Baby There's Already A Bitch In Town

Chapter Eleven: The Bitch Of Living

"Is it new?"

Emily tenses minutely before answering. "No." 

The lie makes Eisa inwardly raise an eyebrow, she literally just saw Maya give it to her, but given that's not her business, she lets it go without a word. Besides, she couldn't have mentioned anything anyway, as all attention was immediately directed to the ringing of Hanna's phone. After a tense moment, Aria prods her in to answering it.

"Well go on... We know who it can't be."

"It's my dad," Hanna's smile makes Eisa immediately happy for her friend, she knows how much a call from her dad means to her.

The group watch Hanna as she walks away, talking animatedly on the phone as she does, Emily the first to break the awkward silence, even in the din of the cafeteria.

"Has she... even talked to her dad since he walked out on them?"

"Nope. He promised to call when he could but every scheduled call has been mysteriously 'rain-checked'," Eisa, the only one with this knowledge, gives it up freely and easily, still staring at her friend who has yet to display a single negative emotion during the call.

"Yeah, and Hanna and her dad is one of those 'don't ask, don't tell' situations."

Aria gently tugged on Eisa's sleeve to get her going while she said, "We shouldn't stare at her... Come on."

The group traveled as a pack, chatting about something Aria's baby brother posted on Facebook, when Eisa was slightly knocked to the side before being caught by the same thing, or rather person, that nearly knocked her flat on her ass. Toby.

"What the hell! Would you watch where you're going? And next time, keep your dirty paws to yourself Cavanaugh!" The well acted fake beratement covered the little part of Eisa that leaned in to the comforting, familiar touch. Toby's smile smirk as he replied even made her heart clench a little.

"Whatever, Two-Face."

As Eisa dusted herself off, Spencer and Aria got in to a brief argument about whether or not Toby was A, a possibility Eisa sincerely doubted. As they agreed not to think about it, and to avoid him and his step sister, Eisa found a note in her pocket.

Meet me under the bleachers, I need to talk to you. I miss you. - T Bird

She sighed. Wondering what he wants, she glides through the school halls to catch up with her friends to beg off, claiming to go to the toilet, and instead finding herself under the bleachers, waiting for her fellow miscreant. It doesn't take long before he finally shows.

"Toby? Is everything ok? The way your message was written it seemed like-" Eisa's genuine worry was cut off by Toby's lips pressed firmly against hers, and for a moment, rather than resist, she indulges. Then her senses return to her, making her push away from him. "What are you doing?"

"You dumped Noel."

"Yes, and?"

"I missed you," with Toby's hands on her waist, his thumbs caressing the bare skin underneath her top that he's sneaked his way to, she can't think properly. Especially as he kisses her neck tenderly. "I thought, maybe, at least under the bleachers, we can be what we were."

His mouth trailed itself distractingly up her neck back to her mouth, and just as Eisa finally lost herself in the rhythm of their make out, she heard a familiar voice.

"What in the actual fuck?"

Turning to the voice, her hands automatically reaching to cover her likely smudged lipstick, she finds her ex-boyfriend, Noel.