The five of us were sat in the cinema watching some black and white movie. Spencer was spinning one of her theories.

"You Can't be serious. Jason is not hiding Ian the house." I snap and my friend

"Why would he? Ian killed his sister. That doesn't make sense." Emily added backing me up but Spencer would not let this go.

"I did't say I was positive. I'm just telling you guys. Melissa is sneaking out to meet Ian on foot." Spencer replies

"Your sister needs one of those dog collars. The one that zaps you when you leave." Hanna says

"Can we get back to the point. Jason isn't covering for Ian, unless your suggesting that my boyfriend would put me in harms way. I thought we had gotten over Jason is a bad guy thing. He's a guy that makes mistakes, he's human not dumbo. As for Melissa she's always been secretive with you, she's your older sister it's a given thing." I returned back to the point at hand.

"It's not just that. Her phone rings and she has to leave the room to answer it." Spencer told us.

"I'm with Erica. I don't buy Jason helping him. Didn't he call Ian a  jerk?" Emily asks

"Yes and when I told him Ian hit on me he stormed round to punch him." I add

"Yeah, when did that change?" Aria wonders

"It's Jason you guys. Who knows what to believe." I turn in my seat

"That's enough. I'm sick and tired of you going after the people I care about first Toby and now Jason. When is it going to end." her demeanour changed as the reality of everything that she was constantly imply hit her.

"Erica I'm sorry I...."

"No, you're barking up the wrong tree. Like always and screw peoples feelings. You know what i'm leaving." i stood up

"Erica" my sister complains

"I'm done." I shuffled past them and storm out of the cinema.

"Erica! Erica wait!" they called but I kept on walking "Erica stop!" I round on them

"Why should I?! Huh, why should I sit there and listen to you while you bash my boyfriend." tears started rolling down. "He's not the perfect guy, he has his faults and he makes mistakes. But my word isn't good enough. It never is, because it seems that I don't know the people i am around. Cause clearly that's what you think. I'm going through the same thing as you, even worse." I held up my arm that was still in a cast

"Maybe Dr Sullivan was right, maybe this is an unhealthy friendship."

"She didn't mean it, Ri." Aria tries to soothe me

"Of course she did. And she'll be wrong again because she's not Nancy freaking Drew."

"Guys..." I heard Spencer

"She's just trying to..." Hanna tried to reason

"Trying to make yet another guy I care about into a monster."

"Guys." We look over to where she is and there a hoodie figure.

"Let's go." We ran out of the cinema and turn to look back. No one is there.

"Nice, charming. Spencer." i breathe

"Erica." I shove past her heading home.

----------

"You're coming with me." Aria says as she pulls me into the ladies

"Aria what the hell?!" I complain, she checks the cubicles

"The girls will be here in a minute. We're talking about what happened at the cinema." I huff and play with my cast.

"You know Spencer didn't mean anything my it?"

"Didn't I. Why do you expect my  reaction to me any different why my boyfriend is under attack. You do the exact same for Him. And why are you taking her side, I'm your sister."

"I'm not taking sides I'm just saying we need to stick together."

"Well say that to the boyfriend basher." The Girls came in and I glared at Spencer

"Erica I'm..." I cut her off

"Emily. Aria said you had a letter." I turn to her and she glanced between us then gave it to me. I was going to read it but someone came in three of us went into stalls the other two went to the sink. once they were gone we busted out.

"Whoo. We gotta find a better place to do this. Preferably somewhere with a fan." Aria commented

"Good luck, we'll have to dig a tunnel under the school." Emily replies

"yeah, not with those hands you need some serious moisturiser." Hanna commented digging through her bag.

"This letter isn't bad Emily." I tell her

"It's bad." She confirms

"Won't your Mom be impressed that the scout even took the time too write?" Aria wondered

"Here use this it cost more than my purse." Hanna handed over the moisturiser

"This is a maybe letter. My Mom needs to see something real something that says 'Let her stay in Rosewood' We want her. Don't take her to Texas."

"Em, there are other colleges." Aria says

"Yeah, other scout will want you." Spence agrees

"When? My Mom's already packed up the kitchen. She keeps telling me how much I'm gonna like the rodeo." we heard chatter getting louder

"Let's finish this after school." Hanna breathes

"Can't I'm getting a fibre glass pot on  , Then I'm with the beau."  I tell her

"Field Hockey practice"

"Swim practice."

"I'm starting my class at Hollis." Aria smiled. I shook my head in amusement, her way of keeping close to her boyfriend without arousing suspicion.

"Is Jackie gonna be there?" Spencer wonders

"Your business how?" I question

"Erica, chill." Aria scolds "This isn't about stalking. If Ezra says it's over between them, i believe him."

