"Guess who?" I hear these words as someone puts their hands over my eyes while I'm at my locker, and I smile a bit. I know that voice anywhere.

"Andrew." I say with a laugh before his hands slip away from my face and I turn around to look up at the tall guy in front of me. His blue eyes always look like they are swooning when he sees me, it makes my stomach do flips every time. "Gotta be slicker than that to fool me."

He just laughs and leans up against Emily's locker. It's pretty early in the morning the following week of school. Spencer had some club meetings so I told her I'd catch the ride so I didn't have to worry about riding my board in the rain. My car is in pretty bad shape and has been breaking down on me more often than usual. So I prefer not to use it these days. I may have to sell it.

"How was your weekend, beautiful?"

I blush hard from his words and bite my lip. I had actually spent the weekend with the Montgomery's since so much time passed from when they moved away, and this honestly has made things easier to be around them and to cope with the emotions that have been brought back from them being around. I honestly cannot be happier to know that they are back. Even though It's tough and hard to talk about, they are still helping me to the best of their ability and I'm doing my best without being too emotional to allow them to open up to me.

"My weekend was great, actually. I was with Aria and her family."

He raises his eyebrows in surprise, "All weekend?"

I laugh a bit and nod, he makes me nervous. "All weekend. It felt right, normal. Like nothing has changed." I of course knew that EVERYTHING had changed, but the feeling of being with them again felt perfect, right…meant to be.

He smiles at me, seeming super sincere and cute. Then he moves a little closer to me, "Well…" He starts to say, his eyes melt into mine, "I was thinking that maybe you'd wanna, you know, maybe go on a date with me on Saturday?" His voice cracked a tiny bit, as if nervous to ask because of how long it's taken for me to be in a good mindset again. "Was thinking we could grab dinner at The Grille, and then maybe ice cream after."

I blush hard and bite down on my bottom lip. I'm sure everyone standing around us can see how red I am right now. I knew this day would come eventually where he'd try to ask me out again, but I didn't expect it to be so adorable. The look in his eyes, the smile on his face. God he's so damn cute. Then I clear my throat from unclouding my thoughts, brushing my side bangs behind my right ear, slowly nodding. "I'd actually really like that, Andrew."

His face brightens up but then it kind of slacks for a second in confusion, "Why do I sense a but?"

I half laugh and shake my head, "There is. Just not using it in the way you think. I'm not turning you down. I'd definitely like to go out with you. It's just this Saturday Sean is having a party at his house and we already told him we'd go, remember?"

"Ahhh." He bumps his forehead with his palm, "Duh, I forgot. You did ask me to go to that a few weeks ago didn't you." He laughs, "Right. Then next weekend?"

I smile, getting closer to him I balance on the tips of my toes before kissing his cheek. "It's a date." Then I walk away without staring back at him, trying to be smooth about it. But the smile on my face is too noticeable to hide from how excited I am.

...

When the day is over I'm finally able to get Aria and Ezra in the same area as each other. For the last week something always got in the way to have them meet. Whether Aria would rush out of class when the bell rang so I couldn't even get her to talk to him, or Ezra would have stuff to do after school for work. But today they had no excuses to not meet my best friend or the man who saved my life, because Aunt Ella asked for me to bring him over for a proper introduction so they could thank him. Thrilled about them meeting him I stopped by his classroom after school to make sure he didn't try to slip away from the occasion.

I however felt bad, because Spencer got herself into some deep trouble this weekend. She somehow managed to hook up with Melissa's now ex fiance, and has herself basically in the doghouse with her family. She says that he's the one who kissed her, which I 100% believe and honestly wonder why her family isn't more concerned that Wren, a handsome British man in his 20s decided to basically throw himself at a 16 year old AND cheat on his fiance. I know I'm not happy about the situation, but in a totally different way than her parents or Melissa are. So now I left her on her own to deal with that while I'm about to have a family dinner with the Montgomery's and Ezra when Spencer needs back up from her awful family.

