Home For Fall // Emison and PLL

Don't You Forget About Me

Alison walked through the Rosewood grocery store, only stopping to pick up a couple assorted soups for her kitchen.

She couldn't stop thinking of Charlotte's words. Alison didn't like to think of her sister as -A, but the cruel reality was that she was. In the end, she was probably just messing with her.

But had she really ever stopped loving Emily? Is that why she couldn't ever stop thinking about her or where she was?

She heard her cell phone chirp and looked at it sitting on top of her wallet in her purse. Aria's name popped up on the screen.

Alison held the phone up to her ear. "Hello?" she asked breathlessly.

"Ali, hey!"

"Hey Aria. How's the writing job going? Did you end up getting it?"

"No, actually I didn't. But I work for Simon & Schuster publishing company in the city. It's not exactly what I had in mind, but it's still pretty amazing. You wouldn't believe how long the publishing process is," Aria droned on.

She continued to tell Alison all about how books were created and even how the covers were designed. Alison tried her best to stay intrigued but found it difficult to concentrate on Aria's words.

"What about you? How's Rosewood High?" Aria asked.

"What?" Alison asked, suddenly confused.

"You teach there? Rosewood High? Where we all went to school?" Aria asked, bewildered.

"Oh, yeah. It's fine. I mean, it's Rosewood. How great could it possibly be? It's loser central," Alison joked. Yet she couldn't help but think she was the loser. She was the only one left there.

"You should really come out and visit me in the city sometime. Maybe take a train out here. We could get all the girls together," Aria said.

Alison blushed. "So you've talked to them?"

"Mainly you and Spencer. Team Sparia, gotta keep our rep up. I spoke to Hanna last week. Her boss is really kicking her ass so it isn't easy to get in touch with her. Don't take it personally if she hasn't been very connected lately. I think she's in Milan right now. She mentioned something about her boss' winter clothing line being released soon," Aria said.

"Have you heard from Em?" Alison asked suddenly.

She feared that Aria may pick up on her words and notice the hint of desperation. It was silent on the line for a couple of seconds. Those seconds seemed like years. Alison dreaded every single one of them.

"No, Ali I haven't. The only person who's heard from her in the last three months was Hanna. She said Emily's been extremely busy. It's like she practically doesn't own a phone," Aria said softly.

Alison's throat clenched up. So it wasn't just her. Yet she felt as though it were. Why Hanna? Why not her? Emily was supposed to be in love with her. Why not her?

"If you want leads on Emily though, I highly suggest giving Hanna a call. If anybody knows where she is, it's her. It may take her a little to get back to you, but she will," Aria said.

"I hope she's okay. I miss her," Alison said. She was on the verge of crying now.

"We all do, Ali. We all do. But Emily is tough. She's probably surfing the sandy beaches of Malibu right now with her new super hot friends in tight bikinis  drinking martinis," Aria said.

The thought of Emily in a bikini made Alison blush. But she understood what Aria meant. In the end, all that mattered was that Emily was happy. She was happy like the rest of them because they were all away from Rosewood.

It was every kid's dream come true to leave this terrible tiny town. Those that left never wished to ever come back. Those that stayed wish they could get away.

All of her friends had escaped. They had found a way to establish a new life somewhere else.

Emily was one of them. Malibu was much more ideal than Rosewood. Even if Alison told her she wanted her to stay, Emily never would've agreed. The town brings back too many bad memories.

Yes, they had all gotten away. Yet Alison hadn't. She had gotten away when -A was tracking her, but she never really made her perfect get away. No, not really.

They were gone and she was still there. That scared Alison. It made her feel trapped.

It was almost as if she had never really left.