"So what. You're just gonna hang around campus with binoculars?" Hanna jokes

"I'm taking our therapist advice on separate time. It's an extension course and if Ezra happens to be there, that's just a bonus."

"Some bonus." I comment

"Great everybody's got a life except for me" Hanna huffs

"I thought you were going to the mall with Mona?" Ri questions

"Stealing moisturiser is not a life it's a hobby and it's getting boring."

"You stole this?" Spencer accuses

"No, it's a sample." the door opens. we all separate.

----------

I came out during lunch and saw Spencer talking with Toby. I walk over to them

"Hey are you ready?" I ask Toby. he was taking me to the hospital to have my cast off.

"Yeah. Jason said I could borrow his car. He's waiting at the house for some supplies. He also told me to tell you he wish he cold come."

"He gave you the job, that's amazing." I grin , he smiles too

"Well it helps that I know my boss's girlfriend also known as my best friend." 

"Wait you knew about this." Spencer questions

"Yeah, unlike you I take care of my friends. Let's go Toby. " I took his arm and we left

"Are you fighting with Spencer?" Toby questions

"Yes, she started bashing my boyfriend." I tell him as we get into the car.

"What's she saying?"

"That Jason is hiding Ian, in his house which is stupid because I've been in there and Jason wouldn't of let me in if he was. Besides Jase hates Ian, with a passion." I respond

"She's just trying to figure out what's going on."

"I know that but this isn't the first time she's made someone I care about into a monster." I glance at him

"Me."

"Yeah, it was the same then I stick up for you and she ignores it thinking she's right. I've had enough."

"whatever you and her are, that's your decision but just remember. I'm your number one cheerleader." he chuckles

"Always." he drives me to the hospital and is with me when I have my cast replaced. When we're done we drive back to Jason's and both get out. He's working in the front when we pull up.

"So?" I showed him my fibre glass pot.

"Have this one on for another few weeks." He kisses my head pulling me into a hug. I return it as best as I can relaxing into his embrace.

"Thanks for taking care of her." he says to Toby

"She's my best friend, of course." Toby replies smiling

"Okay, I am going to get a soda, you guys want one?" I question

"Yeah!" I headed in and went to grab them. I juggled the three cans outside.

"Here you go." Jason took one and passed it to Toby then he took another opening it and passing it back to me before taking the third.

"Thanks." I put the can down and took my work out of my bag, while they continued on I did my homework. Toby left a little later.

"Ah crap." I mutter  yell my soda over me.

"Jase. Can I borrow one of your shirt. I just spilled soda all over mine?" He looks up from what he's doing.

"Sure, there are some of my old shirt in Ali's room, help yourself." I headed inside and went into Ali's old room. I searched through the boxes till I found one of his old shirts. I stripped down and replaced it with the T-shirt, it dropped down like it was a oversized night dress. I looked through the box again and found a belt. He was just coming inside

"Hey can you fix this around my waist so it does't look so frumpy?"

'Yeah." He did so and I twirled

"Cute." I roll my eyes. "So, I'm finished for the day" he slipped his arms around me

"Okay?" I replied playing coy "What do you want me to do about it?"

"Well I was gonna take a shower and then I think I might cook."

"What toast?" I joke.

"Haha. I've gotten better at cooking. Cooking quick and simple."

"Well that I need to see. Go on, have a shower, you stink." I joke shoving him slightly with my good arm. He touched his chest pretending that I had wounded him.

"Charming." he says as he leaves. That night he cooked and then he took me home.

-------

The next day I'm in Emily's car with Aria and Hanna. Han was telling us about her Dad.

"You gotta stay out of it." I tell her

"No, but what if he ends up hurting her..." Aria cut her off

"Hanna, I tried protecting my mom and it blew up in my face. You just gotta let them work it out for themselves." Aria advises. Em pulls out an envelope

"What is that?" Aria wonders

"Read it." she hands it to my sister who  does Hanna and I strain to read it  as well

"If you continue as Rosewoods MVP and anchor till the end the swim team we can offer you a full... Em the scout changed his mind, this is amazing. This means you don't have to move." Aria says

"Wait let me see this." Hanna takes the letter so we can have a closer look

"What did your Mom say?" I question feeling happy for her

"She hasn't seen it?" Em replied

"Why?" Aria and I question.

"because i haven't mailed it yet." I furrowed my eyebrows. Aria snatched the letter back

"Wait, Em did you write this letter?" Hanna asks, she gave guilty look "Oh my god. you are a total rockstar Emily Fields. You're totally getting me into Harvard." Hanna beams. I start laughing

"Emily I would not mail this." Aria shakes her head

"Are you kidding sis. I'm checking if i have and extra stamp" I go to check my bag

"This just feels really wrong." Aria continues

"Oh really and taking a art class with Jenna isn't?" Hanna retorted helping me check my bag "Hope your first assignment is how to make a weapon."

