chapter fifty six
the kahn game
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"Okay, I understand you're really upset right now, but can you please just look at this?" Aria asked as she put her phone in Spencer's face as she, Spencer and Josie waited to get their coffee at The Brew. "It's a photo of Maya," Aria added as Spencer briefly looked at it. "Yeah, I saw it." Spencer replied. "I-I found it on her website last night, Spence, look there is a stamp on her wrist that matches the ones Emily remembers from that night." she continued. "Holden really did see her there." Aria added. "Yup." Spencer responded but she sounded uninterested, making Josie frown in confusion.

"Why aren't you going go-goo-gadget over this?" she asked. "This is big, this is a real link between Maya and that night." she added. "Look," Aria said, trying to show her again. "Look, Aria, Josie, I can't do this anymore, okay?" Spencer told them as she took Aria's phone and put it down on the counter. "I cannot keep running around looking for clues, five days ago I literally forgot to apply to college." she explained. "Do you get that?" she asked as their coffees were put in front of them.

"Thanks," Spencer and Aria thanked the person before the three of them walked over to the couches. "First I drove Toby out of town, and now this." Spencer complained as they sat down while Spencer threw the large yellow envelope she was holding onto, onto the table. "Hey, it's just the early admissions deadline, you can still get in." Josie said, trying to be positive.

"Upen has been my dream school since I was eight, and yesterday I found my dream crumpled up in the bottom of a bag underneath my A.P. French and my physics homework." she explained to him as Aria stood in front of them still. "Which by the way, I got a 'B' on. a 'B'. so now everything is not gonna be okay?" Spencer remarked. "I'm stopping my Velma act, from now on, I'm Daphne, because I have a boyfriend to get back, and a colleague to get into." Spencer told them.

"I think you're confusing which scooby-doo character would have gotten into an ivy league." Aria said. "Aria's right, both Velma and Daphne solved crime." Josie added before Aria sat in between Spencer and Josie, as CeCe approached them. "Morning, Ladies." she greeted them. "This belong to one of you?" she asked, holding up Aria's phone. "Yeah, that's mine. Thanks." Aria jumped up, taking it from her before sitting down again. "Sure." CeCe trailed off before noticing something on the table.

"UPenn. Who's applying?" she asked, looking at the three girls. "Not me. Cause i'm going to community college," Spencer before she threw her head back with a groan. "She missed the early admission deadline." Aria filled CeCe in. "Now she's stressed." Josie added. "Hey, you don't need early admissions, you're a hastings." she said, trying to comfort Spencer. "If i can get in, you can get in." CeCe added, making Spencer look at her. "You went to UPenn?" Spencer asked.

"Okay, dial down the shock." CeCe said, making Josie snicker quietly at the offended look on her face. "No. No, it's just that if you went, then maybe you know somebody that I can talk to about my application, like a dean or a professor— a janitor, even." Spencer rambled. "Well, there is this party tonight, um, some people I haven't seen since high school." CeCe told them. "This guys.... Steven is supposed to be there, last I heard he got a job working for admissions after he graduated." she continued.

"At UPenn?" Spencer asked eagerly. "Yeah." CeCe answered. "That is great. That is awesome!" Spencer exclaimed. "Can we please go talk to him? I could just bring my application–" Spencer started as she grabbed her application from the table. "Yeah, I really wasn't planning on going, it's not really my scene." CeCe admitted, but Spencer kept looking at her. "Oh, you're not gonna stop staring at me like a lost puppy until I say yes, are you?" she asked and Spencer shook her head, making CeCe laugh. "Fine, we'll go." she relented. 

"Meet me at seven outside the boutique." she told her. "Thank you so much." Spencer thanked her. "Okay, bye, lovely." CeCe said before waking off. "Thank you." Spencer called out again. "Well, look who just got their wish, cinderella." Aria teased, making Josie laugh. "You two are gonna come too right?" Spencer asked and Aria shook her head. "Hmm. Negative." Aria said. "I have gotta go talk to Ezra after school." she added.

