Pretty Little Liars: After A

A is for Alive

Alison's POV

I went over to Spencer's and was watching a romantic comedy with Spencer, Toby, Caleb, Hanna, Mona, and Ezra. All us girls were sipping pink lemonade and snacking on popcorn so interested by the movie and sharing our theories on who's going to marry who. Toby, Caleb, and Ezra were rolling their eyes and snickering about how their only doing this for us.

"I think Marian is going to marry Jake," Mona chuckled.

"Hell no, Jake belongs with Rachel," hanna corrected.

"Nuh- uh."

"Yuh- huh"

"Guys, they marry who they want to, damn," I said.

"Yeah, stop fighting," Spencer added.

"How about you all keep quite as it's even more painful to watch this crap," Caleb said. Toby and Ezra agreed.

"Yup."

We all laughed and enjoyed ourselves until we got a text from A.

"Meet at the steakhouse restaurant?" I asked.

"Are we going to bother going?" Toby asked.

"Of course, it's A."

"So? I mean why do we always listen to A's orders," Spencer said.

"When has trying to beat A ever work for us?" Caleb snapped back.

"Yeah, Caleb's right we should just go," Hanna said, pulling Caleb into a hug.

"You guys should start using your own brains and stop letting A control you."

Mona groaned, "Let's just go and stop wasting our time before A does something horrible."

We all squished into one car that held five even though theirs 7 of us, so Spencer had to sit on Toby's lap. But like they cared. And Ezra rode on the back along with an umbrella that flapped open on his face on the way to the place. That made us laugh. We parked in front of the steakhouse and got off and opened up.

"Party A?" The seating woman asked with a smile.

"Um," Spencer glanced at all of us, "Yeah."

"Follow me."

The woman sat us at a big round booth that was comfortable with someone in a black hoodie sitting in the center. Of course it didn't reveal their face. It looked like a hoodie was just propped up against the leather red material seat. But it constantly twitched.

"What now?" Hanna blurted out.

Caleb tapped her on the shoulder.

A slightly moved upwards revealing a bit of hair, but it was still too hard to identify the color or gender.

"This is getting boring," I added.

The waiter than arrived breaking the silence, "I'll be your waiter for the day may I start you guys off with a couple drinks?"

We waited for A to speak, "Water."

We still couldn't tell because it was said in a whisper.

"Alrighty," the waiter looked a bit weirded out.

"Coca cola," Hanna ordered.

"3 blue moon beers for us men," Ezra added in.

"Three sprites please," Spencer smiled.

The waiter nodded and left.

"Cut the crap, A," Toby leaned towards the person.

Finally, A shifted upwards and soon Aria's face was revealed.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm not A," Aria said, "I'm protecting myself."

"Why would you put us through pain," Ezra stuttered, crying.

"Faking your death will protect us from A," Aria mumbled.

"Aria please stop. We need you. Mayella and Ezra need you most," Hanna said, reaching for her hand.

"A is more dangerous than we think. Weren't safe."

"Are you going to come back?" Mona asked.

"Definitely," Aria smiled, "But for now I'm helping myself and you guys."

"How are you helping us?" Toby asked.

"A is fooled that I'm dead and they think the game is over. They've won. They won't go after you guys unless I'm involved in the equation."

"Is it me or is everybody that's dead ends up being alive?" Hanna questioned.

"I know right," Mona responded.

"As long as you're safe," Spencer gave Aria a squeeze, "I'm okay."

Aria widened her smile into a toothy grin. She took off the hoodie and soon the Waiter arrived with the drinks ready to take our orders.