SPENCER AND I met up with the girls at the Apple Rose Grille to talk about what mum told us.
“Do you think somebody rubbed that sweater on both your bracelets?” Aria asked for more like stated the obvious.
“Somebody?” Emily scoffed “Try Ian. His doing everything he can to make you look guilty. Your parents should heir you a 24 hours bodyguard.”
“What about Jenna? What if she paid Caleb to get that the bracelets—”
“Wait, when was Caleb in their house?” Emily asked Aria
“He doesn’t need an invitation Em’ he broke into a vending machine with a spork.”
“Guys.” I called out looking outside. “I think somebody’s watching us.”
They all turned their heads to look outside.
“Those?” Emily said looking at the three figures. “Their for the founding festival.”
“Man, if that’s what Rosewood founding family looked like how’d they ever get anyone to move here?” Aria joked
“And why were they allowed to reproduce.” Spencer added
“Guys if Caleb—”
Hanna finally snapped cutting Emily off. “Guys can we stop using the C word.”
Aria looked at Hanna. “We know this is hard for you. But we have to talk about Ca— him.”
“If we have to help Lexi and Spencer we have to know what Caleb knows.” Emily added
“Guys these definitely somebody out there.” Spencer said but everybody ignored her.
“Maybe if Emily and I cornered Caleb. Not in school but somewhere Jenna free.” Aria tried but got cut off by Hanna.
“If Caleb’s going to talk to anyone it’s going to be me.” Hanna told us
“Will you do it?” Emily asked her
“To help Spencer and Lexi sure.”
“Thanks Han.”
WALKING DOWN THE stairs I heard what Melissa said making me look up from my cell phone where I was texting Raven.
“— That Spencer and Lexi will be wearing handcuffs at my baby shower.”
“Morning sweetie.” Mum said the moment she saw me and walked over to the fridge. “You want some yogurt I have fresh berries.”
“No I already ate, thanks.” I said still looking at the back of Melissa’s head.
“What were you talking about?” I asked Melissa setting my bag and cell phone on the table
“The founders Festival. Your sister and Ian are think of helping Mrs. Acrid with the church booth.” Mum said scratch her hair.
“Fun.” I said mockingly to Melissa as I walked passed her to the counter.
“I actually want you and Spencer to join them.” I turned and looked at mum.
“You can get on Mrs. Acrid’s good side and no one in town—”
“Why do we need to be on her good side?” I asked cutting Melissa off.
“Because people are talking and jumping to a lot of conclusions.”
Before I could say anything my phone on the table started running. Melissa who was closer to it checked it.
“Its Toby.”
I quickly rushed to it but mum grabbed it first. I had been asking Toby if we could meet. I thought it’s about time we talked over coffee.
“honey I prefer if you not had any contact with him until this situation is behind us. Tell Spencer as well.”
“Why? What does Toby have to do with anything?”
“You need to be careful about to you associate with.”
“So we're supposed to ignore him? Not speak to him?”
“Yes. Sweetie listen to me. You and Spencer need to be at the festival. If your not your neighbour’s are going to think you both have something to hide.”
“We don’t care about what the neighbour’s think.”
“Their not just neighbour’s. Their the potential juries and most verdicts are decided in the living rooms and town fairs. Take Toby out of that equation, okay.”
“A KEY? A key for what?” Spencer asked as we were all in Emily’s room.
“That’s what I said.” Hanna shrugged
“Was it a key to Ali’s house? Her locker at the tennis club?” Emily guessed
“Why would Jenna want that?” Aria scoffed “What’s she gonna do, sniff Ali's old sweat socks.”
Spencer sighed “If Jenna’s A she’s looking for any information on us she can get.”
“I cannot believe he went through my closet and night stand.” Hanna grumbled “What a jerk.”
“His a total creep.” Spencer shook her head.
“His an animal.” Emily added
Aria frowned. “Easy guys he looked through your stuff, he didn't invade Poland.”
“Why are you sticking up for him? He broke her trust.” I questioned Aria
“He went behind her back”
“He stuck his hand inside her panty drawer.”
We all looked at Spencer after what she just said.
“Sorry.”
Aria sighed. “All I’m saying is that somebody can look through somebody’s stuff that they know they not supposed to be looking through.”
“You wanna translate that Miss. Speech?” I asked Aria
“I saw Ezra's website page. Well, I knocked his desk and his laptop screen came up.”
