chapter fourteen
careful what u wish 4
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The girls were watching the video again. "He pushed her, didn't he?" Aria asked, as they watched Allison's hand fall and grip the ground again. "And all that mumbling and groaning, Maybe she was gripping the ground because she was..." Hanna trailed off. "Looking for a weapon to defend herself?" Spencer suggested as she looked at her friends. "Why are you snapping at me? I'm just trying to give your creepy brother an out." Hanna said as turned and looked at Spencer. "In-law, okay?" Spencer snapped. "Ian is my creepy brother-in-law." she finished.

"Okay, whatever he is, he just married your sister, and he might be a killer." Aria said, bringing the conversation back to the fact that Ian might have killed Alison. "This definitely proves that he was with her the night she died." Emily added from where she stood. "Can we just watch this video one more time and figure out what they're saying?" Hanna asked as she rewinded the video. "No. Please I can't watch this again." Emily said sadly. "Yeah, Em's right. Let's just give it a rest." Josie said as she looked at Hanna before the girls all sat down on the couches except for Spencer, who stayed standing. "Is anybody else freezing?" Emily asked as she rubbed her arms as Josie nodded in agreement.

"I'll make some hot chocolate." Spencer said as she moved around her kitchen. "Hot chocolate?" Hanna asked, confused. "What's this, Camp Tamarack? We can't sit around singing Kumbaya. We have to hand over that video." Hanna said as Spencer getting the stuff for hot chocolate, none of them noticed Ian had walked in.

"What video?" He asked, making the girl look over at him, in shock. "Uh, Hanna rented Tootsie, but she left it at home." Spencer said, as Josie played with her necklace nervously, they still had the video up and Ian's face was on the screen. "Well, you're welcome to hang in the barn, your sister picked some chick flick on demand" he offered, making Josie almost throw up, because as far as she and the girls knew, he killed Alison.

He walked around the kitchen island, not noticing the computer. "Where do we keep the popcorn?"  he asked as Hana gestured to the computer that was still on. "That drawer." Spencer said as she pointed to a draw in the kitchen. "Oh, okay." he said as he grabbed the popcorn from the draw as Spencer slowly walked around the island, hoping to close her computer. "Oh, Emily, I've been meaning to ask you." he said as he turned to face the girls. "Ready to trade your goggles in for a field hockey stick?" he asked, hoping he'd get a new player for field hockey.

"We could use some speed on offense. Right, Spence?" he asked, turning to Spencer, who was still walking towards her computer slowly. "Mm-hm." she hummed with a nod. "Thanks, I'm still into swimming." she said, denning his request. "You wouldn't be if you saw what they skimmed out of that pool every week." he said as Spencer gave him an awkward smile making him look at the girls as Spencer finally closed her computer.

"What's up? Did I walk into the middle of a chick flick?" he asked, confused as he looked around, noticing everyone's tense stance and avoiding eye contact. "Okay, I get it. No guys allowed." he said with a sigh before he walked out making the girls relax. "God, that was close." Aria said with a sigh. "Spencer, how can you even sleep here knowing he's living in your backyard?" Josie asked with a frown. "We have to give that tape to the police. Tonight." Emily stated, making Josie sigh. "And when they ask us where we got it?" Josie asked just as Ian  walked back in, scarring the girls. "Forgot the salt." he said, as he walked to the kitchen as Spencer covered her laptop. He sent the girls a smile before leaving, the girls watching him leave.

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"Okay, does this look even?" Aria asked Hanna, but she was ignored as Hanna was too busy on her laptop. "Earth to hanna." Aria tried again, finally gaining her attention. "Sorry, what?" she asked as she looked up from her computer as Aria pointed to the sign she and Emily had put up, while Josie was standing and helping others around the room.

"Oh, uh, yeah, it's fine." she said distractedly. "Okay, remind me, how come you're the chair of the decorating committee, and we're the one's decorating?" Josie asked as she walked over to her friends and sat down across from Hanna. "I can't climb up there." Hanna said as she pointed to the ladder making Josie let out a laugh. "I'm saving my one good leg for tomorrow night." Hanna said, in defense of herself. "Yeah, I'm sure you are Han," Josie said, making Hanna reach over and slap her arm playfully. "Hanna, the printer guy needs to be paid. Did you order six baracks and no michelles?" Sean asked as he walked up to the four friends.

