Н’Нˆð‹Ð•Ð„Н‘ Н’НÐ‘НˆðÐ†Ð’ | H. Marin 13

xxx

“Morning.” Aria hummed and took her seat in between Mike and Cassandra, happily taking the plate her father offered her. Cassandra waved her hand, silently telling her dad she didn’t want breakfast. She never ate breakfast– nor was she a morning person to begin with.

He set the scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and toast on the table and sat down, fixing his tie that loosened while making the breakfast foods. 

“Alright you can say it, dad has gotten the hang of this single parent thing.” he said, waiting for the responses from his children. 

“Looks good.” Aria smiled and nudged Mike, whose face was too busy being stuffed in the newspaper, most likely reading about lacrosse, versus paying attention to his dad. 

“Yeah.” he reluctantly agreed. A minute passes and he returns to the article in front of him, making Cassandra roll her eyes. She wasn’t at all surprised at his bratty behavior– this was something normal for him. 

If he didn’t know how to deal with his emotions, he just took it out with being rude to everyone around him. It made him a whole lot harder to deal with, hence why Cassandra had been keeping her distance from her family drama and focusing on A.

“Did you see mom last night?” Aria asked, taking a sip of her orange juice. Cassandra flicked her sister’s earrings that were basically a big, blue feather that hung down to her neck. Cassandra laughed when Aria swatted her hand away. 

Usually, Cassandra adored her sister’s fashion sense and loved the cute little outfits she had. But there was always a moment where she couldn’t help but judge her choices. Big feathers as earrings weren’t Cassandra’s go to for jewelry. 

Or anyone’s really. 

“Um, yes, I did.” he finally responded. Mike lifted his face up from the newspaper, suddenly interested in the conversation. 

“How’d that go?”

Their father chewed the rest of his slightly overcooked eggs and sighed. “Well, what I thought was going to be a date with your mom turned into your mom telling me that she’s dating other people.”

“What?!” Mike scoffed, sharing a brief look with Cassandra before continuing, “And you’re okay with that?” 

“It’s not really my place to tell her that she can’t.” he shrugged, picking a cut-up strawberry with his fork. 

“That’s just so you, dad.” Mike aggressively threw the newspaper on the table. “You lie and cheat, but you draw the line at hypocrisy.”

He angrily stood up and yanked his jacket, “Such a role model.” 

“Mike!” Aria shouted, but it was too late. He already slammed the door shut in their faces. Cassandra watched her father with annoyance and slight pity. He caused all of this, and he won’t even try to fix it. 

She wanted to deny it, but her brother was right. 

He sat there at took it all with no shame. It was embarrassing for her to see. Her mother didn’t deserve that, and she didn’t want to stand by any longer. 

“I’d usually defend you or mom, dad. But this time, Mike is right. You don’t get to destroy our family and pretend like you’re innocent in this.” she scowled, ignoring Aria’s disappointed head shake. 

She pulled her purse over her shoulder and left, deciding now was a perfect time to get to school. She just wanted to get away from everyone and listen to music in her car. 

Driving and listening to music had been therapeutic for her recently, it seemed as if they were the only times she would get a moment of peace and quiet. 

Hanging with her friends always meant dealing with problems from their stalker, her school day was spent being extra careful acknowledging the fact that someone there was most likely after them, and staying home was a headache and a half– listening to her father and brother argue all the time while her sister was in her room crying about Ezra was exhausting. 

She needed this.

xxx

“Agent Cooper is not some small-town cop who’s going to arrest Spencer’s brother-in-law because Ali carved his name into a tree.” Hanna pointed out, the girls taking their seat in the mostly empty lunchroom. 

“Yeah, a tree that’s no longer there.” Aria added. 

“No one knows that but us.” 

“And Ian.”

“And A.” Hanna said, staring out the window looking at their recent suspect– Noel Kahn. “Noel led us to that tree for a reason.” Spencer whispered, leaning forward so no one could hear them. 

“Is A… I mean, is Noel trying to help us find Ali’s killer?” Cassandra questioned, letting her words sink in. “A helping us? Well, that’s a first.” Hanna snapped. 

“How could Noel even know about Ian and Ali?” Spencer asked, rubbing her fingers against her forehead. 

