•

"Salt Meets Wound"

Halle had gotten out of the hospital before Hanna did. Hanna still had the risk of having her spleen removed. With Halle, all she had to do was heal, which was stressing her mother out — cheerleading wouldn't wait for her. Hanna could afford three weeks in the hospital, and Halle couldn't.

"Why are you taking that off?" Aria asked Hanna. The blonde was finally home and her friends were helping bring in all her things from the hospital — Halle helping the least. Aria set aside the crutches as she eyed the sticker over A's message on Hanna's cast.

"I'm not," Hanna said, pressing the edges down on it. "I'm trying to keep it on. Believe me, I don't wanna see the autograph that's under it."

"Well, you keep messing with it and the tackiness is gonna go," Halle told her. She put down the one bag, full of Hanna's clothes, down on the kitchen table. "It won't stay on."

"We can get you another sticker," Spencer offered.

"Yeah, this time, can you try something mellower?" Aria shot at the girl. "Like, 'save the planet'."

"Hey, there were not a lot of choices, okay?" Spencer crossed her arms and told them pointedly, "it was either Humpty Dumpty, or 'Jesus is coming, look busy'."

Hanna peeled back the orange sticker and groaned, "Oh, god, it's still there."

"Yeah, like it will be every time you check," Halle said. "Just stop stressing over it."

"Easy for you to say, A didn't leave you a deepest condolences on your cast," Hanna fired at her.

"No, A just broke two of my ribs as a warning," Halle countered.

"Well, A broke my leg too," said Hanna.

A sigh left Halle. "Look, I'm sorry. We shouldn't be arguing over who A hurt more, A's hurt all of us."

"Exactly," Spencer said. She saw the blonde go to pick at the sticker again and she crouched down, placing her hand over it. "Hanna, don't. Hanna, don't look at that. Just look around you," encouraged Spencer, glancing around herself. "Because you're safe. You're home. And you're alive."

"Yeah, well, I thought I was safe in my hospital room, too," Hanna retorted harshly. She shook her head and snapped, "no, what's going on with Noel Kahn? Is he A? Have you talked to him?" Hanna questioned Aria.

"No, I avoid him," Aria claimed firmly. "I keep telling him I'm busy. Busy freaking out every time I look at him," she muttered.

"Yeah, well, try being run over by him," Hanna remarked. She looked to Halle. "Can you talk to him? You're the one dating his brother," she stated.

"No, I'm already lying to Eric about being ran over by his brother," Halle shot back. "I can't just ask Noel that without it destroying my whole relationship."

"A is destroying our lives already, our relationships are just one part of that," Hanna said.

A silence filled the air. Awkward and tense, none of the liars really knew what to do or say on the matter further. So, Emily tried to change the topic. With a smile, she plucked out a plush-panda from one of the boxes and held it out to Hanna. "Would got you this panda? Sean?"

Hanna took a look at it and then lowered her head. "Lucas," she answered.

"Aww, sweet," Emily commented, smiling.

Yet again, someone wanted to change the subject. This time it was Hanna. She wheeled herself around. "Is anyone else starving or is it just me?"

"Well, your mom said she left a special dinner for you in the fridge," Spencer recalled, as Aria got up to collect it for her.

Hanna pulled a face. "Ew, pass. No, I wanna a pop-tart!" she exclaimed boldly. She saw the tiny smirks her friends had on their faces. "What?! I've been on hospital food for three weeks. I wanna eat something that doesn't look like it's already been chewed."

But Aria had already gotten the made-up plate from our of the refrigerator and placed it on the table for Hanna. She smiled. "Okay, well, why don't you eat while we go get the rest of your stuff," she said, and she and the other girls left Hanna in the kitchen to go get the bags from the car.

"You know, I really can't lift much," Halle claimed, as the stayed by the front door and watched her friends get Hanna's belongings from the trunk of Spencer's car. "Doctor's orders."

"Well, you can hold the door open," Spencer replied, getting an eye-roll from Halle in response. "Oh, it isn't that strenuous for you."

"Have you tried opening a door with two broken ribs? Wanna try?" Halle said, plastering on a fake grin.

