Isabel Rivers never really had a safe place to land. That was before she met queen bee Alison DiLaurentis. She was Ali's favorite. They also had four other friends. It was the perfect group.
Right until Ali went missing one summer.
And turned up...
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"It was either Humpty Dumpty or Jesus is coming, look busy." -Spencer Hastings
About three weeks after Hanna got hit by the car, she was released from the hospital, and her four friends were helping her settle back into her house. Her leg was still broken, and she still had the cast with the nasty 'A' message on it, but Spencer had put a sticker over it.
"Why are you taking that off?" Spencer frowned, watching as Hanna removed and reapplied her sticker.
"I'm not. I'm trying to keep it on," Hanna huffed, pressing down hard on the sticker. "I don't wanna see the autograph under it."
"We can get you another sticker," Aria suggested.
"This time, why don't you try something mellower, like 'save the planet'?" Isabel joked.
"There were not a lot of choices, okay?" Spencer shrugged, and crossed her arms. "It was either Humpty Dumpty or 'Jesus is coming, look busy.'"
"Oh, God, it's still there," Hanna gulped, peeling back the sticker to see the 'A' message.
"It's not like it was gonna disappear," Isabel scoffed. The others gave her the 'really?' Look, and Isabel shut up.
"Hanna. Hanna, don't, okay?" Emily said, walking over. She knelt down next to her. "Don't look at that. Just look around you. Because you're safe, you're home, and you're alive."
"Yeah, well, I thought I was safe in my hospital room too," Hanna huffed. "Now, what's going on with Noel Kahn? Is he 'A'? Have you talked to him?" She asked, turning to Aria.
"No, I avoid him," Aria replied. "I keep telling him I'm busy."
"Busy freaking out every time you look at him," Isabel joked.
"Yeah, well, try being run over by him," Hanna scoffed.
"Who got you this panda? Sean?" Isabel asked, picking up a little stuffed panda.
"Lucas," Hanna sighed, and turned to face her.
"Oh, sweet," Emily smiled.
"Anyone else starving or is it just me?" Hanna asked, wheeling over to the pantry.
"I am," Isabel shrugged. "But it doesn't count, I'm always hungry."
"Your mom said she left a special dinner for you," Spencer mentioned. She walked over to the fridge and took out the plate her mother had made her.
"Pass. No, I want a Pop-Tart," Hanna replied. The others stared at her, baffled. "What? I've been on hospital food for three weeks. I want something that doesn't look like it's been chewed."
"Well, why don't you eat while we go get the rest of your stuff, okay?" Spencer suggested, getting up and leaving the house. The four of them went to the car and gathered all of Hanna's things.
"Hanna?" Aria called as they walked back inside. "Hey, so if you're gonna stay down here tonight, then we're-"
"Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Down here's good," Hanna said distractedly. All around her were food boxes, as if she'd knocked them over by accident. She was clutching a spaghetti box to her chest.
"What happened?" Spencer frowned.
"Nothing," Hanna said quickly. "Just, uh, knocked a few boxes down." Aria went over to help pick them up, and Isabel followed. "No, no, no. You don't have to clean. You can go." Isabel and Aria slowly rose, giving her a confused look. "Seriously, my mom's gonna be here soon."
"Wait. So now you want us to leave?" Isabel asked, putting a box of linguini on the counter.
"You don't have to put on a brave face for us," Spencer assured her. "We get it. If being alone is freaking you out...we can absolutely stay-" the others nodded in agreement, but Hanna cut her off.
"No, no, no. I'm just... I'm fuzzy," she explained. "And I think it's from this pain medication. Yeah, I need a nap."
"Okay, can we help you to the couch?" Emily offered.
"No. You have done enough. Seriously, you guys, go," Hanna insisted.
"Okay. Call me?" Emily asked her.
"Yeah," Hanna smiled, but it looked more like a grimace to Isabel.
"Yeah. Yeah, me too. Any time," Aria said, leaving. Emily followed. Isabel and Spencer stayed for a moment.
"Since when do you eat carbs?" Isabel asked Hanna, pointing to the pasta box that she was holding onto for dear life.
"Uh, since now," Hanna shrugged.
"You know you have to boil that first, right?" Spencer added.
"Yeah. Heh," Hanna nodded. Isabel gave her one last confused look, and left with Spencer.
-
Isabel was studying for her math test, in math class, when she got a text from Spencer.
'Mona's throwing Hanna a surprise party. I'll bet you anything Noel will be there.' Spencer
'I wouldn't take that bet.' -Isabel
"Miss Rivers, what did I say about texting in class?" the teacher sighed.
"Oh, I-I'm sorry," Isabel stammered, putting her phone away. Noel, who sat three seats away from her, grinned evilly. God, she'd always hated him. Being 'A' only made it worse.
-
Isabel made it to Hanna's party later. Mike had begrudgingly agreed to come.
She sat down on Hanna's swing outside her house, and waited for Mike to arrive. Hours passed, and nothing.
Isabel sighed as a happy couple arrived at the party. The blonde girl held the brunette boy's hand. 'A' obviously wasn't taunting them. Isabel realized that her and Mike could never be that. Well, for one, she was a brunette, and...Mike wasn't opening up to her.
Suddenly, her phone beeped. It was probably Mike blowing her off again.
But it wasn't.
'Now I know THREE secrets! Hanna got dissed, Emily got kissed, and Isabel got ditched! -A'
