𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘖𝘯𝘦, 𝘌𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦
'𝘗𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘵'

𝐀 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤:

A strong wind blowed outside the Hastings barn and thunder rumbled in the distance. The barn was once a working barn and now it's a storage area where the five girls; Aria Montgomery, Emily Fields, Spencer Hastings, Aurora Hastings, and Hanna Marin were listening to music and giggling as they passed a glass of alcohol around.

When a loud crack of lightening ripped through the barn causing the girls to let out a scream as the lights flickered off, leaving them all in the dark "Something's out there" Aria whispered, Spencer then fumbled around for some light. Finally finding a flashlight.

"No shit sherlock" Aurora stated earning a sarcastic smile off Aria "Something or someone?" Emily referred to Aria's comment a few minutes ago as the five girls moved closer to the barn door, the knocking getting louder.

Just as the girls took one more step the knocking had stopped making them exchange worried looks when the handle on the barn door turned, catching Aurora's eye "Guys?" Following Aurora's gaze to the barn door as they watched the door slowly open but again no one was there.

The five of them huddled together, cautiously walking towards the opened door, and just before they were about to peer outside a figure lunges from out of the darkness causing the girls to scream.

"Gotcha" Alison, Alison Dilaurentis, the beautiful, smart, and popular girl of the group, stood in the doorway of the barn as she giggled at the reactions of the girls "That was so not funny" Spencer stated, everyone breathed out a sigh of relief as Alison walked into the barn her blonde, wavy hair laying perfectly on her shoulders.

"I thought it was hilarious, girls" Aurora rolled her eyes before getting comfy again on the couch while passing the glass she just took a sip of to Hanna "So did you download the new beyoncé?" Hanna asked Alison "Not yet" She shook her head, grabbing the glass of her "I'm loving the new video" Emily added with a bright smile on her face but of course Alison had to ruin it with one of her witty comments.

"Maybe a little too much, Em?" Emily threw the blonde a hurt look but Alison just simply offered her a sweet smile in response "Really Ali? Don't you think that was a bit far?" Aurora was never the person to take shit from anyone, yeah her and Ali have been best-friends since 3rd grade but it doesn't mean she stands by what comes out of her mouth.

Alison gave her a harsh glare before putting her sweet smile back on "We'll talk later" She whispered, Hanna then passed the glass to Aria who took a really big sip "Careful, Aria. Take too much and you'll tell us all your secrets" Spencer commented, everyone let out a laugh.

"Friends share secrets. That's what keeps us close. Drink up" Everyone shared a look before Aria took the lead and enjoyed another sip.

𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. . .

It was now silent, the storm had past and the door to the barn was wide open. Aurora was walking back up to the barn where she saw Aria looking outside "Ali?" She heard her whisper, Aurora gulped.

"She's gone" Aria frowned as she watched the shadow get closer to finally see Aurora stood there with a worried expression on her face "What do you mean gone?"

Trying not to cry she took a breath "I mean she's gone Aria" She then looked over to the other girls who were equally worried and confused "I think I heard her scream" And that's was all it took to send a chill up Aria's spine, Alison Dilaurentis was missing.

𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤.

"Rory? Cmon it's time to wake up" Spencer? Shooting up from her bed she looked around and saw her younger sister sat on the end of her bed "Flashback again?" Aurora nodded, ever since Alison went missing a year ago she's been having flashbacks from that night or when her and Alison used to hang out.

"Well you sure your gonna be okay? Mum what's us to finish unpacking today" It had only been two days that the Hastings family have been back in Rosewood. They left to the Dominican Republic after Alison went missing and then the rest of the girls just slowly fell out of touch.

"Yeah, yeah I'll be fine. How about soon as we finish packing we'll go shopping, yeah?" Picking up a hair tie from her bedside cabinet she threw her straight, brunette hair up into a messy ponytail.

"Great, I can't wait" A smiling Spencer walked out the room while Aurora groaned as she looked around her room that was full of boxes, this was going to be a long day.

𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲. . .

After hours of unpacking her room Aurora was now looking at the shoes, in the only nice bouquet in Rosewood, while Spencer was looking at the dresses when Hanna Marin spotted the girls and made her way over to Aurora.