"Just, can you open the door?" Emily asked, a large orchid-flower in her hands.

"Sure, whatever." Halle opened the door to the Marin household and the girl re-entered the home.

"Hanna?" Aria called out. She walked into the kitchen first to find the now wheelchair-bound girl by the fridge. "Hey," she said, "so if you're gonna stay down here tonight—"

"Oh, yeah," Hanna immediately cut her off. "Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Down here is good," she assured.

Spencer came over to see a few boxes on the floor. "Hey, what happened?" she asked.

"Nothing," Hanna's voice went high as she explained, "just, I knocked a few boxes down."

"Well..." All three of her able-bodied friends attempted to help pick them up, but Hanna was quick to stop them.

The blonde waved her hand about. "No, no, no, you don't have to clean," she told them, and the three stood up again, looking at her quizzically. "Uh, you can go, seriously. My mom's gonna be here soon," she said.

"Wait," Aria almost chuckled as she looked at Hanna in surprised. She asked, "so now you want us to leave?"

Spencer said, "you don't have to put on a brave face for us, okay? We get it."

"If being alone is freaking you out, we can stay over," Halle offered.

"Yeah, I stayed at Halle's the first two nights she was back," Spencer said.

"And the night after that I stayed at hers," added Halle. She tried to reassure Hanna, "it's completely okay if you want us to—"

"No," Hanna cut her off. She shook her head and screwed up her face, as though she was getting a headache. "No, no, it's just I'm fuzzy, and I think it's from this pain medication," she laughed it off. "Yeah, I really need a nap."

"Okay." Concerned, Emily asked, "can we help you to the couch?"

"No, you've done enough," Hanna said gratefully. She was clutching the lasagna sheet box into her chest. "Seriously, you can go."

"Okay. Call me?" Emily said, the others agreeing.

"Yeah," Hanna nodded.

"Yeah, me too, anytime," Aria reassured.

"My open times are between ten and ten, and only if I can find a driver," Halle told Hanna jokingly, getting a smile from her. "But call me too, I guess," she added, playfully rolling her eyes as then blew Hanna a quick kiss, one that Hanna returned as the others were leaving.

Spencer eyed the box and reminded the blonde, "you know you have to boil that first, right?"

Hanna smiled. "Yeah."

•

"Gatsby was more than a pretty face," Mr Fitz told the class. He was talking about the Great Gatsby, the new book the class were studying. Halle was only grateful she got to come home sooner than Hanna; she'd hate to have to catch up on the start of the book. "He was ambitious, ruthless, charming." Mr Fitz was handing back papers to the class, and it was becoming clear to the liars now that he purposely did things to end up by Aria. They really were together, doing the whole teacher-student thing. "And themes of chance and loss are central to both novels." He handed Aria's paper back last and then asked the class, "did everyone get their papers back?"

The school bell rang. "Perfect." Mr Fitz's junior English class were already packing up. He said, "see you Wednesday. Oh, chapters one and four," he remembered. "No study guides, please. Read the man, not the blogger."

Aria had made her way to the front, her and friends would exit by the door closest to Mr Fitz's desk, but there was more to see now. More than they never saw before. "You guys go ahead. I'll get Hanna's assignment and meet up with you," Aria said.

"Good notes, by the way, Halle," Mr Fitz called out before Halle left. He smiled. "Glad to have to back properly now."

"Yeah, well, you know, hospitals are real boring, Mr Fitz. You're more interesting than the dripping of my IV and the curious case of which nurse didn't refill the coffee pot," Halle told him jokingly.

Mr Fitz chuckled and said, "good to know. See you Wednesday, Halle."

Halle saluted to him. "Wednesday." She gave Aria a quick smile and then headed out of the classroom, speeding up her walk a little to catch up with Spencer and Emily.

"—I'm not sure I wanna be there," Emily said.

"We talking about the dinner?" Halle asked, her joining Emily's side.

"Yes, and it'll be fine," Spencer reassured. "Just make sure Maya doesn't do all the talking."

"And she doesn't make too many dry jokes," Halle added. "You may find her funny, but your mom — not so much."

"Yeah, if she starts going over a cliff, you grab the wheel," Spencer said.