"ok, I never said I was actually staying in that class. I'm still working that out. Okay, once your parents read this..." I cut her off

"Aria she changed a few words on a letter she didn't rob a bank. It's like Ali used to say..."

"You're not lying only pre telling the truth." Hanna finishes and I hand her the stamp

"There's got to be another way." Aria sighs

"There isn't." she took the stamp.

--------

After school I stopped by  Jason's place. Toby and Spencer were there but I couldn't see my boyfriend on first glance/

"Hey, Is Jason inside?"

"Yeah." Toby told me

"Thanks." i headed in "Jason! Have you seen my chemistry book. I think I left it here!" he comes out holding a garbage bag

"Yeah it's on the kitchen table. Just Gotta take this out." i nod and walk past him. I see my chem book lying there and grab it then head back out.

"Thanks Babe. I gotta go."

"Okay, bye." I gave him a quick kiss

"Bye Toby."

---------

I sat across from Dr Sullivan. It was the first appointment on my own. To be honest it felt both awkward and a little calm to not have my sister and friends there with me.

"I'm glad you came." she smiled

"Well, my parent wouldn't quit bugging me so..." I trailed off

"What maters is your here. Where would you like to start?" She wonders and i fiddle with my cast.

"Dunno."

"How about your arm? How did you break it?" she questions.

"I was in a car accident the night of the founders festival, some one cut the break fluid in my car so she I went to stop for a red light i could. I crashed and this happened."

"i'm sorry to here that. Do you have enemies? Someone who might want to hurt you?"

"You sound like the police. No, not in this way anyway."

"But in other ways."

"I can be very blunt, some people my call it bitchy. The way I word things aren't always nice but they aren't exactly like..." I stopped myself

"Like who?"

"Alison. Like Alison." I admitted

"So Alison, wasn't always nice?" I shook my head and shuffle about

"No, Ali was a mean girl and I was one of followers. That's what it felt like sometimes. But then she'd have these moments where you can see she really cared."

"Can you name one?" I nodded thinking back to where Ali really had my back when it counted.

"Ali, Aria and I had just gone to get Ice cream and we were walking home from school. Another class mate was calling to us and to dodge her Ali pulled us into a different footpath. But it wasn't empty. My fathers car was there and he was with another woman. Ali was there for me when he convinced my sister not to tell my Mom and then Aria convinced me. She was like me and wanted to tell my Mom."

"Why didn't you."

"Aria begged me not to. I love my sister and I did it for her. But I never forgave my Dad."

"For cheating?" I scoff

"No, people cheat all the time, it's a universal fact that at some point you will cheat on something or someone. No he manipulated my sister, convinced her that all it would do was hurt Mom and Mike and that everything would be ruined. Then she did it to me and I let her because it was my twin. but then the other shoe dropped a year later and mom found out anyway."

"How's your relationship with your father now?"

"I still haven't forgiven him, probably never will but I've stopped being constantly verbally aggressive with him, most of the time. He still tries his best but I don't think he seeks approval anymore it just...is..." she smiled slightly

-------

Aria had forcibly taken me to Spencer's. I was absolutely not happy with being here and i made it very clear all the way there. She told everyone about what happened in her art class.

"So wait who's Anita?" Hanna questioned

"No one, me. I was okay? I only said that because i didn't want Jenna to know I was there." Aria told her

"Well, yeah but she did know." Hanna replied

"Only after I said something. I thought it was safe." my twin sighed in defeat

"No Anita was safe, Aria is not." Spencer commented and I rolled my eyes  and huffed

"i feel like I made things worse. If Jenna is A, I totally rattled  her cage." Spencer gasped and jumped

"She's on the move." I wanted to make some comment but didn't

"I'm ready." Hanna nodded

"Let's go." We did and followed Melissa outside. We hid behind the bush to see who she was meeting

"Is it him?" I ask i couldn't see properly "Is it Ian?"

"i don't know I can't see, Spencer replied

"Of course it's him but who's car is that ?" Aria wondered The driver got out

"Wait is that Wren? Is he in on it too?" Aria questioned as he opened the boot and gave something to Melissa.

"What is that?" Hanna asks

"Probably painkillers." i answered

"Melissa does drugs." I slapped Hanna around the head

"Ouch."

"Not for her, for Ian." Spencer retorts "You fall from a bell tower your probably gonna need more than a ice pack"

"Wow only Melissa would ask the guys she dumped to help the murderer she married" Hanna spoke loudly.

"shhh" we ducked as they looked over. Wren was freaked and we watched him leave. Melissa stood looking in the bag.