Catch Me When I Land

Chapter Six

It was cold in Aria's room. She could smell the rain outside of her opened window. She was sitting on her bed thinking about how her summer experience was, she'd just got back from her and the others good bye party before they went seperate ways. Aria loved the summer. She used to love it because of the lack of -A messages, and she got spend timeless hours with Ezra. Her summer had been so completely different. Now, she wasn't having to worry about -A, or, Charles' blackmails because they captured him and killed him. It was still a scare, having Wren be the one person they feared most right under their nose without even realizing it. More than anything, Aria was just glad that the mess was over. Now her biggest worry was what she was going to pack for her dorm in California. Everytime Aria through the about going to California, she got knots in her chest, and she was still confused on whether it was the good kind or not. She decided to hope for the best, she wanted and deserved a fresh start somewhere new and this was her chance to have it. There was no way she wasn't going to see the bright side of things.

Of course, her mind immidiatley drifted to Ezra. After graduation, they seemed to kind of lose touch, but that didn't stop Aria from thinking about him every day. Everytime she went to the Brew, she seen Nicole and got a burning feeling through out her body. She knew it wasn't fair of her to be jealous, so she kept it to herself and let Ezra live on without her. He seemed so happy everytime she ran into him. Aria didn't think there was a time where he didn't have his signature boyish grin plastered on his face. Of course, the sight immidiatley made Aria feel warm inside, but a certain coldness inside because it wasn't her who was giving him that smile.

There had been boys through the summer. Mostly flings, like a last hurrah before she went to California, but still it was better than sitting alone, holed up in her bedroom all the time. She spent lots of time with Hanna, Spencer and Emily of course. Even Alison and Mona, not usually at the same time though. They all had their next chapters to their lives figured out, though they majority of them were taking there significant other along with them, Aria felt as if she was at home with all of them. When they all got together, boyfriends, girlfriends, and all, Aria felt that these people would always be home to her. Rosewood would always be home.

Aria never really understood the saying "sometimes, home can have a heart beat" until the day she met her former English teacher at a bar. Of course, she never thought of him as her high school English teacher. She remembered looking into his eyes and almost feeling the burn of the sparks. They had such instant chemistry. When they were kissing, Aria took into to mind that their teeth never clashed, and that it was like their bodies fit perfectly together. Like they were meant for one another.

It had been such a wild ride with Ezra, right from day one. It was a winding roller coaster, with its ups and downs, but eventually roller coasters come to an end. Their flame burned bright, and Aria knew that Ezra was the love of her life. It was so right with him, it always was, until it wasn't. He would always be her first love, and she was slowly coming to realization that he wouldn't be her last.

Eventually all of the thoughts spiralling in her head winded down to a minimum, causing her to fall asleep.

Ezra sat on his couch and for what seemed like the thousandth time of watching reruns of FRIENDS. It immensely reminded him of Aria, and the night that she was cuddled at his side. But that was months ago. He now sat alone in his almost too small apartment. It seemed like with the Brew becoming a bigger priority, and having Nicole over multiple times, he needed a bigger place. The thought saddened Ezra, because 3B held so many memories for him. But a fresh start was just what he needed, because most of the memories were with Aria, and he felt like a ghost living in the past as he sat on the love seat alone.

He debated on calling Nicole, but after reading the time on his phone he realized it was too late at night. It didn't concern him much, not spending frequent amounts of time with Nicole. He always thought of her more as a friend. They kissed few times, and rarely did anything romantic, not to even bring up the fact they hadn't had sex yet. Ezra just didn't feel the chemistry with her like he did Aria, and it was starting to worry him he wouldn't feel that kind of love ever again.