"Spencer— Emily— Halle." The three turned to see Mona hollering her, her quick to catch up with them.

"Mona," Halle met, not with the same enthusiasm.

"How are the ribs?" Mona asked.

"Painful but I'm drugged up on painkillers, so..." Halle gave a shrug.

Mona smirked, "aren't you always?" She said, "it's so awful that car hit you and Hanna, what are the chances you'd both be crossing the parking lot at the same time." Mona said, "anyway, I just found out that Hanna's mom's got some bank thingy in Scranton and won't be home till really late. So I wanna do a surprise party. You know, welcome home, Hanna. We still love you with or without your spleen." She was smiling as she told them. "I spoke to Mr Hanna and Sean is totally down with it."

"Is Mrs Hanna?" Halle asked.

"She will be, when I tell her," answered Mona.

"You do know they didn't take out her spleen," Emily told her.

"Really? Oh." Mona shook her head, easily over it. "Then I'll just change the theme."

"Mona," Spencer caught the girl as she went to walk away. "I'm really not sure Hanna's up to hosting a bunch of people at a party."

"Oh, please. She's been socialising with IV bags and bedpans." Mona claimed, "she'll love it. If you guys don't wanna come, I'm sure she'll understand."

"I suppose if—"

The PA system cracking cut Halle off. "'You don't know her like I know her. Ali is a bitch.'" There was laughter coming through the speakers and by the mass hysteria in the hallways, it had gotten the attention of everyone. "'Oh, don't play stupid. Everyone knows exactly what Ali is. A bitch'."

Spencer snapped her head to Halle. "Is that you?"

"Where is this coming from?" Halle asked. The recording of her voice being heard by the entire school at that very moment. People knew it was her too — they were starting to look.

"'—and everyone's so enamoured by the golden light emitted from out of her ass—'"

Everyone was laughing, shocked and yet amused by what Halle was saying. "We have to shut it off — now," Halle panicked.

"'—bullying even her friends. She just ditched them tonight. And why? Because of a boy. She even faked an attack on her life to make sure we would protect her if it came down to it. And would I really?" A dry laugh left the recording of Halle, "no chance. If it came down to it, I'd turn the other way—'"

"Oh, my god," a random girl said, her huddled with her friends, eyes on Halle.

"Yo, look at this," some guy called out.

"'—she's made my life a living hell for years—'"

Halle pushed her way through the crowds outside the computer lab. She shoved and elbowed, her way past the hoards now gathering. "Move! Move your asses, now," she barked at them. When she finally got through, she discovered something horrific. It wasn't just her voice; it was her body too.

The videos. The video Alison was going to use to humiliate her — the one A had — was now playing for all the school to see.

"'—and me being an idiot, I let her—"

"Shut it off." Halle's eyes were on the teacher. "Shut it off!" she screamed at him. It was on every screen, broadcasted for everyone to hear. The image of Halle, intoxicated by both alcohol and weed, stood up as she ranted to a camera, for everyone to see too. "I said shut it off!"

"I'm trying!" The teacher yelled back, him typing at the computer. It was no use; it was stuck on the screens.

"'—she makes it her mission to keep us hanging on by nails, scared she's gonna drop us when she decides we bore her. But the truth is, she gave me real friends and now I know I don't need her. I don't need her'." The video showed Halle taking a plastic cup from whoever was behind the camera and she swallowed whatever was inside it. She was drunk, most likely high too. "'She is a rotten, awful, manipulative bitch that only finds joy in people's misery'," Halle spat. "'Truth is, all of us — me, Em, Hanna, Spencer, and Aria — all of us are scared she's gonna drop us, but she's the one who's gonna end up alone because once high school's over, no one is gonna care who she was—'"

Emily and Spencer were stood next to Halle now, having pushed their own way through the crowds. "Halle, what is this?" Emily asked.

"I don't know," Halle said, alarmed. "But we need to shut it off."

