027 — blood is the new black

season three —
episode two

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ASPEN STARES BLANKLY AT the wall while folding some of her clean laundry thinking about the text A sent her and the girls the other day.

"Babe? Hello? Earth to Asp" Jason voices waving his hand in-front of Aspen's face capturing her attention.

"Hmm, what?" Aspen wonders startled, "I was saying you should really get to the school, your phones been going off like crazy with messages from Mrs Lockman" Jason explains seeing Aspen's eyes widen.

"Crap!" Aspen screeches jumping off the couch and grabbing her things thanking herself for getting dressed earlier.

"Bye, I love you" Aspen says pecking Jason's lips before rushing out of her apartment towards her car and driving appropriately towards the school.

Arriving at the school and rushing inside seeing Emily sniffling and running into the bathrooms with the others close behind her noticing Hanna frowning in confusion due to being late herself.

"What's going on?" Hanna questions, "No, idea, just come on" Spencer mumbles grabbing Aspen's hand gently and walking into the bathroom seeing Emily washing her hands shakily.

"Em, what's the matter?" Aria wonders, "Talk to us" Spencer suggests while Aspen steps closer to her cousin to comfort her seeing how shaken up she is.

Emily gives the necklace to Aria who looks at the said item in disgust.

DEAD GIRLS
CAN'T SMILE

"What is that?" Hanna quizzes grabbing a hold of the necklace, "Are those teeth?" Aria asks disgusted.

"Please just get rid of it" Emily mutters while Spencer grabs ahold of the necklace, "Are they Alison's?" Aspen questions rubbing soothing circles on Emily's back.

"Oh my god, I can't breathe" Emily mumbles panicked, "It wasn't enough to steal her bones, now we're gonna get pieces of her delivered to us?" Aria interrogates angrily.

"Guys, there probably aren't even human" Spencer responds looking at the teeth on the necklace.

"No, they're totally human!" Hanna snaps looking at the brunette, "How do you know?" Spencer asks.

"Because I worked at a dentist's office Spencer" Hanna responds, "For two days, answering phones" Spencer states.

"Yeah, and there were teeth everywhere, even the friggin' bathroom key was shaped like a cuspid" Hanna mutters.

Aspen and the others look up hearing girl's approaching outside in the hallway, "Stall, go" Aspen demands motioning to the stall in which they all fit into one to talk a little more about the disturbing necklace.

"Guys, real or not, this A is working overtime to frame us, first the call to Emily from Spencer's phone, then the cemetery photo, and now—" Aria rambles.

"It's all my fault" Emily voices guiltily, "Em, stop" Hanna orders gently, "No, that whole night is like a black hole, I still can't figure out how I got to Ali's grave" Emily responds looking at the others.

Aria snatches the necklace out of Spencer's hands, "We need to give this to the police" Aria suggests, "We can't, we already lied to them about the lake house" Spencer responds.

"Yeah, that was a huge mistake, we keep digging ourselves in deeper, burning those photos was one thing—these are teeth, okay?" Aria states shaking the necklace in the air motioning towards it.

"We should at least tell our parents" Aria adds looking at the other four, "Tell them what? We have no idea what this A knows, are you ready to explain every lie we've ever told since Ali died?" Spencer questions.

"You don't have to protect me, okay? I can take the blame for all of this" Emily interrupts.

"Emily, stop, you're not in this by yourself and you know I'd let the world burn if it meant protecting my family—that goes for all of you" Aspen states firmly looking from Emily, to Aria, Spencer and Hanna smiling at her lovingly.

"But if you could remember something else from that black hole besides an old car, that'd be nice" Hanna shrugs seeing Aspen squint at her.

"Hanna" Aria warns, "I'm just saying, it'd be helpful" Hanna responds, "Can we please just get rid of that?" Emily questions gesturing to the necklace.

"We can't toss this, this is evidence" Aria states holding the necklace in the air close to where Aspen's standing with a grimace on her face.

"Look, I'll put it in my locker until we figure out what to do" Spencer voices, "Oh so now your lockers safe from A?" Hanna questions.

"Just give it to me" Hanna voices grabbing a hold of the accessory, "I'll put it in my purse—" Aria responds before dropping it into the toilet bowl.

Aspen rolls her eyes sharing a look with her cousin, "Hanna" Aria mutters, "Sorry but that was your doing as well" Aspen shrugs with a smile.

Aria nods knowingly before facing the others, "I will get it" Spencer states, "No, wait! You can't just dive in there, these things have sensors" Aria voices.

