014 — through many dangers,
toils and snares

season two —
episode fourteen

─────────────────

One Month Later

A MONTH HAS PASSED since the four girls excluding Aspen were arrested for Alison's murder.

Aspen sits in her car waiting at the entrance of the park for Hanna after agreeing with the blonde to pick her up for a coffee catch up after her community service.

Aspen bites biting her lip staring at her phone, it's been a month since she's seen or heard from Jason.

Since the truth came out about her miscarriage and her hooking up with Wren Kingston and Eric Kahn while they were on break.

"How was community service Han?" Aspen questions seeing Hanna's scrunched up face getting in her vehicle.

"Finally finished, Spencer and Emily are still fighting though" Hanna grunts doing up her seatbelt.

"What, why this time?" Aspen frowns, "Ugh, just them being petty, how are you though?" Hanna asks not forgetting about the supposedly break up her best friend is going through.

"I'm fine" Aspen shrugs driving off towards the Brew for their coffee catch up, "You sure?" Hanna frowns hearing the stutter in Aspen's voice.

Aspen hums parking her car and exiting the vehicle walking alongside Hanna into the Brew quickly picking out their seats before Hanna motions that she's going to order for the both of them.

Aspen sighs biting her lip ignoring the heartbreak fluttering in her chest eventually breaking out in a small smile at the thought of Bowie asleep at her apartment and Gabbie—her friend from downstairs looking after the little puppy.

Hanna returns to the table handing the blonde her iced coffee and sitting down beside her exhaling in exhaustion from the community service she's now officially finished doing.

─────────────────

HANNA AND ASPEN SEPARATE once Aspen drops Hanna off at her house after getting off the phone with her mother.

Aspen sighs walking into her apartment seeing Bowie sleeping on her couch with Gabbie beside her already smiling at the blonde girl.

"Thanks again for looking after him" Aspen smiles walking her friend out of her apartment before turning around and exhaling allowing the silence to kick in once again since Jason left town.

Bowie whimpers placing his head on Aspen's lap sensing his mother's mood change.

"At least you didn't leave with him" Aspen whispers patting the pups head hearing another cry coming from the puppy.

"Yeah, I know, I miss him too" Aspen mumbles biting her lip looking around her empty and depressing apartment.

Pulling out her textbooks and sighing aloud beginning to study for her finals and graduation that's coming up in the next months.

─────────────────

WALKING INTO SCHOOL Aspen smiles seeing Aria and Hanna coming towards her in the hallway.

"You okay, Ria?" Aspen questions putting some papers into her locker and walking alongside the two girls.

"It's the first time I see him in weeks, and I can't say anything" Aria rants telling Aspen and Hanna about seeing Ezra this morning.

"Because of Mike?" Hanna frowns, "No, 'cause I just—I can't" Aria mumbles.

"There was nothing you could do, you had to break up with him" Aspen shrugs softly.

"I know" Aria whispers, Hanna stops in front of both Aspen and Aria, "We've all got somebody we want to protect from A" Hanna voices.

"And on top of all that, you've got Jackie the ex to worry about, what did he ever see in her, anyway?" Aspen questions with a scowl, "I have no idea, maybe she was a late-onset psycho" Aria responds.

"Well, we'll take care of Jackie, but right now we just have to do what Spencer said, just slay one dragon at a time, okay?" Hanna suggests.

"Okay" Aria nods walking into Emily who glares at the three of them.

Aria and Aspen both wave goodbye to Hanna walking alongside one another, "So are you okay?" Aria wonders, "Yeah, I'm fine, why?" Aspen shrugs.

"Spenny, you've only left your apartment for school, meeting Hanna, Spencer and I, and on-top of that you've had a falling out with Emily, oh and Jason's gone" Aria rambles seeing Aspen bite her lip growing uncomfortable with the topic.

"Ria, I'm fine, really, I just don't want to talk about Jason to anyone, we broke up, so what" Aspen states with a shrug and walking away from the brunette towards her next class for the day—one step closer to graduating and getting out of this stupid cursed town.

─────────────────

ASPEN WALKS BACK INTO her apartment hearing small feet tapping along her tiles.

"Bowie, here boy" Aspen giggles hearing the excited whines coming from her puppy.

"He's so cute" Hanna smiles walking into the blonde's apartment, "He really is" Aspen responds taking two glasses out of her cupboard and pouring herself and Hanna a drink.

"You've reorganised your apartment since I was last here" Hanna voices noticing the sofa on a different side than normal.

"Yeah, it saved me a little bit the other night, I was bored" Aspen chuckles with a shrug seeing Hanna smile and nod.

"You ready? We should start driving to the greenhouse to meet the others" Aspen suggests motioning to her front door and grabbing Bowie's leash so he can tag along with them.

"Of course, let's go" Hanna states clapping her hands together and following Aspen and the puppy out of the apartment towards Aspen's vehicle.

YOU WERE ALWAYS
MY FAVOURITE,
WANT TO MAKE A DEAL?

Aria reads from Emily's phone, "A took the bait" Emily smiles embracing her cousin hating acting like they hate one another at school.

"We pulled it off" Aspen states, "A totally think we're not friends any more" Emily voices, "They think that we have real evidence" Spencer says.

"Does it bother anybody that we don't actually have anything, we're just making it up?" Hanna wonders.

"But Jenna and Garrett don't know that, and especially after what Aspen heard them say the night we were arrested, I'm glad" Aria shrugs smiling at Aspen.

