Aria's POV
" Do you remember when we first met I told you about my friend Alison?" I ask Ezra.
He nodded and asked, " Is that the girl who was murdered?"
" Yes. Before Allie was killed, she controlled my friends and I. We were all stupid enough to do whatever she told us to do without ever questioning her motives. The summer that she was killed, the five of us decided to have a Fourth of July sleepover party. The first part of the night was a blast. We watched movies and tried on each others clothes. We were hanging out in my friend Emily's room when Alison claimed she saw a boy named Toby Cavenaugh peeking through the window." I started to explain.
" What a creep!" Ezra responded.
" Toby was not a creep. Alison made that up. It was actually an older boy named Ian Thomas who was watching and filming us. Nevertheless, we believed Alison's story. I wanted to call the police on Toby, but Allie had a different idea. She persuaded us to put a stink bomb in Toby's garage to get revenge." I tell Ezra.
" So what's the big deal? It was only a stupid prank." Ezra said.
" No Ezra, it went a lot further then that. Toby had a step sister Jenna that Alison would always make fun of for no reason. When we set the stink bomb off, we realized that Jenna was in the garage. Before we could do anything the garage set on fire." I explain.
Tears start to fall down my face. Before I can continue with my story Ezra wraps his arms around me.
" It's okay Aria, it was an accident. It was not your fault it was Alison's." Ezra assured me.
" Yeah, but somebody should have stopped her. If I had, Allie would still be alive." I respond.
" What are you talking about?" Ezra asks me.
" Luckily Jenna didn't die in the fire. Toby got her out of the garage and took the blame for that night. Jenna and Toby were romantically involved. Alison blackmailed him and forced him to keep our secret. Unfortunately for us, our secret didn't stay hidden. Jenna's best friend Mona saw us, and so did Noel. We found out later that the explosion caused Jenna to lose her vision. Noel was so angry that he killed Alison to get revenge. Jenna, Mona, and Noel did everything in their power to make my friends and I miserable. That's how the A thing started." I say.
I start to ball into Ezra's chest. He comforts me and tries to get me to calm down.
" Allie's death was not your fault. It's over now Aria, you need to movie on." Ezra tells me gently.
" I can't. Noel knows we blinded Jenna and he is holding it over me." I tell Ezra.
" I thought the police caught him." Ezra told me.
" They caught him for being A, not killing Alison. He told the girls and I that if we ever told anyone what he did, he would tell the police about what we did to Jenna." I say.
" You did not blind Jenna, Alison did. Even if you did blind her, murder is a much bigger crime. There is nothing he can do to you without causing more problems for himself." Ezra explains.
" I know, I'm just scared." I tell him.
" I won't let this Noel person hurt you. He is across the country, please don't worry." Ezra says comforting me.
" I love you." I tell him.
" I love you to." He replies.
He holds me while I close my eyes. Before I know it, I'm asleep in his arms.
Ezra's POV
Aria is sound asleep. It's late and I don't have the heart to wake her up. Hardy is sleeping over at Kelly's so I have the apartment to myself for the night. I gently carry Aria to my bed and tuck her in. I grab some blankets from my closet and set up a bed for myself on the couch. As soon as I lie down I hear Aria's phone buzzing. The caller ID says Noel. Before I can stop myself I answer the phone.
" Aria?" I hear him say.
" No this is her boyfriend Ezra." I reply angrily.
" Are you also her secretary?" He asks.
" Listen Noel, I'm going to say this once so listen up. If you do anything to hurt Aria I will destroy you. Don't call her or contact her ever again." I tell Noel.
" Is that a threat?" He asks me?
" It's not a threat, it's a promise." I say.
" You have no idea who your dealing with." Noel tells me.
" Yes, I do. I know what you did." I tell him angrily.
" Did Aria tell you?" He asks me. Before I can respond he says, " She just dug her own grave."
" You are such a coward. If you have a problem come after me not Aria." I reply.
" Maybe I will." Noel says and hangs up the phone.