031, the remains of the a
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

SPENCER AND Aspen rush after Hanna— who's leading them towards a room in the hospital, "Hanna. Slow down." Aspen voices.

"You almost tripped over a catheter back there that was still attached to someone." Spencer states.

"312. 312. There it is." Hanna mumbles gesturing to the hospital room, "We need to have a plan." Spencer says.

"We have a plan. Exposing A!" Hanna exclaims loudly, "Inside voice!" Aspen mutters wide eyed, "Okay." Hanna huffs.

"What is the plan exactly?" Spencer questions, "We're going to replace Garrett's note with a fake note that we wrote." Hanna explains.

"I know that part. I came up with it. Remember?" Spencer responds raising her brows, "I was wondering why you were asking me that." Hanna mutters turning to walk towards the room.

"But we still need a place to lead A." Spencer utters, "Rosewood church. By the organ in the main sanctuary. Tonight." Hanna responds incredibly quick.

Aspen and Spencer both share a look stunned at how quick the blonde came up with the next part of the plan so fast, "How did you come up with that?" Aspen quizzes.

"I have been living there since my mom signed me up to sort through spandex shorts and granny panties." Hanna says.

"But won't the church be locked?" Spencer asks, "That's the point. It's deserted at night." Hanna states, "So when Lucas shows up..." Spencer voices.

"It's not gonna be Lucas!" Hanna interrupts not believing that Lucas could have something to do with this, "Yes. It will, Han. He had the pills." Spencer shrugs.

"Fine! Then I'll show up with a paddle and finish what I started at the lake." Hanna mutters.

"Whoa. What happened to the girl who wouldn't get out of her sweats?" Aspen smirks.

"She traded them for fatigues. I'll write it." Hanna states grabbing the note from Spencer's hand, "Are you sure you know how?" Spencer questions.

"Yes. I've been forging my mom's signature since seventh grade in PE." Hanna explains writing the note to set the trap handing it off to Spencer who shows Aspen who nods knowing about Hanna's signature copying skills.

The three girls walk closer to the room where Mrs Reynolds is laid out on the bed.

"Yell if you see anyone. All right?" Hanna suggests grabbing the note from the Hastings girl.

"Are you sure that you want to do it?" Spencer questions shocked.

"This A broke me and Caleb up. Do you understand? They're gonna have to pay for that." Hanna mutters walking off into the room.

Leaving Spencer and Aspen waiting just outside of it, "So, how's Jason?" Spencer asks.

"Good. His helping Gabbie pack since she's leaving Rosewood." Aspen shrugs with a pout.

"Yeah. I forgot to ask you about that. Who's gonna look after Bowie now?" Spencer asks.

"Oh. Gabbie has introduced me to someone who's like her sister and she lives quite close. Het name is Sabrina and she's gonna be Bowie's puppy sitter when we need her." Aspen explains.

Noticing Hanna running towards them alarmed since the monitors in Mrs Reynolds room started beeping rapidly.

"Go! Go! Go, go, go! Come on!" Hanna orders rushing towards the elevator and away from the nurses rushing into the room to help the sick woman.

✹

AFTER THE whole hospital thing with Mrs Reynolds happened, Aspen decided to go back to her apartment to calm down a little bit.

"Oh! You're home." Jason says greeting the blonde as she walks into the kitchen of her apartment, "That I am. How did Gabbie go with packing?" Aspen questions.

"Yeah. Good. All the heavy stuff is lifted and in the moving truck. And I also met Sabrina," Jason states looking over at his girlfriend who's staring blankly at the wall stuck in thought.

"Asp?" Jason frowns walking over and gently placing his hand on her arm making her flinch due to the sudden contact.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Jason asks worriedly since she's never flinched before with him.

"Oh, just.." Aspen sighs facing the male, "Han, Spence and I went to the hospital earlier and Mrs Reynolds went into shock or something. It's scared me a little bit." Aspen explains with a shrug.

