Constellations

| 8 | The Perfect Storm

WARNING; this chapter contains mature content

The girls were gathered around the kitchen island of the Hasting's home, studying for their upcoming SAT. The rain pattered against the window as lightning struck down shortly after. This same pattern continued the whole night.

"It's insane. I mean how many words do they expect you to learn in one night?" Hanna mumbled, opposed to the idea of studying.

"Stringent," Aria announced, reading off the back of one of the index cards she had.

"Uh, tough, inflexible," Spencer answered quickly.

"It's not like you're actually gonna use them," Hanna said, scribbling down notes in her math book.

"Meretricious," Aria said.

"I mean it's not like you go to college and then you just start speaking a completely different language."

"It's about getting into college," Valerie told her.

"Meretricious. Uhm, phony, flashy." Spencer answered, tracking back to the previous question.

"Hanna, why are you still eating that?" Aria asked, giving her a look.

"Cause it's here." Hanna shrugged.

"Put it in the garbage," Spencer told her.

"But then I'd have to stand over the garbage and eat it," Hanna complained, making Valerie roll her eyes.

"Besotted," Aria said.

"Infatuated, in love with," Valerie answered without thinking. Spencer and Aria gave her a knowing look and Valerie just shrugged her shoulders.

"Hey, what did Noel Kahn say to you at the memorial?" Hanna asked, directing the question to Aria.

"Hello? We're taking the SATs in less than twelve hours. Can we focus?" Spencer asked. Maeve shook her head; Spencer was always so serious when it came to her education. Not that Maeve didn't like getting good grades too, but Spencer could be a little over the top sometimes.

"Okay, Spencer, you do not need to know any more big words. You're already scary enough to anyone under fifty." Hanna jokes.

"I'm not scary!" Spencer wined, "Am I scary?"

Aria and Valerie both looked at each other, then back at Spencer, "A little." They both said. Spencer pouted, looking back at her flashcards.

"Hey, I saw Noel Kahn hug you, and he did not want to let go," Hanna said enthusiastically.

"Talk about not wanting to let something go," Aria muttered.

"Why can't you give him a chance?" Hanna asked, "He's smart, he's cute, his dad owns like half of Rhode Island, and he's got great lips."

"His father?" Valerie asked, giving Hanna a look of disgust.

"No, ew." Hanna uttered, "Seriously, Aria, you and Noel would look amazing together."

"Can we just drop it, please?" Aria pleaded, "I'm not looking for anything more than a friend.

"Why? Don't you have enough on Facebook?" Hanna teased, "Besides, don't you want someone real? Someone, you can, I don't know, scratch and sniff?"

"Wow, maybe you should just eat that over the garbage." Valerie chuckled.

"Okay, I am trying to help out a friend here." Hanna protested, "We don't all have smoking hot ball boys from the country club or the bad boy next door." Hanna said.