THE FIVE GIRLS were walking around the back of the woods, "Whose idea was this again?" Hanna questioned, pushing a branch out of her way. "Emily's mom." Spencer answered.

"The shed was me. My mom just said we should do something for us." Emily explained. She was leading them to do a memorial of sorts for Alison, in a place only they would know.

"Well, couldn't we do something without mosquitos?" Hanna asked, wafting them away from her face. "They're not mosquitos. They're gnats." Aria corrected as she followed Emily down a steep slope.

"Whatever! They're small and annoying, and they're flying up my nose." The blonde girl complained, walking awkwardly down the slope in her heels. "Well, they're attracted to your perfume and your hair product. And your lipgloss." Spencer informed her, making Harley laugh.

"So, what are you saying, I attract flies?" Hanna asked, looking over her shoulder at Spencer and Harley. "Gants." The redhead corrected, with a laugh.

The three of them walked through a clearing where Emily and Aria had stopped. "Why do I feel like this is the wrong way?" She said, looking around. Hanna continued wafting around her face as Spencer came beside her for a better look.

"No, this is it. I remember that tree. It's the halfway point. There's one hundred and thirty- six steps left to the shed." Spencer said matter-of-factly.

"Have you been out here since... Alison?" Emily questioned.

"Me? No! No way." The brunette told her, grabbing hold of her handbag strap. "But you remember that tree?" Aria questioned, pointing at the half- point tree.

"You guys, it's not that weird. I mean, we came out here in eighth grade, like every day, even after." Hanna reminded them, it was true they did spend every day there in eighth grade with Alison, so Spencer remembering a tree wasn't weird, also it was Spencer.

"I think this is totally the wrong place to do this, whatever you call it, shrine." Spencer admitted, Emily furrowed her eyebrows at the brunette. "It's not a shrine. It's just a place to remember Alison. What's wrong with that?"

"Doing it way out here makes it look like we have something to hide." Spencer pointed out,  Harley looked back and forth between the girls. "You're worried what other people think?"

"Well, aren't you? I mean, do you really wanna give that creepy detective more reasons to question us?" Harley pitched in, Hanna looked at the redhead before continuing to walk.

"Hanna," Emily called after the girl, following close behind her. "Why are you so quiet?"

"I'm trying to keep the bugs in my nose out of my mouth." Hanna told them, tone slightly angry. "You're allowed to have an opinion on this." The dark-haired girl told her as they followed Hanna further through the woods.

"You want my opinion? I say we hold off and not remember her til we know for sure she's not still here."

"What?!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You think she's still alive?"

"Hanna, they found her body." The Hastings girl stressed, making everyone a little uncomfortable. "Stop. I'm officially scared. Can we just not - "

"You know what, you asked for my opinion. I don't believe she's really gone." The blonde said, turning around and on walking.

"We went to her funeral!" Spencer called after her and began walking to catch up with her. "Yeah, and when we left, we all got a text from her."

"It wasn't her. Someone is messing with us." Harley snapped, pushing branches out of her way so she could catch up with Hanna. "How do you know? And what about all those nasty messages. I mean, how does this 'A' person know stuff only Ali knew?"

"Okay, this conversation is giving me a hive." Aria complained as they walked further into the woods and closer to the shed. "That's a bite. Mosquitos." Hanna pointed out, making Aria roll her eyes.

The five girls stopped again, "Spencer, have you gotten any more messages?" Emily questioned. "Haven't you?" She fired back, the snapping of a twig scared them.

"What was that?" Harley whispered to the four girls. "Did you hear that?" Emily whispered back to her, "Yes, I heard that, I'm standing right next to you."

"Hello? Is anybody out there?" Hanna called out into the bushes, and she waited for a response. "It's probably a rabbit." Spencer reassured her friends.

"Hello!" The blonde called out again. "It's a rabbit, Hanna. It's not going to answer you."
Hanna spun around to glare at the brunette.

"Can we just get to the shed?" Emily asked, fear in her voice as another branch snapped.
"Okay, that is definitely not a rabbit.Someones out there!"

"Let's turn around." Emily suggested as they turned around to leave, they're phones went off. Harley held back a groan as she felt around in her pocket for her phone, and she pulled it out.

