2.08

•

"Save The Date"

Parked across from Emily's house, three of the five girls sat in Spencer's car waiting for Emily. Aria kept trying to get through to Halle, but there was no answer. The calls went to voicemail and texts were undelivered. They didn't know she was with Jason, sat in The Grille, slipping back into old habits and her deadliest secret. Before then, Spencer had gone to Officer Garrett Reynolds for more information, having previously given him Ian's ten-thousand-dollars to check out the lead they gave him.

"Wait, so it was just the two of you sitting in Garrett's car?" Hanna asked Spencer.

"I didn't know where else to meet him," Spencer reasoned. "It wasn't like I could ask him that stuff down at the precinct."

"How did you get away from him?" Aria asked.

"When you sent me that text, I told him it was my mom," Spencer told them. "That she wanted me home ASAP." She held up her hand horizontally to them. "Am I still shaking? I'm still shaking," Spencer said, panicked over Aria finding out Jenna's connection with Garrett.

"Yeah, we're all shaking," Hanna replied, pulling her jacket closer to her. "Can you turn on the heat? You could make a slushie back here."

"Guys, where would Jenna give him that lantern?" Aria asked them seriously.

"Okay, you don't know that she gave it to him," Hanna said.

"What do you think? He bought it at the blind artist's craft fair?" shot Spencer harshly. "Course she gave it to him. Question is, when did they become buddies —and why?"

"Spencer, they grew up across the street from each other," Hanna pointed out. "His parents still live in that house. Maybe he's just bringing raw meat to Jenna's cat."

"Toby lives there too, and they don't have a cat," Spencer said firmly.

"Then, maybe he was bringing over raw meat for Jenna," said Hanna, grossing the other two out.

They heard a door close, and Aria picked up her head. She looked across the road and saw Emily approaching. "Here comes Em," she said.

"Who's living in her house now?" asked Spencer.

"Some losers who can't figure out the alarm system," Hanna retorted. She rolled her eyes, over the frequent calls out. "Tripped it, like, three times and the security company keeps calling her mom in Texas."

The door opened, and Hanna moved over. Emily climbed in the back, behind the driver's side, sighing heavily as she got in and shut the door after her.

"Everything okay?" Spencer questioned her.

Emily nodded, a little dazed. "Yeah, it's fine," she said. "It's just so weird to walk in there and see other people's stuff."

"Hey, why don't you tell them to lay off the alarm for a couple days?" shot an irritable Hanna.

"Well, I'm guessing they don't feel safe," Emily said, honesty laced within her voice. She knew she didn't in Rosewood.

"Well, they will now. I'm sure Aria's parents are gonna have Mike on lockdown till he turns eighteen," remarked Hanna.

Aria looked behind her and glared at the blonde. "You did not just say that, Han."

"What? Okay, I'm not judging!" Hanna said defensively. "I'm just guessing that your little brother will find another hobby besides breaking and entering."

"Still talking," Spencer scolded, in disbelief that their friend continued.

"Look, guys, I don't know what's going on with my little brother. If I knew, you would know," Aria said, blatantly worried. This wasn't some dare; it was a life of crime Mike was building for himself.

"Where's Halle?" Emily finally asked Aria. It felt odd to her to be with the rest of them and not have Halle chiming in. "Did you manage to reach her yet?"

"No, she didn't respond to the SOS. The other ones aren't sending," Aria said. "I can't get a hold of her."

"She was fine when she left yours, right?" Hanna asked.

"Yeah, she was going home. I didn't see her leave, but she called up to say she was," Aria answered. "Jason was giving her a ride, I think."

"Jason?!" Spencer was alarmed. Her eyes went large. "You let her go home with Jason? I told you to talk to her," Spencer yelled.

"Spencer, my brother was arrested. Forgive me if I couldn't convince Halle that you think Alison's brother buried a murder weapon in your yard," Aria fumed. "Besides, she won't listen to you. She doesn't believe Jason could do it."

"Why not? She was there when him and Ali fought, when he swung a hockey stick at her," Spencer barked.

Aria sighed, slouching in the seat. She bit her lip, trying to hold back whatever she knew, but caved quickly. "Okay, I have to tell you guys something." Aria sat up, facing the centre of the car so she could see them all. "I invited Halle tonight because my mom invited Jason."

"Why would you do that?" Hanna asked.

"Yeah, Halle said there was nothing between her and Jason," Emily pointed out as a reminder.

"You didn't see them tonight," Aria said. She struggled to find the right words, opening and closing her mouth a few times without knowing how to say what she witnessed. "It's hard to explain, you have to see it."

"See what?" Spencer questioned, her deadly serious.

