Page 16 (1/2)
But never at night Aria’s heart started to pound as she re outside Courtney’s house yesterday An eerie feeling crept into her bones Aria pulled on a sweatshirt, ras, and went outside
The night was frigid and still A fat, bloated , and ht The air still had a faint odor of charred earth to it froed tree stumps in the woods She spied the reflective tape on Melissa’s sneakers at the end of the street and started to run, following her at a safe distance
Melissa passed the big Dutch Colonial whose owners rotated colorful porch flags with the seasons, the massive stone farmhouse with theVictorian with the memorial at the curb We’ll olds Now that everyone presumed that Ian was innocent--and dead--the town had set up a series of wreaths, lacrosse sticks, and old Rosewood Day soccer jerseys on the Thomases’ muddy lawn in his memory
Melissa circled the cul-de-sac and disappeared down a path toward the woods Aria stealthily followed, growing nervous Technically, people weren’t allowed back here--the cops were still hunting for Ian’s body
Taking a deep breath, Aria pushed through the bras snapped and crackled The air was thick with putrid s sneakers disappeared up a steep rise Aria’s lungs filled and e to keep up She was so far into the woods now that she could barely see the lights fro she could make out was Spencer’s fah the trees
A pair of eyes blinked at her fro scuttled on the forest floor Aria gasped but kept going She staggered up the hill on all fours, panting hard But when she reached the top, she didn’t see Melissa anywhere It was as if she had evaporated into thin air
"Aria?"
Aria screamed and whirled around A face swalistening blue eyes, and then her bloodred Cheshire cat smile
"C-Courtney?" she stammered
"I didn’t realize anyone else knew about this place," Courtney said, tucking a stray lock of blond hair under her maroon wool hat
Aria ran her hands over her bumpy ponytail Her heart thrummed in her ears "D-did you see Spencer’s sister? Melissa? I followed her here"
Courtney shook her head, looking confused "It’s justfrom the cold She wanted out of here, now, but her li here?"
"Just checking out an old haunt," Courtney said She leaned against a cru structure Aria had never seen before It looked like a round brick base, overgroith moss Half of an A-shaped post still existed, the wood brittle and rotted A rusty rass nearby
Aria put her hand to herwell Just like the one Ali had drawn on her Tian to shake
"I used to coe of the stone, letting her feet dangle into the well "It was the only place that was just "
Aria’s ? "Excuse me?"
An owl hooted A cloud shaped like a hand floated over the moon Courtney threw a clump of frozen moss down the well Aria didn’t hear it hit the botto" She turned to look at Aria "I’lad you had it"
Aria blinked fast "W-what the hell is going on?"
Courtney raised her hands in surrender "Don’t freak out" Her voice made a little puff of smoke in the air "But I’m not Courtney I’m Ali"
Aria’s knees buckled She scra on some wet leaves
"Please don’t run away," Courtney pleaded The moon illuminated the whites of her eyes and her ultra-bleached teeth, like a human jack-o’-lantern "Just let me explain"
Aria didn’t move as Courtney--or whoever she was--quickly summarized the truth about her sister, the murder, and the switch "Hanna, Spencer, and Emily all know already," she concluded "I knew you’d be the hardest to tell All that stuff with your dad…" She jumped off the well and approached Aria She tentatively put a cashloved hand on Aria’s shoulder "I ful to you But I’ve changed I want us to be friends again, just like we used to be e first got together in sixth grade Remember hoesome it was?"
Aria’s lips felt paralyzed Was this Ali standing in front of her? It could be possible So--she’d known more about Aria and Rosewood than she should have