UNKNOWN
Heads up, BFFs. It's open season on liars, and I'm hunting
--A

𒊹︎︎︎𒊹︎︎︎𒊹︎︎︎

SITTING AT HER BREAKFAST TABLE, a bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice before her, as her mom tapped away on her computer, and Eli sat on the couch watching the news. No one was speaking until Will came running down the stairs, his backpack bouncing against his bag.

"Mom! I'm gonna be late! You need to drive me to school!" The boy whined, Harley huffed a laugh as her mom ignored him. "Mom!" He yelled, pouting his lips.

"Harley, sweetie, can you please take your brother to school?" Her mom asked, eyes not moving from the computer screen. "I haven't finished my breakfast." The redhead pointed out, at her half empty bowl of cereal.

"Harley."

"Can't Eli do it. He just sits on his ass all day anyway!" Harley pointed at her brother in the other room. "Hey!" He yelled, looking away from the TV at her. She smiled innocently and turned back to their mom, who was now looking sternly at her.

"Chase is picking me up!"

"Harlyn."

"Fine." She rolled her eyes, taking another spoonful of her cereal and finishing the last of her orange juice. She walked over to the front door and grabbed the keys, and looked at the boy grinning up at her. "I'm just going to brush my teeth, okay?" She asked him, bending down to be at his eye level.

He reluctantly nodded, and she raced up to the bathroom. Walking straight past all the rooms leading up to it,  she kept her attention on the bathroom.

As she went to brush her teeth, her phone buzzed. She took it out of her jacket pocket and turned it on.

UNKNOWN
Too bad you can't finish your breakfast
It's not like you're not used to skipping meals? Right?
- A

Her heart sank, she looked in the full-length mirror, and for the first in a while, she felt like she was right back in seventh grade.

That innocent, scrawny, little thirteen year old, with crooked teeth and bright ginger hair, and a freckled face. She pulled her top down more to hide her stomach and adjust her cropped denim jacket. She tucked her strawberry blonde her behind her ear and brushed her teeth.

"Harlyn!" Her mom yelled from the kitchen, Harley rolled her eyes as she placed her toothbrush back down. "I'm coming!" She yelled back, tone just as angry as her mom's.

She rushed back down the stairs and picked her handbag up. She swung it over her shoulder and looked at her little brother. "Let's go!" She yelled, holding the keys up, and she pushed the front door open.

𒊹︎︎︎𒊹︎︎︎𒊹︎︎︎

HARLEY WAS STANDING with Chase's arm around her in the hallway, Devyn and Hunter chatting away beside her, and Chase was talking to Sean, Hanna's boyfriend, and Noel Kahn. Her mind was focused on what had happened in the woods the day before, when the loud tapping of Jenna's cane brought her back to reality.

She walked around the corner with her hand clutching Toby Cavanaugh, Harley felt her heart drop in her stomach. "Is that Toby?" Devyn whispered to Hunter, who took a quick glance over her shoulder at the pair. She turned her head back and nodded at her friend.

Harley scanned the hallway before her eyes met with Hanna, Spencer, and Aria. "I'll be back in a minute." She told Chase, he hummed in response, removing his arm from around the girl. Harley quickly walked across the hallway to the other girls.

She watched Toby glare at Emily, who was stood talking to Maya St Germain, the girl who had moved into the Dilaurentis house before walking down the hallway past them.

The two girls walked down the hallway towards them, Maya mumbled a goodbye, and Emily joined the rest of the girls. "He's back, too. When did that happen?" Aria asked in disbelief. They huddled around in a circle, "Maybe she needs help sending radioactive emails." Hanna joked

"Yeah, or maybe he's sending a few of his own." Spencer whispered, looking down the hallway at where he and Jenna previously were.

"Hanna." Wilden came up the stairs behind the girls and started walking towards them. "Cops on campus, too?" The Montgomery girl whispered. The blonde girl turned around to face the man.

"I just spoke with your principal. I asked him if we could have a chat."

"No, I have to get to class." Hanna insisted, pointing in the opposite direction. "Don't worry, you've been excused. Come on, let's go." He said, gesturing for him to follow.