"'—we graduate and then I can start over. No more Alison DiLaurentis. It'll be better when she's not in my life, but it'll be hard for her'," Halle moved on the video; the camera followed as she sat down on a beat-up sofa. "'Ali needs high school. She's built herself up. All hail queen Alison! What a freaking joke'." Halle laughed and the video now showed her drinking straight from a bottle of whiskey. "'I wanna be there the day she realises the real world doesn't care about who she was in high school, how much power she had, when her world ends. I want her to be alone, like she's supposed to be. That'll make me happy'."

The screens went black. The lights off. The students groaning now their entertainment has been cut off. "Good, they've shut off the power," said Spencer.

If people weren't looking at Halle before, they were now. They were looking at her like she was the one who killed Alison. She said those things, why wouldn't she be the killer?

"It'll be better when she's not in my life."

Then, the generator kicked in. The video came back on and everyone cheered. Only it was in a different place now; the frame had cut. Halle was now directly in front of the camera. She put down the bottle and a sly smirk crossed her face. "'Oh, you want that? You making a movie?'" She flipped her hair— "'Do I look like a movie star? Does the camera like me?'" she asked, and she threw her head back in a fit of laughter.

Halle's stomach hit the floor. She looked at Spencer with wide and frightened eyes. "We have to turn it off now."

"Why?" But Spencer's question was soon given the answer she needed.

"'—I suppose I can give you a little show—'"

Barging past more people, Halle and Emily were quickly banging at the keypad at the teacher's desk. They were desperate to turn it off. Halle had to get it off. This would ruin her.

"Pull the wires," Emily yelled at Spencer.

"'—best to document my body while I'm still hot, hey?'"

As Spencer went to the back of the computer, Halle had already picked up a chair and hurled it down, shocking Spencer and Emily as they two had been attempting to shut it off. The computer smashed and started to smoke. Halle collapsed back. A jolt of pain coursed through her body. She gasped and Emily rushed to hold her up.

And then it happened. Spencer, distracted by her friend's agony, hadn't pulled the wire. Halle's breasts were on every screen in the lab, in the school. "Oh, my god," Mona's jaw dropped in awe. Boys were hollering at her, cheering loudly, while girls were looking at her like she was a slut. Her friends — they couldn't believe it. Halle found her brother in the crowd and Myles was disgusted with her. He shook his head and walked away; he didn't help, Myles left her to deal with it herself.

Noel had somehow appeared and made his way into the computer lab. He yanked all the cords from the back fuse-box and all the screens went off. "All right, show's over, people," Noel declared.

A jock frowned, "come on, Noel, it's Halle."

"Yeah, and anyone talks crap about Halle, you've got a problem with me," Noel told everyone. "Go back to whatever you were doing before and forget about it. Never happened, all right?" he finished firm. He was letting everyone know he meant it; he was serious.

Noel Kahn was always there.

Tears filled Halle's eyes. She was in so much physical pain, her ribs burning, but that wasn't what hurt. She destroyed the computer in front of her, but her life has been obliterated. She and her reputation had been blown apart.

Then, it hit her.

Alison knew about this video. She was going to use it, to humiliate Halle. Alison would come across great. As a victim, and then she would be saint Alison and forgive Halle for the words she said. By then, Alison would have already embarrassed her best friend by having the entire school see it. This what Alison had planned: to ruin Halle's life, come out a martyr for her forgiveness — teach Halle a lesson never to mess with her. This is what Alison wanted, and A had gone through with it.

Her phone chimed in her pocket. Halle pulled it out, flipped it up and read the message.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN COLLATERAL GETS IN THE WAY.
WHILE YOU'RE STILL HOT, HAL.
--A.

•

Nick Brewster had been raging at Principal Hackett for the past twenty minutes. He was called in straight after the video was shown and had been furious the moment he heard. And her mother — she was livid, steaming, but kept her composure as she and her husband sat either side of Halle in the principal's office. "It's your school, how do you not know?"

"The system was hacked, we don't know how," Principal Hackett calmly said. "We have the very best on it."

"Yes, now, but the damage had been done. My daughter's breasts were broadcast across you school," Nick fumed, and Halle sunk even further in the chair, embarrassed. He pointed at Hackett accusingly, "what are you going to do?"

"We are doing our best to find the culprit, Mr Brewster," said Hackett. "It would be helpful if Halle would digress a little more."