"Ready?" I say from the door, watching Ezra put his things away. Aria had already headed home to help her parents set up for an early dinner. I told them I'd ride there with him when he was done with work. "Aunt Ella makes a mean Lasagna." I say to try to ease his nerves and smile at him.

He turned to me when he heard my voice, listening to my words while he packed up his things and then laughed at my lasagna comment. "I'm sure her food is amazing, Jessie. I'm excited to meet the people you've talked so highly about."

Dinner didn't go badly at all. To my surprise, everyone got along with him quite well. He had some jokes that I thought were utterly cheesy and weird, but my aunt and uncle seemed to enjoy the company. They made him feel comfortable and welcomed into the family. What other way was there to greet the person who saved me? The only weird thing that was noticeable, or at least to me it had been, is that Ezra and Aria seemed to not talk too much to each other. If they did they barely made eye contact, or sometimes even too much eye contact. All I could think is she felt he was cute, or maybe just felt awkward that her teacher was in their house. Either way, she's the one who I wanted to get along with the most. To my disappointment it seemed that wasn't happening.

"Jessie was right, your food is amazing, Mrs. Montgomery." He says as we all move into the family room and I sit beside him on the couch as Uncle Byron sits on his other side.

She laughs, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. But Jessie likes to heighten my cooking skills as if I'm a professional chief."

"Hey. Anything that isn't made from the freezer is 100% professional."

They all smile at me and I manage to get a nice laugh from them before they all go back to talking. Uncle Byron being an English teacher at Hollis College, not far from Rosewood, bonded the most with Ezra since he's our high school English teacher. While Mike is able to bond with him from sports (I hoped into that conversation of course). Meanwhile, Aunt Ella eventually left and came back with desert. Then there's Aria, well she didn't say too much so I wasn't sure how to take that.

"I had a wonderful evening. I appreciate the invite." Ezra tells them as he gets to his feet a couple hours later, "I have papers to grade, so I should probably get going."

"Say no more, we definitely understand that." Uncle Byron tells him as he also gets to his feet and shakes his hand, "Ella has to see me rage around in frustration from time to time on how insane the grading can be."

"Coffee usually calms him down."

"Coffee's for sure my friend." Ezra says with a laugh in agreement and a handshake back. Then he shakes Aunt Ella's hand and nods to Mike and Aria in a goodbye as I usher him to the door. "They are amazing, Jessie." He says gently with a smile as I open the door and step outside with him.

"Told you you guys would get along. Even though Aria seemed a little out of it. She's been very distant lately."

He waves a hand in dismissal, "It's fine. I'm her teacher, it's a weird environment. But she'll warm up." he gives me a hug and rubs my head, "I'll talk to you later. Don't get into trouble."

I smile at him as I hug him back, "Not in my nature to get into trouble."

He just laughs, giving everyone one last wave in thanks since they were being nosey by staring at us. "I'll see you in school." Then he walks down the driveway and I come back inside, closing the door behind me.

All in all, everyone seemed to get along with him and liked him. They enjoyed his charm, his kindness and, in Uncle Byron's taste, ability to make bad jokes. Aria still didn't explain why she looked awkward, but I felt like that was a conversation for another time.

...

Saturday night after dinner me and Spencer start to get ready for Seans. Spencer isn't usually one to go to these parties, but whenever I decide to go she tags along. Mostly because she doesn't want to seem like a loser, but also because she would rather not be home alone with her parents. As I stand by my mirror I look at myself. I had done my usual over the shoulder ponytail while wearing black jean shorts that go to my knees, an elbow length blue flannel with all the buttons undone and a white tank top under it with white high top Vans. Once I feel decent I grab my things and head over to Spencer's room, knocking on the door. She opens it up without hesitation before we both head downstairs and out the back door.