"If it isn't Aurora Hastings" Hanna spoke jokingly and Aurora looked up at her old friend with a smile "I can't believe the Hastings siblings actually have time to shop"

"I mean, Spencer is interning for the mayor, your both taking classes at Hollis, she's redoing the barn while your off cheerleading. And in your leisure moments, you both facebook and tweet" Aurora nodded, that did sound about right.

"Well you know us. We like to stay busy" Hanna chuckled "It's called a summer vacay for a reason, Rory" Aurora smiled at that nickname. It'd been a while since she heard that come from Hanna's mouth.

"I hate this day" Came Spencer's voice from around the corner with a dress in her hands. Aurora furrowed her eyebrows until she followed Spencer's gaze to a woman who was also shopping at one of the rails with a clear staring problem "You got a problem?" Hanna asked the woman.

"I'm sorry but weren't you her friends?" Aurora sighed, couldn't she go one day without being reminded of Alison but the girls weren't able to respond when the woman started to speak again "Know that we still think about her, too. And pray for her" And with that the annoying woman walked away leaving an angry Aurora.

"How dare she say that. She didn't even know her like we did" Picking up a pair of shoes that would match the dress she had in her wardrobe, she placed them on the counter waiting for the cashier to scan them.

"God she's gone but she's everywhere" Spencer stated what they were all thinking "I still can't believe it's been a year" Aurora tried to block out the noises of Hanna and Spencer as she made a conversation with the woman behind the counter. When Alison went missing Aurora defiantly took it the hardest even though they had there fair share of arguments like every friendship has she was still her best-friend, her rock and the person she could trust with anything or so she thought.

"Remember what Ali said that night, about our secrets keeping us close?" Hanna nodded "I think it was the opposite"

After buying the black heels with small bows on top she walked back over to the girls "Can you believe Miss perfect found Mister perfect?" Aurora realised they were talking about meeting Melissa's new fiancé "Yeah he's a med student. Everyone's thrilled" But by the way the words came off her tongue suggested that she could care less.

"Then that's not the right dress" Aurora smiled, Hanna has always been one for fashion "You need to turn heads like Rory's probably already done" Spencer playfully rolled her eyes while Hanna had set her bag down and started to look through the rack of clothes.

"Ohh how about this" The blonde pulled out a sexy, low-cut dress from the rack and showed it to the girls "She doesn't always have to win. Pair this with some cute black heels and you're ready" Spencer checked out the dress and smiled intrigued with the idea of it.

Hanna then turned her head to Aurora "Let's see your outfit" Taking out her phone from the back pocket of her jeans, she pulled up a picture in her camera roll showing a black dress that just went above the knees. It had bits of beige dotted in the pattern with a low cut exposing her chest which is where she would put a necklace to match the dress.

"Ahh I love it. I knew you had style" Lightly shoving the girls shoulder she picked up her bag "Well I gotta get going see you both around the playground"

"See you" Both the girls waved by to their old friend before going to the same counter Aurora did to pay for Spencer's shirt.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲. . .

"Aria?!" Snapping the curly haired girl out of the flashback she was having about the day her and Ali found her father cheating on her mother with a college student and turning around to see Emily Fields walking towards her.

"Emily" She exclaimed with a smile, she had missed her "When did you get back?" Emily asked her as she pulled the short girl in for a hug.

"Yesterday" Aria stated as they both began walking into school together "You should have called. It's so weird running into you here" Emily replied while Aria nodded "Well we kinda lost touch Emily, remember?"

"Maybe that's what we had to do" Emily didn't want to admit it but she knew it was true "I saw a poster of Ali yesterday" Aria let out "It's awful I mean we all know she's dead, right?" Emily said it like it was already discussed and Aria didn't know what to reply to that and luckily she was saved by the bell.

"I just never heard anyone say it" Aria told the girl honestly before they both walked into their first class which they had together; English.

"So I heard the new teachers really hot" Emily said, trying to start a new conversation which Aria was thankful for.