"We all have had our first loves, right? We all know how that feels," Aria explained, and she saw her friends begin to follow. "What if Halle didn't tell us everything about that summer? What if it was something more?" Aria shook her head, chest swirling as she told them, "Look, I saw them tonight, I saw them at the fashion show, and I saw the change on Jason's face when he looked at her. I've been seeing it for a while now, and... There was just somethingabout them, something about them together that makes me think that it wasn't just a game to her, or to him."

"You think she loves him?" Emily asked curiously, on the edge of her seat.

"I think she cares about him more than she's let on," replied Aria honestly. "And more than we'd care to know."

Spencer threw her head back, hitting the head-rest with a thump. "God, we're already in too deep with A, we can't have Halle and Jason getting close on top of it. We have to talk to her."

"I'll talk to her," Emily started, claiming it first. She gave Spencer a look and said, "Look, she's not gonna tell us anything if you go in like that. She'll talk to me, and maybe we'll get to the bottom of what really happened that summer."

"Fine," Spencer gave in. She wasn't too happy about it, wanting to hear Halle's answers first-hand, but allowed it anyway. Nobody wasn't going to get much out of Halle if she felt she was being attacked. After all, Halle was the most convincing liar. The four of them knew that well.

•

"Where the hell were you?"

Halle blinked a few times, taken back by Emily abrupt greeting. After getting in late last night, Halle hadn't seen her friends' messages until the morning. Her cellphone was flooded with missed calls and unanswered texts. Halle had sent out a group-text apologising, saying she had no good excuse. If anything, Halle was just peeved she missed Hanna's, "Jenna can't hear us, she's blind," comment, after being filled in that morning by a call from the blonde straight after her apology-text was sent.

"Good morning to you, too," Halle said. She looked to her side, from the inside of her locker, to see Emily was still staring at her.

"Where were you?" Emily asked again. Seriously, she said, "Aria sent an SOS. You know the rule for when someone sends an SOS, we all show up."

"I told you this morning, my phone died," said Halle, with a shrug.

"You could have called back," Emily insisted.

"It was dead, Em," Halle repeated.

"When it was charged," Emily pointed out.

"I got in late," Halle explained, her hand up as she spoke. "I put it on charge the moment I got home and I crashed right after. I didn't see all the texts and missed calls until this morning. I got back to you guys as soon as I saw."

"But you left Aria's early," Emily said.

There, it was. Halle knew she was caught out. Knowing she was in for it, Halle pressed her lips together and tried her best to not look guilty. "Yeah, well, I went to dinner," Halle said, "with Jason."

Emily's mouth fell open. "You what?"

"It was only because we didn't eat at Aria's," Halle told her, trying her best to calm her friend down. Halle shut her locker and moved over to Emily's, three lockers down from hers. "We talked, we ate and he drove him me home after," she said. "I didn't realise my phone died until I got in."

"You went on a date with Ali's brother," Emily said lowly, disapproving of the relationship.

"It wasn't a date, Em. Just two people grabbing dinner together," Halle said, playing it off as nothing. "People can do that, you know. You get that, right?"

Emily opened her locker and warned Halle, "Just as long as that's all it was."

"It was, I promise," Halle said, hand over heart in fake sincerity.

"Well, that's not what Aria's saying," Emily told her best friend. "She's saying that maybe there's more to you and Jason, that they are feelings."

"And you wanna trust Aria's judgement? Em, she's hooked up with the first guy who talked to her when she came back Iceland, and it turned out to be our teacher. I think we can all stop taking pages out of Aria's book," Halle retorted rather sharply.

Halle didn't do too well with people stepping into her business and judging, especially when she had no clue what was happening first. She knew for certain they'd judge her dinner with Jason and how he made her feel. Halle moved to lean back against the locker and then her eyes caught sight of a certain person in the hallway, causing her to stand straighter.

"Uh, Em?"

Turning around, Emily noticed her father coming towards them. "Dad? How? What?" Emily was completely blindsided by her father being there. Still, she hugged him tightly.

"I wanted to surprise you after the meet," Mr Fields said, kissing his daughter's head.

"Is mom with you?" asked Emily eagerly.

"No, she's still in Texas," Wayne Fields said. "I had to be in Delaware for a training seminar, and they cancelled all flights back. Some huge storm down there, so I figured I could either sit in the airport in Bethesda or in the stands in Rosewood."

"You drove all the way up here?" Emily asked him, eyebrows raised in pleasant surprise.

"Well, your mom said it was an important meet," Wayne Fields mentioned. "She said that you told her that scout from Danby College is coming."

"I did?" questioned Emily, suddenly guilt seeped into her face. "Oh, right, yeah."

"I'm looking forward to meeting him," said her father. "What's his name again? Rabin, uh...?"