"Excuse me?" Spencer frowns confused, "You just have to be really careful" Aria suggests.

"Well, if you would like to" Spencer states pointing at the necklace in the water, "No" Aria denies firmly with a shake of her head.

Spencer folds the sleeves of her long sleeve top bending down to fetch the accessory only for the bell to ring automatically making the toilet flush—getting rid of the evidence down the drain.

All five sigh staring into the toilet, "Well, hate to break this up, but I'm late and Mrs Lockman is going to kill me" Aspen voices walking out of the bathroom towards the art classroom seeing Mrs Lockman waiting for her at the desk.

"I am so sorry I'm late" Aspen mumbles sitting at the opposite side of the desk and immediately starting the fashion designs on the worksheet seeing Mrs Lockman smiling and nodding at her.

"All good Aspen" she says before getting back to looking through her students fashion worksheets.

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AFTER HER FASHION CLASS, Aspen walks out of the hallways while replying to Jason's texts asking if Mrs Lockman was made at her.

Aspen sits at the table beside Hanna placing her phone in her pocket and snacking on some crackers she packed not really having an appetite.

"I can't believe that we lost it" Spencer voices, "It wasn't like we were gonna hand it over to the cops" Hanna responds.

"I wanted to, we could have found out who sent it to us, there were fingerprints on that necklace" Aria explains.

"Yeah, mine" Emily mutters in response, "Hanna, you have to go back to Radley" Spencer voices.

"What?" Hanna asks shocked, "You need to make Mona talk" Spencer explains further.

"Spencer's right, Mona has never been working alone, and she's probably still giving people orders" Aria says.

"Find out who else has seen her" Emily adds, "You guys just ripped me a new one last week for visiting her, now you want me to go back there with cupcakes?" Hanna snaps in a response.

"If we want answers, we should be focusing on Garrett" Aspen voices.

"I will go back to Garrett, if you will work on Mona, will you go today? After school?" Spencer questions facing Hanna who scoffs and gets up from the table leaving the four sitting there together.

Aspen bites her lip watching Hanna walking away from them
towards the door leading into the school's hallway seeing Jenna walking out into the courtyard.

"Has anyone spoken to her since school started?" Emily wonders, "No, I still think it's really shady that she didn't get back the first day of school" Spencer replies.

"It's no shadier than Lucas strolling around on Saturday at four in the morning" Aria responds, "Well, maybe that's their witching hour" Spencer shrugs.

"So now we think they're definitely connected? Jenna and Lucas?" Emily quizzes.

"I haven't had the chance to speak to Jemma but she's just back as well, so maybe she was covering for Jenna?" Aspen suggests.

"Em, you saw them talking to that black swan person at the masquerade party, Mona could have an entire outfield playing for her including Jemma as well" Aria voices.

While looking at Aspen finally mentioning how one of her former best friends could be working alongside the monster that destroyed her life for a while.

Aspen frowns hearing the commotion behind her seeing Jenna walking into someone and spilling their drink, "Is it just me, than she was last year?" Aria quizzes.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she was faking it, but that's a pathetic suggestion" Aspen shrugs looking at Aria, Emily and Spencer with a certain confidence laced in her eyes.

The four girls get up from the table walking in the hallway, "Your mom thinks I'm a basket case" Emily explains directed at Aria who's walking beside her.

"My mom loves you, Em, she knows everything that you've been through" Aria responds grabbing some things out of her locker.

"Can she spread the love around the faculty lounge? I have to take four make-up exams or they're gonna make me repeat eleventh grade" Emily huffs.

"They can't hold you back" Aria voices, "Yes, they can, I was absent all of April" Emily mumbles.

"You're gonna get through this, I can always tutor you if you need desperate help" Aspen suggests looking at her cousin.

"Maybe, I'll let you know about the tutoring though" Emily says finally with a smile.

"You just need a study partner, a tutor like Aspen suggested" Spencer states looking at the blonde.

"Wait! Why don't you just call Ezra? If your first make-up test be your tutor, I know you're smart Spenny, but Ezra's actually certified" Aria says.

"Awkward" Spencer exclaims, "No, it's not" Aria responds.

"Aria, I can't think of him as "Mr. Fitz" anymore, okay? I've seen his underwear drawer" Emily states.

"Those were his socks" Aria shrugs, "Why would his socks have a flap in the middle?" Spencer asks amused.

"I'm texting you his number" Aria states scrolling through her phone, "Aria, I don't—" Emily starts to say looking at the girl.

