𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 || "secrets can be a bitch."
~~~
in which Aria Montgomery's sister, Valerie returns to Rosewood only to be placed in a small town of chaos all because their friend decided that Secrets were what kept friends close and throughout this...
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"hey, are we still doing... you know what after lunch?" Valerie asked approaching Spencer who was walking down the hallway of the school alone. "I believe so.. why?" Spencer wondered.
"I don't think I can go... it's just I don't want to be there when they talk about Ian, and I was planning on visiting Toby's tonight." "do you want me to come with? to visit Toby?" Spencer offered. "I appreciate it but I think to many people at once is just going to scare him." "listen, I know your scared Val, we all are. but your the best person for this situation to come you hanged around Ian the most." "I barely talked to him though and every time I did it ended with me hitting him or kicking him in the balls."
"your so feisty yet small, I love it." Spencer chuckled. Valerie's mind went back to Ali and her's conversation for a second Spencer frowned. "where did you just go right now?" Spencer broke her out of thought. "this is going to sound insane, but have you gotten any... visits from Ali?" Valerie tripped over her words, Spencer stared at her confused. "I...I don't understand." "you know what never mind. I-I'm gonna head to Toby's know before it gets to late."
"okay." Spencer nodded before watching Valerie walk away. ~~ "Toby." Valerie approached him on the porch dressed nicely for the dance.
"wow.. you look great. is there a dance or something?" Toby asked. "some stupid Dance-A-Thon." "I didn't take it you were into that sort of thing, then again I don't really know you and as much as I try to figure you out I always fail..." "well don't feel bad a lot of people have tried and failed." Valerie stated.
"do you want to come in?" Toby offered. "is Jenna here?" "no. she's um out." Valerie hesitated but nodded "I didn't know you were aloud to stay home alone." Toby raised an eyebrow at her as she looked around. "I mean with the..." "tracker? yeah well things change."
Valerie nodded. "explain to me one thing... why the sudden interest?" "what?" "in getting to know me? did your friends send you over here to dig up dirt on me? if they did they aren't very good friends sending you to a killers house alone." Valerie gulped slightly. "no, I-I offered. and like I said earlier I don't believe you killed Ali." "then why are you so scared?"
Silence filled the room as the two stared at each other awkwardly, when a car pulled up. "shit, um. you need to leave now. Jenna- she uh." "is there a back door?" "yes, this way." Toby led her to the back door and Valerie walked out and waited for Jenna to walk up the porch and the car to drive away.
"Toby? who's here?" Jenna called out entering the house. "j..just me. Jenna." Toby stated Valerie climbed to the front before climbing in the car and driving off. ~~ "hey guys.. what did I miss?" Valerie asked approaching the girls. "what did we miss?" Hanna asked looking at the girls arms which were covered in dirt. Valerie shook her head covering them. "it's nothing.. just had to climb through some bushes that's all." "she says ever so casually...." Emily trailed off "we think Ian took Spencer's laptop." Aria added looking at simone and Ezra who were talking.
"wait when did simone get here?" Valerie asked her sister. "earlier today." Aria answered. "I know you're all eager to get started but first the rules, all right? number one, there's no stopping during the dances. your chaperones will be walking around, making sure you're still moving. number two..." Ian announced as Aria faces the girls peeling her eyes off of Ezra and Simone.
"what if he already erased the video?" she asked worried.
"well, then we know for sure he's hiding something, and we go to the police." spencer stated. "with no evidence? yeah that's smart." Valerie scoffed.
"look, we saw what we saw. Something went down between him and Alison and he buried her in the yard to shut her up."
The girls become silent and they stare at Ian. "Now let's get this party started!" Everyone applauds and cheers loudly.
"let's go get you clean off." Emily offers to Valerie who nodded and the two went to the restroom. ~~ Valerie sits outside in the courtyard and stares at her phone. Jason's contact resting in her view. she sighs deeply.
she misses him no doubt.
but how is she supposed to get him to come back to rosewood.
he told her he wanted to come back on his own.
it'd be like not respecting his decisions.
Valerie bit her lip in thought as Simone walked over to her.
"Hey, I haven't gotten a chance to talk to you since I got here, your always off doing something." "hey Simone." Valerie greeted with a small smile looking up at her as she took a seat. "sorry about that i'm just dealing with stuff."
Valerie shut off her phone taking one last look at it.
"you always were." Valerie stared at her.
"I mean." Simone chuckled slightly. "you always had to keep yourself busy it was a daily routine it was hard enough to keep you in your seat." "yeah well this is different." Valerie sighed resting her chin on her hand.
"I know that look... boy troubles?" "sorta." Valerie shrugged.
"who's the lucky guy?" "an old friend, but he moved out of Rosewood, and I haven't talked to him in a while but I miss him so much. But I feel almost... guilty seeing him." "do you love him?" "love? I'm not sure..." "you would know." "well I can barely sleep at night, I have butterflies every time I think of him and I haven't liked another guy since him."
"he sounds like a lucky guy. you should call him." "but what do I say?" "as cliche as this sounds... speak from your heart and if he doesn't come home from that well it's his loss."
Valerie smiled softly at the girl before nodding. "Thanks Simone."
"any time Val." the two exchanged hugs before she headed back inside.
Valerie pushed the call button and hoped she'd get voicemail. "val?" a soft voice answered from the phone.
"shit. I was hoping I'd get voicemail." "i'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Jason mumbled.
"I have to get something off my chest and I need you to sit there and listen or-" "-can I speak first please? Aria called me. she told me you were hanging around Toby, the boy who killed my sister. what are you thinking?" "I don't think he killed your sister." "The police said-" "I know but you don't know him." "neither do you!" Jason's voice raised. "you sound like a jealous boyfriend." Valerie scoffed rolling her eyes.
"yeah right, you wish." "no you wish." "you forget who you're talking to." "and so do you. do you like me?" "define like?" "you've got to be kidding me. are you serious?" Valerie asked a hint of hope in her voice.
"how do you think I feel.. I haven't slept I feel sick like there is something in my stomach. fluttering." Jason trailed off.
"Butterflies?" Valerie asked. "yes. Butterflies."
the two were silent for a while. "I don't want you hanging around Toby Cavanaugh anymore." "you can't tell me what to do." "will you stop be stubborn for once and listen to me! he is dangerous. okay? and I care about you too much to stand by and watch you get hurt."
Valerie didn't say anything at first she couldn't just drop Toby. she believed Toby. but other's didn't. he wasn't a piece of trash you could toss to the side.
"I can't promise anything." Valerie muttered. "I greatly appreciate your concern but I have to do this. just do me a favor." "sure. anything." "be safe and come home one day."
there was a pause, as silence filled Valerie's ears once again. "I will."
