Early update because I love you. The idea about this chapter was the reason I started writing this fanfic, a few days after the summer finale. So any resemblance to future episodes is totally coincidental, and according to a few spoilers I read after the Halloween special there will be some coincidence.. I had a little difficulty writing this chapter but I did my best and I hope you like it because it's one of my favourites. As always, thanks to Marcia794 for correcting my mistakes.

Enjoy!

Chapter 7 - The First Mistake

Ezra's POV

"A mistake is simply another way of doing things." - Katharine Graham

September 1st, 2009

It was the fifth time since I'd come into the library that I had to leave my book down and close my eyes to make the headache go away. I massaged my temples, willing my head to stop throbbing and let me finish my work. No such luck. I checked my watch only to see that it was almost 8pm. Wow. I had been here for more than five hours.

Looking around, I noticed that I was alone in the library; even the librarian had called it a night. I sighed and got up, gathering my books and folding my papers in my suitcase. I had only until next morning to finish my assignment for Mr. Montgomery's class on 'Winesburg, Ohio'. I loved this book and Anderson was one of my favourites, so I was trying to do my best and give him something really good. And with only a few months left for my degree, I needed the good impression and the good marks.

The library was empty and so was Hollis in general, probably the only people left at this time were the maids and myself. I stayed late a lot though, I loved studying in the library because it helped me concentrate. Although I lived on my own and nobody was bothering me, my tiny apartment was getting claustrophobic after a few hours.

Walking down the quiet corridor, I noticed something weird though. There was dim light coming from around the last corner, where I knew Mr. Montgomery's office was located. The moment I turned around the corner, I saw a blonde girl entering the room. Meredith Sorenson. Why would she be here at this time of the day? She wasn't the type of student who would stay awake at night so as to have a great assignment, like I would do. And neither was she the type of girl who would be so interested in her studies, that she would prefer to spend her evening consulting her teacher on an assigment instead of drinking at some bar. You're not better on this. An inner voice screamed but I tried to ignore it.

I kept my distance as I headed for the exit, but Mr. Montgomery opened his door and noticed me watching Meredith, as she quietly sneaked into his office. I quickly averted my gaze and kept walking towards the door, but I felt his eyes on me. He didn't say a word, probably because he didn't want to upset her, and then I heard his door closing. His behaviour made me suspicious; he had looked me in a guilty way, fear clouding his eyes. But this couldn't make me accuse him of having something more than a professor-student relationship with her. Or could it?

He wasn't that man, he couldn't take advantage of one of his students like that. And Meredith? Could she have an affair with her professor just to have a good degree? With her married professor? I shook my head in disgust; no, this couldn't be happening and I shouldn't jump to conclusions that easily. There was something else going on there for sure.

I quickly left the building and headed for the almost-empty parking lot. I couldn't wait for the moment I would be in my bed, I felt too exhausted. I had basically finished my assignment, there was only the bibliography I had to write down until I gave it to Mr. Montgomery. How would I face him the next morning? I was too embarassed for what I saw but more importantly for all the thoughts I had about him. While I was walking to my car, I heard a voice that annoyed the crap out of me.

"Ezra! Wait a minute, babe!" Oh my God, I wanted to punch her so badly. I didn't even look at her direction and simply kept walking, totally ignoring her. "Ezra!" She ran and reached for my arm, something that could make me lose my temper and make things worse for her.

"What the hell do you want, Alison?" I turned around and glared at her. She was the most annoying girl I had ever met in my whole life, I swear. Even her voice could give me a headache.

She batted her eyelashes and came closer, making me take a step back. "You know what I want", she said in what some other men would perceive as a seductive voice. But not me, I just hated the girl. I could admit that she was cute; tall, slim, blue eyes and blonde hair that seemed blonder tonight because of the yellow top she was wearing. She was a pretty girl. But she was that, just a girl.

