Authors: Sara Shepard
When Spencer turned around, she found Mona nervously spinning her diamond necklace around her neck. Her expression had morphed from one of gleeful naughtiness to something much more guarded and uncertain.
“I know you’re super-late,” Mona blurted out, “and I don’t want to bother you, but something’s happening to me, and I really need to talk to someone about it. I know we don’t know each other well, but I can’t talk to Hanna—she’s got enough problems. And everyone else would spread it around the school.”
Spencer perched on the edge of a large ceramic planter, concerned. “What is it?”
Mona looked around cautiously, as if to make sure there were no Ralph Lauren–clad golfers nearby. “I’ve been getting these…text messages,” she whispered.
Spencer lost hearing for a moment.
“What did you say?”
“Text messages,” Mona repeated. “I’ve only gotten two, but they’re not really signed, so I don’t know who they’re from. They say these…these
horrible
things about me.” Mona bit her lip. “I’m kind of scared.”
A sparrow fluttered past and landed on a barren crab apple tree. A lawn mower rumbled to life in the distance. Spencer gaped at Mona. “Are they from…A?” she whispered.
Mona went so pale, even her freckles vanished. “H-how did you know that?”
“Because.” Spencer breathed in.
This wasn’t happening. This
couldn’t
be happening.
“Hanna and I—and Aria and Emily—we’ve all been getting them too.”
17
CATS CAN FIGHT NICE, CAN’T THEY?
Wednesday afternoon, just as Hanna flopped over in her hospital bed—apparently, lying too still caused bedsores, which sounded even nastier than acne—she heard a knock at her door. She almost didn’t want to answer it. She was a little sick of all her nosy visitors, especially Spencer, Aria, and Emily.
“Let’s get ready to par-
tay
!” someone yelled. Four boys swept inside: Noel Kahn; Mason Byers; Aria’s younger brother, Mike; and, surprise of all surprises, Sean Ackard, Hanna’s—and Aria’s, it seemed—ex-boyfriend.
“Hey, boys.” Hanna lifted the oatmeal-colored cashmere blanket Mona had brought her from home over the bottom half of her face, revealing only her eyes. Seconds later, Lucas Beattie arrived, carrying a big bouquet of flowers.
Noel glanced at Lucas, then rolled his eyes. “Over-compensating for something?”
“Huh?” Lucas’s face was nearly swallowed up by the bouquet.
Hanna didn’t get why Lucas was always visiting her. Sure, they’d been friends for like a
minute
last week, when Lucas took her up in his dad’s hot-air balloon and let her vent about all of her troubles. Hanna knew how much he liked her—he’d pretty much reached in, pulled out his heart, and handed it to her during their balloon ride together, but after she’d received Mona’s court dress in the mail, Hanna clearly remembered sending Lucas a nasty text confirming that she was out of his league. She considered reminding him of that now, only…Lucas had been pretty useful. He’d gone to Sephora to buy Hanna a whole bunch of new makeup, read
Teen Vogue
to her line by line, and cajoled the doctors into allowing him to douse the room with Bliss aromatherapy oil, just as Hanna had asked him to. She kind of liked having him around. If she weren’t so popular and fabulous, he’d probably make a great boyfriend. He was definitely cute enough—way cuter than Sean, even.
Hanna glanced at Sean now. He was sitting stiffly in a plastic visitor’s chair, peeking at Hanna’s various get-well cards. Visiting Hanna in the hospital was
so
him. She wanted to ask him why he and Aria had broken up, but all of a sudden, she realized that she didn’t care.
Noel looked at Hanna curiously. “What’s with the veil?”
“The doctors told me to do this.” Hanna pulled the blanket tight around her nose. “To, like, keep away germs. And besides, you get to focus on my beautiful eyes.”
“So, what was it like being in a coma?” Noel perched on the side of Hanna’s bed, squeezing a stuffed turtle that her aunt and uncle had given her yesterday. “Was it, like, a really long acid trip?”
“And are they giving you medicinal marijuana now?” Mike asked hopefully, his blue eyes glinting. “I bet the hospital stash
rocks
.”
“Nah, I bet they’re giving her painkillers.” Mason’s parents were doctors, so he always busted out his medical knowledge. “Hospital patients have such a sweet setup.”
“Are the nurses hot?” Mike burbled. “Do they strip for you?”
“Are you naked under there?” Noel asked. “Give us a peek!”
“Guys!” Lucas said in a horrified voice. The boys looked at him and rolled their eyes—except for Sean, who looked almost as uncomfortable as Lucas did. Sean was probably still in Virginity Club, Hanna thought with a smirk.