"Hey, Mr Fields." Halle immediately inserted herself into the conversation. She knew how awful Emily felt about lying to her parents, so Halle did whatever she could to ease that feeling. If it was distraction that was needed, Halle was happy to be that.

"Oh, Halle, hey. How are you?" Wayne Fields asked her, smiling at the girl.

"Good, sir. You?" Halle was always polite when it came down to Mr Fields; she had a huge amount of respect for him.

"Better to see my Emmy," the man said proudly.

"Dad, I just— I wish I'd known," Emily said.

"No, Emmy, don't worry," Wayne Fields reassured her. "I know you have your whole pre-race routine, so I'm not gonna hold you up." Gently, he nudged Emily's cheek with his knuckles. "Go. But if you hear somebody screaming in the stand like a crazy person, that's me." He kissed her head again. "Go get them," encouraged Wayne Fields. He spared a glance at Halle and said, "Good luck with the Regionals, Halle, you'll do us Sharks proud."

"Thanks, Mr Fields," Halle said, before the man walked away. She looked to her best friend and said, "I'll call you when I get a chance. You'll do amazing, Em. Don't panic over this, or try not to panic over this. Just get one of the girls to keep your dad far away from the Danby coach, Hanna will be good for it."

Emily sighed, "Maybe." She bent down for her duffel-bag but halted, gasping as a sharp pain shot through her.

Instantly, Halle noticed. "Em? Em?!" She grew more worried when her friend didn't answer, just more pained groans escaping her.

A grunt of agony tore through the air. Emily toppled over, her hand colliding to the floor. She collapsed, screaming in pain.

"Emily!" Halle cried out. Her knees crashed down to the ground and she reached for her friend, trying to keep Emily's head up. "Em?" Halle pushed the girl's hair from her face. Her heart was racing. Beads of sweat formed on Emily's reddening face as started to convulse, gasping for air and clutching her side. "Help! Someone help us!" Halle cried out. "Em!"

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Emily kept screaming. She sounded like a wounded animal, howling in pain. Another wail escaped her, and Halle cried out for help once more.

Officer Reynolds came rushing over, speaking into his police-radio. "L-21 requesting a rescue ambulance unit needed at Rosewood High School."

Concern consumed Halle. She tried her best to stay calm, but her hands were shaking violently. Fear swept over her. She was terrified. Halle kept her wet eyes firmly on Emily's face. "Em, stay with me, okay? Stay with me." Panic-stricken, she snapped her face up to meet Garrett's. "Someone's coming, right? Someone's coming to help her?"

"Help is coming. She's gonna be okay."

•

Halle bit at her thumb nail, phone to her ear as she spoke with Spencer. Halle and Aria were the only ones not at the hospital yet, and Halle felt sick over it. Aria had the excuse of 'family court' aimed at her brother, but Halle was slowly beginning to feel her excuse was pitiful. She was stood by the school gym, in her cheer-uniform with her duffel-bag at her feet. Halle was meant to be leaving for Regionals soon, but it was the last place she wanted to be. Her mind was elsewhere.

"So Em's okay?"

"The doctors say so," Spencer said. "Ulcers can heal, though. So, that's a positive."

"A positive? She's a gaping hole in her stomach," came Hanna's voice.

"Hole?!" Halle's back bolted upright.

"Relax, Halle, it's fine— Would you quit it?" Spencer snapped at Hanna. "You're freaking her out and she has to be on bus to Regionals in, like, ten minutes," Spencer said. She sighed and went back to the call, "Look, Halle, Emily's gonna be fine, we're all looking after her. And it's not a hole."

"It's a hole," Hanna said.

"It's not a hole, Hanna, for the last time," Spencer exclaimed.

"Forget it," Halle began. "I'm coming to the hospital instead. Coach said—"

"Don't you dare!" Hanna had grabbed the phone and was now raving down it at Halle, lecturing her. "We have got this covered, okay? So, you just put your cute ass in one of those disgusting bus-seats and you shake it and your pom-poms all the way to first spot."

"Han," tried Halle, but it was no use.

"Em is fine, the doctors said so, and I think they know about that stuff than us," Hanna assured strongly. "We'll give Emily your love, she knows you'll be here as soon as you get back."

"I should be there," Halle said.

"No, you should be stretching," Hanna quipped.

Coach Rhodes looked over, grabbing Halle's attention. "Halle, the bus leaves in ten minutes, be quick. Ten minutes," she repeated.

"Okay, got it," Halle said. She spoke back into the phone, "Girls, I've got to go. The bus leaves in ten."

"Good luck, you'll be great," Spencer said.

"Ooh, can you get someone to tape it? What— So, she gets her shake her ass and I don't get to see? You're such a bore." Hanna gave a loud huff, bickering with Spencer. "Good luck!"

