After me ~ Pretty Little Liars Fanfic

twenty seven

***

"See don't you feel better being out in the fresh air?" Mike smiles, swinging my arm back and forth as we stroll down the sidewalk. It's been a month since I got out of hospital. My wounds have healed leaving horrifyingly ugly scars covering my entire body. Mom suggested that I wear long sleeve tops and trousers for the time being. 'I don't want to scare anyone'. Those were her actual words. Can you believe that? Well of course you can, she is Veronica Hasting's after all.

"Fantastic" I roll my eyes. "If only it wasn't like 100 degrees out here."

"I know it sucks Mackenzie but it's for the best. For now."

"So I have to hide what A did to me?" I exclaim. "I'm the victim here but everyone's treating me as if I did it to myself"

"Well to be fair to them, no one really knows what happened in there." Mike says softly as we step into The Brew. Emily has been reinstated as the head barista here so it's always good to get free coffee.

"Are you saying that you think I cut myself open to get attention?"

"I'm not saying that at all. I'm just saying that you haven't breathed a word about what happened. I'm worried about you Mackenzie. Bottling it up won't do you any good." Mike says tentatively.

"You really want to know?" I shrug, sitting down on one of the couches towards the back of the building.

"Only if you're willing to tell." He sits next to me. He takes my hands in his as I take a deep breath.

"A locked each of us in a room identical to the ones at home. They've been taking things from us for months and adding them to the rooms." I tell him. His expression turns from worried to horrified in a matter of seconds. "There was this one room, it was completely empty apart from a light, a chair, a table and four switches. Each of them had a picture of one of the other girls; they looked terrified Mike."

"It's okay" He says softly.

"There was a message on the wall and a figure in black stood in the corner, watching."

"What did the message say?"

"Flick a switch for a nasty surprise. Kisses -A" I recall as though it's the first time reading it all over.

"You don't have to go on if you can't. I think I get the picture."

"I had to flick a switch. A wanted me to hurt one of my best friends. I rebelled and didn't even look at them. I took the punishment that was meant for one of them. They had the easy choice. Pick the one that doesn't feel pain. It's not as bad if she can't feel it. It might kill one of the other girls. We're not as close with her anyway." I splutter the words that have been filling my mind for the last God knows how long. I don't even know what day it is.

"Spencer?" Mike says, heartbreak in his voice.

"My own sister did this to me. Melissa, I'd expect it from but Spencer? I thought I meant more than that to her."

"Do you know for sure that she chose you?"

"It happened 5 times, each time the cuts going a little deeper. There were 5 of us in there Mike."

"What about Mona? She makes 6."

"A didn't treat her the same way as they did with us."

"You're supposed to be A's dolls right? What makes Mona any different?"

"Mona was forced to pretend to be Alison."

"Mona knew what was happening though?"

"Oh I don't know Mike. If you care so much about Mona then why don't you ask her yourself?" I blurt angrily. He looks hurt. "I'm sorry Mike. I didn't mean to-"

"No I get it. Don't worry." He says softly.

"So what's been going on at school? I've missed what? A month? Month and a half?" I say changing the subject. "Two maybe?"

"Nothing really. Spencer, Emily, Aria and Hanna are being treated the exact same as you are. They've been banned from the winter formal. In case of an attack."

"That's so dumb." I roll my eyes. "I guess that means I'm not invited?"

"Well, considering you haven't even been to this school yet, can you blame them?" Mike shrugs.

"Oh well." I sigh. My school in England didn't do dances. They have a prom before you graduate but I wasn't there long enough. "You can still have a great time. All your friends going right?"

"Yeah, but not the person I actually want there." Mike looks to the ground. "Your mom told my mom that she's planning a surprise dance in the barn in your back yard. Since the girls already bought they're dresses or something. You'll get invited to that."

"And be the 9th wheel? No thanks."

"You know, you don't have to be the 9th wheel all the time."

"I know, I know, I should make some friends my own age." I roll my eyes, repeating one of my father's lectures. At least I have friends, unlike Melissa. She spends all her time with Wren or Mom and Dad. Soon she'll have that devil spawn to make 4.

"I was actually going to say that you could get a boyfriend but that works too." He smiles. I can't stop myself from bursting out laughing.

"Who in their right mind would want me now? I'm a monster. I have so much baggage that anyone would cross the street when they saw me coming. Literally." Mom wasn't kidding when she said people did that. I'm not even the supposed criminal in this instance. Rosewood folk are so stuck up.

"Not everyone" Mike says softly.

"Well if you can find someone then good on you." I laugh.

"I'm being serious Mackenzie. You know how I feel."

"About me?" I tilt my head in confusion. "You've made that abundantly clear"

"And?"

"And I know that I'm not old enough, mature enough or evil genius enough for a guy like you." I say making a slight dig at his relationship with Mona. "I'm not pretty enough, I'm not charismatic enough, I'm certainly not athletic enough."

"Oh how you couldn't be more wrong" He shakes his head. He stands up and reaches out for my hand. "Come on, I told your sister that I'd have you home by 4" He says changing the subject. I'm an idiot. Mike was so trying to tell me something then but I trampled all over him.

A doesn't need to be here for things to go wrong.

A might as well be named Mackenzie.