"Fuck off." I usually didn't speak that way to people, especially to women, but I couldn't help myself. Alison had been doing this for weeks; following me, appearing out of thin air and begging me to take her then and there. I don't know how a girl at her age could be so bold around men, I don't know if she used to like older boys or even had affairs with them. But that was what had been happening to me since that damn night I met her at the Hollis bar.

I was totally screwed after an epic fight with my mother that would leave me broke for a month; that was her punishment for 'not respecting her'. My relationship with Danielle had never been the best between mother and son. After I graduated, the only thing I wanted was to leave them and study somewhere else, I didn't want any connection to that family. The only thing they cared about was their money and their image to others, things I didn't give a damn about. My mother wanted her sons to study medicine; I wanted to become a teacher and maybe publish one or two of my stories. My mother wanted us to marry someone wealthy with a certain social status; I wanted to marry the girl I would fall in love with.

So I left them and came to Rosewood so I could study at Hollis University the thing that was my passion, English litterature. I even changed my name so as to be as far away from them as possible. Fitzgerald became Fitz, something that would be useful in the future too, in case I became a famous writer; there couldn't be two of us.

I don't even remember why we had fought that night, probably because of money, it was the only thing she cared about. She went on ranting again about how I don't respect my family and that I should get a job and feed myself. No matter how hard I tried to explain to her that this can't happen until I get my degree, she didn't understand. Her attitude put me on edge and I ended up in the bar, drinking a quite lot, something that was unusual for me.

After my fifth or sixth drink, a beautiful girl approached me and asked me to dance. I was surprised that someone like her would want to spend some time with me, I found her pretty attractive at the moment. I was so drunk that without realising what I was doing, I grabbed her by the waist and danced with her. The bar was really crowded at that time, something that made us stick to each other and basically make circles around ourselves.

I remember her giggling and telling me that she found me really handsome and I was amused by her, the way she talked, the way she danced. The thing I didn't really notice was her young age; the red lipstick she was wearing, the high heels, the too short dress.. We may have kissed; I wasn't really able to remember in my condition.

Days passed and I forgot all about her. Well, I didn't remember a lot of things to begin with, just a few details about her appearance like her blonde hair. A blonde girl who I danced with a night I got drunk. However, I noticed her extremely young age when I saw her one day walking past me and towards Byron's office. I knew it was her. I tried to keep my distance although I was curious; what could she be doing here? She couldn't be Byron's daughter, he always moaned in class about the pink highlights she had on her hair.

I turned around and headed to my next class, wishing that she hadn't seen me. I didn't even remember her name to be honest. I kept walking when I heard her calling me.

"Ezra!" Seriously? I stopped walking and turned around, keeping an indifferent face.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"What? You forgot the great night we had?" Okay, I had been drunk but not that much. I may not remember any kiss, but if we had done anything more I would remember it. She came closer to me and whispered, as if telling a secret. "We danced for hours and then you kissed me." I sighed in relief. But still, I had no time for a child. She winked at me; I already hated her.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I turned around and headed for the opposite direction. She was behind me in an instant.

"Oh, come on. No boy forgets about me that easily." There was something about her that I was sure made boys crazy. She was so sure about herself and that made her attractive in spite of her age. "We can have a good time whenever you want." She tried to take my hand in hers but I pushed her off.

"I really don't want to." My tone was hard and I hope it would make her stop following me.

"Well, in case you change your mind, you can ask Byron for my number. Young girls are his type." She said laughing and with that she turned around and headed for the exit. I shook my head; how could she insult Mr. Montgomery like that? Stupid, immature girl.

It never hit me until that moment. 'Young girls are his type.' Could he really be like that? He had a great family, how could he give that up? I had thought that Alison was just messing with me that day but she could be telling the truth after all. But anyway, this didn't concern me. Mr. Montgomery was my professor and his private life was not my business.

"I have to go now." I couldn't stay near her another minute. "See you around." I winked at her and she just stood there dumbfounded, totally oblivious to my thoughts. She said nothing and let me go; thank God for that.

