The Sixth Doll~ Pretty Little Liars

Misery Loves Company

"You're not giving her the pages, right?" Hanna gulped.

"No, they're hidden in a safe place, and they'll stay there till my dad gets home," Aria assured her. She looked over at Spencer before continuing. "Then we'll give him the chance to tell us the truth."

"And if he doesn't?" Hanna asked, obviously afraid of the answer.

"I don't want to believe that my dad could have hurt Ali," Aria said. "But if he did do it... This is a family secret that I can't keep."

-

Isabel was at Toby's, trying to help Spencer with her plan.

"Today's drip: black," Isabel joked as she walked in with his coffee.

"Thanks, Bella," Toby smiled when she handed it to him.

"Thank you for letting me hang," she replied. "Jason's working late."

"Mmm. How'd they get you to open up the Brew this morning?" he asked as she sat down on his couch.

"Kinda got drafted," Isabel laughed.

"I'm running over to Spencer's for a shower," Toby explained as he gathered his sketches. "The plumber won't be here until nine."

"Great," she nodded, pulling out her book. "I've got some reading to do."

"'Lord of the Flies.' Your pick or theirs?" he frowned.

"Theirs. I don't mind it," Isabel shrugged. "I kind of identify with those boys. Feel like I've been on that island with the girls. We did it the right way... we stuck together no matter what."

"You are thick as thieves," he agreed.

"We knew 'A' was trying to tear us apart," she went on, looking at the cover of her book thoughtfully. "Mona actually brought us closer together. And we know that now. We're stronger for it."

"So you actually have something to thank her for," Toby joked, but since Isabel still held a grudge against Mona, she wouldn't say that.

"I wouldn't go that far," she huffed, not unkindly.

Toby frowned at her and asked, almost suspicious, "Now that she back in Rosewood, Mona's leaving you alone, right?"

"She... seems to be a model citizen," Isabel shrugged, and to be honest, she didn't know if it was really Mona, so it wasn't technically a lie.

"Hey, you'd tell me if things started up again..." he said slowly, and she froze. "Wouldn't you?"

"Of course." Now that was a lie. "I gotta get back to the flies." She added, holding up the book jokingly.

He picked up his bag and started off, but then he turned around again. "Oh, hey, Bella, could you lock up on your way out?" he tossed her the keys, which she caught one-handed, since she had to save her page with the other.

"Sure," she smiled. She watched him leave, and when he closed the door, she pulled out her phone and rang up Spencer. "Hey, Spence. Mission accomplished. He's on his way to your house, and I got the keys."