Disclaimer: I do not own Pretty Little Liars or these characters. Not written for money, only enjoyment.

So I had fully intended on this chapter being the showcase but then I realized I would be skipping a whole day in the timeline. So adding this chapter will actually help with the showcase. I hope you are enjoying the story so far.

Please don't be afraid to review. I appreciate them all.

Aria was awake, ready for school and getting a muffin for breakfast when Ella and Mike came downstairs. Both stopped when they saw Aria standing in the kitchen. "Honey are you sure you want to go to school today?" Ella asked.

"I'm sure Mom. I've done enough wallowing and talking to Jason last night helped. Now I just need to talk to Ezra and move on." Aria answered grabbing a mug of coffee.

Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, "It's good to have my sister back." Mike said hugging her.

Returning the hug, "I'm not all the way back, but I'm definitely much closer than I was the past few days."

The three sat down and ate breakfast, Zack had left early to open The Brew and check on things. Conversation was light as they all got their belongings ready to go. Walking out the door Ella asked, "Do you kids want a ride? I know it's uncool to arrive with Mom but."

"I'll take one Mom. I have to talk to coach." Mike answered.

"Thanks Mom, but I think I'm going to walk. It'll be nice to get my head together before going into the lions dens with the girls." Aria answered.

"Okay. Be careful. See you at school". Ella told her daughter. She had no doubt that Aria was going to make it to school and the day. Aria was looking like a new person after her late night conversation with Jason.

Spencer hadn't seen Jason since the afternoon before and she left horrible for how she had pushed him. She just didn't like to see him hurting. Jason opened his front door and walked out and found Spencer sitting on his front steps much like Aria had been hours earlier.

Locking his door, "What do you need Spencer?" He asked.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry. I didn't mean to attack you yesterday about how you feel about Aria. It's really none of my business. I just don't like seeing you hurt." Spencer said standing up.

Pulling his half-sister in, "It's okay Spencer. I knew what you were doing yesterday. I'm sorry I lost my temper. It's something I'm still working on." Jason said giving her a hug.

"So we're okay?" Spencer said not letting go.

"Yeah we're okay. Would you like a ride to school?" Jason asked stepping back.

"A ride would be great." Spencer answered as Jason unlocked his car.

The two siblings rode in silence most of the way to school until Spencer saw Aria walking by herself, "Jason pull over. I need to talk to Aria before we get to school." Spencer said opening the door before he had fully stopped.

"You know you're going to get yourself killed if you keep opening doors before the car stops moving." He joked with as she got out.

Spencer feeling mature just stuck her tongue out at him.

Jason just smirked and waved to Aria before continuing towards the school.

The two girls just stood and stared at each other. Neither of them sure how to start a conversation. Taking the lead, "I talked to Jason last night." Aria said turning and starting to walk again.

"You did?" Spencer said as she caught up.

"Yeah. He told me that I had to choose and that he wouldn't be a second choice or affair. And that I have to be in the relationship 100%." Aria explained the basics of the conversation.

"What did you tell him?" Spencer asked scared of the answer, "I mean are you willing to do that?"

Stopping and looking Spencer straight in the eye, "I told him that I couldn't lose him and that I need someone to love me." Aria answered, "I'm more than willing to do that. I need to reassure Jason of that and I'm willing to do anything to do that."

Spencer didn't try to catch up to Aria, but she was smiling. Her friend had finally been honest with herself. She had seen Jason wave at Aria and the look in his eye when he had. Both of them looked better than they had in days. It was nice to see. Starting to walk again Spencer hoped with her whole heart that the two could work it out and become a couple that the other girls would be jealous of.

Hanna and Emily were at their lockers when they saw Aria coming down the hallway looking completely put together, hair done, make up on, and a cute outfit that even made Hanna a little jealous. Walking to their friend, "You're here at school? Looking put together." Hanna said surprised.

"Do you have a filter?" Emily asked Hanna.

"Sorry, I'm just shocked. Plus look at this outfit." Hanna mock apologized and waved her hands up and down beside Aria.

Appreciating her friend's humor, "Thanks Hanna. And I decided I have done enough wallowing. I needed to get my act together and I did." Aria explained.

"So you're okay?" Emily asked concerned. "No more break downs?"

"I shouldn't have any more break downs at school." Aria told her worried friend. She was about to explain about Jason when Spencer walked up.

"She talked to Jason last night." Spencer interrupted proudly meeting Aria's gaze. The two friends seemed to have gotten over their tiff.

"You did?" Hanna and Emily exclaimed in unison, making people in the hallway stop and look at them.

Laughing at the people that stopped to look, "Yes we talked. I woke up last night and my brain wouldn't stop telling there is no time like the present so I went to talk to him." Aria explained the whole conversation they had had.

"Are you sure after Ezra you want to make another commitment?" Emily asked.

None of the girls saw Jason or knew he was listening to their conversation but Emily's question had him curious. "I think Jason and I need to go back to being friends first. I do want a relationship with him but I also need him to trust me not to hurt him again. And I know that will take time, but I'm willing to put it in because I do care about him." Aria answered her friend.

