I'm so sorry, guys! I'm pathetic, I know. I probably should quit FF permanently because I suck so bad at updating… but I won't leave this unfinished! I spent much too much time mapping out the next two sequels to just stop. So, here it is.
Friday morning, after dropping Elliot off at daycare and parking at school, Aria's phone began to ring. Spencer had called three times the night prior, and each time Aria ignored the call. She hadn't told Emily or Hanna that A had not only outed her father's affair and Aria's knowledge of it, but also her illicit affair with Ezra Fitz. Neither had called or texted after leaving her house, so she figured Spencer hadn't told them, either. Now that they knew who Ian was and that he was back in town, Aria really didn't feel much like talking about the whole situation. Reluctantly, she pulled her phone out of her pocket.
When she saw the caller I.D., she felt her heart leap. Quickly she tapped the answer key and held the phone to her ear. "Mom?"
"Hi." Ella replied curtly. "Are you already at school?"
"Yes." Aria answered, looking around to ensure that there were no teachers nearby. She didn't feel like getting detention for having her phone out. "Mom-"
"I'm on my way." Ella said abruptly. "Stay at your car, you're not going to school today."
"Mom." Aria protested. If her mother wanted to keep her out of school, that really didn't bother her because it meant she could pick up Elliot and spend the day with him, but she dreaded the thought of her mother actually coming to the school. "We need to talk."
"Obviously." Ella remarked sarcastically. "I will be there in ten minutes."
Ella didn't wait for a response before hanging up. Aria wasn't sure what to say to her mother, but she had ten minutes to figure it out. She could do one of two things: tell the truth or lie. Her parents had never brought up the police investigating Ezra, she assumed, because they believed the accusations to be idiotic. Now, though, Aria was sure her mother would be bringing it to light.
Aria climbed back into her car and dug through her purse. She still had the picture A had sent her mother, too fearful of leaving it just sitting around anywhere. They looked happy, even Elliot's face lit up; to an outsider they probably looked like a normal family having a day at the zoo. But there wasn't really anything incriminating about it. Aria could easily pass it off as happenstance. Which, if she thought about it, wasn't exactly a lie. They did run into one another by complete coincidence that day. But how could she explain the looks on their faces? Aria's feelings were obvious, as were Ezra's. But, couldn't they just have been having a good time? It made sense, Ezra was very close in age to the students, and he was actually very friendly with almost all of them. He even had the numbers of several students involved in the Writer's Guild and Poetry Club, which had been his alibi when Wilden had seen that Aria's name was in his contact list. Thankfully those students had even said good things about Ezra's character, and his phone records hadn't been obtained. Yet.
A sharp tapping on her passenger window caused her to start. There stood Spencer, a frantic look in her eyes that had the hairs on the back of Aria's neck standing on end. Aria unlocked her doors and gestured for Spencer to get in.
"Do you not know how to answer your phone?" Spencer said shrilly. "I've called a dozen times!"
"Did it not occur to you that I don't want to talk about it?" Aria answered; annoyed that Spencer couldn't take the hint.
"Sorry, Aria, but I really needed to talk to you." Spencer said. "Ian and Melissa-"
"Spencer, I know you hate all of my terrible decision-making," Aria interrupted. "But you can not tell him about Elliot."
"But-"
"Spence." Aria said firmly. "Someday, in the distant future when I'm over eighteen and Elliot wants to know about him, I will find a way to get in touch with Ian but he cannot know right now."
"Aria, you're not listening!" Spencer shouted. "Ian was asking about you. He cornered me in the kitchen and said he'd seen you around town with Elliot which means he's been here for a while."
"What did you say?" Aria asked thickly, a knot forming in her chest. "What did you tell him?"
"I didn't tell him anything!" Spencer replied. "Melissa came back into the kitchen and obviously he can't say anything about it in front of her."
Aria could tell her face was paling. She always knew Ian would find out about Elliot, eventually. She had just always hoped it would be on her own terms. "Has he said anything since last night?"
"Not yet." Spencer said. "But you should know that he's suspicious as hell right now. He's a certified genius; he's going to put two and two together. I just want to make sure you're prepared for when that comes to fruition. And who knows, maybe you can collect child sup-"
"No!" Aria insisted. "I don't want his money. I don't want anything from him."
