035, what lies beneath
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AFTER RECEIVING an sos text message off Hanna, a very hungover Aspen and the other girls sit in the blondes bedroom looking at the note Hanna found underneath one of their pot plants.

"Emily, I'm so sorry for everything. I know we've had a disconnect lately. I hope you'll give me a chance to explain. I have to show you something. Don't call my cell... someone stole it. Meet me at..." Hanna reads out loud for the others sharing confused looks with another.

"'Meet me'. Where?" Aria questions, "I don't know. I can't tell. It looks like it's been washed out by the rain." Hanna explains.

"Are you sure that this is from Maya?" Spencer quizzes looking at Emily sitting beside her, "Positive." Emily states firmly.

"I wonder what she wanted to show you." Aspen says softly not wanting to talk loud due to her nauseating headache she's experiencing.

"I mean... the police have said all along that she probably found something that proved Garrett killed Ali." Aria voices, "Which is why she was killed." Hanna mumbles.

"Okay. You guys... we need to slow down. Because we have no idea when Maya wrote that note. And it could have been any time after Emily moved in here with you." Spencer states while Aria looks at the note with a frowning squint.

"It looks like there's a date on the top right corner. Look." Aria responds handing Emily the note and said girl and Spencer look at the note in horror.

While Aspen exhales trying to calm the nausea swirling inside her stomach.

"Oh. My god. Maya wrote this the day she died." Emily states leaving herself and the others stunned at the news.

✹

ASPEN ARRIVES at Rosewood High feeling better since she slept most of her wicked hangover off yesterday.

Aspen walks into Mrs Lockman's classroom seeing the woman smiling at her favourite fashion student.

"Do you have a job? Sorry. That's weird." Mrs Lockman questions.

"Um... no. I don't have a job at the moment. Why?" Aspen inquiries nervously.

"Well, I was thinking... you work for me permanently here at the high school. Since your designs are so amazing... and the students know you already?" Mrs Lockman suggests.

"Oh. Of course. But I mean... I'm only eighteen. Don't I need some experience?" Aspen questions confused.

"Not for this experience. All I need is a signature from someone who can back you up if something happens." Mrs Lockman explains handing Aspen a form.

"No problem. I'll have this back to you tomorrow or by the end of today." Aspen responds with a nod leaving the classroom meeting Aria in the hallway by her locker.

"Why do you look like that?" Aria quizzes confused, "Like what?" Aspen asks offended.

"You look like the wheels in your head are spinning with possible decisions to be made. What's up?" Aria questions.

"Oh. Just a job opportunity to work alongside Mrs Lockman as her fashion designer." Aspen shrugs showing Aria the form.

"Oh my god! My mom could sign this. Come on!" Aria exclaims grabbing Aspen's wrist tugging her towards Mrs Montgomery's classroom oblivious to what they're about to walk into.

Aria and Aspen come to a sudden stop seeing Aria's mom lip-locking with someone at one of the desks.

"Hey, mom." Aria greets wide eyed looking at Aspen stood beside sharing the same shocked look.

"Hi... honey," Mrs Montgomery awkwardly responds standing up from the table.

"Hi Aspen," said woman greets noticing the blonde standing beside her daughter receiving a small wave in response.

"This is Zack." Mrs Montgomery says, "Hey. I've heard great things about you and you as well Aspen." Zack states discreetly looking over Aspen's figure.

"You're Zack? " Aria utters shocked seeing her mother and Zack nodding at her awkwardly.

"Wow." Aspen mouths hating the awkwardness right now, "You...
you did all this?" Aria quizzes gesturing to the food on the desk.

"Yeah. There's plenty left if you're both hungry?" Zack suggests, "No. I'm— I'm good. Thanks." Aria responds.

"Yeah same. Thanks though." Aspen says with a small smile oblivious to the male checking her out even though his with Ella.