It wasn't just Jason that noticed how Aria had struggled to describe what she felt for him which left a pang in his heart until Hanna opened her mouth. She never did have a filter he thought to himself.

"Were you going to say love him?" Hanna asked.

Spencer and Emily both smacked her arms and glared at her. "It's okay guys, I really do think I love Jason. I think I have been since the summer before Ali disappeared. I'm nervous to say it out loud because of everything that has happened." Aria said while shutting her locker.

"I think that's smart and you're not lying when you say you care about him." Spencer said linking her arm with Aria's.

"Spencer's right. You need to wait till you are comfortable saying it to him and then you can come tell us." Emily said standing on Aria's other side.

Jason walked quickly down the hall so the girls wouldn't know he had been ease dropping and the smile on his face wasn't going anywhere. Aria loved him. She had been in love with him for almost as he had been with her. He understood her wanting to be cautious and he appreciated the fact that she wanted to gain his trust again, it actually made him love her more because she knew it wasn't going to be easy for them. Opening his office door Jason knew that the climb upward for him and Aria would take time but they would be doing it together.

The lunch bell rung, Aria was standing by her locker putting her stuff away when the girls stopped by on their way to the cafeteria. "Ready to go?" Hanna asked.

"You go ahead. I'll meet you guys in there." Aria replied closing her locker.

"Aria…" Emily and Spencer said.

"I'm okay. I want to go talk to Jason and this is the only chance I have." Aria explained.

Her three friends stood in front of her looking in her eyes, "She's looks okay, not like a break down is coming." Hanna spoke, "I say we let her go and meet us when she is done."

"Okay" the other two agreed.

Aria headed towards Jason's office, seeing that the door was closed she leaned against the wall and waited. After a few minutes the door opened and an unhappy looking guy stepped out, Aria didn't recognize him. He just stared at her and then turned to walk out the door of the school. Jason was about to shut the door to his office when he saw Aria standing, "Aria, is everything okay?" He asked startling her.

"Huh. Oh yeah, I just wanted to talk to you." She said straightening up.

"Well come on in." Jason said holding the door.

Aria stepped inside. "What did you want to talk about?" Jason asked closing the door behind in as he came in.

"I wanted to tell you what I'm doing after school."

"Okay."

"I'm going to talk to Ezra and break up with him. There is no need to stay with someone who doesn't make me happy. And I know that you and I have a long road ahead of us, but I really want to try and make it work."

"I do to Aria. But I kind of already knew that." Jason admitted.

"You knew I was going to break up with Ezra?" Aria asked confused.

"No, well I hoped you were going to after we talked last night. But I meant that I knew you wanted to try and make us work. I heard you talking to the girls this morning." Jason explained

"Jason DiLaurentis were you ease dropping on our conversation?" Aria teased moving closer to him.

"I'm not ashamed to admit that yes I was. And I'm glad I did. Hearing that you love me but also want to gain my trust back made me love you even more Aria. You have no idea how hearing that made me feel. When you hesitated on saying how you felt about me I felt this pang of hurt and then Hanna opened her mouth." Jason said stepping towards her, "She still doesn't have a filter does she?"

Laughing and standing on her tippy toes to put her arms around his neck, "No, she never has though which is part of the reason we love her." Aria said tightening her arms, "I do love you Jason and I meant when I said I want to be friends first and that I want you trust me again."

Putting his arms around her waist, "Well I think we are on our way to being friends, but we also never stopped." Jason told her squeezing her small waist.

"I've missed you Jason. I really have." Aria said as she laid her head on his chest.

"I've missed you too. I'm glad that you're back in my life." Jason said putting his chin against her head.

The two of them stood holding each other for a few seconds and then Aria remembered it was her lunch time when her stomach grumbled. "Hungry?" Jason asked pulling away.

"Yeah. I need to go eat, but I'll talk to you later." Aria said turning towards the door. She put her hand on the nob and then turned around and kissed Jason the cheek. "Thank you for being so understanding. I know this hasn't been easy on you especially after everything with Ali." She told him before leaving.

Jason touched his cheek where Aria had kissed him and smiled. Never in his life had he had someone care about him the way Aria always had. He remembered as the pink haired girl that his sister tried to control, the girl who became his friend when he first came back to Rosewood and now the girl who had his heart completely. This time though he knew he could trust her with it.

Aria made it to the lunch room with only a few minutes to eat. She couldn't believe her and Jason had talked that long it felt like only a few minutes. Finding her friends she realized that was how time was when she was with Jason it flew by but she never missed it. Sitting down the questions started, "So what did you talk about?" Hanna asked opening Aria's bag of Lay's.

"You look flushed is everything okay?" Emily asked looking worried as always.

Spencer stayed quiet and let Aria begin to explain, "We talked about us and yes Emily everything is fine. I'm flushed because I kissed Jason and had to run here from his office."

"You kissed Jason?!" Spencer asked sounding excited.

"This time I didn't do it." Hanna laughed pointing at Spencer.