"Oh." Jason responds not knowing what else to say since the mother of the person who's suspected in the murder of his little sister may have just scarred his girlfriend.

"Anyways, how is she. Sabrina?" Aspen questions, "Nice and Bowie absolutely loves her." Jason says patting the said pups name.

"That's good." Aspen smiles hearing that her little animal child is happy with his new puppy sitter.

"I've gotta head into work for a few hours." Jason says grabbing his stuff and pecking Aspen's lips as she pouts for another farewell kiss.

Jason kisses her again before walking out of the apartment door heading to work for the next few hours.

GARRETT'S MOM IS
BACK IN HER ROOM.
WE'RE ON!
— HANNA

Aspen sighs in minor relief hearing that the woman didn't die before her phone chimes with another message from Spencer asking to meet up since she's meeting up with Jason soon.

Spencer and Aspen sit outside one of the cafes while Spencer scrolls on her iPad and Aspen smiles watching Bowie's head perk up at everyone passing them on the sidewalk.

"Okay. Why did you ask me to come?" Aspen quizzes genuinely curious.

"Because he adores you and can't say no to you." Spencer states answering her quickly which shocks the blonde, "Oh. Wait what?" Aspen exclaims.

"Spenny, he absolutely loves and adores you and never says no when you ask him something." Spencer shrugs.

Aspen exhales and nodding eventually agreeing with the brunette feeling a safe presence walking to the side of them.

Bowie perks up with a happy whine seeing his other own walking towards them and standing on Aspen's side.

Aspen smiles greeting her boyfriend and handing off Bowie's lead to him since Bowie being pat by the male.

"Hey." Spencer greets shutting off the iPad and facing the male, "So what's up?" Jason questions.

"I need to talk to you about Garrett. And his case." Spencer states, "Then you know. About the evidence." Jason utters.

"So it has been thrown out?" Aspen asks softly, "Not yet. But it will be." Jason responds a little more gently since it's the blonde girl asking.

Spencer sighs and looks at Aspen who exhales and nods gesturing to ask him about it.

"Look... I think I might have a way to make sure that Garrett's case doesn't fall apart. But I'm at a dead end. And at this point the only person who might be able to help me is you." Spencer voices.

"What can I do?" Jason quizzes, "Do you know somebody named April Rose?" Spencer questions sitting up straight.

Jason shakes his head no and motions for Aspen to scoot across the seat closer to Spencer so he can sit down with them.

"So you've never heard of her?" Aspen asks facing her boyfriend who sits beside her lacing his hand with hers and patting Bowie with the other one now that the pups sitting on his lap happily.

"To be honest... there were so many girls hanging around us at the time I could have met her and not even known it." Jason explains squeezing Aspen's hand tighter anxious to see her reaction of hearing all of this.

"And by us. You mean..." Spencer mumbles, "Garrett, Ian and I." Jason responds.

"Right. The N.A.T. Club." Aspen utters shocking Jason, "How'd you know about that?" Jason questions alarmed.

"Do you think that she could have been one of the girls that you filmed?" Spencer quizzes looking at Aspen's expression on her face.

"Well, I didn't film any of those videos." Jason states firmly, "Yeah... but you watched them. Didn't you? How did you get that honor without doing any of the grunt work?" Spencer wonders facing her step brother.

Aspen lets go of his hand with a shakiness remembering the sex tape they found among the videos of the others the night before the clock tower incident with Ian.

"It was my idea." Jason reveals avoiding eye contact with the now glaring Aspen who lets out a humorous chuckle.

"Did you know? About the camera filming us?" Aspen questions after a while of silence.

"I promise you Asp. I didn't know." Jason firmly states looking at his girlfriend who swallows loudly.

"Look... like I said before. I was messed up. High school was just one big blur. But Aspen helped me get out of that situation and become a better person." Jason explains looking at his step sister.

Not noticing the way Aspen's lips slightly turn into a smile hearing that she saved him a little bit.

"Do you think she could have been in one of the videos?" Aspen curiously questions.

