chapter three
to kill a mocking girl
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"Whose idea was this, again?" Hanna asked as the group of five walked through the woods. "Em's Mom." Adalind replied as she walked ahead of Hanna. "The shed was my idea, my Mom just said we should do something for us," Emily said, as she walked ahead of everyone. "Well, couldn't we do something without mosquitoes?" Hanna asked. "They're not mosquitoes, they're gnats." Aria corrected her. "Whatever! They're small and annoying and they're flying up my nose." Hanna complained.

"Well. they're attracted to your perfume, and your hair product, and your lip gloss." Spencer teased. "So what are you saying, I attract flies?" Hanna asked, turning to look at Spener over her shoulder. "Gnats." Adalind corrected. "Why do I feel like this is the wrong way?" Emily said as she stopped, looking around. "No, this is it. I remember that tree, it's the halfway point, there's 136 steps left to the shed." Spencer said, pointing to the tree, making everyone look at her. "Have you been out here since... Alison?" Emily asked her. "Me?" she asked. "No. No way." she said quickly. "But... you remember that tree." Aria said, making Adalind sigh. "Guys, it's not that weird, we'd hang out here everyday in eighth grade, and after that." she said and Hanna nodded in agreement.

"I think this is totally the wrong place to do this... whatever you call it, shrine." Spencer admitted. "It's not a shrine, it's just a place to remember Alison." Emily said. "What's wrong with that?" Emily asked. "Doing it way out here makes it look like we have something to hide." Spencer said. "You're worried what other people think?" Emily asked, slightly shocked. "Well, aren't you?" Spencer questioned. "Do you really want to give that creepy detective more reason to question us?" Spencer asked and Adalind had noticed that Hanna was being too quiet.

Hanna begins walking off, before anyone could say anything. "Hanna, why are you being so quiet?" Emily asked as the rest of the girls followed her as they continued the walk to the shed. "I'm trying to keep the bugs in my nose and out of my mouth." she responded, making Adalind cringe. "You're allowed to have an opinion on this," Emily said, causing Hanna to stop and turn around as the rest of the girls stopped as well. "You want my opinion?" she asked, looking at her friends. "I'd say we hold off and not remember her till we know for sure she's not still here." Hanna said, shocking her friends.

"What?" Aria asked.

"What are you talking about?" Spencer asked.

"You think she's still alive?" Emily asked.

"You can't seriously think she's still out there Han." Adalind said softly.

"Hanna, they found her body." Spencer said. "Stop, I'm... officially scared, can we just not—" Aria started but was cut off by Hanna, "You know what? You asked for my opinion, I don't believe she's really gone." Hanna snapped before she continued to walk towards the shed. "We went to her funeral!" Spencer exclaimed as she followed Hanna, Emily, Aria and Adalind following as well. "Yeah and when we left we all got a text from her." Hanna said. "It wasn't her. Someone is messing with us." Emily said. "How do you know? And what about all those nasty messages?" Hanna said, making Adalind sigh as she wrapped her jacket around herself more. "I mean, how does this 'A' person know stuff only Ali knew?" Hanna asked.

"Okay, this conversation is giving me a hive." Aria said. "That's a bite. Mosquito." Hanna said as they all stopped again. "Spencer, have you gotten any more messages?" Emily asked her. "Haven't you?" Spencer replied when suddenly they all heard a rustling, like someone had stood on a tree branch or something. "What was that? Did you hear that?" Emily asked as Adalind looked around them. "Yes, I heard that I'm standing right next to you." Aria said as they heard crows. "Hello? Is anybody out there?" Hanna called out.

"It's probably a rabbit," Spencer said. "Hello?" Hanna called out again. "It's a rabbit, Hanna, it's-it's not gonna answer you." Spencer said as Hanna turned to look at her for a second. "Can we just get to the shed please?" Adalind asked, hiking her bag higher on her shoulder as they heard more rustling. "Okay, that is definitely not a rabbit, someone's out there." Hanna said as she turned to Spencer. "Let's turn around." Emily said as they did go to turn around, their phone's rang, all in sync like they had before after Alison's funeral and again at school. "You've got to be kidding me." Adalind muttered as she pulled her phone out along with the rest of her friends.

BLOCKED ID
Heads up, BFF's.
It's open season on liars and I'm hunting...
⎯ A

The friends looked at each other with matching looks of fear before they looked around them, suddenly feeling like someone was watching them from within the woods. 

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"How are you feeling Sweetie?" Lorelai Barlowe asked as she looked at her daughter, who stood in their kitchen, pouring coffee in a to-go cup. Adalind looked up at her mother and sighed. "I'm as good as I can be with everything going on." she admitted as she put the lid on the to-go cup.

"It'll get better, and the police will find out who did this, and I'm sure it'll be over soon enough." Lorelai said before taking a sip of fresh coffee. Adalind sighed. "Yeah, I hope so." she uttered to herself. "Did dad already head into work?" she asked, looking at her mother as she put the rest of the books that were sitting on the counter into her bag. "Yeah, he had an early day today." Lorelai answered as she got up and grabbed herself an apple.

