This chapter is taking place five or so days after the last chapter. I'm kind of pushing it along and I hope that's okay. Many thanks to all of you who are reading and reviewing; I love reading each and every one of your comments. Please keep it going.
Part 1
Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with Pretty Little Liars
It was a quarter till ten when Aria arrived at the School on a Wednesday morning. She and Carol had handpicked a few employee's to represent the hotel to its finest and she was really proud of the outcome. She looked around the Gym and smiled when she remembered those happy memories.
She wondered till this day what would have happened if –A never gotten involved in her life? She wondered what would have happened to her and Ezra if they never told her parents that they were involved together.
With a simple shake of the head Aria placed the stack of applications and information about the Hotel down on the floor. She pulled out a few stacks and placed them on the table before sorting them out into sections. She had managed to pull three tables together instead of the natural two. She also managed to get an open classroom encase she wanted to do a few interviews.
Ezra walked into the Gym with a few teachers and looked at the outcome. He was surprised that the principle had managed to bring the community together when everyone in Rosewood seemed to have a big stick up their butt.
He spotted Aria and Carol talking and smiled. He thought about their conversation at the Hotel just a few days ago and thought about how sweet it was just to see her smile. Just as Ezra was about to look away Aria caught him staring, she waved him over and motioned for him to come.
"Hey," Ezra smiled sweetly, "How's everything going here?"
Carol arched an eyebrow and looked at Ezra up and down. He was wearing a grey long sleeve dress shirt with a black vest and black slacks, "You look different. Healthier" she commented "How are you?"
Ezra chuckled uncomfortable as Aria gave Carol a smack to the arm "I'm doing better. Those AA meetings seem to be helping."
Aria bit her lip and turned her head away for a second as one of the helpers asked her a simple question "I was wondering if you could point me to the coffee cart?" Carol asked with a smirk "Aria said they had one on campus?"
Ezra nodded "It's just outside the lunch room next to the court yard. If you want you could write down what you need and I'll be more than happy to help"
"I'll have an Ice double soy latte with two spenders" Aria commented quickly needing that shot of caffeine in her
"I said to write it down Aria" Ezra joked "I'm not your IPhone I can't store all of your drink orders."
Carol laughed "Why doesn't Aria just go with you. I'm sure you'll need help bringing them back" She pushed her out of the booth, "And don't forget my drink."
Aria rolled her eyes as Carol asked the helpers what they wanted and handed Aria the paper "Oh, and if they have any bagels I would love one with cream cheese."
"This is high school not college" Aria replied taking the paper from her "Why didn't you just stop at Star Bucks?"
Carol sighed "I would have if I known you had been spending the nights at the Hotel and never had to do a double take"
"Fine" Aria made a mean face "I'll get you your drink your highness"
"Thank you!"
Ezra laughed at Aria and Carol as he took a few steps away allowing Aria to start the lead of walking first. He looked at her from top to bottom before walking to the side of her. "So how are things between you and Jay?" Aria rolled her eyes and looked over at Ezra to give him a look as to say you already knew "Sorry,"
Aria shook her head as they exited the gym, "Does he know you came to see me? Twice"
"No, but he knows something is up"
Aria paused in her tracks "What are you talking about?"
Ezra shrugged and motioned his head for her to follow him into one of the classrooms "I think he knows that we are talking. Talking more than we should"
Aria tossed her head back and then lent up against the desk "I knew this was going to happen; that's why I wanted to tell him."
Ezra nodded and stood in front of her "I enjoy spending time with you." He shook his head, "I've never felt more alive than when I am with you!"
"I had fun too Ezra" she agreed "But this is wrong and you know it"
"When have we ever done the right thing?" Ezra questioned taking her hands in his but Aria took it back.
"We can't" She pushed him back a little
"I'm sorry!" Ezra closed his eyes and rubbed his face "being so close to you is killing me slowly. I wish-"
"I know Ezra," Aria cut him off "But as much as I want to tell Jay the truth. I am also really grateful to have him in my life."
"Right" He nodded, "We better go get that coffee" he stated turning away from her and headed toward the door "wouldn't want your friend to throw you out the window now would we?"
Aria smiled "You know your sarcasm is really interesting"
"How so?" He questioned catching up to Aria in the hallway
"Well" She looked at him "It was never good; so it's getting better"
Ezra laughed out loud and smiled at some of his students "How does it feel to be back in High School?"
