The next morning I'm walking down the blocks from the school parking lot with Spencer towards The Brew, wanting to grab breakfast and then to check on the sports store. I own it but I still haven't had the opportunity to open it up despite people needing the store for their sports teams. It's been hard for me to get the courage to actually be the person to run the store. This was never my dream to be the owner of my dad's investment, to be responsible for something as sensitive as this. I don't know the first thing about running a store, about the process of being my own boss. So I've had to research, check on my dad's logs and all of those wonderful adult things to decide if I can handle it. I 100% don't think I'm ready, but Spencer and Aria both feel I can do this. Spencer has told me time and time again that I can do whatever I want with this place, open it and run it myself, or hire help if I don't want to do things on my own. They also like to remind me that I have my dad's mentality to be my own boss, to make my own rules and know what I'd want and how I'd want things to go.

So once I have my coffee and bagel in hand she goes with me to check it out. I get the door open and walk inside with Spencer behind me and look around. It's not as messy as it once was since I've been coming around once a week to fix it up here and there. Now all that needs to be done is the shelves to be restocked and cleaned up again before I can officially open if I decide to.

"Maybe I should just sell it." I blurt out without thinking, my heart heavy from the memories of this place. All I can see is dad in every corner of this store.

Spencer stares at me, her eyes a little sad because she knows I'm struggling. "I know it feels hopeless, Jessie. But it's a good investment to help you get on your feet in more ways than just money."

I shrug, heading over to the back where the office is. "Maybe, but it hurts too much to be here. I don't know if I'll be able to make it through the day knowing that my dad isn't the one running this place even if I don't actively work here."

She follows me and sets her hand to my shoulder to get my attention, "I think you should try it out for a few months and then decide. It's yours so you can do whatever you want with it, but don't let it rot away by keeping it shut down. And definitely don't hand it off to someone who won't care enough for it the way your dad adored this place."

I sigh softly before rubbing my head, maybe I could do that. Hire someone I trust to be the manager and I just do all the investment stuff. Even though I'm lousy at math or planning how to set things up. This got me thinking for sure, she isn't wrong on testing the waters on how I could rebuild it in my own way. "You're probably right."

"Of course I am." She says in a smartass tone.

I laugh and shake my head, "I love you."

She smiles at me, "And I love you. Now let's get a few of these shelves full before school starts."

Once we're done here we head out the door and off to school. I lock the door behind us before walking back down the street to Rosewood High. When we get to the front of the building we walk up the steps, just noticing Mona heading through the front doors at the same time. I wince softly to myself when I see her and stop in the middle of the staircase. We haven't talked since our argument at Sean's and I don't know how she'll be around me since I overreacted in a very horrible way. I mean, she was obviously in the wrong for saying what she did, but I had no right laying my hands on her like that.

"You okay?" Spencer asks as she grabs my arm from the sudden stop.

I look at her when I feel her touch and then start walking again. "Sorry. I saw Mona."

"She never apologized?"

I shake my head as we get inside now, Mona is at her locker, "No, but I sure as hell have some apologizing to do."

She stares where I'm looking, then she looks back at me "What she said was uncalled for, Jessie."

"I know, but what I did wasn't right either. If someone did that to me or anyone I love I'd have killed them."

"And this is why you're a great friend. You know when you're in the wrong and you stick up for people."

I half smile, "It's a gift, what can I say."

She just laughs and hugs me before walking the other way towards her own locker. Then I take a breath and head over to Mona. My brain keeps replaying what happened over in my head of drunk me slamming her against a wall and I feel worse as I get closer. It was wrong of me to do, but she shouldn't be talking about Andrew or anyone like they aren't human.

"Mona...hey." I say gently as I stand beside her, my hands in my pockets from feeling a little uncomfortable. "Can we talk?"

Her head turns to me, her eyes seeming a little out of focus, as if she doesn't notice me right away. Then they light up a bit and she smiles, "Hey. I've actually been meaning to call you."

I blink slowly, a little taken back by her chipper tone despite her hating me the other night. "You have?"

"Of course. We need to hang out, duh." She laughs and sets her hand to my chin in an oddly loving way.

"You're...not mad?" I raise an eyebrow.

She shakes her head and waves her hand in the air as if that's a stupid question, "Not in the slightest. I overstepped on your decision. It's none of my business as long as he isn't treating you badly."

This takes me off guard, because that's not Mona at all to let people off with almost hitting her and disobeying her wishes. "I...well, thanks. I am sorry, I didn't mean to react that way."

"Ah, it's fine. It's all water under the boat."

I press my lips together so I won't laugh, "Under the bridge." I cautiously say, "Water under the bridge."

"Oh whatever." She laughs and links her arm through mine, "We're good. And now we need to set you two up on a date."

...

Blood spills out of my mouth and spews onto the ground when I cough it up, red ends up in my palms when my reaction is to set my hand to my bleeding mouth. My eyes turn angry and stare at the person who punched me in the face...Amber. The night was going perfectly fine at Noel's cabin, 30 minutes outside of Rosewood for a party that myself and the girls ended up at on a Saturday night a couple weeks after Alison's funeral had happened.

Hours ago I arrived here with Spencer, Andrew not joining because he went away for the weekend with his parents. Emily came with the girl who moved into Alison's old house named Maya, while Aria drove her own car because she had to leave early. She said she'd stay for a couple hours and then go to her mom's opening night at an art gallery that the owner she works for set up for her to show off her paintings. I was supposed to go as well, but I had forgotten that Noel asked me to go to this party before Aunt Ella let me know about it.

