chapter fifty eight
single fright female
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"Okay, nothing fits over this." Hanna sighed as she tried on a black skirt, trying to find something to hide the bandage on her upper thigh. "Well, Hanna, If we just wait until your mom goes to work then we don't have to sneak around." Spencer said. "No, I am not going to school with a big open wound." Hanna responded, making Josie sigh. "I thought you said that Wren had stitched it up." Josie asked, confused.

"He did, but I have to let it breathe or else it could get infected." Hanna responded as she went back to her closet and took out a large brown skirt, making both Spencer and Josie cringe. "What the hell is that? And where did you even get it?" Josie asked. "Eighth grade." Hanna said, taking the short black skirt off and the other one on. "Did it come with castanets?" Spencer asked.

"It's not Spanish, it's Greek, I played 'Peasant Lady' in Mamma Mia." Hanna explained. "Now, can you give me some pins, please?" Hanna asked as she walked over to them. "I don't remember you in Mamma Mia." Josie said as Spencer turned around and grabbed some before moving behind Hanna to pin the skirt. "Good, because I look fat and hideous and I had to stand next to a cardboard goat." Hanna responded before Hanna's phone rang, making Josie turn to grab Hanna's phone from her bed,

Seeing Wren's contact on her phone, made Josie raise her brow at it, before turning to her friend. "Um, Wren is calling you." Josie said to Hanna, holding her phone out to her. Hanna took her phone from Josie before declining the call, sending her friends a tight lipped smile before throwing the phone back on her bed. "Why don't you wanna talk to him?" Spencer asked as Hanna put a belt on, not answering the question, making Spencer suspicious. "What's going on with you and Wren?" Spencer asked.

"Nothing." Hanna asked. "Hanna. Hanna, come on, look at me." Spencer said before moving in front of Hannam as Josie sat on the end of Hanna's bed. "Okay, I know 'A' has made it incredibly hard for you and Caleb." Spencer started. "Hard? Try impossible." Hanna cut her off. "So, what, is Wren moving in?" Spencer asked. "Look, I know that he can be persuasive, I mean, the dimples, the accent–" Spencer started.

"Okay, can we not talk about this?" Hanna asked. "You are not the first person to fall for downton grabby, hello, I've been there." Spencer continued, gesturing to herself. "Well, I'm not... there." Hanna said just before the doorbell rings downstairs, "Now what?" Hanna asked with a sigh as she moved towards her beauty desk to look outside as Josie stood up to stand next to Spencer.

"Ugh, is she ever gonna leave!?" Hanna asked, turning to the girls before the three of them snuck down the stairs, seeing Hanna's mom letting Pastor Ted in the house. "Hey," Ashley greeted him. "Hey," he responded as she opened the door to let him in. "Uh, if you're on your way out–" he started, noticing Ashley looked ready for work. "No, I was just making some coffee to go, you want some?" she asked. "Oh, no, thanks, I just... something came up at the church and I wanted to speak to you before I contacted the police," he said.

The girls slowly made their way down the stairs as Ted and Ashley moved, hoping to be spotted. "Police?" Ashley asked, confused. "The contractor who's renovating found something under a back pew, looks like it's been there for awhile." he continued as they moved into the kitchen and the girls kept their steps quiet. "What is it?" Ashley asked. "Thumb drive." Ted responded, making Hanna stop the girls.

"I plugged it into my computer, hoping I could return it to whoever lost it." Ted explained as Ashley put the lid on her to-go coffee cup. "It's not mine." Ashley told him, "That's not why I brought it here." he admitted. "It turned out to be a number of video files, the first one I opened... Hanna's in it." Ted told her, making Josie shut her eyes and sigh before the girls shared a look before moving slightly so they could see into the kitchen. .

"Looks like she's hanging out with a group of friends in a bedroom, just talking, but I don't think they knew they were being filmed." Ted explained. "There was a bully targeting Hanna and her friends last year." Ashley explained. The girls moved so they wouldn't be seen. "That's what I threw to get away from Ian." Spencer whispered to Josie and Hanna. "I thought Ian took it." Josie said, confused. "So did I." Spencer responded, making Hanna sigh. "This is so bad." she whispered.

"No, Hanna, it's gonna be fine." Spencer tried to reassure her. "No, Ali used those videos to blackmail Jenna, all right? We promised we'd keep them locked up." Hanna responded. "Okay, but Hanna, we didn't find this." Josie said. "It doesn't matter. If my mom takes them to the police, then Jenna will think that I gave them to her." Hanna remarked quietly, panicking. Spencer set her hand on her back to calm her down. "Hanna, you need to chill." She said but Hanna shook her head.

"Me and Caleb, that's who she'll go after. Not you, or Josie, Me, this is so bad!" Hanna panicked. "I better be going." Ted said, and the girls realized they were coming closer to the stairs so they quickly and quietly moved back up the stairs. "You free for a late dinner tonight? Just so I could end your day better than I started it?" he asked Ashley. "Call me later." Ashley said before the two kissed goodbye before he walked out of the Marin House.

