•

"The Kahn Game"

The wound hadn't closed. Halle kept it open, festering, as she felt herself being dragged further down to the bottom. Where that bottom lay, she didn't know. All Halle knew was, the depth of her sadness was vast and, just when she thought, her foot would skim the bottom, her leg would slip and there would only be empty space there. In the couple of hours since Jason left, she had taken a turn for the worst and laid on her bed, staring up blankly at the ceiling as every so often a stray tear escaped down her cheek.

Her phone would ring regularly, but she'd decline. Mostly, she pressed the lock button and let it ring out silently, undisturbed, without even glancing at it. She knew it wasn't Jason, so why would she answer? Halle just wanted to haul up in her bedroom, in the dark, and wallow in her feelings. Her heart hadn't hurt this bad before.

The phone rang.

In a poor but snap decision, Halle's hand darted out and snatched her phone from off her bedside table. She held the speaker up to her mouth. "I don't care, leave me alone," she fumed, and abruptly ended the call. Halle threw her phone down to the bed and tried to cry out her tears until she was empty. That had to be done before tomorrow because she didn't want to cry unexpectedly when she undoubtedly stumbled across something that reminded her of Jason, or when her friends brought him up.

Again, the phone rang. Halle picked it up, and this time held it to her ear as she answered. "I said I don't—"

"The site's real, Hal," Spencer jumped in fast.

Halle bolted up, the water dropping from her cheek to her turmeric-coloured bedsheets. "What?"

"It's real."

Emily's laugh echoed out of the speaker of Spencer's laptop. Halle was now in the Hasting girls' bedroom, hovering over the desk where Spencer and Aria sat, and ignored how Hanna side-eyed Halle's blotchy red eyes. Despite her absence, Emily lit up on the screen; the purple border of Maya's website glowed around her, and Halle stood with bated breath.

"You're making me laugh!" said Emily, through her laughter. While in the comfort of her bedroom, Emily was being teased by her dead lover as she sat ice-cream. "I'm trying to eat," she added, her tilted coyly towards Maya, who was behind the camera. Her eyes sparkled through the screen, so full of warmth and love.

Aria wrung her hands, off-put by the privacy they were invading in on. "We should not be watch this," she said, as she turned her back.

"Stop it," continued Emily, the video still playing.

Spencer gave, "There are hundred of videos, and you don't know what they are until you open them." She tapped the escape-key and scrolled down, picking another to pop up in a new window.

Coming over again, Aria considered the site. Images overlaid each other, and there were several menus and play-buttons randomly spread out. "Everything's jumbled up," observed Aria.

The laptop beeped with each picture it fast-forwarded through. "Yeah, it's more of a junk drawer than a journal," Spencer explained.

"Yeah, but this is real," Hanna reminded them strongly. She circled back to their conversation yesterday morning. "Mona gave us a genuine article."

"How?" asked Aria

"Why?" retorted Spencer bitterly, asking the more important question.

"To help us," Hanna bracelet defended.

Cautiously, Halle turned to Spencer and asked, "How much of this did Caleb see?"

"He didn't wanna see any of it once he realised what it was, but..." Spencer offered, although she hated herself now it was real, "he got us in there." She looked at the laptop, saw Maya's face was loaded up and clicked play.

Under a sheet-fort, Maye spoke to the camera honestly. Her large eyes told mirrored the white light and shone brightly as she talked sweetly. "I think Emily's got a very old soul," Maya confessed. "I feel it when I kiss her. I can hear clocks all over the world running backwards."

Immediately, Spencer exited the video. Disturbed, Spencer voiced, "I'm so out of my comfort zone."

Despite this, Hanna leered over the keypad and began clicking.

Aria tried to deter her, "Hanna, don't—"

"No, just one more," promised Hanna, a video already loaded.

It was much darker than the others. The night must have been cold because she was wearing a hat and jacket, dithering under a street light. "I'm such a coward, I know that," Maya said. "I have to face my fears. I can't hide forever." Profusely, Maya shook her head and the fear in her eyes was beginning to match the girls' watching, their building at how scared Maya appeared. The camera shook. She let out a soft whimper, "I can't keep being afraid."

Maya looked off to her left. A red glare briefly flickered over her frame. She gasped, then the camera was quickly hidden in terror.

Staring at Spencer, Hanna urged strongly, "Call her."

"Her phone is off," Spencer said.

"Okay, well, call her again," Halle bit back, her eyes never leaving the screen. "Now."

Aria sucked in a sharp breath, "We can't watch this without her."

Spencer held the phone up to hear, grateful to hear the dial-tone. "At least it's on this time," she remarked.

•

"'The Apple Rose Grill at closing time. Go alone or Caleb plays. A'." Spencer read out the latest threat, with Hanna's phone clutched her hand. With narrowed eyebrows contorted together, Spencer asked, "What's at the Grille?"

"I don't know," gave Hanna pathetically. "A's takeout?"

"When did you get this?" asked Spencer.

"This morning," Hanna stated. With rising annoyance, she spewed out, "I talked to Caleb for, like, two seconds and then — bam! — the text."

Still questioning it, Spencer said, "Do you think it was because of Mona?"

Hanna shrugged, uncertain, but voiced gently, "A probably knows I'm the one that made her stay at Radley."

Spencer lowered the device, her own approach softening. Since finding out the site was real — and jammed packed with footage to decipher, a suspicious video of Maya looking terrified in one — Spencer changed her feelings towards their ex-tormenter. "Has Wren said anything about how she's doing?"

"Oh—" Hanna immediately became awkward, floundering over something so minuscule. It wasn't like the question hadn't been asked before. "I don't know. I haven't talked to him since then." Gratefully, Hanna perked up when she saw Halle travel over to them. "Hey."

Almost mutely, Halle returned, "Hey," and slumped herself down at their courtyard table. Despite the ravenous gurgle of her stomach, Halle couldn't bring herself to subside her hunger. Nothing looked good. Nothing tasted right. Her school lunch seemed to turn grey while Halle went quiet and cold. So, her food laid untouched as she did.

Spencer eyed her suspiciously like Halle was an ill relative on their death bed rather than a heartbroken friend who just sat down for lunch. "Hey, how you doing?"

"I'm fine," Halle replied unconvincingly. "Don't ask again."

Halle walked around like a zombie. She just existed for a while. Yet to overthink that argument outside of Jason's house, stuck between the porch and his car, Halle wasn't ready to talk about it with her friends. She wasn't entirely sure she'd ever be. In a moment of self-absorbed heartache, Halle swore she'd live in that excruciating moment for the rest of her life.