"Digress a little more?" Luisa let out a scoff. "I think she's digressed plenty."

"About the video, Mrs Brewster." Principal Hackett said, "Halle has been refusing to tell us where the video is from and who took it."

Sat in a chair in the middle of her parents, Halle said, "I already told you. I have no idea what that video was, I had nothing to do with the making of it."

"Halle," her mother warned. Luisa said, "you're in the video, talking to whoever it is behind that camera."

"I didn't know about the video, okay? I can't remember it ever been taken. I was drunk — wasted." Halle threw her hand out, exclaiming, "you can see that by watching said-video." Stubbornly, Halle denied, "I had nothing to do with the making of that video, and I don't know how it got out — how it even exists."

"Halle, this is serious," Hackett said. "Do you know anyone who would do this to you?"

"Alison."

Luisa, like her husband, was stunned by their daughter's response. "Alison? Alison is dead," Luisa said.

"Yeah, everyone keeps telling me!" Halle snapped.

"I believe Halle has an older boyfriend," Principal Hackett suggested to her parents, "maybe we should talk to him, as our next step."

"I didn't start dating Eric until after the date on the video," Halle claimed. "It's not him." She stood her ground, remaining fierce. "I don't know where the video came from, I don't know who took it — but I know it wasn't Eric — and I don't know who would do this to me, okay?"

Three lies.

All believed.

At least by the people Halle wanted to believe her.

"We should sue." Luisa was firm. "We can sue. This school is supposed to protect my child and she's been questioned by a detective with no adult present, under your supervision, and has been publicly humiliated — beared for everyone to see. Your system allowed that to happen, you shouldn't be able to be hacked." Luisa said strongly, "my daughter is going to face the consequences of this for the rest of her life because you failed to have a secure system in place." Halle was very aware she got her protective nature from her mother, the woman was all sharp claws and bared teeth, like Halle herself. "You should take all responsibility in this matter. We're on very solid grounds to sue."

Nick, who had been quiet since his daughter mentioned Alison, had taken in everything that was said. He absorbed it all. Halle would have this against her for the rest of her life; when someone looked her up, this would be there.

Halle. Drugs. Topless. And there was Alison's murder. Halle's words made it sound like she did it.

They were the first things that would pop up if somebody ever looked up his daughter's name. His Halle had been through a lot. It was too much, and he decided to take charge. Nick would protect his daughter from this, from all of it.

"Luisa take Halle outside," Nick spoke.

"What?" his wife was confused.

"Go outside, I want a word with Principal Hackett alone," said Nick coolly. He lowered his voice when seeing his wife was looking at him as though he has grown another head, why was he sending her out?  "Luisa," he warned.

Luisa reluctantly did as he said. "Halle, let's go." She stood up with Halle and grabbed her purse. The two walked out and left the men to deal with it. The office manager told them to sit outside the door of the principal's office, and they did, in silence — Luisa fought back the desperation to put her ear to the door.

Halle and her mother had barely been out of the office for five minutes before Nick Brewster came out. The two women turned their heads on hearing the door open. Nick stood tall, strong. He clicked at Halle. "Up— Now. Let's go."

She jumped out of her seat. Panic still ran through her. "What? What's going to happen?" Halle asked him.

"Nothing," Nick told her. "It's sorted. I've sorted it."

"What do you mean you've sorted it?" Luisa asked her husband. She, too, was out of the seat and now waiting for answers from him.

"I've sorted it. Now let's go," he ordered. Nick saw the hesitation in his wife's eyes. "Have I ever let you down before?" he asked, and Luisa shook her head. "I still haven't, I've dealt with it. It won't hurt her."

"Nick," Luisa spoke with fear, "what have you done?"

He replied, "what needed to be done to keep her safe."

•

"So where are you going after this?"

Hanna was curious to why Mona had shown up at hers, dressed up but claimed to Mrs Marin that she was there to help Hanna study.

"What are you talking about?" Mona asked her friend, as she opened up her purse and got out her lipgloss.

