-Erica-
Ugh my head, It was sore. It was so sore from last night and these light's, they made it worse, not only did the feel like blinding bright, but they made it worse.
"Erica, get up. Come on."I groaned as my sisters yelling voices in my ears.
"Sunglasses, coffee, comfy clothes." I mumble there was a sigh and it sounded so loud "Aria, be quiet." I whined into wherever my head was rested. I think it might have been the chase that I crashed out on.
"I told you she'd be like this. Nice work Hanna." Aria loudly mutters
"What did I do?" she complained
"You spiked the punch and she drank it, plus whatever she was carrying as well." Aria retorts.
"Erica, shower and dress, something happened last night." I drag my self up and to Spencer's bathroom. I showered which woke me up and relaxed everything a little more. I dried and dressed before exiting the bathroom. Spencer was there holding some sunglasses.
"I love you." I slipped them on and turned to Emily.
"How are you not crippled? You were loving up a tree last night?" Emily looked down "I love you drunk but sweetie, you shouldn't. I need Coffee, before you tell me what's going on." We headed down stairs.
"Wait where's Ian?" Emily asked
"Don't worry, he went to Philly to be with Melissa." Spencer replied
"I didn't realised life existed at this hour." Em sighed I went straight to make some coffee.
"What time is it anyway?" I wondered
"6:30." Aria told me
"You woke me up at Six in the morning. Aria!" I whined she shook her head at me
"Whatever, come on guys you need to see this." She was pulling something up on Spencer's laptop.
"I thought my first sunrise would have tequila in it." Hanna complained pouting as I made the coffee
"Word." I added.
"I thought we were done looking at this? we know the shadow was Ian." Spencer asked my sister, who glanced at her for a moment.
"What was Ian?" I went round to her laptop, lifted my sunglasses up, there was a image of Ali walking though Spencer's yard and Spencer pointed to the shadow.
"Oh, missed a lot." i dropped them back down. Aria printed off the picture.
"You woke us up for this." Emily ground and I could feel her pain.
"It's important. I couldn't let it go." My sister replied printing f the picture and getting it from the printer.
"Wait have you been up all night?" Hanna wondered
"Maybe."
"You have, one eye is bigger that the other. You look like a strung out powerpuff girl." Hanna retorted looking at Aria closely.
"Stop looking at the eye, look at the picture." Aria knocked her friend and points to the print out version.
"Anyone else having coffee?" I ask pouring my self a cup. Spencer get up and grabs one for herself
"i mean there is only one place where this could have been taken from. Alison's bedroom." Aria deduced and I took the picture from her. narrowing my pouring eyes at it.
" No, Alison's in the picture, she clearly didn't take that" Hanna rebuffed my sisters theory
"No but someone in her house did." Aria replied, a part of me didn't like where this was heading.
"Her parent's?" Emily guessed
"Jason." Aria looked at me
"Why would Jason take a picture of his own sister, that doesn't make sense." I grabbed my phone, scrolling through my contacts.
"What are you doing?" Emily wondered, as I sipped and shipped through.
"Seeing if this picture of Ali is real and calling Jason. One of you is coming with me, I need a crutch while I'm recovering." There were a chorus of I'm nots.
"I will" Spencer replied
"Fine." i pressed dial, it rang out he answered
"Babe, where are you? and do not speak so loud I'm hungover." I say before he could even get his hello in, I was in need of painkillers and hadn't had any yet.
"Hey to you too. I'm getting ready to go to a meeting to why?" he chuckled replying back to me. Jason was no longer phased my anything I said, unless it was a threat of some kind then his attitude change.
"Spencer and i need to see you. We need your opinion on something." I glance at ym friends then knock my sunglasses back down to cover my eyes.
"Sure, how about tomorrow before school." Jason offered, I heard what I think was his briefcase closed.
"That will work."
"Okay I got to go, love you."
"Love you too bye." i hung up and dropped my phone on the counter
"Sorted, now we'll see if he took it or not. Tomorrow before school." I told them with a small shrug as I want back to drinking my coffee.
"Tomorrow? Why not today?" Emily wondered
"He's busy."
