Pretty Little Liars: Where, Oh Where Has This Family Gone?

Part 1

            “Mike, we’re not done talking about this!”, Ella shouts, her and Byron walking in the front door after their son. Aria’s upstairs doing her homework and hears all the commotion. “Well I’m done listening.”, Mike replies with no emotion in his voice. Aria closes her book, walks out her door, and watches the argument unfold. “What possessed you to get a motorcycle?”, Byron asks angrily as they continue further into the house.

            “Because I’m sick of walking around this town.”, Mike tells him, turning around and looking him in the eye. “I’m sick of school, I’m sick of Rosewood. I want to leave and now I can.”, he continues. “Mike, you’re sixteen years old.”, Ella says. “I don’t care!”, Mike yells, walking towards his room. “Where exactly did you get the money for that motorcycle Mike?”, Byron asks him.

            Mike stops dead in his tracks. He doesn’t look at them. All he does is stand there. “Mike?”, Ella asks sternly. He then walks straight towards his room. “MICHAEL MONTGOMERY!”, she yells. But all he does is slam his door shut and locks it. Aria watches with both curiosity and depression as she continues to watch her parents argue now. “Ella…what are we going to do?”, Byron asks. “I don’t know Byron. I honestly do not know anymore.”, she replies, putting her face in her hands.

            Byron tries to comfort her, but she simply pushes him away. “I can’t take this Byron. I need…I need to stay away from here.”, she says. “Ella you can’t do that. Aria and Mike need you.”, Byron tells her. “Really? Cause Mike just got a motorcycle and we have no idea how.”, she continues, her hand gesturing towards Mike’s room. “I’m going to go back to my apartment for awhile.”, she says, grabbing her coat and heading for the door.

            “Ella wait. You don’t have to go. We can have dinner and try to figure out Mike calmly.”, Byron says, holding her wrist. “No. I-I done trying reason with him. And I don’t feel like eating right now. Goodbye.”, she replies, pulling away and walking out the door. Aria is still standing on the stairs watching this unfold; shaking her head in disbelief the entire time.

            Byron runs his fingers through his hair and looks up to see her standing there. “Aria…can you come help me with dinner please?”, he asks with a small smile. “Yeah.”, Aria replies with a similar smile. They walk into the kitchen and begin to fix a salad when Aria asks, “So is mom coming back over? I mean, she said she was staying here all week.” “I think you’re mom just needs to blow off some steam.”, he replies with a smile, rubbing her hand. She smiles and continues to work on dinner with him. Just then, Mike comes out of his room and heads straight for the front door.

            “Mike, where are you going?”, Aria asks. “Out.”, he says with no emotion. “No, you’re staying here and having dinner with me and Aria.”, Byron says sternly. Mike doesn’t say anything else as he walks out the door. Byron begins to go after him, but Aria stops him. “Dad, let me talk to him. Okay?”, she says with a comforting smile. “Okay.”, he replies with an emotionless tone.

            Aria quickly walks out the door and gets wide eyes when she actually see’s a motorcycle sitting in the driveway. “Mom and Dad weren’t kidding. You really got a motorcycle?”, she asks, walking over to him. He gives her a small nod; his hands in his pockets as he looks at the bike. “Mike…where did you get the money for this?”, she asks him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He quickly brushes it off and says, “I didn’t buy it.”

          “You stole it?”, Aria asks, fear and anger in her voice. “I didn’t steal it.”, he replies angrily. “Then where’d…”, she begins, before looking over the bike better. “Mike…this looks like Cyrus’s motorcycle.”, she says. Mike nods and says, “I got it from the garage where he works. After what happened at the hospital, they just left it at the garage. I was walking by it when I saw the bike. I asked how much they wanted for it and they said I could just…have it. So I took it.”

            “So why didn’t you tell mom and dad that?”, she asks him. “Because they don’t need to know everything that goes on in my life.”, he answers. “When did this all happen?”, she asks. “When did all what happen?”, he asks in response. “When did our family just start…falling apart?”, she continues. “When A told us that dad cheated on mom with Meredith.”, he tells her.

            She looks at him and says, “There has to be a reason behind that though Mike.” “I don’t care what the reason was.”, he says. “But there has to be more. I mean…”, Aria begins, but Mike cuts her off. “You want more? Meredith. Ezra. A. Mona. That’s what tore us apart! And they’re exactly the reason I’m leaving.”, he says angrily. “Mike, since she’s been back, you haven’t seen or spoken to Mona.”, Aria says.

            “I know. It’s because…I don’t want to. I mean, I thought she was dead. I can’t look at her without thinking I’m looking at a ghost or a mask.”, he explains. “Besides…I’m going to Ravenswood.”, he continues. “Mike, no. You can’t. Don’t you remember what happened to Caleb?”, she asks him, fear in her voice. “Nothing is going to happen to me. I’ll be back whenever I feel like coming back.”, he tells her, grabbing a backpack out from behind a bush.

            “Mike don’t. I’m going to try and fix everything.”, Aria tells him, grabbing his arm as he climbs on the motorcycle. “Aria, you can’t fix our family. No one can.”, he says, his eyes glossy. He then puts on his helmet and starts up the bike. “Mike…don’t leave.”, Aria says, still holding his arm. But he pulls away from her and speeds out of the driveway. “MIKE!”, she shouts, desperately wanting him to turn around.

            A minute later, Byron comes out and watches as Mike drives off. “Where’s he going?”, he asks angrily. Aria hesitates, then says, “He’s going to Ravenswood.” “I’m calling the police to get him.”, he replies. “Dad don’t do that. If you send cops after him…he’s only going to run.”, Aria tells him. “Just give him time to cool down.”, she continues. Byron looks at her and says, “Fine. Just…come in and lets eat. We’ll call him and your mom afterwards.”