"Give Em my love. Tell her I'll be there after Regionals," said Halle.

"We will," Spencer said. "Bye."

"... Thanks, bye."

Halle hung up the phone and crouched down to slot it into her bag. When she stood up again, she brought the bag up with her and slid the strap over her shoulder. She was about to join the seniors, over by the doors where Coach Rhodes was, when someone grabbed her attention.

"Is your friend okay?" asked one of her fellow cheerleaders. Sophie, the same girl Halle had all the issues with before, spoke up with her gaggle of sidekicks beside her. The girl's nose hadn't quite healed back; the slope now crooked from where Halle's knee connected with it. It gave Halle a feeling of satisfaction, not being able to hold back the curve at the corner of her mouth. "Everyone heard what happened," Sophie said, "such a scene."

"She's fine," Halle said, short, unsure of the sudden interest shown. Halle didn't quite understand why someone else was asking, especially one of the girls that didn't like Halle all that much.

"Good, 'cos we wouldn't want what happened to knock your game," the girl said sneeringly. "Wouldn't want you to go in a spiral like the last time one of your friends got hurt. You might lose Regionals for us."

"Oh, don't worry, Sophie," Halle said, a fake smile on her face out of mockery. "There's no chance of that, I'm competing, right?"

Sophie chose to cough loudly, "Slut." The two girls around her began to giggle, laughing like it was the funniest thing a person had ever done.

Halle disregarded her bag to the floor. "What?"

"I said—"

"I heard what you said," Halle cut her off. "I was giving you a chance to take it back before your ass gets handed to you."

"You don't get to talk to me like that," Sophie warned her with a smug grin. "You can't get into any more fights, remember? Or you won't be competing."

Halle bit her tongue, knowing it was true. She couldn't risk it today, not with the bus for Regionals leaving in less than ten minutes. She needed this competition, having missed the qualifiers from her injuries.

"Soon enough, she'll have no friends," called out Sophie, just as Halle went to pick up her bag.  She was speaking to her friends, but it was intentional for Halle to hear. "One down, and it looks like that Emily's next. Maybe they do it on purpose." Sophie laughed proudly, turning her back on Halle to face her friends, who were also laughing.

Neither of the girls Sophie was with had the chance to warn their friend before Halle snapped. Their mouths opened, but nothing came out. Halle had already grabbed onto the girl's ponytail, her knee diving into the back of the other girl's one to knock her balance off. Halle yanked on the hair, hard, drawing in hand into a fist. Sophie yelped, but Halle kept her in place. "Talk about my friends like that again, you won't have a pony to tie back."

Halle threw Sophie from her by her grip on the girl's hair, and Sophie collided with the lockers with a loud bang. The sound of metal made Coach Rhodes lift her eyes from the clipboard.

Sophie clutched at her hair, her face going pink in anger. She was mortified at what had just happened. "You can't do that!" she screeched.

"What is going on over there?" shouted coach. She tried to see through the hoard of students — mostly her team — circling around the commotion.

"Just quit the hate campaign while you still can," Halle said, tired of the routine now. "Get over yourself, it'll be easier for the both of us, trust me."

"I'll have you off the team for that, I'll have your spot," said Sophie, far too boldly for a girl that just hit the lockers.

"Freaking try, bitch!" exclaimed Halle, laughing manically. She threw her arms out, confident in her skills more than anything else. "You can't do half of what I can. You can't win without me, honey. I'm Vice Captain!"

Sophie let out a shrilled scream and launched herself at Halle. She managed to shove Halle's face back into the opposite lockers as Halle grasped at Sophie's ponytail again. Halle kicked her knee out and pushed her back, gripping on the other girl's uniform with a tight hold and threw her to the floor. She went to charge at Sophie again, but was held back by Coach Rhodes.

"Hey — hey — hey!" Coach Rhodes yelled at the top of her voice. The coach's vein in her neck violently protruded and eyes bored into the two girls as she whipped her head back and forth between with.

One of the cheerleaders helped Sophie up from the floor, her playing on it more now people were watching. She put on an especially good show for the coach.

"What is going on over here?" Coach Rhodes asked them once she had separated Halle from her. "The bus leaves in eight, girls. We don't have time for fighting."

"Ask my step-in," shot Halle, glaring at her coach. Her arm was out, equally angered at the situation. "You know, the girl you're rewarding for me fighting when she's starting them."

"That doesn't mean you have to finish them," Coach Rhode shot. She was more disappointment in Halle than mad, even though she was furious in that moment.

"What else am I supposed to do with that?" Halle spat back.

