A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted to give you guys an update! Sorry it has been so long…there was a death in my family this week and things have been chaotic with funeral planning and the such.

Tonight's episode was so fan girl worthy! I totally squeaked when Toby threatened to hit Wren. Haha. "My left arm may be broken, but my right arm is just fine…" AMAZINGGGG.

Hope you enjoy!

CHAPTER ONE

Two days later…

"Hanna! You have to get up or you're going to be late!" Spencer cried, banging her fist against Hanna's bedroom door. She had dramatically confined herself to her room after the New Year's party, insisting that she needed 'time to reflect.' Spencer knew her well enough to know that this statement translated as thus: Hanna was feeling severely depressed, and was choosing to wallow in her self-pity with a tub of Ben & Jerry's, sappy romantic comedies, and a sheer neglect for personal hygiene.

"I'm not going!" Hanna called. There was a distinct thump! that crashed against the door. Spencer had the sneaking suspicion that Hanna had used one of her shoes as a missile.

"It's your first day of classes," Spencer chastised. "You can't miss."

"Stop trying to be my mom!" Hanna whined back defensively.

Spencer groaned and leaned against the wall, folding her arms.

"What's the matter? What was that noise?" Holmes asked, wandering out of the bathroom and peering inquisitively at Spencer.

"She's throwing shit at me," Spencer growled indignantly. As much as she loved her best friend, she could not stand her self-righteous tantrums she'd throw whenever she got upset.

Holmes pursed his lips and rolled his eyes, gently rapping his knuckles against the door. "Hanna, your class starts in a half hour."

"I don't care!"

Holmes peeked at Spencer from the corner of his eye. "What's wrong, Hanna?" he asked with a heavy exhale, as though also exhausted by her melodrama.

"My eyes are puffy and swollen, I haven't showered in three days, I'm starting to smell like I went dumpster diving, and my ex-boyfriend is a selfish prick!" she hollered back. "I can't be seen in public!"

"As far as you being smelly and unpresentable, I'm sure that's something you can fix in no time," Holmes offered. "As far as the boyfriend piece – that's just something you'll have to get past."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Hanna asked, her voice softening from the threat of tears.

Holmes leaned his left shoulder against her door thoughtfully, crossing his arms. "Well – you gotta start by proving to yourself how much you can succeed without him. You're Hanna Marin – queen bee. You never let anyone forget it." Spencer chuckled softly at this. "Hanna, if you let him take your confidence away, then you're letting him win."

Hanna was silent for a moment. Spencer digested Holmes's statement. It wasn't as though Caleb had really intended to hurt Hanna the way that he had – and she knew that Holmes was well aware of that, too – but to Hanna, he had wronged her and betrayed her to the worst possible degree. And it was, indeed, important to validate that feeling.

There was quiet shuffling from inside her room. Suddenly, the door swung inward, nearly causing Holmes to lose the balance he had propped against it. Hanna stood there, looking entirely downtrodden. Her hair was thrown up into a messy, slightly greasy bun…her face was certainly puffy…and her pink terra cloth bathrobe had chocolate ice cream stains all down the front.

And unfortunately, she was right – she did smell a bit.

"Fine," Hanna grumbled disdainfully. "But I'm not doing the dishes tonight."

"Deal," Holmes consented. With that, she roughly pushed past him and slammed the bathroom door shut behind her.

"How did you do that?" Spencer demanded, flabbergasted. "I've known her for years and I've never been able to talk her out of one of her episodes."

Holmes shrugged, grinning. "You have to understand – I grew up with three younger sisters. You just gotta learn to speak their language." He gave her a short wink before disappearing towards the stairs.

As grateful as Spencer was for Holmes working his magic, she did feel slightly out-thundered by his technique. She was Hanna's best friend…she was supposed to be able to do those things…better than anyone else.

"Spencer, I need you!" Hanna cried.

Spencer was down the hall in a flash. "What's wrong?"

