Chapter 12

Rain tapped steadily against the windows of the Hastings kitchen, soft but constant, like it had settled in for the night and didn’t plan on leaving.

The four of them sat at the counter, books spread out, highlighters uncapped, pages filled with words they studied for the SAT they had the following morning.

“Hey, I saw Noel Kahn hug, and he did not wanna let go.” Her voice cut through the quiet, casual but pointed, recalling the memory between Aria and the teenage boy at Alison’s memorial.

Aria didn’t even look up right away. When she did, it was with a sigh already sitting in her chest. “Talk about not wanting to let something go.” She was referring to the earlier conversation topic.

Hanna rolled her eyes at Aria’s dismissal, shifting in her seat, fully turning toward her now. “Why can’t you give him a chance?” Her stare lingered, searching Aria’s face like she was trying to crack something open. Hanna pushed further sensing Aria needed more convincing. “He’s smart, he’s cute. His dad owns, like, half of Rhode Island.” She blinked with a smirk. “And he’s got great lips.”

Spencer’s head snapped up, her expression twisting instantly. “His father?” She said bewildered with a hint of disgust.

Callie leaned back slightly, smirk already forming. “Wow, Han, didn’t know you were into dilfs.”

Hanna recoiled. “No! Ew. Geez, Cal..” But despite herself, her lips twitched, fighting off a smile.

That seemed to catch some amusement in Aria’s eye. 

“Seriously, Aria, you and Noel would look amazing together.” Then Hanna’s gaze shifted. “Just like you and Callie.” Her voice dropped just enough to feel like a secret.

“Stop.” She mouthed quickly, panic flashing behind her eyes as they darted between Aria and Callie who both were, fortunately, too busy with their own business.

Aria exhaled softly, wanting the blonde to just drop it but also completely oblivious to her two friend’s whispers. “Can we just drop it, please?” She flipped a page, a little sharper than necessary. “I’m not looking for anything more than a friend.”

“Why? Don’t you have enough on Facebook?” Hanna’s attention returned to Aria’s love life. “Besides, don’t you want someone real?” She shrugged lightly. “Someone you can, I don’t know, scratch and sniff?”

Spencer let out a short, incredulous laugh. “Wow, maybe you should just eat that,” she pointed toward Hanna’s takeout, “over the garbage.” 

Aria let out a quiet giggle, the tension easing just a fraction.

Across from them, the Anderson girl scribbled, mindlessly, in her notebook. A few drawings of Alison’s eyes, her lips, things she learned to memorize overtime.

“Look, I am trying to help out a friend here. We don’t all have some smokin’ hot ball boys from the country club.”

Aria pushed her chair back, standing. “What is going on with you and Alex?” she asked over her shoulder, opening the fridge. “Is he back from that tournament?” She took a water bottle and sat down beside Hanna.

Spencer blinked, plastering a smile on her lips. “Yeah. He’s back.”

“And?”

“And…” She hesitated, the word stretching just a beat too long. Then she smiled but it didn’t fully reach her eyes. “It’s good.” 

Callie peered her head up from her pages, eyebrow lifted. Spencer eyes drifted to hers, almost against her will, catching them briefly. Something unspoken passed between them. Callie frowned slightly when Spencer broke it.

“It’s so good,”  Spencer added quickly, turning back to Aria and Hanna like she needed to correct something. “I want it to last, but I’m afraid I’m gonna blow it.”

Aria leaned in, hooked. “So, when can we officially call him the boyfriend?”

Spencer opened her mouth—paused, thinking for a moment, glancing at a certain brunette who had her focus back to her book. Then she sighed, looking forward again, shoulders lifting in a small, uncertain shrug.

———-

Callie shoved the last of her things into her backpack, zipper catching for a second before she yanked it shut. The house felt too still behind her, like it was watching her leave.

“I’ll see you when the exam is over!” she called out, already halfway to the door, voice louder than it needed to be.