*PLL*
Aria sat across the kitchen table from Ella, who had picked her up in the parking lot mere minutes after Spencer had warned her of Ian's suspicions. They'd been sitting, silently, for almost an hour now and Aria didn't know whether her mother was angry, or just thinking.
"Can you explain to me," Ella said finally, startling Aria. "how it is you knew for three years about your father's affair and not once thought I should know?"
Aria mulled this over. Really, her father had no precedence for making her keep the secret from her mother. She had done it simply because her father had asked. Then she became pregnant and didn't have the heart to break her mother's heart anymore than it already had been. Not to mention what an impending divorce would have done to Mike. She needed her family to be together.
"I got pregnant, not long after I found out." Aria said quietly, looking down at her hands which sat folded together on the table. "I couldn't do that to you, too."
"You didn't do this." Ella said sharply, annoyance laced in her voice. "Your father did this."
"I didn't want to break your heart."
"Aria, haven't you learned by now that I could never love you any less?" Aria still couldn't find a way to look her mother in the eyes, she was afraid that if she did, tears would surely form. "Now tell me, honestly, what the hell is going on in this picture. I swear to God, Aria, if you lie to me and there is any truth to that rumor that was going around the school you're protecting him in any way-"
"It's nothing like that, Mom!" Aria interjected, desperately. "We ran into each other. He took one look at Elliot and he knew that he wasn't my baby brother. And you know what? He didn't care that I'm a teenage mother." Aria paused for a moment, pleased that she had at least caught her mother's attention. "He listened. And I'm not blind, I mean, look at him! Every girl at school thinks he's gorgeous. I'd be lying if I said I didn't agree. But it is definitely not like that. It's just… nice, to have someone besides you to talk to about Elliot. I can't even tell the girls. It's just nice to have a friend."
"Aria, he's not your friend," Ella said accusingly. "He is your teacher. And while I can appreciate you being able to trust and confide in him, it's inappropriate to be that friendly with one of your educators."
"We aren't 'friendly'," Aria shot back. "It's just nice that for once, there is someone in this town that doesn't judge me and I don't have to pretend to be someone I'm not when I'm talking to him."
"Aria." Ella said firmly. "I understand that you've been needing someone to talk to, I really, really do, but this type of friendship is something that can ruin both your reputation and his."
"There isn't anything going on." Aria insisted. "He's just my teacher."
"And I'm sure there are several other woman teachers at the school that would be happy to listen." Ella said calmly. "I just don't know how comfortable I am with you sharing this sort of information with him."
"So the problem isn't that I'm talking to a teacher, but that the teacher is a man?"
"Aria," Ella said, frustrated. "He's young. He's handsome, you said so yourself, and he's already had rumors spreading about him. I understand how difficult this situation is for you, but sweetheart, there are consequences for this type of… relationship. As innocent as the whole thing is, he could lose his job and ruin any chances he has of getting another."
Aria decided then, that it was best to leave well enough alone. As long as she had convinced her mother that their friendship really was innocent, then she had done her job.
"Look, Mom, I don't know who sent you that letter," Aria said as she stood from the table. "But a lot of kids at my school have older siblings at Hollis. Everyone seems to know about Dad's affair. And now they're trying to make it seem like I'm taking the same route that he did."
Ella bowed her head, clearly ashamed that this was only news to her, and that everyone else seemed to know of her husbands indiscretions. Aria carefully reached across the table and picked up her mother's car keys.
"If I'm not going to be at school, can I take your car to go get Elliot?" She asked carefully. "I just don't see the point in him being at daycare if he can be with me."
"No," Ella said, pushing her hair behind her ears as she stood up. "I'll drive you back to the school so you can get your car, then I need to head to the gallery."
Aria handed her mother the car keys and they spent the next fifteen minutes in complete silence, both of their minds going over the conversation they'd just shared.
*PLL*
Aria stood at the kitchen counter cutting and peeling apple slices and placing them one-by-one into a small bowl along with a small spoonful of peanut butter. Elliot sat on the floor of the kitchen coloring inside of a book, giggling every now and then and babbling to his mother happily.
"I color!" He said clearly after a few minutes. "I color, I eat!"
"Yeah," Aria agreed as she added chopped celery sticks to the bowl before sitting down on the floor with him and placing the bowl in front of him. "You're coloring and now you're going to eat."
"Mama eat?" Elliot said, pointing to Aria who shook her head.
