Chapter Twenty Two - As the Bell Tolls
-Erica-
I woke up in the middle of the night to someone arguing. I groaned slightly, trying to figure out what was going on.
"Are you insane, you should even be here, anyone could see."
"Look, I know you don't like what's going on but she is my girlfriend, whether you like it or not."
"Your right I don't like it. She's sleeping anyway. You need to leave."
"Mom?" I ask and the voices stopped, Mom came back in as my brain worked to register the voices that I had heard, one of them was clearly her and I think the other might have been Jason.
"Sweetie are you okay?"
"I heard voices, is Jason out there" I questioned, she sighed and nodded as my eyesight cleared to see her properly.
"Please I want to see him, five minutes please." she sighed. she left and Jason came in and took my side, I was happy that he was here and felt more comforted and at ease than I had before.
"Hey, how are you?" he whispered stroking my head
"Upped on painkillers. Aria called you." I answered and he nodded in confirmation.
"Yeah, she explained what was going on. I knew I should have picked you up." he looked away, I could feel the guilt radiating off him, though he had nothing to feel guilty about, It was the crazy bitch at play.
"I have some good news. You wanna here it?" I smiled "I got the house back, I'll be starting work on it soon."
"That is good news." He gave me a soft kiss
"Look I better get going before your Mom get's back." I hummed in understanding and becoming very sleepy once more
"I love you." I mumble falling back asleep
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The next morning, I was awake again, i had breakfast and the Doctor had come to check me over. Aria was back and she looked distracted
"Everything okay?" I ask her, she shakes her head clear and smiles softly at me
"of course."
"You're lying, what happened? Did you get another text from A?" She shook her head and it looked like she was trying to determine whether to tell me or not.
"Aria, tell me." she sighed giving in.
"You know the key Jenna was looking for?" I nodded "Ali hid it in a snow globe she gave to Emily. Last night Emily, Hanna and I went to a storage unit, there was this flash drive in Ali's old lunch box."
"Did you see what was on the drive?"
"Yeah, there were videos of us. All of us including Alison. From like when we had sleepovers, it's really creepy." she told me she then cleared her throat "There's another one. It's of Toby and Jenna."
"What?" before she could tell me any more there was a knock on the door, Toby poked his head through
"Toby." I beamed forgetting the previous conversation, happy that my best friend was here
"Am I interrupting?" He wonders
"No, in fact i need to go to school. I will see you later okay." she kissed my head and left. Toby took her place.
"Spencer, told me what happened. You get yourself into some scrapes don't you?" he joked smiling slightly
"You know me. Live life in the fast lane." I reply "Doc say's I'm doing good, they wanna do a few more test before the discharge me then it's bed rest. Stuck at home with my Dad all day. Deep joy."
"We all know it'll be more pain for him than you." he chuckled
"You're hilarious" I look around and groan "I hate hospitals, they're just so depressing. How Hanna survived in her for weeks is beyond me." Mom came in and saw us.
"Oh, hello Toby."
"Hi, Mrs Montgomery." Toby nodded to her
"Erica, they're coming up to get you for your scan." Mom told me
"But Toby can wait here right? If you have no where else to go." I then look at him, he glanced between us.
"I'll come back later, or you just text me what's going on, okay." I pout
"Okay." he left the room just as a porter came.
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I was being discharged, Yay. there was no bleeding in my brain or fracture. All the tests the did that morning had come back clear. Dad came in with a bag.
"I brought your stuff. I'm taking you home."
"Okay," I slid off the bed, I was still sore but I huffed with my bag to the bathroom. Joggers, T-shirt, hoodie and ugg boots. Simple, I struggled a little but got everything on. We left the hospital. Dad seemed distracted and I was bored so I asked
"What's the matter?" I question.
"Oh nothing, i'm just trying to get a hold of people to cancel this mixer." he shook his head
"The one with all your work cronies, depending on the house to drink, eat and judge?" he shook his head smiling.
"Yes that, I didn't think it was a good idea to continue, with what's going on with you." he told me. I turned slightly groaning.
"Please keep the mixer, it might save me from throttling you from being annoying and overbearing. I have Aria and Mike for that." The college mixer was a god send for avoiding him and just being hold up in my room with no helicopter parent.
"No, i'm canceling." he denied
"I swear to god if you cancel I will make your life more hell than I already do, you know I can do that." he sighed caving in.
"Fine but it won't last that long, just a few hours okay."
"Whatever."