The blonde wasn't fooled by Mona's antics, she saw straight through them. Hanna knew the girl had other intentions. "Well, when my mom told me you were going to give up your Friday night to help me study math—"

"I never said math," Mona corrected. She held up a compact, using the mirror as she coated her lips with the shiny gloss. "I said I would catch you up to speed." She smacked her lips. "So, can we talk about Halle?"

"Uh, why?" questioned Hanna, puzzled.

Mona's jaw practically dropped. "You don't know? Oh, my, you really are in for the max goss right now." She looked down at Hanna and digressed, "today, I was talking with her, Spencer and Emily when, oh, no, Halle's voice comes out of the school speakers. Turns out it was some video of her drunk and bashing Alison." Mona told her flatly, "the girl was so wasted, she flashed the camera and everyone saw."

"Wait, what?" Hanna was so lost, she couldn't quite what she was hearing.

"Yeah, it was embarrassing for her. Like, everyone saw. It was on every screen in the computer lab." Mona pulled a face. "And then, Hackett made everyone — and I mean, everyone — hand in their phones and checked texts, photos, emails, everything — in case it leaked. She was so lucky it was so sudden, I'm telling you." She looked at her own reflection again and said, "like, it was so dramatic and unbelievable. Nobody could, like, actually believe it was happening. That's probably why there's no actual proof."

Hanna lowered her head, her voice quiet. "She called me after school, she didn't tell me."

"Well, duh." Mona spoke as though Hanna was the dumbest person in the world. "Everyone saw her boobs, I wouldn't wanna share either."

Though, Halle wasn't there, Hanna still tried to offer up the brighter side of her friend's public embarrassment. "She's got good boobs, so..."

Mona chuckled, closing her compact. She went to speak, but a flash of light startled her. "Whoa, what was that?"

Hanna's head shot up. "What was what?"

"I just saw a shadow at your door," Mona said, pushing Hanna's wheelchair out of the way to inspect the patio.

"No, wait." Hanna began to panic, fear rising in her chest. "Mona, don't open the door. Call the police!"

Mona smiled and said, "oh, hush, Baby Jane."

"Mona, don't," she shrieked.

But Mona ignored the tears making Hanna's voice shrill, and she unlocked the door, pushing them open.

"Surprise!"

Hanna's boyfriend and others jumped out to surprise the blonde. They were all cheering and laughing — they really got Hanna. Not because she was shocked at the amount of people now flooding into her house, but because she was genuinely scared that Awas outside. She had a fear that she couldn't shake. A had made her vulnerable.

Sean thrust a camera in her face, snapping a quick picture of Hanna's face, and then bent down to kiss her. Hanna smiled. Relief came over her. She almost relaxed, and then she saw Noel Kahn enter.

Her smile dropped, and her body went stiff.

A was in her house.

•

Halle heard the music coming from Hanna's several houses down. Knowing there was a party in session for her friend, Halle had to get inventive about getting out of the house — she was now grounded and her only way out was the dog.

Tying the lead around the mailbox at the end of the driveway, Halle gave the German Shepherd a good fuss. She told him, "be good, Pacha. I'll be back in five minutes, okay?" She planted a kiss to his head, him sat patiently for her. "Good boy."

She stood up straight and carried the long rectangular-shaped box into the house. She didn't need to knock; the door was already unlocked and there were a cluster of people inside. Some that Halle didn't even recognise.

"Hey, you made it," exclaimed Noel, as he saw Halle enter the party.

"I'm not stopping," Halle said, aware of all the eyes on her — guys drank her in, girls shamed her. "Just here to see Hanna, give her this, and I'm out."

As she went to pass him, to find Hanna, Noel's grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Hey, hey." He pulled her back, looking down at her seriously, and he said, "you should stay, have a drink."

"With everyone staring at me and imagining my boobs? No thanks," Halle remarked.

"Hey, screw them. Their opinions don't mean crap," Noel said, his voice firm as he wanted her to believe him. "Stay, have a drink with me."

"Noel, I really ain't staying," Halle said. She gestured behind her with her thumb, "I have Pacha outside."

"Okay." He dropped his touch and then said, "Oh, I haven't told Eric, by the way. I figured maybe you'd wanna do it."

"Yeah..." her voice got quiet. "I should probably do that."

