ROSEWOOD, the town where everyone thought all was okay, like a dollhouse really. From the outside it's beautiful, bright and full of happiness, but once you look through the window to the inside, it's darkness consumes you, the secrets, the lies, the murders.
And that's where I live. Well, used to.
College was filled with a load of suck ass bitches that thought they were better than everyone else, so as soon as I'd thrown my grad-cap in the air, I was outta there.
My parents never moved with me when I went to Philadelphia for college, I went on my own, which I wasn't too upset about because that meant I could bring anyone back to my apartment without my parents watching over us like hawks.
They both stayed in Rosewood, where I grew up, and currently I was heading back there. My life had no future if I stayed in Philly, I figured going back to my hometown would help me set my priorities straight and perhaps find a career I love.
"Thank you." I smiled softly at the driver through the rear-view mirror as I handed him a twenty, clutching my duffel bag and slipping out the car. My suitcase in the boot was bigger than me so I would've appreciated the driver coming out to help me but he stayed put, staring at the note I'd given him as if I'd scammed him and given him Monopoly money or something.
It was a pretty place, I loved it here, a smile curved on my lips as I headed up the stairs to my parents front porch, kicking the door lightly as my hands were full.
"Oh baby!" My Mother cooed as she burst through the front door, engulfing me in an embrace. I watched from behind her as my puppy and Father came rushing towards us.
"There's our girl!" My Dad called, wrapping an arm around me once my mother had let go. I gave them both a warm greeting before crouching down and attacking Mocha with kisses and hugs, yes Mocha, my Mother named him due to her caffeine addiction.
"Your room is just like how you left it except it's clean now," My Mum trailed behind me up the stairs, "And we have dinner at Aunt Ella's tonight so unpack first and put on a pretty dress okay? They haven't seen you in ages."
I hummed in response, using my back side to push my door open and sighing in contempt at the warmth my room radiated immediately.
My clean bedsheets crumpled once my bags and suitcase were thrown into them, I perched myself on the end and glanced over to my Mother leaning against the doorframe. "And stay with Aria after dinner, I think her friends are excited to see you again." She smiled.
"Will Alison Dilaurentis be there?" I asked, pressing my hands against the mattress behind me to prop me upright.
"Of course she will be, those girls never leave each-others sides." My Mother rolled her eyes playfully before tapping the door frame and swiftly wandering down the hall.
I had my curiosity about Alison, my little cousin's best friend, she was always so passionate about things no one else was. Very aggressive if you so slightly did the wrong thing, and she was the one 'in charge' of the friend group.
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I hated the anticipation of waiting for someone to open the door, My Dad held a bottle of red wine, complimentary to his sister and brother-in-law. I held a bag of little gifts for the kids which I'd bought from Philly, Mum held a pot of homemade Mac-n-cheese.
"Byron! How are you?" Dad cheered as Byron Montgomery opened the door, both men firmly shook hands and exchanged their greetings before my Uncle's eyes fell to me. "Quinn? No way! You wait until Aria sees you." He grinned, holding out his arms to which I stepped into and briefly embraced him.
Buzzed chatter and talk of college was all that occurred as the distant Montgomery's entered the Montgomery home. We were the distant ones of the family, well I was. My parents saw Byron and Ella all the time, but Christmas holidays was the only time you caught us all in the same room at once.
I set down the bag on the dining table and squealed as my Aunt sauntered round the corner from their kitchen, "How are you Quinnie?" She cooed, stroking the back of my hair gently. I hated the nickname but made an exception for her calling me it.
"Really good yeah, College was okay, glad it's over with, so now I'm back here figuring out what to do next." I sighed, trailing off at the end when my favourite little cousins boots clicked along the hardwood floor nearing us.
"Quinn!" Aria bounded over to me, laughter bubbled up from the back of my throat as I wrapped my arms tight around her. "Oh my god, you look so different." I mumbled into her hair, pulling back and cupping her face as I gazed down at her like a proud mother.
"Shut up look at you!" Aria retorted, "How did you get this figure? And your hair looks so different!" She exclaimed, I laughed and shook my head.
"Get your heart broken a couple of times and you can look like me!" I joked, throwing an arm over her shoulder as we headed back to the living room to join everyone else.
"Mike!" I ruffled the boys hair up as I sauntered past him, also throwing my other arm over his shoulder and clutching them both close.
"Right, dinner will be in about twenty minutes so make yourselves comfortable, Byron show Rick your new whiskeys." Ella called out, I whispered to Aria for us to go upstairs to which she obliged and pulled me along behind her.
"So, anything new happened recently? What have I missed?" I asked, closing the door behind me and gazing around her room, picking up the odd snow globe or mantle piece.
"Still crushing on Noel, Ali got us into his parties and just the usual really, nothing too big." Aria blushed and smiled giddily before looking away.
"Wait." I put the jewellery box back down onto her dresser and turned around, "Noel as in Eric Kahn's little bro'?" I asked with wide eyes.
"Maybe." Aria shrugged awkwardly, "Holy shit! I used to date Eric, Noel walked in on him and I..." I clicked my tongue at the end, Aria gasped and smacked my arm causing me to laugh loudly.