"It's possible or maybe she was just one of their 'employees.'" Jason shrugs, "What does that mean?" Spencer asks confused.

"I think Ian and Garrett were paying girls to set up their friends. I don't know. At that time I had kind of walked away from it all because I had someone keeping me sane." Jason explains looking at Aspen— who's looking down and patting Bowie with a loving expression.

Oblivious to that way Jason smiles seeing her happy smile in her own world with her— their puppy, "So were you guys the only members?" Spencer quizzes.

"Officially? Yeah. But Ian had help. There's no way he could have filmed it all on his own. He was also always hitting on Aspen and making her uncomfortable and then that night..." Jason mutters clenching his jaw at the memory of seeing Aspen with tears streaming down her face and staring numbly at him like she didn't recognise him.

Aspen gulps also remembering the night and squeezing Jason's hand keeping him calm at the memory, "You know... at times, I even thought maybe he was filming it for someone else." Jason mumbles.

Bowie perks up seeing Jason stand up and hand Aspen back the leash, "I'll catch up with you later?" Jason suggests kissing Aspen on the forehead.

"Yeah." Spencer confirms, "See you at home." Jason states looking at Aspen who nods watching him walk back towards the office to work for a little while longer.

"Do you believe him?" Spencer questions while they walk towards the Grille to have lunch.

"What?" Aspen responds with a frown, "About not knowing about that tape of you two?" Spencer questions.

"I do. We saw that it was locked away in a separate folder with other videos of him watching me. I don't think Jason would lie to me." Aspen responds noticing Spencer smile at her and nod agreeing.

"I agree. He loves you too much." Spencer giggles, "So I've heard." Aspen responds dropping Bowie upstairs since they're only downstairs for lunch and she's not that far away from him.

"I can't believe you asked him that." Hanna says while Aspen sits down at the table beside her with a smile, "We have to find this girl. And if anybody knows who she is. It's Jason." Spencer responds.

"Well, he doesn't." Hanna utters, "He might not have recognized her name. But he could recognize her by a picture." Aspen voices with a shrug.

"I wonder if April was the type of girl who pimped out her friends." Hanna comments with a grimace.

"I don't know. All I know is that the prosecution's case is crumbling... and we have to get to this girl before A does. Whatever Garrett wants destroyed could be the only thing left that keeps him in jail." Spencer explains.

"Do you think Maya found those tapes with Ali's stuff?" Hanna wonders.

"It's possible. Maybe that's what Garrett was after all along. Maybe April rose has a tape. Maybe that's what Garrett wants A to destroy?" Spencer suggests with a shrug.

"What I don't get is why would A take direction from Garrett?" Hanna quizzes.

"Well, it might be the other way around. Garrett might have done whatever A told him to and that's how he wound up behind bars." Spencer shrugs in response.

Aria enters through the door in a rush smiling at Aspen who greets her first, "Hey. Sorry I'm late." Aria pants, "Finally. I'm starving!" Hanna groans.

"Me too. Do you want to split some cheese fries?" Spencer asks looking between Aspen and Hanna.

"No. I want my own." Hanna responds, "I'm not that hungry but I'm so thirsty!" Aspen responds with a groan.

Not noticing the way Hanna squints at her mentioning she's not hungry finding it weird Aspen hasn't been eating much lately only keeping hydrated.

"Hey. So, the plan's changed for tonight." Hanna states, "It's not a plan. It's a suicide mission." Spencer interjects.

"The church is gonna be crawling with people. So we're not gonna be able to figure out who A is. Emily and I are gonna hide behind the organ and just see who shows up." Hanna explains.

"I don't think that you should..." Spencer voices, "Spencer, it's not about confronting, okay? I just want to see who it is so I'll know how to plan a real attack." Hanna states receiving looks from all three girls surrounding her.

"'We'. When we attack." Hanna corrects herself, "Just be careful and wear sensible shoes." Aspen suggests with a smirk.