When we got home, I made Aria show me the video's, she was reluctant but ended up doing so. She said that they were gong to confront Jenna.
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Mom came into my room the next day of the mixer, she was taking over for my Dad, which I was thankful for.
"Mom, I thought you had classes." what I never said I was expecting it to happen
"I did, but your Dad, needed to go into work before the mixer. So you have me today."
"Great maybe you'll let me leave the house. I want to go to school." I tell her sitting up from my laying position that I had been in since I had returned home.
"You've just been in a accident."
"Not for the whole day, just to get my things, get out of the house. I'm going stir crazy." she sighed
"You waited for me to get here, didn't you."
"You're the chill parent... most of the time. Look it's the beginning of the day, we can divide and conquer get my work in like 15 minutes."
"Okay, but you're in bed for the rest of the day." I got dressed and was taken to school, people looked at me as i entered the school. mom took one half and i took the other. I saw my sister and friends.
"Erica what are you doing here, you should be resting." Aria came over
"I convinced Mom to let me come and get my stuff for the next week. i wanted to be here when you confronted Jenna." speaking of the devil we heard her coming, she past us and headed into the music room. We followed
"Who's there?" she asked
"Spencer." She turned around
"Who else?" she questioned as we all came to stand in front of her.
"Erica, Aria, Emily and Hanna." Spencer told her
"Do I need to call security?"
"We have what you hired Caleb to find." Spencer stated. Jenna shuffled slightly, seemingly uncomfortable which I could care less about the bitch.
"You didn't think it was wrong, but Toby did." I added
"So you've seen it?"
"Every frame." Spencer replied Icely
"So, what do you want?" she questioned
"The truth. Can you handle that." Hanna retorted
"Look, when I said Alison came to visit me In the hospital, I was telling the truth. She didn't come to talk about you Spencer, that was a lie." Jenna explained
"Then how do we know you're not lying now?" Spencer folded her arms.
"You knew Alison, you knew what she was capable of." Jenna replied
"We're listening." I say
"it was the day before she went missing, she was on her way home from Georgia. She had just found the video and she couldn't wait to play it for me. She told me if i Kept your secret she would keep mine. She then said if I came back to Rosewood she would bury me."
"She said she was on her way home from Georgia?" Spencer questioned
"That's what she told me, then made some joke about her tan. To bad I couldn't see it." she answered
"Did she say anything else."
"I've given you what you asked for, what are you gonna give me?" she asked
"We'll make sure the video stays in a safe place." spencer answered
"And we won't break your face which after, what you did for Toby is getting of lightly." I scowled, I know she can't see me but I was pissed
"Right." she made her way to leave
"We've all made mistakes. Remember I'm still paying for yours." she left the room, she wasn't paying for our mistake, it was fucking Karma.
"For all we know she wrote that story." Aria whispered
"And we still don't know how Ali got the video." Emily breathed
"Yes we do, that was her insurance policy and she cashed it in the day she got it." Spencer said and I saw where she was going with this
" Which means she was with Ian the day she found it." I continue
"And she couldn't wait to play that video for Jenna. God, do you remember how Happy Ali was when she got back from that trip. I think it's because for her the Jenna thing was over."
"Nice way to share the safety net, Ali." Hanna commented
"Wait for it girls, wait for it." Emily stated
"Wait for what?" Spencer wondered
"That's was she said after she got the taxi. You remember you were questioning her about Hilton head. Maybe that's what we were waiting for." I nodded slightly
"But do you remember at Alisons funeral, when we were all wondering why Jenna was there. If Jenna's telling the truth, she came back because she could."
"and Ali's the one who got buried.." Hanna breathed. I yawned and stumbled a bit.
"Are you okay?" Aria asked holding me up
"Humm, yeah just a little dizzy." I nod lazily leaning on her
"Okay, I'm calling Mom. Spencer, take her." I was passed to Spencer while my Aria called Mom, I was helped to the car where Mom was waiting.
"I knew this was A bad idea. Let's get you home."
"I'm fine, i'm just a little woozy." I slur.
"Well your recovering from a car accident so." I was helped into the car and taken home. I slept for the rest of the morning.
When I woke up, I was hungry. I was planning to go downstairs when I heard voices coming from Aria's room. I knocked
"Ariaaaa, what's going on?" I opened her door she was in there with Fitz
"Oh, sorry." I scratch my head
"No it's fine. I was just leaving." Aria says
"Where you going?" I ask
"I'm meeting the others. I'll tell you later." she left and I looked at Fitz
"What did you do?" I question
"What make you think i did something?" He asked back. i sigh. Did this man never learn, he was dating my sister and I was her twin, car accident or not I knew shit.