Mrs Montgomery turns towards the male awkwardly with an exhale, "I should go. Um.. I have cannolis waiting to be stuffed. I'll see you tomorrow, babe." Zack states placing his hand on Mrs Montgomery's arm.

"Yes. You will." said woman responds lowly, "It was great meeting you both." Zack says checking Aspen out once more.

"Yeah. You... you too." Aria responds, "Bye." Aspen mumbles just as Zack leaves the classroom leaving the three standing in the room in silence.

"Babe?" Aria responds after a while, "So? He's cute... right?" Mrs Montgomery smiles.

"Not my type." Aspen murmurs, "Very. Yeah. You just— didn't mention how different he was." Aria states.

"Different than who? Or is "different" code for "young"?" Mrs Montgomery quizzes looking at the two girls.

"No. I— I don't have a problem with his age. Mom... did you tell him yours?" Aria asks.

"We've been very honest with each other." Mrs Montgomery confirms, "Okay. Well— it's a good start. I guess." Aria responds.

"We'll talk. We'll talk after school." Mrs Montgomery says smiling at her daughter, "Yeah. Yeah." Aria responds with a confident nod.

"Talk... we'll talk." Mrs Montgomery repeats walking towards the front of the class as the bells rings signalling class is about to start.

Aria leaves Aspen in the classroom walking towards where Mrs Montgomery is standing preparing for her next lesson.

"Mrs Montgomery. Can you sign this for me please?" Aspen questions showing the woman the form in her hands.

"Of course, honey. Here..." Mrs Montgomery responds grabbing a pen from her stock and immediately signing the form with no hesitation.

"Congratulations by the way." said woman exclaims, "Thanks Mrs M." Aspen responds walking out of the classroom.

Knowing Hanna's expecting her to go through photos from Maya's website with her.

✹

HANNA LOOKS up hearing Aspen rush into her bedroom placing her handbag on her vanity and sitting beside her on her bed immediately looking through the photographs.

"What's this? Have you taken up scrapbooking and dragged Aspen along into it?" Emily playfully questions walking into Hanna's bedroom seeing the two girls lying on Hanna's bed.

"No. I blew up the photos from Maya's website." Hanna responds, "Uh... all of them?" Emily quizzes shocked.

"Yes and I organized them by date and location. And I really think I'm on to something here." Hanna explains confidently.

"Or on something." Emily utters in response, "You can see details you weren't able to see on the screen." Hanna mutters.

"Okay. I appreciate all the effort you're putting into this. But if I didn't know better... I would think that Maya was your girlfriend. Not mine. What's going on?" Emily curiously asks hearing Hanna sigh.

"Caleb knows about A." Hanna reveals shocking the Field cousins, "What? How?" Aspen exclaims.

"He went on Maya's website. And he knew I was keeping something from him... so he put two and two together." Hanna says.

"Did you tell him everything?" Aspen and Emily simultaneously question.

"Yeah. Enough for him to know that it's too dangerous for us to be together while A is still out there." Hanna states, "So you two are just pretending to not be together?" Emily wonders.

"Yes and it's killing me! So as much as I love you and I really want to help you. I'm doing this for me too." Hanna explains frustration laced in her tone.

"Well... glad Caleb's speaking to you." Aspen sighs, "Jason still hasn't contacted you?" Emily asks shocked.

"Radio silence. Like if we're over... can he at least bring back my damn dog?" Aspen exclaims leaving out the part she called him drunk off her ass the other night crying her soul out to his voicemail and receiving absolutely nothing in return from him.

"Hand me some pictures." Emily demands sitting up straighter knowing her cousin and Hanna are stressed at the moment.

"Leave it to Maya to make even pajamas look sexy." Emily gently says looking at a photo of Maya sadly.

"Yeah. There's a few more like it. Those are some of the last ones she posted." Hanna explains focused on flipping through her photos.

"What is this behind her?" Emily questions showing Hanna seeing as Aspen is looking at her own bunch of photographs, "I don't know. A shed... maybe?" Hanna suggests with a shrug.