"He's not teaching right now, and it's killing him, you'd be helping each other out" Aria says with a smile.

Aria's smile immediately drops seeing someone walking into the hallway with the principal and hiring committee, "Who is that?" Emily questions, "Meredith" Aria mutters.

"Wait, that's your dad's Meredith? That's the skank you and Ali caught lip-locking in the car?" Spencer questions looking at the snotty blonde.

"If my mom sees her here" Aria mumbles looking at the opposite side of the hallway seeing Ella talking to some of her students.

"What's she doing here?" Aspen snarls protective of her best friend's mother.

"Excuse me, are you looking for someone?" Aria exclaims stepping directly in-front of Meredith angrily.

"Hello, Aria, I forgot you were still a student here" Meredith responds, "Yeah, I am, what are you doing here?" Aria snaps.

"I'm applying for an open teaching position, oh, don't worry, hon, I won't put you down as a reference" Meredith taunts excusing herself and walking away while Aspen glares at the back of her head.

"Thank god, I'm not a student here anymore—otherwise I'd be expelled" Aspen mutters smirking at the others.

Before leaving the school and going back to her apartment to spend the rest of the afternoon doing her sketches and jobs around the apartment.

Since Emily has taken up Aria's offer in getting Ezra to tutor her for the makeup tests.

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THE NEXT DAY ASPEN WALKS into Mrs Lockman's classroom with a huge smile on her face.

"What's got you so smiley Aspen?" Mrs Lockman wonders before noticing the huge file on Aspen's side:

"Well, I was cleaning up my apartment yesterday and found some of my old designs that I love, and I was thinking—wondering if you'd like to have a look through them?" Aspen questions seeing Mrs Lockman's eyes light up at the suggestion.

"Yes please" said woman states grabbing the big book file off Aspen and flipping through the pages with a smile on her face seeing the talent and passion Aspen has for the fashion and design industry.

"These are amazing, Aspen, I would like to submit three of these to the national fashion awards in two weeks? Is that okay with you?" Mrs Lockman asks.

"Of course!" Aspen responds with a nod looking at the design on one of the pages of a wedding dress that she designed for herself.

"This will be one of them, do you think you'd be able to make any of these?" Mrs Lockman wonders.

"Um—actually they're all made already, well most of the designs are, the box is in my car" Aspen explains seeing Mrs Lockman look up at her shocked.

"I didn't know whether or not you'd like them, but I bought the clothes just in case" Aspen adds onto what she was just saying seeing Mrs Lockman nod at her.

"Well Miss, you have a talent for these things and I would love to see your designs" said woman states firmly.

"I'll go grab the box for you?" Aspen curiously asks, "Please" Mrs Lockman confirms.

Aspen rushes out of the classroom and out of the school towards the car park grabbing the box of her designs with a massive smile on her face.

Walking back inside the classroom placing the large box on the classroom floor, "Help yourself to any of the clothes—for the competition" Aspen states.

Mrs Lockman locks eyes on one of the sweatshirts in the box in absolute adoration grabbing it and placing it on the desk without second guessing herself.

"I'll leave the box here for a couple days so you can decide which ones—and of course if you would like me to make any, please let me know?" Aspen suggests.

"Thank you Aspen" Mrs Lockman responds while Aspen walks out of the classroom still smiling hearing a ring on her phone getting it from purse and reading the message while her smile drops suddenly.

GOOD FOR YOU PRINCESS,
ALL HAPPY AND CONTENT WITH
YOUR DESIGNS? LET'S SEE HOW
THE JUDGES REACT WHEN THEY SEE
MY PLANS FOR YOU. GOOD LUCK.
— A

Aspen frowns re-reading the message over not noticing the others walking up to her seeing the pale expression on their friend's face.

"Spenny, what happened? Are you okay? What's wrong?" Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer ask, Aspen exhales giving Hanna—who's closest to her the phone.

Hanna and the others read the text wide eyed seeing Aspen looking around teary eyed since fashion and design are two of her favourite things to do and A's now trying to ruin it for her.

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JASON WALKS INTO THE apartment with Bowie in his arms seeing Aspen lying on the couch watching a movie on the television in the living room.

"Hey babe, how was your day?" Jason questions seeing Aspen sitting up on the sofa.

"Good, Mrs Lockman is submitting some of my designs for a competition" Aspen explains.

Jason joins her on the sofa seeing Bowie making himself comfortable on his own bed.

"Well, that's good—congratulations Asp" Jason responds placing one of Aspen's loose hairs behind her ear.

While Aspen sinks her face into his hand wanting to feel some comfort right now.