"Or not," Noel suggested. He saw her look at his strangely and he explained, "look, my brother doesn't know, and he's not gonna find out through me. He doesn't talk to anyone in our grade or anyone else at high school. I can't see a reason to tell him, can you?" he asked.

Halle shook her head. "No."

"Hey, our secret, right?" he said, winking at her.

Stunned into the silence, Halle just simply gave him a smile and nodded before she turned. She needed to find Hanna, so she could get the hell out of this party — she didn't want to be there. And by time Halle found Hanna, she got the impression neither did she.

"Hey, you," Halle smiled. "You surprised?"

"By the party or the video?" Hanna asked. When she saw Halle's face drop, Hanna explained, "it's all anyone's talking about."

"Go figures," Halle muttered.

"What was it?" Hanna asked, confused. "You were drunk and talking crap about Ali?"

"I don't know, I was wasted," Halle said, shame carried in her tone. "I don't even remember saying half the things I did, all I knew was that I said something terrible about her and then I had this fuzzy memory of stripping... I don't even remember half of That Summer."

Hanna's voice softened, "Halle..."

"Anyway," Halle switched the conversation. She thrust out her wrapped gift into Hanna's lap. "This is for you. It's a scratch-stick, to get down the cast."

"Yes! My god, you're amazing!" Hanna beamed. "I so needed one of those. I love you," she claimed boldly, grinning widely up at her friend.

She gave Hanna a wink. "I got you, girl. But..." her eyes drifted off and she said, "I gotta go. I'm kinda grounded and supposed to be walking the dog, so..."

"How long are you grounded for?" Hanna asked.

"For the moment, indefinitely," she replied. "They think if I'm not seen, it'll all just go away. I'll call you later," said Halle, blowing the blonde a quick kiss. "Love you."

"Love you too," Hanna smiled.

Like she promised Pacha, Halle was in and out within five minutes. She smiled widely on seeing her dog still sat patiently waiting for her. When he saw her approaching, his tail began to wag happily. "Hey, boy. Who's a good boy? You are, you are," she praised him with compliments. Halle untied him from the mailbox and the two made their way home.

Pacha led Halle their usual way home — past Emily's house. He always took her that way because Halle used to walk him there all the time, back before Alison went missing, and Pacha remembered that sometimes Mrs Fields would give him a piece of ham for being such a good boy.

"Cute dog."

Halle turned her head to see Toby Cavanaugh was across the street, sat on his porch. "Toby?" Halle checked both ways before she cross the road with Pacha. The dog looked at her puzzled, this was not the way home. Halle asked the boy, "when did you get out?"

"Today. Like my accessory?" he asked her, sticking his foot out to show her the electronic-tag secured to his ankle.

Halle bit the inside of her cheek; she forgot she was one of the only few that believed his innocence. Her eyes then noted the screwdriver next to him, rested upon the porch. "You tried to get it off?" She chuckled and stated, "they have magnets inside that connect to a router, it sends signals to the station. If you keep jabbing at it, you're gonna trip it."

"What would you suggest I do?" Toby posed to her.

"I'd suggest not messing with it and risking bail being taken away," she said, and he nodded. "But..." Halle then digressed, "if I were to have some knowledge, I would tell you to use a metal wire and neutral magnet, keep the circuit complete."

A small smile tugged at his lips. "How do you—?"

"My grandpa was in the Air Force, I know a lot about avoiding the law," Halle said.

The smile vanished. Toby remarked, "you and your friends."

"Toby," Halle said gently. "Em wasn't the one who—"

"She told me," he cut her off, knowing where she was going.

"When?" Halle asked.

"Earlier. Before she left for Hanna's party." Toby said, "that's where you've been, right?"

"I dropped in," Halle replied. "Not really in the partying mood and... I'm grounded."

Toby furrowed his brow, "for what?"

"A video." Halle sighed and told him upfront, "a video was shown today at school... of me... high and drunk talking a lot smack about Alison. And then to top it off, as if it weren't mortifying enough, I took my top off."

A chuckle left Toby's mouth in disbelief, "you're crazy."

Halle chuckled, too. "I've been told."

"So, this video... how bad was it?" Toby asked her.

