So... y'alls response last chapter was nothing short of explosive... understandable! And there were so many references last chapter that I'm not even going to address them. If you're curious just read through last chapters reviews since a lot of people were able to guess majority of them. It has reached that point of laziness.
Now for your reviews, which, while consisting mainly of death threats (well, okay, that was mainly Bagilia, the rest of you were too heartbroken to even CONSIDER the concept of killing me), were still FABULOUS (and fun fact: this past chapter got the most reviews yet! Nice work, you guys):
Sarah: Sorry for the heart shattering! And yes, the spouse sleuthing agency is most DEFINITELY open for business! Expect a LOT of that coming up ;)
EmmersonTiriel: You really should review more often because your reviews are AWESOME! Thank you for your opinion and UNDERSTANDING that the liars need to be separated from their spouses to really focus on finding out who A is and who is out to get them. And as a feminist, I totally agree with you. We should all take a leaf out of Mona's book and understand that a girl does not need a man/another girl to make her happy. And I thought it might be too much, but I did NOT want to drag it out. I'd rather rip it off like a band-aid, you know? And as for Alison, go back to the reviews and take a look at NorthernSteelGirl's review for the last chapter... she basically sums it up. Or if you're too lazy to do that, my reply to her is down below. In short, thank you for your review and your criticisms, I really appreciate it!
Bagilia: Ooohhh I was dreading your review because I knew you would freak out like this... :/ do NOT freak out, though, because this story is just getting good! Caleb is still going to be an active part of it, as will the other spouses, and there's going to be a shit ton of other plot twists and turns that will have your jaw AT THE FLOOR, so don't leave me just yet! :)
Ayoungnovelist: Sorry! It had to be done! Stay with me, chica :)
Renesmee27: Yep, you got them! And thank you, I will keep 'em coming for you all :)
NorthernSteelGirl: That's a REALLY good interpretation of it! Nice work! And you are right, and that is why Alison isn't in this story, because the Basilisk is a representation of Alison. Although, it goes a little deeper than that, and you will see how :)
TotalCowGirl: Sorry! And it will last, but not TOO long! I'll say that :)
Ava B: THANK YOU! It's so good to hear that over this pool of tears in the reviews :/ I feel horrible! And one might think Paige is being insensitive, but Paige has always been insecure about whether Emily has loved her back. She's been crushing on her for YEARS, and now her relationship with Emily just seems too good to be true. So when Emily is crying over Maya, Paige's insecurities are now seemingly proven right, and she is CRUSHED. Thanks for the review!
hufflepuffhaleb: It's my least favorite too, haha, no worries. And yeah, my friends call me a bush baby sometimes! Still deciding on how I feel about it, haha. And no way, you look like Ginny?! That is awesome. I look like Jasmine from Aladdin I guess... except she's 10x prettier. And indeed, I PROMISE I will make up for it, so thank you for sticking with me!
foreverawildandbeautifulmess: Oh yeah, I am just a heartless cold bitch whose one main intent in this world is to kill all the fangirls ever. Jokes aside, I am sorry for your shattered heart, but you would be making a mistake if you stopped reading, so thank you! And yes, the girls' friendship is going to be stronger than ever before now!
Guest: Just did!
Spobyistruelove: Thank you! That's always a relief to hear. And yes, now the girls are determined as FUCK to find out who this mysterious person is.
Brittana4ever: Yeah, I guess I did! And I want to get a cover pic so much, but I can't think of one! Hey, how about you make one for me and then message it to me? Good plan? ;) And yes, now that the liars are single, they can stay focused! And they are gonna get down to business, lemme tell you. Thanks for your review!
Forever Courage: Wow, thank you! Didn't expect that response. And I ship both! I used to ship Spoby more, but I can't stand Spoby season 4, so I guess I'm pretty neutral. But Wren is adorable, so... And the person behind the fangs could literally be anyone, so keep your eyes open!
Goldenheart11: Sorry! But stay with me, it's gonna get good. REALLY GOOD!
p: So I think you were referencing Bagilia when you said you got this from a fic, so I made sure to personally thank her via PM. THANK YOU! I'm so glad you're enjoying it, it's been such a pleasure to write. Sorry for your broken heart, but stay with me, alright?
Titanium Wolf: Hahah, well thank you! Nice to get some praise for all of the heartbreak I just caused... and you're going to LOVE what is next, I promise!
Sgdp1261: I'm a Slytherin, of course I'm ambitious! And aww, the Ezria one was the hardest one to write, I must say :( I just love those two SO DAMN MUCH! And indeed, the ship between the four girls conquers all. And you're going to see a lot of that coming up! This story is going to get a lot darker, so you have that to look forward to!
Silver-Infinite: It is a little like Glee! I didn't even realize!
PrettyWitchyVamp: Heh heh... sorry! And no it doesn't make you a sadist, haha. And oh man, I was so worried about your reaction to Ezria... sorry for the salt! And there will be awkward moments for all of the couples, I will say that. Get ready is all I'm saying. Get. Freakin'. READY.
Alright, NOW time for the chapter! This is possibly my favorite chapter in the entire story, even if it's kinda short. And it should make up for the inner turmoil I just put you guys through last chapter... heh heh :/
Spencer shot up out of her repose in a cold sweat, breathing so quickly she was about ready to shout for assistance from an inhaler to get her back to normal. She looked to her right, and was surprised to see Hanna sprawled out next to her, bundled in a royal blue blanket. Next to Hanna was Emily, in the same position, and finally, to the left of Spencer was Aria, sleeping soundly as well.
