𝒪𝓃𝑒 𝒴𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝓁𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓇...
"HEY Mum! Do you know if Aria's at home?" I called as I jogged down the stairs. "No idea honey!" Mum retorted twice as loud as my voice.
I grabbed my hand bag and called my goodbyes before swiftly opening the front door and heading outside, letting the door bang behind me as I bounded down the steps toward my car.
"Good morning Miss Montgomery!" Our neighbour called chirpily, I waved at them sweetly before slipping into my car and shutting out the world with the door.
We've been here for a year now, I'd been studying health and social, potentially preparing to take up social working or anything to do with that sort of stuff. It felt strange being back permanently now, but everyone I'd known before I left looked way different now, I could still remember everyone off by heart though.
And as for changes? Well, a lot has happened within a year.
I messaged Aria once I pulled up outside the coffee shop, letting her know I could meet her if she wanted to. She quickly responded with a 'I have my car, Mike has practice till six so I'm heading out for some food.' Groaning internally I slipped my phone into my bag and hopped out the car.
The heals of my boots clacked slightly as I headed up the pathway, fumbling with my bag to throw it over my shoulder as I pushed open the door.
"Hi, medium Caramel latte and a..." I craned my head down to view the baked goods under neath the counter through the glass screen. "Bake well tart please." I said softly, pulling out a note from my purse and handing it to the woman. "Name?" She asked, "Quinn." I retorted quickly before stepping to the side whilst the person behind me stepped up to order.
I glanced around the coffee shop and smiled at the few memories I had in here with my family and Aria. My eyes then panned toward a poster stuck to the wall behind the counter.
'Alison Dilaurentis: Still Missing'
God it had been a year since she'd disappeared and nobody had a clue what happened, Aria and the girls have been questioned more times than the amount of fingers you have and so have I, although I wasn't even there at their sleepover that night.
"One year, though it still feels like yesterday my Mum made a call to the police asking where she was." A familiar voice mumbled behind me, I craned my head over my shoulder and let out the most quietest of gasps. I'd been here for a year and hadn't seen him once.
"Jason." I mumbled, turning round to face him properly, he'd changed a lot, hair a little longer draping ever so lightly over his ears. Soft and smooth, eagerly making anyone want to touch it, his face was delicately stern, though his eyes held a lot of anger and despair, and confusion too.
"You look different." He eyed me carefully, I nodded slowly and glanced to the ground, "I was away for two years and haven't seen you for three." I shrugged.
"Yeah, I haven't been mentally here for the past year or so, too much partying." He laughed lightly but my lips didn't even upturn. "Right." I hummed and nodded.
"Still the most blunt person ever aren't you?" Jason asked smugly, I furrowed my brows and scowled at him, ready to defend myself but the call of my name from the barista stopped me just in time.
I took my pastry and coffee and thanked the lady before heading toward the door, Jason had already left. Though I wanted to scream when I saw his back pressed up against the side of my car, hands in his jean pockets and eyes burning into me.
"What do you want?" I rolled my eyes, unlocking my car and waiting for him to move his ass so I could get in. "Just wanted to see how you were." He smirked, "Can you move?" I asked with gritted teeth.
"What's the magic word?" Jason stifled his grin slipping through at my annoyed demeanour, I'd known him for a long time and he knew exactly how to piss me off.
"What's the word Quinn? Come on you know it." He grinned slightly, I groaned and shut my eyes briefly.
"I know you know it because it's what you were moaning to me four years ago." My eyes widened at his words, the quick flash of memories I'd pushed to the back of my mind rushed forward.
"Move." I snapped, Jason chuckled with a small shake of his head and pushed himself off of my car, I got in quicker than ever and started it up, rolling down my window. "I may have been moaning it," I cringed at the thought, "But you were the one who begged for it." I smirked before speeding off down the road and letting him eat the dust my car left behind.
༄
I was on edge all the time, knees bounced up and down whenever I sat. Fingertips tapped the surface of whatever I held or whatever was in front of me. Anticipating something bad to happen.
But everyone who lived in Rosewood was like that you see.
1 new message: Aria
Picked Mike up, come round
for dinner 2night?
I quickly typed back an 'of course I'll head over now' and took a left turning down toward Aria's road.
"Ah! Hi Quinn, how are you?" Byron answered the door and pulled it further open for me, I stepped inside and slipped my boots off. "Yeah not too bad, Aria just invited me 'round." I smiled softly.
"You're always welcome you know that, Ella and I are just out on the back porch if you need us, you know where everything is to help yourself to anything." He smiled before spinning on his heel and heading down the hall.
I'd just slumped down onto the sofa when the front door burst open and Mike jogged straight up the stairs, "Hey Quinn!" He called behind him, his voice echoing before it shut out by the closure of his bedroom door.
"You okay?" I asked Aria as she sauntered into the living room and threw her bag down onto the coffee table. "Kinda." She mumbled, curling up on the couch beside me.
"What's up?" I asked genuinely, turning my head to face the girl. "I miss Ali, everywhere I go I'm reminded of her, I just want this nightmare over with and her to come home." Aria rested her temple onto my shoulder.
"I know, she'll be home soon hopefully, she'll make a grand entrance like always and will be as popular as ever again." I smiled at the thought, Aria faintly chuckled beside me.
"Where was you labour day?" Aria asked me, "Home, why?" I retorted sternly, she hummed in response and mumbled a 'doesn't matter' so I shook off the subject.
"I saw Jason Dilaurentis today." I said quietly, "He's back in town?" Aria asked and I nodded, he always seemed to be here, or Philadelphia.
"How was he?" She asked, "Same old Jason." I shrugged, not wanting to have to explain the tension and history Jason and I have. Aria hummed and glanced down to the carpet.
We sort of stayed silent for a while, the faint chatter of Mike upstairs on call to his friends, the whistle of the wind blowing outside. It was nice this silence, it was needed.
Soon Ella and Byron sauntered back inside and begun to prep dinner, Aria told me all about her going back to school tomorrow. I asked about the girls but she said that they all lost touch.
"I saw Spencer in the library last Tuesday." I mumbled, spinning my fork around the centre of my bowl to gather the pasta around it.
"Oh really? Did she see you?" Aria asked, grabbing her glass of juice and re-filling it to the top. "No, I didn't feel like shouting for her though as it was a library." I laughed lightly.
I was signed up to be a private tutor for the AP History students this year at school, so I'd basically be going in like a teacher and got my own classroom and everything. I was pretty excited to see the old school halls again, even if high school wasn't my favourite years, I must admit I did miss it a little.
༄
Smart attire wasn't my strong suit, I was a crew-neck sweatshirt and jeans type of girl. And looking at myself in the mirror with a pencil skirt and white blouse on did not sit right with me.
"You're going to be late Quinn, school starts at eight-thirty!" Mum shouted up the stairs, I groaned quietly and snatched my bag off the bed.
"Have a good first day as a tutor!" My Mother pinched my cheek, I plastered on a fake-believable smile before calling my goodbyes and heading out the door.