Just when you think things couldn't get any worse it does. Spencer had been taken in for more question because the police found out about their 'relationship' with Ian. 'A' had something to do with this, I'm sure of it. We, Emily and I entered Spencer's home.
"I feel like part's of my brain have shut down. I used to love algebra, or at least I understood it. Now it's a mess." she huffed taking off her bag and opened the fridge
"It is a little abstract" Em replied she pulled out some yogurt's handing them to us
"really I just thought it was an understatement for complicated." lifting to sit myself on the Island
"That's what I liked about it. X's,Ys and Zs. None of it was real I could deal with that. Just Isolate the X factor. Now I feel like I'm the X factor." Just then Mrs H came downstairs
"Honey where were you?" she questioned
"We just stopped at Emily's, then Erica's." Spencer answered
"Don't worry, I was expecting this. It's mostly about intimidation, so I want you to stay calm." she rushed to tell her daughter
"Stay calm about what?" Spencer questioned and I now had a very bad feeling about the atmosphere.
"They served a search warrant." Mrs H dropped the document down, just as officers took out boxes of stuff.
"A search warrant? For where? For what?" Spencer picked the paper up to look at it.
"For the house, for the barn, your room."
"My room?" Spencer ran off to her room
"no, Spencer don't interfere." We all followed her upstairs, officers were crawling all over the small sanctuary of her room. didn't live her but even I could feel the violation.
"Make them get out." Spencer begged Her Mom.
"I can't. You're a person of interest in a murder investigation. They're just, they're just doing there job, in a especially ham fisted way."
"Well what are they looking for?" I wonder looking at the men overtaking my best friends bedroom. Spencer caught sight of something. We turned to look who she was staring at. It was Ian.
"You need to leave now." I fold my arms
"Says who? I live here." he retorted with a smug smirk. If he didn't watch it I would wipe that off permanently.
"Says me, or I will do a lot of damage to you before I can be arrested for assault. So if you want to live to be a perv another day. Beat it." I sneer, he scoffed and turned on his heel leaving.
"That wasn't a good idea, Erica." Mrs Hastings commented
"I don't care, none of us killed Alison, these morons that call themselves police are a disgrace to their badge for even thinking that, in my opinion and you breaking silence to a suspect is even worse." I let rip at her now that she was in my sights. I wasn't taking this lying down.
"Ian is not a suspect." Mrs H sighed
"Well he should be. Me , Spencer, Alison. 3 out of six and what are the police doing about it? Nothing! You're violating and innocent's person's space when the real culprit is in the backyard waiting to have a baby. poor baby." I sneered at the officers who ignored my hisses at them.
"Erica please, this is not helping." Spencer sighed.
"Fine, but only because you asked. I'm going to call, Aria." I turned on my heel and made my way down stairs to call my sister, she ended the call quickly and then a couple of minutes later she told me to get back.
"Spencer." She turned round to face me.
"I'm needed back home, but if you need anything you know just the usual." she nodded and I left. It didn't take me long to get back through the door.
"Okay I'm back, what's more urgent than..." I stopped short Mom was here and everyone turned at my entrance. I went to stand next to my brother.
"You know what's going on?" I mutter to him
"I just asked the same thing." he replied
"We were...just talking about how, um, things might change around here." Mom spoke. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion
"Yeah, I don't want anymore of that." Mike stated framing an orange
"No, your Mom means maybe changing back." Dad tried to clarify. I looked to Aria who was smiling.
"We're thinking about trying something." Mom added
"You're moving back?" Mike guessed
"Well i mean that is something we need to discuss as a family." Dad replied as Mike stepped back next to me and took a hold of my hand.
"Well how about dinner? The three of us could cook you guys dinner." I gave my twin a WTF look.
"Yeah...sounds good right?" Dad looked to mom for confirmation
"Yeah." Mom smiled "Erica, you've been quiet." she commented
"Trust me, you want it to stay that way." I answered. My phone buzzed. Spencer was telling me she was staying home.