Aria laughed at that and took a seat next to Emily as she started taking out her things from her bag. And after a second Hanna walked in the classroom "Is that Hanna?" Aria gawked, she looked different.

"She's the 'it' girl now. And where there's Hanna, there's Mona" Emily replied and as if on queue Mona walked in "That's Mona?" Aria was shocked again when she saw how different Mona was, they both had makeovers.

"I know, can you believe it?" Emily asked as Aria shook her head "Wow, talk about a makeover" She whispered to herself when she saw Hanna wave at the both of them so they waved back but it felt different this time. Like they weren't friends before.

"What's up with her? You two fighting" Aria asked Emily "We didn't just fall out of touch with you Aria. We all fell out of touch with each other" Soon Spencer and Aurora walked in with Hanna and them just looking at each other a small smile here and there.

"They're not so close anymore either" Aria nodded "So they're friendly. But not friends" Emily nodded, Aria kept staring at Aurora noticing how much she had changed since the summer of Ali going missing.

The bell then rang taking Aria out of her thoughts as the new teacher walked in. He wrote 'Mr. Fitz' on the board. He turned around to look at the class when he stopped like a frozen deer in headlights "Holy crap" He huffed and stared right at Aria.

The full class had turned around and watched as the two just stared at each other when Aria's phone rang, snapping them both out of their daze.

"Maybe he fools around with students all the time. A lot of teachers do. Just ask your dad"

--A

"Sorry" She whispered causing Aurora to chuckle a bit.

"Uh, I'm Mr. Fitz, your new english teacher" He said awkwardly to the class. Aria had checked her phone and that caused her to look worried the rest of the class.

Walking out of class Aurora had followed Aria out patting her on the shoulder to let her know she was there "So, you and Mr.Fitz?" The girl had a teasing smile on her face "Are you fucking him?" Aria was mortified by that question and shoved the girls shoulder playfully.

"No, I am not fucking my teacher!" Aurora laughed at that, the two girls then walked to their lockers, which were ironically next to each-other, making small talk between them. Grabbing a few books she did not expect a note to fall out of one of her chemistry books.

"Aria isn't the only one with a secret, Rory. Remind me what happened last summer again?"

--A

Aurora freezed as she read the note that was written in red sharpie. No one knew what happened last summer and no one could ever find out so grabbing the note she ripped it up before putting it in the bin next to her, perks of being the end locker.

And who was 'A' Alison?  No it can't be she's still missing right?

Looking back down on the floor she noticed something else had fell out of her book. Making sure no was looking she bent down and picked it up, for it only to be the hospital bracelet that changed her life forever.

𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤: 𝐀 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐨

Sitting in that hospital room of the abortion clinic with tears running down her face was not what Aurora wanted to be doing on a Friday night.

Aurora was pregnant. And to top it all off the father was that psycho creep Ian Thomas.

She couldn't keep the baby god she didn't even want it. She was drunk, technically unconscious that night and he took advantage of that, of her.

𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲. . .

School was eventful was all Aurora and Spencer had to say about it. Them sympathetic stares you get from other people who didn't even like Ali or the sorry for your loss.

But right now it wasn't the time to be mad when she had too many assignments to do, I know and it's only her first day back, and Spencer had finally finished the barn and was now waiting for Melissa's approval on it.

"She pisses me off so much" Aurora was confused to say the least when it clicked in her head. Melissa.

"What did she do this time?" Closing her books as she looked at her younger sister who was now sat at the end of her bed "She stole the barn from me!"

Now she was even more confused "She what?" Spencer sighed "Mom promised me that if I got the grades and worked hard while also redoing the barn then it was mine for the summer. Then like always Melissa swoops in and takes it all from me, again" Aurora had to admit, mom did promise her that she was there in the room when it happened.

"I'll talk to mom Spenc alright? You deserve that barn" Spencer smiled, Aurora always stood up for the people she loved.

"Thanks, Rory"

------

"Mom! Cmon why don't you take Spencer's side for once" Aurora shouted but her mother was taking no notice.