Sean's house is close to the high school and considering we both plan to drink we decide to walk. As we walk down the block we eventually end up at an intersection where Andrew is waiting for us, a huge smile on his face when he sees me. Spencer gives me a soft nudge, whispering about how cute he is staring at me that way and I blush hard. I just shush her and keep walking towards him. I'm actually surprised he agreed to go to this party since he hates going places with my friends. He feels like everyone is always giving him one of those looks like he shouldn't be around since they don't consider him popular, so normally he prefers to stay away from them. I told him I wouldn't go without him, while he didn't want me to not go because of him. So in the end I told him that if he didn't come with me that I was going to stay and hang with him. He changed his mind and decided to go because he didn't want me missing out.

Getting closer to Sean's you can hear a bit of music blasting from down the block, which in a town like this is completely too normal for anyone to care enough to call the cops. So as we get closer the music gets even louder. Then almost right in front I notice a group of kids standing by the stairs to his house.

"You didn't lock the door did you?" a girl's voice says.

"Of course I did, why would you ask me that?" Now it's a guy's voice.

"Because you are an idiot." this time it's not the girl or the guy, but another guy's voice.

I smile to myself when I notice it's the Rouche triplets (pronounced like in cockroach), Luna, Kyle and Blake. The boys play soccer for the high school, while Luna plays on the basketball and softball teams with me. We've been playing together since we were kids, but didn't become close friends till high school. I debate whether to interrupt, because they do seem to be heated about this conversation. Until I notice that they have beers in their hands and I realize they are probably drunk.

So when we get beside them I just nod as if I've been in the conversation the whole time, "Obviously he locked the door. He has a decent sized brain."

Luna's eyes light up when she turns, "Jessie!" tripping over her feet she lunges at me for a hug but spills beer almost all over me. "You're here."

I smile, "Yep."

"See, Lun, I have a brain." Her brother Kyle says in a matter of fact tone.

"No, she said a decent sized brain." Blake reminds him, shaking his head in disappointment.

We all laugh a bit as Kyle seems to be trying to think about that, then Luna looks up and smiles. "Hey, Andrew."

He smiles back, "Hey, Luna. How's it goin'?"

She nods and smiles back, "Great actually. Glad you brought my girl along."

By the look on his face it seemed like he was about to say something that would make me blush, so before he can do that I say, "Why are you guys out here?"

"It was hot in there." She points to Sean's house.

"So you guys came out here to fight over who locked the door?"

She laughs, "That's not how it started." Then she stares beside me when she notices movement and smiles. "Spencer Hastings." she says in a sly voice, wagging a finger playfully. "Look who's here."

Spencer just laughs, rolling her eyes. They always had an odd friendship, "Couldn't let Jessie have all the fun."

We talk for a few more minutes before she drags me inside, almost immediately she gets a beer in my hands as soon as we get to the kitchen. The good news is that not only am I having fun, but it seems like Andrew is warming up to being here once he gets a few drinks into his system and is bonding with Noel, Kyle, Blake, and Sean on the other side of the living room. Then I watch as the 10th grader who had been flirting with Luna walks away from us and Spencer and instead heads towards the kitchen just as Mona walks into the living room with Hanna and their two other friends Riley and Naomi. I was hoping it would be Aria, but she hadn't been 100% sure she'd be joining us tonight. The 10th grader stops to say something to them and then walks off again, the look on Mona's face when she notices Andrew is here doesn't look very nice. She is high on the no dating, liking or inviting losers to anything we do and now I know I'm going to hear from her.

"Oh no." I say a bit low to myself as Mona, Hanna, and the other two seem to be in a deep conversation now.

Luna hears me, not sure how when the music is pretty loud and turns to where I'm looking. "What?"

"Mona." I shift my eyes to where Andrew is, "She's not a fan of the whole dynamic of me not being into someone who is popular." I look back and see Mona turn away from the others and is now walking closer to us.

Her face looks mixed when she gets to me and puts a smile that seems forced, balancing herself more on one leg than the other with her hand on her hip. She looks very much like Alison and it freaks me out, "Jessie."

