keep me counting ? j. dilaurentis

two.

"it's just another day, ez," she smiled, stepping out. there wasn't a fraction of her body that believed what she'd just told her brother. "see you."

as she walked to the front doors, she was joined by the whole crew, aria, hanna, emily, and spencer. she didn't plan on meeting up with them, it just happened, which was a bit weird in maisey's opinion, but she didn't say anything. the whole walk down the hallways, the girls kept quiet, which was even weirder. "okay, what is it?" she asked, stopping in her tracks and turning around.

"you and jason?" hanna asked, arching her eyebrow. "when were you planning on telling us?"

"shh!" maisey exclaimed, dragging hanna into the washroom and making everyone follow suit. once the girls were all in there, she checked the stalls and took a deep breath. "i guess you told them, spence?"

"yeah, i mean, they needed to know. we're still all friends here."

"it was two years ago!" she defended, throwing her hands up. "i was only fourteen-"

"exactly! you were only fourteen!" aria interjected. "jason was what, like, twenty?"

"it only went on for a couple months," she sighed, eyeing her group of friends. "it ended when i moved."

"it sure seems that it didn't end for him because he dropped by your apartment and kissed you right there!" spencer argued.

"oh my g-" maisey groaned, stopping herself. "are we really having this conversation? is this really the topic of the century? a lot happened in you guys' lives while i was away, it's pretty overwhelming, okay? i don't need you guys interrogating me on a mistake that happened two years ago!"

"shes right," emily sighed. "okay, i guess we were all just shocked here."

"are we really just gonna drop this?" hanna asked.

"yes," aria answered for everyone. "i mean, this is no different from me and ezra, right?"

"except she was fourteen and he was twenty!" spencer practically shouted.

"jesus, spence, if you were so pressed i wish you took it up with me when you were in my apartment rather than here in the girls' bathroom!" maisey spat, storming out and rushing down the hallway to find her locker. she fumbled with the combination, hands shaking, she knew she was gonna cry. and the part that hurt her the most was the fact that two years ago, something like this wouldn't hurt her as much as it does, but now she's fragile. the ghost of a strong, outspoken girl. she could just picture a headstone that reads 'here rests the crushed soul of maisey fitzgerald.'

she slammed her locker shut, and the bomb went off, a sob racking through her body, she pressed her forehead against the cold metal and let loud sobs escape her. you could hear a pin drop in the crowded hallway, everyone quieting down to witness the breakdown of maisey fitz on her first day back at rosewood high.

she faced everyone, seeing the blurred image of the crowd surrounding her through teary eyes. "what?!" she shouted, dropping her back against the lockers and sliding down til she was on the floor, head rested atop her knees. the girl felt nauseous and lightheaded yet heavy chested. everything seemed to be closing in on her.

"there's nothing to see here!" she heard a man yell.

"get to your classes," a woman instructed sternly.

she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, pulling her up. she didn't care who it was, just allowing herself to melt, letting the person drag her away a crying mess.

"don't tell me this is because of you guys," the same woman hissed, maisey turned around to see who was being confronted, but the person holding her kept her tight in their arms.

maisey recognized his cologne. "jason?" she stuttered, through sobs. he hushed her, humming lightly til he pushed a door open and sat her down on a couch. the arms let go of her, she instantly brought her knees to her chest and looked around. atop a desk was a plaque that read 'guidance counsellor.' the sound of a door closing echoed through the room, and she turned to the source of the sound.

it was jason, staring at her with arms crossed and the most hurt expression she'd ever seen. suddenly maisey felt guilty. she was a living bomb, hurting everyone else around her when she went off.

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word count: 1348
this chapter has been edited