Aspen looks up confused immediately recognising the cabin in the background of Maya's photo.

"Oh my god." Hanna gasps, "What?" Emily asks confused.

"That's Eric and Noel Kahn's cabin." Aspen explains motioning the photos seeing Emily looking at the shocked and joining the said photos together.

Hanna quickly calls Spencer— who's still at school to update her on the recent discovery of Maya having been at Eric and Noel's cabin.

"Wait... why would Maya be there during the day? All of Eric's parties were at night." Spencer states confused.

"She was in her pyjamas. So she must have stayed over. I mean... that's what it looks like." Hanna explains.

"I'll call you back." Spencer suddenly says ending the phone call leaving the three girls sharing looks with one another.

✹

ASPEN WALKS towards the Brew ready to order herself a nice iced coffee— since Emily makes the best ones.

"Crap! I'm so sorry!" Aspen shrieks crashing into a rough chest walking out of the Brew in a rush.

"Don't apologise, Spenny." Noel states smirking at the blonde he will always feel something for.

"Still, that was rude. I'm sorry for bumping into you." Aspen responds.

"All good, pretty girl." Noel states with a wink rushing off towards his vehicle since his late to practice.

Aspen walks into the Brew immediately ordering her drink noticing Emily's friend Nate taunting Jenna at one of the tables.

"Thank you." Aspen smiles happily taking her drink from Emily at the reception desk watching as Nate stomps out of the Brew behind her.

"I'll meet you at Hanna's later." Aspen states walking out of the Brew towards her apartment to relax for a while since they're going out to the Kahn cabin after Emily finishes work.

✹

NOT LONG after Aspen takes in a moment for herself and her quiet apartment.

She sets off towards Hanna's ready to see why Maya was hanging around her ex boyfriend's cabin in the middle of the woods.

Aspen sighs sitting in the backseat of Emily's vehicle seeing the big Kahn cabin gates coming into view ahead of them.

The three of them nervously squeeze through the gate walking towards the cabin seeing plastic cups laced around the yard.

Aspen grimaces remembering the way the alcohol made her feel during the weekend.

"This is definitely the spot." Hanna states looking at the photo of Maya on her phone seeing the Kahn sign on the side of the cabin.

Suddenly rustling is heard coming from the woods around them making Aspen, Hanna and Emily look around frightened at the sound, "It's nothing." Hanna mumbles.

Aspen inhales and exhales nodding to herself, "All right. Come on." Aspen demands walking inside the cabin wanting to get out of here as soon as possible.

"Looks like the beer pong got out of control. There's no way Maya wanted to meet me at this place." Emily states looking around the cabin in disgust.

"Well, we're here now. So let's just look around." Aspen suggests gently walking into one of the bedrooms seeing something of Eric's lying on the ground below her feet.

"Gross." Aspen grimaces with disgust seeing panties hanging on the ceiling fan and a half full cup of beer on the bedside table.

Aspen walks back out into the hallway and out of the bedrooms seeing Hanna looking at the deer head on the wall.

Emily soon joins them looking around still uncomfortable at the sight of people's missing clothes laced around the cabin.

"Did you find anything?" Hanna questions, "Nothing but stale nachos and deer heads." Emily responds.

"God. This place creeps me out." Hanna mutters hugging herself, "Yeah. Let's go." Emily suggests.

Aspen grabs a hold of Hanna's wrist noticing a door they haven't been in and walking towards it noticing a door behind one of the bookshelves.

"Em, there's another door here." Aspen states shocked moving the bookshelf and opening the door to a creepy side room in the cabin seeing a makeshift bed after Hanna turns the light on.

"Looks like someone's been staying here," Hanna mumbles in confusion going towards a small chess noticing a bag inside of it.

"Spen, Em." Hanna voices capturing Aspen and Emily's attention immediately.

"Oh my god. That's Maya's bag." Emily gasps going through the bag noticing things throughout.