Hanna comes over and stands beside me and her best friend, a worried look on her face. "Mona." I say a bit cautiously, not wanting to get into it with her but knowing it can't be avoided.

We watch each other for a few seconds, then she says. "You don't listen do you?"

I take a breath and rub my forehead. The other day she saw me kiss Andrew's cheek when he asked me out and it rubbed her the wrong way. She got a little possessive of me and really angry at the fact that I wouldn't give Noel a chance because I'm "too keen" on wanting Andrew instead. I told her I'd date who I wanted to date and that she can't tell me I'm not allowed to before I ended the conversation. Apparently she thought I was kidding. "I'm actually a very good listener. " I smile and that seems to piss her off.

"Clearly not if you stupidly brought him here." She points in frustration towards Andrew, who doesn't realize what's going on because he's chugging beer with the guys.

"He seems okay to me." I turn back to her, because he's doing fine. No one else has an issue with him being here. Everyone is actually enjoying his company. "What's the problem?"

"The problem?" she raises her voice a bit, "The problem is that he will never fit in with us, Jessie. He may come to our parties and hang with us because he's your...friend." Just being able to say that word about him seemed to piss her off more, "But he will never be one of us."

The fact that she said that sets me off a bit, but I just point my thumb over my shoulder to him, "He seems to be fitting in just fine."

She watches me for a second, "Do you want to ruin everything for him?"

I shake my head in frustration, "Shut up, Mona."

She's taken by surprise for a second, her arm falling to her side, "What did you say to me?" her eyes are angry now.

I know talking to her in this way is never a good thing, but the alcohol inside me is making me ten times more explosive. "I said to shut up. You didn't even try to get to know him."

She crosses her arms, "Who gives you the right to talk to me like that?"

"Since you decided that my friendship with people who aren't like you isn't good enough."

She rolls her eyes, as if annoyed. "All I'm doing is trying to look out for you."

My eyebrows go up, "Look out for me?"

She nods, "Yes."

I shake my head, "You have done nothing but act just like the person you always hated, Mona. You boss me around as if I'm your property, which I'm not. I'm your friend. Have been even before you dolled yourself up just to get onto the popularity scale, and I followed you because you didn't want to leave me behind. And how do you treat me? The same way Alison treated you!"

Her eyes flame a little, her face looks like she's about to lose her shit, "I do not treat you like that!" she yells.

"Fine. Then stop treating him like that!" I point to Andrew, "Leave him alone."

"He's a loser, Jessie! He will always be a loser."

"Mona, that's enough." Hanna says to her, giving Spencer and Luna a worried look now.

My fists go into balls and I walk closer, shoving her into the wall beside us. An echo of my name being yelled by Hanna, Spencer, and Luna swarm me. "You are a piece of work, you know that!" My voice gets louder and angry as someone grabs onto me. I look to the side and see that Hanna is the one who is holding onto my arm.

She pulls on it a bit, trying to get my hands off of Mona as I'm pushing her shoulders to keep her against the wall so she doesn't walk away. Hanna's face looks a little pissed. "Don't touch her like that." She watches me as I watch her, not taking my hands off of Mona. "Jessie, let go." She emphasizes the last two words as if trying to keep calm.

But I don't let her go as I look back at Mona. "Andrew is one of the reasons that I have been happy since my parents died." I try to stay calm, but my voice is shaking and can tell that there is anger in it. "I thought you'd be grateful to see that I'm not walking around pretending to be happy again, because he doesn't have to make me try."

Her eyes go from being really pissed off to softening as they get a little sad. She looks like she wants to say something. Whether it was going to be good or bad I don't know, because now another set of hands grab me and both people manage to pull me off this time, pushing me away from Mona.

"Jessie, enough." Hanna's voice deepens slightly and sounds really mad as she puts herself between us. I may have overdone it.

I realize people are staring at us now. So to keep myself from exploding on Mona because there is so much more I can say, I turn around and walk out of the living room. Andrew is nowhere to be found as I rush out of the house, hoping that no one here misses me too much.