Insanity-Sparia

Protection

     Aria stood in the middle of her room with piles of clothes surrounding her. She had no idea what to wear for her date with Spencer. What would Spencer be wearing? God, she hadn't had to think this much about a date since... Ezra. As she scanned the room of garments, her eyes landed on a red dress. Mona had lent her that dress for a blind date with some guy named Liam a few months ago. He was a nice simple guy, but Aria wasn't into simple. Must be why she held on to her relationship with Ezra for so long despite the world seemingly against them, or why she was mingling with the person who had a hand in covering up her friend's murder. My god, how could she do that to her friends? She was lucky Mona was out buying a new wardrobe for work next week or she'd have a mountain of questions.

     Aria picked up the dress and walked over to her mirror, admiring herself and fantasizing Spencer seeing her. She wondered how fast the tall brunette would try to take it off her once they got back to her apartment. Aria shook her head of the thought; was Spencer even into that kind of stuff? She'd have to find out tonight. She placed the dress on the back of her desk chair and went to her closet, digging for shoes that went well. Where were those boots she wore with the dress before? Were they Mona's too? She wouldn't mind if she borrowed them again would she?

     Aria crept out of her room and down the hall to Mona's room. She approached the closet and moved a few things before she found the boots. She grabbed one in each hand and stood up. Something felt off about the boot in her left hand. She kneeled down to examine the boot. She turned it upside down but nothing came out. Taking hold of the zipper, she unzipped the boot, then turned it over. She jumped back as a gun fell onto the wood floor. Aria examined the firearm; she could've swore she seen one just like it, daily. Wait; the Rosewood cops had these guns. Did Mona steal this? "What are you doing?" Aria whipped around to face her roommate. Mona dropped her bags and reached in her pocket for a napkin, grabbing the gun off of the floor.

     "I was looking for those boots you lent me last month." "And you found them." "Yeah, and a little more. Mona why do you have that?" Aria questioned. Mona reached into her shopping bag and pulled out a scarf, wrapping it around the firearm before shoving it in her desk. "I borrowed it... for protection." "Protection from what?" The brown eyed woman gave an annoyed look. "'Protection from what?'? Aria, I warned you about Spencer, and now you're literally sleeping with the devil." "What-" "You seem to forget that at one point in time, I knew everything about everyone. Back in high school, when I realized Alex was... different than the rest of you, I had to change my plans. While I sent the rest of you on a wild goose chase every week, I kept an eye on the Hastings, at least what was left of them. I purposely didn't send her any texts so you'd ice her out and I could keep tabs on them. I didn't believe that Spencer killed Peter Hastings, and I was right."

     Aria sat cross legged on the floor to listen; she'd save her questions until after. Mona continued. "I was planning to tell all of you the day Alison came back when she set me up to expose me as -A, but they arrested me before I got the chance. While I was in Radley, I saw Spencer. I never talked to her, but I watched her for those six months. Alex visited her once a week for two months; I assume she skipped classes because Veronica would never let her out of the house unless it was for school, much less to visit Spencer. Then when they turned 18, Alex was gone and Spencer became more resistant to the nurses. Then you all left for college. Hollis was the only place that would accept an ex-Radley patient; thank god for my GPA and — I hate to say — Fitz's recommendation letter. Fast forward, Spencer gets released, and Mrs. Hastings is 'temporarily unaccounted for' as Alex said according to Hanna... There was another barrel in that storage unit Aria."

     "Are you saying Spencer and Alex killed Veronica then pickled her like Alison?" Aria asked. Mona scrunched her face in disgust. "They didn't turn them into pickles Aria; it wasn't vinegar, it was acid. They dissolved the body; that's why they couldn't identify whatever was in the other barrel. It has to be Mrs. Hastings, considering what they said she did to them... Point is: They're going to get away with it unless we take it into our own hands." Aria stood up sharply. "You shot Alex?... What, are you gonna kill them? Is that your idea of justice?" "Seems like how justice gets served around here. Remember Ian, Wilden, Garret?... I was sloppy with first one but hopefully he's a better shot." "Who?" Aria asked. "Toby. I didn't tell him about Noel but he's just as suspicious about Spencer as I am, so he let me borrow the gun before I got to Spencer's that night. I didn't need it, then I saw Alex running towards the park on my way home. I didn't question why she wasn't with Wren; I just thought it was the perfect time. I pulled up in front of the entrance, rolled down my window, and shot just once, and then I left. I figured she'd collapse in the park but she must've stumbled out the other side and met a truck's windshield with Jenna Marshall at the wheel."

     Aria couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't tell Spencer this, not tonight. She wasn't sure what the tall brunette would do to Mona if she found out. Also, Toby's involvement; did he agree with taking justice into their own hands? How could both her friends betray her like this? Was it truly a betrayal though? No one knew how close she and Spencer were after all. How could she warn the tall brunette and her sister of the danger they were in without giving details? Spencer was set to pick her up at her place at 7 o'clock, and now she didn't think it was safe for Spencer to show up at her place at all. Cancelling would make Spencer think something was wrong. I mean, something was wrong. Many things were wrong. Her own roommate and, dare she say, best friend shot her lover's sister and plans to kill her lover who may or may not have committed murder and is technically an accomplice to the murder of her one her friends. At this point, Aria would check herself into Radley if it was still in operation. What was the next closest Sanitarium? Welby? Where Alison's cousin went for murdering Bethany Young when they were in high school, then killed herself after being released? On second thought, never mind, she'd much rather deal with this situation.

     "So, you gonna call Tanner?" Mona said with crossed arms and a snarky tone. "No," Aria started. "But I'm not gonna help you either." "I didn't think you would, that's why I asked Toby." Mona looked down at the boots Aria had been trying to snatch. "You can borrow the boots... I'm sure Spencer will love them." Aria grabbed the boots and ran out of the room, closing the door behind herself as she entered her bedroom. She grabbed her phone and tried to call Spencer, but it went to voicemail. "Spence it's me; call me when you get this please. I think-" She stopped as footsteps went by the door. "I just want to know what you're wearing so I can match... I'll see you tonight." She hung up and stepped out of the room. Her roommate seemed to be gone. Aria grabbed her jacket and left; she needed to talk to a certain someone about this.