"Okay, Mike grab your stuff, we'll stop for breakfast on the way. Aria, we'll meet the other's at school. Spencer's staying home." Mike ran to grab his stuff
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Hanna showed us a picture of a pendent that she happened to find when going through Caleb's stuff for some reason.
"Oh it's so pretty Hanna, when did he give it too you?" Aria wondered. Looking at the picture.
"Well he hasn't yet. I found it. I wasn't looking for it but I found it. i took a picture and then just put it back." Aria handed it to Emily and I looked over he shoulder
"Why an owl?" Em wondered
"It's symbolic, of our night together...in the tent. We heard owls." she told us with a little of a bashful smile.
"Swooping down to carry of their pray?" I smirk.
"You cannot stop the romance. Owls and tents and s'mores are all part of that night. Ever perfect minute of it." she could not stop smiling.
"Have you two had another opportunity?" Em wondered
"Not since he moved into the guest room but we do have plans." She replied. We then heard Sean and Paige who seemed to be more friendly than normal.
"Oh Em, don't worry it's totally cool. The break up was messy but Sean's a good guy. I mean he should be happy, everyone should be as happy as i am." Hanna beamed, I picked up my send Jason a quick text
"You know maybe I should practice my surprised face when he gives it to me." she did so and it was hilarious. Out of nowhere Spencer, came and sat next to me
"Hey are you okay. I thought you weren't coming in?" I asked
"Yeah, but i had to be someplace other than my home." She answered and I rub her shoulder in comfort.
"Are the cops still there?" Hanna wondered
"They came and went."
"So they actually took things?" Aria asked
"Not so much. My mom says that they did it to shake me up." She informed us. Well it worked.
"What did they end up taking?" I questioned
"Um, things from my jewellery box, some things from my closet, couple pairs of shoes...." Spencer began to list off what was now in police custody.
"Wait not the Tony Burches" Hanna butted in
"Hanna" Aria light scolded
"No, sneakers. They wanted my laptop but my Mom said no. It wasn't in the search warrant so they couldn't have it. Look there is a chance that they might try to pull this on you." Spencer warned us, I had no doubt that they were thinking of the possibility
"Search our rooms?"
"My Mom says it's a possibility. I'm so sorry." Spencer's voice broke and I gave her a hug.
"It's not your fault." Aria reassured her
"yeah, we know who's responsible for this" Hanna added
"Should have known that the trophy was some kind of trap. Its like I can hear A laughing in my head." Spence sat back defeated
"does A sound like, Jenna?" Hanna wondered. Spencer's phone dings and she looks at it.
"My mom wants me home. Walk me out?" we agreed and did so. After we separated for classes. During Lunch, Aria and i went to our Mom's classroom. I sat with my feet propped up on the desk having a yogurt.
"So Aria, how long have you known about me and your Dad?" Mom questioned. Excuse me I knew too and I was grossed out.
"You Told us this morning." there was a silence "I just had a feeling that something was up." she amended
"And are you okay with that?" Mom asked
"Yeah, I'm beyond okay. As long as it's what you and Dad want." Aria replied causing me to roll my eyes.
"This part isn't really about us. It's abut you girls and your brother. Erica what do you think?" Mom's attention turned to me
" I plead the 5th." Mom sighs
"Since when?"
"Since to some people, they don't want to hear the truth." I retort dropping my feet back to the ground and went to leave.
"Erica please."
"Fine, i think it's stupid, this whole situation is stupid. He should have left, not you. How can you think of being with someone that manipulates his own daughters into covering up for him. That's what I'm mad about. I've said this before and I will say it till I'm blue in the face. It's not the cheating that gets to me as much as the manipulation, he essentially blackmailed you Aria, don't tell you're mother, you don't want to hurt her right? or your brother. Then she did the same thing to me."
"Erica..." she sighed
"See, the truth doesn't set you free." I left
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"Erica!" Aria shouted she then ran into my room. I glanced up from doing my homework.
"What?"