A growl left Sophie before she lunged for Halle again, going for Halle's hair this time. Halle fought back, screeching, and managed to hit her cheek with an open palm. Coach Rhodes screamed at them, frustrated to be having to deal with them fighting again.

A hand reached out and grabbed Halle's arm, pulling her back from the fight. Jason had gotten his arm around her waist and hauled her back with him. He pulled her away, turning his back on the scene and blocking Halle from it too. His hands found her shoulders, keeping an iron-grip on them. "Stop, Halle. Stop," Jason said. He shook her slightly, his serious eyes meeting her hot ones. "Trust me, you don't wanna have this fight."

"She's insane!" Sophie yelled at their coach. "Her ass attacked me again! This is the second time, Coach, she's targeting me!"

"You drew the target your-freaking-self," Halle shouted back.

"Stop it! Both of you — you're supposed to be a team," Coach Rhodes told them off.

"Team?" Halle scoffed. "She ain't ever wanted to be on a team with me," she argued, pointing aggressively at Sophie; Jason stood slight off to the side now.

"Resolve it now or you'll be suspended," warned Coach Rhodes firmly.

"You need me for the routine," Halle said. "I'm a flyer."

"There's no 'I' in team, Halle," Coach told her.

"No, but there's a few bitches," Halle sneered, mainly at Sophie and her gang.

"One slut though," one of those girls shot at Halle, defending her friend.

"Come over here and say that again, I'll throw your ass to the ground too," Halle fired back.

"Enough," came Principal Hackett's voice. He stood in a parted sea of students, eyes narrowing over the cheer-team. "What's going on here? Can you handle your team, Coach?" he shot at the woman.

"Yes, I have it under control," Coach Rhodes told her boss.

"It looks like it." Principal Hackett was less than impressed. His eyes fell on Halle knowingly, putting the fight down to her the moment he saw her. He instructed their coach, "Decide what to do with your team."

On the spot, Coach Rhodes made a snap-decision. "Sophie, fix your pony. Halle, you're suspended. Until you can learn to work as a team, you can't be on the squad."

"Coach Rhodes," Halle pleaded. Her face fell, eyes instantly started to fill. "You can't do this, please. This team is my life. I worked so hard with physical therapy to get back as flyer. I need this for college. You said—"

"I know what I said," Coach cut her off. "And I warned you before that you'd be off the team if you didn't stop the fighting. I warned you, Halle, and this is my final decision. You're suspended," she said.

Halle went to argue, but no words left her. She was too stumped to say anything. Everyone was staring at her, waiting for her to scream — kick or shout. She saw on their faces they were all just waiting for her pounce of Sophie again and claw the girl's eyes out, but Halle had nothing.

"Halle..."

The girl ignored the softness in Jason's voice and pushed herself away from him. Halle chose to remove herself quick. She broke through the full hallway, weaving her way past students, who watched the fight. She carried herself to an empty classroom and threw down her bag. It hit the side of the teacher's desk with a thud.

There was something nagging at her. Building up inside and itching its way up her back, she felt an unwelcome visitor come and place a weight on her chest. Her heart raced. Sweat covered her hands and the back of her neck. Halle thread her fingers into her hair, ruining the sleekness of her ponytail, and pulled hard in frustration, screaming out loud. She became irrational and antsy, wanting to grab something and launch it at another thing. She wanted to hear something break.

CRASH.

Jason ducked as entered the classroom. Halle had flung a chair across the room, and he dodged aside just in time. The chair hit the wall and broke apart, one of legs clattered on the floor. His eyes went wide. Never before had Jason seen her so angry, not in all the years he had known her.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Jason was shocked, unsure of what to do. "You need to calm down, take a breath. Don't work yourself up."

"I'm already worked up," Halle said hotly. "How could she do this to me? How could she do this?" she asked, appalled that her favourite teacher — her coach — turned against her.

"Halle, you started a fight," Jason said.

"I didn't start it!" she screamed, but Jason didn't flinch. He was the only one who never flinched when she raised her voice. His own temper was something that never threw him. Sure, he was ashamed of it, but he never wavered over. Jason accepted anger was an emotion and he had to feel it to get over it — to process it. Halle was no different.

He put his hands up, open palms facing her. "Okay, okay, let's just take a breath," said Jason calmly. "Do you need anything? Do you need me to call someone?"

Hot tears came to her eyes. She shook her head at him, not answering his question but warning him instead. "Don't," said Halle. "Don't do that to me, don't treat me like kid because of what I told you."

"I just wanna help you, Halle," Jason replied sincerely. "Will you let me help you?"

She let out something halfway between a sob and scoff. Her hand came up to cover her mouth as she nodded at him. It was enough for Jason to put his hands down to shut the door. Halle slumped against one of the student's desk, resting against her, her hand now clutching at it edges. Sighing, she said, "You must think I'm some broken kid that can't handle when things don't go her way, that I have to lash out."