Cassandra sneakily glanced outside again. “Have you ever noticed how Noel is always around?” her jaw dropped when she saw her brother speaking with him. 

“Are they friends?” Emily said, confusion lacing her tone. 

“No.” both Aria and Cassandra answered. 

Spencer turned back around to her friends. “Hanna’s right about Cooper. We need to find some kind of proof.”

“Thank you, Veronica Mars.” Hanna sarcastically said. 

“That proof may be boxed in your kitchen.” Emily said, directing her statement to Spencer. 

Maya walked up to the girls and softly greeted them all. Emily got up and kissed her on the lips, making the girls have big smiles on their faces. 

“Are we still on for later? You know, now that your dad’s gone.” Maya asked. 

Emily nodded, “Yeah, my mom knows how my dad feels about us.” 

“In other words, she tolerates me.” Maya frowned, trying to make a joke, but it ultimately failed. “She’s spending the day in the city, okay so you’ll be safe, I promise.” Emily replied, attempting to calm her girlfriends’ nerves. 

“What’s later?” Cassandra said, suggestively lifting her eyebrows. 

“Um, studying.”

“Is that girl-on-girl code for romance?” Hanna said, adding on to the teasing. She smiled and her dimples popped out while she bit her lip when she remembered that same exact excuse she used with the brunette across from her all too well. 

“No, Hanna, Cassie, we’re actually studying.” Emily denied, chuckling as Maya wrapped her arms around the girls’ waist. 

“But your friend is a romantic.” Maya mentioned. 

“Is she?” Spencer giggled.

“Oh, yeah, walks in the rain, picnics by the lake, dancing naked in candlelight.” Emily went on, hiding her smirk while her friends’ faces dropped in shock. 

“I’m just kidding. We go to dinner and movie just like you guys.” Emily teased, the group letting out loud laughter. 

“Well, she’s not entirely kidding. Emily would love to do all those things-“

Emily held her hand over Maya’s mouth, “Okay, you’ve shared enough.” she pulled them away and quickly turned around and mouthed ‘Oh, my god‘ to them. 

Cassandra pouted, seemingly jealous of the two.

“I want that kind of relationship.” she announced.

“I’d say you could have that with Noel, but, uh, yeah. Maybe not anymore.” Spencer taunted. 

“Whatever.” Cassandra glared at the smart brunette. 

xxx

“Oink oink.” a footballer mocked, making fun of the blonde and her six cupcakes with pigs on it that A was forcing her to eat for the money she needed at home. She was utterly embarrassed and ashamed– she wanted to kill A for having her do this. 

It brought back old memories of her times as Hefty Hanna and how Alison berated her for eating so much. She pushed back the tears and shoved more of the red velvet cupcake into her mouth.

She just wanted to get this over with.

She heard a voice shout at the boys behind her and blocked it out. Though, the person scared them off because she heard them all swear and slam their chairs into the table and leave with many complaints. 

She closed her eyes and waited for the person to take their share in ridiculing her and calling her fat. Though, it never happened. 

Hanna peeked open an eye and saw a stack of money on the table– that couldn’t possibly be from A because she wasn’t done eating yet. 

The blonde looked to her left and saw the familiar brunette locks that smelled like home, and the comforting blue eyes staring at her with worry. 

She tried to hide the box and wipe her face of the frosting, but Cassandra beat her to it. The girl sat in silence and swiped her thumb across the blonde’s lips, getting rid of the white frosting. She softly patted her face and frowned deeply. 

Cassandra quietly picked up a cupcake and began eating with her. When she saw the Marin daughter go to speak up, she shushed her and rubbed her back. A way of telling her that they’d talk after this was done. 

A never specified whether or not Hanna could eat this alone or with another person, so she wasn’t too nervous about that part. 

She was more so self-conscious about the fact that she felt like throwing up the minute the first cupcake went into her mouth, and she didn’t want the brunette to judge her for it. 

Cassandra knew– she knew Hanna threw up back when she was heavier, and she never treated her differently. In fact, if Hanna was ever struggling with her food problems, she’d give the Montgomery girl a call and she’d be over in seconds, holding her hair back as she voluntarily threw up her dinner. 