"It was only on the cheek and it was to thank him. He has been beyond understanding of this whole thing and he shouldn't have had to be." Aria explained.

Spencer was satisfied with friends answer. Hanna wanted to know if his cheeks were as soft as they looked and Emily looked slightly uncomfortable. Before Aria could say anything more the lunch bell rang and the girls separated and headed to their classes.

After the final bell rang Aria went by her Mom's room and waited for her to be ready to head home. Walking out of the school, "Hey Mom would it be okay if I borrowed the car for an hour or so?"

"Sure Aria. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go see Ezra. I need to break up with him and make him understand why I'm doing it."

"Are you sure you can handle that right now?"

"No, but I need to do it anyways. I have to it for me. I should have done it a long time ago but I was so scared, but now I have a reason to do it."

"Jason."

"Yes Jason. But not because I want to jump right back into a relationship, but because I want to work things out with him and give us a better shot."

Ella was proud of her daughter, she was making complete sense when came to Ezra and Jason.

Once they got home Ella handed the keys over to Aria and watched her drive towards Hollis. She just hoped that Aria would be able to get through the break up without breaking down. Aria arrived at Hollis only to find out that Ezra had cancelled his office hours. Leaving the campus she headed to his apartment. Walking up the stairs Aria took calming breaths and told herself that she wasn't going to break down, crying was okay but she would not blubber and become inconsolable. When she got the door she knocked and waited hearing noise from inside.

Maggie was the one to open the door, "Oh Hi Maggie. Is Ezra here? I need to speak to him." Aria explained her unexpected visit.

"He's with Malcolm. Come on in and I'll go get him." Maggie said opening the door and allowing Aria to come inside.

Ezra came out of the bathroom holding Malcolm, "Aria what are you doing here? I thought we were meeting up tomorrow." Ezra said sitting Malcolm down on the couch and coming over.

"What I need to talk to you about can't wait until tomorrow Ezra. Can we go for a walk or something?" Aria asked, not wanting Malcolm or Maggie to hear their conversation.

Turning around, "Maggie will you be okay with watching Malcolm for a few minutes?" Ezra asked reaching for his jacket.

"Everything will be fine Ezra. Go and talk, it sounds important." Maggie said smiling at Aria.

Leaving Maggie and Malcolm in his apartment, Ezra and Aria headed towards the park by his apartment building. Aria was nervous and kept wringing her hands. "Aria is everything okay? You seem very nervous and uncomfortable." Ezra asked stopping to sit on a bench.

"Ezra, I don't want to hurt you but I can't do this anymore. You have Malcolm to worry about and Jason came back into town and…" Aria started but stopped when she felt the tears coming.

"You can't stop thinking about him and how things ended between you two." Ezra finished for her looking at his hands, "I understand Aria, I really do."

"I'm not going to say something clique like we should be friends but I do hope that everything works out for you with Maggie and Malcolm." Aria said as tears started to come out of her eyes.

Ezra looked at her with tears in his eyes, "Just tell me one thing Aria, do you love Jason DiLaurentis?" his voice shook as he asked.

Letting the tears fall, "I do. I think I have since I was thirteen." Aria said in an uneven tone, "But Ezra that doesn't mean that the feelings I had for you weren't real. They were. I thought you were my prince charming…"

"But then Jason came back into town. I'm not stupid Aria. I knew the answer to that question before I asked it I just needed to hear you admit it." Ezra said taking her hands in his. "Do whatever you need to do to make things work out with Jason and I will respect your decision."

"I'm so sorry Ezra." Aria said looking him the eyes and seeing all the hurt.

"It's okay Aria. This was a learning experience for you and me. You learned that you can't ignore how you feel about someone by dating someone else. And I learned that I shouldn't get involved with my students personally." Ezra said trying to lighten the mood. "I will miss seeing you around and so will Malcolm but I know that this is for the best." He finished by standing up.

Aria stood up too and hugged Ezra. It was the last hug they would ever share she knew. She hoped that things would work out between Ezra and Maggie and that he would get that teaching job in Pittsburgh. Their hug broke and Aria watched Ezra go back to his apartment and him not look back at her.

Jason had stopped when saw Aria and the teacher coming out of an apartment complex, he didn't know what to make of it. Spencer had told him that the guy hid Aria away like a mistress but there they were in front of him. He watched them sit down on a bench and talk. By the time their conversation was over they both were crying. It was that that made Jason realize that they were breaking up. Honestly he felt for the guy, he knew what it was like to have your heart broken by Aria. They had hugged and the teacher had gone back inside the building without looking back at Aria who had watched him. Looking at her face Jason could see she was sad but not overly upset. Finally getting in his car, Jason headed back home knowing that now he and Aria could be together in the future because she was available.

Aria had noticed Jason's car and him watching her and Ezra but she didn't feel funny about it. She had made sure when she watched Ezra walk back to his building that she positioned herself so that Jason could see her face. Her heart didn't hurt as much as she thought it would and that made her happy. She walked to her car and drove home, finally looking forward to the Talent Showcase tomorrow night.