"That's not what I think, I didn't go there," Jason said. "I grew up with Alison, I know what it looks like when somebody doesn't get there way, trust me." He smiled on hearing her chuckle. Jason was glad for the sound. It made what he was going to do next easier. He slowly made his way to sit in front of her, perching himself on the desk next to hers. "I did wanna talk about what I saw last night.... at Aria's. You were drinking," Jason stated.

"I'm not like you, I don't have a problem with alcohol or drugs," Halle said. "Sure, I don't really know my limits when I do drink or smoke, but it's not that kind of a problem. I'm just... I'm under a lot pressure right now, and this is not gonna help," said Halle, referring to the situation of her being off the team and the fight that caused it. Her voice cracked a little at the end. "I shouldn't have grabbed her pony, I know, but I don't know how to switch it off. I don't know how to not fight, I've been doing it for too long."

"You're a fighter, it's in your blood," Jason said.

"It's more than that." Halle met his gaze with sad eyes. "I've hurt a lot people because of that fight in me. Including you." Halle inhaled sharply. She switched off the turn of conversation she was slipping into. Defeated, Halle asked, "I can't believe I've gone and got myself kicked off the team. My mom is gonna freak."

"She'll understand," Jason tried to assure.

"I don't think you know my mother," Halle countered, laughing dryly. She found some amusement in his naivety, but it didn't do the job of reassuring her. "I mean, she's always wanted me to follow in her footsteps and for as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to be Shark cheerleader. Now, I'm off the team." She said helplessly, "I don't know who I am if I'm not on that team."

"Yeah, you do." Jason nudged her knee with his knuckles, smiling softly across at her. "You're the same person you've always been, Brewster. You're tough and brilliant, funny and way too smart for your own good," Jason said, sharing a small laugh with her. "You've got dreams of something better than what you have, you have drive. And you know what you want and you'll stop at nothing to get it, because that's who you are. You don't need a uniform to be all that, you were that already."

Every word drew Halle in further, building to this moment with them staring back at each other. Intense longing passed between them, and her breath hitched, an apology on the tip of her tongue. Halle kept his gaze and told him, "I knew that summer that you were starting to care about more than you should have, that you got invested, and I carried on with the game because that's the kind of person I am. I should never have done that to you, I'm sorry."

Halle had never said that before to Jason. She never apologised for what she did and how she treated him. An entire year has passed, and Halle never even said she was sorry. She felt it, but she never once gave it to him.

"That's the kind of person you were. Like I said, Brewster, you're different now," Jason returned kindly.

"Yeah, but I'm still sorry," she said. "I think I'll always be sorry."

"I was the one person you weren't supposed to like," Jason said knowingly.

Quietly, Halle let a small, "yeah," leave her mouth. It was gut-wrenching, but it was the truth. Halle thought she was being smart — that she could play the same game Alison did — but it only made her weaker in the end. Ever since that night, Halle had been searching for the same feelings she had that summer in someone else and found nothing. Nothing compared to Jason, and that terrified her.

•

Jason drove Halle to the hospital after he finished up at the school. She wanted to see Emily before she went home and faced her parents, and Jason was kind enough to offer her a lift there. Halle bought a punnet of green grapes from the hospital store before heading up to the third floor to see Emily. She knocked lightly on the already open door, pushing it open after.

"Hey."

Emily looked up with tears in her eyes, crying softly. "Halle?"

"Em!" Halle rushed over, dropping the grapes on the end of the bed. She gripped at Emily's arms, worried. "Is everything okay? Are you in pain? Do you need a doctor?"

Her best friend shook her head, tears running down her cheeks. "My tests came back," she whimpered. "They found Human Growth Hormone in my blood-work, Halle."

"They what?" Halle was bewildered, baffled by what she was hearing, but Emily's vulnerable state was enough for the concern to come through stronger.

"If they tell my dad... I won't be able to swim again," Emily said, distressed.

"Oh, my god, Em." Halle's troubles instantly vanished. She wrapped her arms around the girl, cradling Emily's head into her chest. Halle rubbed her hand up and down Emily's arm, trying to sooth her.

"I could get get kicked off the team, I'll have no chance at a scholarship, it's gonna ruin my life," Emily cried. She was scared, shaking as tears kept coming. "Wren said he's gonna see if they can run another test, but if it comes back with the same... My life is over, Halle, I won't be able to swim." Emily choked out a loud sob, clutching at her friend's cheer-jacket. "I'm gonna lose everything."