--------
Monday morning came and I picked up Spence so we could go see Jason. We we meeting him at the track field just outside of town, somewhere he went often when he wasn't drinking or doing drugs. Since he kicked the habit, this was how he got anything and almost everything out.
"Why are we going to the Track and felid?" Spence questioned
"That' where he works out when he's home, that and he does't bump into anyone from town because not many people go there unless its for track or field. It's pretty quiet." We pulled up and made our way in. Jason was jogging up and down the steps. I wolf whistled and he stopped grinning at me.
"Looking fiiiiiine Mister." I grin he does one more jog before coming over to me. We kissed and a parted to stand next to him. He slipped his arm around my waist.
"Hey." he nodded to Spencer. I had warned her that he knew she knew, but it still didn't make it any less awkward.
"Hey Jason. I'm sorry to interrupt your workout. Actually this can wait." She was about to bottle.
"Really? 'Cause it Erica made it sound like it couldn't." I could feel his eyes land on me and then they were gone again.
"Why are you in town Jason?" Jase chuckled
"Erica and family business. Spencer, what is this about?" Spencer grabbed the picture out of her bag and handed it to him.
"This was sent to me. It looks like it was taken from the second floor of your house." My feet were sore so I went to sit down.
"Yeah, it does." he didn't sound convinced
"So why don't you sound convinced." Spence wondered
"Look, after Ali disappeared we got bizarre things in the mail. Sympathy cards from strangers and letters with conspiracy theories about what happened to her. Sometimes it was photo's, blurry images of a blonde girl running away from the camera." Jase listed off what had happened after Ali had gone. I looked back on the two as they talked.
"Yeah but it's defiantly Ali and it's looking over my yard. It was taken the night she disappeared . I mean look she's got the same yellow top on." Spencer insisted point to the photo
"Spencer the have programs now that make photoshop look like scissors and a glue stick." he retorted not buying it.
"Babe, surely you can check it out. Please." I asked, they turned to me.
"I'll tell you what my family hired a P.I. I'll take the picture and see what he comes up with." Spencer nodded
"Spencer, Ali's memorial was the hardest thing I've ever done. I was a jerk, I know that." i smiled softly and stood up again heading to stand next to Spencer.
"Well that wasn't the term I would have used but it works" Spencer gave a small smile to my boyfriend.
"I need to speak with Erica." i turned to Spence.
"Wait for me at the car yeah." she nodded and left. Jason took my hand and kissed it making me smiled and swoon at the same time
"So I've been thinking."
"Yeah, what about?" I wondered
"Having our first date that is not in a shack, my room or a hotel room. I want to take you out in Philly for a proper date." I lit up.
"Seriously?"
"Yes, I think it's long overdue, This new restaurant has just opened up, no one will know us, no one we know will see us. It's perfect." he suggested and I was more than ready.
"It sounds great when?"
"I will text you, everything okay?"
"Okay." we kissed once more and I left, Spencer was waiting by the car.
"What's got you so giddy." We got in.
"First public date with my boyfriend. There is this new restaurant that he wants to take me too." I chimed practically skipping towards her.
"Erica, are you sure you should be dating him?" her voice was laced with concern.
"Why would you ask that."
"Don't you remember the relationship them two had, it was..."
"Messy I remember. Spence, I appreciate you looking out for me, but Jason helped me through stuff that not even my parents knew about. That no one knows about, apart from him." I told her vaguely, I didn't want to get into it ever, let alone right now.
"What stuff?" she wondered
"Some dark stuff, we've been there for each other and no matter what happens between us even if this relationship doesn't work out, it won't change how I feel about him. I need you to trust me okay?" I ask of her and she thought about it before relenting.
"Okay."
"Great now I'm gonna need help with what I'm going to wear after school." We made our way to school. We met up with Aria.
"How did it go?" she asked us
"He's gonna look into it?" we told her and started walking to Spencer's locker. Hanna was at her talking on the phone, but it looked sketchy
"Hanna? Who are you talking to?" Aria wondered
"My mom." she answered. Spencer opened up her locker
"Everything okay?" Spencer questioned
"Humm? Yeah everything's fine." It wasn't but I don't think any of us wanted to push her, in time I'm sure she would tell us like we told each other everything.
"Oh, I forgot to give these too you, the other day." Spencer handed Aria museum tickets to her.