"I haven't got this time for this, Rory. Just go get ready for dinner" Aurora rolled her eyes "No, can you just listen for one second. Okay, Spencer deserves that barn and you know it"

"I said leave it, Rory" Aurora sighed as she turned around to head back up the stairs "You can tell who the favourite child is" She muttered loudly on purpose before walking up the stairs and stopping when she got to Spencer's room.

From: A
To: Spencer

"Poor, Spencer.  Always wants Melissa's boyfriend. But remember, if you kiss I tell"

She read on Spencer's computer "You got one too" She spoke from the doorway causing Spencer to jump and quickly shut down the tab "Sorry I thought you were Melissa and wait you got one from A too?"

Aurora nodded slowly as she walked in, plopping herself on Spencer's bed "Yeah, in school as-well. Who even is A? Because there's no way in hell it's Alison" Spencer shrugged as she made her way over to Aurora as they got comfortable on her bed.

"I don't know but whoever it is knows all our secrets" Aurora hummed "Just like Ali did" She muttered. Spencer laid her head on Aurora's chest while Aurora played with her hair as they sat in comfortable silence, just thinking about everything and anything.

𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. . .

"Is that sirens outside?" Aurora groaned as she opened her eyes, they must of fell asleep "What?" Aurora asked, tiredly.

"Cmon, get up. I think there going to Ali's house" Spencer said from the window as she dragged Aurora out of bed and downstairs.

Throwing on some shoes the girls made their way outside and to Alison's house. Spencer was right, there were outside Ali's house and a body was getting wheeled out.

Aurora shook her head as tears swelled up in her eyes before she noticed Aria walking towards the two brunettes "The cops took Hanna to the police station today" She spoke as she stood next to Spencer who was also in shock while Aurora was quickly wiping away the tears that fell down her cheeks "You don't think she'd talk about-"

But she was cut off when Hanna came and stood next to Aurora "-the Jenna thing? We made a promise" And that was it to shut all the girls up as they just stared at the house.

That weekend was Alison's funeral. Aurora was wearing a black cross over dress with black tights and black heels{The dress up above}. Spencer and Aurora went to the church together and greeted Alison's parents at the door before taking a seat in the front row. Which was soon joined by Hanna and Emily, then Aria.

"Poor Ali" Emily said.

"Can you believe what a scene this is?" Hanna asked as Aurora stared at the photo of Alison.

"Ali would of loved it" Aurora said.

"Popular in life and death" Spencer added while Hanna grabbed a flask from her purse and handed it to Emily.

"No thanks, I don't-" But Hanna cut her off "Today, I think you do" Hanna sent her a soft smile as Emily sighed sending her a smile back while also taking the flask.

Aria's phone rang making everyone look at her "Anyone we know?" Aria shook her head "No, it's just a text from my mom" She answered before looking at the girls.

"Emily and I aren't the only ones who got a message from A, are we?" They all looked at each-other knowingly as people began talking and Spencer turned around "Oh my god. It's Jenna"

They all turned around to see Jenna sitting down in one of the rows. Turning back round when Mr and Mrs Dilaurentis sat behind them.

"Did you see that Jenna Marshall was here?" Ali's mom asked them, "I didn't know they were friends"

"They weren't" Aurora told her.

After the funeral, the girls made their way outside as they hung onto each-other when a man in a suit stopped them "Do we know you?" Spencer asked, being the first one to speak.

"I'm Detective Wilden" The man introduced himself as he showed them his badge "I understand you were all good friends of the victim"

Aria nodded "Yeah, we were"

I'm gonna need to talk to each one of you" Wilden said as Aurora frowned "We talked to the police when Ali went missing"

"And I intend to go over everyone of your statements. This is no longer a missing persons investigation. It's a murder" Wilden informed them as Aurora bit her tongue. She didn't want to get on the wrong side of the police officer who was investigating their now dead friend "Rest assured, I will find out what happened that summer"

And with that Wilden walked away as the girls all looked at each-other.

"You don't think he knows about-"

"No. How could he?" Hanna asked Aria when all their phones rang causing them to open the text message.

"Oh, my god"

"It's from-"

"I got one, too"

"I'm still here, bitches. ." Aurora began.

"And I know everything --A." They all said together.