Rick stepped in from the kitchen, drying his hands with a cloth he tossed over his shoulder. He paused when he saw her, smiling faintly. “I know you’re going to do great, kiddo.” It came out easy, but there was something fragile underneath it. Like he needed her to believe it.

Rick’s smile faltered just slightly. “Hey—”

She turned, one hand still on the doorknob. “Yeah?” 

He hesitated, like there was more he wanted to say but didn’t know how to land it. “Be careful, they’re saying there will be a storm.”

Callie nodded quickly, already halfway out of the moment. “You know, I’m always careful.” Her tone was dismissive, her father stepped up about to say something but Callie cut him off. “Love you, Dad. Bye.”

And with that she rushed out the door.

———

Callie stood at her locker, one shoulder pressed against the cool metal, fingers tapping idly against the door as she waited. The hallway buzzed around her, voices, lockers slamming, footsteps echoing but she stayed fixed, eyes scanning until she spotted them.

“There you are,” she breathed She beamed as they approached, straightening slightly. “Hey, guys!” 

“Hi, Callie,” Aria returned warmly, stepping closer. Her attention shifted almost immediately, eyes catching on something over Callie’s shoulder. A knowing look flickered across her face as she glanced at Spencer. “You didn’t say Alex was taking the test here, too.”

Spencer stiffened for half a second before masking it, closing her locker with a soft click, taking her own sneaky glance at the boy. Callie felt her jaw tighten. “Why do you think I wanted my mom to drop us off and leave?”

Right on cue, Alex made his way over, confidence written all over him. “Hey, you,” he said, smiling like Spencer was the only person in the hallway.

“Hi.” She greeted back with a bright smile. His arms slid around her waist without hesitation, pulling her in as they shared a passionate kiss.

Callie physically recoiled, her stomach turning before she could stop it. She brought her hand to her mouth, whispering under her breath, “I’m going to go find a hole to die in.” She turned, already stepping away, but Hanna caught her wrist before she could get far.

“Callie,” Hanna said quietly, her grip gentle but firm. Her eyes softened in a way that said I see you. “Stop it.” 

“Hanna,” Callie muttered, voice low and tight, “I’d seriously rather be skinned alive and boiled in a brazen bull than watch this for another second—”

“Nobody here can make a decision to save their life.” Mrs. Hastings’ voice cut clean through the moment, sharp and impatient as she stormed toward them. “It’s absurd.”

The Anderson took this as her chance to flee. She slipped free from Hanna’s grasp the second the attention shifted, already moving fast and purposeful, like she needed distance before something showed on her face she couldn’t take back until she spotted Emily Fields at her own locker. Callie made her way over, feet slowing down when she saw a certain detective talking to the Fields.

Callie’s expression hardened instantly, stepping up behind him. “Hey, can I help you, detective?” Her tone was light but edged. “‘Cause it seems like, to me, you’re talking to a minor unsupervised without a guardian present…” She tilted her head slightly, gaze sharpening. “Again.”

Wilden smiled tight lipped, obviously forced. “Ah, yes. Anderson.” His voice carried that same smug authority that never quite landed right. “I was just informing Emily, here, that your friend Alison’s memorial was trashed earlier.” 

Callie’s tough demeanor faltered and that brought satisfaction to Wilden’s face. 

“Well, I’ll be on my way,” he continued, clearly satisfied. Then, pausing just enough to let it linger— “Oh, and…” His eyes narrowed slightly at Callie. “Keep an eye out for Toby, yeah?”

The tone in his voice made Callie think that he knew. He knew what Toby had done to her.

Her jaw tightened. “With pleasure.”

Wilden held her gaze a second longer than necessary, biting his lower lip before nodding as he made his exit.

Callie watched him go, tension coiling tight in her chest.

Emily brushed past her without a word.

“Hey, Emily,” She hurried to catch up with the fast paced girl, making their way over to the library. “We missed you at Spencer’s. Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Fine.” Emily cut off, voice flat.