Besides my weariness, the past events filled my mind with different thoughts and instead of my apartment I headed for my favourite bar. I just had a quiet drink; after that disastrous night a few months ago I avoided drinking much. After half an hour or so, I craved my bed so I finished my drink and walked out of the bar. It was a quiet night and the weather was still hot. I got in my car and started driving in the empty streets of Rosewood.

I was thinking about my assignment now and all the work that was waiting for me the following days for other projects when my car made a terrible roaring noise and stopped in the middle of the street. Damn. I checked my gas tank but it was filled more than half-full. I immediately got out, cursing myself and basically the car, when I noticed Byron's car outside a house that sure as hell wasn't his own. Curiosity got the best of me and I hesitantly headed towards the uknown house.

All of a sudden, Byron sprinted off the backyard and I had to hide behind the closest bush so I wouldn't be noticed. He was obviously irritated about somehing and I wondered if it was Meredith the one living there and they had just had a fight. Luckily, my car was parked a few meters behind his just around a small turn of the road, so he wouldn't easily notice it as he got inside his car and left.

I decided to go back to my car and try to find the cause of the damage, otherwise I would walk to my apartment and take it to the garage the following day. I wasn't too far away from my place anyway, any distance in this town was small, plus I would enjoy some fresh air and some walking. But just when I was ready to turn around, I noticed a blonde girl coming into view from the same direction Byron left moments earlier. It was Alison. Her expression was somehow identical to the older man's but she tried to hide it when she -unluckily for me- noticed my presence.

"Well, well." She said approaching me, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Someone decided that he wants something from me, after all." She was trying to hide the fact that she was really, really upset.

"Uh.. It's not like that, really." She was smirking now and getting closer. I couldn't deal with her again, seriously. "I was just driving and -"

"You happened to park your car outside my house and stalk me from behind a bush, I see." I had to get away from here or I would hurt her.

"I'm not like Byron, don't get your hopes up," I spitted. This seemed to make her upset.

"The jerk will pay for what he's doing. I won't let him destroy Aria's life." She had a fierce look on her face and I guessed that Aria could be Byron's daughter? I didn't know they were friends, I knew barely anything about Alison's life. "But you," she composed herself after that tiny moment of weakness, "will pay as he will." I looked at her with a questioning look and she continued, "You know, a lot of my friends saw us in that bar. Saw you kissing a minor." She winked at me. The little bitch.

"What do you want, Alison?" I asked irritated. How much longer would I be paying for one fucking mistake?

"If I can't have you, at least I can have your money." She said and with that, she turned around and headed for her house before adding, "see you around!". A giggle escaped her lips and she disappeared behind the trees.

No, this couldn't be happening now. Irritating the living hell out of me was one thing; blackmailing me for money was too much. Ugh. What was wrong with me and women? After that crazy Maggie I used to date in high-school, Jackie came. And she had broken up with me after I proposed to her. I mean, who does that? Now I had a fifteen-or-so-year-old girl stalking me and asking for money because I didn't want her.

I turned back to my car and tried to start it again; thankfully it worked this time and I drove down the road. I would have to take it to the garage anyway, or just ask Danielle for money to get a new one, as this had been my father's old car. I liked a Toyota silver one, and if I apologiZed for my previous behaviour, she would say yes in an instant.

During the whole drive to my apartment I was thinking about Alison. She could blackmail me all she wanted though; I had kissed a minor, she could use this against me. And this wasn't me, I don't even know how I had ended up drinking so much that night. But it happened and now I couldn't change it. And if Byron left in that condition a few minutes ago, it means that she was really asking for money, she would have no difficulty to do the same with me.

For once, I wished that I hadn't cut my family's money off. Seems like I would need it soon, because Alison was that type of girl.

Even though Ezra has no idea who she is, Aria got mentioned twice and it was really cute. But next chapter will actually have some Ezria (in case you forgot that this is an Ezria fanfic lol).

Thanks for reading guys! And please review!

See ya xx