Hanna frowns pulling out a pocket knife sharing anxious looks with the cousins.

"For protection?" Emily suggests looking at the pocket knife, "I don't think she was gutting fish." Hanna responds.

"Who's L.J?" Aspen quizzes with a frown looking at the initials on the side of the switchblade.

"No idea." Emily states taking the said weapon out of Aspen's hands.

Hanna grabs the card in the bag looking at what it says inside, "Why would she have this?" Hanna inquires showing Emily who looks at the card beyond confused.

"I gave this to Ali for her fourteenth birthday. Maya must have found it in the box of Ali's things." Emily explains looking at the birthday card sadly.

Aspen freezes noticing something inside of Maya's bag and picks it up showing Hanna who looks at her alarmed.

"Em." Aspen mumbles showing Emily the bus ticket out of Rosewood now realising that the St. Germain girl never got out of this hell of a town.

"Maya never left Rosewood." Emily grimly murmurs.

Aspen flinches hearing the door slam shut beside them trapping them in the small creepy side room.

All three shriek in horror when the wood planks shut close loudly outside making the three of them gasp horrified, what sounds like slamming and rocks crushing under someone's feet.

Aspen quickly grabs the switchblade knife in Maya's back in protection for herself and the other two.

"Who's out there?" Emily shouts afraid, "What do you want?" Hanna exclaims horrified hearing yet another door slamming inside the cabin.

Aspen looks at Emily grabbing onto one of the fire-pokers, "If this is you, Noel. This isn't funny anymore!" Aspen yells.

The light above them suddenly shuts off leaving the three in pure darker except for the daylight slipping in through the cracks of the windows.

Hanna screams in fright grabbing onto Aspen's hand tightly.

Emily types on her phone trying to get through to someone, "There's no reception!" Emily states freaking out while Aspen looks around hearing the car outside driving away.

"I think whoever it was just left." Hanna mumbles, "So what do we do now?" Emily asks, "I don't know. Scream?" Hanna shrugs.

"What good is that gonna do? There's nobody around for miles!" Aspen mutters clearly panicked due to her panting.

Hanna uses the flashlight they found earlier noticing light coming in from the outside.

"Hey, do you see that light?" Hanna questions shining said flashlight in that direction making Emily rush towards the closed wooden window smashing the glass.

"Geez, Em!" Aspen mutters shocked, "They're locked!" Emily exclaims.

Aspen looks at the switchblade in her hand unlocking the blade and walking towards the locks using her upper body strength trying to unlock the locks from the outside tripping on something in the room making the knife make contact with her thigh.

"Ah! Oh, god!" Aspen winces feeling pain immediately radiate from the knife wound on her thigh, "Are you okay?" Emily panics.

"I cut my leg." Aspen mutters looking at the blood pooling on her blue jeans.

"Oh my god. You're bleeding!" Emily and Hanna shriek noticing the amount of blood leaking from the wound.

Emily grabs something from Maya's back using it to tie around Aspen's injured leg hearing Aspen groaning from the pain.

"It's gonna be okay. Wait..." Emily says tightening the scarf from Maya's bag around Aspen's leg.

"Oh! I'm gonna be sick." Aspen states swallowing deeply from the pain of the stab wound on her thigh.

"Okay. It'll be okay." Emily states breaking open the locked window with one of the baseball bats.

Hanna helps Aspen stand up on her good leg, "Come on." Hanna mumbles trying to soothe Aspen's thoughts from the pain.

Aspen whimpers getting helped out of the window being mindful of the glass around the edges.

While Hanna and Emily practically carry Aspen not wanting her to put any weight on the wounded leg.

Aspen gasps capturing the two girls attention seeing the writing on the side of the wall.

I'M SAVING YOU
FOR LATER.
— A

"Oh. My god." Hanna voices before looking around alongside Emily and Aspen trying to see if anyone's around in the woods surrounding them.

