Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

don’t think it’s a good idea,” he said softly. “You said you were older.”
    Aria laughed, not sure how serious he was. “I never told you how old I was.” She lowered her eyes. “You just assumed.”
    â€œYeah, but you shouldn’t have implied it,” Ezra responded.
    â€œEverybody lies about their age,” Aria said quietly.
    Ezra ran his hand through his hair. “But…you’re…” He met her eyes and sighed. “Look, I…I think you’reamazing, Aria. I do. I met you in that bar, and I was like…wow, who is this? She’s so unlike any other girl I’ve ever met.”
    Aria looked down, feeling both pleased and a little queasy.
    Ezra reached across the desk and touched his hand to hers—it was warm, dry, and soothing—but then quickly pulled away. “But this isn’t meant to be, you know? ’Cause, well, you’re my student. I could get in a lot of trouble. You don’t want me to get in trouble, do you?”
    â€œNo one would know,” Aria said faintly, although she couldn’t help but think about that bizarre text from yesterday, and that maybe someone already knew.
    It took Ezra a long time to respond. It seemed to Aria that he was trying to make up his mind. She looked at him hopefully.
    â€œI’m sorry, Aria,” he finally mumbled. “But I think you should go.”
    Aria stood up, feeling her cheeks burn. “Of course.” Aria wrapped her hands around the top of the chair. It felt like hot coals were bouncing around her insides.
    â€œI’ll see you in class,” Ezra whispered.
    She shut the door carefully. In the hall, teachers swarmed around her, rushing off to their homerooms. She decided to get to her locker by cutting through the commons—she needed some fresh air.
    Outside, Aria heard a familiar girl’s laugh. She froze for a second. When would she stop thinking she heardAlison everywhere ? She trudged not on the commons’ winding stone path, like you were supposed to, but through the grass. The morning fog was so dense that Aria could barely see her legs below her. Her footprints vanished in the squishy grass as quickly as she made them.
    Good. This seemed like an appropriate time to disappear completely.

10
SINGLE GIRLS HAVE WAY MORE FUN
    That afternoon, Emily was standing in the student parking lot, lost in thought, when someone threw their hands over her eyes. Emily jumped, startled.
    â€œWhoa, chill! It’s just me!”
    Emily turned and sighed with relief. It was only Maya. Emily had been so distracted and paranoid since getting that bizarre note yesterday. She’d been about to unlock her car—her mom let her and Carolyn take it to school on the condition they drive carefully and call when they got there —and grab her swimming bag for practice.
    â€œSorry,” Emily said. “I thought…never mind.”
    â€œI missed you today.” Maya smiled.
    â€œMe too.” Emily smiled back. She’d tried calling Maya this morning to offer her a ride to school, but Maya’s mom said she’d already left. “So, how are you?”
    â€œWell, I could be better.” Today, Maya had securedher wild dark hair off her face with adorable iridescent pink butterfly clips.
    â€œOh yeah?” Emily tilted her head.
    Maya pursed her lips together and slid one of her feet out of her Oakley sandals. Her second toe was longer than her big toe, just like Emily’s. “I’d be better if you came somewhere with me. Right now.”
    â€œBut I have swimming,” Emily said, hearing Eeyore in her voice again.
    Maya took her hand and swung it. “What if I told you that where we’re going sort of involves swimming?”
    Emily narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
    â€œYou have to trust me.”
    Even though she’d been close to Hanna and Spencer and Aria, all of Emily’s favorite