"Really" she giggled "I think I would rather be in college."
"Why is that?"
Aria let out a breath when they reached the coffee cart "I don't know. I guess because no one knew me. I went to the mall yesterday and I had three people that came up to me" Ezra smiled thinking that it was a good thing "Oh don't' smile. They wanted to know if I was friends with Hanna Marin and they remembered about Ashley being arrested"
"I'm sorry. You should have called I would have loved to hit the mall with you"
"Okay," Aria laughed placing her hand on his arm "Since when did you like shopping?"
Ezra shook his head "I don't. But it would have been more of a thrill than to listen to Jay mope around the house because you didn't go home for almost a week"
"I've been working" Aria defended herself and when Ezra just stared at her "You know I've been working and you've helped. So don't look at me like that. You forget that I know you, I know all of your smirks and looks so you can't tell me that you weren't just calling me out on it."
"Fine, but that's not the only reason you won't go home."
Aria shrugged and moved up in the line "I don't want to see him because I don't know how much longer I can hold out." She waved her hand "It feels like I'm in high school all over again and I don't want to be tied down by secrets anymore."
"I'm glad that we talked and I'm so happy that you're back home Aria. You make things better and for the right reasons."
Aria gave him a friendly hug "You know you can come to me for anything Ezra" She squeezed his arms before pulling back and looking him in the eyes "Carol was right; you are looking healthier"
Ezra chuckled and gave the list of coffees over to the guy before looking over at Aria "Well that AA meetings and meetings with my sponsor seems to be helping. And when I think of drinking something strong I think about the reaction you gave me when you walked into my room!" he smirked "it's been hard without you and I always felt like you were my comfort zone"
Aria licked her lips and nodded, "You were mine too Ezra and I thought about you all the time."
Ezra grabbed the tray of coffees and paid the man before turning away "do you think if you never left we would have been a happy everlasting couple?'
Aria laughed "Who talks like that?" Ezra nudged her a little in the shoulder "I'm kidding," She smirked "I really don't know" She looked around to see if anyone was listening "I think that we would have had our ups and downs but yea; I think we would have made it through"
LINE BREAK
"So what makes you think you have the qualities to work for my Hotel?" Aria questioned looking at the young girl straight in the eyes "You have nothing but a simple resume and I don't see anything that we are looking for!"
The young girl nodded "It's true I have never worked a day in my life. My parents were always telling me to get my schooling in order before heading out into the real world. Everything that I have ever worked for are for my grades." She stopped and looked down at her hands nervously "I just want to branch out and do something different. I am an honour student who can type thousand words every three minutes but I have never gotten out of my comfort zone." She looked Aria in the eyes "I really want to see what I am made of and I don't want to be behind some counter passing out food."
Aria wrote down a few notes before looking at her watch "And you're a Junior correct?" She nodded "And I see that you want to attend NYU?"
"Yes, I want to get out of small town life and I want to be able to see the real world"
Aria smiled "You start next month; I want to put you as a part time housekeeper. Its late hours, mostly when they check out at twelve. But I need someone for emergencies, so that would be the overnight shift."
"Overnight?"
"Yes" Aria answered with a nod, "It's where everyone who has no experience start out. If you can show me that you can do more or you can give me another reference besides your English teacher I would consider putting you up front."
"I will take the housekeeping position. But I am not sure what I am supposed to do" She was honest
"Have you ever cleaned a toilet? Fix your bed? Dusted around the living room?" The girl nodded "Then you will be fine. And besides" Aria stood up, "You won't be alone. The best thing about working the night shift is that you learn more. There aren't that many demands," Aria paused, "Well there are, but you learn how to do them without the demands of the day shift"
"Thank you!" She stoke her hand out and Aria gladly shook it "You don't know what this means to me.
Aria smiled, "I am not as nice as I seem to be. I will be on your case just like everyone else and I am a hard ball"
"I understand, no special treatment" she nodded
"Yes, you will be on time and in uniform. I expect you to bring me your grades before you start. But seeing as you just turned seven-teen I need your parents to fill this out and I need you to look over this pamphlet and sign all the necessary documents and hand them back to me. You will not give it to Mr Cutler to hand them back to me or Ms Daniels. You will walk it into the Hotel and look for me."
She nodded scared of what's to come "Yes ma'am"
"Don't call me ma'am I am not your mother you will address me as Ms Montgomery!"
"Yes Ms Montgomery" she smiled "I will see you soon!"
