"It's insane. I mean, how many words do they expect you to learn in one night?" Hanna said.
"Stringent." Aria read off the card.
"Tough. Inflexible." Spencer said.
"It's not like you're gonna actually use them." Hanna said.
"Meretricious." Aria said, struggling to pronounce the word.
"It's not like you go to college and you just start speaking a completely different language." Hanna said.
"It's about getting into college." Katherine said. "Meretricious, phony flashy?"
"Yeah." Aria said. "Hanna, why are you still eating that?"
"Cause it's here." Hanna said.
"Put it in the garbage." Spencer said.
"Well, then I'd have to stand over the garbage and eat it." Hanna said.
"Besotted." Aria read off the small, blue card.
"Infatuated, enamored, in love with." Spencer said.
"Hey, what did Noel Kahn say to you after the memorial?" Hanna asked Aria.
"Hello, we're taking the SATs in less than twelve hours. Can we focus?" Spencer said.
"Spencer, you do not need to know any more big words. You're already scary enough to anyone under fifty." Hanna said.
"I'm not scary!" Spencer said. "Am I scary?"
"A little." Aria said.
"You're not scary, Spence." Katherine said.
"Hey, I saw Noel Kahn hug you and he did not want to let go." Hanna said.
"Oh yeah, I saw that too. Noel's like Prince Charming, he's really sweet." Katherine said.
"Talk about not wanting to let something go." Aria said.
"Why can't you give him a chance? He's smart, he's cute. His dad owns, like half of Rhode Island and he's got great lips." Hanna said.
"His father?" Spencer asked.
"Ew, no." Hanna said. "Seriously, Aria, you and Noel would look amazing together.
"Look, I've been friends with Noel for years and I promise that he'd be good for you." Katherine said.
"Can we just drop it, please?" Aria asked. "I'm not looking for anything more than a friend."
"Why? Don't you have enough on Facebook? Besides, don't you want something real? Something you can, I don't know, scratch and sniff?" Hanna said.
"Wow, maybe you should just eat that over that garbage." Spencer said.
"Look, I am trying to help out a friend here." Hanna said. "We don't all have smokin' hot ball boys from the country club."
"What is going on with you and Alex?" Aria asked.
"Is he back from that tournament?" Katherine asked.
"Yeah. He's back." Spencer said.
"And?" Katherine asked.
"And it's good." Spencer said. "It's so good. I want it to last, but I'm afraid I'm gonna blow it."
"You won't blow it, Spence." Katherine said.
"When can we officially call him the boyfriend?" Aria asked.
"Hi, mom." Spencer said as Veronica Hastings walked through the door.
"Hey, Veronica." Katherine said, Mrs. Hastings just rolled her eyes at the girl she loved as another daughter. Katherine was the only one bold enough to call Mrs. Hastings by her real name, the others were too scared of Veronica Hastings.
"Hi, Mrs. Hastings." Aria and Hanna said.
"Hi, girls. What smells so good?" Mrs. Hastings said.
"Garlic bread. Want some?" Spencer said.
"I can't. God, I miss food. Eat some butter for me, will you?" Mrs. Hastings said.
"I would, Veronica. But I won't, garlic bread for sure though." Katherine said.
"Very funny, Kat." Mrs. Hastings said. "Oh, why do I have so many messages?"
"Hey, maybe you should ask Alex to-" Hanna started.
"Stop. Not now." Spencer whispered, cutting her off.
"Your mom still doesn't know?" Aria whispered.
"Like I said, I want it to last." Spencer said.
"Where's Emily?" Mrs. Hastings asked.
"She's probably on her way over." Spencer said.
...
"You don't have to come inside, mom. If it were cancelled, nobody would be here." Spencer said.
"Excuse me, hi." Mrs. Hastings said to a teacher in the hall. "Are they actually going to give this test today?"
"Decision hasn't been made yet." The teacher said.
"Can you tell me who makes that decision?" Mrs. Hastings asked. "They're predicting a major storm."
"You didn't say Alex was taking the test here, too." Katherine said as Alex walked in the hallway.
"Why do you think I wanted my mom to drop us off and leave?" Spencer said.
"Hey, you." Alex said walking up to Spencer.
"Hi." Spencer said, kissing him.
"Spence." Aria said, softly hitting Spencer's arm.
"Nobody here can make a decision to save their life. It's absurd." Mrs. Hastings said, walking up to them.
"Mom? This is Alex Santiago. Alex, this is my mother." Spencer said. "Alex, that I went to homecoming with?" She said, trying to remind her mom.
