Ezra picked off a box with his name on it and carried it to his old room. He was moving back to Rosewood after one whole year. It felt longer and he wanted to stay in Iceland. His family got along. His dad wasn't messing around with that younger girl when they were in Iceland. His brother didn't fight with him in Iceland. Life was so much better in Iceland.
"Ezra, honey?" His mom called, swinging her body through his doorway. "Are you settling in well?"
"I'm alright, Mom" He replied, pulling out his books and setting them back on the empty shelf. The one that had been empty, only collecting dust, for one year.
"Are you sure? I know you didn't want to come back here after everything that happened" She trailed off.
"I'm totally fine" He lied, continuing to sort through his stuff.
"Then I would really appreciate it if you could drive Wes to lacrosse practice" She pleaded and Ezra nodded.
"Of course, Mom. Tell him to be ready in ten minutes" He said, smiling. It was so hard to keep this secret for so long. He loved his mom, but he loved his dad too. He couldn't just tell her something that he had known about for so long and never told her.
Ten minutes later, his hands were on the steering wheel and Wes jumped into the front seat. "Thanks for the ride, Bro"
Ezra nodded and started driving until he reached the school.
"What time should I pick you up?" He asked as Wes jumped out.
"I don't know, I'll call you!" He waved and ran up the steps. At least one of them was excited to be back.
"Hey Fitz!" Someone yelled which turned Ezra's head to the attention of a guy running over, bouncing a basket ball. "Haven't seen you in awhile"
"Yeah" Is all Ezra replied. He didn't have much to say.
"Well I'll see you around" The man said, jogging away. Ezra couldn't even remember his name.
He had to get his mind off everything. He wasn't usually the type to break the rules but he needed something to drink. He pulled into Snookers bar and walked inside, flashing his fake idea, his girlfriend insisted he get. Well, I guess she was his ex. Now that she was gone. He plopped down at the bar."Can I get a cheeseburger please?"
His eyes drifted to a missing person poster. His girlfriend stared back, beautiful as ever.
"Did you know her?" Asked a voice he didn't recognize.
"Yeah, she was my girlfriend" He replied, shaking his head. "I can't believe they didn't find out what happened yet"
"I'm so sorry about your girlfriend" The girl responded.
"Thanks but I'm kind of sick of the sympathy" He said, sipping on the beer the bartender had just put down.
"Not sympathy, really" She said, sliding down one seat. "I just thought it would make you feel better. You look pretty sad"
He nodded and his eyes drifted to the girls face. She couldn't be too much older than him. She was pretty. Really pretty.
"Stop it, Ezra. It's too soon" He muttered under his breathe. He couldn't even think about starting something new, he wasn't even over Alison yet.
He stayed silent until a song came on. It drifted into his ears and he recognized it instantly. "I love this song"
"B26" She replied, motioning towards the jukebox. "I love this song too"
"Not a lot of people know this song. It's my favorite. My girlfriend didn't even like it" He said, closing his eyes and trying to hold back the tears.
"So do you go to Hollis?" He asks, trying to quickly change the subject.
"Just graduated, I'm going to start my first teaching job" She replied.
"I think I'd like to teach" He blurts out, something he had never told anyone. Not even Alison.
"Oh really?" She asks, biting on her bottom lip.
"And I write too. It's just personal now. Just for me" He says and he doesn't know why he words are rolling off his tongue so easy. He had never opened up to anyone ever before and he didn't even know this girl.
"If you're writing for yourself, then you're going to accomplish something one day" She said.
His phone buzzed on the table, interrupting the moment.
Can you pick me up now - Wes
He sighed and slid my phone into his pocket.
"I have to go pick up my brother" He put a couple dollars on the bar to pay for his drink and the cheeseburger he didn't even eat.
"Maybe I'll see you around?" She asked.
"Yeah of course" He said, approaching her and putting out his hand. "I'm Ezra, by the way"
"Aria" She replied, shaking his hand.
Ezra didn't know what he was doing but he slammed his lips onto hers unexpectedly. For a moment, he forgot about Alison. He forgot about her disappearance. He forgot about how much he missed her. All his emotions were gone for a few short seconds when he kissed this girl.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that" He said.
"No, that's alright" She rubbed her pointer finger over her lips.
"I gotta go now. Hope to see you sometime" He said before exciting.
He smiled all the way back to his car and was still smiling the next morning when he got up for school. It was the first time in awhile he was actually truly happy.
"Someone's in a good mood" His mom said, opening the blinds and letting the sunlight enter the house.
"Yeah I guess I am" He said, grabbing a bagel off the plate his mom had set out and headed for his car.
He checked his schedule in the school parking lot and noticed he had English first this year. He made his way there and saw that the teacher wasn't here yet, so he sat down in a random seat in the back.
"Hello class" The teacher said and Ezra looked up. "My name is Miss Montgomery and I'm you're new English teacher"
That voice, that face. He recognized all of it. This was Aria. The girl he had kissed at the bar. The girl he actually smiled for. The girl who was now his teacher.
"Holy Crap"
