Secrets In Rosewood {1}

Chapter 22: For Whom the Bells Tolls

The girls are looking at a video on the flash drive and Hanna says, "Is that Jenna?" Jenna says, "You're late." Avery says, "Who's she talking to?" The camera turns to Toby and Spencer says, "Toby." Toby says, "It's not right." Jenna wraps her arms around Toby's neck and sighs, "There's nothing wrong about us, Toby. We're not really related. It'd be so easy for me to convince your daddy and mommy that you've been forcing yourself on me. You have no idea who you're dealing with." Jenna takes off Toby's shirt and Spencer looks away and says, "Turn it off." Emily closes the laptop and Avery says, "Do you realize what these videos are? They're of us... Ali, Jenna. We're young girls in our bedrooms, changing clothes. We're naked!" Spencer says, "Exposed." Hanna says, "Do you think someone was watching us and getting off on it?" Spencer says, "Well, we all know who had a thing for younger girls." Emily says, "I feel sick." Hanna says, "In some of these, we were just kids." Avery says, "Ian's been watching us for years." Spencer says, "And he killed Alison to make sure that nobody found out." Emily says, "I wish Ali would've told us about these videos." Spencer says, "You guys, it is not too late to help her. We can use this to prove that Ian killed Alison." Emily says, "How are we gonna do that?" Spencer says, "We start by finding out what Jenna knows." Avery says, "Are you on something?" Hanna says, "Jenna's at the top of our A-list." Spencer says, "Look, I get it, okay, but she knows that these videos existed. She was looking for them. That's why she hired Caleb to find that key." Hanna says, "Spence, how are we ever supposed to believe anything that bitch says?" Emily says, "If that bitch is "A", then this could be a trap." Avery says, "You guys, Ian was watching all of us. And for all we know, he still is. Spencer's right. We have to try. We've been afraid of her since the Jenna thing and now we finally have something that she wants. And Alison gave it to us."