"Of course. Hi. From the club." Mrs. Hastings said, smiling and shaking his hand.
"Yeah." Alex said.
"It just took me a moment to put it together." Mrs. Hastings said. "So, you're Alex."
"Listen, I need to check in. It was nice seeing you. Meeting you." Alex said before walking away.
"Test is on today." The teacher said, walking up to them. "Rosewood students should register in the library."
"But, like, half the school isn't even here yet." Hanna said.
"And may never make it. We saw this huge tree down on Sawmill Road, and they've already closed off York Street." Mrs. Hastings said.
"That wasn't because of a tree." Wilden said, turning around to face them. "York Street has been closed since last night."
"Why?" Mrs. Hastings asked.
"Somebody decided to pay a visit to Alison DiLaurentis's memorial and destroy it. Shattered the tiles, broke the bench." Wilden said.
"What?" Katherine asked, her eyes filling with tears. Something that's been happening a lot recently.
"When did this happen?" Spencer asked.
"We had to cordon off the area, given it's an ongoing murder investigation." Wilden said.
"Well, maybe you can spare them the details. They're about to take their SATs." Mrs. Hastings said.
"Right. Good luck on the test, ladies." Wilden said, his gaze lingering on Katherine for a bit longer. She still felt like she recognized him from somewhere, she just didn't know where.
"We should probably get to the library." Spencer said.
"I can't believe it was trashed." Aria said.
"Just when we thought A would give it a rest." Spencer said.
"I hate this A person so much, how come they get to just constantly fuck with our lives? It's not fair." Katherine said.
"It's like Toby had to kill Alison all over again." Spencer said.
"Toby? What do you mean, Toby? His motorcycle was totaled. Isn't he dead?" Hanna said.
"I'm gonna be sick." Katherine said, thinking about the idea of Toby being dead. She had been trying to avoid thinking of the idea of Toby being dead but now she couldn't.
"I hear more from Alison now than I did when she was alive." Spencer said.
"You guys, I thought we decided that A wasn't Toby. A was happy to have Toby out of the picture." Hanna said.
"How do we know that Toby didn't just send us that text? And why are we suddenly trusting A?" Aria asked. "A made a fake bracelet to mess with us."
"Emily, hey, where've you been?" Katherine asked, changing the subject as Emily walked over to them.
"Yeah, why weren't you at Spencer's last night?" Hanna asked.
"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't get out of practice until really late so, just went straight home and crashed. So, what did I miss?" Emily said.
"Well, we studied. They studied, and I annoyed them." Hanna said.
"Alison's memorial got trashed." Katherine said.
"Yeah, I heard." Emily said.
"What is my mom doing here?" Aria asked, before walking out of the library and talking to her mom in the hall.
"The test will now begin at ten. If this interferes with any plans you've made for the afternoon, I suggest you make some calls. If you didn't bring a phone, I'm sure this tap happy gentlemen over here would be glad to lend you his." A teacher upfront said.
"Was she talking to me?" Lucas asked Hanna.
"You didn't miss anything." Hanna said.
"Do you wanna borrow my phone?" Lucas asked.
"Your brain. Can you do the math section for me?" Hanna said.
"Hey, I'm already your marketing manager. And you just got three hits on your leather jacket." Lucas said.
"Hey there, Lady H." Mona said, walking into the library. "I know you also answer to that, Hermie but I was talking to her."
"Nice bag." Lucas said.
"Listen to you, in touch with you feminine side! So, would that be your right or your left?" Mona said. Hanna and Lucas started laughing quietly. "What's so funny?" Mona asked.
"Nothing. You need to sign in." Hanna said.
"They know I'm here." Mona said. "You can go now. This beauty doesn't need a beast." She said to Lucas.
"I truly hate Mona." Katherine said over at the table with Spencer, Aria, and Emily.
"Almost everyone does." Spencer said.
"Who do I speak to about getting into the boys locker room?" Wilden asked the librarian.
"I'd have to find a custodian. Do you want to follow me?" She said.
"No, that's alright. I'm gonna wait here." Wilden said, glancing at the group.
"God, he's freaking me out." Hanna said, sitting at the table. "I mean, who's locker is he poking into now?"
"He's desperate. Ali's brother is breathing down his neck." Spencer said.
"Yeah, ours too. What if Jason told the police Alison's version of what happened the night after the fire?" Aria said.
"I don't think he'd do that to me. To us." Katherine said quietly.