"Hey. I wear three inches or I wear nothing. Now please come with me to the bathroom?" Hanna demands.

Aspen smiles with a nod standing up to go to the bathroom together, "Oh. And order me a side salad to soak up the cheese." Hanna suggests.

"Just a mineral water for me, please." Aspen voices with a wink following Hanna and gesturing to upstairs since her apartment is up there and in her eyes cleaner.

"Okay. What's going on with you? You haven't been eating much." Hanna bluntly asks cutting straight to the point.

"I do eat. Just not a lot. Haven't had the appetite much." Aspen shrugs doing her business in her bedroom's ensuite and allowing Hanna to use the guest bathroom.

Before both girls join Aria and Spencer back on the table seeing the cold mineral water placed in front of her.

"Thank you!" Aspen groans happily sipping on the liquid while the others eat their lunch.

✹

ASPEN WALKS into the Hastings manor— more so Spencer's bedroom carrying Bowie in her arms overhearing the last bit of Spencer and Hanna's conversation.

About Hanna taking Toby to 'the thank you dance' at the church tonight since he mucked up around her mother.

Aspen sits beside Hanna while Bowie wags his tail placing himself on Hanna's lap.

"You know, last year... when things got really bad I used to fantasize about what my life would be like if I had never met Ali. My biggest concern right now would be where I wanted to go to college." Spencer explains remembering that time.

"I've had that fantasy too." Hanna mumbles, "Me too." Aspen admits drinking from her drink bottle.

"Yeah. But every time I go down that road. I have to remind myself that if I hadn't met her. Then I wouldn't be friends with either of you. So what time should Toby pick you up?" Spencer questions.

"Seven-thirty." Hanna states with a beaming smile, "Okay. Now go. So Aspen and I can keep looking through all this." Spencer demands gesturing to the iPad on her lap and Aspen now sitting on the chair with her laptop on her lap.

"Oh... and Spence. Spenny." Hanna voices turning towards the two girls, "Hmm?" Spencer hums while Aspen looks up from her screen.

"We'll get there, okay? We've stopped Mona. And we can stop this person. It's now or never." Hanna states confidently.

"I know. It's the 'never' part that I'm afraid of." Spencer responds with a smile.

Aspen waves once Hanna walks out of the bedroom and back to her house to get ready for the dance tonight.

After a while of looking things over on their iPad and laptop, time passes and the two of them walk downstairs ready to head out together with Bowie wagging his tail happily.

A knock on the side door is heard, "Hey." Spencer mumbles confused seeing Jason closing the door behind him and wrapping his free arm around Aspen's waist.

"Found April Rose." Jason states not even wasting time explaining, "Did you talk to her?" Spencer quizzes stunned.

"It's not a her. It's an it." Jason states pointing at the ad in his old yearbook from high school.

Aspen looks up at him with a shocked expression, "You're driving!" Aspen exclaims.

The three of them rush out of the Hastings house together on a new mission to find out what Garrett has at April Rose.

Twenty minutes later, Jason, Aspen and Spencer all get out of Jason's vehicle seeing the store to the side of them before entering with shared confused looks.

"Oh. Hi." Spencer greets seeing a lady sitting on the chair, "Good evening." Jason greets politely while Aspen frowns.

"Is she alive or a doll?" Aspen whispers leaning closer to Jason who smiles.

"Good evening, folks. I'm getting ready to close. Uh— how can I help you?" a man questions walking out from the office.

"We just came in to pick up something that might have been set aside?" Jason quizzes, the man looks at the three almost confused.

Aspen taps on Jason's bicep silently telling him she's gonna look around with Spencer's help while Jason himself deals with the store owner.

Aspen and Spencer walk towards one of the mannequins seeing a familiar anklet on its wrist.

———— Aspen, Alison and Spencer lounge around in Spencer's bedroom, Spencer flipping through some dvd's.

Aspen on her phone texting Jason secretly hoping Alison doesn't see and the blonde leader smiling at the two while painting her toenails.