"Thank you" They hugged "I owe you big time, are you sure you're Dad's not gonna miss these."
"Oh please. he joined the museum bored for networking. The man doesn't know the different between a monet and a mojito." she replied
"I do the mojito is fun and the monet is boring." Aria shoved me causing me to laugh
"Well, hey how can I get you back?"
"pay for the extra topping on my pizza delivery." she suggested and I chuckled
"alright."
"oh and a dvd rental because if I have to hole up in my room all night as your alibi I would like to do it with Jake Gylenhall." My phone buzzed . It was Jason
"In fact can you cover for me as well, turns out us twins both have dates. I will pay for your DVD rental." I glance up at her as I was replying back.
"Sure." Spencer nodded
"Wait you're not all going together?" Hanna was confused
"No, um. Spencer got the tickets for me and Ezra." Aria looked around her before she said Mr Fitz's name. Even then she lowered her voice.
"You're going with Mr Fitz." I shushed her she was little too loud
"I really wish you'd just call him Ezra. And yes I'm taking him, he just doesn't know it yet. It's a surprise. I don't know i just figured a date out of town would give us a chance to actually have a date." she thought out loud
"Yeah I get it you guys do have the social lives of shut ins." Spencer joked and I laughed shaking my head
"Haha you're hilarious."
-------
After school Spencer, Hanna and Emily came over and we were looking through my closet.
"I don't get why you have to go first." Aria huffed as she sat down on my bed.
"Because I'm the eldest."
"By half an hour." she retorted I pulled out a few dresses.
"Okay, little black dress, sexy dusty pink, or sultry red" I held up my three options. The four of them tilted their heads slightly.
"Sexy pink." they agreed." I put the other two away, Hanna was looking at my shoes, Spencer and Emily, my jewellery and Aria my hair."
"Soft updo." Aria played with it.
"Thanks."
"Shoes, these red ones will give it a pop without you looking like a slut." Hanna held up a pair of new red heels that I had bought just for the fun of it.
"And we found these, simple yet elegant." Spencer and Emily smiled, they held up necklaces and jewellery.
"Thank you, oh wait. Aria take this, despite us being twins I think the red will suit you better." I handed her the red one.
"Really."
"She's right." Hanna confirmed
"And hair down, I think it will look good down." Emily added, we all continued taking about random things before the others hand to get home. Mike walked in not long before dinner.
"Mike, can you come here please." he did dropping his stuff "And close the door, there is something I need to tell you." he did as I asked
"Is this about the other night?" He wondered as i moved to sit on the bed.
"Yeah, come, sit." He did and I sighed
"You know the other day when we were talking about my boyfriend and you said you were curious but...." I trailed off.
"But I don't have to know."
"I want to tell you." i nodded, it was time he knew who he had been help covering for. it only felt right now that Aria and the girls knew, now.
"Erica you don't have too."
"But I want to, because I know I can trust you with this." He nodded and I took a deep breath. I took off my necklace ad showed it to him.
"Jason Dilaurentis. Alison's brother?!" he whisper yelled. i nodded and he sat there in shock
"Are you mad?"
"Mad, no. I just don't know what to say. Does anyone else know?"he wondered looking down at the locket I rarely ever removed for many reasons.
"Toby, Aria, Spencer, Hanna and Emily." i reply oh and A a crepy stalker bully bitch. There was along silence
"He does make you happy and he's treating you right, right?" I smile softly.
"Yes. In fact we're going on our first public outing tomorrow." I chime, it felt like the excitement was oozing out of me. I couldn't help it.
"In town?!"
"No, are you crazy? In the city. Spencer is covering." I told him and he relaxed, despite being older than him, Mike seemed to become very protective over me as we grew up, defiantly more than he was with Aria.
"If he hurt's you I will punch him." I laugh
"I'm sure it will be a knock out. Thank you for not telling." I leaned my head on his shoulder
"Anything for my favourite." he joked
"Don't let Aria hear you say that, even though it's kind of obvious." I giggle
--------------
The next day, Aria and I were planning on having manicures and pedicures done for our dates, I hadn't talk to them much today. So at lunch I joined them though, Hanna wasn't there yet.
