Secrets (Pretty Little Liars fan fic!!!!)

Chapter 12__Salt Meets Wound

Hanna was home in a wheelchair.

Spencer, Emily, Aria and I were helping with everything.

Hanna was trying to keep a sticker on her leg cast. The sticker was large and orange, with a black sticker message over it. Humpty Dumpty was pushed!

"Why are you talking that off?" Aria asked.

"I'm not," Hanna answered. "I'm trying to keep it on. Believe me, I don't want to see the autograph that's under it."

"We can get you another sticker," Spencer told her. 

"This time, why don't you try something mellower, like, 'Save the planet'?" I asked.

"Hey, there were not a lot of choices, okay?" Spencer asked. "It was either humpty dumpty or 'Jesus is coming. Look busy'."

Hanna peeled back the sticker to look at the message from A. "Oh, God, it's still there."

Spencer put the sticker back over it, kneeling next to her. "Hanna. Hanna, don't, okay? Don't look at that. Just look around you, 'cause you're safe, you're home, and you're alive."

"I thought I was safe in my hospital room, too," Hanna told us. "What's going on with Noel Kahn? Is he A? Have you talked to him?"

"No, I avoid him," Aria answered. "I keep telling him I'm busy. Busy freaking out every time I look at him."

"Yeah, well, try being run over by him," Hanna told us.

"Who got you this panda?" Emily asked, holding up the stuffed animal to distract Hanna. "Sean?"

"Lucas," Hanna answered. 

"Oh, sweet," Emily told her.

"Anyone else starving, or is it just me?" Hanna asked.

I went to get food. "Your mom said she left a special dinner for you in the fridge."

"Pass," Hanna told us. "I want a Pop-Tart." We looked at her in amusement. "What? I've been on hospital food for three weeks. I want to eat something that doesn't look like it's already been chewed."

I opened a cabinet, taking out the Pop-Tarts, taking one out, handing it to Hanna.

"Hey, so, if you're gonna stay down here tonight, we were, um..." Aria trailed off.

"Um, yeah," Hanna told us, taking a bite of Pop-Tart. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Down here's good. Uh, you can go. Seriously, my mom's gonna be here soon."

"Wait," I told her. "So now you want us to leave?"

"You don't have to put on a brave face for us, okay?" Spencer asked. "We get it. If being alone is freaking you out, we can absolutely stay as long as you--"

"No, no, no," Hanna told us. "I'm just--I'm fuzzy, and I think it's from this pain medication. Yeah, I need a nap."

"Okay," Emily told her. "Can we help you to the couch?"

"No, you've done enough," Hanna told us. "Seriously, you guys, go."

"Okay," Emily told her. "Call us?"

"Yeah," Hanna answered. "Thanks, guys."

"Anytime," I told her.

Aria, Emily, Spencer and I walked out, leaving.

~

I walked into my own house after work, listening to music through headphones, bopping to the beat, walking toward the cupboard, opening it, taking out a box of pasta to cook for myself, seeing it was already open, confused. I pulled out a stream of pasta, shocked to see money was attached to it. I poured out the entire box's contents onto the counter.