"Mama's not hungry, Babe."
"Mama! Eat!" Elliot insisted, lifting a celery stick and holding it out to her. "Mamaaaa! Eat!"
"Ok, ok." Aria conceded finally. "Mama will eat something, too."
She made herself a bowl of fruit and joined her son on the floor, munching happily as he continued to babble on about daycare. Eventually, he slowed his speech until he had run out of words to say.
"Do you want to go see Ezra tonight?" She whispered, as if her mother would hear if she spoke too loud. "He's going to read a story that he wrote about that time we all got to play at the zoo, remember?"
"Zoo?" Elliot lifted his head up enthusiastically. Aria could help but imagine a small puppy with it's ear perked up as it's owner whistled and she smiled at the thought.
"Say 'Ezra'," She drew his name out, emphasizing each letter as best as she could.
"Ezzaaaaahhh." Elliot repeated proudly, bobbing his chin excitedly.
"Yeah, Ezra." Aria sighed contentedly. "That's who we're going to see tonight. Mommy just needs to find a way to sneak you out of here."
*PLL*
"Everything she'd known disappeared, drifting off into the summer sky." Ezra read the final line of the short story he'd prepared for the reading. He locked eyes with Aria, who sat at a table alone with Elliot in her lap, before saying "thank you."
As the crowd began to cheer, she and Elliot joined in excitedly. The story had been brief - the reading lasting no more than five minutes, but it was beautiful. It was about a girl who mused upon the meaning of life as she wrote a message to her now deceased mother on a balloon. She struggled with letting go of the balloon, knowing that it would make everything seem more real but had eventually sent it into the heavens completely blank.
"He doesn't suck, huh?" It took Aria a moment to realize that a young man, about Ezra's age, was talking to her. "You know this guy?"
"He's, uh," Aria wondered if he, too, knew Ezra. She wasn't sure what they were, exactly, but she knew that if this man was close to Ezra, then she was best just to stay safe. "He's my English teacher."
"Very cool." The man said in response. "Me and him go way back. We used to sleep together."
Aria's eyes grew wide and she instinctively covered Elliot's ears. "Excuse me?"
"Bunk beds." He said quickly, covering his tracks when he realized what he'd said. She relaxed, moving her hands from Elliot's ears to around his waist. "College. We were roommates. You got a name, Fan Girl?" He stood from his bar stool and reached out to shake her hand. She accepted with a smile.
"I'm Aria, and this is Elliot." Elliot reached his own hand out and shook hands with the stranger.
"Hardy." He responded, shaking the toddler's hand gently.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing here?" Ezra said interrupting them before pulling his friend in for a bro-hug.
"Just wanted to get some face time with the president of your fan club, apparently." Hardy put his arm around Ezra's shoulder and Aria found herself feeling a bit embarrassed. Until now, she hadn't paid much attention, but it had just struck her how young she looked in this crowd.
"You two know each other?" Ezra looked panicked for a brief moment but covered it will with his pearly smile.
"Yeah, but not as well as you two know each other." She said with a grin before adding playfully "I heard about the bunk beds."
"We just met, but I'm glad I sat next to her. Little man kept throwing fries at me so I wouldn't snore."
Aria laughed, but was glad that Hardy wasn't judging her for having a child. He must have known she was in high school, considering that was what Ezra taught.
"No, seriously," Ezra interrupted, looking frantically between the two of them. "How did you know about this?"
"I don't live in a cave?" Hardy said sarcastically. "I saw it on the website. Thought it was my duty to come here and heckle you."
"Maybe you should be in a cave." Ezra said wittily before turning to Aria. "Was it really that bad?"
"It was beautiful!" Aria assured him. "I mean, that metaphor at the end?"
"That was a metaphor?" Hardy feigned confusion, pulling a giggle from Aria. "I thought it was really about a kid who lost her balloon."
"You also thought Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was Mexican porn."
"Jerk."
"Get this," Ezra said, a smile finally reappearing on his face. "He used to pay me in frozen burritos to write his papers."
"You know what would be so great?" Hardy interrupted. Aria couldn't help but smile at the friendship between the two. It was not unlike that between herself and the girls. "If you told this same lame story while I had a beer in my hand. I'm grabbing a waitress!"
As Hardy excused himself, Ezra stepped closer before sitting down at the table across from Aria.