"It's okay, Hal, you can talk to us about it," Hanna encouraged sweetly. "I understand better than anyone what you're going through."

"You don't, though," Halle said, still quiet, and with a shake of her head. "And I'd rather fight than be sad, and the more I think about it, the worst it gets. So, respectfully, shut up."

Curiously, not dropping the subject, Spencer asked, "Have you heard off him?"

He's at rehab, Spencer, they have no phones, Halle wanted to scream at her. But Halle withheld. This was Jason's secret, not hers. She wouldn't go around broadcasting it to anybody. Not even to his half-sister and her best friends.

"No — I don't wanna talk about it," Halle repeated.

"Halle—" Hanna began.

"I said, I don't wanna talk about it." Halle gripped the fork so tightly, her knuckles when white. "So move on already." She sought a distraction, "What's new?"

Hanna, caught in the headlights of Halle's shortness, obeyed and reverted back the conversation from before. "Um, well, I got an A-text," she said.

"What?" Halle's eyes flashed up, more emotion exhibited now. Slightly pitched, she asked, "That's not your first, right? You've had one before now? Haven't you?" Her pressing nature startled the other two opposite her, causing them to stare at her strangely.

"You know I have," Hanna replied. "A sent me a text bragging about crashing Caleb's mom off the road." She asked, nose turned up, "Why are you so worked up over this?"

Crunch.

Halle's eyes shut. She cringed at the sound replaying in her mind. It rattled around behind a few thoughts then — when she was least expecting — crunch. Alison's skull split open was at the fore-front of everything.

Swallowing audibly, Halle stifled a grimace. "No reason. Just PTSD from last year, I guess," she lied easily enough.

"Anyway..." Hanna was still suspicious of Halle, getting increasingly more wary of the girl — for the girl mostly. As she spoke, she watched Halle over the table. "A wants me to go to the Grille tonight, threatening Caleb if I don't," Hanna revealed.

"You can't go," Spencer said instantly. "It's not safe."

Hanna attempted to argue, "If it were Toby being threatened, then—"

But Spencer got there before she could finish. "Then, I would hope that you would tell me the same thing." Her eyes were wary, driven by fear. "Look, I've already lost one person this week, and when Toby comes back to Rosewood — if he comes back — I am just praying that it is in one piece, okay?" She offered a hand out towards the quieter one at the table. "Halle will tell you the exact same."

Halle was broken from her trance. The crunch had silenced, and Alison vanished from her mind. "Uh, sure."

"So, please promise me that you will not go," Spencer begged.

Shaking her head gently, overwhelmed by the emotion Spencer poured out, Hanna said, "Okay, I promise."

As if to release them from the toxic hold A had on them, Emily came by to serve as the perfect distraction. Her laugh caught their attention, attracting them over to the two swimmers. It sounded just like the video, Halle thought depressingly. Emily laughed with Paige McCullers and beamed brightly at something the latter said. She held Paige's hand in hers, proudly displaying their newly sprouted relationship.

"Wow," Spencer breathed out in slight awe. "I haven't see her smile like that since Maya."

Halle rolled her eyes, irritated. The sight across the courtyard made the sweetness of the tomato turn sour in her mouth. She wanted to spit it out, but knew how uncouth that'd be. So, she grimaced, chewed and swallowed in disgust.

"So I take it we're still not gonna tell her about getting into Maya's website," concluded Hanna, a little uneasy about it.

Spencer moved her head back to Hanna and replied, "She deserves a moment of happiness before we drag her down the Maya-wormhole."

"Not like she isn't there," muttered Halle. When her friends turned to her, Halle voiced her own discomfort. "She spends way too much time with Nate for it to be healthy, Paige lingered around Em and Maya like a bad smell, and let's not forget the biggest thing — Maya was murdered, not long ago, by the same guy who killed Alison. Like, Em's been down that hole for a while now."

"But she's happy," Spencer tried. "Look at her."

"You're only being like that because you're hurting right now," Hanna reasoned.

"A broken heart doesn't mean my brain ain't working, Han," Halle stubbornly said. "I don't trust Paige. I haven't since she tried to down Em."

"You know," Hanna began merrily, swerving Halle's reminder of last year, "Aria thinks it's a sign that we didn't get a hold of them that night. Like the universe just wants her to be happy."

Eyes lifted towards the sky, Spencer remarked with a slight smile, "The universe is a finicky little bastard."

Halle clenched her jaw. "The universe can suck my di—"

"Hi!" Emily interrupted, her coming to stand by the table, with a broad grin displayed on her features.

"Hey," met a cheery Hanna.

"Hey — Hi, Paige," Spencer greeted.

"Hey," said Paige, unsure. She was uncomfortable around the girls, especially since they had been less than welcoming to her prior.

"How's it going?" Emily asked, eyes loitering on Halle's figure for a second or two.

"Uh, it's... good," Spencer said, looking to Hanna for support because Halle was no use.

Hanna was happy to agree. "Yeah, it's great," she assured Emily, smiling.

"Peachy," mumbled Halle, and soured the smiles forced on by the two girls she sat with, who just put out nervous chuckles.

Unconvinced, Emily's eyes shifted between the three. Something was becoming a secret; it only took one look at Halle to realise that. "Great," she said, although it wasn't. Emily asked Halle, "How are you doing?"

"Hmm," hummed Halle.

"I can bring around some take-out tonight?" Emily suggested, smiling sweetly. "We can even go into Philly, eat at that Indian place you love." When she got nothing put another hum in return, Emily changed her tone. "Halle, If you wanna talk—"

"I don't wanna—"

"She doesn't wanna talk about it," Spencer inserted above Halle. Just because Halle was bitter at the moment didn't mean it had to rub off on Emily, not when everything was looking brighter for the swimmer.

"Um, okay," mused Emily, tense over the situation. She switched between Halle and the other two, sensing something else but none spoke it aloud. "See you later," she said, then with Paige conjoined at her side.

•

Halle stared at Mrs DiLaurentis' email in her inbox for longer than she cared to admit. The bold writing of it was like a dagger in her chest. What it meant was more so — that Jason went away. A simple email spelt pain. It sat at the top, unopened, above her admissions reminder from the guidance counsellor. Unlike Spencer, Halle's UPenn application was already on a pile of early admissions, but a list of other colleges suggested for Halle were a constant temptation.