Callie moved in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. “Emily, talk to me. What’s up?” Her hand found Emily’s arm without thinking, grounding, steady. “You know you can tell me anything, right?” Callie smiled, reassuring. Something was up with Emily she knew it. Her body was tense and her hands were clammy.

Emily seemed hesitant. “I know, Cal.” She nodded, swallowing, her gaze flicking around the hallway like the walls might be listening. “Just not here, alright?”

She stepped closer, breath brushed Callie’s lips, warm and quick.

“I promise,” Emily murmured, quieter now. “I’ll tell you later.”

Callie’s breath caught, dropping her gaze to the ground, gulping. She wanted to know now. If something happened to Emily, she wanted to know as soon as possible. However, Callie understood people had boundaries, so she let it go. Not overstepping.

“Okay,” she said instead, voice softer than before.

———-

Around an hour later, they were all gathered in the library, scattered amongst other students.

Hanna sat next to Callie (right) and Emily (left), while Spencer and Aria were sat across. “Gosh, he’s freaking me out!” She expressed about how Wilden wondering the school hallways asking students pestering questions, unnerved her. “Whose locker is he poking into now?”

The detective was asking the librarian if she had a key to the boy’s locker room.

Spencer shook her head, keeping her eyes on the man. “He’s desperate. Ali’s brother’s breathing down his neck.”

“Hm.” Callie didn’t lift her head, pen dragging lazily across her paper. “I wonder why? Can’t possibly be the fact that, after all these years, he’s finally learned to give a shit.” Callie muttered under her breath but she knew they heard her.

Aria sighed, choosing to ignore what Callie said as did everyone else. The girl would always say cryptic things they all were aware had true, dark meanings. Neither of them were brave enough to ask Callie what the meanings were so as a collective group they’ve learned to just ignore some of her comments.

“Yeah, ours too.” Aria continued, “What if Jason told the police Alison’s version of what happened after the night of the fire?”

“If Jason was gonna tell them, he would’ve told them a year ago.” Spencer shook her head immediately. “He knows that story’s bogus.”

“Well, then, why do they bring it up?” Hanna pressed, frustrated.

“To try to drive a wedge between us.” Spencer countered peering her gaze around the table. “But he’s not gonna do that.” Her voice sharpened.

Callie forced to hold back an exasperated sigh as she recognized the voice that had just spoken.

Darren Wilden.

“Sorry to hear about the memorial.” He stood there like he belonged, hands resting casually on the chair in front of him. “I know how hard you girls worked on it.” The girls all shuffled uncomfortable, except Emily and Callie both hellbent on keeping to themselves. Wilden noticed. “Shocking though, right, something like that could happen out in the open and nobody saw anything?”  he went on, eyes scanning each of them.

Callie’s fingernails dug into her palms.

“Well, everybody here was probably studying for the exam that we’re about to take so you might wanna look for eyewitnesses somewhere else.” Spencer replied back in a harsh tone, wanting nothing more than for the man to just leave.

He hummed, not letting up. “So you were all studying together last night, then?”

Emily finally chose to engage. “Yes, we were all at Spencer’s.”

“All of you?”

Spencer, Aria, and Hanna all shared a look.

“Yes,” Aria added. “All of us.”

Wilden still looked unsure. “Anderson?” He questioned, asking for her input.

She kept her eyes on her paper, doodling. “Fuck off, Darren.” Callie replied calmly.

Wilden bit his inner cheek. “…Okay,” he said, jaw tight, before finally walking off. There was nothing he could do about it even if he wanted to.

The second he was out of earshot, the air snapped.

Spencer leaned forward, eyes locked on Emily. “Em, what is going on?”

“Where were you last night?” Aria asked, softer but just as tense.

Emily let out a small, humorless laugh. “I told you. I went home.”

“Then why didn’t you tell him that?” Spencer pressed.

“Lay off, Spence.” Callie defended.

“What happened to all of us sticking to together?” Emily cut in, sharper now, eyes burning, clearly offended with Spencer’s comment. She glared at her before standing up abruptly.

