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Aria had hoped she and her old friends ht reunite, especially since they’d all received notes froht back to where they’d been during those aard, worried weeks after Ali’s disappearance Aria hadn’t even told them about what A had done to her family The only ex–best friend Aria was still sort of friendly as Emily Fields--but their conversations had uilty she felt about Toby’s death, until Aria had finally insisted that it wasn’t her fault

"Well, anyway," Ezra said, putting copies of The Scarlet Letter at the front of each row to pass back, "I want everyone to read chapters one through five this week, and you have a three-page essay on any the of the book due on Friday Okay?"

Everyone groaned and started to talk Aria slid her book into her yak-fur bag Hanna reached down to pick her purse off the floor Aria touched Hanna’s thin, pale arm "Look, I’m sorry I really am"

Hanna yanked her arether, and wordlessly stuffed The Scarlet Letter into her purse It kept jarunt

Classicalthe period was over Hanna shot up fro her pen and notebook into her purse and heading for the door

"Aria"

She turned Ezra was leaning against his oak desk, his tattered caramel leather briefcase pressed to his hip

"Everything okay?" he asked

"Sorry about all that," she said "Hanna and I have soain"

"No proble else okay?"

Aria bit her lip and considered telling hi on But why? For all she knew, Ezra was as sleazy as her father If he really did have a girlfriend in New York, then he’d cheated on her when he’d hooked up with Aria

"Everything’s fine," she reat job in class" He s bottoa step toward the door But as she did, she stu into Ezra’s desk Ezra grabbed her waist and pulled her upright…and into hiood, like chili powder, cigarettes, and old books

Aria moved away quickly "Are you okay?" Ezra asked

"Yeah" She busied herself by straightening her school blazer "Sorry"

"It’s okay," Ezra answered, ja his hands in his jacket pockets "So…see you"

"Yeah See you"

Aria walked out of the classroo fast and shallow Maybe she was nuts, but she was pretty sure Ezra had held her for a second longer than he needed to And she was certain she’d liked it

3

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS BAD PRESS

During their free period Monday afternoon, Hanna Marin and her best friend, Mona Vanderwaal, were sitting in the corner booth of Stea what they did best: ripping on people eren’t as fabulous as they were

Mona poked Hanna with one end of her chocolate-dipped biscotti To Mona, food wasto eat "Jennifer Feldirl" Hanna s: solid and unshapely thighs and calves with no tapering from knees to ankles

"And her feet look like overstuffed sausage casings in those heels!" Mona cawed

Hanna snickered, watching as Jennifer, as on the diving tea up a poster on the far wall that read, SWIM MEET TOMORROW! ROSEWOOD DAY HAMMERHEADS VS DRURY ACADEMY EELS! Her ankles were hideously thick "That’s what girls with fat ankles get when they try to wear Louboutins," Hanna sighed She and Mona were the thin-ankled sylphs Christian Louboutin shoes weresip of her Aplant-colored Botkier purse Hanna nodded approvingly They had other things to do besides criticize people today, like plan not one but two parties: one for the two of them, and the second for the rest of Rosewood Day’s elite

"First things first" Mona uncapped her pen "The Frenniversary What should we do tonight? Shopping? Massages? Dinner?"

"All of that," Hanna answered "And we definitely have to hit Otter" Otter was a new high-end boutique at the reed

"Where should we have dinner?" Hanna asked