"If Jason was gonna tell them, he would've told them a year ago." Spencer said. "He knows that story's bogus."
"Well, then why did he bring it up?" Hanna asked.
"To try to drive a wedge between us. Maybe to put me on edge a little. But it's not gonna work." Katherine said.
"Sorry about the memorial." Wilden said, walking up to them. "I know how hard you girls worked on it. Shocking though, right, something like that could happen out in the open and nobody saw anything?"
"Well, everybody was probably studying for the exam that we're about to take, so you might wanna look for eyewitnesses somewhere else." Spencer said.
"So you were all studying together last night, then?" Wilden asked.
"Yes, we were all at Spencer's." Emily said.
"All of you?" Wilden asked.
"Yes. All of us." Katherine said, without hesitation.
"Okay." Wilden said, walking away.
"Emily, what is going on?" Spencer asked.
"Where were you last night?" Aria asked.
"I told you. I went home." Emily said.
"Then why didn't you tell him that?" Katherine asked.
"What happened to all of us sticking together?" Emily asked, standing up and grabbing her bag
"Where are you going?" Aria asked.
"To the restroom. But if you don't believe me we can all try to squeeze together into one stall." Emily said.
"Should one of us go talk to her?" Aria asked when Emily walked away.
"No. She'll talk when she's ready." Hanna said.
A few minutes later, Spencer's phone rang.
Define "desertion." Seems like you're about to lose Emily. Who's next? - A
She quickly showed the other girls and they all freaked out.
...
"Aria stole my best friend." Katherine said as she watched Aria and Noel talk.
"I thought I was your best friend." Spencer said, giving Katherine a look.
"I have more than one, Spence. But between us, you're my favorite." Katherine said, making Spencer smile. "Eric was telling me about how unbearable Noel is lately, he talks about Aria nonstop."
"Why are you friends with Eric?" Spencer asked.
"He's always been there for me. He's funny and nice. He really is a great friend." Katherine said.
Katherine and Eric were sitting on a chair together. Katherine was basically in his lap. Eric, Katherine, Noel, Ian, and Garrett were all at Garrett's house. They were just waiting for Jason to show up. Katherine and Eric were sharing a bottle of beer and a cigarette.
"Do you really have to smoke that shit in my house?" Garrett asked, making a face at the smell.
"Sorry, Garrett. I'll throw it out." Katherine said.
"I'm heading outside for a smoke, I'll just use that." Ian said, taking the cigarette from Katherine.
Twenty minutes later they were all talking about the party they're gonna throw at Noel and Eric's cabin.
"We should get weed, have a ton this year. Sell the joints at the party." Katherine said.
"I like that, just for the good idea we'll give you all the weed money and the leftover weed." Eric said, making Katherine smile.
Jason walked in and a look of disgust washed over his face when he saw Katherine and Eric.
"Can I get a beer?" Jason asked.
"Yeah, I'll be right back." Garrett said.
"You two look cozy." Jason said to Katherine and Eric.
The more Jason drank through the night, the meaner he got. Around midnight he was completely wasted and was glaring at Eric and Katherine.
"You look like a slut, Kat." Jason said, eyeing her top that barely covered any skin and her tight mini skirt.
"Shut up, Jason." Eric said, annoyed that he had been targeting Katherine all night.
"Why? Are you mad that I'm being honest?" Jason asked.
Before anyone knew what was going on Eric lightly shoved Katherine aside and punched Jason. Jason threw a punch back and they started fighting in Garrett's living room.
"What the hell?" Katherine yelled, pissed off at Jason.
"Jason! Eric! Cut it the fuck out." Garrett said, as him and Noel tried to pull them away from each other.
Ian just sat in the corner, watching and drinking his beer.
Katherine sat back down next to Ian and glared at Jason as she took a sip out of Ian's beer.
"Beat his ass, Eric!" Katherine yelled, earning a look from Garrett who was still trying to separate them. Once Noel and Garrett had finally pulled the boys apart Jason walked out of the house, needing air.
"Move! All the way in people!" The same teacher from before said as they walked into the locker room. "You don't need to touch every locker. Come on!"
"This sucks. First time I get to photograph a real tornado and they shove us in a room with no windows." Lucas said to Hanna, with Mona miserably trailing behind them.
"You don't want to see a real tornado." Hanna said.
"Of course he does. He wants to get to Oz so he can ask the wizard for a penis." Mona said.
"Mona, can I talk to you for a sec?" Hanna asked, getting annoyed at Mona constantly digging at Lucas. "Why can't you leave him alone? What has he ever done to you besides remind you that two short years ago, we were him."