Not too long ago I was laughing, drinking and joking with my friends. Noel even pulled me into the living room for a dance and I just laughed in embarrassment the whole time. I can't dance, so I kept stepping on him through the upbeat songs.

"Jessie, relax and just find the rhythm." He had my hands in his as he tried to guide me through a two step pop song.

I was staring at the floor, trying to copy him to the best of my ability, "I'm clumsy on my feet."

"You're just not used to it is all. Don't think, just glide."

After many failed attempts to get me to figure it out he got pulled off to some of his friends and I headed outside with Spencer to get some air. She seemed a bit distracted, her attention everywhere but at me. I figured it had to do with Alison's murder and how her and the girls are considered number one suspects so they've been questioned by the police about it. But before I could really ask more about what the police had been asking them, Amber's fist ended up in my face for no reason minutes later and it made my head spin. Now I'm regretting not leaving with Aria a half hour ago.

"What the fuck!" I say with a mouth full of blood while Spencer is keeping me standing when she had caught me after the hit. We are in the backyard outside of the cabin where we had been talking just before she came out of nowhere.

"Don't act stupid, four eyes." Amber says with one of her hands pointing at me while the other hand is clenched in a fist, anger in her eyes. "Your pal, Mr. Fitz has it out for me. He gave me a C on my last four assignments. I won't be able to get on the wrestling team at this rate."

I blink at her like she's a dumbass, wiping my bloody hands onto my jeans and spit more blood out. It's bad enough I had already been drinking and seeing double, but she made it worse. "Are you joking?" I say in disbelief that this is the reason she attacked me, "It's your work, not mine. I don't have a say in how you hand it in or how he grades them."

"Oh please. I deserve better and he's out to get me."

I roll my eyes, "Then you take it up with him. You don't stupidly go swinging at me for it." I shake my head and walk off around her.

"Don't walk away from me, Brant!" She yells and grabs my shoulder, spinning me around.

I pull myself away from her and step back a bit, staring her dead in the eyes. "Put your hands on me again and I'll hit you so hard you'll end up in Ravenswood." I say angrily, my hands in tight fists.

"Oh so tough. Think just because you're with your crowd of friends that you're able to handle me? Please. I'll knock you out in seconds."

"You keep bothering her and I'll get my parents involved." Spencer now says, eyeing her.

"I'm shaking in my boots, Hastings. Threatening to tell your lawyer parents, typical." She just smirks and laughs, cracking her knuckles.

I just glare at her, getting fed up with her bothering not only me but my friends for helping. "Fuck. Off. You hear me, Amber?" I grab Spencer now so she doesn't continue this conversation and we walk away. "I swear she finds anything to pick on me for. Ezra's grading process doesn't even involve me, and yet she made it my business."

"Just keep your head down till we get you cleaned up and we'll go home."

As we head through the crowd of people in Noel's cabin we have to scoot in between their sweaty and drunk bodies, grossing me out. Some heads turn to look at me, their brows raised from my face probably looking a mess until I get to a bathroom. Problem is that when I get to it there's a line of people and now we're stuck.

"Let's just go. I can clean up when we get back into town. I'll stop at the store and use that bathroom."

"Jessie!" Mona's sing-song voice comes just as Spencer is in the middle of agreeing with me and both her and Noel end up beside us. Oh this isn't going to be good. "What the hell happened to your face?"

I half smile, waving a hand. "Nothing. It's no big deal." They both give me a look and I just shift my eyes and speak in a defeated tone, "My face connected to someone's fist. But I'm fine."

A hand grabs my chin seconds after I said that, turning my face. Noel's bright blue eyes are staring at me with worry, "This isn't fine, Jessie." He seems to be checking the cut on my lip, "I'll get you ice and you're telling me who did this. They are done."

He guides us all to the kitchen, hands Spencer a wet cloth for my face and then grabs some ice and puts it into a ziplock bag. Once Spencer cleans off my face with a lot of complaining that it hurts, he gives me the bag of ice covered in another cloth. Then he gives me a look as if waiting for an answer and I tell him who it was. But before I can even tell him not to worry he walks away to start looking for her and anyone she may have come here with, while Mona tells us to leave so we don't get caught in the crossfire.

"We got your back, Jessie. Don't forget that." Mona says as she hugs me next to Spencer's car, "No one messes with our friends."

I just smile and nod, "I appreciate the help. Tell Noel I'll call him later." Then I get in the car with Spencer, ice still on my lip and we head home. This was not the way I hoped tonight would go.

When we get back to Spencer's we are able to avoid her parents since they are in their office and run upstairs. I clean up in the bathroom to see that my lip is fat and cut open. I just groan in annoyance, knowing this wouldn't sit well with anyone when they'd see what happened and then go over to Spencer's room. As I sit down on her bed I get a text and it turns out that when Noel found Amber he kicked her out and banned her from his parties. I'm not sure whether to be happy he stood up for me like that or scared that she may kill me since he was down her throat for it.

As if things couldn't get worse, her parents notice that we are still up during the night and her mom wants to see why we are. That's when she notices my face and calls Peter over, automatically thinking that I started the fight. They don't even allow me to explain why I was like this, jumping to conclusions because last year I used to start them. Then Spencer forces her way into the conversation when she notices that I can't get a word in from being yelled at for my temper that was non-existent tonight. By the looks on their faces they don't seem to believe her either, probably thinking she's just helping me out of getting into trouble. So after a good 15 minutes of arguing they just tell me to go to my room and to calm my anger down or they'd ground me. I'm so fumed that I get up from her bed and rush off to my room, slamming the door behind me. I'm so pissed that I'm barely even able to sleep. This is ridiculous.