Broken

chapter eleven

Almost a week after Ezra left town, a knock on the front door wakes me. I expect that it's Ezra, but when I open the door it's someone I would've never guessed to be standing on my porch. Hanna Marin. Someone Emily used to be close with. Alison's friend. I look around the street warily for anyone else, mainly for Alison. This feels like a set-up.

"It's just me. Please don't slam the door in my face. I know I deserve it but...just hear me out," she says, meekly, crossing her arms nervously.

"What do you want?"

"I want to explain. And apologise."

"Why?"

"For Alison. For everything she's done."

"Why is she getting you to do this? Can't she come here herself?" I can feel the anger boiling inside of me, but I remain level-headed.

"I'm not friends with Alison anymore."

"Since when? You're always with her," I scoff.

"Since yesterday."

"Then what-"

"Look, I came here to say I'm sorry, and I am. I'm really sorry, Aria. I don't want Alison giving you a hard time because of me either."

"I don't know if it slipped your mind, Hanna, but she's made my life hell since I arrived here. I was hospitalised because of what she put me through. You didn't make that any easier."

"I know. But I am sorry. For the record, I never agreed with anything Alison did. She hates me for that. I was always in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"We clearly remember it differently." The guilt trip she's trying to take me on isn't working.

"Can we start over?" she asks. "I want us to be friends."

"I don't know if I trust you."

She sighs. "I should've stopped her, said something to her, but it was hard, Aria. I was in her firing line too. She never considered me her friend. Say hello to 'Hefty Hanna'."

I look to the floor. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

"Thank you, but that's not the point. The point is I am genuinely sorry."

"I believe you," I add, quickly.

"Okay. So...friends?"

"Friends." I offer a small smile in her direction.

"Well, I have to go. My mom's waiting for me." She jerks her head to the black car parked outside my house. A woman in the driver's seat waves to us with a warm smile.

"Hanna!" I call as she reaches the garden gate.

She turns around.

"Emily, Spencer, and I are meeting up at Paula's café later. They do great coffee if you want to join us. I can text you the time."

"I would love to." But her excitement falters. "I just don't think Emily would warm to the idea of me in your group, that's all."

"Emily's just hurting. If you explain to her like you just did to me, I think she would understand."

"Okay. I'll be there."

"You invited Hanna? Why would you do that?!" Emily shrieks.

"Would you calm down?" I reply, "she clearly feels bad enough about what she did that she had to come to my door at eight this morning. I'm not asking you to forgive her, she understands you might not want to, I'm only asking that you just listen to her."