"Well, I should be heading out, don't wanna be late," Adalind said, kissing her mother on the cheek as a goodbye. "I'll see you later," she said. "Goodbye sweetie." Lorelai called out just before Adalind stepped out the house and locked it behind her before she got into her car, but before she could her phone went off, making her frown, and she pulled it from her bag, but her face drained of colour as she read the message.

BLOCKED ID
Wonder what mommie dearest would react if she knows her daughter had dated someone much older than her, much less a drug addict
⎯ A

Adalind looked around frantically, not seeing anyone out of the ordinary, making her let out a shaky breath as she rested her head against the wheel before putting the key in and driving out of her driveway and to school, trying not to think about the message.

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Adalind was with Spencer at her locker as they waited for Aria. Adalind turned to see Aria walking their way but soon Mr. Fitz walked past her and she heard as they greeted each other, then watched as they shared longing looks, making Adalind raise her brow as she caught her cousins eye, who blushed as she approached her and Spencer, just as Spencer opened her locker and a couple books from her stack fell out from her locker, making Aria and Adalind bend down to help Spencer.

"Russian History?" Aria questioned as picked up one of Spencer's many fallen books. "Yeah," Spencer replied. "How many AP classes does it take before your brain explodes?" Aria asked. "I'm already drowning in there." Spencer said, putting the rest of the books back into her locker before closing it. "Why, what's drowning for you, B+?" Adalind teashed. "First paper's due Monday and I've written two words, my name." Spencer said as she shoved stuff that was going to fall back into her locker before locking it before facing Aria and Adalind. "Well, what's going on?" Aria asked softly but Spencer tried to walk away but Adalind stopped her.

"Oh, hey, you're not still freaked out about what happened in the woods yesterday, are you?" she asked but Spencer just shook her head. "Look, we do not have to have his thing for Ali until we figure out what it was—" Adalind said but Spencer cut her off. "No, it's not just that, it's... it's everything." she said as they walked down the hallway. "Is there any chance either of your families wants to adopt me?" she asked, looking between the two cousins, making them worried but neither got a chance to reply, when they heard tapping on the ground, they looked to see Toby Cavanaugh and Jenna Marshall walking the hallways, arms linked.

The three friends watched as they passed them and walked down the hallway, everyone staring at them as Hanna approached Aria, Adalind and Spencer and soo enough Emily joined them as well. "He's back too? When did that happen?" Aria whispered to her friends, trying to make sure nobody else heard them. "Maybe she needs help sending radioactive emails." Hanna jokes. "Yeah or he may be sending a few of his own." Spencer added.

"Hanna." Someone called out, making them turn to see Detective Wilden walking up to them. "Cops on campus too?" Adalind muttered confused. "I just spoke with your principal, asked him if we could have a chat." she said, causing Adalind to furrow her brows. "No, I have to get to class." Hanna said. "Don't worry, you've been excused." he said.

"Let's go." he said before walking away, making sure Hanna was following just as the school bell rings. "What is going on? Why just her?" Aria whispered. "Probably thinks she's easiest to crack." Emily said. "She is." Spencer replied as they watched the place where they watched Hanna leave. "Whisper, Whisper, Whisper, almost feels like Alisons' still here." Jenna said as she walked past the four girls. "I swear, she is everywhere." Adalind whispered once Jenna was out of earshot.

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"'A' knows about you and Jason?" Aria whispered as she and Adalind sat at the back of their classroom. "Yeah, she or he or it does, and I don't even know how, I mean Alison didn't know so how does whoever that is?" Adalind asked as she looked around, making sure no one could hear her and Aria's conversation. "Are you sure Ali didn't know?" Aria asked quietly. "Aria, if Alison knew that I was seeing her brother, she'd have lost it or blackmailed me or something, she definitely didn't know." Adalind said, bouncing her knee out of nerves.

"Yeah, true." Aria muttered. "Just forget about it for now, okay because if you keep worrying about it you'll give yourself a heart attack and trust me, I don't need my favourite cousin dying on me." Aria mused, making Adalind smile. "Thanks for being my rock Ari." Adalind said with a smile. "Don't even thank me, it's what family's for." Aria said, smiling before they continued on with their school work.

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After class, Emily, Spencer, Aria and Adalind met up by Hanna's locker, waiting for Hanna who apparently didn't turn up to her class that period. "What are you doing? Is that a new phone?" Spencer asked Aria. "Yeah, I'm checking my Kin." Aria answered. "I'll just... write on Hanna's wall from here." she added. "If she's not answering texts, what makes you think she's checking facebook?" Emily asked. "It's worth a try." Aria said with a shrug as she typed on her phone but as soon as she said that, Hanna approached them. "What's going on?" she asked, as the girls moved so Hanna could get to her locker.

