THREE DAYS AFTER

"Canterbury! Can I talk to you for a moment?"

I continued walking without looking back. I recognised the voice from yesterday's episode in Principal Bell's office. It was one of the moronic officers---probably Hickory, judging by the deepness of the voice. When I heard the speed of his footsteps increase behind me, I picked up the pace, but I knew I wouldn't be able to reach the safety of the library unless I outright ran---and even then, he would still catch me.

"Canterbury Swayze, you do know that, by law, you're required to cooperate with the police? You're an important witness---our only one. And if you don't cooperate with us, I will have to take you into custody for questioning under the suspicion of murder." He'd stopped chasing after me, and his voice was deadly calm. I froze in my steps. He wouldn't. I'd been virtually cleared of suspicion. He can't.

"Don't make me use force, Canterbury." Even though Officer Hickory said the words as pleasantly as possible, I heard the veiled threat beneath his words. Of course, those idiots wouldn't be able to actually convict me of the murder, considering how I'd nearly fallen victim to Avery and Ette's killer, but they would most likely interrogate me until I broke---until I revealed the mysterious text messages and 'Death'.

Sure, my genius wasn't appreciated by many, but I was still convinced I was meant to do something great. I couldn't very well do that if I'd been murdered by some psycho killer, a---rock?---wielding maniac who seemed absolutely intent on ruining the Liars.

"My mother's picking me up soon," I said, although I knew it was useless. He wouldn't listen to me.

His footsteps were getting closer. "I'm sure we can work something out." He was strolling casually now, obviously knowing he had me cornered. I tugged at my bowtie anxiously. I'd never been a big believer in God, but at that moment, I prayed that some miracle would happen to get this policeman away from me.

Somehow, against all odds, that miracle showed up in a cherry-red Audi.

The loud honk of the nearby car nearly scared me out of my wits---of course, nothing would actually be able to scare me out of my precious wits, but I loved figures of speech. I jumped at least six feet in the air, swivelling around to see Ezra Sawyer sitting in the driver's seat of a red-tinted car with the window rolled down, like some kind of guardian angel ready to save me from Officer Hickory. "Hey, babe!" he called out, waving cheerfully and smiling like the whole world was rooting for him.

"I'm not your---" I started to say, but immediately stopped when he broke his smile for a moment and mouthed Play along. The brilliant grin soon reappeared, coming back as quickly as it had gone.

He turned his head to Officer Hickory. "Do you mind if I take my boyfriend home, Officer? His mother really needs him, like, now."

"I'm sure whatever it is, it can wait," Officer Hickory said, looking quite flustered.

I ignored him. "What is it, darling?" I asked, hoping I was doing a decent job of sounding convincing with the awful pet name. "Officer Hickory really needs to talk to me. Can it wait?" Please say no, please say no, please say no...

Ezra's face fell. He screwed up his nose, suddenly looking on the verge of tears. I was shocked at his acting skills. "I didn't want to be the one to tell you this. Auntie Sara's in the hospital." He sniffled. If he hadn't hissed at me to play along, I would have thought he was actually about to cry. "Your mom's afraid she won't make it."

I gasped---not very convincingly, but hopefully Officer Hickory was as stupid as he seemed. "Grandma's sick?"

"She had a really bad fall." He glanced to the confused-looking policeman behind me. "You see, I'm really close to his grandmother. She approves of our relationship and makes me potato patties on Thursdays---"

I yanked open the---fortunately unlocked---door of the passenger's side. "I've got to get to her. Now," I choked out, doing my best to sound like a distraught grandson. "I'm really sorry, Officer Hickory, we'll have to continue this conversation another time---"

Before I could even finish my sentence, Ezra slammed the car into drive, roaring off at a speed that was probably not an advised one to drive at, especially in front of a very bemused police officer. But emergencies were emergencies, after all. Officer Hickory would just have to understand that. Once we'd left the policeman far behind, he quickly rolled up the window and slowed to a far more natural pace, one that wouldn't greatly increase our chances of dying four times on a fifteen minute trip.

"My grandmother's dead," was the first words that came out of my mouth, making me wince slightly. Although I prided myself on being particularly eloquent, that probably wasn't one of my better sentences. Especially since the person I was talking to had just saved me from Twenty Questions: The Snoopy And Dumb Police Officer Edition.

