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"Ah, ah, ah!" Iris wagged her finger "You just wanted to know if she had a boyfriend, not what his naood tis on et to, don’t we?"
Then she yanked the list out of her bag and consulted it E to s her frustration After all, she had no choice but to play Iris’s game
Especially if it led to so and Telling
On Monday, Aria stood in the Rosewood Day gym The bleachers had been folded up to make more room on the basketball court, the air sht in the rafters was doing its best to break her concentration The six girls on the decorations co hair, perfectly toned bodies, andTory Burch flats, stood in a circle around her, awaiting instructions Aria knew she should be thrilled to be bossing around Typical Rosewoods, but instead she just felt on edge
"Uht," Aria said shakily, holding up a big picture of the Van Gogh painting in a library book Just holding it, pointing at it, irls could tell exactly as hiding in her closet--and exactly what she’d done
She coughed and continued "So, I’ to hire a company that specializes in papier- moons and stars for us--since we have to do this by the end of the week, we need so about Rosewood Day: They had a big budget for decorations "I’ve also called up a company that custo slipcovers for the chairs But the seven of us should definitely paint at least one of the ht Café instead It’s much more roirl naht for a reason," she said in a haughty, nasal voice, glancing derisively at Aria’s thigh-high pleather boots
The other girls uess you have a point," Aria htbull’s-eye on her forehead, saying, Hey, cops! Want to knohy I know this painting so well? I’ve got the practice version in estion, she’dto the very back of her closet, behind a box of old sweatshirts Herup
"Whatcha doing?" Ella had asked, bursting into her room just like she always did
"Don’t come in here!" Aria shrieked before she could restrain herself "I’!"
Ella stopped in the doorway "Aria Montgoht I’d never see the day" She tossed so into the room "This came for you today"
It was a letter with Aria’s address on the front, nothing else For a seizing second, Aria feared A had written to her again, but when she opened it up, it was an invitation to an art apprenticeship in Holland next year Which would be ao so far away from Noel She threw it into her drawer, then stared at her ure down the hall What a disaster Not only were her friends guilty by association, but was her , what if they didn’t believe Ella didn’t knoas here?
And how the hell had son of forced entry, which ot in had a key Byron and Meredith had a spare key Spencer had a key from the ti lady had a key, too
And so did Noel
Of course, that didn’t irls’ voices in her head: Ask Noel where he was the day you found the painting in your closet It eird that Noel had been late to the newspaper editing class Aria had asked where he’d been, too, but he hadn’t given her a straight answer And what about Tabitha’s necklace, the one that Noel supposedly "found" on the beach in St Martin? her friends ured out who Graham was--he’d been all over the Tabitha memorial site Or if he was in touch with Ali, she could have just told hi, since Ali and Tabitha had been friends!
Aria shut her eyes Even the idea that Noel had been friends with "Courtney"--aka Real Ali--s about "Courtney’s" return to Rosewood that she’d tried her hardest to forget, and Noel’s involvee coincidence that they’d been in a support group together, and Noel had really encouraged Aria to give "Courtney" a chance What if he’d known she was Real Ali all along and was helping her out with her plan?
"Earth to Aria!" called a snooty voice in the corner Aria snapped out of her thoughts and blinked The coirls snickered
She forced a ss on big canvases using an overhead projector The girls shrugged and got to work gathering up supplies and finding copies of the paintings online Suddenly feeling exhausted, Aria flopped onto a folding chair in the corner and let out a breath Her pal it Noel absolutely could not be A--he was her boyfriend He didn’t know Courtney was Real Ali He wouldn’t do that to her End of story
As if on cue, two strong arrowled into the spot between her neck and her shoulder
Aria stiffened "W-what?"
Noel pulled her up and spun her around "You told me you needed a ride home, but then I saw your car in the student lotand I find you here!" He cuffed her arh portrait on Aria’s laptop "Are you cheating on h?"
"What? No!" Aria al
"I know" Noel gave Aria a crazy look "I’ you"
Aria felt her heart slon "S-sorry," she sta"