❝ I genuinely thought the worst of this nightmare was over ❞
Halle Brewster told a lie, and the secrets kept growing. After slaying one stalker, another reared its nasty head, and Halle was starting to wonder if she'd ever be free from the friendshi...
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Steam billowed off the fresh pour from the small teapot. Emily Fields filled the matching cup and raised it to her nose to sniff as the water appeared murky to her eye. She squinted, top lip turning up in disgust. "What is this?"
The lights had been purposefully dimmed to low in the Montgomery household to help ease the strain on Aria's drooping eyes. From under a thick, brassy red blanket, Aria laid curled up into the end of the couch, a pillow from her bed tucked beneath her arm. "Some kind of herb-thing," Aria said weakly, sniffling. "It's Meredith's cure-all recipe."
As Emily passed it over to Aria, who took it with shaky hands, Spencer voiced, "Well, I don't think it's working. You look terrible."
Aria looked over at her, grey faced and tired eyes. "Thank you," she said without humour. Briefly, Aria held the cup above its saucer before she decided against it, groaning. "Oh, god." Putting it aside, on the table next to her side of the sofa, Aria gave another groan and brought her hand to rest on her head. "I couldn't have a worse time to get sick. First week back after the Halloween train, study groups for exams start this weekend, and I'm ill."
"You can't help when you get ill," Halle offered her. Sweetly, Halle made sure Aria's sock-covered feet were covered by the blanket, tucking the material all the way around. "I could make you some broth, or... put shea butter on your nose."
Spencer furrowed her brows at Halle. "Why would you do that?"
"It's something my mom does, helps if you're congested," Halle explained easily, with a casual shrug. "My nana used to put an onion in her socks when she slept, gets rid of bad toxins."
"Does it work for A?" Emily humorously asked.
"If it does, I'll be first to buy us all an onion," Spencer retorted, smiling small through the suffering Aria was currently going through.
"So, broth?" Halle checked, her right eyebrow quirked up at the girl next to her.
Aria shook her head slowly, her forehead contorting as a jolt of pain shot through it. "No, no, thank you."
"Have you heard off your dad?" Spencer asked Aria softly, just as the door opened from within the house.
Humming, Aria said, "He left a message, but I haven't talked to him since he left last night for his conference. He shut the door on me after I saw him grab Meredith."
Heels clicked against the wood entire, and Hanna appeared from behind Emily, from where the front entrance was. Walking into the back snug, where the girls sat, Hanna carried in her large bag. "Hey, how's the patient?" she asked, slotting herself in the slither of space between Halle and Aria.
"Not great," Emily answered for them.
"Well—" Hanna declared to them, her bag on her lap, "I brought over everything that helps me when I'm sick." Rooting inside the white tote, Hanna grinned widely as she presented the objects she had collected. "Trash—" a series of celebrity gossip magazines, "ginger ale—" a large bottle of it was placed down on the table, "And three seasons of Saved By The Bell," she said, revealing the box-set of DVDs, which made Aria rejoice in hearty laughter.