"On a scale one to ten? Probably a twelve," Halle confessed. She groaned loudly in embarrassment, her cheeks hot. "It was pretty bad."

"Who took it? Was it revenge?" He asked.

"The person who took the video wasn't the one who leaked in, no. But revenge," Halle let out a shaky breath, "yeah, I think do."

Knowingly, Toby said, "the person who did this is same person who left you that message before? It's the person trying to hurt you."

"Yeah..." Halle shivered and put on a smile. She gestured to her dog, "but I have him to protect him."

Toby eyed the dog, how the German Shepherd stayed close to Halle at all times — his side had to be touching her leg. Toby stood and cautiously made his way down the steps to him, holding out his hand. The dog edged closer, sniffing Toby before he let the boy pet him. "I don't know, he doesn't look much of a guard dog." Toby said, smiling, "he looks too friendly."

"Well, looks can be deceiving," Halle replied truthfully, and Toby understood that. She laughed a little, "but, yeah, he is a big softie. Probably lick you to death, which I can think of worst ways to go." She watched as Toby fussed her dog, how Pacha's tail wagged back and forth happily. "His name is Pacha."

"Cute, I like it," Toby said, still stroking the dog. He bent down and Pacha immediately tried to attack him with slobbery kisses.

"Pacha, no," Halle pulled him away slightly, using his leg. "I'm sorry, he's excitable."

"Pacha's an unusual name," Toby commented.

"It's after the Emperor's—"

"New Groove, I know." Toby cut her off with a smile. "I know the movie."

"I was kinda obsessed with it as a kid," Halle confessed to him, unsure to why. She just felt comfortable around him, like he already knew her. Halle found herself telling him stuff that only her closest friends knew about her, not even her boyfriend. "And I got him around the time when I used watch it, like, twice a day. It was either Pacha or Lenny, the vegetarian shark from Shark Tale."

Toby chuckled, smiling with his whole face. "Lame." He paused to look at the dog, now sat in front of Toby as he crouched down, his hand stroking the dog's long mane. "Pacha suits him, he's definitely not a Lenny."

Halle smiled, "he likes you."

The boy shot a look up at her. "And you? Do you like me?"

"Yeah, we're friends, Toby," Halle said.

He stood up from the position he was in and asked, "and the kiss?"

"God," Halle flushed red, her hand coming up to cover her face, "I made a fool of myself."

"No, no, you didn't," Toby laughed along with her. He said, "it was sweet."

"I thought you were leaving forever," said Halle.

He admitted, "it was my first kiss with anyone but Jenna."

A sadness crept over Halle's heart and her dark eyes went soft. "Well, at least you've been kissed by somebody who isn't using or manipulating you. Somebody that cares."

"And if it happens again?" he asked her.

"I have a boyfriend," Halle stated, a guilty smile on her face.

"Eric Kahn," Toby nodded. "So we're... what, exactly?"

"Friends," proposed Halle, biting back a hopeful smile.

Toby returned her smile and agreed. "Friends," said Toby. "I like that. Friends with a cheerleader," he let out a nervous chuckle, "who would have thought?"

"The cheerleader and the biker, what a pair," said Halle. Awkwardly, she mentioned, "I should get back, I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, sure."

Halle went to turn, but she stopped herself. "You know, if we're friends, you should have my number, so we can text or talk. You can keep me updated with your case," she suggested.

Toby couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face. He was practically beaming at her. "Yeah, yeah. Uh, let me—" He reached into his jean-pocket and pulled out his phone, handing it over to her.

Smiling back at him, Halle took his phone and began to fill in her details as a new contact. "There, done." She handed it back to him. "You can text me anytime, office hours are ten to ten."

"Office hours?" he asked, laughing.

"It's, uh, weird, doesn't matter," Halle said, shaking her head. "Just call. Or text, whatever."

"Whatever," he repeated with a grin.

"See you around," said Halle, finally pulling back. She tugged lightly on the lead. "Come on, Pacha, let's go." Halle started to walk off, the dog taking her across the street again to the side he preferred, when Toby called out to her.

"I'll call you," he shouted after her.

Halle laughed, "you better."

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