"Okay, so we can go classic with 'when Harry met Sally.' We can watch 'the notebook' for, like, the millionth time." Spencer voices.

"I don't care. You can decide." Alison suggests moving onto her other foot, "That's really pretty." Spencer says looking at the anklet on Alison's foot.

Alison smiles at the item and looks at Aspen with a wink, "Don't you love finding new places to wear jewelry? I'm never taking it off." Alison states firmly.

"Who gave it to you?" Spencer quizzes, "No one special." Alison shrugs earning a shove from the blonde girl beside her.

"Just another one of the nameless, faceless revolving door of boyfriends who adore you?" Spencer playfully questions.

"No. Actually. Spen got it for me." Alison responds finally admitting that the gift is from Aspen who shrugs with a smile.

"I— am going out and Aspen's joining me." Alison voices taking off the rope along with Aspen who reveals on her tight skin dress.

"Are you kidding?" Spencer questions in disbelief, "My friend has a guy who can get us I.D.'S. We're going to a party to pick him up... and then we'll be back." Alison explains.

"This is so typical. Every time we make plans... if something better comes along. You totally ditch me and you drag Aspen along with you!" Spencer mutters sitting up in disbelief.

"Why are you spazzing? Aspen's not being dragged. She's also meeting someone. God knows who. But I'm making sure we have the best summer ever. Instead of languishing at the kiddie table. We'll be mixing up on futons with frat boys." Alison giggles seeing Aspen's massive smile on her face.

"Sorry Spence." Aspen apologies sympathetically, "We've gotta go. Our friend's here." Alison explains facing Spencer while Aspen fixes her dress and lipgloss.

"Which friend?" Spencer questions, "You don't know her." Aspen shrugs wrapping her forearm around Alison's and walking out of the room. ———

Jason walks over to the two of them seeing both of their faces change seeing the object they're holding onto without getting their fingerprints on it.

"You're sure this is it?" Jason questions looking at Aspen's sad expression, "I'm positive. She never took it off. She even got me one to match." Aspen explains sadly feeling guilty for not wearing hers.

"Uh. How much do you want for this?" Jason quizzes facing the store owner who looks at the anklet confused, "I don't know. I've never seen that before." the man admits.

"My friend and I just found it on this mannequin." Spencer explains, "Must have been brought in here in the past couple of days." the man says.

"And you don't happen to know who dropped it off?" Spencer questions.

"It's— there's no code. No tags. I can't sell it to you folks. It's a display piece." the man states looking at Spencer in confusion when she pulls it away from him stopping him from touching the item.

"How about if I give you a hundred dollars?" Jason offers, "It's not my decision to make." the man sighs.

"Will two hundred make it your decision? Four hundred." Jason states with shrug handing the money over to the man and motioning for the girls to walk out of the antique store.

Aspen inhales and exhales suddenly feeling overwhelmed with the thought of the police not taking this anklet seriously.

Spencer seems to share the same thoughts as the blonde and hands it off to Jason.

"Look... Spenny and I will come to the police station with you. But we can't go in." Spencer states, "Why not?" Jason asks confused.

Aspen and Spencer sigh facing the male, "If this is what Garrett was looking for. We just made sure he's going to spend the rest of his life in jail." Jason states.

"I know baby. I know. But if Spencer or myself turn that in they're going to be serious repercussions for us." Aspen explains looking at the male.

"It's okay. I'll turn it in." Jason mutters motioning to his car which the girls get in and the three of them drive towards the police station in silence and once every now and then.

Jason softly squeezes Aspen's free hand silently asking if she's okay, in which the blonde girl returns to gesture and looks at his side profile with so much love plastered on her face.

While gently running her occupied hand through Bowie's fur calming the puppy down until they arrive at the apartment where Sabrina is waiting for them to look over the said puppy for a few hours.

✹

PARKED OUTSIDE the police station, Spencer paces while listening to the voicemail Toby left her, "Everything okay?" Aspen voices seeing Spencer's sigh of frustration.