Ezra tapped his long fingers on the steering wheel as he drove. The action struck me as something Ette always did, so familiar it physically hurt. "I figured you wouldn't want to be talking to the police so soon after your best friend's passing, and a sick grandmother was the only thing I could think of. I was just betting on the fact that the officer wouldn't have checked too thoroughly into your extended family," he said softly. "I'm sorry for the boyfriend thing, by the way. I freaked out a little and went with my gut."

"You're a really good actor," I stated absent-mindedly.

"Thanks." His fingers were still dancing atop the wheel, making my heart ache with each flex of his lengthy digits. Ezra reminded me too much of Ette for comfort. "I took Drama as an extra-curricular elective. Never thought I'd have to use to save a felon." He was smiling now, his head turned to me---instead of at the road, where it belonged. "I'm kidding. Would you mind if I turned on some music?"

"Sure." Even if he decided to play Yummy on repeat, I'd let it slide because of the enormous favour he'd just done me. I folded my arms over my chest, straightening my bowtie. "My mother was supposed to pick me up from the library, though."

Ezra flicked a dial on the dashboard. Ridiculously upbeat Korean pop poured through the car. So he liked that kind of music---another trait he shared with Ette. If I hung around this boy for much longer, I would start bawling. "Give me your address. You can use my phone to call her and let her know that I'm dropping you off. I hope you don't mind BTS," he said. I knew they were one of the more famous Korean boy bands, but I didn't know much about them other than that, and I didn't particularly care. Music wasn't a huge concern of mine, anyway, anything that wasn't academics was immediately considered a waste of time to me.

I shrugged. "As long as you don't play Yummy, it's fine."

He laughed. "At least that's one thing we can agree on."

☆☆☆

Ezra's phone was sleek and definitely a new, top-of-the-line model. It was so much more advanced compared to the burner 'Death' had discreetly slipped between the metal slits of my locker. A quick call to my very relieved and tired-sounding mother later, I was handing it back to him with no hesitation at all. I did not like technology. My brain had always been enough, and there was no one I wished to communicate with, anyway.

I felt slightly uncomfortable telling the emo wannabe in the handmade band t-shirt my address, but I managed to push that aside. After all, what would he do with it? I wasn't rich. There wasn't much of value in my modest home, and Ezra didn't seem the kind of boy to rob---or stalk---people.

Soon, Ezra was pulling up to my house, insisting we wait until the end of the song before we got out of the car. "Blood, Sweat and Tears is my absolute favourite," he gushed. Even though I didn't particularly care for the song, I humoured him and waited until the last bars tapered out.

Before I could get out, thanking him for both the ride and the save, he called, "Wait." I paused, feet halfway out the door. Ezra's eyes were bright and filled with hope. He chewed on his bottom lip nervously. "Can I...take you out sometime? I know this isn't the best time, but..."

My eyes widened to epic proportions. "Are you asking me on a date?"

"Ah! No! Of course not!" he squeaked. "I'm, uh, it's a friend-date? Is that an acceptable term?"

"Ezra," I sighed. "I don't go out. And I don't think we really count as friends."

"So maybe we could get to know each other a little better over coffee or something so we could become friends?" His gaze was practically pleading with me to give in, and it was extremely hard to not resist. "You...I think you need a friend during this time."

I exhaled. "Why are you trying so hard?"

"Because you're an interesting person? Like, um, it's really cool to like, study you and, um, figure you out?"

I squinted at him in disbelief. "Are you calling me a science experiment?"

"No! Of course not! I---" He stopped talking, finally at a loss for words.

I tsked. "You do know I'm too intelligent for you, right?"

His shoulders slumped. "Admittedly so," he relented.

"But coffee does sound good, to be honest." And yes, I...I actually do need a friend.

Ezra perked up again. "So, it's a friend-date?"

"Make it Saturday at three and I'll consider it." I would have finished all Friday's homework by then, and it wasn't too late for a caffeine boost, so I would still be able to sleep at night.

His smile was so bright it could have easily blinded me with a few added watts. "Awesome."