"How was work?" Aspen wonders once Jason leans her back onto his chest to relax for the rest of the evening.

"Boring" Jason responds with a tired sigh, Aspen turns around so her front is now lying on his chest looking up at him while running her fingertips throughout his hair.

"Go to sleep, baby" Aspen suggests soothing him into a slumber, Aspen presses play on the movie and lowers the volume so Jason's sleep won't be disturbed.

Aspen softly smiles hearing soft snores coming from Jason's nose and arms tightening around her back pulling her into him a lot more firmer since she's still laid on his chest.

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THE NEXT DAY AFTER ASPEN finished talking to Mrs Lockman about certain designs and if she could design the dress she designed for Alison's three years ago.

Aspen confirms with a deep exhale before meeting the others in the woman's bathroom since Hanna has updates from visiting Mona.

"That's all she said?" Spencer wonders after Hanna explained to that that Mona asked if she was getting the texts again before the nurses interrupted them stating that the visiting hours were over.

"Isn't that enough?" Hanna responds, "No, that is not enough, you have to go back to Radley, Han, alone" Spencer demands.

"It's not so easy, Caleb is all over me" Hanna mutters in response, "I don't need to know that" Spencer says.

"Well, Caleb's not finding dug-up jewelry in his locker, whose earring did Ali find in my dad's couch?" Aria wonders freaked out.

"Probably her own" Aspen mumbles quietly knowing Alison likes to trick and is a trouble maker, "Okay, one question at a time" Spencer suggests.

"Wait, you're not gonna ask your mom why she's suddenly defending Garrett? I mean, seriously, Spencer, what is that?" Aspen questions slightly annoyed at the fact Mrs Hastings is defending Garrett.

Knowing she'll have to tell Jason soon about the whole thing since his Alison's brother.

Aspen audibly sighs knowing Jason's gonna be angry at her, "He probably told her it's time to lock Jenna up, she was driving that night, guys, I remembered, clearly" Emily states firmly.

"Em, we believe you, okay? But honestly, I don't think that you remember anything clearly from that night, when we picked you up you kept calling me 'Arlene'" Aria says with a slight grimace at the name.

"Guys, she can see, she's probably on Mona's payroll" Emily voices.

"Mona does not have any cash, they won't even let her have floss" Hanna states while the bell rings signalling the five minute warning until the next classes begin.

"Okay, let's just do this at lunch, I can't be late again" Spencer mutters opening the bathroom door seeing Jenna talking to some of her friends.

"I'll be right back, I just need to rinse my water bottle" Jenna explains with a smile walking towards the ladies room.

"Jenna's coming in here" Spencer exclaims pushing them back into the bathroom.

"Where's the earring?" Spencer questions looking at Aria, "What?" Aria mumbles confused.

"Give me the earring, I have an idea" Spencer explains holding out her palm in which Aria places the earring in.

"What are we doing? Do I get to slap her again?" Hanna asks excitedly.

"No!" Spencer mutters shaking her head and placing the earring on the countertop underneath the mirror.

"Okay, get in the stalls, go! go!" Aspen shrieks pushing Hanna and Spencer into a stall and Emily and Aria enter the other one.

While watching as Jenna walks into the bathroom towards the sink washing her water bottle before stopping and pulling down her black sunglasses and clear as day looking at the earring in confusion.

Before putting the sunglasses back on and putting on the blind act once again walking out of the bathroom leaving the others in the said bathroom walking out of the stalls in shocked.

"Holy shit! I was right!" Aspen exclaims wide eyed remembering what she said a few days ago while she and the others were sitting in the courtyard and Jenna 'bumped' into that male student spilling his drink.

"I knew it, that is it, I'm going for way more than a slap" Hanna states.

"Hanna, stop" Spencer demands, "Stop why?" Hanna shrieks in confusion while Spencer looks at the others.

"Don't look at me, I'm ready to hang a sign—'Bitch can see'" Aria snaps while Aspen and Emily nod agreeing with the Montgomery girl.

"Guys! She doesn't know that we know" Spencer mutters, "Yeah, she will in a minute" Emily says raising her voice annoyed.

"No, we don't let her know that we know, not yet, we can use this—and we will" Spencer explains looking at the others with a smirk.

In which everyone eventually shares amongst each other finally feeling like they're winning.

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TO BE CONTINUED...

𝖊𝖑𝖘 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖐𝖘 ⛧
aspen being correct about
the whole jenna faking being blind
how about a threatening
aspen's fashion and design work?

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