Hanna started walking away, and the bell rang. "What is going on? Why just her?" Aria asked. "He probably thinks she's the easiest to crack." Emily leaned in to whisper.

"She is." Spencer told them. Jenna walked past her cane, clicking against the floor, "Whisper, whisper, whisper. Almost feels like Alison's still here." She commented, walking straight past them.

"I swear I will trip her up with my foot." Harley rolled her eyes.

𒊹︎︎︎𒊹︎︎︎𒊹︎︎︎

HARLEY WAITED BY HER LOCKER, her eyes scanning over the pictures on her locker door, one was of just Harley and Alison, Harley wearing long-sleeves and smiling sweetly, and the Dilaurentis girl in a cute crop top smiling at the camera, mockingly.

waiting to see Hanna come at the office. It had been over an hour, and she hadn't left that room.  When the blonde girl stormed out. She quickly slammed her locker shut and walked after her friend.

"Hanna!" She called, rushing after her friend who was walking straight to her locker where the other girls were. "What's going on?" The blonde asked.

"We've been trying to get a hold of you. What happened in there?" Aria told her, as Hanna unlocked her locker. "Nothing. Just the same old stupid questions." Hanna lied, shoving her book into her locker.

"You were in there for an hour, Hanna. What else did he ask you?" Spencer leaned her head against Hanna's locker door.

"Nothing. He just took a couple of calls. And I just sat there, waiting for him to shut up." she rolled her eyes, leaning against her now closed locker.

"Well, is he going to question all of us alone now?" The Montgomery girl  questioned persistently. "Who knows, look , let's do  this at lunch, okay? I need to hit the ladies before my next class." She smiled before walking in the direction of the toilet.

"Is she being weird?" Spencer asked.

"She's being weird." Emily agreed, turning to Harley, who was picking at her nail polish. "Are you okay? You can have an opinion too, you know?"

"Yeah, just paper due. See you at lunch." The redhead awkwardly smiled and walked in the direction she came from.

𒊹︎︎︎𒊹︎︎︎𒊹︎︎︎

CHASE HAD PICKED HER UP to go to Noel Kahn's party, and she was walking in with his arm around her waist, a fake smile plastered to her face.

"Hales!" Devyn yelled, holding two plastic blue cups in the air. Harley waved at her friends as Chase let go of her to go over to Noel Kahn, Sean, and Ben.  "Hey." Harley smiled, taking the drink from Devyn's hand.

"So, how's it going with you two." The girl asked abruptly. "Uh, fine." Harley nodded, gripping the blue cup.

"Have you done, it, yet?"

"No! No." Harley yelled in defence but then softened her tone. "And why are we even talking about this?" she added.

"Well, we haven't seen you in a while. We assumed you and Chase were... you know."

"No, we're not. And I've been with the girls." Harley sighed as they moved their way to the backyard. "Ohh, the posse." Devyn overexaggerated, downing her drink.

"Don't call them that." Harley scolded, making Devyn laugh. "Did I make a joke, I don't think I did." She snapped at her friend. "What's your deal? Lighten up, drink up." she gestured to the cup.

"No thanks, I'm driving." The Blake girl lied, handing the cup back to her friend. "What's up with you tonight. Did you wake up in nineth grade again or something?!"

"No, if I woke up in nineth grade, then I wouldn't be standing here talking to you." Harley spat, spotting Spencer, Emily, and Aria talking. She didn't mutter another word to Devyn and just walked over to the girls.

"Hey." Harley smiled as she joined the girls. The three turned their heads to look directly at her. "What? Did I interrupt something?"

"Toby tackled Ben." Aria blurted out, Harley's eyes went wide, and she turned to Emily. "What?!" She yelled in shock. "Quiet down." The Fields girl scolded.

"Why did Toby tackle Ben?"

"Ben tried to... well, he wanted to... and I didn't want to..."

"Oh, is that what the bruise is from. " Harley sighed in relief. "Why was Toby even in the girl's locker room in the first place?"

"Wait, why are you shocked?  Toby's a perv, we caught him peeping through the windows, watching us undress." Spencer reminded them. "Alison's the one who saw him. We never did."

Hanna had joined them now, walking up behind Aria and Harley. "What's up?" She asked, Harley turned her head to look at the blonde girl.