"I need your help." she panted slightly coming to sit on my bed
"With, what getting Mom and Dad back together? No thank you." I retort aiming to go back to my homework.
" No, look I sent a text meant for Ezra to Mom." i drop my pen
"Oh. my. god." I started laughing
"Shut up it's not funny. She's now asking who I'm seeing. You of all people know how bad that is." i calmed down slightly.
"Okay, okay. I'm cool." I snorted slightly "How can you not check who you text. I was super paranoid?"
"It was an accident. Look, how did you manage to keep your relationship a secret. You know before A blew it all to pieces." I raise an eyebrow
"Did you learn nothing from Ali? Seriously?"
"What do you mean."
"You keep all your memories in a box, somewhere no one will ever find it, unless you want them too. Different boxes all over." I sigh and pulled her to Mike's room, in his bathroom was an air vent. I stood on the side of his tub and pulled down the hatch, I took out Aria's freaky doll she once had.
"I wonder where that went? How did you get it up there?" I chucked it too her.
"I had mike help me haul a ladder in here when this used to be my room. He forgot, I never did." I washed my hands and left our brothers room.
"This place is full of secret places, normal people would never look. Alison helped me find a few."
"She did?"
"Yeah which is why I never put anything important in them, but as soon as I knew what I was looking for, well..." I went back into my room and pulled out a box
"Here have this, it's an old one I had.Then go looking." I handed it to her.
"Thanks." she left for her room.
------
The day after, Aria and Emily were telling us, mainly Hanna that they heard Caleb talking on the phone to someone about her. apparently it had sounded Sketchy.
"You got it wrong." Hanna retorted
"We heard, what we heard." Aria sighed
"He was talking to another girl and there was a lot of history, you could tell." Emily continued trying to tell her.
"What happened to being happy for Hanna? Where'd that go." She snipped at them
"We do want you to be happy?" Spencer replied and I nodded in agreement, I wouldn't voice it but I felt like she needed to know what a good relationship felt like after what happened with her parents and Alison and everything since then.
"Well then you shouldn't tell me this, because it's not true. Not after we.... He could have been on the phone with his foster parents or his social worker. You don't know." Han retorted
"Okay, maybe we didn't hear right." Aria backed down
"Hanna we heard Caleb and you have to know know the truth. I think he's with someone else and hasn't told you." Emily didn't back down
"No Caleb has told me everything, and I told him everything." she replied
"Everything?" I questioned
"Okay not, everything but I told him about me. And what you're saying it's not him. It can't be ." she shook her head
"Okay, guys, maybe we are a little paranoid. With everything that's going on we're looking at things too closely."
"Like that's a bad thing." I sigh playing with my food
"What I mean to say is. We get these details but we can't see the big picture." Spencer continued
"Guys." Aria breathed and I heard Jenna before I saw her. But when I did, it was what she was wearing around her neck that caught my eye. it was the owl pendant that Hanna showed us.
-------
We were now by the lockers, Hanna was trying to get a hold of Caleb. Aria came over to us from where she was with Hanna.
"Caleb's not picking up. She's gonna sent him a text." Aria told us.
"What the hell is going on?" I wonder out loud
"Either it's exactly what it look like which is bad enough or it's something worse." Spencer commented listing the options
"Couldn't there be just two pendants that look alike?" Aria asked
"If Caleb hurts Hanna he's a dead man." we turned to Em "Not literally, you know what I mean. I've gotta go." she headed off.
"I thought i was one for making threats." I shrug "I better be going as well." I say leaving them
---------
"Passing her information?" Emily questioned. Spencer saw what the pendant around Jenna's neck was. A flash drive "What kind of information?"
"What was on the flash drive?" Aria added
"I couldn't see, but It could be anything?" Spencer replied
"Anything?" I wondered
"Anything from Hanna's computer I guess." Spencer added to her statement. I couldn't believe that he was essentially and enemy spy.
"Caleb the hacker." I shook my head in disbelief. it couldn't be possible, he was a cool guy but worming his way into Hanna's heart to get information was low.
