THE SUN had barely crested the horizon when Emily's question echoed through the hallway, bouncing off the metal lockers. The four friends, huddled in a tight circle, glanced at each other with furrowed brows and shrugs. "Did she show up to English?" she asked again, her voice a mix of concern and curiosity. "Was she even here today ?"
Hanna laughed nervously. "I think we would know if Spencer was here," she said, her eyes darting around as if expecting Spencer to pop out from behind one of the lockers. "People would be running for cover." The tension in the air was palpable, a stark contrast to the usual chatter and laughter that filled the school corridors.
Aria looked genuinely confused. "What are you talking about ?" She pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes searching the faces of her friends for an explanation.
"She is hurting and when people are hurting, they lash out" Hanna said, closing her locker with a thud.
Aria nodded thoughtfully, her eyes scanning the empty hallway. "Did you talk to Toby?" she asked as they began to walk toward their first class.
Emily sighed heavily, her eyes cast downward. "No, I left him a ton of messages," she said, her voice filled with a hint of defeat. "I think we need to find out what went down from Spencer."
Brooklyn mumbled under her breath, "I don't care if she's hurting." Her voice was edged with annoyance, a stark contrast to the sympathy in the others' tones.
Aria shot her a knowing glance. "Brooke," she began, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I know she was rude and unfair, but we can't ignore her forever."
Brooklyn shrugged off Aria's touch, her eyes flashing with anger. "There is no 'but,' Aria," she said firmly. "This was straight betrayal. She knew exactly where to stab and she did it. Spencer crossed the line."
Emily took a deep breath, her eyes closing briefly as she sighed. "Look, I know it's hard for you to understand," she began, her voice measured and calm. "But Spencer and Toby just broke up. She's going through a really tough time right now, and we need to be there for her."
Brooklyn scoffed, "Yeah, of course, I always understand," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Aria took a step forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. "We need to tell her that you saw the blonde with the red coat," she urged, her eyes wide with concern.
Hanna nodded slowly, the memory of the mysterious figure playing in her mind like a loop. "I think I saw her at the fake interview," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the distant sound of students .