"I don't know, it just scares me that Emily's doing this alone" Hanna voices anxiously, "No, no, she's not gonna be alone, we'll be outside" Aria states.

"Yeah, but it's just the five of us" Hanna mutters, "Hanna, every time we ask someone for help, they end up collateral damage, like Dr Sullivan" Emily voices.

"Or a traitor, like Garrett" Aria snarls, "It was so creepy to have to talk to him, but it was totally worth it to rattle the cage" Spencer explains looking at the others surrounding her.

"So tomorrow and everyone that's watching is going to believe that Emily totally went rogue and that she wants the box that Jason gave me" Aspen explains ignoring the painful shatter after mentioning his name.

"The one with the evidence—that doesn't really exist" Spencer smiles, "Are you sure that A is gonna follow Emily?" Hanna questions.

"Absolutely!" Spencer exclaims, "I'm the weakest link and the weakest link wants some payback" Emily mutters with a shrug and smirk receiving smiles from everyone around the greenhouse excited for tomorrow's adventures.

─────────────────

THE NEXT AFTERNOON ASPEN STANDS beside Spencer and Hanna awaiting for the plan to go down in the middle of the schools hallway also confused about where Aria is.

"Hey, it's last event, the last heat" Hanna states hearing the crowd from the swim meet.

"Where is Aria? We said that we were gonna do this together" Spencer mutters.

Aspen turns around hearing rushed footsteps coming in their direction seeing Aria looking panicked, "I'm sorry, it's complicated" Aria explains.

"So is this" Spencer whisper shouts, "I'm here, okay?" Aria states looking at Spencer, Hanna and Aspen seeing the crowd coming out from the meet that just finished.

"Okay, it's every man for himself, I want the box that Jason gave Aspen" Emily demands looking at the four girls, "Well, you're not gonna get it" Spencer snaps.

"Guys, Spencer's only looking out for herself, we have to cut a deal with—" Emily voices.

"Shut up, Emily" Aspen snarls earning looks from the students surrounding them.

"Where is it?" Emily questions, "It's safe" Aspen shrugs, "Where?" Emily wonders pissed off.

"Don't tell her" Hanna voices joining into the discussion.

"It's hidden, and it stays hidden until Aspen or I want it found" Spencer mutters with a snarl.

"You forget, we all learned how to keep secrets from the same person, I bet I know where it is, good luck" Emily states with a sarcastic smile walking away from the annoyed girls in the hallway.

"Let's get out of here" Aspen demands softly walking out of the school and away from the crowd already over the looks of students looking at them like Alison's back in school grounds.

Toby chases after the blonde seeing her strutting to her vehicle, "Aspen! Wait" Toby shouts capturing the young woman's attention.

"I'm sorry you had to see that Tobes" Aspen winces holding onto her head at the mess that just caused inside, "What the hell is going on?" Toby questions.

"Toby, it's really not the best time" Aspen voices shaking her head and getting into the driver's seat of her car seeing Emily's text message stating that the plan is going ahead.

─────────────────

ASPEN WAITS OUTSIDE HER APARTMENT after letting Gabbie in to puppy sit once again seeing Hanna pulling her alongside the walkway allowing the blonde girl to get into the passenger seat.

"What are you so late?" Aspen wonders seeing Hanna's panicked expression.

"My father came to the house to talk to my mother and I—sorry" Hanna responds, "It's fine, I just hope Em's okay" Aspen says.

"Me too; I'll explain everything soon though, promise" Hanna says pulling into the greenhouse.

"Hanna, look out!" Aspen shrieks seeing the incoming figure go up and over the bonnet of the vehicle.

Hanna gasps horrified seeing the others chasing after the figure, Aspen immediately gets out of Hanna's car and chases after the rest of them following the shouts coming from Spencer, Aria and Emily.

After chasing the figure around in the forest, the five girls cone to a stop shining the flashlight around trying to find any kind of shadow, "My god, I don't believe this!" Spencer shouts annoyed.

"Hey, you okay?" Aria and Aspen question seeing Emily holding onto her arm in pain.

"Yeah, I think so" Emily pants, "Did I just hit what I think I did?" Hanna whispers freaked out.

"Yes! And now they're gone! We've got nothing! We've got nothing!" Spencer mutters walking back towards the greenhouse with the others following behind her.

"Was it Garrett or Jenna?" Hanna asks seeing her car with its headlights still on due to the sudden panic in chasing A into the woods.

"How could it be Jenna?" Spencer snarls, "I couldn't tell" Emily states, "Well, was it a boy or a girl?" Aria wonders.

"I don't know!" Emily exclaims feeling overwhelmed with Aspen comforting her, "Any sense of boobs?" Hanna shrugs.

"Hanna" Spencer voices, "What? It could be a clue" Hanna suggests.

Aspen frowns seeing a mobile phone lying on the ground below them, "That's not mine" Spencer explains, "It's not mine" Emily voices.

"It's none of ours" Hanna whispers, "Do you think when A bounced off the car—" Aria starts to say in realisation.

"That's A's cellphone" Spencer reveals smiling at everyone realising that they might finally have the upper hand in this situation.

─────── ∘°❉°∘ ───────
TO BE CONTINUED...

𝖊𝖑𝖘 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖐𝖘 ⛧
short chapter
sorry

VOTE AND COMMENT PLEASE

socials:
tt: hellfiresoulss
insta: hellfire.soulss
pin: hellfiresoulss