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"The Apple Rose Grille at closing time, go alone or Caleb pays, A." Spencer read out the 'A' message Hanna had gotten. "What's at The Grille?" Richie asked from his spot next to Josie. "I don't know, 'A's takeout?" Hanna responded. "When did you get the message?" Josie asked. "This morning. I talk to Caleb for like two seconds and then bam! The text." Hanna answered. "Do you think it was because of Mona?" Spencer asked. "'A' probably knows that i'm the one who made her stay at radley." Hanna said.

"Has Wren said anything about how she's doing?" Spencer asked. "Oh– I-I don't know, I haven't talked to him since then." Hanna stuttered, causing Josie and Richie to share a look, Hanna seemed nervous at the mention of Wren. "You can't go, it's not safe." Spencer told her. "Spencer, if it were Toby being threatened–" Hanna started. "Then I hope you would tell me the same thing." Spencer interrupted her.

"Look, I've already lost one person this week, and when Toby comes back to Rosewood, if he comes back, I am just praying that it is in one piece, okay? So please promise us that you will not go." Spencer begged. "Okay, I promise." Hanna answered. Soon they turned, hearing Emily laugh. They saw her with Paige. "Wow." Spencer remarked. "I haven't seen her smile like that since Maya." Josie said softly. "So, I take it we're still not gonna tell her about getting into Maya's website?" Hanna asked.

"She deserves a moment of happiness before we drag her down the Maya wormhole." Spencer said and Richie nodded in agreement before taking a sip of water. "You know, Aria thinks it's a sign that we didn't get a hold of them that night, like the universe just wants her to be happy." Hanna commented. "The universe is a finicky little bastard." Spencer remarked before Emily and Paige joined them. "Hey," Emily smiled at her friends. "Hey. Hi, Paige." Spencer greeted them as the others smiled in greeting.

"How's it going?" Emily asked. "It's good– we're good." Josie answered, smiling softly. "Yeah, it's great." Hanna added, smiling. "Awkward." Richie whispered to Josie so no one else could hear. He was right, she could feel the Awkwardness in the air. "Great." Emily said before Spencer, Josie and Hanna shared a look. "Um, okay, see you later." Emily said to her friends before leaving with Paige.

Later on, Richie and Josie had separated from Hanna and Spencer, Josie needing to talk to him about the party with CeCe. "Let me get this right, you and Spencer are going to a party with CeCe? The girl you don't trust?" Richie asked as the couple walked through the school hallways. "Well, I wasn't gonna leave Spencer alone with her." Josie responded. "That's fair, but still, I don't know how I feel leaving you and Spencer with her either." Richie spoke as they stopped, him pulling her to the side so he could look at her. "Then come with us." she suggested. "What?" he asked, frowning. "Come with us to the party," she repeated. He sighed as he weighed the pro's and con's in his head, but coming to the conclusions, he wanted to be there for Josie, so with a slight hesitation he nodded. "Okay." he responded.

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Aria had ended up tagging along with them, so it was Aria, Richie and Josie in the backseat of CeCe's car while Spencer sat in the passenger seat. "So they're coming back to a party at Rosewood?" Spencer asked as CeCe pulled the car to a stop, and Josie could already hear the music. It was that loud. "You never know what you're gonna get." CeCe answered. "People either love you or they don't remember your name." she added as she opened the door of her car. "Look at Jason, he won't return my phone calls, and we dated for how long?" she asked sarcastically as she and the others got out of the car.

"Jason's just going through a really rough time right now." Spencer said, defending Jason while CeCe held the door open to Aria, Richie and Josie could get out of the car. "Apparently." CeCe remarked as she shut the door. It was then that the girls looked around, recognizing the place. "Wait, I've been here before." Aria said. "We all have, it's Noel Kahn's cabin." Josie told her. "Yeah, Eric does have a little brother, doesn't he?" CeCe commented as she walked ahead of the others before facing them. "Tell me, does douchebaggery run in the family?" she asked. Spencer let out a humourless chuckle. "Is Noel gonna be here?" she asked Aria. "I'm betting he doesn't think we are." she responded. "Something wrong?" CeCe asked.