"Is that who Toby talk to when Jenna took down the number?" Emily asked
"Wait 214 has to do with Caleb?" Aria questioned. i could see how this was affecting Hanna
"You know what you're saying right?" Em made sure
"That Jenna plus Caleb equals A." Spencer nodded
"no. He can't be doing this. Whatever it is, it can't be this and it can't be her." I linked my arms with hers
"Hanna, no one wants it to be true, right." I say looking at the others that basically told them to agree or else. they nodded
"But no one's heard from him since this morning." Spencer sighed
"You don't know what this would mean if it was true." Hanna shook her head and left us.
-------
"Erica, Erica wake up." I was being shaken, I opened my eyes and tried to get my bearings . I must have fallen asleep reading, Mike was standing above me.
"Mike? What's wrong?" I ask sitting up and rubbing my eyes
"Mom and Dad are arguing in Aria's room." he tells me
"You're telling me because." I yawn
"It's about Aria, what has she done." i shrug and get off my bed to grab some pyjamas
"Ask her. If the parents are arguing then tell them to keep it down, I'm trying to sleep." Mike huffs and leaves my room. I change and get back into bed, getting an early night.
-------
The next morning Aria, Emily and I were talking. As we walked through school.
"I called her but she didn't pick up. Has she talked to you?" Aria asked about Hanna.
"Radio silence." Em answered
"Poor Hanna." I mutter as I opened my locker and Aria did the same
"Why do you think Jenna asked Caleb to go after Hanna?" Emily asked and i shrugged
"She was the one not seeing anybody." Aria answered
"Target of convenience ." Emily nodded, we heard laughter and looked over Paige was was with Sean and some others.
"I should just pick a boy, someone nice that's who I was texting. That would be the simple solution." Aria sighed
"There is nothing simple about lying." Emily commented and we turned to her " I didn't mean it like that. I mean lying in general."
"But you are right though. We've chosen to be in certain kinds of relationships. It isn't the best case scenario but as long as we're happy right." I offer
"Sure." Aria replied and we went to class. When class finished we found Hanna, I dragged her into the ladies room.
"Where were you all morning?" I ask
"Walking, just walking." she answered, I nodded
"Where are the others?" she wondered
"Spencer stayed at home. And I don't know about Emily and Aria. I did see them earlier though." Just then the door opened and Jenna came in.
"Come on." i tried to pull my best friend away "Hanna."
"I just want to talk to her." she whispered. Hanna stepped forward.
"Hello?" Jenna asked. Hanna didn't say anything "Yes?" she continued starkly. Hanna slapped her, knocking her glasses off. I covered my mouth in amazement. Hanna went to pick up the glass then she took Jenna's hand that wasn't grasping her sore cheek to put them back.
"This is Hanna, in case you couldn't guess." she stormed out and I followed.
"Hanna Marin, is the baddest bitch in town." I took her arm you know like how the guys do when they're trying to be cool but actually fail cause they're a jackass.
"Seriously, Erica." she sighed I made her stop
"Seriously, not even I would have thought to do that. I kinda wish I had but you know this is your spotlight and even though I'm still in a state of shock and would not recommend doing that again. I'm impressed. That and she totally deserves it. I mean truly after the troubles she's caused to everyone. She makes Alison look like the tooth fairy."
"Can we just ditch please."
"As you wish. Let's go." We left the school and I sent a quick text to my sister.
---------
I was aiming to go downstairs for this 'family dinner' that we're supposed to be having When I heard Mike shouting from Aria room, I opened the door and stepped in.
"Everything okay?" I ask
"Yeah. Come on we have dinner to eat" Aria nodded and the three of us went downstairs. Dad was packing up the table.
"Change of plans. Your mom called and she's not feeling well" Dad told us
"Is she sick?" Aria questions
"No, she's just not up to it tonight. Soon. Come lets see what you guys came up with." I shared a look with my siblings as Dad went into the kitchen.
"On your head sis, your head." I comment going to grab a plate