"He bugs me." Mona said.
"Yeah. Well, I think you're the one who needs a trip to Oz. See if the wizard can find you a heart." Hanna said, walking away from Mona.
"I don't think this test is gonna happen today." Spencer said to Alex and Katherine, who were sitting against the lockers.
"Yeah, you can take a break, Alex." Katherine said.
"Not all of us sailed through trig." Alex said to the two girls.
"Are we gonna get past this?" Spencer asked Alex.
"I'm gonna go sit with Hanna." Katherine said, quickly standing up and walking away.
"Past what?" Alex asked, still studying.
"Whatever happened between you and my mom." Spencer said.
"Spencer-" Alex said quietly.
"You don't have to talk about it. I just-" Spencer said.
"It's not up to me to tell you. It's up to your mother." Alex said, grabbing his stuff and walking to a different part of the locker room.
Katherine saw Alex walk away and went back around the corner to Spencer.
"You okay?" Katherine asked, sitting next to Spencer. She just nodded and leaned her head on the shorter girl.
"Hey, Kat." Noel said, walking up to Katherine after he had talked to Aria for second.
"Hey, Noel." Katherine said.
"Game night tonight, be there at nine." Noel said.
"Okay, can't wait to beat you in everything." Katherine said, a small smirk on her face.
Noel just laughed before walking back to Aria.
The three girls watched Hanna as she talked to Emily. Based on Emily's face, the conversation was not something she wanted but they all stood straighter when Wilden had Emily follow him out of the locker room.
Hanna looked at the three girls and they all followed Emily and Wilden out of the locker room without saying anything.
"Is that your bag on the table?" Wilden asked Emily.
"Where'd you find it?" Emily asked.
"I shouldn't have to tell you that leaving a bag unattended in a public place, not a very smart move." Wilden said.
"What is going on?" Spencer asked as they all walked into the library.
"Oh, perfect! We can all be together for an update." Wilden said.
"No, we're supposed to be in the girl's locker room." Hanna said.
"Yeah, I don't know if you noticed, Darren. But there's a tornado warning right now." Katherine said.
"Well, I'm guessing you girls are used to being in places you're not supposed to be." Wilden said. Aria, Katherine, Spencer, and Hanna just looked at him in confusion. "Did you tell your friends where you were last night when you weren't studying for the test?" He asked Emily. "See, 'cause I got these really interesting photos."
He pulled out his phone and handed it to Emily. On it were pictures of Emily at the destroyed memorial.
"Go ahead and pass it around. There's plenty more where that came from at the precinct." Wilden said. Aria grabbed the phone and the girls all looked at the photo. "I see you didn't get a chance to clean your shoes either, huh?"
"That's not why I went there." Emily said.
"Really? So you didn't go back to the memorial to finish up Toby's handiwork? Or were you just there covering up his tracks?" Wilden asked.
Katherine had to bite her tongue so she wouldn't lash out on the blame at Toby.
"I found it like that. It was already destroyed." Emily said.
"Really? Then let me ask you a question. What were these doing in your bag?" Wilden said, pulling pieces from the memorial out of Emily's back. "Souvenirs? Something Toby asked you to save so he can keep it for his trophy collection?"
"This has nothing to do with Toby." Emily said, grabbing the broken off pieces from his hand.
"Em, why do you have those?" Aria asked.
"You put those in there, you creep. Emily would never do that." Hanna said.
"You want me to share this with them, or would you like to?" Wilden asked, pulling an envelope out of his jacket. Emily tried to grab it from his hand but he moved his hand back. "Go ahead and tell them, Emily, about the angry letter you wrote to Alison, which is dated, by the way, three days before she disappeared."
"You had no right to read that." Emily said.
"Emily, what is in that letter?" Spencer asked.
"Tell her. Tell her how you wanted to punish Alison for rejecting you. Tell her how you felt relieved at the funeral. She wasn't gonna be around to humiliate you anymore, was she?" Wilden said.
"I went back to that memorial to say I was sorry. There were horrible things in that letter and I didn't mean them. Suddenly she was gone, and I loved her as more than a friend. I just never had the chance to tell her in the right way." Emily said, her voice breaking and her eyes welling up with tears.
"Are you happy now?" Katherine asked Wilden, looking as if she would attack the officer.
"Give her the letter back. Give it back to her now or I swear to God I will rip your head off!" Hanna said.
"And you don't wanna deal with an angry Hanna or an angry Katherine." Spencer said.