"No. Nothing. Just... weird history with Noel." Aria answered. "What kind of weird history?" she asked. "They used to date." Josie told her as she held onto Richies hand. "Yeah, I wouldn't exactly call it—" Aria started. "It ended really badly." Spencer cut her off. "Oh, so it does run in the family." CeCe said. "Listen, I understand the hex of the ex, believe me." CeCe added as she moved in between Aria and Spencer. "But Noel's gonna be one of two hundred people at this party, if he even shows." CeCe told her.

"And we drove all this way," she said, looking towards Spencer, who was holding her UPenn application. "So I say we go in, find Steven and give him your application, and if it's totally awkward, we can bail, okay?" CeCe asked as she linked arms with Spencer and Aria as the five of them stopped in front of a guy. "CeCe Drake." she said, introducing herself. "And I brought friends." she added to the guys, who Richie assumed was the one in charge of letting people in.

CeCe held out her wrist and the guys pressed a stamp to her wrist. It was the same one that Maya had. CeCe looked at the other, signalling for them to hold their wrists out as well. "Stamp me." Aria said, moving her bracelets for the guy to stamp her wrist and one by one, Spencer, Aria, Josie And Richie had stamps on their wrists as well. "Thanks." CeCe thanked the guy before they all walked past him.

"Hello, Everyone." CeCe greeted people as the girls hung behind. "I cannot believe this is where the stamp was from." Aria remarked as she looked at the stamp of her wrist. "Yeah, everybody here is Eric's age, what would Maya be doing with his crowd?" Spencer asked as they looked around. "Yeah." Aria responded. "Who was that guy with the stamp at the diner the night that Ali's grave was dug up?" Josie asked before someone bumped into Aria, spilling some of her drink. "Oh my god." Spencer said, holding her application to her chest to protect it. "Maybe I should have brought two." she added.

"Well, maybe you should have just left it in the car." Aria remarked harshly, making them look at her. "What?" Spencer asked. "I'm sorry, but... hello?" Aria said as held up her wrist to show the stamp just as CeCe walked back over to them. "Ladies and gents." She greeted them.

"Did you find Steven?" Spencer asked. "Hun, you gotta meet the guy before you shove your stuff in his face." CeCe said to her. She wasn't wrong. CeCe took Spencer's application from her, making Spencer worry. "Don't worry, I'll get it where it needs to go." she assured her. "Game room, follow me." she said and the four of them followed CeCe, as she led them through the party, Richie keeping a tight grip on Josie's hand, so he wouldn't lose her or vice versa. CeCe then led them down a flight of stairs that led them to a basement where people were playing pool and drinking, fewer people than what were upstairs.

"Looks like Eric Kahn's still playing truth or dare." CeCe remarked. "Okay, it's official, you were right about the blazers." Spencer told Aria. "You were going to wear a blazer to this thing?" Richie asked and Spencer nodded. "I'm glad I didn't." she responded. "CeCe Drake... back from the dead." someone, who Josie assumed was Eric Kahn said as he walked up to them. "How the hell are you?" he asked.

"Worse, now that I'm seeing you, Eric, but thanks for asking." CeCe responded. "That's no way to treat the host." Eric told her but CeCe just hummed as Eric looked at the others, only looking at the girls, making Richie grip Josie's hand tighter. "But you've brought a virgin sacrifice, so all's forgiven." he said. "These are my ducklings, so play nice." CeCe told him. "Ducklings?" Richie whispered to Josie who had to force herself not to laugh.

"You're mean when you're cute." Erica said and CeCe smiled. "Only rule of the game room is you gotta play to stay, other than that, dad's finest is right here, help yourself." He explained before walking away. "Doesn't look like Steven's here yet." CeCe said, turning to the group. "But don't worry he will be, relax, take a load off." She assured her before turning to the alcohol on the table. "Can I make you a drink?" she asked, picking up a glass jar. "Uh, no, thank you." Spencer declined.