"I like that answer" Aria told her walking out of the free classroom and back into the Gym. She still had about another couple of hours and so far that young girl was the only one she saw fit
When Aria reached the Gym it was packed with students from Rosewood their teachers and students from Hollis College. She maneuverer herself in between people until she reached her booth and took a seat at the empty chair; she reached into the box and pulled out a clean file.
"You hired her?" Carol asked shocked "Damn"
Aria smiled and looked up at Carol "I think it would be a great experience for her."
"But she has none!" Carol grumbled, "You shot down three people who actually has experience for someone who hasn't had any in their life"
"Yup," Aria smiled and placed the tan envelope into the box "It will make them work harder. Eagar for them to learn something. People who already know the material won't try as hard and think they know everything."
"Never thought of that" Carol sat down next to Aria and looked in front of her "Jay's been looking for you"
"Figured" Aria answered leaning back against the chair "I don't know if I'm ready to talk to him just yet"
Carol licked her lips and nodded, "Look, I don't care about rumors but when rumors have to deal with one of my friends I think it's proper for them to know" Aria looked at Carol as if she didn't care, "It's about Jay"
"What about him?"
Carol sucked in a deep breath "I heard a few of the teachers talking about him leaving to go to Iraq on Friday… This Friday Aria"
"You're lying?" Aria blurted, "He would have told me this"
She tucked back her hair "How can he explain something if you weren't at home?"
Aria stood up in her chair and looked around the crowded room. She could see a few people who could pass as teachers in one corner and then a few others just roaming around. She moved from the booth and started to walk around the gym until she saw a familiar face.
"Malcolm" She called waving her hand so she could catch his attention "I need to talk to you!"
Malcolm knitted his eyebrows in confusion before nodding "Are you okay?"
"Do you know where Mr Parker is?"
Malcolm nodded "I just saw him outside talking to my dad."
"Which door?"
"Right out front" He answered with concern "You found out didn't you?"
"About what?"
"About him leaving" Malcolm blurted "You found out!"
Aria nodded "Why didn't you tell me? I see you every day at work and you left one important detail out" she asked anger filling her "I helped you out why couldn't you return the favor?!" She pointed at his chest
Malcolm looked at his friends as they all glared at the attraction in front of them "I wanted to tell you. But my dad told me not too- that it wasn't any of our business and we should just let it go!"
"Your dad?" she bit out bitterly "Well let's just see how this goes down shall we?" She grabbed Malcolm by the hand and pulled him along with her as they reached the double doors he was just pointing at. They both walked out and stopped right outside the doors in search for the two men. And when spotted Aria continued to pull Malcolm along for the ride.
"Aria please don't drag me into this. The whole school knows about his departure!" Malcolm pleaded feeling the embarrassment from being pulled by a woman.
"He lied to me and the most part is that you and your father thought it was a good idea to keep it from me. How could you!"
Malcolm let out a breath as Aria stopped and looked at Jay, "When were you going to tell me?" She asked keeping a firm grip on Malcolm so he wouldn't run, "I had to find out from the whole damn school that you are leaving" rage come out
Jay looked at Ezra and then at Malcolm, "Don't look at them I am talking to you!" she pointed with her free hand, "And before you leave" she looked at Ezra, "I have a few choice words for you!"
"I wanted to tell you." Jay told her "But when was I going too? You were never home and when you were you were too busy to even give me the time of day. I was going to tell you a few days ago but then you never came home at all. I went to the Hotel and you had security throw me out "Jay fought back "Don't blame Kai or Malcolm because I was too chicken to tell you. I wanted too, but how?"
"Just like this. Be a damn man and grow some." She had tears in her eyes, "You're leaving- and-"She paused and let Malcolm go, "All of you lied to me about it. How can you cover up something like this? All of you!"
"Aria-"Ezra tried to cut her off but
"NO" she shouted, "Don't tell him it's not the right time right?" she shook her head, "That was your words, yeah, well I have some for all of you!" She looked back at Jay, "Ezra and I dated when I was in high school. He is the father of my daughter"
Cliffhanger!
I want to know your reaction to Aria's word farts! How dare she just blurt out something as huge as who the father is!~ Next chapter will have Jay's reaction and then he is (spoiler)... I know I didn't update last week and I usually update once a week. So, many I'll update tomorrow or Friday. I don't know I'm going to go on Reviews for this one... Love you all