"I have chocolate in my hair," she moaned from the other side of the bathroom door.

Spencer chuckled lightly to herself. Perhaps Holmes knew how to get Hanna to face her funk – but only Spencer could be the one to get the funk out of her hair.

Hanna shuffled despondently into her classroom a half hour later, knowing that she had just narrowly missed being marked late. The instructor practically slammed the door behind her, nearly clearing her purse from her shoulder. The only seat available was up front and center – which just figured after the week she had had.

She plopped down at the desk grumpily, fishing into her purse to grab a fuzzy pink pen and her Hello Kitty notebook.

"Welcome to Introduction to Photography," the instructor began, scribbling indiscriminate script across the whiteboard. After reading it several times, Hanna realized it was the course and section numbers. "My name is Lydia Baumgardner. None of the 'professor' nonsense – call me Lydia."

Hanna absentmindedly jotted this down. She considered writing it word-for-word to look back on and laugh at later, but decided against being any more long-winded than necessary.

"Class starts promptly at nine o'clock on the dot. The door will be shut after that, and nobody will be allowed inside."

Hanna crinkled her nose. That was awfully bitchy…

"I'll start by handing out the syllabus. Talk amongst yourselves for a minute."

People began murmuring in undertones to one another, grateful for a second to socialize. Hanna, instead, opted to scroll through pictures on her phone. She had begun the arduous process of deleting all photographs of Caleb a few days ago, and was still working on completing this task. It was emotionally taxing, to be honest, but it had to be done. Just like changing her relationship status on Facebook…which had been mortifying.

A picture of both of them from prom. Delete.

Caleb sitting on his new motorcycle. Delete.

Hanna and Caleb out to eat at their favorite restaurant in Philly for their one year anniversary. Delete.

High school graduation. Delete.

"Only 1,186 pictures to go…" Hanna muttered to herself irritably. Why had she ever gotten a smart phone with an insanely large hard drive?

"See page two – no electronics are to be used in class," the instructor stated sternly. Hanna could practically feel her eyes burning into her forehead. Turning what she was sure were several shades of pink, she quietly dropped her phone back in her purse.

"Let's go through the syllabus together," Lydia began. Hanna, as if on cue, zoned out. She hated this part of the first day. Even though it was relatively low stress, it was still boring as all hell. Why couldn't the professors just trust them to do it on their own? They could read…

Well, I'd never go through it, Hanna reasoned with herself silently. And it was true – after the first day, she often lost her syllabi anyway.

"…we will have group presentations at the end of the semester. It is very important that you and your partner get a head start on this assignment, as it is worth 45% of your grade."

Hanna grimaced. Group work…ugh.

"No changing of partners will be made. They are pre-assigned and you will work with that person throughout the course of the semester."

Hanna rolled her eyes. She'd probably get paired with some annoying fraternity type boy…and get stuck doing all the work.

"Please raise your hand as I call your name. I'll be taking attendance, but also introducing you to your partners. Amanda Slater and John Dohicky."

The pretty brunette girl next to Hanna raised her hand and smiled over her shoulder at her partner.

"Jason Prowdfoot and Josh Richardson."

Hanna proceeded to doodle in her notebook rather than crane her neck to inspect the rest of her classmates.

"Billy Ireland…and Samantha Alverson. Hanna Marin…"

Hanna raised her hand noncommittally.

"…and Jeff Cody."

Hanna's blood froze in her veins. It was a coincidence…it had to be…

She whipped her body around to stare incredulously behind her.

There he was. The blond bastard, lounging cockily in the back row, giving Hanna a short wave. Did he recognize her? He had to…

"Lydia," Hanna blurted before she could stop herself. "I'm sorry, but I can't – "

"No changing partners," Lydia interrupted, reminding Hanna of the rules.

Hanna gulped heavily. What was he doing here? Hadn't he gone to jail?

Most importantly…

…How the hell was she going to tell Spencer?

CONTINUED