“It’s fine,” Hanna chirped. “I can handle it.” It was actually refreshing to have the boys here, making inappropriate comments. Everyone else who visited had been so damn serious. As the boys gathered around to sign Hanna’s cast, Hanna remembered something and sat up. “You guys are coming to my welcome-back party on Friday, right? Spencer and Mona are planning it, so I’m sure it’s going to rock.”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Noel glanced at Mason and Mike, who were looking out the window, chatting about what limbs they’d break if they jumped from Hanna’s fifth-floor balcony. “What’s up with you and Mona, anyway?” Noel asked.
“Nothing.” Hanna flinched. “Why?”
Noel capped the pen. “You guys had quite a catfight at her party.
Rrow!
”
“We did?” Hanna asked blankly. Lucas coughed uncomfortably.
“Noel, it was so not
rrow!
” Mona breezed into the room. She blew air-kisses at Noel, Mason, and Mike, shot a frosty smile at Sean, and dropped an enormous binder at the bottom of Hanna’s bed. She ignored Lucas completely. “It was just a little BFF bitchiness.”
Noel shrugged. He joined the other boys at the window and proceeded to get into a noogie fight with Mason.
Mona rolled her eyes. “So listen, Han, I was just talking to Spencer, and we made a must-have party list. I want to run the details by you.” She opened her Tiffany-blue binder. “You, of course, have the final say before I talk to the venue.” She licked her finger and turned a page. “Okay. Bisque or ivory napkins?”
Hanna tried to focus, but Noel’s words were still fresh in Hanna’s mind.
Rrow?
“What were we fighting about?” Hanna blurted out.
Mona paused, lowering her list to her lap. “Seriously, Han, nothing. You remember we were fighting the week before? About the skywriter? Naomi and Riley?”
Hanna nodded. Mona had asked Naomi Zeigler and Riley Wolfe, their biggest rivals, to be part of her Sweet Seventeen party court. Hanna suspected it was in retaliation to Hanna blowing off their Frenniversary celebration.
“Well, you were totally right,” Mona went on. “Those two are enormous bitches. I don’t want us to hang out with them anymore. I’m sorry I let them in the inner circle for a little bit, Han.”
“It’s okay,” Hanna said in a small voice, feeling a tiny lift.
“So, anyway.” Mona pulled out two magazine cutouts. One was a longish, white, pleated bubble dress with a silk rosette on the back, and the other was a wild-print dress that hit high on the thigh. “Phillip Lim gathered gown or flirty Nieves Lavi minidress?”
“Nieves Lavi,” Hanna answered. “It’s boatneck and short, so it’ll show lots of leg but detract from my collarbone and face.” She pulled the sheet up to her eyes again.
“Speaking of that,” Mona chirped, “look what I got for you!”
She reached into her butter-colored Cynthia Rowley tote and pulled out a delicate porcelain mask. It was in the shape of a pretty girl’s face, with prominent cheekbones, pretty, pouty lips, and a nose that would definitely be on a plastic surgeon’s most-requested list. It was so beautiful and intricate, it looked
almost
real.
“These exact masks were used in last year’s Dior haute couture show,” Mona breathed. “My mom knows someone at Dior’s PR company in New York, and we had someone drive it down from New York City this morning.”
“Oh my God.” Hanna reached out and touched the edge of the mask. It felt like a mix between baby-soft skin and satin.
Mona held the mask up to Hanna’s face, which was still half-covered by the blanket. “It will cover all your bruises. You’ll be the most gorgeous girl at your party.”
“Hanna’s already gorgeous,” Lucas piped up, whirling around from all the medical machines. “Even without a mask.”
Mona’s nose wrinkled as if Lucas had just told her he was going to take her temperature in her butt. “Oh, Lucas,” she said frostily. “I didn’t see you standing there.”
“I’ve been here the whole time,” Lucas pointed out tersely.
The two of them glowered at each other. Hanna noticed something almost apprehensive about Mona’s expression. But in a blink, it was gone.
Mona placed Hanna’s mask against her vase of flowers, positioning it so that it was staring at her. “This is going to be
the
party of the year, Han. I can’t wait.”
With that, Mona blew her a kiss and danced out of the room. Noel, Mason, Sean, and Mike followed, telling Hanna they’d be back tomorrow and she’d
better
share some of her medicinal marijuana with them. Only Lucas remained, leaning against the far wall next to a soothing Monet-esque poster of a field of dandelions. There was a disturbed expression on his face.