Clicking it open, Halle read over the list as well as the counsellor's footnotes. It was a short list of academics alongside a vast list of sporting ones: ones that she'd only get with cheerleading. If she didn't have Cheer, Halle wouldn't be going to a good college. Her grades were good, but they weren't that good. She wasn't in any clubs or involved in the student body. She barely had any relationships with her teachers outside of Coach Rhodes to write glowing recommendations. Everyone else thought she had potential but was trouble.

College wasn't looking too great, and the idea of it — entering the real world — was scary. Halle was petrified by it. It was enough to give her a permanent headache. Her temples burned. Myles was at Stanford, and Halle was next. It was her turn to choose, but Halle felt out of her depth. It was like she was scaling a tall building, on the ledge, teetering, eyes clenched shut as she tried her very best not to look down.

She felt a furry head rest against her ankle, a soft sigh sounding from below. Halle lowered the laptop screen and gazed down at Pacha's adoring stare. "Yeah, I know, sweet boy," she said. "I feel the same." She titled her head to the side and asked, "Wanna get out?"

Pacha's head shot up; his happily wagging tail was indictive enough to know that meant yes. Halle decided getting out for fifteen might alleviate some of the pressure on her chest and off her shoulders. She was seventeen, and she was suffocating under it all. She needed to get out, breathe fresh air and try not to fall off the edge.

Halle shut the laptop lid and put the device to the side, on the right side of her bed as she slid off the left. Pacha was already whining at the door, his tail thumping against the wooden floor in his impatient hurry. Putting the laptop aside, on the right side of her bed, Halle slid off the left. Before she went, a wince escaping her as she stood up to fast, Halle's hand flew up to her forehead.

"Ahh," she whimpered, brows tight and drawn together as her headache intensified. "Ooh."

In a moment of need, Halle ventured over to her dresser for her olive-green jewellery box. She opened it, removed the inside tray and reached for the bottle of prescribed Ativan. It felt lighter than it did Labor Day, and day by day, with each headache, another was emptied from the bottle. Now was no different. As she felt herself falling further into her hot pain bleeding across her forehead, Halle knew she needed one of those little yellow pills to help ease it.

Meanwhile, out of town, while dusk turned to night, Aria and Spencer sat rigid in CeCe Drake's red convertible. The fabulous blonde, with the promise of getting Spencer's college application on the admission's desk floating in the air, parked up amongst the line of cars. She found a spot too far away from the party's entrance, in a long line of other vehicles.

"So, is it weird coming back to a party in Rosewood?" Spencer asked, attempting to make conversation.

CeCe Drake gave a hum. "You never know what you're gonna get," she said, as if she had mustered up all the knowledge in the world. She shut off the engine and began her exit of the car, causing Spencer to glance back at Aria for support. "People either love you or they don't remember your name," CeCe informed.

The twenty-three year old stepped out, with Spencer doing the same on the opposite side, and after, Aria climbed out from the back-seat. CeCe continued, "Look at Jason. He won't return my phone-calls, and we dated for how long?" she posed, but neither knew the answer.

It puzzled the two girls. They never knew Jason dated anybody the summer Alison went missing. They had only known Jason as Alison's older brother or Jason with Halle. There was only ever Halle for him to them. It was weird, foreign hearing somebody else claim him.

"Jason's just going through a really rough time right now," Spencer reasoned.

CeCe's perfectly plucked eyebrows raised, disbelieving. "Apparently."

"No, he..." Spencer swallowed. "He and Halle are on a break."

Aria spared a look to Spencer and quickly agreed to back her best friend up. "They're still together. He wanted to get out of town."

Speaking with a smile like a hiss, CeCe boldly suggested, "I should really talk to Halle. Shed some light on our common ground." She shut the door, as Aria scoffed.

"Like Halle'd let that happen," muttered Aria, almost bemused at the first sign of naivety CeCe Drake showed despite it being coated in thick smugness.

"What was that?" CeCe asked, eyes narrowed.

Clearing her throat, Aria shook her head and put on a smile. "Nothing. I—" She started to walk towards the entrance between the thick, tall greenery. "Wait, I've been here before," she recalled. Her green eyes landed on the slender iron gates and the strung-up, twinkling fairylights draped around the wood cabin and trees. "We both have." Aria stated, "This is Noel Kahn's cabin."

"Oh, yeah—" CeCe broke into a grin and pinked up the pace again, "Eric does have a little brother, doesn't he?" She spun around, walking backwards with a glint of mischief on her face. "Tell me, does douchebaggery run in the family?"

"This is Eric's party? Eric Kahn?" Aria wanted to clarify.

"Yeah." CeCe stopped, gave them both a focused glare. "Why? What's the deal there?"

"He dated Halle," Spencer revealed. "They broke up last year."

"Wow," CeCe, impressed, let out. "Girl has taste." She chuckled knowingly, "Me and Halle definitely need to compare notes. Ooh, wait—" CeCe lit up with glee, "Halle's the high school cheerleader he was dating. Hmm, interesting."

"Why interesting?" Aria asked.

"Oh, it's just Eric had no respect for her when I knew him, at UPenn," said CeCe. reintegrating that she attended the Ivy League school. "Like, douchebag boyfriend doesn't even cover it. She must have some serious trust issues."

At CeCe's soft chuckle, Aria forced a smile that gave away all her unease. The second CeCe turned her back, it was dropped. She mouthed to Spencer, "I — don't — like — her."

"Please, please do this," Spencer half-begged, mouthing it back.

"You're quiet back there," CeCe called out.

"Sorry!" apologised Spencer with a squeak. She hurried up, with Aria catching up after. "It's... Is Noel gonna be there?"

"I'm betting he doesn't think we are," remarked Aria.

CeCe checked on them over her shoulder, hair flipping around elegantly. "Something wrong?"

"No," Aria answered for them. "Nothing. Just... weird history with Noel," she digressed reluctantly.

"What kind of weird history?" asked CeCe, her back to them now.

"They used to date," Spencer mentioned.

"I wouldn't exactly call it—" Aria tried, but Spencer was already speaking.

"It ended badly," said Spencer.

"Oh—" CeCe cheerfully glanced back at Aria, "so it does run in the family." She put an arm around an uncomfortable Aria, who was silently judging, and CeCe said, "Listen, I understand the hex of the ex, believe me." Then, she commented, "But Noel's gonna be, like, one of two-hundred people at this party. If he even shows." Somehow, CeCe managed to worm her arm through Aria's and did the same with Spencer clutching at her brown envelope. "And we drove all this way. So I say we go in, find Steven and give him your application, and if it's totally awkward, we can bail, okay?"

