insertnameherex - funnily enough, in my mind there was always a sort of side Hannily thing going on in this story. It becomes more explicit in the next couple of chapters, so keep reading.

Sgdp1261 - those songs are both amazing and probably very appropriate for this story. And thank you, I'm glad you liked the chapter.

KoosGID - rest assured, you will find out how the murder happened in the next few chapters.

Runawaybaby555 - aw, thank you. Sorry for all the turmoil, although I'm kind of proud that I can evoke such reactions.

Okay. Onto the chapter. This is one of my favorites, so please review and let me know what you think.

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February 8th

To say that Spencer was heartbroken was an understatement. It wasn't just her heart that had broken, but her whole being. It had been a week since she'd found Aria, and she hadn't let slip a single smile since then. Hanna and Emily weren't sure how to act around her; they wanted to be comforting but not suffocating, and they weren't sure how to find the balance. She would shrug off their condolences, ignore their questions, and refuse the food they brought her.

"You're wasting away, Spence," Hanna said. They'd turned up at Spencer's house with some Chinese takeout, which they'd set up on the table in front of her. But she was sitting on the couch, legs tucked under her, hands clasped in her lap, staring at nothing. She didn't even look at the food.

"Please eat something," Emily pleaded. She grabbed the nearest box, opened it, and held it out.

Spencer glanced at it, then looked away. She was wearing an oversized grey sweatshirt, one that made her look pale and washed-out. She wasn't wearing any makeup, and it looked like she hadn't brushed her hair in days.

Emily sat down on one side of her and Hanna on the other, and they stayed quiet for a few minutes, hoping their friend would open up. But she didn't. If anything she became more closed off. It wasn't a visible thing; it was more that they could sense her shrinking away, falling into herself until she wasn't even aware of their presence.

"The funeral's tomorrow," Hanna said gently.

"I know." Those were the first words she'd spoken in three days. They had also been the last words she had ever said to Aria.

They'd been on the phone that afternoon, while Spencer was at the store. She'd called Aria to find out if she wanted flavored or buttered popcorn, and to her surprise the girl had actually answered. She'd even cracked a couple of jokes, and Spencer could hear the smile in her voice. Then Aria had sighed, so softly that Spencer almost missed it.

"What's wrong?" she'd asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Aria had replied. "I just… you know I care about you, right?"

"Of course." Spencer transferred the phone to her other ear and reached for a bag of chips.

"And I'm glad I have you in my life."

"I'm glad I have you too, babe."

"I've gotta go now. But remember that I love you."

"I know." She'd started to say something else, to add that she loved her too and she missed her already, but Aria had already hung up.

"Talk to me," Emily said softly.

Spencer blinked, and then her eyes shifted over to her friend. But they were unfocused, like she wasn't entirely there.

"Where'd you go just now?" Emily asked.

"You looked kind of… spacey," Hanna added.

Spencer shrugged. She reached out, and the girls held their breath in excitement, but her hand went toward one of the chopsticks and not the food. She picked it up and used it to trace the veins on her arm, while the other two watched in horror.

"Relax," she said, letting the chopstick fall to the floor. No one made any move to pick it back up. "I'm not going to do that."

"Do you promise?" Hanna asked.

She didn't answer. She was falling back into herself, blocking out her friends and the world. The world that had stolen her love from her, that had smashed her heart into a hundred million pieces. The world that had been so harsh and cruel that Aria had thought oblivion would be a better option. She was starting to see her point now.

"Please, Spence," Emily said, placing her hand comfortingly over her friend's. "I don't want to lose you."

Spencer didn't have the heart to tell her that she already had.

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