Perfect Little Lies

Chapter Two: Michaela Says Hello

After Michaela told her mother about Shay, Ashley asked who her father was, that was a reason why she came back, she wanted to talk to him but she didn't know who it was and didn't want to tell her mother that so she kept changing the subject whenever it came up, which was twice but it was still hard to do. When Shay woke up from her nap, she introduced Ashley to her granddaughter and told her, that her name was Ashland after Ashley and Hanna, but she called her Shay. There are other secrets that Michaela is keeping from her mother, secrets that will most likely destroy their relationship. Ashley updated her on everything that happened in Rosewood while she's been gone. Since she heard Melissa was back in town, she decided to go visit the Hastings house and see her old friend and her family. So, she asked Ashley to watch Shay and she went to the Hastings house. She took a deep breath, knocked on the door, and remembered to exhale, she felt a little nervous coming back here for so many reasons.

Melissa Hastings opened the door, looked at her former best friend, and without saying a word goes to shut it on her face, Michaela stops the door. "Melissa, please let me apologize," she says trying to get her to listen. "I'm sorry I wasn't a good friend, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," she tells her. "I'm sorry about everything," Michaela adds, making Melissa open the door and look at her. "You don't have to apologize for everything, we were both at fault for a lot of stuff in high school," Melissa tells her and invites her in. "Come in, we can talk over coffee," she says as Michaela walks in the house and she closes the door behind them. Michaela hasn't been in this house in years but it felt like a second home and it still looked eerily the same, she felt if she went into the second drawer to the left of the refrigerator she'll find the junk drawer where they keep take out menus and pens and random things from around the house. She sees the picture of Melissa, Spencer, and their parents on the fridge and turns around and looks at Melissa. "Where is Ian? I heard you two were back together," she asks curiously wanting to know about his whereabouts. Ian was a big part of her past, they were friends in high school, and she dated him briefly, so briefly that it was one of the reasons that Melissa hated her. Michaela's relationships in high school were all back and forth, it went back and forth from Ian to Jason, to Jason, and even a month-long relationship with a classmate named Tyler. There was another relationship she had but no one knew about it.

"Ian's a coach now," Melissa begins to tell her. "He works at the high school," she says and sits down on the couch near where her friend is standing, Michaela joins her on the couch and they begin to have a conversation like old times, catching up on everything they've both been through the past few years. Michaela purposely leaving out a few things she didn't need Melissa to know. They've talked for so long that they didn't notice when Veronica and Peter Hastings walk through the front door together, talking about what to do for dinner. "I was thinking of sushi," Veronica says when they notice her on the couch. The room went silent and it felt like time stood still for a second and then Michaela stands up and rushes to hug Veronica and Peter, she took in their embrace and felt their love. It's been so long; it was hard for her to come back and this was one of the reasons why. "It's so good to see you," Veronica says when Michaela hugs her, when she goes in for the hug with Peter, he hugs her a few seconds longer. "What brings you back?" he asks. She looks at the three of them after and tells them one of the reasons. "It was time, I needed to be home," she says and smiles. "You should stay for dinner," Veronica says, inviting her to stay but Michaela looks at her motherly figure. "I would but I made plans with my mom, but another night for sure," she tells them. "I should get going, it was so good to see you all," she begins to say when she realizes she didn't see Spencer. "I want to go see Hanna before visiting hours are over," adds. "I'm cooking tomorrow, why don't you come over?" Veronica asks before she walks out of the door. Michaela thinks about that and looks at them. "Would you mind if I bring a guest?" she asks and Veronica answers. "That's fine, we just want to catch up," she says. "Alright, I'll see you guys tomorrow," Michaela says and then exits the Hastings house.

Hanna's sleeping in her hospital bed and Spencer is sitting next to her, reading a book that was assigned for a paper in her English class. She's enjoying the quiet time and doesn't want to leave her friend's side; she was planning on leaving a little late. She's deep into the book when Hanna's room door opens, a woman around Melissa's age with long light red hair past her shoulders walks in the room. She doesn't recognize the face, but Spencer closes her book with her bookmark inside. "Can I help you?" Spencer asks her, Michaela looks at her. "Spencer?" she asks, it takes a moment, but she realizes who it is and gets out of her seat, and rushes to hug her. "Chaela," they both embrace each other for a long time. "I can't believe you're here," Spencer says with some excitement in her voice. Michaela didn't realize that her leaving affected everyone, she just needed to get away and she's glad that she's back. "How have you been, Spence?" she asks her, the both of them standing by the door talking in a low voice not to wake Hanna. "I've been good, trying to survive high school," she says with a sly smile on her face. "Your sister is going to be ecstatic to see you," she adds. Spencer remembers the last time she has seen Michaela, it was the day before Melissa and Michaela's high school graduation, Chaela was over at the Hastings house hanging out. The Hastings were having a BBQ for the kids to celebrate and Melissa had her friends over and Spencer had Hanna and her friends at the house. It was a nice time, Michaela remembered that BBQ and wishes that things could go back to a time when things were a little simpler. "I missed you guys, I'm glad to be home," she tells Spencer and goes in for another embrace, they hug, and Hanna wakes up. "Mom, I'm ready to go home now," she says, opens her eyes more, and sees a different face. "It's me, Hanna," her sister walks closer to her. "Chay," Hanna says, sitting up reaching out for her sister, Michaela leans down and hugs her sister. "I'm home," she tells her, and they are both happy to see each other.

