Whispers in the Garden | PRETTY LITTLE LIARS

002 | The Jenna Thing

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THE JENNA THING
Season 1, Episode 2
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The five girls all sat down at the Apple Rose Grill, the air thick with tension as they prepared to rehash everything that had happened. The dim lighting and the soft murmur of other diners provided a backdrop that did little to ease their nerves. Each girl could feel the weight of the past events pressing down on them, a heavy burden that seemed to grow with every passing moment.

Not only did they have a faceless tormentor on their backs, someone who hid behind the ominous initial "A," but they also had to contend with the relentless scrutiny of the Rosewood Police Department. It felt as though the eyes of the entire town were upon them, watching their every move, waiting for them to slip up. The pressure was immense, and the fear of the unknown gnawed at their insides. Every whisper, every rustle of movement in the restaurant seemed amplified, making them jumpy and paranoid.

"Why was Jenna there?" Aria asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes wide with a mix of confusion and fear.

The one thing they could all collectively agree on was the fact that Jenna Marshall and Alison were anything but friends. They loathed each other with a passion that was almost palpable. Jenna and Alison had been in a series of escalating confrontations that ranged from snide comments to outright sabotage. The animosity between them had a ripple effect, pulling everyone around them into their toxic orbit.

"I guess she's back," Spencer whispered, her eyes darting around the table as if expecting Jenna to materialize out of thin air.

"That cop acted like we were suspects or something," Lilliane groaned, frustration evident in her voice. She knew how it looked from the outside perspective. They were Alison's best friends and were literally with her the night she disappeared. It didn't help that their stories had minor inconsistencies, and their nervousness might have come off as guilt to the police.

"Do you think we looked guilty?" Emily asked, her voice tinged with anxiety. Her eyes darted around the table, searching for reassurance. She could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on her, the fear of being wrongfully accused gnawing at her insides.

"Why would we be? We haven't done anything wrong," Aria said, her tone defensive. But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that the cop's suspicion was more than just a misunderstanding. They had secrets—secrets that could easily be twisted to make them look guilty.

Technically, they weren't in the clear. They did blind Jenna. Sure, it wasn't them who did it—well, Lilliane did play a huge role in it—but that didn't mean they didn't stop Alison. Technically, the other four girls were "aiding and abetting" according to what Lilliane had learned in her law course she took over the summer. The memory of that night was still vivid in Lillianes mind, the way Alison had convinced them all to go along with her reckless plan and how she was the one who provided what Alison needed for it.

"Except lie about the Jenna thing," Hanna added, her eyes downcast. Her voice was barely above a whisper, as if saying it any louder would make the guilt more real. She couldn't bear to look at the others, the shame of their collective silence weighing heavily on her shoulders. They had all agreed to keep quiet, to protect themselves and each other, but the cost of that decision was becoming harder to ignore.

Aria bit her lip, the familiar pang of guilt gnawing at her. "We didn't mean for it to happen. It was an accident," she said, trying to convince herself as much as the others. But deep down, she knew that their intentions didn't matter. The fact remained that Jenna was blind because of them.