Aspen groans being helped out of Emily's car so they can walk into Hanna's house.

"Aspen, you're really bleeding. We need to take you to the hospital." Emily states looking around the bloodied state of Aspen's leg once Hanna and her sit Aspen on the ground of Hanna's kitchen.

"No! No. No hospitals. I've had enough of them for the next year and then I have to tell them how I got this cut." Aspen groans.

"It's not a cut. It's a stab wound! You need to get stitches." Hanna interjects stressed for her best friend.

"Maybe we should call Jason?" Emily suggests receiving a glare off Aspen.

"You know Jason and I aren't even talking right now. He wouldn't even fucking care." Aspen mutters.

"We have to do something. I'm not gonna let you bleed to death." Emily snaps grabbing Aspen's phone from her blood coated jeans dialling someone's number knowing they'll drop everything for Aspen since their past.

"What are you doing?" Aspen exclaims panicked.

"Hey. It's Emily. Aspen needs you right now. I'll send you the address." Emily states ending the phone call after that quick order.

Wren doesn't hesitate in dropping everything at the hospital while bringing over his medical kit since Emily quickly added that into the text message from Aspen's phone.

Aspen now lying on the Marin's kitchen counter while Wren cleans her wound and begins stitching it up.

"So you gonna tell me how you did this?" Wren quizzes cutting the stitches and smirking at the blonde he use to hook up with in the past.

"I told you. I was cutting a carrot and the knife slipped." Aspen responds.

"And made a gash this big?" Wren questions in disbelief while Hanna leans on the opposite side of the counter watching the wound getting stitched anxiously.

"It was a big carrot." Hanna injects with a shrug for Aspen hearing her sigh quietly since losing quite a lot of blood earlier is making her woozy.

"Why didn't you just go to the hospital?" Wren quizzes tilting his head looking up at Aspen.

"This is gonna sound crazy. And— I want to talk about it. But I can't. It's just— not the right time and considering my past with hospitals. That's why." Aspen responds looking at Wren who nods in understanding.

Considering every time Aspen is in hospital she gets delivered bad news.

"Aspen, are you in some kind of trouble?" Wren suddenly asks confusing Aspen.

"What? No." Aspen denies shaking her head looking at Hanna anxiously.

"All right. No more questions." Wren smiles wrapping a bandage around Aspen's leg tightly to keep pressure on the wound, "Thank you." Aspen responds lowly.

"All right. This is gonna help with the swelling. But you're gonna need to sleep with your leg elevated. So sleep with a pillow or something under it... okay?" Wren suggests looking at Aspen again seeing her nod and sit up on the counter with the help of Hanna and Wren.

"Have either of you eaten dinner?" Wren questions looking at Aspen and Hanna.

"Uh. The last meal I've had was a rice cake and a yoo-hoo. Plus now I'm not hungry." Aspen responds.

"I had the same thing as her. We ate together." Hanna says.

"So with that big carrot you hit all your basic food groups." Wren playfully says making Aspen chuckle in response.

"I'm gonna give you some antibiotics. But you shouldn't take them on an empty stomach, all right? So..." Wren states.

"To be honest... I just want to go home and knock the hell out. Can
you possibly drop me off at my apartment? That way we can get some food on the way there?" Aspen suggests.

"Well, of course." Wren confirms helping Aspen off the Marin's kitchen counter carefully following behind Aspen's limping figure.

"Bye Han. Talk tomorrow." Aspen says waving goodbye to Hanna who returns the gesture watching Wren walk out with Aspen towards his vehicle.

Aspen sighs waiting in Wren's car for the male to return with some food they ordered online.

Wren soon gets back in the car and drives towards Aspen's apartment helping said girl walk up the staircase and help her onto her sofa so they can eat together since he wants to make sure she's eaten before giving her antibiotics.

Aspen finishes the meal not realising she was in fact hungry, "Good to see you still have your appetite." Wren voices watching Aspen wince lifting her leg off the ground.

