An: Greypedia, thank you so much, I certainly will. Actually, I have planned out about twenty chapters in total for this story, but if you have any request I'm absolutely open to suggestions. Thanks for sticking with me.
P.S.: No "Titanic" fan was harmed during the writing of this chapter (Don't worry, you'll get it later).
Rosewood, May 2005
The four girls were currently hanging out at the Hasting's house. They were now eleven years old and about to finish 5th grade. And they were inseparable. It took a while, and a lot of pressure from Spencer in order to convince him that she was not under the influence of bad companies, like her sister sneakily had made him believe, but finally Peter accepted her younger daughter's friends and actually both him and his wife warmed up to them. Even with Melissa things were going better these days.
Spencer was playing the piano; she had a recital on Saturday night and she spent the last two weeks practicing almost non-stop. She really was pouring her heart in this.
"She plays so beautifully" Hanna remarked to her other two friends. They were all spread out on the couch in the living room, reading magazines or playing with their phones while listening the touching melody the brunette was executing.
"It's almost magical" Aria agreed, charmed by the softness of the notes.
After a while the music came to an end and the brunette stood up from her seat at the piano and joined her friends on the couch.
"So, what do you think?" She asked them with a bit of apprehension.
"You did great, Spence, don't stress too much. You're going to kill it" Emily replied.
Spencer smiled gratefully at her friend and she finally allowed herself to relax a little.
They were watching a movie when Spencer's phone started to vibrate; she excused herself and went to another room to take the call. When, after a good half hour she was nowhere to be seen, Aria decided to go after her. She searched in every room downstairs and when she found nothing, she made her way upstairs into Spencer's bedroom. There she found her, sitting crouched on the bed with her back against the headboard and her knee pulled to her chest, her head resting on them. She had been there crying the whole time.
"Aw sweetie, what happened?" the petite brunette asked to her best friend.
"Nothing that I shouldn't have expected. My parents cannot make it to the recital" the other brunette said. "It's fine, really. You'd think by now I should have learned the lesson…" She added.
"I'm sorry, Spence. I know how much effort you put in it and how much you cared about this" Aria offered sincerely.
"Yeah… well, at least you guys will be there, right?" Spencer asked sheepishly.
"Hey, of course we will be there! There's just no way we'd be missing it" Aria nudged her a little, resting her head on her shoulder.
"Thank you. It means a lot to me" the tall brunette smiled softly. "Alright, I think we should return downstairs before Em and Han send a search party".
"Yeah", they both chuckled at that.
The pair returned to their spot on the couch and exchanged an accomplice look.
"Uhm, is everything alright?" Hanna asked warily.
"Perfect" Spencer smiled, sliding her arm on the blonde's shoulder holding her close.
If Hanna wanted to add something, she now couldn't: her brain was in overload from the warmth of their embrace, and she just forgot about anything else. So, at a loss for words, she did the only sensible thing that came to her mind, she snuggled even closer to Spencer.
[Saturday night, after the recital. Montgomery's household]
"Girls, why don't you make yourself comfortable and decide what movie we are going to watch while I'll go make some popcorn?" Ella suggested to her daughter and her friends. She graciously accepted Aria's request to host a sleepover that evening. She, Emily and Hanna came up with that idea in order to cheer up Spencer, whom was still sad about the absence of her family at her event, even though she wouldn't admit it. Her husband Byron was in Syracuse, so she figured she could use some company for the night. That's why she invited over Ashley Marin and Pam Fields as well.
"Mrs. Montgomery, I would like to thank you for the hospitality" Spencer said reverently, ever the polite one.
"Sweetie, it's my pleasure believe me" The older woman smiled kindly at the little girl. "She's such a sweetheart" she then said, turning to face the other women, who nodded in agreement.
"True. I'm glad our daughters grew so close, I never saw Hanna more happy than she is now. She was always a bright child, but she was also so timid and insecure. Actually, Spencer helped her a lot to come out of her shell, along with Aria and Emily of course. They developed such a beautiful friendship" Mrs. Marin considered quietly while sipping her wine.
"You're right, I noticed that too with Emily. Well, to our wonderful daughters" Pam raised her glass in a toast.
"To our girls!" The other two moms chorused.
"Hey mom, are the popcorn ready? We already put on the movie!" Aria's voice echoed from the living room.
"Coming!" Ella yelled back. Each woman grabbed a bowl of popcorn before making their way in the other room. They found their respective daughters sitting on a couch, eager to start the movie; Spencer and poor little Mike, unwilling bystander of this madness called "girl night", were sitting on the floor right in front of the girls, the biggest scowls planted on their faces.
"Uh… is something wrong? Why those dark expressions you guys?" Mrs. Montgomery ventured.
"They are making us watch Titanic" Mike exclaimed skeptically, pointing toward her sister and her accomplices with a hard glare.
"Democracy is so overrated" Spencer offered her two cents.
"I don't think I'll ever understand you women. How can you watch such sappy crap?" the little boy asked rather seriously.
"That's a good question, actually. One I'm afraid I don't have an answer to…" the skeptical brunette said, panic raising in her voice at the thought that she actually couldn't provide an answer. "Oh my God, I can't understand them either, and I'm supposed to be one of them" She was now hyperventilating.
The three women looked at each other for a moment, eyebrows comically raised in stupor. Than they burst out into a fit of giggles.
"Oooh will you two just shut up? Dude, are you for real? This movie is a masterpiece. And it's so romantic" Hanna sighed.
"Yeah, right. A spoiled woman met the man of her dreams, fell madly in love with him and then let him die because she's too self-centered to think that maybe on that piece of wood, which Jack selflessly gave up to her, there's enough room for two if she ever considered to shove over her lazy butt. How romantic" Spencer mocked rolling her eyes. "If you carefully consider it, Rose is like one of the biggest villain ever" She finally put an end to her outburst, living her audience exchanging wary glances with mouths slightly agape, while Mike snickered and offered her a high-five.
"Wow, remember me to buy you a pair of pink glasses for your birthday" Aria said after a moment.
"Yeah, you could totally use it" Hanna butted in.
"Nah, I'll pass thanks. I prefer to stick with my own personal vision of the world" the brunette stated somewhat proudly.
"… Spence" Emily was still stunned, she needed a second to compose herself "if you need to talk about whatever is… upsetting you, I'm here. We're all here, you know" She prodded with a sincere although small smile.
"Em, you too now?! Ugh, whatever. I give up. Let's just watch this thing" the young Hastings surrendered.
Ella, Ashley and Pam all shook their heads in amusement at the girls antics. They really are something else…