"Why is this called meat casserole?" Emily wondered out loud
"That Lunch lady has a gift for suspense." Spencer replied, she sighed. "Where's Hanna?"
"Who cares."Aria mumbles I turn my head to my sister, she was toying with her salad. My head tilted in confusion.
"What?" I ask
"never mind." she shook out of her daze and ate her salad. I shrugged
"Em, how's swim practice?" I question trying to make conversation. Emily poked at her food.
"Can we talk about something else?" Spencer and I shared a look of confusion.
"Okay, I've heard of communal cramps but this is ridiculous."
"Yeah what gives. Yesterday you were glowing with first date excitement that you were ready to give Spencer your tongue for the two tickets. You not into it anymore?" Spencer question the two grumpy member of our group.
"No, I mean yes. I'm so into it." Aria perks up
"Good, so how are you getting there?" Spencer wonders
"The train."
"In the red dress, are you insane? Why not taxi it or something." I inquire baffled, that red dress does not belong travelling on a train.
"Because, we decided on that. What about you how are you getting to your date with Jason?" she whispered his name
"He is picking me up from Spencer's. Her parents won't be back till after I have gone where as Dad is coming home early, I dropped my stuff at hers this morning." I answered my pink dress was getting the same treatment as she wearing it, which was the gentleman way of going on a date.
"So what are you doing after school Em?" Spencer wonders. She doesn't say anything because she's distracted. "Who are you looking at?"
"It's nothing. Just some girl on my swim team who wants me to disappear." we look over to where her focus is on.
"What's her name?" Aria questioned
"Paige McCullers."
"Oh yeah, I know her we had field hockey together. We named a penalty after her, what'd she say?" Spencer continued
"some snarky comment about me being gay."
"I'm going to destroy her." I went to stand up.
"I'll help." Spencer and Aria agreed
"Guys stop. It's okay I took care of it." She dug in her bag and pulled out a box then her purse. I snatched the box up
"Anyone else thirsty I'm gonna get a drink?" Em went to pull some money out
"Where's this from?" I wonder
"Paige, whatever it is you can have it. She's trying to bribe her way to becoming next team Captain." I opened it up and pulled out a bracelet that said 'GO SHARKS' it was like the friendship bracelets Ali got us.
"Do you think they're from the same place?" Aria breathed.
"Possibly." Em replies
"if they are maybe the store owner could tell us who bought the fake Alison bracelet." Spencer added coming up with the thought
"Or the Jenna one." I continued
"And we would know who A is." Finally we had something. Thank you crazy Paige.
--------
The last bell rang and I left class, i rode with Spencer. Back to hers and got ready. An hour later there was a knock at the door.
"Good Luck." Spencer smiled
"Thank you." I opened the door and Jason stood there looking very smart.
"You look beautiful." he breathed and I blushed
"Thank you."
"You ready to go." I nodded, taking his arm and closing the door behind me. Jase escorted me to the car and opened the door, i slid in and he closed it going around the the drivers side. We drive away from town.
"Are you excited?" he wondered
"And nervous, I just can't believe were going on our first actual date were we don't have hide away from the world. Not that I mind that. It's nice." he grabbed my hand and kissed it.
"Long time coming."
"Yeah." We lapsed into a comfortable silence for the rest of the journey. When we arrived we were seated immediately and given menus.
"Everything looks good on here ." i comment, glancing over what they were offering, despite the fact he had seen me get all messy over eating a burger, I was gonna be classy, or at least try to be.
"Not as good as you." i laughed
"When did you become all cheesy romantic?" I questioned, leaning my head on my hand.
"I guess you just bring out that side of me." he cleared his throat "So how is school."
"How about we leave school and work of the table." I reply I pulled back, that was something i didn't want to talk about tonight and he took the request.
"Okay how's your family?" he amended
"Different, my Dad is trying to mend bridge but I'm not interested in it right now. Aria is wanting to just carry on as normal, which she is almost succeeding at, I don't know where Mike is really at apart from he thinks our father is a hypocrite." he was about to answer when our waitress came over, we made our order and she left.
"And your Mom?"
"Mom, is taking it in her stride. Making positive changes, she's teaching at the school." I told him and he seemed s little surprised. Mom had always been into art, hence why she took the job at the gallery.
