'I told you: Dead girls can't smile. Stop looking.' - A
Isabel was working at the Brew when she saw Hanna reading a book.
"Whoa, am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" she joked as she walked over.
"Ha, ha," Hanna said sarcastically. "I like reading these kind of books. You know..." she went on, but Isabel was distracted when she saw Holbrook walk in. Great, she had to serve him.
"What can I get for you today, Officer?" Isabel sighed as she slipped behind the counter before her boss could strangle her.
"The usual," he shrugged, and then walked over to Hanna. Hanna saw that Isabel noticed this, but nonetheless talked to him. Isabel raised an eyebrow at Hanna, who now ignored her.
Since when were Hanna and Holbrook friends?
-
The wall is so plain.
That's what she thought, clutching a bottle of scotch. His favorite. She stared at the wall across from her whilst sitting on her bed, because she couldn't take it anymore. Sure, Jason had left many months ago, and she had temporarily healed. But Caleb driving off to Ravenswood opened a sloppily healed wound, and thinking about Jason just made it worse.
There was a knock on her door, and she shook herself out of the stupor.
"Isabel! Are you awake?" Spencer called. When Isabel didn't respond, the door swung open. Spencer saw her clutching the bottle, swaying a bit, and she rushed over. "Isabel! It's, like, four pm, what are you doing here?"
"I could ask the same of you," Isabel laughed. Spencer snatched the bottle away and poured it into the sink. "Hey, that was my dinner!"
"Isabel, don't get back into bad habits," Spencer protested, walking back over. "Now, I had called to ask if you wanted to go to the Hart and Huntsman-"
"Wait, lemme get this straight," Isabel frowned, her head suddenly clear. "You reprimand me for drinking, then tell me that the whole reason you're here is to take me to a college bar?"
"No, I- How'd you know it was a college bar?" Spencer blinked.
"Because I've been there," Isabel shrugged. "The ale there is really good."
"Ale?" Spencer frowned.
"Board Shorts Ale," Isabel chuckled. "It's superb."
"Board Shorts- Isabel, why didn't you tell us sooner?!" Spencer exclaimed, getting up. "Come on, we're going to the Hart and Huntsman. Now."
-
When they got there, it was pretty crowded. Isabel had somewhat sobered up, but not enough to drive.
Isabel pushed the front door, trying to get it to open. Spencer took one look at her, raised an eyebrow, and pulled it open. Isabel nodded, knowing she was still drunk.
They scanned the bar, Isabel not really knowing what for.
"Mr. Fitz?" Isabel blinked, making Spencer whirl around. There he was, sitting in front of them and eating pie.
"Hey, Isabel, Spencer, uh..." Ezra stammered as they walked up to them.
"Sorry, we didn't mean to interrupt," Spencer apologized.
"No, it's okay. I just didn't expect to see you in this setting," he said to Spencer. Then, with his attention on Isabel, he added, "I saw you here a couple times, didn't I?"
"Yeah, actually, the drinks here are really good," Isabel nodded, slurring the last word.
"Um... H-have you been here before?" Ezra asked Spencer.
"No. No, I never have," Spencer replied, shaking her head.
"That looks good," Isabel remarked, pointing to the pie he was eating. Spencer raised an eyebrow at her. "What is it?"
"Boysenberry," Ezra explained, and Spencer's eyes widened. "Or actually it might be blackberry. I don't know. I'm going off a recommendation from the waitress." A waitress walked past, and he turned to her. "Oh, excuse me, could I actually cancel the rest of my order? I didn't realize how late it was and I actually need to get going."
"No problem," the waitress smiled.
"Great," Ezra nodded. He pulled out his wallet. "Sorry to run out on you two. Are you guys meeting someone here?"
"Yeah, we are," Isabel lied, and for the first time, Spencer didn't look exasperated with her.
"Great. Well, it was great running into the both of you," Ezra said. "Try the pie. It's pretty great."
"Yeah," Spencer grinned. When he left, her eyes were still on the pie. "Yeah, so I've heard."
Spencer sat down to talk to Isabel. She explained the whole Ali-meeting-with-Board-Shorts-here thing, and Isabel's mouth dropped.
"Wait, so Ezra's Board Shorts?" she blinked.
"No, I don't know, he wasn't drinking the beer, and he said it was recommended-" Spencer began, but the waitress came over with some alcohol.
"Okay, I get that, but why can't I eat the pie-" Isabel whined.
"What's this?" Spencer asked the waitress, ignoring Isabel.
"He already paid for it, so I figured why not?" the lady shrugged. Isabel's eyes landed on the beer. She reached for it, but Spencer slapped her hand away. "But if anyone asks, I checked your guys' IDs."
"Boysenberry pie and beer? That's what he ordered?" Spencer gaped.
"I know, kinda gross, right?" the waitress nodded.
"Yeah," Spencer chuckled. "Thanks."
When she walked away, Isabel reached for the bottle. Spencer snatched it out of her hands, but her eyes widened when she saw the label.
Board Shorts Ale.
-
Supposedly, Emily had been attacked by 'A', then her father had gotten injured.
When Isabel and Spencer arrived at Aria's, Emily glared at Spencer.
"Please don't send me away," Spencer pleaded, and Emily was silent. Both Isabel and Spencer rushed over and hugged Emily. "Oh, my God."
"Hanna?" Aria blinked as Hanna burst in, looking exhausted.
"Thank God," Emily agreed.
"Where have you been?" Aria added.
"I was at the dentist, and I think that I got treated by 'A,'" Hanna gulped.
"What? You've been at the dentist this whole time?" Isabel asked incredulously.
"I thought your appointment was at 4:30," Spencer frowned.
"Yeah, I know," Hanna sighed as they all stared at her. "And I-I-I stole those appointment pages from that September-"
"You got them? Show them to us," Spencer begged.
Hanna just looked at her warily. "No, I don't have them." They gave her the 'Really?' look, and she went on. "Look, when I woke up, I was in a dentist chair, the lights were off, and my jaw hurt. I still feel like half of my lip is frozen."
"Wait a second. You think that 'A' froze you?" Isabel blinked.
"That 'A' stuck a needle in your gums?" Aria added just as skeptically.
"I don't know," Hanna shrugged helplessly. "All I know is I feel like I've been chewing on a sewing kit for the past hour."
"This is crazy," Emily replied, shaking her head. "Do we think the same person who hunted me down at school tonight spent the afternoon operating on Hanna?"
"Oh, my God," Hanna sighed.
"Who is this monster?" Aria scoffed.
"One of you just please look inside my mouth," Hanna pleaded.
Spencer, Emily, Isabel, and Aria crowded around Hanna's mouth, and Emily held the flashlight as Spencer craned her neck to see the damage.
"Do you see anything?" Emily asked.
"Stop moving," Spencer muttered as Hanna squirmed.
"It hurts," Hanna complained.
"Isabel, give me the tweezers," Spencer said to Isabel, who picked them up and gave them to her. "I'm sorry." She poked at something in Hanna's mouth, trying to grab it. "Okay, okay, okay. Hold on." Hanna whined as Spencer pulled a minuscule capsule out of her mouth.
"What is that?" Aria blinked as they all stared at it.
"I have no idea," Emily shrugged.
"That was in my mouth?" Hanna gulped.
Spencer opened the little thing and pulled out a microscopic piece of paper. "Oh, my God."
"What does that say?" Isabel asked as she squinted at it.
"I can't read it," Spencer replied.
Emily came back with a magnifying glass. "Here."
'I told you: Dead girls can't smile. Stop looking. - A'