Halle was unsure of what to say or do. She kept rubbed circles up and down Emily's arm, coaxing the cries out of her. "It's okay, we're gonna sort this," Halle said. She did her best to comfort her. "It's— it's a mistake, and they're gonna take your blood again and it's gonna come up fine. It's gonna be fine." Halle didn't even ask — it didn't cross her mind for a second that Emily would ever take something.

Slowly, Emily pulled away. Her wet face looked up at Halle, confused slightly, and asked, "Wait, how did Regionals go? I didn't think you'd be back so soon."

"It doesn't matter right now," said Halle. She tried to hide the tickle in the back of her throat. "Let's just... Let me just finish hugging you, okay?"

Twenty minutes later, Emily was gradually falling asleep. She had worn herself out by crying, and Halle decided she should get home soon. Halle had sat by Emily's hospital bed the entire time, chatting about whatever came to her mind in hope of distracting Emily. It worked and finally Emily's eyes were starting to droop. Too wrapped up in the moment, Halle didn't think to tell Emily about her getting suspended from the cheer-team. All Halle's problems seemed to be small compared to Emily's. Everything that turned sour in Halle's life was of her own doing. She got herself suspended; Emily didn't deserve what was happening to her. Halle did.

Halle was her own rotten centre.

Standing carefully from the chair, Halle cringed when the legs creaked. She shot a small smile to Emily, who acknowledged Halle briefly before she shut her eyes again, letting sleep take her. Halle sighed and moved to pull the sheets further up. She tucked Emily in and leaned down, pressing a kiss to Emily's head before she made for the door.

As she left, Halle rubbed her eyes. She was exhausted, her back tightening in strain. She hated those hospital chairs. Halle looked up, looking for the lift. Her eyes fell on Jason. He was still there, sat in the waiting area on the same floor with a coffee in his hands. Halle hadn't even known he followed her; she thought he only dropped her off. Halle never expected him to wait. She never asked him to. A slight chuckle left her, pleasant surprise falling over her face.

"You waited for me," Halle realised aloud. Her heart did a weird flutter, swelling large inside her chest, barely able to be contained. She didn't even have to ask him; Jason did it anyway.

Jason's green eyes travelled up to her, a gentle smile pulling at his lips. He said, floundering over his words, "Yeah, uh, I thought you..." He stopped and recollected himself. Jason started again, more calmly this time. "I thought you could use a ride."

Halle dropped her head, smiling still. "Thank you."

Another thank you passed from Halle's lips when they arrived on Bridgewater Terrace. Jason pulled up outside of her house, at the end of her drive. Silence fell over the pair. Halle just wanted to stay a moment longer. She didn't want leave quite yet. Even in the quiet, with no words said between them, Jason was becoming her favourite source of comfort. He confirmed that when he spoke.

"You know you can call me if you need an escape," he said, and she looked over to him. Jason smiled a little at her. "Or if you just need someone to listen. Like today," he offered after.

"Like a lot of days," Halle replied truthfully. "But you know, I can't go bothering you all the time. That's what I have friends for."

She tried not to get to invested in the way Jason's face fell after that comment, yet it was harder than she thought. Head spinning, Halle quickly leant across the dash and planted a kiss to his cheek. His eyes flashed over to her, startled at the sudden affection.

"'Kay, thanks, bye!"

She dashed out of there, with extreme haste. Halle broke into a run, her legs carrying her far away before Jason had a chance to properly react. Halle shelved her and Jason — she put that summer up on the top shelf and forgot about it. She fell into a relationship that was safe and told herself she moved on from whatever happened. It wasn't until she saw him again, in the church and back-lit by a halo of light, Halle realised not even she believed it.

When she entered her house, Halle did her very best to shut the door without making too much noise. Not only was she suspended from the squad, but she had been ignoring her parents' calls and texts — had even gone to the hospital to visit Emily without telling them. Halle was about to walk into the closest thing to hellfire on earth. She walked further into the house and attempted to sneak upstairs without seeing her parents.

Immediately, her mother was screeching as loud as she could, and Halle knew there was no chance of hiding away in her bedroom until it blew over. "You got suspended from the squad! Suspended!"

Halle span around on the spot and grimaced a smile at her parents. Her mother was out of her seat, stood not far from Halle now, and her father was sat in his armchair with a serious, disapprovingly look on his face. "Well, at least I was through the door before you jumped down my throat," she jested dryly. There were no laughs.

"Suspended!" Luisa yelled. "Suspended — ten minutes before the bus left for Regionals!"

"Yeah, I know. I was the one who got suspended," Halle returned.

"No sarcasm," warned her father instantly. His voice was stern, unwavering; he was truly mad with her this time. "Come in here and sit down."

Halle made her way into the living room and sat down on the sofa, under the the window. She was in the prime seat, facing her father's frustrated eyes and her mother's fury.