"Your Mom is a teacher, how's that?"
"Weird and cool. Anyway how about your family?" I changed the subject, sometimes it felt like all we talked about was me and I didn't want that. I was making a more conscious effort to change.
"Mom's trying to carry on but she's struggling and Dad well it's as if nothing ever happened and he just carries on as normal." he looked down, I know it was hard for him to talk about but I was glad that he did and he trusted me to confide in.
"You?"
"Me, I bury myself in work when I'm not with you, I fend off conspiracy theories about my sister while trying not to backslide." I smile comfortingly. Jason was into drugs and drinking almost as much as he was into me. He tried not to bring it around when we were dating but he constantly wrecked of it.
"You know I'm always here for you right?" I reached across the table and took his hand. He squeezed it.
"Of curse I do." not long after our food came and we had small conversation. Soft music was playing.
"Care to dance?" he held out his hand
"Really?"
"Sure. but just so you know I'm not a professional like you." he joked. i took his hand and we made our way to the dance floor. We started swaying
"You really do look beautiful, tonight." he complimented me
"Thank you, you don't look so bad yourself." he twirled me around and pulled me back.
------
The next morning I woke up with Jason's arms around me, last night was amazing. I don't think I'll ever forget it. but reality hit and a phone started ringing. Then another phone. I huffed and we both moved to reach for our cell phones. I grabbed his shirt as well and went into the bathroom.
"Hello."
"Erica, where are you, you were supposed to be back an hour ago." i was Spencer. I looked at my phone.
"Shit, okay give me half an hour and have the shower running." I hung up and race to pick up my clothes.
"What's the rush?"Jase asked after he ended the call.
"Cinderella was supposed to be back an hour ago. and I have school in less that" I changed back into my dress. "Can you give me a ride."
"Sure. he got dressed as well and drove me back to Spencer's.
"Last night was great." I went to leave and head back.
"Wait, I got a call from the P.I." he told me, causing me to stop
"Yeah, yeah come back tonight. I gotta go." i gave him a quick kiss and ran in. Spencer was waiting for me.
"Seriously."
"Scold me later, I have to shower." I stripped again got in. I showered and dressed, I borrowed Spencer hair dryer and managed to to all this in 20 minutes.
"Okay ready. I'll do my make up in the car." We headed downstairs.
"Hey Mr H."
"morning girls, wait aren't there supposed to be three of you?" he questioned
"oh Aria had to leave early, something about a paper she left at home?" I shrugged lying my ass off. we grabbed some coffee and we left for school.
"So how was last night?" she asked me
"It was amazing, like wow. oh and Jason said he got a call from the P.I" I added putting on my make up.
"What did he say?"
"I don't know, i ran off before he could..." i stopped "Oh I ran off, I totally was a guy and did the date and ditch. i'm such a bad girlfriend."
"He'll get over it, he's besotted with you." she rolled her eyes
"He is not besotted"
"yes he is, you'd have to be blind not to see it, it's creepy. In fact he's always given that look." she hummed drifting off into her own thoughts for a moment.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't you remember, when we would hang with Ali and he come in for whatever reason they'd fight, no shocker there but before he left he always looked at you." she told me and I thought back, we did always seemed to catch each others eye before we started dating.
"Okay when you say it like that, it sounds creepy." I carried on doing my make up, how I managed to have a steady hand while in a moving vehicle was beyond me
"It's funny how things seem to click into place." she commented
"So how was your night?" I wondered applying lipstick
"Em and i got into a fight." she sighed and I stopped turn to her in confusion
"Why?"
"i told her coach about what Paige said" she admitted, she now felt guilty about it. My mouth opened and closed
"You did?" i asked surprised
"Yeah i mean she had it coming and someone needed to put her in her place. But when I told her she was mad." Spencer relayed what had happened
"Well she did say she handled it. But i can see both sides. Did you go to the bead place as well?" I would have done the same thing, that or slapped the bitch, but on the other hand Emily is getting more bolder about defending herself.
"A put them under my name."
"What?!"
"Yeah she used my name to have them made but i did learn they were done in the past six months."
"Ugh that bitch." One night and it like a whole movie happens without my knowledge. Not that I would change i for the world. To have my fries real outside date with Jason was amazing.