"Are you kidding? Tell him no michelles, no money." Hanna said as she turned to Sean who was holding a barack obama cut out. "Uh, maybe you should tell him. He says this is what you ordered." Sean said, making Hanna sigh in frustration before turning to her friends. "I'll be right back." she said before getting up, but she turned to Aria and pointed to the sign. "Oh, and it's a little low on the left." Hanna said before leaving. "Can we just break her other leg?" Aria asked as she threw her hands up making Josie laugh.

"Hey, are we still doing this at lunch?" Spencer asked as she walked into the room, laptop bag over her shoulder. "If by "this," you mean taking your laptop to the police, Then, yes, we are." Emily said, assuring her. "But no one called over there, right? They don't know that we're coming." Spencer said nervously, making Josie stand up from her seat. "What's with the cold feet?" she asked, confused by her friend's nervous state.

"It's just..." Spencer trailed off before she sighed. "I was up all night thinking." she said as she walked around the girls, making them stand in a circle so no one overhead as she took her bag off her shoulder."What if this is a setup?" she asked. "'A' could've planted this video on my laptop, Knowing that we would turn it in." Spencer finished. "Guys, let's not try to second-guess 'A'. We've been there. We ended up scared of an old con who turned out to be just a jealous freak looking for a better grade." Emily said as Josie nodded in agreement, they've been wrong before but something about Ian was always off, this might've been it.

"Yeah, let's not forget 'A' also tried to kill Hanna for knowing too much. We could be walking into a trap." Spencer said to her friends, worried. "You are already living in it." Josie said. "No. Ian...Might have done other stuff, But he's not 'A'" Spencer said to her making her sigh and shake her head in frustration, she wanted this all to end.

"There's no way he'd want us knowing this video even exists." Spencer added. "But it does, and the police need to know What happened to Alison that night. Toby gave Alison his sweater before she saw Ian, and Toby shouldn't go to jail for a crime he didn't commit." Emily said. "She's right." Aria said with a nod as she looked at Spencer. "Hey, I'll drive you to the station during lunch." Aria offered, making Spencer sigh.

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"Save me a dance tonight?" Richie asked as he came up beside Josie who was getting her books out of her locker who laughed and nodded. "Yeah, 100%." Josie said with a smile as she looked over at him. "Hanna had me, Aria and Emily decorate this morning, she was apparently saving her good leg for dancing," she said as she shut her locker as the two of them started walking to class. "Oh sure," Richie said with a chuckle as Josie nodded. "I said the same thing," she said as the two entered the classroom.

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"Wouldn't have even recognized her. When's the last time you saw Simone?" Emily asked as she, Josie, Aria and Spencer walked into the courtyard, towards Hanna. "Huh?" Aria said, before sighing. "Oh, I don't know. It's been a while." Aria said with a shake of her head. "Well, she must be doing pretty well if she's willing to sponsor all five of us." Spencer said as they approached Hanna.

"Come on, han. You can look at 'help wanted' on the way over. I hear rosewood p.D. Is hiring." Spencer said as she looked from Hanna to the other as Josie snorted out a laugh. "Well, I do have experience with them, just the wrong kind." Hanna said as she looked up at Spencer before going back to her computer. "Okay, come on, we have to go. We only have 45 minutes." Emily said to Hanna but she noticed something on her computer.

"Wait, hold on. What's this?" Hanna said, looking at something on her computer as Spencer leaned down to look. "What am I looking at?" Spencer asked, confused. "How come it shows your music library online When your laptop's on your shoulder?" Hanna asked as she looked over at Spencer. "Look, isn't that your playlist?" Hanna says as she points to a playlist titled 'spencer's playlist'. "What?" Spencer mumbles before standing up and pulling her bag off her shoulder and pulling out a yearbook instead of a laptop. 

"Why are you carrying a yearbook?" Josie asked with furrowed brows, causing Spencer to look up at her and the rest of the girls. "I'm not." she denied. "Where's your laptop?" Emily asked, frowning. "It's in my bag, except it's not." Spencer said as she looked at all her friends before putting the yearbook back in her bag. "This is insane. This bag has been plastered to my side all morning." she said in frustration.

