A/N: I'm behind I know. So sorry for only the two chapter update and none yesterday, it should be like...a triple update today, but I really don't have time to proofread. I'm barely keeping up with the days - time is flying by too fast. Bear with me and review on the last bits of 'Truth Day'! =)

Aria ran as fast as she could down the stairway and back to the school grounds. With tears in her eyes, she made sure to keep her back to Holden as she tried to gather some bearings.

"Hey you okay?" he asked her gently.

Nodding, she took in some breaths to try and calm herself. As Holden went to speak again, Jason ended up rounding a corner and spotting them.

"Hey time to go back to your class," he told them, not realizing one of them was Aria. Holden was stuck for a second, wondering if it was right to separate from his friend.

Jason was practically ready drag the guy to where he needed to go, "Dude come on–"

"Aria?" Jason said as he stopped near Holden with a hand on his shoulder. Taken back that he was near her, she quickly turned so he couldn't see her face and she wiped away her fallen tears. "Yea," she said sniffling in the slightest.

"Go on to class, I got this," Jason instructed to the unfamiliar kid. Holden hesitated again, still only getting a look to Aria's back before he left. After he disappeared from sight, Jason put a hand on Aria's shoulder. "What happened?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," Aria said sniffling a bit still.

"Did he hurt you?" Jason asked checking Aria over for injuries.

"Who Holden?" she asked still wiping away some invisible tears on her cheeks. "No, not at all."

"Then what happened?" he pushed.

"I just…" tears started to well up in her eyes again and Jason became even more worried. Pulling her into a hug, he let her take some time to compose herself. "It's okay, I'm okay," she sniffled after a few seconds in his arms.

Jason would have asked more questions if it wasn't for the stupid final truth activity that they were late for. Wiping her away tears away, he took the responsible route and made sure they got going. "We're late."

Agreeing, Aria went to take a step but immediately stopped as she let out a cry of pain. He caught her just in time; she would have been on the floor if it weren't for him. Holding her close, he set Aria down on the floor gently.

"What is it?" he asked analyzing her.

"My ankle," she hissed, reaching over to take off the heel. The area was already starting to swell, and when Jason tried to touch it – being careful – she whimpered in pain.

"Will you go get my mom?" she asked with teary eyes. Nodding, Jason stared at her for a moment before running off to get her. Aria only sat there for about a minute or two before Jason came hustling back with Ella in tow. Both of them had concerned looks.

"Looks like the really high heels were a bit too soon huh?" Ella asked as she came to sit in front of her. Aria wasn't exactly ready to tell the truth so she just nodded as Ella examined the injury.

"Jason, will you go get some ice? And maybe a few towels to prop her ankle up?"

"Sure," he said glancing between the Montgomerys as he got up to leave.

"What's going on with you two?" Ella wondered nonchalantly as she held Aria's ankle in her lap. Running a finger just barely over it, Aria let out a cry.

"It hurts that much Aria?" Ella asked concerned. Aria nodded, closing her wet pools to try and stop the flooding tears. "We might have to take you to the ER."

"No please," Aria begged. She didn't want to go, especially since she barely just got out of there.

"We can see if the swelling goes down in a few hours," her mom said taking the ice from Jason. "If not then we really should take you in. I'm sure Wren wont mind and its best to get this looked at."

Sighing, Aria put her head against the wall behind her. Both her mom and Jason were concerned for her. How could his of happened? And why did this happen? Why was Noel looking for Caleb?

"I should go back and find a fill in," Ella said snapping her away from her thoughts.

"I can just stay with her if you would like," Jason suggested. "Veronica Hastings is already doing the activity without me."

"Are you sure?" Ella asked, also looking at her daughter for any signs of a problem.

"No, go ahead, I got this," he said gently trying to take Aria's ankle into his lap. Hissing a bit, he settled it down easy and made sure Aria was okay.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Ella murmured before leaning down to kiss her head. "Thanks Jason."

"Of course," he said watching Ella leave.

"Thank you," Aria told him too.

"How's it feel?" he asked brushing the comment away. She had already said it numerous times as the time passed.

"Okay," she said trying to move it a bit without wincing.

"How'd you get it?" he asked her trying to slip the question in and catch her off guard.

"The heels...they were just too soon I guess," she shrugged, taking the route of lying to him for both their sakes. If Jason was to ever find out it was Noel who had done this to her, he would be a dead man. And plus, then Aria would have to tell Jason about looking for Caleb and that could possibly end in moving towards an 'A' filled conversation which she didn't need.

"So what brought you back?" Aria asked trying to ask a question before he could ask another one.

"What do you mean?" he wondered, looking up from her ankle to her.

"Why are you back here?"

"I live here," he asked slightly bewildered.

Finding her point slightly harsh, especially since he didn't fully get it, she left it alone. "Did you come back today?"