------
Aria and I were talking in hushed tones about our night last night when we saw our Mom.
"Mom." we chirped taking either side of her and linking our arms together as we continued to walk with her.
"Hey I was just going to text you."
"Why, what's up?" Aria asked
"I was wondering what you were doing after school today and was wondering if the two of you wanna go clothes shopping with me?" She wondered and the two of us shared a look before replying.
"Sure." we agreed
"Why the sudden splurge?" I wondered
"I just think it's time to upgrade a little. So how was your sleepover at Spencer's?" she questioned us, lucky for Aria and i we had our stories straight along with what Spencer wanted to do.
"Oh you know the usual." Aria started
"Chick flick, popcorn..." I continued
"Cosmo quiz, lights out. How about you?" Aria finished our lie and deflected
"oh me, umm, I had a great night."
"Really what did you do?" I question as we stopped
"I went to see this wonderful exhibit." wait a second. I couldn't be the same one Aria went to last night could it? "Yeah they had a big opening at the Philadelphia art museum." oh shit
"You went last night?"
"Yeah, I know partying on a school night. I know I'm out of control . It was really exiting to meet the artist, really exiting. So anyhow, um, I have to get to class and so do you, so meet me in my office after." she broke off from the two of us
"Yeah sure." Mum left
"I thought you said the artist didn't show up." I inquired
"he didn't, she knew but she lied?"
"okay i'm officially confused. But we can figure this out later, let's get to class."
-----
We were shopping with Mom when Spencer sent us a text asking to come to hers. After we were finished she told us that the shadow was Ian but her. The night Ali died she had an argument with her.
"So the shadow in this picture isn't Ian, but you?" Aria tried to wrap her head around it
"Yeah." she confirmed her voice broke, i could tell this had been eating at her.
"Why didn't you tell us before?" Em asked
"I don't know. I guess I was scared. This will sound crazy but I think I didn't tell you because there was always a part of me that wasn't my fault. I mean I wished it and it came true." she looked down. I wrapped my arms around her in comfort.
"Spence, you didn't mean it." Hanna replied
"She's right, Ali tested us and we all thought it at some point but none of us would have done anything like that." I wiped away her tears "Besides she said a lot worse, did a lot worse too." she nodded but then something caught her eye and she got off the bed. We followed across from us was a shadowy figure in Ali's room.
"Oh my god."
"It's Jason." I grabbed my phone and called him, i watched him take out his phone an answer.
"What the hell Jason. You scared the shit out of us." I snapped.
"I'm sorry."
"What are you even doing?" The girls left the window, I didn't
"I'm just grabbing some things before I leave."
"You're leaving again!" I shout "When?"
"Tomorrow."
"When were you going to tell me, you always do this. You blow in here and you blow back out. I thought my date and ditch was mean, you're making an art out of it." I argued with him. as we looked through the windows across from each other but spoke on the phone
"Erica please don't be mad." he sighed
"I'll show you mad." I dropped my phone and ran out.
"Erica!" the girls called but i didn't listen I went over and stormed in and up to where he was.
"look, I know that I was in a rush this morning but what about last night at dinner or when you came back 'Erica, just so you know I'm only here for a few days and I wanted to make the most out of them' what don't I get the courtesy anymore."
"It slipped my mind." I slapped him
"Oops my hand slipped." I sneered "You need to choose Jason."
"What are you saying."
"I'm not being jerked around anymore, you either make a go of it with me and that mean being around for more than a week at a time or we end things because i'm not going to give myself to a freaking apparition that occasionally pops up." I treated him breathing heavily
"You don't mean that." i calmed a little bit
"I do, last night was amazing, magical and everything i hoped it would be and if I didn't have to rush this morning that would have been amazing too. But I'm serious. You better step up or ship out." I turn on my heel and left. i went back to Spencer's.
"What happened." she questioned holding my phone out to me. I took it back from her.
"I snapped. Did a 180 degree turn and and gave him an ultimatum."
"But what about last night?" Aria questioned taking my arm
"I was great but he's leaving again and he didn't say anything. He always says something so I'm prepared, but I can't keep going to and fro like a yoyo. I want a relationship with him I do but not at the risk of my sanity." I told them