Callie pushed back from the table too. “Em-“

“Where are you going?” Aria asked, watching intently.

“To the restroom.” Emily bit back. “If you don’t believe me we can all try and squeeze into one stall.” Her eyes drifted to Callie. “Don’t follow.” she said lowly.

They eyed her as she vanished.

“Should one of us go talk to her?” The Montgomery suggested.

“No,” Hanna said, already pulling Callie back down into her seat. “She’ll talk when she’s ready.”

Callie didn’t argue.

But her eyes stayed fixed on the doorway long after Emily disappeared.

———-

Hours had seem to pass by in a flash.

The clouds grew heavier with rain as they darkened, covering the sky. Soft rain droplets hitting the ground became harder and harder. Slapping the concrete with unforgiving force.

The storm was getting worse.

Callie had came back from the bathroom, catching a glimpse of Spencer and Alex quietly fighting. She bit back a smirk, enjoying seeing the ‘happy’ couple fall apart. It was wrong to be jealous, she knew that. Spencer deserved to be happy, deserved to be loved the way she loved others. Fully and unconditional. 

That was Spencer Hastings.

Selfless, caring, and accepting.

Just how Callie liked her.

“Cal?”

Spencer’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Callie blinked, slightly dazed, eyes lifting up at Spencer. 

Her big brown eyes were already staring back at her. 

Callie swallowed, the girl’s gaze intense, feeling sweat drip down the back of neck. She quickly cleared her throat. “Yeah, Caesar?” The nickname slipped off her tongue before she knew it, catching both girls off guard.

“Come with me for a sec.”

———-

Before the Anderson knew it she was being dragged behind a bookshelf.

By the bookshelves was practically empty at the time. All students had started to gather in the cafeteria. It was just them. Alone.

Callie gasped, her back making contact with the shelf, curious eyes meeting Spencer’s desperate ones. “What’s going on, Spence?” she asked, trying to lighten the sudden tension between them. “Lover’s quarrel with your little boyfriend already?” Her tone hinted at playfulness but nonetheless confused as she pouted, falsely.

Spencer smiled faintly, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Her fingers tightened around Callie’s wrist like she was scared she’d pull away. “No. Well, yes- but I wanted to talk to you.” Her thumb brushed absentmindedly across Callie’s hand.

The warmth of it made Callie glance down before slowly looking back up at her again. A small smile tugged at her lips despite herself. “Well, here we are. Talking.” Callie tilted her head. “Something on your mind?”

“You.” She breathed out breathlessly, swallowing afterwards like she regretted letting it slip so easily. “I hated the way we ended things. All I was thinking about last summer was you. About how we never fully talked things out. And I want to.” Her eyes searched Callie’s carefully, almost fearfully.

Callie’s eyebrow twitched. “Right.. Now?”

The Anderson was mostly confused on why Spencer was saying this so out of the blue and in a public setting. Anyone could walk in at any second.

“Why are you just bringing this up now, Spence? After all this time?”

Spencer gave a breathless shrug, clearly aware of how insane the timing was, still smiling cheekily. “I don’t know.”

Callie studied her for a second longer before her expression slowly shifted. “Is this because you and Alex are falling out and you need someone to catch you when you fall?”

Spencer opened her mouth, then closed it again. “What?” Her smile dropped. “No- Cal-” she tried to quickly recover.

Callie stepped back, pushing. “No. I get it. You want me as your rebound or something, right?” Her voice sharpened with every word.

Spencer scoffed, shaking her head. “Stop acting like you’re the victim here.”

Callie blinked.

“You used me!” Spencer snapped, stepping closer. Callie mouth clamped shut, tight. “Yeah.. Whenever you and Alison were fighting you always would come to me. What? You think I was too stupid to notice?” She stuttered over her words. “To- Too stupidly in love with you like I always have been?!”