"Yea," he nodded, "I got in around dinner time and Mrs. Hastings caught me on the way up my driveway saying the school needed more last minute volunteers."

"How was the week without me?" he questioned casually.

"Not much to say," she said while thinking the opposite.

"Would it help my case if I said I missed you?"

Aria bowed her head and smiled a bit. She missed him too – a lot.

Catching her smile, Jason's face seemed to brighten up. For the times that he had seen Aria after the whole mistaken communication thing, it seemed like the hope of their relationship ever resurrecting was never going to come true. But seeing her smile gave him hope – and he could continue to hang on if she was going to smile and blush like that around him.

"Think I'm okay now?" Aria wondered impatiently. Taking off the ice gently, Jason glanced at it and touched it. Tensing and letting out a small hiss gave him the answer of a no. "In a rush to get back to truth day?" he teased.

Returning the smile again, she let out a small laugh. "More like ready to get out of this hallway so we aren't trampled by the kids who come running out of their classrooms for freedom."

This time, it was Jason who gave a chuckle. Silence set in between them and they found it comforting. There was no more harsh words or feelings towards their unset relationship and there were no more lingering questions. Well…maybe a few.

"Why'd you write you hated your life on the paper?" Jason asked her with a neutral face. As much as he wanted to be open minded about her answer, he was concerned and angry she would put that. She shouldn't be angry at the life she was living and he was partially hurt he let that happen. Glancing up at him, she seemed surprised.

"I thought that those were anonymous."

"They are," he confirmed while checking on her ankle again, "but I can identify your handwriting anywhere."

"Isn't that kind of cheating the system? How am I supposed to tell the truth anonymously when you can pick out what I say?"

"I wasn't meaning to look for it," he noted. "I was just putting them up with Veronica and happened to stumble across yours."

Aria was quiet. A part of her did enjoy the truth's day activity because she had some anonymousness to it, but now since Jason knew it was her it blew her cover and defeated the purpose to this whole thing.

"Are you going to answer the question though?" he wondered.

"Why should I?" She grumbled back.

"Aria, how could you say something like that?"

"Jason, you're blowing this out of proportion," she groaned while retracting her foot. Screwing the whole icing process, she went to try and stand up herself.

"No I don't think I am," he said grabbing her arm to try and help her. Using him and the wall, Aria stood up and set her aching foot on the floor gently.

"Just forget about it," she pushed as she had him let go of her.

"I can't do that," he retorted still standing there, "I know you Aria, something is brewing underneath everything you let people see. I care about you – I'm here for you. You need to start opening up to people or you're going to lose them."

"I'm fine," she snapped as she stared at him.

"No you're not. I don't know what's going on but something is wrong. I don't want you to go around hating life Aria. That's not the way to live."

"Why does it even matter?" she asked him with impatience. She wanted this topic dropped now but he couldn't let it go. "We're not even together anymore. Why would you possibly care?"

"Is that what this is about?" he wondered.

"No," Aria said turning her head away from him. Her hurt and betrayal from Jason wasn't just why she hated her life. There were many things like 'A' for one. But after that, it started to unravel in a list – her mom and dad, Ali's death, Maya's disappearance, and it just continued on.

"You can't just come back here and act like everything is okay. You lied to me Jason, that can't just be fixed," she added softly.

He tried to understand her point of view and he could see why she was shutting him out again, but it still hurt. He kept silent and stared away from her till he could gather his own composure. "I hurt you – I get that," he started while making them meet eyes, "but you still can't shut people out like this. I might not know everything that's going on or what problems are occurring, but I do know you."

Jason watched as Aria began thinking about his words. She had this face when she did so, like his words really meant something. "That night when we first kissed and I said I cared about you, it was not just a temporary thing or just something I could say to make a move on you. I meant it Aria; I still mean it. I care about you and always will. Despite where out relationship may take us, you'll always have me to talk to."

His voice carried so much honesty and love that Aria had a hard time keeping her eyes level with his. Resting her head on the wall beside her she gazed down at the floor. What she said was bratty and shameful. Here Jason was trying to help and Aria was accusing him for past mistakes. She was acting childish. Biting her lip, Aria continued to stand there and think. Maybe Wren was right – some issues aren't always worth the battle. Sometimes you have to let go.

"I love you Aria Montgomery," he claimed with a voice that was pleading. "I've made mistakes, I admit that again and again, but I can't stand here and let you hate you life."

Inhaling, Aria turned to face Jason, stared at his puppy dog eyes for a few seconds and then leaned in and kissed him. They kissed for a while, passionately and lovingly. He held her close, still being careful that she was injured, while she just hung on and clung to him like he enjoyed.

"I love you too," she breathlessly claimed as they broke a part and kids started to flood the hallways again.