"Sorry, I can't. We're not leaving this room until you tell me what you were doing carting around pieces of Alison's memorial." Wilden said.
"I took them because they were the only things that weren't broken." Emily said.
Katherine had had enough and had started walking up to Wilden, her hand clenched into a fist when the library door opened.
"What's going on in here? Why aren't they in the locker room with the other kids?" Veronica asked.
"Who are you?" Wilden asked.
"Their mother." Veronica said, pointing at Spencer and Katherine. Katherine froze, she had never heard Veronica tell other people that she was her mother. "I mean if this is the school's idea of keeping my children safe, I'm glad I came back. Honey, why is she crying."
"He accused her of killing Alison." Spencer said, walking over to Emily as Katherine walked to Veronica who wrapped her arms around the young girl.
"What?" Veronica said.
"He went through her purse. And now he's accusing-" Aria started, anger showing in every word she said.
"Hold it. Hold it." Veronica said. "You're questioning minors without an adult present? What police department do you work for? What century are you in?"
"Ma'am, I would advise you-" Wilden started.
"Oh, no, I would advise you, to back off because anything that they've said to you is inadmissible in a court room, period. Let's go. Emily, honey, grab your things." Veronica said.
Katherine reluctantly removed herself from Veronica's arms and followed the girls out the door.
"What were you thinking?" Veronica asked Wilden.
"I have a homicide to solve, okay?" Wilden said.
"Not anymore you don't. You're done. You're done with this investigation. Unless you want to face me down with an opposing council." Veronica said, walking out of the library to where the girls were.
Katherine was once again, standing in Veronica Hastings' arms in the locker room.
"So what's going to happen to him? Can they get him off the force?" Hanna asked.
"If he's smart, he'll leave before that happens." Veronica said. "Where did he get that protein bar?" She asked, pointing at a boy across the locker room.
"I'll get you one." Aria said, walking to the box of bars and grabbing one.
"Are you alright, Kat?" Spencer asked.
"Yeah." Katherine said, smiling.
"Can I have your attention, please?" A woman called out. "The storm warning has just been lifted but the SATs will have to be rescheduled."
"Can I go home with you guys? I don't really wanna see my mom." Katherine said to Spencer and Veronica.
"Of course you can, Katherine. You're always welcome." Veronica said, making Katherine smile again.
Everyone hurried out of the locker room but Spencer took her time getting her things out of the locker, hoping to see Alex.
"You looking for somebody?" Veronica asked, one hand around Katherine and the other on her phone.
"Alex, but he might've already left." Spencer said.
"Didn't you bring an umbrella?" Veronica asked.
"Yeah." Spencer said, taking it out of the locker. "Mom, thank you for stopping in."
"It was pro bono, let's go girls." Veronica said.
"Wait, I really can't sit in the car the whole ride home without asking what happened between you and Alex." Spencer said.
"What did he say?" Veronica asked.
"Nothing. He won't talk about it." Spencer said.
Veronica sighed and held Katherine's hand as if she was a little girl and walked out of the locker room. Spencer followed behind, disappointed that she didn't get an answer. Veronica led them to an empty classroom.
"Oh my god, this requires a closing door. Maybe I should just walk home." Spencer said, making Katherine laugh quietly.
"Remember that weekend when your father took you, Melissa, and Kat to D.C.? I stayed behind." Veronica said.
"Yeah." Spencer said as Katherine waited for Veronica to start talking again.
"I said I had to work all weekend but that wasn't the truth. I spent most of Friday drunk. Sunday I was hung over. Saturday I don't remember at all." Veronica said.
"Okay, I think I actually changed my mind. I really-" Spencer started.
"It started at the club Friday morning. It was empty." Veronica said, cutting Spencer off. "There wasn't a soul to talk to so I ordered a sidecar then another and another. By the time lunch rolled around I'd walked through a trellis and couldn't find my shoes. It was Alex's first week there. He kindly listened to me spill my guts and later poured me into a cab with my shoes."
"Why were you spilling your guts to Alex?" Spencer asked.
"I had a doctor's appointment before I went there. They removed a lump from my breast. I was feeling a little overwhelmed and powerless. After that, I avoided the club for months. The next time I saw Alex I made him promise that he would never ever bring it up." Veronica said.
"Mom, are you sick?" Spencer asked, her eyes tearing up.
"No." Veronica said.
"Oh, thank God." Katherine said, letting out the breath she was holding as a tear slid down her face. Veronica wiped off Katherine's tears and pulled the two girls into a hug.