"Ugh. Mo' Mona, mo' problems," -Spencer Hastings
Isabel woke up with her head pounding. She didn't know where she was, how she got there, or why she was there.
She felt someone stirring beside her, and she shot up. Oh hell no.
Just as she thought, it was that Chris guy. Damn liar. He said he wasn't gonna sleep with her... why did she trust him, again? Oh, yeah, she was drunk.
She was drunk. And it was all because of Jason. She probably didn't use protection-
Chris started to stir again, and Isabel froze. What should she do? She wasn't ready for a relationship, but telling him would be painful.
So she picked the most logical thing to do.
And bolted.
-
At the Brew, Isabel looked around nervously for the girls. When she spotted them, she let out a sigh of relief and walked over.
"And there's more. Shana's back. Permanently," Emily was saying.
"Where the hell have you been?" Spencer scoffed as Isabel took a seat.
"Passed out a a sorority house," Isabel shrugged. "Now what were you saying about Shana?" She asked, turning to Emily.
"Whoa, whoa, were you drunk?" Aria gaped.
"No, I was just tired. Yes, I was drunk!" Isabel said sarcastically as she picked up her coffee.
"She enrolled at Rosewood High, and took my spot on the swim team," Emily replied quickly, before Spencer or Aria could talk.
"What are you talking about?" Aria frowned.
"I'm talking about the girl who may have tried to set us on fire, run you over, sitting next to us in social studies," Emily huffed.
"But why? What does Shana have against us?" Isabel whisper-shouted, looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.
"Well, Mona said Shana was in love with Jenna," Spencer said. "And that they were both afraid of Melissa..."
"Who moved to London," Emily finished.
"So, Melissa moves out; Shana moves in," Isabel repeated, sipping her coffee.
"And Jenna gets a new seeing eye dog at Rosewood High," Emily nodded.
Suddenly, plates smashed to the floor behind them, and Isabel spun around.
"On top of everything, guess who's in charge of training the new guy and running the open mic night tomorrow?" Emily ranted, getting up.
"Hey, let me help," Aria offered, so Emily stopped. "Just sit down, settle in, okay? I'll deal with it, my brother knows him." She walked off, and Emily sat back down.
"I just wish that I could erase everything from that night," Spencer admitted after explaining what had happened.
"I do, too," Isabel muttered, and Spencer looked over at her apologetically.
"I'm sorry for insulting your..." she replied.
"Alcohol addiction?" Isabel laughed bitterly. "I'm sorry that I have it. Not only does it make my life harder, but it makes your life hard, too."
"No, don't say that," Spencer sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, too. I should have told you the real reason why I was there," Emily agreed.
"Well, how could you? I bulldozed over every opportunity that you had," Spencer replied bitterly. "I bulldozed over you. I bulldozed over Hanna when she tried to tell me about the gun. I'm basically a human bulldozer." Emily just smiled sadly and rolled her eyes. "And now I'm bulldozing over your apology. I'm really sorry."
-
"Guys," Aria gulped as they got up. Mona had just walked into the Brew.
"Ugh. Mo' Mona, mo' problems," Spencer agreed. Mona walked over to her and glared.
"Can I talk to you?" she asked.
"Where the hell have you been?" Spencer scoffed, crossing her arms.
"I'm sorry; That wasn't a question," Mona snapped. "I need to talk to you. Alone."
"You said we were in this together, and then you just disappeared," Isabel pointed out.
"Whatever you have to say to Spencer, you can say to all of us," Emily agreed, glancing back at her.
"Have it your way," Mona sighed. "I've been tracking down my missing RV. That's where I've been." She paused, eyes on Spencer. "Toby took it. He gave it to 'A', but Spencer already knew that. She's been covering for him."
When Spencer was silent, Aria spoke up. "You're lying."
"I'm really not," Mona shrugged.
"Then you'd better have proof," Isabel huffed.
"Look, I'll take heels over a hoodie any day of the week, but just 'cause I'm not 'A' anymore, doesn't mean I can't recon your asses when I need to," Mona shot back. "So, yeah, I have proof."
Spencer was still quiet, so Aria turned to her. "Spencer, say something."
"It's true," Spencer nodded.
-
"Mona may not be 'A,' but she's definitely still a 'B'," Isabel scoffed. She, Aria, and Emily were in Emily's room.
"Did you see that smirk on her face?" Emily agreed.
"I just can't believe that Spencer would keep that from us," Aria replied, shaking her head.
"You know there was a reason Toby did this," Isabel assured them. "I mean, there has to be."
"Reason or not, I can't help thinking Hanna wouldn't be in this mess if we still had that RV," Aria sighed, sitting down on Emily's bed. "What if Mona had something that could prove that Hanna's mom was innocent?"
"Proof that somebody else wanted Wilden dead," Isabel nodded, getting up. "A video, a photo, anything."