It took several seconds for Spencer to realize where she was, and who she was with. She was not in her dormitory; she was in a cold corridor on Hogwarts grounds, lying on a Gryffindor robe with her three best friends, who were still sound asleep.
Spencer unraveled herself from her thin wool blanket, which was starting to itch anyway, as she stood up from the ground, the events from last night playing through her head like a slideshow. Another student had bitten the dust; Maya to be exact. She and Toby were broken up, as well as her friends and their respective spouses. And now they were here, together, with one common goal in mind; to get rid of this 'A' person, to close in on the Chamber, and end this chaos once and for all.
Spencer walked over to the window, wrapping her arms over herself to shield herself from the chilly night air. Unfortunately, her thin thermal shirt, which extended to her wrists, did not provide much warmth. She had no idea what time it was now, but she knew she couldn't go back to sleep. Not after the horrible dream she just had.
Spencer looked back over to the other girls. Each one was sound asleep; Hanna was even letting out a few snores. They looked so peaceful, so unaware of everything going on around them, so unaware of the world they would wake up to in just a few short hours.
Spencer walked over to get a closer look at each of the girls: each of their faces were tear-stained and cracked from all the crying they had done earlier, their eyelids nearly red from overuse. Emily's face in particular had several smears and blotches on it, since the saltwater from her tears had ruined her bleach white makeup, and her hood was up to cover her hair. Hanna had taken the rag parts of her costume off and was using them as a pillow. Aria had taken off her felt ears and tail, but had nothing to compensate for a pillow; instead, she had simply tried to find comfort in the soft velvet of Spencer's robe.
A gust of cold air swept through the room, almost as if there was a draft, and Spencer involuntarily shivered. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all...
She heard the sound of teeth chattering, and looked over to see whom it was coming from. It was Aria, shuddering as she rolled over in her sleep, her blanket sliding off of her and further down her body, revealing her black long sleeved shirt and the top part of her leggings, both of which being part of her costume from earlier in the evening. Spencer hesitated as she studied Aria, watching out for any other sign of stirring to see if she was awake, but the sound of Aria's shallow breathing confirmed to her that she was still very much asleep.
Not wanting her to be cold, Spencer walked over to Aria. She took the edge of the blanket in between her fingers and pulled it further up to Aria's chin, making sure she was fully tucked in.
But when she pulled away, Aria's eyes fluttered open. She looked at Spencer, confused.
"Spencer?" she mumbled sleepily. Her normally bright, round eyes were drooping out of exhaustion, hardly able to stay open. "What's wrong?"
Now Spencer just felt bad; she hadn't meant to wake up Aria. "Nothing's wrong, go back to sleep."
Aria shifted under the blanket, trying to get comfy. "Why are you up, then?"
Spencer sighed as she sat down next to where Aria was lying. "I couldn't sleep," she admitted. "Bad dream."
"I'm sorry," Aria said hoarsely. She was still half asleep, so she didn't quite have her voice back yet. "What was it about?"
"Uhh... I forget," Spencer lied. Aria nodded her head, with some difficulty given the position she was in, and Spencer was just glad that Aria was too tired to figure her out.
When it seemed like Aria wasn't going to respond again, Spencer began to crawl back to her original spot on the spread out robe, but then she heard Aria mutter her name again.
"Yes?" Spencer said as she made her way back to Aria.
Aria opened her eyes a little more widely as she looked up at Spencer. "Is it ever going to stop?"
Spencer could feel her heart break as Aria voiced the words that she herself would never have the courage to ask out loud. She ruffled Aria's hair gently as a silent way of reassurance. "It will. Soon. I promise."
"How do you know?" Aria asked softly.
"Because we're all in this together," Spencer said confidently. "We love each other, and we'll protect each other. We'll end this together, okay?"
"Okay," Aria whispered, smiling weakly as her eyes closed and her breathing slowed, signalling to Spencer that she was back asleep.
Spencer sighed, somehow feeling even worse than before. She had now made a promise that she wasn't even sure she could keep; she herself wasn't even sure if things would turn out alright, or if she and the girls would even survive their seventh year with the way everyone kept dropping to the ground. The fangs they received were no reassurance; if anything, they just proved that they were in even greater danger. The question was how?
But she couldn't let either of the girls know about the doubts she had in her mind. She had to be strong for them; if they knew that she was just as scared as they were, they would fall apart. Spencer had to solve this once and for all so that she could stop pretending. She needed to keep her friends safe.
And that's just what she would do.
Figuring she wouldn't be going back to sleep any time soon, Spencer reached over Aria to grab her blanket, laying in a heap on the other side, and wrapped it tightly around her own shoulders. Before getting off the ground, Spencer glanced over at Aria, now completely still like the other two girls as she breathed in and out at a steady pace; now in her own peaceful dreams, where nothing could harm her.
Spencer wished more than ever that they could all just stay in that place.
With a heavy heart, Spencer leaned over to plant a gentle kiss on Aria's forehead before standing upright and walking out of the hall and into the main corridor. She didn't even bother taking the Invisibility Cloak; she wasn't holding back this time.
She was ready to get some answers.
Side Note: Anyone here who knows me knows that I love Sparia more than I love legit anything else on this show. So this was a bit of a filler chapter, but it serves as a prologue to NEXT chapter, which is all sorts of exciting! Also, I think you guys deserved a little breather after everything you just experienced last chapter :) So hopefully you enjoyed your breath of fresh air; now get ready to PLUNGE back into the water! See you guys on the other side, and don't forget to review review REVIEW!