It was a long day for Michaela, after seeing everyone and all the hugs, she was ready to get back to Shay and her mother. So when she walked through the door and smelled some food cooking she was a little surprised, she saw Shay sitting in the living room area playing with some dolls on the coffee table as her mother walked in through the doorway from the kitchen when she heard the door open. "I'm making dinner," Ashley tells her. "You haven't had my cooking in so long, I thought I'd make your favorite," she adds. Michaela smells the room, it smells just like her grandmother's pot roast. "You're making Nana's famous pot roast?" she asks and looks at her. Ashley nods and then walks into the kitchen to work on the dinner. Michaela closes the door behind her, walks to Shay. "Are you having a good time?" she asks her, Shay looks up at her when her mother kisses her forehead. "Grandma's making dinner," she says. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything," she tells her daughter and lets her finish playing, she walks into the kitchen and looks at her mother being a little domestic. "I haven't seen you like this in years," she says and realizes what she said. "Seeing everyone after so long is making me regret leaving," she adds. "But if you didn't leave, you wouldn't be a soap star," her mother says smiling. "True," she walks by the counter and watches her mother in action. She's putting the roast back into the oven and then walks by the counter and talks to her daughter. "Shay is one intelligent child," Ashley says while cleaning up the mess on the counter, throwing away trash, and putting dishes in the dishwasher. "She told me that mommy was in love once," she says throwing scraps in the trash. "Honey," she stops and looks at her. "I saw you in high school, you weren't that happy all the time, but there were moments when you were," she takes a moment to look at Michaela getting emotional a little. "I know you had a few relationships and being young, all that," she adds. "You don't have to say it, but I think I know… you don't know who her father is, do you?" she asks her daughter, tears falling down her face, Ashley walks over to comfort her. "I feel so bad for not knowing, but I had so much going on at the time," she holds her. She needed this; she wasn't ready to tell her everything but getting this off her chest made her feel a little better. There was so much more that she's going to need to say eventually but this is what she needed at this moment.

Quiet surrounded the Hastings' house that night as Spencer walked in the door, she's assuming her parents are asleep and Melissa is in the barn with Ian. She was home past dinner but she was at the hospital with Hanna and trying to come up with a plan to see if Noel is A, she has to run it past her friends and everything before it can be set in action. She's heading upstairs to her bedroom when she hears her parents in their room, talking about something. She ignores them but heads to her bedroom, when she shuts the door behind her, she pulls out her cell phone and opens a group text message to Aria, Emily & Hanna.

Spencer: 'I have an idea, but I need Aria to be willing to try something.'

Aria: 'It's not anything illegal is it?'

Emily: 'We don't need anyone getting into trouble, Spence,'

Spencer: 'It's nothing illegal, just something ethical. Aria, we need you to date, Noel.'

Aria: 'WHAT? I can't do that!'

Spencer: 'Just go on a date with him, then Emily and I are going to sneak into his room to search for something that tells us he's A.'

Aria: "A date? You need me to go on a date with him?'

Emily: 'She wants US to break into his house? This plan sounds too extreme, Spencer.'

Aria: 'What makes you think he'll even agree to go on a date with me?'

Emily: 'I can think of two things.'

Spencer: 'You're the only one who seems like his type; besides, don't you want to know what he saw?'

Aria: 'Why would you say that?'

Hanna's typing…

Hanna: 'This plan could work; besides, you had a crush on Noel.'

Aria: 'Past tense, HAD, things are different now.'

Spencer: 'It's not like I'm asking Aria to fall in love with him, we just need him out of his house so we can get in there and search for clues, once we know that he's A, or not, we can focus on someone else.'

Emily: 'Ok, I'll do it. I want to get this over with, I need to live my life not being afraid of someone every second of the day.'

Hanna: 'Guys, I have news…."

Aria: 'I don't know about this, though, it's Noel Kahn, he's…'

Emily: 'Popular and hot'

Hanna: 'I have to show you something.'

Hanna sent a picture. It's of her cast on her leg, the letter A is written on it in a bright red ink.

Hanna: 'A was here.'

Spencer: 'Aria…'

Aria: 'Fine, I'll do it.'

After messaging her friends and finding out that A was in the hospital by Hanna, she tried to remember who was in and out of the room while she was there, but there were moments when she wasn't there like when she went to the bathroom or the cafeteria. This plan must work, they have to know for sure if Noel is A or not.

Aria wasn't surprised that she was the one who had to ask Noel out, Emily came out of the closet recently and Hanna was handicap temporarily. She could picture Spencer going out with Noel but as they said, Aria had a crush on him a few years back and she seemed more like his type. She just had to figure out when she was going to ask him out and hoped he would say yes.

Michaela looks at Shay laying in Hanna's bed, she's falling asleep. "Mama," she says tiredly. "Yes, baby," Michaela says answering her daughter. "Does my daddy live here?" Shay knows about him, not much, since Michaela doesn't know that much but she knows of him. "Yes, he does, love," she tells her and then changes the subject. "Now go to sleep, tomorrow we have a lot to do," she says, turning the light off, leaving the door open ajar, and walking downstairs by her mother. Before she gets downstairs her phone beeps. She pulls open her messages and she read it. 'Is the poor soap star afraid of the truth coming out? Because I think mama and papa should know what happened, especially if a child was conceived out of it.' Michaela is freaked out, who is this person and how did they know what happened. She didn't tell anyone. Except…