"No one's gonna narc on you," she said, looking around before back at her. "I've seen cops do way worse in this room." she scoffed before going to pour some into a cup. "Yeah, still no." Spencer declined and CeCe poured herself a cup instead before sniffing it. "Mmm," she hummed before turning around, looking around the room as Josie shared a look with Richie.

"Oh, girl in bra, boy in boxers. Did we skip truth and head straight to dare or...?." CeCe trailed off. "Stephanie was warm, Alex was being Alex." Eric answered. "Well, in that case, I challenge you to a round of truth." CeCe challenged him. "All right, CeC. We're playing one-on-one truth rounds, you get caught in a lie, it's sayonara, sweetheart." Eric responded as CeCce walked around the couch to sit down as The girls side-eyed each other in confusion.

"This ain't my first rodeo, Eric." CeCe said before sitting down. "I cannot wait to get home." Josie whispered to Richie, who nodded in agreement, they were only here so Spencer wasn't alone, she knew Aria was there for the same reason. "It's your last night on earth. Who in this room do you sleep with?" Eric asked, starting the game. CeCe looked around before answering. "Suraci." she said. "No one deserves to die a virgin." She added, holding her cup up before taking a sip.

"Have you ever been arrested?" CeCe asked Eric, making him laugh and lean forward in his seat. "Funny you ask that since you dared me to steal a car last time we played and then called the cops," he said. "I did, didn't I?" CeCe asked, and Josie could tell she was smiling. "You did." Eric said. "Yep." CeCe nodded, laughing softly. "Ever made a sex tape?" Eric asked and CeCe turned her head and smiled a little.

"Okay, I'm really starting to think it was a bad idea that we came here." Aria said to Spencer, Josie and Richie as they walked around, "There is no way that I'm playing truth or dare with a bunch of drunk, horny college boys." Spencer said as she crossed her arms. "Neither am I." Josie said as Richie wrapped an arm around her waist. "Okay, shall we head back upstairs?" Aria asked.

"Yes–o-kay," Spencer said as they turned to see Noel Kahn at the top of the stairs. "Well, I guess we shouldn't be too surprised, he's Eric's brother." Josie said with a shrug just as Jenna Marshall joined him. "But she's not." Aria said. "I think we just found a reason to stay and play." Aria said to them before they moved to approach them. "Noel Kahn," she said, making him turn around. "Who invited you?" he asked as Jenna stared at them and crossed her arms.

"CeCe Drake, you know her?" Josie asked. "Not as well as my brother does." Noel answered. "So, you guys back together now?" Spencer asked. "So many questions, I wouldn't mind a few answers." Noel said. "Then how about a game of truth, Noel?" Aria asked and it was silent for a moment. "We're up next," Noel shouted out to his brother, making CeCe turn to look at them before Noel turned back to look at Aria. "Me and Montgomery," he said and the girls shared a quick look before looking back at Noel

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Soon enough it was Aria and Noel's turn for Truth. "Go." Eric said, holding a stopwatch. "Where did you meet your current boyfriend?" Noel asked and Josie shared a look with Richie, he was hinting at Mr. Fitz– Ezra. "At a bar," Aria answered. "Did you ever invite Maya St. Germain to any of these parties?" Aria asked. "Geez, you're morbid, this is a party, Aria, ask me how many sexual partners I've had." Noel said, not answering the question. "Just answer the question Noel." Richie demanded.

"She came to a few, she had an open invite." Noel answered the question before he leaned forward. "You ever have sex with your teacher?" He asked. "No." Aria was quick to speak. "I have never had sex with my teacher." she answered. "Bull–" Noel went to say but Aria cut him off. "It's my turn." she said. "How do you know Maya?" Aria asked. "Hot new girl and she likes the ladies and she moves into the DiLaurentis house, everyone knew Maya." he answered, making Josie, Spencer and Aria share a look.

