Locum Tenens

PART TWO: "Sic Infit"

~ So it begins. ~ 

DISCLAIMER: Pretty Little Liars and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

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CHAPTER FIVE

Emily struggled to steady her trembling hands as she tried to open the door to her room while fighting back tears. Her vision might still be blurry but she knew that every single person she passed by stared at her with open curiosity because she was drenched from head to toe and to them, she most certainly looked like someone who's on the verge of hysterics. Well they're probably right. Emily thought, cursing when she dropped her keys.

For a second Emily was tempted to start pounding on the door until she remembered that no one's inside. Spencer told her before she left for her exam that her friend was going to have dinner with Connor, their former-schoolmate-turned-Spencer's-college-boyfrie nd. And while Emily wished that her friend could open the door for her because she was impatient to get inside, she felt relieved with the knowledge that she has the place to herself even if it's just for a few hours. With renewed determination, Emily grabbed her keys from the floor and tried searching for the right key to her room, getting annoyed that they all seemed to look the same. She was close to losing it when the door suddenly swung open and she found herself staring into her friend's amused then worried eyes.

"What the hell?!" Spencer exclaimed, stepping aside to let the girl in. "Did you run all the way from the McNeil building?" She asked once she closed the door behind her friend. "Why didn't you wait for the rain to let up?"

Emily realized that she was really counting on getting the room to herself. She wanted to collapse and breakdown in the comfort of her bed once she got inside but she can't do that now because Spencer would undoubtedly ask why she's crying and she didn't want to say those three words out loud. I kissed Paige. Emily bit back a sob and looked around the room for her bath towel, trying to hide her tearstained cheeks from her friend. Good thing she was soaked to the skin that her tears mixed with the rainwater on her face.

"Em. Hey. Did you hear me? Are you okay?" Spencer asked when she noticed how distressed her friend seemed to be. She reached for Emily's bath towel which was hanging on the back of the chair right in front of the girl and handed it to her friend.

"Thanks." Emily said without meeting her friend's eyes. She used the towel to wipe the tears and water off her face, hoping she could carry a conversation with her friend without her voice giving away her current emotional state. "Yeah. I'm okay. I just couldn't wait to get home so I ran all the way back. I thought you said you were going to have dinner with Connor tonight?" She asked, changing the subject as she busied herself with grabbing a change of clothes.

"Yeah. I just came back to grab some stuff. I'm sleeping over at his apartment." Spencer replied while studying her friend closely. "But I can cancel on him if you want company."

Emily shook her head. "It's fine. I'll probably just crash after I take a shower anyway. You should go." She urged, taking off her jacket and removing its contents before putting it in the hamper. "I'm fine." She insisted when she felt her friend's eyes on her. Emily forced herself to meet Spencer's eyes and gave the girl a smile. "Go be with Connor. I want details in the morning." She managed to say teasingly.

"Okay. I guess I'll just see you tomorrow then." Spencer said, grabbing her overnight bag on top of her bed before heading out, locking the door behind her as she did so.