"What about p.E.?" Josie asked, an idea was forming, not one that she liked. "It was in my gym locker, but no one else has that combo." Spencer said, not realizing what she's thinking yet. "The coaches do." Emily said, the realization had settled. "Ian must've heard us last night." Emily said. "Well, if he did, then he knows what's on there." Aria added onto Emily's sentence. "If he has my laptop..." Spencer trailed off. "He knows we've seen what's on there, too." Hanna said.

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"You sure you wanna check your purse?" Spencer asked as she turned to Hanna who was standing in front of Josie and Richie. "Yeah, why not?" Hanna said with a shrug making Josie look over at her with an amused smile. "It's sloshing." she informed Hanna, making her turn to her. "What do you have in there anyway?" Spencer asked as Hanna shrugged. "Nothing, I just brought a little beverage In case the punch bowl has no punch." Hanna said nonchalantly as she pulled a flask out of her bag making Richie snicker as Josie and Spencer sighed.

"You brought a flask." Spencer deadpanned. "Jeez, hanna." Josie said as she rolled her eyes amused. "At least fold your people magazine around it." Spencer muttered to Hanna over her shoulder. Before the people in front of them moved out of the way, the three friends spotted Ian, making them share a look.

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"You're sure your laptop's in that bag?" Aria asked as she turned away from looking at Ian to look at Spencer. Josie had told Richie she needed to talk to her friends. "Well, there's only one way to find out." Spencer said as she looked over to where Ian was as Hanna sighed. "Why would he bring it to school When he knows that we're all gonna be here?" she asked. "Maybe he thought you'd bail out early, Go home and snoop through his things." Emily suggested to Spencer. "Why don't you?" Hanna asked, confused. "Already did." Spencer said with a slight eye roll. "We need the bag." Spencer said.

"I know you're all eager to get started, But first the rules, all right?" Ian said over the mice as the music quieted down. "Number one-there's no stopping during the dances. Your chaperones will be walking around, Making sure you're still moving." Ian said. "What if he already erased the video?" Aria questions as she turns to her friends, none of them hearing what Ian is saying.

"Well, then we know for sure he's hiding something, and we go to the police." Spencer whispers, making sure no one around them heard. "With a non-video? You think they're gonna take our word for it?" Emily said as Josie sighed. "Doubtful," she said. "Look, we saw what we saw. Something went down between him and Alison, And he buried her in the yard to shut her up." Spencer whisper-yelled. "Now let's get this party started!" Ian exclaimed into the microphone as everyone cheered and applauded. The girls shared one last look before splitting up.

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Josie and Spencer had spotted Emily outside on the phone, so Josie said a quick be right back to Richie and met up with Spencer to check on Emily. "Should I call you tomorrow?" Emily asked Maya over the phone. "Sure." Emily said, before sighing. "Maybe Monday?" she asked, hopefully before sighing again. "No, no, I understand." she replied sadly. "Okay. I miss you. Bye." Emily said before hanging up as Spencer and Josie approached her. "Hey, was that Maya?" Josie asked softly, a smile on her lips.

"How is she?" Spencer asked with a smile. "Amazing." Emily said. "She seems really...Happy." Emily said, with a saddened smile. "So why don't you?" Josie asked worriedly. "Me? No, I'm-'m good. It's all good." Emily stuttered out. "I'm not sensing good here, emily. What's wrong? What happened?" Spencer asked sadly as Emily frowned. "It's just weird. It was like she was there, but she wasn't." Emily told the two girls.

"Oh, sweety. She's in a wilderness boot camp." Spencer said, linking her arm with Emily's, hoping that it would bring comfort to Emily. "You know, she's been talking to bears. And besides, I bet her counselor was probably watching her the whole time." Josie said as she held Emily's hand and gave her hand a squeeze but she shook her head. "No, she was alone. Maybe she's moved on." Emily said sadly, making Josie and Spencer frown before Emily walked away from them.