"Sisterly instinct. Is this to do with your ex?" I wondered and he didn't seem surprised that I knew. Now he was learning.
"She's downstairs." my eyes widen
"Shut up." I left and made my way downstairs.
"Erica, Erica don't." Fitz told me following me out and downstairs, oh he was defiantly learning, not that I could do anything in my state.
"Relax, I want to see her not slap her." i stop mid step "not yet anyway." We made our way downstairs
"Now, point her out." he sighed and pointed to the woman talking to my Dad
"Seriously? Ugh you had no taste before you met my sister. I mean that style, the haircut and the nauseating smile."
"Erica, you're awake. Come here." I shared a look with Fitz before making my way over.
"Jackie, this is my daughter Erica. She is one of Ezra's student, right now" Dad introduced us to each other, I wonder if something would happen to my cast if I walked her over the head. But the effort though, I just couldn't be bothered and violence was never the first option.
"It's nice to meet you." she held out her hand
"Yeaaaaah" i drawled "I'm gonna get some food." I looked at Fitz. "Laters" I grabbed some food and called my sister.
"Aria, come back and get me. I want in on whatever your doing."
"Are you insane , after what happened this morning." she retorted and I could heard the little mutters of the others on the other end of the phone.
"Please. I hate being left out." I whine, I don't want to sleep anymore and I wanted to keep myself out of trouble with this mixer.
"NO."
"Aria, come back now."
"I said no you need to rest. I'll talk to you later." she hung up on me. i huffed and left back upstairs with my food. it was late when Aria called me again.
"Erica how cast can you get to the church?" Aria rushed
"Five minutes why?"
"Spencer's in trouble, you're the closest. She with Ian though so be careful." I grabbed my jacket and headed out.
"I'm on my way." I walked as fast as I could to the church, it took a little longer so I arrived at the same time as the others.
"Sorry, the meds I'm on are a little." i whistled.
"It's fine. Come on ." The four of us headed inside, most of them had torches as we entered the dark, unlit church, it felt like it was something out of Dracula or a horror movie where the audience is screaming not to go in.
"Spencer!" We called. Her bag was on the floor, we made our way into the office and the door to the bell tower was open.
"Guys." I pointed and we made our way up calling for Spencer. We found her holding onto a side rail
"Are you okay? Emily asked kneeling down to her, I looked over the side.
"oh my god" I breathed Ian was hanging in the ropes of the bell tower, unmoving and not saying anything. I think he was like dead, dead
"You did what you had to do okay." Aria says as we kneel down to her
"No, I didn't. Someone else did." she told us.
"There's no one else here." Hanna told her, not anyone that we could see but when your doing something you shouldn't, you were bound to feel eyes on you.
"Maybe he fell?" I offered and explanation
"All I saw was a black hoodie." she explained
"A?"
"He killed Alison and he tried to kill me" she started to cry.
"Spence it's okay. He's dead, he's dead." Aria brought her into a hug.
"Come on let's go." Mutter and we make our way down stairs and outside heading for somewhere to sit.
"Stop right there, is this some kind of a joke?" Barry asked as we turned around
"What do you mean?" Spencer questioned
"There's no one in there. Come with me." we followed him back inside. I felt really tired and dizzy again, but I didn't say anything. When we came back Ian wasn't there.
"That can't be..." I trailed off falling into darkness
"Erica!"
--3rd Person--
Erica fainted and hit the ground and the girls screamed.
"i need EMT'S in the church...." Barry called over the radio. Aria pulled Erica on to her lap.
"Is she okay?" Hanna asks
"I think, I can't believe i made her come out here , when this happened this morning." The EMT'S came in and helped her. i'm her sister. i'm coming with her. They nodded and she left with Erica. As they made they're way out.
"Erica!" Ella and Byron noticed their daughter being wheeled out with Aria, Spencer, Emily and Hanna following. The two parents ran over to the girls as Erica was being loaded into the ambulance.
"Aria, what happened?" Ella asked her daughter.
"She collapsed. they're going to check her over" Aria explained as Erica was fixed in place in the back of the vehicle
"Are you okay?" Byron questioned
"Yeah, we need to concentrate on Erica right now" Aria breathed
"Right, I'll go with her." Ella left and got in the back, the doors closed behind her and the sirens rang out when the girls got text
It's not over till I say it's over. Sleep tight while you still can bitches -A,.
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