Weirdly, both Aria and Spencer felt at ease with CeCe's reassurance. It crept in that it was oddly similar to the same way Alison could make them feel. In their moments of insecurities, Alison was either the aggressor or the calming influence. Tonight, CeCe took up Alison's latter personality, and the girls were grateful.

The three arrived at the podium at the entrance. In the close distance, party-goers littered the deck of the cabin, red plastic cups in their hands as general chatter murmured in the air. There stood what appear to be security with a list of guests. For a party, disguised as a reunion of sorts, it was fairly exclusive.

"CeCe Drake." CeCe pursed her lips after she spoke. Her arms had removed themselves from the girls and bent the one closest to Aria, bringing it up to her best as her purse dangled at the elbow-joint. "And I brought friends."

After a quick check of his list, the security man nodded. He held up a wooden stamp he rolled in its ink-pad and waited for CeCe to brandish her wrist before he pressed it down onto her skin. At the same time, in an instant, Aria's and Spencer's eyes widened in shock. It was the same eye-stamp Emily remembered from the diner; the same as one of the photographs from Maya's site had; the same Holden Strauss had at the church from parties he claimed to see Maya at.

Increasingly wary, Aria blinked at Spencer. She wondered frantically if she was thinking the same: Maya was at Eric Kahn's parties. Swallowing, Aria scrambled to hold her bangles back and held out her wrist. "Stamp me," she said. When he did, immediately Aria brought her wrist up to inspect the new ink.

In silence, Spencer got hers as well. By then, the girls both knew it was the very same. Maya was linked to the Kahn Cabin, somehow.

CeCe threw on a bright smile. "Thanks," she said to the security guy, and again her arms linked with the teenagers as she ushered them onwards.

They moved steadily towards the cabin. It was strange being back. They were all in such different places back then, but were in the same worried funk of trying to figure out who A was. A year had passed, and they were still trapped.

Like Alison did before, CeCe embodied the dead blonde. Or Alison was the one embodying CeCe, the girls didn't know. But CeCe left them behind and flung herself into the cabin with her loud personality beaming off the wooden walls. "Hello, everyone," she greeted, grinning, as she waltzed into the new crowded space.

Eyes firmly inspecting the stamp still, Aria voiced, "I cannot believe this is where the stamp was from."

"Yeah," said Spencer, calculating the rowdy party-goers. "Everyone here is Eric's age. What would Maya be doing with this crowd?"

"Halle was," Aria responded. "This was once her crowd."

"Do you think we should text her?" Spencer asked, clutching her application in a tight grasp.

"About the stamp?" Aria shot CeCe's back a cold glare as the blonde embraced a few guys she knew and retorted, "Or the fact Eric knows CeCe?"

"Both," answered Spencer.

"Text her," encouraged Aria, and Spencer whipped out her phone quickly to shoot Halle a message. Sharply, Aria inhaled as a sudden thought dawned on her, watching as Spencer typed away. "Who was that guy with the stamp at the diner the night that Ali's grave was dug up?"

Just as she asked, a drunk girl bumped into them. "Oh, my god!" Her beer sloshed over the rim of her cup and splashed on them. Droplets hit the brown envelope, wetting it, but the girl didn't care as she carried on to happily greet CeCe with a large hug while Aria scowled.

Spencer swiped the drops off her application. "Maybe I should have brought two," she said, worried.

"Well, maybe you should've just left it in the car," remarked Aria, snarkily firing back.

"What?" Spencer asked, eyes large.

"I'm sorry, but hello?" Aria sang, her wrist up displaying the stamp. This was dire — more important than a spare application.

"I know—"

"Ladies," CeCe's Drake voice cut them off. They both whipped their heads to to face her, startled at being caught in the middle of their secretive chatter.

"Did you find Steven?" Spencer quickly asked.

With her head at a patronising tilt, CeCe advised, "Hon, you've gotta meet the guy before you shove your stuff in his face." She snatched the envelope from out of Spencer's hands. "Don't worry," she assured. "I'll get it where it needs to go." She smiled but only briefly then demanded, "Game room, follow me."

Against their better judgements, they did. Aria and Spencer followed CeCe through the hectic crowds squashed into rooms. They had been there before — walked this floor — but neither had ever heard of the game room. It felt like some secret, yet when they got there, descending the stairs, both realised why it they hadn't been down there.

A roaring fire set the mood. Seductive with two deep, large leather sofa positioned opposite each other held Eric Kahn as he flirted with a girl in her hot pink bra. A random guy was shirtless playing pool against a girl who was in what look like his missing shirt. Another couple stayed in the corner, grinding on each other and making out while others chatted away and drank in excess.

"Looks like Eric Kahn is still playing Truth or Dare," CeCe announced as she headed on down.

Muttering, Spencer said to Aria, "Okay, it's official. You were right about the blazer."

Aria asked, "Has Halle text you back?"

"Not yet," Spencer said.

They watched as a boyish grin crossed Eric's mouth as he spotted CeCe Drake. He excused himself from the indecent girl beside him and crossed the room to openly flirt with the new arrival.

"CeCe Drake," he met with a familiarity that made Aria cringe. "Back from the dead." He stood in front of them, not taking notice of the two teenagers behind her. "How the hell are you?"

"Worse, now that I'm seeing you, Eric, but thanks for asking," replied CeCe, smiling through her jesting dig.

As if it was the way they always were, Eric said, "That's no way to treat the host."

CeCe smiled softly. "Hmm."

"But—" Eric dragged his eyes beyond her for the first time and noticed Aria and Spencer, "you've brought a virgin sacrifice, so all's forgiven."

"You don't—"

"These are my ducklings, so play nice," CeCe cautioned playfully, cutting Spencer off.

"You're mean when you're cute," he flirted unashamedly, which CeCe relished in.

"Actually—" Aria inserted confidently, "we've already met." Her cold stare stayed on Eric, who looked at her with no recollection. "We're friends of Halle."

In an instant, the cocksure attitude vanished. He paled. The Kahn-grin wiped clean off his face. Eric stared at them, eyes shifting between them, and suddenly it came back to him. "Home-coming," he stated.

"We've met more than once," Aria snarked. "But yes, home-coming."

The act was dropped. "How... How is she? Halle," he said.