The girls watched as Ashley looked at the thumb drive in her hand before leaving it on top of the draws in the entryway of the house and once they noticed Ashley couldn't see them the girls quickly walked down the stairs and Hanna swiped the thumb drive from it but Ashley stopped her before the three could leave. "Hanna," she called out, making them turn around. "What are you doing?" she asked.

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After the thing at Hanna's house, Spencer and Josie went to school while Hanna stayed back to talk to her mom, who wanted answers, now they sat with Aria in the courtyard. "So it was there the whole time?" Aria asked. "Yeah, Hanna's freaking, she's terrified of what Jenna's gonna do ." Spencer responded. "I thought that we were backing off the whole Noel and Jenna are the 'A' Team?" Aria asked, confused. "We are, but Hanna won't listen to us, and are you?" Spencer asked, once she noticed Aria was busy looking at stuff as Richie sat down next to Josie, kissing her cheek in greeting.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying to figure out a way to say 'Happy Birthday' without the 'Happy'." Aria explained. "Birthday." Richie added. "Yeah, Ezra's not in the mood to celebrate and..." she trailed off. "He's obsessed. He's convinced that he's ruined Maggie's life." she continued. "Well, why is he still thinking about a girlfriend he had in high school?" Josie asked, "Probably because I pushed him to." Aria responded. "Oh Aria." she sighed. "God, I just... I just wish that there was a way that I could get in touch with her." Aria said.

"That's a bad idea." Richie advised. "No, no, no, I just want—" Aria started but was cut off. "No, Aria, Richie's right, that is such a terrible idea, stay out of it, it is none of your business." Spencer said. "It is my relationship, Spencer." Aria cut her off before sighing. "I'm sorry, it's just, we can't move forward until he does." she said and it was silent before Aria noticed someone, making them all look toward CeCe, who was handing flyers out to students.

"What is she doing back in high school?" Spencer asked before the bell rang. "I don't think she ever left." Aria responded as she closed her binder. "See ya." Spencer said to the girls before leaving, "See you later," Josie said to her and Aria as she and Richie headed to their class.

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Josie was with Richie when Spencer called her. "What's up?" She asked her as she rested her head against the back of her couch. "You need to come down to CeCe's store, I promised I'd get you guys to help her. You even bring Richie, please?" Spencer asked, making her sigh. "Fine." Josie said before hanging up, turning to Richie. "Who was it?" he asked. "Spencer. Apparently I'm needed down at CeCe's store, The new Boutique across the street from The Brew." Josie explained.

Soon enough the couple were standing in The new Boutique with Hanna, Spencer and CeCe. "I figure the rack can be in the back, and you can change in the–" CeCe started as she handed something to Hanna. "Dressing rooms. Yeah, no thank you." Hanna cut her off, scared of the Snake that was in there with Spencer. CeCe turned around, "Guys, animal control has already been here, I swear, they took it away and went through all the other boxes for nests." she tried to assure them.

"Nests?" Josie cringed, disgusted. "Hanna, you could rock this, even better if you pinned your hair up, though." CeCe said as held up a purple dress. "Oh, yeah, no, my hair is just... it doesn't..." Hanna trailed off, causing Richie to put his hand over his mouth to stop laughing as CeCe walked over to a glass cabinet and opened it. "Use the dry shampoo," she said, chucking it over to Hanna. "You're not the only one that didn't have a chance to wash your hair this morning, hon." she added.

"This length, those legs– perfect." CeCe complimented her, who looked back at Spencer. "Uhh, you probably should actually give that to Emily." Spencer said, making Josie frowned, confused. "Emily's coming? Fabulous." CeCe said and put the dress back before walking off, leaving the girls plus Richie. "Look, I've got her to come here, I don't know if she'll stay." Hanna said.

"Well, you don't have to bring up Paige right away, just check her temperature first." Spencer advised. "She doesn't have a cold Spence, you think her girlfriend is a psycho." Josie reminded her. "Spencer, you should wear this, it's so you." CeCe held up a white, royal blue, and a light blue summer dress. "No, you know what? That is so me, thank you." Hanna said, taking the dress from her before walking away.

CeCe then pulled a baby blue dress from the rack and held it out to Josie. "What about you?" She asked Josie who hesitated but gave her a smile before taking the dress and heading to dressing rooms, Richie following. "I think you'll look beautiful in that." he complimented her, making Josie blush.

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After Spencer and Josie had changed into dresses they (plus Richie) began to help CeCe. As she was handing something to Spencer when the door to The Boutique opened. "Look who's here." CeCe gasped, making them all turn to see Emily and Paige. "I have such the fiercest outfit for you!" she told Emily as she pulled the purple dress off the rack. "Hi, Em," Spencer greeted her as Josie smiled and waved. "Hello," Emily greeted Spencer back. "I hope you don't mind, I brought a guest." Emily said to CeCe motioning to Paige as she stood beside her.