“So big deal.” Spencer shrugged. “What the juiciest thing on his status update? Ezra Fitz has joined the Mark Twain Fan page?”
Aria shook her head. “How about he has a double life.”
“Wait, I thought you were his double life?” Hanna frowned in confusion.
“Fine, triple life.” Aria sighed. “There was this picture if him cozying up to some girl wearing an engagement ring in Italy.”
“What’s her name?”
“Jackie.”
“How do you know she wasn’t his cousin?” Emily questioned
“Because in picture number three they were licking each others gelato.”
Ohhh that’s disgusting.
“Guys seriously, What do I do?”
“Be honest with him. Explain what happened and see what he says.” Emily suggested
Spencer nodded “Yeah and remember people can look guilty of something even if they’re completely innocent.”
“You know what? Screw that.” Hanna scoffed. “Make a fake profile, friend Jackie comb there that skanks page and nail his ass to the wall.” See all the looks we were giving her Hanna mumbled. “Or we can do what Emily says.”
REACHING THE PARK Raven and I were supposed to meet I didn’t waste him greeting and took a seat.
“You okay?” He asked me.
“Yeah I’m fine just tired.”
Raven frowned “Aren’t you supposed to be meeting Mrs. Acrid?”
I sighed. “I am but I don’t really care what half of Rosewood thinks about me.”
“What’s your mum going to say about you not being there?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’ll find out when she’s yelling at me.”
“It can’t be that bad—”
“I’m not allowed to talk or see Toby.”
“Why are you talking to Toby?”
“I need to apologize for everything and Spencer likes Toby so I need to make things right between us.”
“How’s the investigation going?”
“My mum thinks that someone’s trying to set up Spencer and I.”
“And what do you think?”
“That she’s right. I would never kill Alison and neither would Spencer. So where the hell is this evidence they getting coming from?”
“Would would try and frame you?”
A
“I don’t know.”
We both sit in silence just listening to the sounds around us
“You know what I would love?” I said to him. “A break.”
“And with this break what will you so?”
“Dance”
Raven let out a laugh until he saw that I was serious.
“I would love to just dance. I don’t even remember the last time I danced.”
SPENCER AND I were a taking a walk around the festival as she told me what I missed with Mrs. Acrid. Soon Ian ran into us.
“We have been looking for the two of you.”
“Why? Did the Reverends wife stop to see through your act too?” I asked him
Ian took a step forward. “When are you gonna learn to keep quite.”
“Get away from us.”
“You know every time you two try to bring me down you both get into trouble. You know what they say about quick sand girls the more you struggle the more you sink and you are sinking fast.”
Spencer and I both glared at him as he walked away.
I turned and faced Spencer after we’ve been standing in one place for a while.
“Spencer why are we standing here?”
“We are waiting for Toby.” Her phone chirped. “His inside. Come on let’s go.”
Walking inside all I could think about was how creepy this was. Do Spencer and Toby meet each other at places like this.
Soon as Clown piped out scarring both Spencer and I.
“Spencer did you forget I’m scared of clowns?”
Looking at the wall I read the words
HAVING FUN YET?
SHUT UP OR I’LL SHUT YOU UP
-A
“Spencer let’s get out of here.”
“Toby where are you?”
Spencer and I got inside this spinning thing (Sorry I don’t know it’s name) we tired getting out but it was stuck it wouldn’t open. We started banging the door asking for help. Soon it was getting hard for me to breath Clowns and closed spaced don’t work for me.
When the door opened we came face to face with Ian and a crowbar.
“Ian?” Melissa’s voice yelled out.
“Yeah, I’ve got them. They fine.”
Rushing out I jumped into my mothers arms as I tried to control my breathing.
Leaving we saw Toby outside. He must have been waiting for Spencer.
“Come on girls, we can cut this way.” Mum said after seeing Toby.
I smiled when I saw Spencer running to Toby’s arms.
We gathered at Emily’s when Spencer and I found out that they got the key and found a USB in in the end. Pressing play the videos were of us.
“Someone been spying on us for years.”
“Ali didn’t takes the video. She’s in it.” Aria sighed “she in a lot of then
“Oh My God. That’s July 4th.” I pointed out.
“She always said it was Toby piping on us.”
Spencer frowned “There is no way this is Toby.”
“Well then who is it?” Hanna asked
“How about why? Why did Alison have these videos?” Aria frowned
“Did the person who took these videos know she had them.” Emily questioned
“Was this why she was killed?” Spencer asked