"She's not single if that's what you're asking," Spencer said, eyes narrowed. She folded her arms over her chest. "And she's not here, either."

With a thick tension hung over the three, CeCe rolled her eyes. "God, you don't have to be so hostile, it's a party," she said. "Aren't you gonna show me around, Eric?" she asked, wanting to go back to the flirting.

Something in him must've realised how sombre he became, but he abruptly gained the chip back on his shoulder. He told them slyly, "Only rule of the game room is you gotta play to stay. Other than that, Dad's finest is right here. Help yourself," he said.

His eyes went to the two girls again, a slight crack still in his front.

"Get Halle here now," Aria ordered.

•

The walk was what Halle really needed. What started as a sweet, short walk around the block ended up being two hours in the woods by her house. As Pacha walked off-leash, often only a few feet ahead, Halle felt herself calm. Her heartache eased and the tension in her back released. Out there, in the middle of the woods, Halle wasn't the girl from a few hours ago. She wasn't the girl whose boyfriend left to go to rehab, or the girl being haunted by a tormentor yet to rear its ugly head at her.

Leaves crunched under the pads of their feet, louder under the thickness of Halle's walking-boots. The air smelt sweet with damp. Halle closed her eyes and raised her head to the sky poking through the tree-line. She inhaled deeply, relaxing her shoulders back.

A bark ahead caused Halle to drop her head. Her eyes opened and watched Pacha near the clearing. As Halle went to pick up walking again, a chime sounded from inside her pocket. She stopped, pulled out her phone and looked down at the message light up on her screen.

Cece knows Eric!
We're at HIS party and look.
From: Spencer

Halle squinted at the photo attached underneath. Unmistakably, on the wrist of Spencer, was the same stamp of the eye Emily remembered. Halle's stomach dropped. Her head went light. Her tongue suddenly felt heavy, mouth drying up as her throat closed.

Needing to be home, get some water, Halle hurried back. She leashed Pacha and walked fast towards her house. She ignored the restriction she felt appear almost instantly as she rounded the back-curve of Bridgewater Terrace. Halle kept her eyes focused — trained ahead. She wouldn't look at the DiLaurentis house and be reminded of Jason. She was already tearing herself apart with his looming absence.

She reached the front door when another text came through. Halle unlocked the door, let Pacha go running through, and then she glanced down at her phone again.

Get to the cabin now.
It's important!!
From: Spencer.

It was enough for Halle to heave a sigh, but not enough to jump to action. She just lost her boyfriend; she didn't want to see her ex the weekend after. Slotting her phone away in her back-pocket, Halle ignored the text and entered her home, heading straight towards the kitchen.

"Ah — there you are," called out her mother. Luisa was at the side aggressively chopping. "Was wondering where you two got to." She mentioned, "Your dad's taken Riley to pick up pizza, I thought a bit of salad would be nice with it."

A tiny hum left Halle, acknowledging her mother. Halle crossed the kitchen, grabbed a glass from one of the shelves and made her way to the sink. She turned the tap on, letting it run cold, before she filled her glass. She sipped at it, drinking half, before she tipped the other half into Pacha's water bowl.

All the while, Luisa watched her daughter. The unnatural silence was haunting enough, reminding the woman of the first few months after Alison's disappeared. Luisa feared, with the trial rapidly approaching, Halle was reverting back. "You were gone a while," started Luisa. "I expected you to be here when I got home."

"Well, it's not a prison, so," huffed Halle, her sentence left unfinished.

In an instant, the knife was put aside with a snap. Her mother was now glaring at her over kitchen island. "I don't know what happened on this walk, but you better go out and come back in with a new attitude, because this isn't it, Halle." Her hand leant against the counter. "It's dark out, I was worried."

"Yeah," Halle said shortly. "Sorry. We're back, no need to worry."

Luisa's furrowed brows softened, eased up. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.

Halle shrugged indifferently. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"I've been back for at least an hour and half, you took the dog out late," Luisa realised aloud. "Is everything okay?" There was a pause, then it came. "Is it Jason?"

Groaning, Halle couldn't help the tight smile on her face, half-annoyed, half-amused. "Oh, because you'd love that," she retorted. "You'd love it if we were fighting, wouldn't you?"

"Halle, I want you to be happy—"

"Because you were right, Mom," Halle inserted madly. She threw her arms out. "Is that what you wanna hear? You were right, it looks like me and Jason ain't gonna work out."

The glass hit the counter with a hard thud; Luisa was surprised it didn't crack or shatter. Halle took off, stalking upstairs and barricading herself within the four walls of her bedroom. Like a balloon that had been pierced, she deflated to the the floor and sank down at the side of her bed. She hugged her knees to her chest and buried her head, silently squeezing out stray tears.

Light footsteps followed her upstairs and a gentle knock hit the door before Luisa pushed it open. Her eyes laid on Halle's shaking frame, huddled into a tight ball as if she was trying to make herself small enough to be invisible. "Oh, honey," said Luisa, just as Halle's raised her reddening, glassy eyes to meet her mother's face. It was a sight, regretfully, Luisa Brewster had seen too many times.

"I'm sorry," Halle squeaked.

Luisa, with a sigh, came into the bedroom and lowered herself down next to her daughter, copying the same position. She waited then finally asked, "What happened?"

Halle's voice fell into an ashamed whisper. "We fell at the first hurdle."

"Well, now, that's not true," replied Luisa. "I was certainly a few hurdles in your relationship—" Halle scoffed before her mother continued, "and, as much as I hated it, you and Jason survived those." Sympathetically, Luisa finally acknowledged, "I know I've given you a hard time about him." She was met her daughter's incredulous stare and caved. "Okay, a really hard time about him, but... Halle, he's good for you." She said earnestly, "You're good for him too."

"But what if..." Halle stopped, looking down, and spoke again, "we're not good together?"

"Halle, I had never seen you happier than you were this last summer." Luisa began, "Honestly, after Alison, your dad thought you'd never smile again. He was getting really worried there for a second."

Peeking over, Halle questioned, "You weren't?"

"Oh, I was worried." Luisa tried to tease, "But I tend to channel that in ways that unhelpful for either of us." When she saw a crack of a smile on Halle's face, Luisa remarked in jest, "Think we all know I'm not winning mother of the year any time soon."

With a pressed smiled, Halle replied, "I don't think the contenders have had daughters who've been through what I have."

Luisa's eyebrows arched in mild consideration and joked lightly, "Well, there is that. I'll make sure to write that in my appeal."