Suddenly, Aria's phone rang, and she picked it up. "Hanna?" She frowned. "Okay." She looked over at Isabel and Emily. "Her parents took her phone. Look, Hanna, we have to tell you something." She paused. "Yeah, yeah, of course."
"You have to tell her to talk to her parents," Emily whisper-shouted.
"All right, what Emily thinks-" Aria began. She paused, then hung up. "She doesn't want us to do anything to help."
"Are we gonna listen?" Isabel asked, raising an eyebrow.
-
Hanna had asked Isabel to talk to Caleb for her, so, being her best friend, and his sister, she agreed.
"Hanna wanted me to give you this," Isabel smiled, giving Caleb a slip of paper. "She also wanted me to cop a feel on her behalf, but..."
"Her parents said they would call me if anything happened, but I haven't heard anything," he explained.
"Well, maybe that's a good thing," Isabel shrugged. "We have the truth on our side this time."
"Thanks for this," he replied with a sad smile. She gave him a quick hug and was off.
"Isabel!"
Isabel was walking away from Caleb when she heard Spencer call her name. "Hey, Isabel," she said, running up to her. "I've been looking for you. I know who Ali was calling. At least I think I do. I was talking to all of these sorority girls, and they didn't know anything about a hidden room, but a couple years ago, there was this housemother... the Grunwald."
"Yeah," Isabel nodded, distracted.
"And she would disappear for hours at a time, and then all of the sudden, poof, she would reappear as if she'd never left the house," Spencer went on as they walked. "What if Mrs. Grunwald was using that hidden room? What if that's who Ali was calling?"
"I don't think the Grunwald wore board shorts," Isabel scoffed sarcastically as she opened her locker.
"Okay, so we got that part wrong. But this is our chance to get it right. Mrs. Grunwald could know who was after Ali," Spencer urged. "It could be 'A'. It could be the same person who's framing Hanna's mom. Look, you wanna help Hanna, right? So, let's go talk to Mrs. Grunwald today, okay? You and me."
"Spencer, stop. Having Mona's RV could've helped Hanna," Isabel snapped. "And I'm not going on another wild goose chase with you just so you can clear your guilty conscience. Besides, I'm busy tonight."
"Look, I want to explain everything, but I just can't. Not yet," Spencer pleaded.
"I know you're trying to protect Toby, and I get that, but I really wish you'd think about the people you were hurting," Isabel huffed, and stormed off before she was late for class. She stopped about halfway, kind of regretting dissing Spencer. But when she turned around, ready to agree to come with her, she was gone.
-
Unfortunately, if Isabel wanted to keep her job, she had to work open mic night instead of trashing her life.
"Chocolate or raspberry?" Emily asked as she and Isabel walked up to Aria. Conner, the new guy, had started a rumor that Aria was hooking up with Ezra (it wasn't a lie), after pretending to have slept with her.
"'Kay, you can stop with the sympathy food," Aria sighed. "I think a box of macaroons, and three chocolate chip cookies is enough for one night, Isabel," she added, glancing at Isabel, who shrugged sheepishly. Then her eyes were back on Emily. "Chocolate. Obviously." She snatched up the chocolate croissant.
"Look, if I could've had anyone else working tonight, you know I would have," Emily replied, throwing Conner a dirty look as he walked past.
"No, it's fine. Really," Aria assured her. "And plus I don't have anything to be ashamed of. Says my suddenly wise younger brother."
"Well, if it makes you feel better, I did put him on garbage duty," Isabel shrugged, setting down her plate of donuts.
"Huh, it does. Thank you," Aria smiled.
Suddenly, Spencer walked up to them. "Hey. Any chance you're still talking to me?" She looked between Isabel and Emily.
"Yeah," Isabel sighed.
"How was the Grunwald?" Emily added.
"She said that she didn't know Ali," Spencer explained darkly. "But I think that Shana got to her first."
"You think or you know?" Isabel asked.
"I saw her there. Shana. In creepy-ville," Spencer shuddered. "Ravenswood," she added at Isabel's confused look.
"What is Lieutenant Tanner doing here?" Aria gulped out of nowhere, and Isabel turned around to see Lt. Tanner walk in.
"Maybe she's into slam poetry?" Spencer asked hopefully.
"Emily," Tanner said as she walked up to them.
"Lieutenant Tanner, hi," Emily smiled as politely as she could. "Did my mom tell you about the event tonight?"
"Uh-uh. I saw a flyer up at the station," Tanner explained. "But I'm not here for the music. Can you get someone to cover you for you for a moment?"
"Me?" Emily blinked.
"Uh-huh," Tanner nodded.
"I can," Isabel offered, and Emily gave her a thankful look.
"Good. I need you at the station," Tanner replied. "Alone. It won't take long." She walked off, and Emily gave Isabel her plate of croissants before following her.