Callie’s lips quivered, confrontation and guilt hitting her like a train wreck. “Come on, Spence.. That’s not-“

“But it is! That’s exactly what it was.” Spencer once before desperation turned into anger and frustration. She stepped closer and for a second Callie leaned forwards wanting to kiss her lips. Missing them more than anything right now. She thought Spencer was going to kiss her. But she didn’t. Instead, when Callie looked up she was meant with a threatening glare. “You don’t get to judge me. Not when you did the same thing to me. And you want to know the difference between me and you?”

Callie blinked speechless.

“My feelings are real. What I feel for you will never change, even when you treat me like shit. I still love you and I hate that I do because you don’t deserve it.” Tears pricked in her deep brown eyes, the sight made Callie frown.  “Believe it or not being with Alex showed me that.”

“Oh, enough with the Alex shit!” Callie raised her voice, having enough. Spencer flinched. “You don’t even really like him, do you? You’re just with him to get back at me.”

Spencer’s brows furrowed. “No. Fuck you. What I feel for Alex has nothing to do with you.”

Callie scoffed, not believing a single. “Oh, yeah? Really?”

“Yes!” Spencer exclaimed, voice echoing slightly through the aisle. “Not everything is about you, Callie!”

“What about Wren?” Callie accused knowing that would cut Spencer somewhere deep, and it did. Still, she continued to push. “Are you really going to try and convince me that you actually liked your sister’s leftovers?” She stared at the opposite brunette with blunt intensity. “Because that sounds a hell of a lot more like you trying to fill some hole than love.” She didn’t really believe her words, however, the way Spencer was utterly speechless, her mouth hanging down low, sparked confusion and realization within her. “Holy shit..”

Tears brimmed in the Hastings girl’s eyes, stinging. “No. Callie, stop-” She was humiliated that someone had finally called her out for the things she knew was wrong. In a sense, that was something Spencer had hated about Callie. She was the only one who called her out on her bullshit, the only one who could cut an internally wound so deep it was almost impossible to recover from.

With all of these emotions brewing inside of her, she did the one thing she could think of. She shoved Callie backwards into the shelf, a few books slipping from their place and falling onto the floor.

Callie gasped softly at the impact, eyes widening for barely half a second before Spencer surged forward and crashed their lips together.

It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t careful. It was months of unresolved tension and resentment and want poured into one reckless moment. Spencer kissed her like she was furious with her for existing.

Callie made a startled noise against her mouth, fingers instinctively gripping at Spencer’s sleeves before she could stop herself. The kiss was messy almost immediately, all sharp breaths and clashing emotion.

Spencer’s hand slid up to the side of Callie’s neck, holding her there like a lifeline. Maybe she was because the second Callie kissed back, Spencer felt something in her chest crack open.

Callie hated how familiar she still felt.

How easy this still was.

Spencer pulled away first, breathing unevenly, forehead almost knocking against Callie’s as she tried to steady herself. “See?” She whispered bitterly. “That’s what you do to me.” Her eyes flickered down to Callie’s lips for half a second before forcing themselves back up. “You stand there looking at me like that and suddenly I forget every reason I have to hate you.”

———-

Awhile after Callie and Spencer’s intimate moment in the quiet library, Detective Wilden had made another agonizing appearance in the locker room and dragged Emily into the library. The girls followed after them, confused.

“What is going on?” Spencer asked, in front of Callie, spotting the two talking.

His eyes brightened. “Oh, perfect!” He exclaimed, motioning them inside further. “We can all be together for an update.”

Hanna shook her head. “No, we’re supposed to be in the girls’ locker room.”

“Well, I’m guessing you girls are used to being in places you’re not supposed to be.”

Callie crossed her arms, really growing more and more tired of this man’s face. “And I’m guessing you don’t like to follow corporate rules.”

His jaw tightened as he held back another remark, like always. “Did you tell your friends where you were last night,” He turned his attention back to Emily. “when you weren’t studying for the test?”

Emily looked between her friends, anxiously.