"I didn't know he was going to be here or I would have warned you." He said apologetically.
"It's fine." Aria said, shaking her head. "I should have realized that you might have friends that would want to support you. I didn't say anything about us, if that's what you're worried about."
"That's not-"
"Alright!" Hardy cut them off as he maneuvered through the crowd. "I've got a pitcher of Bud Light for the grown ups, a Root Beer for Fan Girl and some orange for the little guy."
"Thanks." Aria smiled. "You really didn't have to."
"It's no big deal." Hardy shrugged as he sat the tray down on the table and sat into the seat in between them. "I figured root beer and orange soda was as good a bribe as any to hear about class with Z."
"Z?" Aria furrowed her brows and turned to Ezra.
"My nickname in college." He waved his hand dismissively. "I see Hardy over here is just airing all of my dirty laundry."
"Mama, I eat?" Elliot, who had been very quiet and patient up until now, looked up at Aria and rubbed his belly. Ezra and Hardy looked at each other awkwardly until Aria stood up and moved Elliot to her hip.
"Yeah, you're gonna eat." She said as she dug through her purse with her free hand for her wallet. "I'm going to get him something, do you guys want anything?"
"No, thank you." Ezra shook his head, and Aria knew he was just being polite in front of his friend.
"I'll have the chili cheese fries." Hardy said as he poured himself a glass from the pitcher.
"Hardy!" Ezra smacked him lightly on the back of his head. "Taking advantage of my student, really?"
"She offered!" Hardy laughed. "I bought drinks, Fan Girl gets food!"
"I'll be right back." Aria said, heading towards the register to order their food. When she got there she ordered a small basket of mozzarella sticks and a medium order of chili cheese fries. She was handed an order ticket with the number 68 on it and thanked the waitress. As she and Elliot pushed their way through the bars patrons, she saw Hardy and Ezra leaned over in an intense discussion. She could see that Hardy was angry, and though she couldn't see Ezra's face, she guessed he wasn't too pleased by the conversation, either. Carefully she drew closer, careful to stay hidden in the crowd until she was within earshot.
"I didn't pursue this!" She heard Ezra say. "It just happened."
"So that justifies it, then?" Hardy scoffed. "She is your student. And the kid? You must really want to be thrown in jail, huh? Please tell me that boy isn't yours, Z, because that is just sick. She's all of what? Fifteen?"
"Of course he's not! And she's almost sixteen." Ezra corrected.
"Like that makes it much better." She caught a glimpse of Hardy between two women's heads for a moment. Just long enough to see him bury his head in his hands. "You know I'm your best friend, and I would bail you out of jail in a heartbeat, but not if you go to jail for this. You want to say I'm taking advantage of her? What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm not-"
"Look, man, you're like a brother to me, but at the end of this thing she's going to get a diploma and you're going to have a pink slip and an orange jumpsuit."
Ezra didn't respond and Aria could feel her throat beginning to ache. Of course that's what this looked like to someone on the outside, but that wasn't what they were doing. Still, Aria couldn't stand that Ezra was being put in this position because she had come to this reading. Quickly she swallowed the tears that were trying to form and continued on to the table.
"Hey, guys." She announced her presence, causing both Ezra and Hardy to give her a forced smile. She placed the order ticket on the table. "Elliot's not feeling well, but you guys can feel free to his mozzarella sticks. I'm just going to take him home."
"Are you sure?" Hardy asked, though Aria doubted that he cared whether she stuck around or not.
"Is everything ok?" Ezra stood from his seat, clearly worried about Elliot.
"It's fine. I just have to go." She said, grabbing her purse and slinging over her free shoulder. "It was… nice meeting you, Hardy. See you Monday, Mr. Fitz."
"Bye." Hardy gave a slight wave, as did Ezra as she turned away. As she continued out of the bar, Elliot lifted his head off of her shoulder slightly and waved his small, pudgy hand.
"Bye bye, Ezzah."
I feel like this is pretty rushed, but I woke up this morning and HAD to put something out because I've been a bad, bad FF writer. I'm not going to promise when, but I'm working on finishing this, and Bound Not By Blood by the end of the year. I have so many plans that I never follow through with. My New Years Resolution this year was to stop that, and I want to accomplish it (even if only by FanFiction) before the year is up! Thanks for sticking with me, guys! :)