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"What the hell was that about?" Aria snapped to Spencer as she approached Aria and Josie. Richie was getting tired and sore so he headed home once he knew Aria promised to get her home safe. "Saving your relationship. Five more seconds, and you would've ended up on youtube." Spencer said to Aria, calming her down a bit as Josie nodded in agreement. "That was a suicide mission, and you know it." she said before they noticed Emily staggering. "What is going on with Emily?" Spencer asked before the three of them hurried to her, helping her. "Hey. Hey." Aria and Spencer said as Emily staggered making the three of them hold on to her.

"Whoa. Okay." Josie muttered as they helped her to a seat. "Come on. Hey, sit down." Aria said as they got her to sit down on a seat nearby. "Okay, I'm gonna go get you some water." Aria said as she headed towards the water bottles. "Caffeinated water." Spencer added to Aria's statement as she and Jose sat down with Emily. "I'm not thirsty." Emily slurred before catching sight of Ian. "He shouldn't be here." she mumbled. "He's not a chaperone. He's a killer." she slurred out making Josie try to shush her, hoping no one would hear her.

"Emily." Spencer scolded softly, hoping to quieten the drunken emotional girl. "Why is Toby at home wearing a lojack, While this freak can go anywhere he wants, Do whatever he wants..." She said as Josie tried to cut her off "Emily-" she said but Emily kept talking. "Marry your sister?!" she slurred out loudly as she looked at Spencer.

"Okay, Emily, with us. Come on." Spencer said as the three of them helped Emily up, hoping to get her out of the dance, so no one would hear her but she escaped them and walked up to Ian, the girls following her, hoping she wouldn't say anything. "I know what you did-we all know-and you're not gonna get away with it." Emily slurred out to Ian as Aria and Josie grabbed each of her Arms to pull her out of here. "Emily." Josie said as she and Aria managed to get her out, but Ian had stopped Spencer, wanting to know what he was talking about.

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The girls had managed to get Emily outside, Aria had wandered off but Hanna had joined Spencer and Josie in dealing with drunk Emily. "Was that tree always here?" Emily slurred, making Spencer sigh as she took Emily's keys out of her purse. "Here, take these. She's not driving." she said as she tried to give them to Hanna. "No, I'm not taking her home if her mom finds out it was my flask, I'm gonna be feeding the bears with maya." Hanna denied with a shake of her head as she nodded.

"Fine, I'll drive her." Spencer said softly, causing Emily to look at them with wide eyes. "No, I'm not going home." Emily said, shaking her head as Hanna helped her put her jacket on. "Just crash at my place then, okay?" Spencer said as she looked at Hanna and Josie. "You guys too. I don't wanna be home alone when Ian walks in." she said softly, making Josie nod. "Okay." Hanna said as Lucas walked out of the school calling for Hanna, as Spencer, Emily and Josie made their way to the car.

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Josie and Spencer were downstairs while Hanna put Emily to rest. "Hey, how is she?" Josie asked as Hanna walked downstairs and sat next to her on the couch. "Passed out. She wanted to call Maya, so I took her phone." Hanna informed the two girls as Spencer nodded. "Smart, that could cause some serious damage." she said as Hanna and Josie noticed her computer on the coffee table under papers. "Spence?" Hanna called, gaining her attention as she looked at them as Hanna moved the papers away from it. "Was this always sitting here?" Josie asked as she pointed to the laptop as Spencer shook her head.

"No. Ian must have put it back before the dance." she said as she rushed over and took the laptop and opened it, she sat in between Hanna and Josie so they could both see the screen. "Well, then why didn't you notice it?" Hanna asked, confused. "He left after me." she said as she checked her emails. "The video's gone." she said with a sigh, before checking the trash. "And the trash has been wiped." "Surprise, surprise." Hanna muttered as Josie rested her head on the back of the seat in frustration as Spencer clicked on a new message, it was a picture of Ali. "Oh, my god. It's Ali." Spencer said in shock.

"What? What is it?" Hanna asked as she looked at the laptop screen as Hanna read out the message. "watch your backs. I didn't. A." she said. "That was taken in your yard the night she disappeared. She's wearing the yellow top." Hanna said as the three of them studied the picture. "There's a shadow right there like someone was following her." Josie said as she pointed to it on the screen. "Spence, you know who that is?" Hanna asked as she looked towards her friend. "I-I have no idea." Spencer stuttered out as the girls sat in shock.

⎯ AUTHORS NOTE
new chapter, enjoy! <3