"You ever frame anyone for, say, stealing answer sheets to the mid-terms?" he asked. Josie knew why he had asked that, that's why he had gotten suspended from school, it had been 'A' or rather Mona. "Maybe you had access to a certain teacher–" he started but was cut off. "That wasn't me. Where were you the night Alison's grave was dug up?" Aria boldly asked. "Seriously? You're really asking me that?" he asked, shocked.

He stuttered for a second, trying to figure out how to answer. "I-I Don't even know what night that was." he answered, like it hadn't been on the news. "Friday, right before labor day." Spencer and Josie answered in-sync. "I don't know, I guess I was here," he answered. "I can vouch for that. He came, then... showed and they left." Eric spoke up, gesturing to the couple. "You know I can see you now." Jenna asked rhetorically. "Thanks, Eric." Noel said sarcastically.

"Anytime, bro." Eric said, patting Noel's knee. "Why don't you tell us all who your boyfriend is... and what he did for a living during the first few months of your relationship?" Noel asked with a smirk on his face. Aria sucked in a breath and Josie could tell she was overwhelmed. "It's okay Aria, we already know the answer." Jenna told her smugly just as the timer went off. "Time." Eric said. "You are so next." Spencer said to Jenna just before Aria got up and left, causing Spencer, Josie and Richie to follow her outside.

"Aria." Josie called out to her once they got outside. "Come on talk to us, are you okay?" Spencer asked. "I'm not going back in there, I'm sorry but I can't." Aria said as she stopped and turned to them. "Okay, Aria, you do not have to." Josie said to her, walking up to her giving her arm a gentle, reassuring, squeeze. "I cannot believe I let Noel get to me in a freaking game of truth or dare, what is this sixth grade?." Aria huffed as she crossed her arms.

"Not the way they play it." Richie muttered. "Listen, you did not say anything that could get Ezra into trouble," Spencer assured her. "Didn't I?" Aria asked. It was silent between the four of them for a moment. "What are you thinking?" Aria asked Spencer. "I'm thinking that I know you want to leave, but I have to stay and find out what else they know about that night." Spencer responded. "What they know, or what they did?" Josie asked just before CeCe joined them.

"There you guys are." she said, relieved. "Is everything okay, Aria? Things got a little vicious in there." She asked. "Ugh, you are so much prettier than Jenna, honestly, I don't get what the fuss is about." CeCe added, making Aria smile slightly. "Thanks," she responded. "Oh–," she said, turning to Spencer. "Jenna just said she's about to leave, so if you wanna get that round in, you better go quick." she said.

Spencer turns to Aria. "I'll be fine, okay? Really." Aria assured her. "I've got a boyfriend on speed-dial who can come and get, so go, go talk to her." Aria said with a smile, causing Spencer to pull Aria into a hug, pulling Josie along as well. The three friends hugged each other tightly before letting go and walking away, Richie following the two girls back into the Khan cabin.

Spencer, Josie and Richie re-entered the game room to see Noel and Jenna in a hushed conversation, they turned and made eye-contact with them before Spencer walked up to them, Josie and Richie following behind her so she wasn't alone. "I heard you were leaving." Spencer said to Jenna. "You heard wrong." Noel responded and the couple gave Spencer smiles.

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Spencer and Josie sat next to each other while Richie stood behind them as Spencer and Jenna's game of truth started. "Why is your mother defending a murderer?" Jenna asked. "Because she thinks that Garrett's innocent, maybe Maya's murderer is still at large." Spencer answered. "You don't think it's because he started dating your sister?" Jenna asked. "I think you're gonna have to wait your turn, Jenna." Josie reminded her.

"What you told us about Emily, you never mentioned that Noel was with you that night. What else did you lie about?" Spencer asked. Jenna was silent a moment and glanced at CeCe, who was watching her before sitting up and clearing her throat. "You know what mutually assured destruction is, right? You promised me something the day I told you about Emily, are you going to keep that promise?" she asked.

