keep me counting ➳ j. dilaurentis

seven.

➳
wednesday evening

maisey walked out onto the balcony of jason's small studio apartment. the cold wind hitting her skin would have given her goosebumps, but they were already there as she stared down at her phone. the brown haired girl looked back at jason as she shut the door behind her, he was staring at her with a smile, which she returned quickly before looking back down at her phone. she answered it, putting the phone to her ear, the wrong kind of butterflies filling her stomach as she imagined what twisted things a would say this time.

"maisey!" her mother exclaimed on the other end. on a normal day, the sound of her mom's voice would make her hang up immediately, but this day wasn't normal. relief washed over her, an involuntary smile creeping upon her lips before she scolded herself for it and kept a straight face.

"why aren't you calling from your phone? why the blocked id?" maisey asked.

"i knew you wouldn't pick up if i did, dear," she answered, sounding motherly as ever. "where are you? i dropped by the apartment to check on  you, but ezra said you didn't come back home after school. his girlfriend said you're with the rest of your friends? but i bumped into hannah at the coffee shop and-"

"yeah," maisey interrupted. "i'm in philly, with spencer. we're staying out here watching melissa's apartment. i'll be here for a couple of days."

"what about school?"

"just because i'm not in rosewood doesn't mean i wont go to school, i'll wake up early and-"

"ezra told me what happened." there was complete silence between the two. all maisey could hear on her mom's end was the sound of classical music playing in the background, and all mrs. fitzgerald could hear on her daughter's end was the sound of cars passing by. the young girl knew what her mom was gonna say, something about how she shouldn't get comfortable around her friends, or something along the lines of i told you so, or some long lecture that would make maisey hang up mid way.

"honey, i thought you were better," she finally spoke.

"i am. i'm not tucked in some mental institute, i'm taking my meds regularly, i'm not rapid cycling. i was just upset."

"just upset isn't screaming in the hallway, maisey."

"well, i'm sorry i embarrassed you again!" she exclaimed, throwing her hand up. "i'm sorry i bring so much shame to the family, i'm sorry i wasn't accepted into any private schools, i'm sorry you had to send me off to rosewood, i'm sorry i could never live up to your standards!"

"it's not about that-"

"no! it is, you never called while i was in welsh, you were never concerned when things like this happen in a private setting, but suddenly now you care so much. so much that you call me from a blocked id just to-"

"maisey, listen to me!"

"no, i'm done, bye." she said, before hanging up. she wanted to toss her phone off the balcony, but instead she just angrily shoved it into her pocket. a floorboard creaked behind her, but she didn't bother to look back, already knowing it was jason. maisey leaned on the railing, tapping her fingers across the wooden frame.

"how long have you been standing there?" she asked, turning around and looking at him with glassy eyes.

"long enough to know that it's not ezra," he muttered, stepping closer, taking her hands in his. she looked down at their hands and bit her lip, shaking her head. "hey-"