Another text alert rang from deep within Halle's jean-pocket, and Halle let out a loud groan. She reached for it, grumbling, and checked her screen.

Jenna and Noel are here.
From: Spencer.

"Ugh," grunted Halle, and she tossed the phone over her shoulder onto the bed.

"Who's that?" Luisa asked calmly, "Jason?"

Halle stated gruffly, "Spencer." Rolling her eyes, Halle explained, "She wants me to go to some party with her tonight. With Jason's ex."

"Oh." Luisa's eyes widened, eyebrows high above them as she accepted that new information. Light-heartedly, Luisa joked, "So what, you don't think you can take her?"

"I'm not fighting her, Mom!" laughed Halle.

Sharing a warm chuckle together, Luisa managed to worm an arm up around Halle. "I know," she said. Luisa brought Halle close, letting her daughter's head rest on her shoulder, and she used her thumb to rub Halle's forehead. It did more to ease the knots there than any pill Halle could swallow. Softly, Luisa asked, "Is that why you and Jason are fighting, because of this ex?"

"No," Halle quietly said. She stared at the button on her mother's cardigan, running her finger around the concave of it. "I think I'm just starting to realise how adult his life is compared to mine."

"That is something," voiced Luisa without much else. Halle's prior comment was enough to fill the space, and Luisa needn't add to it.

"Like, it didn't matter before, but now it's..." She glanced up at her mother, eyes glistening with unshed tears, and said, "what if five years is too many?"

"Five years is a lot for a seventeen-year-old," considered Luisa. Still soothing Halle with her thumb grazing her head, Luisa maintained, "There's life differences, and he's experienced so much that you haven't yet." As if to further her point, Luisa added with no help, "You can't even legally drink yet."

Halle tensed at that.

Luisa sucked in a breath and pulled Halle closer to her. "You know—" She looked down at Halle, eyeing the girl as her breathing evened, "if you wanna haul up in here and cry your eyes out over a carton of ice-cream, then I'll totally support you. I'll bring two spoons." She suggested, "Or we can put on some Tina Turner and have a dance party until you've exerted yourself too much and pass out."

"You used to sing Tina all the time," Halle recalled, smiling small to herself.

"Well, I had fabulous taste in music," Luisa boasted, with a smile as well. "I think you knew all the words to 'What's Love Got To Do With It' by time you were four," she remembered fondly. Her smile softened. "But, I think you should go to this party." She met Halle's eyes, so much of her father in them, and Luisa reflected, "You're only seventeen once, Halle, hold onto it as long as you can."

Understanding, Halle gave a little nod. "Okay."

"Okay? Good," said Luisa. She grinned and then got up from the floor, helping Halle up also. Her eyes glanced to the bed, wanting to locate the mobile, but found the laptop instead. "Oh, Hal," she whined. Luisa stretched over and plucked up the thin device from the bottom of the bed. "Put this on a hard surface if you haven't shut it down, it's gonna over-heat and cause a fire if you're not careful."

Halle's gaze fell back onto the bed — the empty space on the right where she swore she left the laptop. Her brows knitted together, slight confusion taking a hold of her expression. Shaking her head, Halle pushed it aside and decided to get ready to leave.

•

Acid crept up Halle's throat the entire drive to the Kahn Cabin. It was second nature. With every turn, gradually closing in on the cabin, the knot in her stomach tightened. She hadn't realised how unforgettable the drive was until this one.

It wasn't unusual for Eric Kahn's parties to have security. He learned that the hard way. Broken furniture and trashed porches were enough for his parents to enforce that kind of restriction. Unlike most parents, the Kahn's didn't ban parties, but instead poured more money into their sons' account to pay for security and cleaners the next morning. They were spoiled that way.

"Name," said the guy at the gate, the moment Halle closed in.

She had never given her name before. That wasn't what she did. Halle was always inside first, arriving with the host and fixed to his side all night. Now, she wasn't sure what to do. A text to Spencer might get her inside, with help from CeCe Drake. Or Halle could do the unspeakable. Text her ex.

"My friends are—" Halle halted. She realised how stupid she sounded and just decided to grimace. "Halle Brewster."

The guy checked his list, flipping over a couple pages. Halle resigned herself to having to either text Spencer back or Eric to get in. Then, the guy spoke.

"Okay, wrist," he said, and Halle looked up in shock.

Stunned into silence, Halle gave a meek smile and held out her wrist to the man. He stamped it and the inked eye, lines curled from the top and bottom, marked her brown skin. She mumbled out a small thank-you and walked onto the bustling property. A thrum of bass reverberated in the background as she weaved her way through the bubbles of drunks in the yard. It thumped and vibrated under Halle's feet, and the stench of cheap beer filled her nose, overwhelmingly. Halle really hated these kind of parties now, but not too long ago, they were her ritual.

Honestly, all she wanted was to go back two weeks and be back on Jason's couch, pigging out on take-out and watching 'Rebel Without A Cause' as she laid between his legs. Or at Cape May. If Halle closed her eyes, blocked all this nonsense out, she could dream herself back out there. She could almost smell the salt air and picture the way the moon reflected on the dark sea.

A loud chorus of cheers broke her from her day-dream. Halle wasn't with Jason, or in Cape May. She was stuck in Rosewood, at her ex's cabin, about to see her said-ex and her boyfriend's ex at the same time. Then, there was Jenna Marshall. Halle couldn't hold in her groan.

She searched the crowd, scanning for her friends. Halle was about to just head inside when she caught sight of a green dress stalk outside with a girl in white hot on her heels.

"Aria," Spencer half-begged, chasing after her. "Come on, talk to me. Are you okay—?"

Aria came to an abrupt stop. "I'm not going back in there," she insisted. "I'm sorry, b—but I can't," she firmly claimed, finger up in warning.

"Okay, you do not have to," Spencer reassured her.

After letting out a defeated exhale, Aria fumed, mad at herself, "I cannot believe I let Noel get to me in a freaking game of Truth or Dare." She crossed her arms over her chest. "What is this, sixth grade?"

"Not the way they play it," Spencer shot back.

Halle joined them, a soft hand landing on Aria's shoulder. "Hey," she met. "What's the damage? Are you okay?"

In a flash, Aria's body turned and wound itself around a startled and confused Halle. "Oh, my god!" said Aria thankfully. "You're here."

"Jesus, what the hell happened?" Halle said in shock. Her put an arm around Aria, soothing the petite girl with a hug.

"Noel happened," Spencer explained. "And their stupid game of Truth."