Wilden let out a deep breath, taking out his phone. “See, ’cause I got these really interesting photos.” He handed it to Emily. “Go ahead, pass it around. There’s plenty more where that came from at the precinct.”

Aria took charge and grabbed the phone from the Fields girl’s hands. It was a picture of Emily at Alison’s memorial right after it was destroyed, but in some way the picture implicated that she was the cause of the destruction.

“I see you didn’t get a chance to clean your shoes either, huh?” He pointed to the girl’s muddied white shoes.

Callie cursed under her breath for not noticing earlier.

“That’s not why I went there.” Emily rebuttualed back, instantly. 

“Really? So you didn’t go back to the memorial to finish up Toby’s handiwork?” He accused.

Callie internally flinched at his name.

“Or were you just there covering up his tracks?”

Emily noticed how the other looked at her. “I found it like that.” She reassured them and Wilden. “It was already destroyed.”

Callie believed her before she even defended herself. Something about the somber look in Emily’s eyes earlier, lingered in the back of her mind. She couldn’t shake that look.

However, Darren pressed on. “Really?” He dug in her purse pulling out some artifacts. “Then let me ask you a question,” He then held them up for everyone to see. “What were these doing in your bag?”

Aria audible gasped, they were figurines from Alison’s fountain that was, indeed, at her memorial. 

“Souvenirs? Something Toby asked you to save so he can keep it for his trophy collection?”

“This has nothing to do with Toby!” She shouted back at the detective.

“Em, why do you have those?” Aria asked but Callie’s hand found her wrist, whispering for her to stop.

Hanna stepped forward, defending her friend as well. “You put those in there, you creep.” She was now accusing Wilden of framing Emily. “Emily would never do that. The memorial was her idea!”

“Yeah, so I heard. Nice cover, huh?” The detective pulled out a folded letter. Something Callie didn’t recognize. “You want me to share this with them, or would you like to?” Emily tried to reach for it but he yanked it back just in time. “Go ahead and tell them, Emily, about the angry letter that you wrote to Alison, which is dated, by the way three days before she disappeared.”

Emily blinked, terrified. “You had not right to read that.”

“Emily,” Spencer was determined to ask the question everyone was too scared to ask. “What is in that letter?”

“Tell her.”

Callie felt her stomach dropped, something within her told her, the news she was about to hear was going to be heart shattering. “Tell us what, Em?”

Emily’s eyes flickered towards hers, disappointment in herself flashed briefly. She curled more into herself, lip quivering. “Callie, I-“

“Tell her how you wanted to punish Alison for rejecting you.” As much as Callie would have loved to hear it come from out of her friend’s mouth, Darren had beat her to it. “Tell her how you felt relieved at the funeral. She wasn’t gonna be around to humiliate you anymore, was she?”

Emily denied his accusations, shaking her head. “I went back to that memorial to say I was sorry. There were horrible things in that letter and I didn’t mean them.” She swallowed. “Suddenly she was gone, and.. I loved her as more than a friend. I just never had the chance to tell her in the right way.” And then Emily turned around to Aria, Hanna, Callie, and Spencer, but mostly to the Anderson girl. “I’m sorry, Cal. I wanted to tell you, I just didn’t know how you’d react to m-“

“I don’t care that you’re fucking gay, Emily!” Callie shouted but quickly regretted her tone, she sighed. There was more that she wanted to say but she couldn’t not in front of Wilden. Not here, not now.

Spencer sensed the girl’s inner turmoil. “Callie.” She placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping that their previous interactions would hold some sort of feelings over Callie. That Spencer could be that anchor again.

Callie shrugged her hand off. “Not now, Spence.” The Hastings girl frowned as Callie walked towards the exited and stormed out of the library.

———-

The next day when Callie would arrive at school, she would avoided an apologizes Emily and find Spencer making out with Alex.

———-

A/N: ikk i lied last weekend my fault.. but here’s a chapter to make up for it! tehe

*not proofread*