Ezria - Broken

Chapter 2: First Day of school

The Next morning (8.30 am Monday)

Aria's POV:

I have been up for hours, just nervous for the first day back. I had a rough night trying to sleep. I kept thinking about the way Dad treats me and then having to face everyone again. The one thing that kept me sane last night was thinking about Ezra, the guy I met at snookers. He was just different, I felt safe when I was in his arms.

Now I am all dressed and ready to go, I had to put a little bit more makeup on my face to hide the faint bruise that's coming in. I grab my bag with all my school stuff in it.

I walk out of my room and down the stairs. Dad left an hour ago for Hollis so I don't have to deal with him now. MIke also left a while ago, he had a friend pick him up.

I grab my keys and I walk out the door and to my car, I start driving to school.

15 minutes later

I get to school and I park my car in the parking lot. I grab my stuff and start walking towards the school until I hear someone yell my name.

"Aria?!" I hear as I turn around and see an extremely surprised Emily walking towards me. She still has maintained that athlete's body that everyone dreams of. "When did you get back?"

"Yesterday" I say as she gives me a hug.

"Oh God, I almost didn't recognize you. The last time that we saw each other, you had a pink stripe on your hair"

"Yeah well, that's long gone" I say as the first bell rings which indicates for us to get to period 1. We walk towards the entrance.

"You should have called"

"Emily, we kind of lost touch. Remember?"

"That's probably what we had to do to deal with Alison's disappearance"

"I saw a poster of Ali yesterday"

"It's just awful"

"Yeah"

The school emailed me my assigned locker and timetable last week and it just happens to be next to Emily's. We started walking towards our lockers.

Once we get to our lockers, I put all my books in and grab out my English stuff because I have that first up.

We walk into the classroom, we find two seats together and we sit down.

"I hear the new teacher is really hot" Emily whispers to me as she leans over. I just smile at her.

As I look up again at Emily, I see Hanna walk in.

"Is that Hanna?" I say surprised.

"She is the 'it girl' now" Emily says as I see Mona enter immediately after her. "And where there is Hanna, there is Mona"

"That's the dorky Mona Vanderwall. Talk about a make-over"

Hanna looks over at us, I wave at her but she just tosses me a hello nod and sits on the other side of the room. I turn back to Emily.

"What's up with her? Are you guys fighting?"

"We didn't just fall out of touch with you, we all fell out of touch with each other" Emily says as the final bell rings but the teacher still isn't in the room. The door opens and we all turn our heads to check out the teacher but it was just Spencer. She continued to walk to her seat up the front. I watch as Spencer connects eyes with Hanna and they exchange warm smiles.

"They're not close either"

I stare past Emily out the window and just sit like that for a while not realizing that the teacher has walked in. I look up and see him writing his name on the chalkboard.