Vodka Kisses

0424- 'A' is for Answers

Noel Kahn.

Obviously he's here.

He brought us in to this stupid room and took our stupid phones.

How I have to sit and watch Spencer play with Newton's cradle whilst this turns out to be some god awful joke.

It's giving me a headache and yet it's all I can focus on.

"Spencer!" Aria complains.

"What?" Spencer asks.

Aria gives her a stern look and she just stops the cradle thing with a sigh.

Noel's phone rings and he quickly answers it.

"Stay here, be right back." He tells us before leaving the room.

"Hopefully not." I mutter.

"Cannot believe we let Noel bring us here." Aria says.

"I cannot believe I'm anywhere near that douche and he's not trying to touch me." I sit back fully on the sofa.

"Do we think she's even coming?" Hannah asks.

"No. Noel's here." I scoff.

Spencer nods in agreement with me. "When I saw it was him instead of Ali, I thought for sure this was a trap."

"Probably is and we're just sitting here like geese." Hannah sighs.

"Ducks." Spencer says.

"What?" Hannah asks.

"Ducks, we sit like laying ducks, not geese." Spencer fills in for her.

"Okay whatever they both quack." Hannah shrugs.

"Geese honk." Spencer adds.

"Why would Ali trust Noel Kahn?" Emily asks.

Before I can get in my answer about how they're both idiots, someone else answers.

"Because he has secrets too." Ali says grabbing all of our attention.

This isn't a set up.

The five of us stand and take her in.

Fuck, she really is here.

She's alive and she's stood in front of us.

And yet I still don't feel comforted.

"I want to hug you and slap you at the same time." Hannah says.

Ali closes the door.

"I could use a hug." She says taking a step forward.

She hugs Hannah first, then Emily next and then Aria.

She gets to me and glances at me before taking a hold of Emily's hand.

"He finally told you?" Ali asks me.

I don't say anything, she already knows he has.

She turns from me to Spencer.

"I'm glad you're here Spencer." She says genuinely.

"Why? I'm the one you can't trust." Spencer admits.

"I need your help." She looks around at us.

"Now the cops know I'm not the one they buried they're gonna start looking again." She says as if we didn't already know that. "Until I know who A is I can't come home."

Right.

Who's going to tell her then, because I'm not.

"Ali." Hannah says making her turn. I guess Hannah's going to tell her.