"How are the girls?" I then asked, squatting down onto the bed beside her, "Yeah they're good, Spencer's still smarter than ever, Hanna still fancies Sean, Ali is still...Ali, and Em is dating Ben." Aria rambled on, pulling at the hem of her knee socks.
"Sounds like things haven't changed huh?" I hummed, "No they have, it's different now, there's a girl...called Jenna, she's um, blind." Aria mumbled, looking down to the ground and raising my suspicions about how she'd gone from bubbly to weird in a matter of five seconds.
"Okay? What's so different about her being blind?" I asked curiously, Aria shrugged but never allowed her eyes to meet mine. "Did she move here recently?" I asked, "No, she moved her a few months ago, had an accident and that's what caused her to go blind." Aria said quietly.
"How did it happen?" I fumbled with the rings wrapped around my fingers, "She's Toby Cavanaugh's step-sister, I heard that he was the reason the accident happened, I-I don't know." Aria locked into defence mode toward the end.
"Toby? Wouldn't clock him as someone to blind somebody else." I huffed and looked away.
Ella soon called us all back downstairs, Aria informed me not to mention what she'd said as the conversation could 'ruin the reunion dinner' I'm not quite sure how but I'm just going by what she said.
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After dinner I helped Ella and my Mum clear up, stacking the dishwasher and taking a cloth from Ella to wipe the table down. Telling her all about the memories I made at college despite the fact most of them would be forgotten by next year.
Once everything was cleared the parents went to sit on the back porch to have a drink, I was left in charge in case anything happened. The doorbell ringing pulled me from my game of Space raiders on the Wii, "One sec' Mike." I called and headed out the living room.
"Oh! Hi?" I smiled, opening the door and revealing the four bright faces of Aria's bestfriends, "Quinn!" Emily squealed and slipped past Spencer to hug me tightly. Followed by each of them. Alison gave me the lightest hug, but I wasn't surprised.
"So, how was College?" Ali asked as I let them all in, Aria greeted them all and offered everyone drinks. "Same old shit, lectures, boring essays, lame parties you name it." I sighed. Ali tilted her head and eyed me carefully, fifteen, and she had the smuggest attitude anyone could ever have.
Spencer soon showed me photos of her parents barn she had been planning to decorate when her more serious exams came around. I could feel Alison's eyes burning on me from across the room, even though she was in a conversation with Aria and Emily she was not paying attention.
"Quinn can you stay 'round tonight?" Aria asked, I glanced over to her and hummed in thought. "I'll have to ask quickly but I'm sure I can do." I retorted before excusing myself from Spencer's eager conversation with me and swiftly exiting the living room.
"Hey Quinn!" I spun on my heal at the sound of my name, Alison stood in the hall, hands perched on her hips and head tilted down slightly, "Do you know Ian Thomas?" She asked softly.
My brows furrowed, "Yeah I went to school with him, why?" I asked, Ali shrugged and sucked in her bottom lip in between her teeth slightly. "Just curious." She hummed.
"Ian isn't the type of guy to go for Ali, he's an ass and has cheated on every girlfriend he's ever had." I raised my brows before turning back around and heading back down the hall.
Interrupting a bunch of adults in a serious conversation has got to be up there with the most awkward things ever. Though my Mum quickly slipped away so I could ask her.
"Of course darling! You can just borrow an old shirt of Arias for bed I'm sure." Mum pinched my cheek gently before moving back to her seat.
I pushed open the back door and headed back into the living room to find the girls. "We're upstairs Q!" I heard Emily's voice echo throughout the house. Bounding up the stairs and entering Aria's room to find them all preparing the bedding.
"Quinn have you got a boyfriend?" Hanna asked me, Han was always a favourite of my cousins bestfriends, but don't tell the other girls that, they'd kill me. "Nope, single as they can be." I shrugged, grabbing a pillow and placing it down by a pile of blankets laid out.
"Any crushes?" Alison asked, the thought to say 'Ian' occurred just to piss her off but I didn't feel like being mean. "Heath Ledger." I smirked, the girls squealed (bar Ali).
"Oh my god that man is a dream!" Hanna exclaimed, I beamed and pulled back one of the covers on the floor so I could sit down and drape it over my legs.
"No seriously though, no crush?" Alison pushed, sitting down nearby me and wrapping a blanket over her shoulders. "No crush, no one here is worth it." I scoffed lightly, reaching up and grabbing Emily's hand to tug her down to sit beside me. "Come on I wanna braid your hair." I grinned.
"I'm so tired, what time should we go to sleep?" Aria asked, propping the pillows on her bed upright so she could sit up and see us all. "It's eleven thirty now, let's just sleep whenever we fall asleep." Spencer shrugged lightly.
"I don't believe that you don't have a crush." Alison whispered, all of our voices lowering due to how late it was becoming. I glanced over to her whilst my fingers plaited a strand of Emily's hair. "I really don't Ali, let's drop it and talk about more interesting stuff." I pressed my lips down to form a thin line and turned my head back.
I heard Alison scoff lightly under her breath but mentioned no more of it. That girl should watch her attitude, the way she treats people too I've heard it all, the big bully she is.
It's girls like her that wind up hurt, alone, or dead.