The next day, Avery's walking down the stairs when she hears her dad say, "I'm having the faculty mixer tonight." Her mom says, "Uh-huh." Her dad says, "Everybody would love to see you." Her mom says, "Oh... I don't know, Byron." Her dad says, "Come on. It'll be fun." Her mom says, "Well, it's just... what are we saying, "Welcome to our home?" I mean, I don't exactly live here anymore." Her dad says, "It's just a party, Ella." Avery shows herself and says, "Dad? Hey, can I help? Bet we make a great team." Her dad smiles and says, "Absolutely. I'll take you up on that offer." Avery says, "Okay, bye." Her dad says, "Bye." Avery's phone beeps and her mom says, "So, you heard us?" Avery looks down at her phone to see a message from Ezra saying, "We need to talk." Her mom says, "This is about so many different things. I hope you know that." Avery sees another message saying, "A cop was here." Her mom says, "There's just no simple fix." Avery says, "Look, dad cares too much to say this but you either love him or you don't. So, you should probably figure it out because it sucks for all of us." Avery grabs her bag and walks out the door. Later, Avery's walking in the school halls on the phone with Ezra and she says, "I've been calling you all morning. Where are you?" Ezra says, "I was talking to the principal." Avery says, "What happened?" Ezra says, "I..." Avery turns a corner and sees Ezra and he says, "I just gave my resignation." Ezra hangs up and Avery softly says, "Ezra..." Ezra chuckles and says, "Hollis offered me the job." Avery punches Ezra in the shoulder and she scoffs and says, "You scared the hell out of me!" Ezra says, "That hurt." Avery says, "I don't care. The cops, the ten messages you sent me, doesn't ring a bell?" Ezra says, "I'm sorry, I panicked last night because the guy was standing in my doorway asking questions about a student." The bell rings and Ezra nods his head to walk, and Avery walks beside him, and they walk into his classroom, and he says, "We're fine. It wasn't about you. It was about Spencer and the trophy and the props and I... Avery, I'm not gonna be your teacher anymore. We can grab a cup of coffee, go to a reading. We can live outside my apartment." Avery chuckles and she says, "I'm sorry I punched you." Ezra says, "It's okay." Avery says, "Professor Fitz." Ezra says, "So, I'll be attending the faculty mixer at your house tonight." Avery says, "Right. I'll give you the tour. I'll show you, my room." Avery smiles and Ezra clears his throat and says, "Okay, then." Avery walks out the room with a smile. A few moments later, Avery's at her locker when she hears a familiar taping sound, and she turns to see Jenna and her and the girls follow Jenna into a classroom. Jenna says, "Who's there?" Spencer says, "It's Spencer." Jenna turns around and says, "Who else?" Spencer says, "Avery, Emily... and Hanna." Jenna says, "Should I call security?" Spencer says, "We have what you hired Caleb to find. You didn't think it was wrong, but Toby did." Jenna says, "So, you've seen it?" Jenna says, "Every frame." Jenna says, "What do you want from me?" Hanna says, "The truth. Can you handle that?" Jenna says, "Look, when I said Alison came to visit me at the hospital, I was telling you the truth. She didn't come to talk to you, Spencer. That was a lie." Spencer says, "And how do we know that you're not lying to us now?" Jenna says, "You knew Alison, okay? You knew what she was capable of." Spencer says, "We're listening." Jenna says, "It was the day before she went missing and she was on her way home from Georgia. She had just found the video... She couldn't wait to play it for me." Spencer says, "She was on her way home from Georgia?" Jenna says, "That's-that's what she said. And then she made some joke about her... tan. Too bad I couldn't see it." Spencer says, "Did she tell you anything else?" Jenna says, "It was a short... visit. Look, I... I have given you what you've asked for. What are you gonna give me?" Spencer says, "We'll make sure the video stays in a safe place." Jenna softly scoffs and says, "Okay." The girls move out the way and as Jenna goes to leave, she stops and says, "We've all made mistakes. Remember, I'm still paying for yours." Then Jenna walks out of the room and Hanna sighs and says, "Sick. Now, for all we know, she wrote that story." Emily says, "And we still don't know how Ali got the video." Spencer says, "Yes, we do. That video was Alison's insurance policy. And she cashed it in the day that she got it." Avery says, "Which means she was with Ian when she found it." Spencer says, "And she couldn't wait to play that video for Jenna." Hanna says, "God, do you remember how happy Ali was when she came back from that trip? I think it's because for her, the Jenna thing was over." Hanna says, "Nice of her to share the safety net with us." Emily realizes something and says, "'Wait for it, girls. Wait for it.'" Spencer says, "Wait for what?" Emily says, "That's what Ali said when we met her at the taxi. Maybe that's what we were waiting for." Avery says, "Do you remember at Alison's funeral when we were all wondering why Jenna was there? If she's telling the truth Jenna came back because she could." Hanna says, "And Ali's the one who got buried." Later, the girls minus Spencer, are at the cafeteria because Emily just told her she's moving and Avery says, "Well, if you want my dad can call your mom and officially offer you the guestroom." Hanna says, "Oh, this is so not fair. I mean, we lost each other for a year. I can't imagine not being here--" Spencer joins them and cuts Hanna off and says, "I got it." Avery says, "Okay, you're sure Ian can't trace this number back to us?" Spencer says, "It's a prepaid phone, I used cash, and the number isn't registered, so... Service is anonymous." Hanna says, "How do you know this stuff?" Spencer says, "Don't you ever watch CNN? No need to answer that. Homeland security is trying to ban these things." Avery looks over to see Ian and she says, "He acts like he doesn't have a care in the world." Hanna says, "He thinks he got away with it." Emily says, "Well, he hasn't." Spencer says, "Okay, so we convince Ian that this isn't about anything but money. Hopefully, that'll throw him off of us. And if he wants his home movies, it's just gonna cost him. And then when he shows up for the swap--" Hanna cuts Spencer off and holds up her phone and says, "We... make our own movie." Spencer says, "Right, and we take that, the flash drive and the prepaid phone into the police." Avery says, "The second he responds to the text we know that he's guilty." Spencer sends a message to Ian about having Alison's video and Spencer hesitates. Hanna says, "Send it already." Spencer sends and the girls all look over at Ian and he checks his phone and then he leaves the conversation with his friends and walks away. Avery says, "There must've been a part of me that didn't believe it because I just... I-I feel..." Emily says, "Numb?" Spencer says, "Somehow I-I thought I'd feel better when we found out for sure." Hanna says, "Well, I know what they do to guys like him in prison and, and that makes me feel a lot better." Hanna's phone beeps and she sighs and says, "It's just my mom making sure I stayed out of bed." Then the burner phone beeps, and Spencer says, "He wants to know what we want." Hanan grabs the phone and messages to bring $10,000 to Willow Park at 9pm and to come alone. Mona walks over and says, "Is this the let's love on Hanna lunch committee?" Mona sits down next to Hanna and she runs Hanna's shoulder and continues to say, "Feeling better, sweetie?" Spencer says, "I'm sorry, I have this thing that I have to do." Spencer leaves and Mona says, "And then there were four." Avery says, "I'll help." Emily says, "Yeah, me too." Avery and Emily both follow after Spencer.