Ali and Chloe Forever (Book 1)

Chapter 9: Dear Chloe, You Are My Lifeline

Two nights later, Ali crept through the woods behind Spencer's house to meet Chloe. It was almost too dark to see anything, so she used her flashlight to guide the way. Thick roots jutted up from the earth. A fallen log lay across her path. Before long, she came upon the old wishing well, a stone relic left behind from farmers in the 1700s. Moss grew over the sides. Some of the rock had crumbled away. Ali peered over the edge and threw a pebble down the hole, making a wish. There was an empty-sounding echo as it plopped into shallow water.

Then she turned and gazed down the hill at Spencer's house. Most of the lights were off. The basement window Chloe probably snuck out of was ajar. The spot where the barn apartment was stood still and beautiful. She watched the house eagerly, waiting for Chloe. Minutes before, Chloe had woken up to see Ali kneeling by the couch, watching her sleep—Ali had spent the night in the barn, caressing Chloe's hand and staring at her lovingly. When Chloe woke up, she told Ali to run before anyone saw her.

Now Ali was waiting for Chloe to show up. She'd said she had to get something from the house and that it was a surprise for Ali. As Ali continued to stare at the house, it pissed her off. Not only had Chloe been living there with Courtney, Spencer, and Melissa, but she even legally changed her last name from DiLaurentis to Hastings—she'd done it within a week of moving into the Hastings house.

Ali glanced at the well and ran her finger over the slimy curved stones. The frame was half-rotted, there was a fuzz of moss on the top and sides, and a rusted metal bucket lay a few feet away. Ali used to come here all the time for two reasons. One, The top of this hill gave her the perfect vantage of Spencer's house, making it easy for her to watch Spencer as A. The second reason, however, was because Ali knew Chloe liked to come here, mostly with Courtney. But Ali had always hoped that someday, Chloe would come to the wishing well with her.

And she did.

It had been the day after the forest fire, the same day Ali confessed to Chloe that she'd been A. Then the second time had been a couple of nights before the Valentine's Day dance last year. Aria had been with them, and Ali asked her to come to the Poconos house with her and the others. She never gave an answer. But then she did come. The plan was going so well until Chloe fought her in the upstairs back bedroom. But then Ali convinced Chloe to run away with her. It would have happened if Ali hadn't gotten hurt and if Chloe hadn't been unconscious. She was so angry at the four girls for what had happened to
Chloe. But now she realized that it was her fault, as well as many other things.

A twig snapped, and Ali turned. Chloe trudged up the hill. When she got to the top, the girls just stood under the moon, staring at one another.

"Hey, Chloe," Ali said, offering Chloe a smile. "Did you get what you needed from the house?"

Chloe nodded. "Yeah, I got it. I'll give it to you later. I  also put a Do Not Disturb sign on the door of the barn so no one will come looking for me. But we should be long gone by then."

There was a long pause. A truck shifted gears far off on the turnpike.

Ali stared into the dark sky. This is it, she thought. They were really going to leave Rosewood together. And it was happening tonight.

A light snapped on in Spencer's house, and Ali lowered her shoulders, half expecting someone to appear on the back porch any second.

Ali grabbed Chloe's hands. "Come on, Chloe. We have to leave now. But there are a few people places we need to go to first. I have to show you something."

"Okay," Chloe said, smiling. Ali's heart lifted whenever Chloe smiled at her like that. It was a reminder that they were friends again. Ali let go of one of Chloe's hands. And then they took off running through the woods.