"You guys played Truth?" Halle's eyes were wide as she asked, darting back down to Aria.

"He asked about Ezra," Aria pushed out.

Calmly, Spencer comforted, "Listen, you did not say anything that could get Ezra into trouble."

"Didn't I?" Aria asked, broken as if she'd taken ten rounds of a rough beating. Glancing up from where her head rested on Halle's chest, the cheerleader's hand rubbing her back tenderly, Aria saw the determination glaze over Spencer's features. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking than I know you wanna leave, but I have to stay and find out what else they know about the night Ali's grave was dug up," Spencer shared purposefully.

"What they know, or what they did?" asked Aria pointedly.

A honeyed voice sounded from nearby, and CeCe Drake headed towards the three. "There you guys are." Her eyes lit up on spotting Halle. "Oh, my god, you came!" She then turned to drop her pity onto Aria, who stayed curled into Halle's side. "Is everything okay, Aria? Things got a little vicious in there." She let out a disapproving scoff, "Oh, you are so much prettier than Jenna. Honestly, I don't get what the fuss is about."

Awkward now, Aria forced a smile. "Thanks."

"Oh—" CeCe focused on Spencer, "Jenna just said she's about to leave, so if you wanna get that round in, you better go quick."

It set something off inside of Spencer, bubbling. Guiltily, her eyes drifted to Aria, begging for permission.

"I'll be fine, okay?" Aria reassured, "Really."

"You can take my car," Halle offered. "I'm sure CeCe won't mind driving me home instead."

"Oh, sure, no worries," said CeCe, smiling.

"No, no, it's fine," Aria inserted, remembering the smirk CeCe had when she talked about Halle earlier. "I've got a boyfriend on speed-dial who can come and get me, so go. Keep the keys, you're always losing them. Both of you, go talk to her. And remember, Halle's best at intimidation," she joked, although it was sound advice.

Spencer rushed forward and hugged Aria tightly. It said thank-you without words. Spencer looked to Halle. "Ready?"

"Sure," Halle said. "Text me when Fitz gets here," she requested from Aria, kissing her temple sweetly before Spencer grasped her hand.

•

In a hurry, Spencer shot ahead of Halle. She rounded the rich-wood staircase into the basement's game room and descended the stairs before Halle even reached the top. She spied Noel and Jenna, speaking in aggravated hushed whispers, and stalked over. "I heard you were leaving," Spencer challenged.

"You heard wrong," Noel replied. He raised his chin, puffed out his chest and tries to look superior. It all disintegrated when Halle appeared at the top of the stair, an unanticipated surprised.

"Oh, yeah—" Spencer grinned proudly, "I brought a friend."

Situated on opposite couches, Spencer and Halle faced Jenna and Noel head-on. There was no backing down. Their resolve was strong, and the glare Halle fixed onto her face was cold, calculated. She refused to look to the far-left of Jenna, knowing Eric was there. She had yet to greet him despite him being the host. Halle had to remain unflinching. Halle wanted to win.

"Why is your mother defending a murderer?" Jenna asked first to set the mood. A gathering of college students circled around them watching, intensely invested.

Settled back, unbothered by the question, Spencer answered easily, "Because she thinks that Garrett's innocent. Maybe Maya's murderer is still at large."

"You don't think it's because he started dating your sister?" Jenna posed.

"I think you're gonna have to wait your turn," Spencer protested. "What you told us about Emily, you never mentioned that Noel was with you that night," she said, and Halle's gaze fell on him. This was news to her, but then again she hadn't been there the whole night. "What else did you lie about?"

Jenna showed visible discomfort. Her lips pursed. She flicked her hair from her face and looked around shiftily. Inhaling, Jenna sat out of Noel's embrace and leant forward, clasping her hands together. "You know what mutually assured destruction is, right?" She reminded them, "You promised me something the day I told you about Emily. Are you going to keep that promise?"

Casually sat back, with a giant grin on her face, Halle delighted in replying, "You backed out of that promise, remember? What was it you said again." Halle faked a chuckle as she pretended to think back, "You said you felt a lot safer being in charge of what happened to you. You threw out the promise first." She tossed her hands up, smiling still. "That makes it fair game — to us, I mean."

Halle's false smile, the smug one, was Eric's favourite. He grinned broadly, smirking almost, as he saw with his own eyes that Halle Brewster hadn't changed. She was still as challenging as ever, and as Eric watched the second-arm tick around his watch, he knew this was only going to get more interesting.

Spencer couldn't help the smile that pulled at the corner of her mouth either. Aria was right, Halle was the best an intimidation. Confident, and assured that Halle had her back, Spencer copied Jenna and sat forward. "Where did you find Emily?"

"It's funny," Jenna ignored the question like she did the first. "I'm starting to wonder where she was when you found her."

"Answer the question," Spencer pressed, focused on Jenna.

Noel darted forward. For some reason — maybe it was preservation of himself and Jenna — he started blurting it out. Maybe it was because he knew Halle's jagged personality wouldn't threaten without action. "We were trying to help your friend, okay? We saw her at some diner, drunk off her ass—"

"Oh," Spencer jumped in, just as Jenna broke the stare to warn Noel. "So you found her in a diner, not in the middle of the road," she corrected, getting more confident now.

Jenna had retreated back into the couch, not nearly as abrasive as she just was. "Well, the 'drunk-off-her-ass' part is true," said Jenna snidely. "You get her that way?"

"No," snapped Spencer. "Did you?"

"No."

"So why did you lie?"

A pause took a hold of Jenna. Both she and Noel appeared unnerved, nervous by what he had let slip. It meant more, Halle was certain.

"I lied because I was trying to protect someone," Jenna revealed, and Halle noticed the slight shift in Eric's gaze to her. The smirk had gone. It was definitely Noel, Halle thought. "Isn't that why you lied about your parents' lake-house?" Jenna retaliated.

Halle felt Spencer stiffen beside her just as she went rigid. They hadn't expected to be called out like that, but people did deadly things when they were on the offence. Eyes were on them, staring, waiting. Every pair was on them, and Halle wanted the leather couch to swallow her whole.

"Don't worry," Jenna chuckled, "that was rhetorical." Her amusement dropped in a flash. "This isn't. Where is the video?"

Eric's eyes never left Halle. He saw how uncomfortable she looked. His were the most painful to feel on the side of her face. He knew about A now — about Mona and the bullying — but they never spoke afterwards. Neither reached out. It didn't help and only intensified when Spencer spoke again.