“So that cop, Wilden? He asked me some questions about the hit-and-run while we were waiting for you to wake up from your coma a couple days ago,” Lucas said quietly, sitting down on the orange chair next to Hanna’s bed. “Like, if I’d seen you the night it happened. If you were acting weird or worried. It kind of sounded like he thought the hit-and-run wasn’t an accident.”
Lucas swallowed hard and raised his eyes to Hanna. “You don’t think it was the same person who was sending you those weird text messages, do you?”
Hanna shot up. She’d forgotten that she’d told Lucas about A when they’d gone up in the hot-air balloon together. Her heart started to pound. “Tell me you didn’t say anything about that to Wilden.”
“Of course not,” Lucas assured her. “It’s just…I’m worried about you. It’s so scary that someone
hit
you, is all.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Hanna interrupted, crossing her arms over her chest. “And please,
please
don’t say a word to Wilden about it. Okay?”
“Okay,” Lucas said. “Sure.”
“Good,” Hanna barked. She took a long sip from the glass of water that was next to her bed. Whenever she dared to consider the truth—that A had
hit her
—her mind closed off, refusing to let her ponder it any further.
“So. Isn’t it nice that Mona’s throwing a party for me?” Hanna asked pointedly, wanting to change the subject. “She’s been such a wonderful friend. Everyone’s saying so.”
Lucas fiddled with the buttons on his Nike watch. “I’m not sure if you should trust her,” he mumbled.
Hanna wrinkled her brow. “What are you talking about?”
Lucas hesitated for a few long seconds.
“Come on,” Hanna said, annoyed. “What?”
Lucas reached over and tugged Hanna’s sheet down, exposing her face. He took her cheeks in his hands and kissed her. Lucas’s mouth was soft and warm and fit perfectly with hers. Tingles scampered up Hanna’s spine.
When Lucas broke away, they stared at each other for seven long beeps on Hanna’s EKG machine, breathing hard. Hanna was pretty sure the look on her face was one of pure astonishment.
“Do you remember?” Lucas asked, his eyes wide.
Hanna frowned. “Remember…what?”
Lucas stared at her for a long time, his eyes flickering back and forth. And then he turned away. “I—I should go,” Lucas mumbled awkwardly, and pushed out of the room.
Hanna stared after him, her bruised lips still sparking from his kiss. What had just happened?
18
NOW, INTRODUCING, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN ROSEWOOD, JESSICA MONTGOMERY
That same afternoon, Aria stood outside the Hollis art building, staring at a group of kids doing capoeira on the lawn. Aria had never understood capoeira. Her brother described it best, saying it looked less like a Brazilian fight dance and more like the people were trying to smell one another’s butts or pee on each other like dogs.
She felt a cold, thin hand on her shoulder. “Are you on campus for your art class?” a voice whispered in Aria’s ear.
Aria stiffened. “Meredith.” Today, Meredith wore a green pin-striped blazer and ripped jeans, and had an army green knapsack slung over her shoulder. The way she was staring at Aria, Aria felt like a little ant beneath a Meredith-shaped magnifying glass.
“You’re taking Mindless Art, right?” Meredith said. When Aria nodded dumbly, Meredith looked at her watch. “You’d better get up there. It starts in five minutes.”
Aria felt trapped. She’d been considering bagging this class completely—the last thing she wanted to do was spend two hours with Jenna Cavanaugh. Just seeing her the other day had brought back all sorts of uncomfortable memories. But Aria knew Meredith would relay everything to Byron, and Byron would give her a lecture on how it wasn’t very nice to throw Meredith’s charitable gift away. Aria pulled her pink cardigan around her shoulders. “Are you going to walk me up?” she snapped.
Meredith looked surprised. “Actually…I can’t. I have to go do something. Something…important.”
Aria rolled her eyes. She wasn’t being serious, but Meredith was looking back and forth shiftily, as if concealing a big secret. A horrible thought occurred to Aria: What if she was doing something
wedding
related? Even though Aria really, really didn’t want to imagine Meredith and her father standing at the front of a church altar, repeating their vows, the horrible image popped into her head anyway.
Without saying good-bye, Aria walked over to the building and took the stairs two at a time. Upstairs, Sabrina was about to start her lecture, instructing all the artists to find workstations. It was like a big game of musical chairs, and when the dust settled, Aria still didn’t have a seat. There was only one art table left…next to the girl with the white cane and the big golden retriever guide dog. Naturally.