"Were you going to tell us?" Nick asked her daughter.

"I figured the school would call and tell you anyway. I just thought I'd sit back and take it when I got in," Halle remarked.

"Don't get smart here," Nick said firmly. "Now's not the time."

"Oh, so you're the bad cop this time around," Halle noted, piecing it together with slight amusement. She sat back on the coach and threw her arms down beside her. "New technique, please carry on."

"This isn't funny, Halle. It's not a game!" raged her father. "You love cheerleading. I don't understand why you've gone and got yourself suspended."

"I didn't do it on purpose," Halle defended.

"You started a fight in the middle of the hallway," fumed Nick, "ten minutes before the bus was due to leave for the Regional Comp."

"I know, I know what I did, okay? You don't have to tell me it was stupid because I know it was!" she argued with them. "But..." Halle sighed and said, "She got to me, okay? She said something and it got to me."

"You shouldn't let some girl get to you so easily," Luisa said.

"So easily?" A sound left Halle, somewhere between a scoff and sob caught in her throat. She looked to her parents with hot, teary eyes. "I'm seventeen, I'm a teenager, of course she got to me. And it wasn't the first time this girl opened her mouth and said something. She's been doing it for months. She dropped me purposefully that day I broke her nose, and she and her minions have been slut-shaming me since the video!"

"Halle, they're—"

"She said she was glad Alison was dead!" Halle cried out. "Okay?! Is that a good reason?! She said she was glad Alison was dead and that I shouldn't let Em's accident get to me like Alison's disappearance did."

Luisa sighed, "She said that to get a reaction from you and she got one. You gave her the best one she could get, and it cost your place on the team."

Blinking, Halle's tears ran down her cheeks. She was in disbelief, begging her parents. "Why can't you for once be on my side? I know I start fights, I know I punch my way out of things, but I need you to trust me."

Nick looked away, disappointed. "Halle, we can't trust you if you can't control your anger. You keep making the same mistake and it's getting to the point where we can't keep calling them mistakes. You're making the choice to fight."

"Halle, this is future you're messing up here," Luisa added. "You need to compete so scouts can see what you can do, so you can get a scholarship."

"Maybe I don't want a scholarship!" snapped Halle at her mother. Finally, she unleashed her version of hellfire, tongue burned with a scolding venom. "Have you ever thought for one second that I don't want to be shaking pom-poms in college? That maybe I don't want to be riding through college on a scholarship based off if I can do three flips or four. I don't even want to go to UPenn!" she screamed loudly. "I don't want to be you! And you can't keep pushing me to be you! I'm me— I'm my own person!" She paused, her voice cracking. "I'm Halle, Mom."

"You don't want to be Shark?" Luisa asked, hurt. Her hand came up to rest on her chest, eyes welling up. "But that was our dream..."

Realising the heightened emotions, Nick took a deep breath and said, "Look, maybe we should take a break. Take the night to sleep on and come back to it tomorrow when we're ready to talk." He gestured for his daughter to leave. "Hal, you can go," he said, and Halle didn't need to be told twice.

Halle stood up and started to make her way to the stairs. With one foot on the first step, she turned and said to her mother, "For the record, I did love being cheerleader."

Luisa did her best to smile, but failed miserably. Nodding, she watched Halle flee up the stairs. Slowly, the woman floated into the living room again and sat herself down on the couch. Her lips were parted, eyes watery. "I failed her," she said in a whimper.

Nick crossed the room and crouched down in front of his wife. He took her shaking hands in his and told her, "You didn't fail her."

"I pushed. I pushed her, Nick," Luisa confessed. "I pushed her too hard, and I broke her. What if all these fights are because of me? Because of me pushing her? If I had just stopped and listened to her — heard her out..."

"Don't," Nick said softly. "Don't fill your head with all the what-ifs, you'll only torture yourself. Halle — she's complicated, tangled up in knots, and that's because of Alison and her games."

"We should have stopped it though, we should have seen what was going on with our little girl," Luisa sobbed. "What is still going on with her. She never fought this much before. We didn't see the bipolar, we didn't—"

"You did," Nick cut her off. "You saw it, and you believed Alison when she came to you. You took Halle to see a doctor and you did the best you could with what you were given. You're a great mom," he reassured. "You're a great mom."

"Then why do I feel like I'm failing her?"

Sat at the top of the stairs, Halle cried silently to herself. She closed her eyes and took in the sound of her mother's tears, her pleas with Halle's dad. Halle felt a guilt for putting them through it — all because she had kept dangerous secrets.

Her phone beeped in her pocket, and Halle pulled it out to read the message.

Bitches who fight get suspended.You're not safe without a uniform.-- A.

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