"Toby Cavanaugh and Ben got in a fight over Emily." Harley explained, turning back to Emily. "It wasn't over me, God." She scoffed.

"He just saved me." she whispered, avoiding eye contact with her friends. "For what, himself?" Spencer pressed, slightly agitated.
"Ew." Hanna commented.

"If we hadn't asked you about Ben, would you have told us about this?" Aria cut Hanna off from whatever she was about to say.

"Yeah, Toby is not a good guy, Emily. He could be seriously dangerous."

"If he's such a bad guy, why did he take the fall for us?" The dark-haired girl turned to her friends. She's talking about The Jenna Thing.
Spencer hesitated, a look in her eyes telling the girls she knew more than she was letting on.

"Is this another secret? Do you know something we don't?" Aria asked. Before Spencer could answer Hanna, cut her off. "Guys, why don't we just chill and talk about this somewhere else when we're alone." Hanna suggested.

"I don't even know what 'just us' means anymore." Aria muttered as Hanna looked over in the direction of Sean. "Yeah, let's talk about this tomorrow, okay? Are we still meeting up at the shed?" She smiled and went to meet her boyfriend.

"Yeah, sure. Why not." Aria huffed, making Harley frown. "Where are you going?" She pressed the girl. "The gallery. I promised my mom." she explained before walking away, crossing paths with Maya, who was holding two cups. "Have you checked out the photo booth they've got in there?"

"No, show me the booth." Emily told her friend, taking the cup from her, and the two walked off towards the house. Harley looked up at Spencer, who had an uncomfortable look on her face.

She was going to ask Spencer what was wrong, a pair of arms wrapped around her, and Chase's face appeared beside her shoulder. "Hey." He said, making her jump. "Hi," She said, spinning around to face him. "Dev told me you weren't drinking, so here." he said, handing her a blue cup.

"I'm good, thanks." she sent him a tight lip smile. "More for me then." he smiled before downing the cup and scrunching it up on the floor.

𒊹︎︎︎𒊹︎︎︎𒊹︎︎︎

THE FIVE GIRLS WERE back in the woods, and Spencer was explaining what secret she had been keeping from them. "Alison wanted us across the street so she could have it out with Toby. Ali had something on him."

"Besides being a total perv who peeped in our windows?" Hanna asked, jokingly. "Yeah, something way bigger.  And she was threatening to tell everybody. That's why he took the fall for us."

"Why are you waiting until now to tell us?" Aria questioned, confused as to why Spencer had waited so long to tell them about Alison blackmailing Toby. "I don't know. Ali made me promise and... I guess I was scared. I thought if we never talked about that night again, it would just go away." Spencer explained.

"Well, it's not going away. Not unless we toss our phones in and join the Navy." The blonde girl joked. Spencer began walking again, and the other girls followed.

"Look, there's four of us and one freak sending messages. We just talk to each other like this, I feel like it makes it easy to deal with everything." Emily expressed as they walked through the woods.

" I think Emily is right, I mean, there's way too many secrets. We shouldn't do this in the middle of nowhere, we should do it somewhere we can see it every day." The Montgomery girl agreed. "You mean somewhere at school?" Harley questioned, thinking about where they'd put a memorial at school.

"No, in town. We should ask if we can put a bench somewhere." Aria suggested. "Wait, and you know what. Whoever did this to her, if they're still in Rosewood, we should make them look at it every day, too." She added, causing a silence to fall over the girls.

Hanna let out a sigh, "What you hate the idea?" Spencer questioned. "No, I just... I had a rough night."

A rustle in the bushes and a snap of a branch made all the girls turn and look. They all quickly dropped their bags and ran in the direction of the noise. They ran into a clearing, and no one was there. They all looked around frantically to see if the person had dropped anything or there was a sign in which direction they went in.

"Look." Hanna looked at the floor, making the rest of the girls look at what she saw. It was one of the matching bracelets Alison had got the girls. They slowly walked towards it, and Harley looked over at Emily. "Is that yours?"

"Alison's." Spencer answered, reading the name on the bracelet.

authors note
I NEED to get onto season 2 when jason is actually in the show and is played by drew. (cause I love drew, obviously)