Spencer sat up and Josie looked over at Richie over her shoulder, worriedly, and to keep her calm, he put his hand on her shoulder before she turned back around. "Where did you find Emily?" Spencer asked. "It's funny, I'm starting to wonder where she was when you found her." Jenna sassed. "Just answer the question," Spencer shot back. "We were trying to help your friend, okay? We saw her at some dinner, drunk off her ass–" Noel started.

"Oh, so you found her in a diner not in the middle of the road." Josie remarked as she crossed her arms. She had noticed Jenna turning to Noel slightly, as if she was trying to hush him, keep in quiet. "Well, the 'drunk off her ass' part is true. You get her that way?" Jenna asked, leaning back into the couch. "No, did you?" Spencer asked. "No." Jenna answered. "So why did you lie?" Spencer asked. "I lied because I was trying to protect someone, isn't that why you lied about your parents lake house?" Jenna asked.

It was tense, and silent, making Josie reach and link her hand with Richie's. "Don't worry, that was rhetorical." Jenna said with a smug smile. "This isn't, where is the video?" Jenna asked. "What video do you mean? There is more than one." Spencer answered. "You know which one. Where is it?" Jenna asked again. "It's safe." Josie butted in.

"Where!?" Jenna demanded. "I wanna know where Ali's body is, and if you can tell me that, you can have all the damn videos you want." Spencer snapped just before the timer went off, signalling the end of the round. "Oops, time's up." Jenna remarked

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They had lost CeCe after Spencer and Jenna's truth game, so they had been looking for her, and they finally did, with Eric Khan. "Hey, We've– I've been looking everywhere for you." Spencer greeted her. "Oh, oh." CeCe shuttered. "Good luck." Eric said and walked away, leaving CeCe with Spencer, Josie and Richie. "Okay, here I am, what's wrong?" she asked. "What's wrong? Aria left, we don't know anybody at this party, you're our ride and we couldn't find you anywhere." Spencer rambled.

"I was a little preoccupied." she laughed. "CeCe, why did you really bring us here?" Josie asked. "There's no UPenn guy who works at admissions anywhere in this cabin, was this just some excuse so you could hook up with Eric?" Spencer asked but she just laughed. "Can I please just have my application back?" Spencer asked. "No, you can't,Steven has it." CeCe responded. "What?" Spencer asked and Josie smiled lightly.

"You left the game room after your round with Jenna, Steven showed up for all of two minutes, slipped out. I gave him your application, I told him how smart you are. We had a lovely chat, it's probably on the 'on time' pile as we speak right now." CeCe explained. "You had a lovely chat with Steven about how smart she is." Josie remarked and she nodded. "Yes." she answered and Spencer smiled for the first time tonight.

"Okay, can we please just get out of here?" she asked as she began walking away the other two going to follow her but CeCe stopped them. "What?" She asked and Spencer turned to her. "Look, we both got what we came for, right? So can we please just go?" she asked and then CeCe nodded. "Yeah. Let's go." she said and the four of them began to leave the party

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"That was a wild party," Josie remarked as she and Richie entered her house, the lights were out, meaning either her mom was asleep or not home. "I know," Richie responded. "But hey, it could have been worse," he added. "I know." Josie said as the two of them made their way to the kitchen where a sticky-note was sitting on the kitchen island, "At work, left some food in the fridge, love mom." Josie read out before she went to open the fridge and got the food out, it was cold spaghetti, but neither minded.

They sat on opposite sides of the kitchen island, eating in silence. "I think I might apply to UCLA." Josie admitted, making Richie look up at her, wide eyed. "I know, I know it's far away but–" she started but Richie cut her off. "So am I." he said, making her look at him before she laughed and got and rounded the island and hugged him tightly. "Hopefully, we'll both get in." she hoped. "Hey, I'm sure we will, keep faith Jo," he said before pulling away and resting his forehead against her, making her smile. They stayed like that for a bit before they decided to finish eating before heading to bed

⎯ AUTHORS NOTE
new chapter <3 Josie and Richie planning to go the same university <33333