"What video do you mean?" Spencer admitted with no shame, "There are more than one."

"You know which one," Jenna reported. "Where is it?"

"It's safe," Spencer said.

"Where?!" shrilled Jenna, wound up tightly.

Glaring, Spencer chose to provoke. "I wanna know where Ali's body is, and if you can tell me that, you can have all the damn videos you want."

The alarm beeped on Eric's watch, and he looked up to Halle regretfully. Jenna smirked and mocked, "Oops, time's up."

"Not yet," Halle chimed in. "Eric — ten seconds please." When he didn't move to set the timer, her eyes flashed to him. "Now," she ordered, and he nodded.

Moving forward, Halle waited for the watch to beep, indicating time had started. She settled in her spot, and Halle smiled devilishly. Jenna wasn't the only one who could play offence.

Halle could, too.

"How long were you faking being blind for?" The whole game room gasped in horror while Halle stayed proud. "Don't worry, that was rhetorical," she threw back smugly, and the time went off again. "We're done here."

•

The party was still in full swing. Red cups littered every surface as more and more alcohol was downed by party-goers. The music was dulling Halle's senses. She glanced at the keg and debated pouring herself a cup of her own, but her mind went to Jason and decided against it. Jason was taken from her and alcohol was the reason. Halle hated the thought of putting something that did that in her body. It would be like petrol on baby teeth.

"Oh, there she is," Spencer declared. She nudged Halle's side and alerted her towards their new-found, older friend, and Halle rolled her eyes.

CeCe Drake reappeared through the cabin with Eric Kahn at her side. They were both laughing, flirting obnoxiously, and the way CeCe looked Halle dead in the eyes and used a finger to wipe at her smudged gloss was enough to make Halle's eyes roll again.

Halle fixed herself to the spot, up against the open door of the cabin, as Spencer rushed forward and presented herself in front of the couple. "Hey, we've been looking everywhere for you," Spencer said. "We didn't want to just leave without telling you."

Eric's eyes went over Spencer's frame and located Halle up by the door. He said something to CeCe then took off and approached Halle. "I see you've got no drink," he mentioned.

"I'm driving," Halle shortly said.

"Then I see you haven't changed much," Eric returned. "Still as mean as ever."

"Well, Jenna's not exactly a peach," Halle said dryly.

"She was really faking it?" Eric asked.

"For a while," answered Halle.

"Truth," Eric announced to only the two of them. "Does what happened down there have anything to do with the video I saw?" he asked her.

Halle stepped off the wall and gazed up at him, meeting the familiar blues she used to seek solace in while grieving. "Why is my name still on the list?"

"Always thought you'd show up one day," Eric told her. He gestured towards her. "Guess I was right."

Sucking her teeth, Halle asked, "Did you ever sleep with CeCe before tonight?"

Instead of answering, like she did before, Eric asked something else. "Did you ever love me?"

Again, Halle gave no answer in words. She saw Spencer start to near, eyes hinting that she wanted to leave, and Halle nodded. She gave Eric a sad smile. Halle leant up and pressed a kiss to his cheek, soft and full of sorrow. "Night, Eric. You haven't changed either."

The drive back was just as easy as the way there. Even in the dark, Halle knew the roads like the lines on the inside of her palm. Spencer was quiet — too quiet. Her body faced the window, legs turned towards the door. Halle kept glancing over, checking in, but never got more than Spencer's side-profile.

"You okay over there?" asked Halle, breaking the silence of her car.

"Hmm? Yeah," Spencer voice quietly. "You didn't have to out Jenna like that."

"She outed us first," Halle returned.

"She could've outed the Jenna Thing," Spencer cautioned gravely.

"Well, she didn't," Halle shut that down fast. "Besides—" she focused on the road, "I'd out the video if she did."

Spencer's eyes blinked to her, startled. "You would?"

"Spencer, I hate it— I hate how she got away with what she did to Toby, and I hate her for that," Halle confessed, anger in her veins. "I'm not gonna let her win. She doesn't get to." She said, "It always goes deeper than us, we're not the worst people there is."

"Jenna is," Spencer said.

"No." Halle voiced, "Alison is."

Nodding small, Spencer noted, "You don't call her Ali anymore. You haven't for a while."

"She's lost all familiarity with me," Halle told her honestly. "She's not my friend." She went cold and glanced to Spencer. "She's not any of ours. The sooner we all accept that, the better." Turning her head back to the road, Halle focused on getting them home as Spencer shifted in her seat.

Body now faced to Halle, Spencer knowingly asked, "What happened with Jason?"

"He's... He's gone," Halle replied. "We needed a break, we're taking a time-out."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" said Spencer, empathy clear in her tone.

Eyes watered at the suggestion, but Halle fought them back. She shook her head, afraid to speak in case she started to cry.

"Well," Spencer started softly, "I'm here, if you do."

After that, the drive got quiet again. Neither of them spoke until they reached Bridgewater Terrace, and it was just a few mumbled goodbyes between the girls. Both were too tired — too exhausted — and they just wanted to crawl up into a warm bed already, so it was swiftly ended.

Halle sighed as she entered her house. Her keys jangled and clattered as she tossed them into the bowl by the door. A sleepy Pacha raised his heavy head from where he laid at he bottom of the stair, waiting for her to return so they could both head to bed.

Her parents were on the sofa, cuddled up as they enjoyed a film together. On noticing Halle's arrival, Luisa plucked up the remote and pressed pause. "Hey, honey, how was the party?"

"Hmm," mused Halle, not sure how to describe it. "Okay, I guess. I think I'm just gonna head to bed, I'm pretty tired."

"Okay," said Luisa, smiling gently.

"Oh, Hal—" Her father's voice called her back. Nick told her, "You got a delivery when you were out." Halle noted the smiles on both their faces, them grinning like the pair knew something she didn't.

Halle backed out and looked to the left, where she had just out down her keys. There, on the cabinet the key-bowl rested on, was a beautiful bouquet of pink tulips she didn't notice as she came in. A smile crossed her mouth, her sucking her bottom lip between her teeth as her felt her heart soar.

Reaching for the unopened note, Halle felt her heart beat faster. It swelled in her chest. Jason was still thinking of her. Then, she slid it open, and all the excitement vanished from her body. Where love once sprouted, fear planted itself with a firm jab to her heart.

BROKEN HEARTS ARE THE WORST.
I'M ALWAYS THERE.
LOVE, A.

•