She didn’t approve of her habits, but she accepted them and realized that she wouldn’t stop until she was skinny. Alison fucked up her perspective of that and showed Hanna a way to get rid of calories in the most dangerous and unhealthy way possible. 

The brunette didn’t blame her for that, she blamed Alison. 

The root of most of their problems recently. 

Cassandra took the last cupcake in the cardboard box, knowing she’d burn off the calories by running later or doing something active, and also knowing that if the blonde took it, she’d be more tempted to use her fingers and a toilet. 

Once they both finished the cupcakes, Hanna threw herself into Cassandra’s arms. She hid her face in Cassandra’s neck and let the tears fall freely, soaking her shirt. 

“It’s okay, baby.” Hanna stiffened in her hold and Cassandra winced, “Sorry, old habits die hard.” she began muttering apologies and Hanna shook her head from the nape of the brunette’s neck. 

“Don’t worry about it, it was actually kind of comforting. Reminded me of the past.” Hanna muttered, pulling back and kissing Cassandra’s cheek. The Montgomery daughter sheepishly smiled and lightly blushed. 

“Thank you so much, Cass– I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. You actually save me, as corny as that sounds.” Hanna said, happiness in her tone. She reached up and held the side of Cassandra’s face with her palm, enjoying the calmness that washed over her. 

Cassandra leaned into her grasp and closed her eyes, letting her head fall into her hand. 

“I forgot how much I missed this.” she whispered, vulnerability filling her voice. Hanna hummed and smiled at her. 

“I know.”

“A told me about your mother’s financial situation, so I pulled some money that I had left and it’s right there for you.” Cassandra said.

“I can’t-“

“Please, please just take it. For me.” Cassandra begged, dismissing the look in Hanna’s eyes. 

“I won’t ask you of this…” Hanna trailed off, awkwardly rubbing her shoulders. It felt wrong taking the blue-eyed girls money. She felt guilty. 

“But you didn’t, I’m telling you. Just this once, it’s enough money to hopefully cover most of your mom’s debt.” Cassandra demanded, the softness no longer there and being replaced by the hard, serious tone. 

“Thank you, Cass. I think you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

xxx

“Melissa’s pregnant?” Cassandra gasped, accidentally shouting out her words. 

“Hey, this is a secret.” Spencer whisper-shouted, staring between the two loudest people she’s ever met. “No, this is not a secret. It’s a bombshell, like in nukular.” Hanna denied, tucking her curtain-bangs behind her ears. 

“It’s nuclear,” Spencer corrected. “Nuclear.”

“Okay, whatever. It’s still a disaster movie.” Cassandra butted in. “Can you imagine Melissa pregnant? Or even worse, Melissa as a mom?”

“I’ve never once heard Melissa talk about kids. Now, she wants to have a huge family. It’s like he’s totally manipulating her.” Spencer hissed– crossing her arms over her chest and huffing. 

Hanna rose her brow. “Manipulating her? Spence, your sister’s badass.”

“I don’t know what we’re going to find, but I have to see what’s inside those boxes.” Spencer lowered her tone again. 

A teary-eyed brunette came up the bus and slowly walked to them, she kept checking her phone and anxiously cracking her knuckles. 

“Emily.” Cassandra started. 

“I didn’t even get to say goodbye.” Emily sniffed, wiping her tears with her sleeve. 

“To whom?”

“Maya.” she mumbled. 

“Em, where’s she going?” Hanna asked. 

“They’re sending her to juvie camp for three months.” she deadpanned, furiously blinking to rid of the tears and hopefully the pain. 

“What happened?” Spencer questioned. 

“My mother. That’s what happened.” Emily growled, realization hitting her that her mother literally got rid of the love of her life. 

xxx

“I don’t know who I’m more afraid of. A, the bitch who tried to flatten Hanna or A, our new frenemy.” Aria commented. Cassandra bit back a remark, A wasn’t their friend. If they were, then they wouldn’t have hit Hanna. 

Aria chuckled to herself and let out a breath of relief. 

“What?”

“A saved my relationship.” she observed, grinning and searching Spencer’s fridge for something to eat. 