"Woah. What are you doing?" Wren quizzes worriedly, "Putting my leg up. It's aching." Aspen admits.

"Here. I'll do it. You've gotta be careful. There we go... that's it." Wren gently says helping Aspen move her leg onto the couch carefully and placing a pillow underneath it.

Wren stares into Aspen's eye longingly leaning into Aspen.

"Wren, we can't do this. I'm seeing someone." Aspen voices softly making Wren nod and look down at the carpet mat placed underneath Aspen's coffee table.

Wren sighs grabbing a cold bottle of water from the fridge for the blonde girl and a packet of antibiotics and pain medication for the next few days to manage.

"Aspen...." Wren sighs looking at Aspen's soft lips once more, "Look, it's getting really late. You should probably go. You really saved me tonight. Thank you." Aspen states thankful for the male.

"Anytime. I'll drop everything for you Aspen." Wren responds kissing her forehead and leaving Aspen's forehead leaving the blonde girl staring at the television sadly.

Said girl gulps down two antibiotic pills along with some pain medication Wren prescribed her before dossing off to sleep oblivious to what she's going to wake up to the next morning.

✹

SOFT WHINES are heard making Aspen groggily open her eyes confused feeling the ache in her thigh more this morning since it's been a few hours since the wound was inflicted and stitched up.

Aspen looks down feeling something wet on her hand seeing Bowie looking up her wagging his tail excitedly at the sight of his mother.

"Bowie?" Aspen voices confused before smiling and patting her puppies head.

"He missed you. You know?" A familiar voice states from across the living room.

Aspen looks towards the source of the voice noticing Jason sitting on the beanbag chair.

"Jase?" Aspen whispers tearing up at the sight of her boyfriend, "Hey baby." Jason whispers walking over and sitting beside Aspen's laidback figure on the couch.

Aspen doesn't hesitate in wrapping her arms around his waist not even caring about feeling the sudden pull in her thigh.

"Sorry it's taken a while for me to come home baby. Cell reception has been difficult. You know what it's like up north." Jason mumbles breathing in the blonde girls scent.

"I know. I just missed you." Aspen responds tightening her hold on the male, "I missed you too, Asp." Jason says.

"Are you alright though? Your voicemail really worried me baby. You sounded extremely drunk." Jason quizzes.

"Uh... that. Yeah I went to Eric and Noel's party with CeCe, Spencer and Aria and things got a little messy. I'm sorry... but look at you. My knight in shining armour coming back to Rosewood for me." Aspen smiles.

"Baby, I was always coming back. I just needed some time to get out of this shitty town and away from all the judgemental looks. And we're far from over gorgeous. I love you so much." Jason firmly states pecking Aspen's lips passionately.

"Good! I didn't wanna be over. And I love you too." Aspen responds still holding onto Jason's torso tightly expecting him to disappear into thin air.

Jason shuffles fixing his stance frowning noticing the bandage wrapped around Aspen's thigh and hearing her curse due to moving it too fast, "What happened? Was it A?" Jason questions alarmed.

"Baby, I'm fine. And yeah— kinda. We found some stuff of Maya's in the Kahn's cabin. Long story short... we got locked in and a switchblade made contact with my thigh leading to me needing stitches." Aspen rambles.

"Fuck. I'm sorry I wasn't here, Asp." Jason sighs feeling guilty.

"Doesn't matter. You're here now and so is Bowie." Aspen mumbles properly greeting her boyfriend with a much needed passionate kiss.

"God, I love you." Jason utters against her lips hearing Aspen giggle in response.

"I love you." Aspen whispers letting go of her tight hold of Jason's waist and torso allowing the male to breathe again.

Although he didn't notice— he was just happy having his girl in his embrace again.

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

𝖊𝖑𝖘 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖐𝖘 ⛧
i promised myself i
wouldn't hurt them,
so here ya'll go.

jason's back!
hope you enjoyed!

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