A Pretty Little Parody [PLL]

41. I'm Your Psychotherapist ... If You Take Out The 'The'

Hey! I know I haven't updated in a while (I was on vacation in China and Wattpad doesn't work there), but the story is back on! It's fully complete, so segments should be posted pretty regularly. This is one of my favorite chapters and where the action starts to happen. Enjoy!

I gasped. “Courtney!”

She giggled. The horrible sound matched the one I’d heard in the alleyway and the one I’d heard that other time exactly. “I always knew you were the smart one. Can’t say the same about your cute little bro in there, though.”

“What have you done to my brother?” I demanded. “Tell me!”

“Tsk, tsk, Sasha. You have to have patience.” Then Courtney noticed Scott, who was hurrying down the path after me. “Ooh, and who’s the eye candy? Another twin?”

“He’s my friend Scott,” I said through clenched teeth. “Just tell me where Eli is, bitch.”

“I’ll take you to him, if you do what I say.” She smiled widely, and as she did, I caught a whiff of Eli’s distinct D&G cologne. Spots danced before my eyes. He was close, I knew it.

“Are you okay?” Scott asked as soon as he was within earshot. I nodded. “I’m fi--”

“Ooh, hello,” Scott said to Courtney, blinking behind his glasses. He held out his hand for her to shake. “I’m Scott Hardon, Sasha’s friend and brother.”

“Courtney DiLaurentis, one of Sasha’s blackmailers.” She smiled and batted her eyelashes flirtatiously. “You say you’re her brother?”

“Yeah. It’s weird how she has so many.”

“Uh, hello, I’m still here,” I snapped. I poked Courtney. “What do you want me to do? I want Eli back.”

She brushed me off. “Jeez, so impatient. All right, follow me.” She turned towards the back and took Scott’s hand, forcing me to walk behind them like a creepy follower. I rolled my eyes. The faster I got out of here, the better.

“Do you like scary movies?” Courtney was asking Scott as we pushed past the fancy tables and the bathroom I’d thrown up in the last time we were here.

“I love ‘em,” Scott answered honestly. “How about you?”

“Same.” She grinned at him. “We should go see one sometime.”

“I’d love that.” He gave her hand a little squeeze.

“Me too.” She squeezed back.

Oh, come on, you guys just frickin’ met! I wanted to shout. Isn’t it a little too early to be asking each other out? But then Courtney put her hand against a fingerprint-scanner to a door that was labeled RESTRICTED ACCESS, and I forgot everything else.

“See, there’s nothing to worry about,” Courtney said to me as she flipped on the light. “He’s right--oh, shit.”

The sudden light temporarily blinded me and I squinted. It took me a few moments to get adjusted to the brightness, and when it did, I saw that I was standing in a makeshift bedroom. There were dirty clothes that had been dumped haphazardly on the ground. A TV was mounted on the ceiling, playing on mute with subtitles. There was a futon and with messy sheets, and the air smelled like Eli.

But Eli wasn’t there.

“What the hell?” Courtney snapped. “He’s supposed to be here, I swear.” She pulled out her phone and started typing, then snapped it shut. “F***ing hell. There’s no service in this cage.”

Scott walked around the perimeter, examining the walls curiously. “Is this room… soundproof?”

“What? Oh, yeah,” she replied. “It had to be. At first Eli was wailing twenty-four seven, and it was pissing everybody off.”