time. She knows it is, but her fear is still holding her back. She signals the bartender and her places more shots in front of her. One. Two. Three. She consumes them rapidly, the burn of the alcohol as it slides down her throat not phasing her in the slightest. Four. Five. Six. She drinks away the demons plaguing her mind until she has enough liquid courage to do what she should have done a long time ago.

-x-x-x-

Dun, dun, dunnnnn.

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