"Toby figured out that tonight was a lie." Spencer explains, "He loves you Spence. He'll understand." Aspen responds knowing the subject is rough.

Noticing Jason crossing the street fidgeting with his fingers, "Hey. How did it go?" Spencer questions.

"As well as it could, I guess. I told 'em I got an anonymous tip and they seemed to believe me." Jason explains grabbing a hold of Aspen's hand gently lacing his fingers with hers helping both of their nervous fidgeting.

"So when will we know when..." Spencer asks, "Uh. He didn't say." Jason responds.

"What do we do now?" Aspen questions after being quiet since the beginning of the drive from the antique store, "Now we wait." Jason suggests.

Spencer stares at her feet for a moment contemplating whether or not she should ask this next thing.

"Um. Do you still have those letters? The ones that helped you figure out that my dad is our dad?" Spencer questions.

"Yeah." Jason nods, "May I see them?" Spencer wonders, "Oh, Spencer. You don't want to do that. It'll just— hurt." Jason responds clearing his throat.

Spencer looks around amused confusing Jason who looks from Aspen to Spencer, "What?" Jason asks, "Uh," Spencer laughs.

"Nothing. I was— I just realised why Aspen loves you the way she does. You're much more different you are from Ali. I mean... the reason that you don't want me to see them is the very reason that she would want me to." Spencer responds.

Aspen looks up at her boyfriend who has the same loving expression on his face.

"I wonder what kind of person she would have turned into. I mean... I see it with the kids I work with. And at first they're all attitude. But you peel back the layers and you usually find a person underneath." Jason says.

Aspen wraps her arms around his torso suddenly growing extremely sleepy from the day's events.

"Yeah. But with Ali... I'd keep peeling. I— we just... always seemed to find new layers." Spencer says motioning between herself and the sleepy girl.

Who's leaning closer to her boyfriend loving that they can be public— even though they were before but even more now that she's eighteen and no longer in high school.

Jason and Aspen enter the apartment belonging to the blonde girl seeing Sabrina sitting on the sofa with a smile on her face and Bowie asleep on their bed in the bedroom.

"Thank you so much for coming on such short notice." Aspen voices while Jason walks into the bedroom closing the door so he can get ready for bed.

"No problem. It's what I'm here for." Sabrina shrugs leaving the apartment politely.

Aspen walks into the bedroom sighing in tiredness and lying in the bed alongside Jason asleep they drift off to sleep not even bothering turning off the fairy lights in the living room.

✹

JASON'S VOICE is heard on the phone the next morning angrily muttering trying his best not to wake up Aspen in the bedroom.

"Jase, what's going on?" Aspen groggily questions seeing her boyfriend's hands clenched in fists.

"The anklet had trace amounts of blood still on it. Ali's and someone else's. That blood has been ruled out as belonging to Garrett Reynolds." Jason snarls pissed off.

"What? What does that mean?" Aspen asks staring at the mourning older brother of Ali's in this situation not her boyfriend.

"They don't know whose it is. But they know it's not his." Jason explains, "That's— that's not possible." Aspen mumbles tearfully.

"Aspen... the judge threw out the case!" Jason snaps storming out of the apartment leaving Aspen heavily breathing in shock at the news.

HEY SPENNY,
I HAVE ONE MORE
SURPRISE FOR YOU.
GARRETT ISN'T
THEIR KILLER.
— A

Aspen slams her phone into the unmade bed shrieking in frustration and feeling dumb for not even thinking about A at all last night.

Blaming herself knowing Jason is out there blaming himself as well beating himself up at being yet again and disappointment to his father.

─────── ∘°❉°∘ ───────
TO BE CONTINUED...

𝖊𝖑𝖘 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖐𝖘 ⛧
i hate
this chapter...

Sabrina is introduced
much earlier than the show!

PLEASE COMMENT AND
SAVE ME FROM LOSING
MOTIVATION FOR THIS BOOK !!
— AND VOTE PLEASE

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