The Secet Life of Alison DiLaurentis

Chapter 2: One YeAr LAter

I came out of hiding for one reason and one reason only: to protect my friends. When my friend Hanna got hit by a car, I had to return no matter what to make sure she was okay. I knew what happened because I still had some connections in Rosewood. Noel Kahn, for example, told me that Hanna was hit. However, there was a limited - and I do mean limited - amount of people that knew I was actually still alive. They had apparently pronounced me dead because I was allegedly found where they were building a gazebo in the yard.

As soon as I received the news, I had Noel come and pick me up from where I was staying and drive me to Rosewood. It wasn't an easy going conversation.

"Ali, are you crazy? I'm doing a lot to help you here, but this is a really bad idea!" Noel exclaimed, his voice full of terror.

"Noel, I'll be fine!" I played off.

"And what if you won't be fine? What if this 'A' person decides to attack you again? What if they see you?" Noel raised his voice.

"Noel, Hanna is my best friend. I have to make sure she is okay. It's one thing when you're messing with me or even trying to do what A did; I deserve it. I've been a bad person, but these are my friends. They didn't do anything. They just followed me. I got them into this mess and I have to get them out or try my best to make sure they are safe," I explained.

"I'm just worried, Alison. I don't want you to get hurt." Noel's voice lowered.

"Please, Noel. I need to do this more than anything right now," I pleaded.

He sighed. "Alright, fine, I'll do it."

"Thank you! Where and when shall we meet?" I asked.

"At the pub on South Street, and around noon tomorrow. I'll be in my brother's car."

"See you then," I said, hanging the phone up.

Discreetly, I looked around at the payphone to make sure no one had been listening. I held my breath, but when I discovered no one was around I exhaled and left, walking across the street and into my apartment. Locking all four locks, I sat down in a chair by the door. I used a payphone instead of a cell is because I didn't want to be easily traced. It is possible to trace one but by the time someone did I would be gone.

The next day, at ten o'clock I awoke and got in the shower, washing both my hair and body. I dried off and started putting on makeup immediately after, applying a light teal eye shadow and mascara. Pulling out my Jungle Red lipstick, I started applying that as well; Jungle Red was always my color, I thought it brought every one of my features out.

After I finished my hair and makeup I got dressed, putting on Daisy Duke shorts and a red tank top. Glancing in my full body mirror one last time, I walked out the door an hour and a half later, turning a corner into an alley. Alleys in Ravenswood weren't like the ones in Rosewood. Everything that could be seen when walking down an alley in Ravenswood was gray. Black cats wandered, dumpsters littered the place, and a long line of a puddle went all the way down. I was nervous about walking through the alleys, as I felt I was going to get attacked, yet protected because rarely anyone went down there.

I reached the end of the alley and continued onto the main road until I reached Carnie's Blackberry Pub. This pub was actually the only building in town that didn't look like it lived in the twenties. The bricks were tinted red and the doors were dark brown with black door handles; the glass had green lettering and the paint on the wood was also dark green. It had a creepy atmosphere because it looked as if it belonged in a horror movie, but in this town, it was actually the odd one out. To be honest, it should have been in Rosewood.

I stood near the door, waiting for Noel to arrive, not knowing what time it was. I guessed it was almost midday as I walked out the house at eleven thirty and it was a ten minute walk to get to the pub. Noel finally pulled up and I got inside the car, smiling at him as he smiled back.