"We've been trying to get a hold of you, what happened in there?" Aria asked as Hanna opened her locker. "Nothing, just the same old stupid questions." Hanna said. "You were in there for an hour, Hanna, what else did he ask?" Spencer asked. Hanna shut and locked her locker before facing her friends. "Nothing, he just took a couple calls and I just sat there waiting for him to shut up." she said, leaning against her locker.  "Is he gonna question all of us alone now?" Adalind asked. "Who knows?" Hanna said with a scoff "Look, let's do this at lunch, okay? I have to hit the ladies before my next class." Hanna said before walking off.

"Is she being weird?" Spencer asked and Adalind nodded. "She's being weird, I'll see you guys at lunch." Emily agreed before walking away. Then Spencer goes to leave as well. "Bye." she said to the cousins. "Bye," Aria and Adalind said in sync before Adalind noticed Aria staring at Mr. Fitz. "I'll see you at lunch as well." Adalind said, and Aria nodded as Adalind walked away heading to her locker before her next class.

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Later that day, Adalind was at Noel Kahn's party, she didn't really wanna go, but figured she needed to be a teenager and have fun, so she went anyway. She was currently with the girls, standing around outside discussing what happened between Ben and Emily. "He tackled Ben?" Aria asked, shocked. "What was Toby even doing in the girls locker room?" she asked. "Wait, why are you shocked? Toby's a perv, we caught him peeping through the windows watching us undress." Spencer said. "Alison's, the one who saw him do that, we never did." Emily said, defending him slightly as Hanna approached the girls. "What's up?" Hanna asked.

"Toby Cavanaugh got into a fight with Ben over emily." Aria filled Hanna in, making Adalind sigh. "It wasn't over me god!" Emily said, sounding frustrated. "Look, he just... saved me." Emily said. "For what, himself?" Spencer said sarcastically. "Ew." Hanna said in disgust. "Well, if we hadn't asked about you and Ben, would you have told us about this?" Adalind asked but Emily didn't answer. "Hey, Toby is not a good guy, Emily, he could be seriously dangerous." Spencer said. "If he's such a bad guy, why'd he take the fall for us?" Emily asked, making Spencer silent, not knowing how to answer her question but Adalind noticed she seemed slightly guilty.

"Is this another secret? Do you know something that we don't?" she asked but Spencer didn't answer. "Guys, why don't we just, like, chill and talk about this somewhere else? When we're alone." Hanna said. "I... Don't even know what "just us" means anymore." Aria said. "Yeah, uh... let's talk about it tomorrow, okay? Are we still meeting up at the shed?" Hanna asked before walking off. "Yeah. yeah, sure, why not." Aria muttered before getting ready to go. "Where are you going?" Emily asked. "The gallery, i... promised my mom." Aria said before walking off. "I'ma head off as well, don't feel in such a party mood, i'll see you guys tomorrow." Adalind said, waving bye to the girls before walking off, heading to her car and heading home.

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The next day, the girls met up in the woods, once again. "Alison wanted us across the street so she could have it out with Toby." Spencer told her friends. "Ali had something on him," she added. "Besides being a total perv who peeped in our windows?" Hanna asked. "Yeah, something way bigger." Spencer said. "And she was threatening to tell everybody, that's why he took the fall for us." she continued. "Why wait till now to tell us this?" Adalind asked. "I don't know." Spencer stuttered. "Ali made me promise and... I guess I was scared, I thought if we never talked about that night again i-it would just go away." she admitted.

"Well, it's not going away, not unless we toss our phones and join the Navy." Hanna joked. "Look, there's five of  us and one freak sending messages, if we just talk to each other like this, I feel like it makes it easier to deal with everything." Emily said as she and the girls began walking into the woods. "I think Emily's right, and there's way too many secrets, we shouldn't do this in the middle of nowhere." Aria said. "We should do it where we can see it every day," she added. "You mean, like, somewhere in school?" Hanna asked. "No, in town, we should ask if we can put a bench somewhere." Aria said as they continued walking in the woods.

"Wait, and you know what?" Aria said, stopping everyone. "Whoever did this to her, if they're still in Rosewood, we should make them look at it every day too," Aria said, making Adalind smile as Hanna sighed. "What, you hate the idea?" Adalind asked. "No, No, I just... I had a rough night." Hanna admitted before they heard rustling, making them look over to where they thought the noise was coming from. The girls shared a look before they dumped their bags and ran after the noise, Spencer leading the group.

They stopped when they lost the noise and had no way to tell where the noise was coming from before Hanna noticed something on the ground. "Look," she said, making everyone moved to see what she was looking at, which was a name bracelet, the same the girls had. "Is that yours?" Spencer asked. "Alison's." Aria said as they looked down at the dirt covered purple bracelet with but this had Alison on it

⎯ AUTHORS NOTE
new chapter!! hope you guys like it <3