The Sixth Doll~ Pretty Little Liars

Je Suis Une Amie

-

"What is the point of a swim-off?" Spencer frowned as she, Emily, and Isabel walked to their next class.

"Why would the coach pit you against each other before a meet?" Isabel agreed.

"She's using our combined times to choose anchor, and right now, we're tied," Emily explained.

"Well, you'll change that," Spencer assured her.

"Maybe not. She wants it more," Emily complained.

"Emily, you want it more, And it is okay to admit that," Isabel smiled. Suddenly, Spencer stopped, making Isabel and Emily come to an abrupt halt as well. Isabel looked at what she was staring at. A want poster for a French tutor for a 'homeschooled' student.

"You know who that's for, don't you?" Isabel said darkly. 

"Toby?" Spencer asked. Isabel nodded, and Spencer took a slip of paper with a phone number for it.

"What are you doing?" Isabel scoffed. 

"I might be interested," Spencer shrugged.

"Spencer, don't. You can't," Emily protested.

"Why not?" Spencer argued.

"Because you'd be going there for the wrong reason," Emily sighed.

"Really? Well, what if the same person who gave my name to the bead lady is the one who framed Toby?" Spencer snapped. "What if that was 'A'?"

"Can't you find that out some other way? Without asking him?" Emily hissed. "And why don't you have an opinion on this, Isabel?"

"I dunno. If Spencer and Toby wanna conjugate French verbs, then okay. If they wanna make out on his porch, then that's okay too," Isabel shrugged. "I really don't care."

"Make out?" Spencer scoffed.

"Yeah, and why're you condoning this?" Emily huffed.

"Who else knows what he knows, Emily?" Spencer countered. "If I can get him to talk-"

"You won't even get him to look at you," Emily yelled at her. "He doesn't trust us. He doesn't trust anyone anymore."

"Maybe, but if I have one piece of the puzzle and he has another, then we can put it together and maybe help each other," Spencer said. Then, she glanced around before ripping the whole poster down.

-

After school, Isabel hung out with Aria and Hanna at Aria's.

"Just don't think about it. It'll make you crazy," Hanna said, filing her nails on Aria's floor.

"How am I supposed to not think about it?" Aria panicked. Supposedly, Ella had a ticket to the museum the same night Aria and Mr. Fitz had went. "It's too freaky. If my mom's car hadn't stalled-"

"Well, it did," Hanna said loudly. "Don't look a gift card in the mouth. The universe gave you a pass."

"Isn't it gift horse?" Isabel frowned, looking up from her History textbook.

"Yeah, and that's not the universe I know," Aria added.

"Well, look, it all worked out, okay, and that's what counts," Hanna replied. "Maybe the universe got a little help from someone--Someone with really good intentions." As she spoke, Aria got up and made her way to the door.

Isabel stared at both of them quizzically. "Aria, what are you-"

"Shh," Aria said abruptly, listening to someone talk on the phone. After a moment, Isabel realized it was Byron.