“Yeah, well, A tried to kill me.” Hanna snapped. She was confused as to why Aria was suddenly all for this mystery person. Saving a relationship that was illegal didn’t seem as important as trying to kill one of your friends. 

“Because A thought that you saw her. A clearly knows now that you didn’t.” Spencer defended the shorter brunette. 

“So, we’re gonna ignore the fact that Hanna almost died because A is now our savior for helping Aria with a relationship that was doomed from the start? No offense.” Cassandra added, fed up with the foolishness of the group. 

Hanna sent Cassandra a grateful smile, but before anyone could respond, the backdoor opened up and Spencer immediately started blabbing stuff out about the Pythagorean theorem. 

“It’s nice to see the posse together again.” Melissa commented, slowly coming towards the countertop where the girls sat.

“The posse?”

“This is me playing nice, Aria. Spencer and I have called a truce.” the elder sister explained with a grin. 

Hanna giggled. “Oh, I’ll play along. How does it feel to be married?”

“It feels like, I don’t have to try so hard all the time. Like things can finally settle.” Melissa described, pulling her hair back into a low bun. 

“Yeah, that’s how my mom felt before my dad met Isabelle.” Hanna snarked. 

Melissa let out a fake laugh. “The one thing I don’t need to worry about is Ian looking at other women.” she shrugged, and the man walked through the door. 

“You ready, wifey?”

“I am, my handsome husband.” he came up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist. Cassandra held back the gag that wanted to come up. She was officially grossed out. They left and Emily came in. 

They all turned around and gave big grins at the brunette. 

 She looked at them confused, “What?”

“There is something that I need to show you in my room.” Spencer announced. “Wait, no. I think she should find it herself.” Hanna stated. 

“I agree, but first…” Cassandra smirked and fluffed up Emily’s hair and unbuttoned her jean jacket, showing off her cleavage. 

“Now you can go.” 

Emily went upstairs and they squealed and jumped up and down. 

The four got started on going through Ian’s boxes and struggled to find anything that was important. Aria held up a newspaper that showed Alison on the front when she was missing. 

“Look at this.” she pointed out. 

“Everyone kept that.” Spencer said. 

“Guys, look. Creepy or what?” Cassandra giggled, holding up the pair of binoculars and holding them against her eyes. 

The sound of Emily and Maya upstairs and a song playing brought the girls off guard. “You know, I am officially jealous of Emily’s love life.” Hanna stated. 

They went back to searching for roughly ten minutes and found nothing but tons of comic books. 

“Evidence of geekdom, but no crimes.” Hanna stated.

“Hey, thank you guys so much.” Emily thanked, the couple coming downstairs, and Maya gave them a goodbye hug. 

“You’ll be back soon.” Cassandra whispered and pulled her into a hug.

“I don’t know how to thank you guys. Tonight was the best gift anyone could have ever given me.” Emily said, showing off her white teeth.

“Where are they sending her?” Spencer asked. 

“Uh, some place called True North?” Emily guessed.

“Seriously?” Hanna asked, furrowing her eyebrows together. 

“Is it bad?” Emily replied. 

“They sent Betsy Berger there for huffing spray paint. She came back as a drummer in a gospel band.” Hanna gossiped; amusement evident in her tone. 

Aria sighed, “Look, Maya’s an amazing person. She’ll be fine.”

“Yeah. Did you guys find anything?”

“Found a bit, fat nothing.” Spencer hissed, kicking an empty cardboard box and putting them back in place. 

Aria’s phone received a text, and she opened it.

“Don’t say I never gave you anything, turn on your computer. -A“ 

Spencer and the girls ran over to her computer and quickly unlocked it, clicking the inbox button and the video of Alison that Agent Cooper showed them played. The video continued on after the part where it ended, and the camera flipped to Ian. 

They gasped, “Oh, my God.”

“Come closer.” Ian from the video said and then the camera flipped and fell on the ground, the sound of crying in the background before her hand fell right in the camera. Then, in a sudden movement, the hand got dragged away. 

A noise of someone from the back of Spencer’s house came and the girls started running, chasing the black-hooded person through the woods. 

“Do you see anything?”

“That bitch is fast.”

“…Let’s go back.” 

xxx