CeCe looked at Paige with what seemed like a forced smile. "Hey Guys," she greeted the girls and Richie. "Hello" "Hi." Spencer and Josie greeted as Richie nodded his head in greeting. "Let's try this on you." CeCe said, trying to get rid of the awkward tension in the room between Spencer and Emily, before she pulled Emily away and to the dressing rooms, leaving Paige with Richie, Josie and Spencer. "Can I help?" she asked.

When Josie noticed Spencer wasn't going to say anything, Josie stepped up and took the container of rings that Spencer was holding. "Sure, over here." she said, leading Paige over to a stand with manikin hands where you display rings and little trees for bracelets. Spencer and Richie watched from the side. Josie opened the container with the rings. "So, what are we doing?" Paige asked.

"Rings on these," she said pointing manikin hands. "And these bracelets on that." she explained pointing to the little trees before taking some rings out of the container and putting them on the manikin hands as Spencer stepped up to help as well. "This is nice." Paige said, picking up a ring with a large flower on it and putting it on. "Not that I could ever pull it off, I put on something like this and it looks like I'm trying to be somebody I'm not." she added.

Josie looked over at Spencer who held no emotion on her face, making her sigh quietly. "Well, you have your own style, there's nothing wrong with that." she said with a smile as Paige put the ring on the manikin hand. "More my default. I don't do flashy, I feel better under the radar." Paige said. It was silent after that, and it was awkward, Josie kept glancing at Richie who was watching them, he sent her a small smile making her smile back. "Being with Emily has made me feel much more confident." Paige said, making Josie look back at her as she and Spencer stared at her.

"I know you guys still have your reservations about me," she added. "Did Emily tell you that?" Spencer asked. "Didn't have to." She responded. "We both know I've acted out and done stuff I regretted." she continued. "But I'd really like it, Spencer, Josie, if we could make a fresh start." Paige asked before accidentally bending a finger of the manikin hand. Josie sighed, she'd like to, but she was cautions– not much as Spencer, but she was. "Oh. Oops." Paige said softly as Spencer stared at her

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As CeCe was showing Paige what to do, Hanna, Spencer, Josie and Richie were huddled around folding shirts and talking. "I'm sorry, I thought Emily was coming alone." Hanna apologised. "Yeah, well, her plus one suddenly wants to be our bff." Spencer remarked. "She's trying to kill us with kindness before she actually just... kills us." she added. "Bit morbid Spencer." Richie muttered. Hanna and Spencer turn to watch as Paige puts stuff in glass cabinets as Josie and Richie watch from where they are standing opposite them.

Josie watches as Spencer spots Paige's bag and puts her hand on Hanna's shoulder before motioning over to it then looking over at the couple, who was already looking at it. "Do we think that the knife is in that bag?" Spencer whispered and Josie honestly didn't. Hanna slowly looked over towards the bag before walking over slowly, making sure no one was watching as she pretended to look through the rack and picked something out, showing the others.

It seemed like something Paige would wear. Hanna then turned to Paige. "Hey, Paige?" she called out, making Paige turn to her as she closed the glass cabinet. "Um, can you give this to Emily and help her out? It's kind of a two-woman operation." she asked, handing it to her. "Yeah, Cool." Paige said, smiling as she took it and walked off. If she was being honest, Josie felt bad. Once Paige was gone Hanna grabbed Paige's bag and handed it to Spencer.

Spencer put it on the table and opened it and looked through it as Hanna kept a look out and Richie and Josie kept folding clothes. When Spencer gasped, they all looked at her. "What?" Josie asked as she leaned over to see what it was but footsteps sounded, making them turn and look to see Emily walk in, wearing the purple dress before she stopped. "What are you doing?" she asked before Paige walked behind Emily with the outfit Hanna gave her.

"We're leaving," Emily said, walking towards her friends and taking Paige's bag from the table. "Emily..." Paige trailed off. "No. Don't be so forgiving." Emily said as she turned and walked towards her, giving her bag back. "I'm changing and then we're out of here." She added before walking off the changing rooms as Paige looked at the girls in shock before hanging up the outfit and following Emily.

"Great." Hanna muttered as she turned and looked at Spencer. "Now she really hates us, and Emily hates us even more." Josie said sadly, leaning into Richie as Hanna and Spencer turned back around to face them. "Emily will get over it, we needed proof and we got it." Spencer said as she opened her hand, making them look to see an earring sitting on the palm of her hand, one like the one Aria found in her locker, the keepsake she put in Ali's casket. "Oh god." Josie muttered.

⎯ AUTHORS NOTE
new chapter <3 | oops, they found the other earring,