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Assistant: Title: Place Your Bet
        Author: alcrevier alcrevier 
        Chapter: 1/21 
        Summary: [AU] After drifting apart during high school, Emily and Alison reluctantly re-meet and drunkenly get themselves into a sticky situation six years later. Too defiant to fix what happened, the two girls fight to gain the upper hand as they fall into a game of “let’s see who submits first” ━ that is… until old feelings catch up to them. [Loosely based on: “What Happens in Vegas”].
        Contents: Chapter 1
    

    


      
        
          Welp, you asked for something less angsty (and so did my heart, honestly), so here we are.In total, you'll be reading 154.6K+ words ━ that is, if you stay with me through these twenty chapters (and an epilogue).This first chapter is mostly serving as an introduction for what's to come, so it might be kinda calm and/or quiet. Trust me (and I'm extremely confident in this statement), I won't let you down and it's going to speed & heat up very, very quickly. This story has probably become my favorite out of all of my multi-chapters and that's saying something because I'm seriously proud of how both "Tattooed Memories & Hidden Stories" and "January of 2011" came out. Overall, this fic feels most like a blend of "A Rosewood Blizzard" and TM&HS, so, if you enjoyed those individually, then you'll probably love this one.A reminder, as per usual: This story's rated E, so tread carefully.As a second reminder, (again) as per usual: There's a really-fkn-long author's note below, so my apologies for my enjoyment in constant typing.So (and I'll say this every time I post a new story), without further ado, happy reading!
            
            (See the end of the chapter for  more notes.)
            
      
  

  
  
    
    
  Emily exhales heavily as she slides out of the cab, staring up at the huge hotel in front of her backed by a light, sun-setting sky, though it’s hard to see when she’s nearly blinded by various neon signs and flashing banners. She hears distant sounds being made by slot machines even though they’re mostly drown out by the various pedestrians walking along the sidewalk in front of the building. The structure is extensive, really, and her eyes travel along the wall of the hotel and joint casino as she stands on the pavement, slightly biting the inside of her cheek because she’s 
  
    nervous
  
  ; the girl hasn’t exactly been out of Baltimore for quite some time, never mind on the complete opposite side of the country.

  Before she can take another breath, Spencer and Aria walk up beside her, both whispering a soft “Woah” after having gathered their own bags from the vehicle with an assortment of huffs and groans. The three girls continue staring at the building ━ albeit Emily is the only nervous one ━ until the two standing on each side of the tanned girl simply… walk away. Within seconds, she’s blinking hard and following the two that make mindless conversation as they pass through a pair of glass doors.

  The place is beautiful, that’s for sure, and the three brunettes’ eyes widen as they step onto slabs of marble that lead further into the hotel’s lobby. People smile at them as they pass, likely used to seeing tourists “take in the view” repeatedly. Emily looks around, noting the golden fixtures, overall white decor, and the room’s clean yet 
  
    expensive 
  
  scent mixed in with a hint of smoke. The clacking of women’s shoes can be heard crossing the floor as Emily looks downwards, glancing at her reflection until she straightens her back.

  “I’m going to go check us in,” Spencer turns to the other two. “Can you watch my stuff?”

  “Of course,” Aria says at the same time that Emily hums.

  As the other girl walks away, Aria turns to the lone brunette beside her, “Hey, are you okay? You’ve been quiet.”

  “Mhm,” Emily tries to sound convincing but clearly falls flat when the girl in front of her flashes a pair of “don’t b@llsh@t me” eyes.

  She sighs, “I’m just… I don’t know,” and shakes her head, “nervous, I guess.”

  “Em, we came here to relax,” the girl tries to provide comfort with a convincing smile, “
  
    and
  
   to have some fun.”

  “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m not exactly the relaxing or fun type.”

  “You’re loads of fun once you let yourself enjoy things,” Aria laughs. “Don’t even try that.”

  Before Emily can answer, Spencer walks over with three keycards in hand, smiling big at the two girls in front of her.

  “A suite?” Emily arches an eyebrow at Spencer, an impressed grin plastered across her face.

  “Yup. Money is one of the only perks of dealing with your parents’ political @ss@s,” she snorts, afterwards picking up her bags and lugging them across the room with her best friends in tow.

  As they walk, Emily continues to nod impressively at the overall aesthetic of the hotel, noting a couple of entrances behind the front desk that likely lead to one of the main casinos. She hears Spencer humming as they walk and, judging by the way Aria has been silent just as much as Emily has been, the smaller brunette is also studying the building. They turn another corner while walking along a soft-carpeted hallway, eventually coming face to face with sliding metal doors to bring them upwards. As they wait, Spencer’s humming comes to a halt and she looks back at the two with raised eyebrows, afterwards laughing when they both make impressed faces at her, in return. Soon, they hear a chime and the doors slide open. Surprisingly, no one has to shimmy out of the box before the girls step into it, quickly bringing their bags into the space as they wait for the doors to close.

  Emily leans against the metal wall, tilting her head upwards as she stares at the mirrored ceiling. Truly, she doesn’t want to be this nervous; the girl genuinely wants to “relax” and “have fun,” but it’s not like those two things have come easy, as of late. Technically, they haven’t happened much at all. Day in and day out, the brunette simply goes about her life on a constant loop: occasional work, occasional workout, and constant f@ck@ng around with someone that she’s never really gotten to know other than what she likes in bed.

  Actually, Emily’s 
  
    so unattached 
  
  to Sabrina that she’s never even told the two brunettes now walking in front of her about the girl she’s been “seeing” on and off for at least two months. It’s not that Sabrina’s a bad person or solely a “sleeping around” kind of person, but the brunette has never really given her a chance to be a decent girlfriend; the problem isn’t with Sabrina and Emily 
  
    knows 
  
  that, which is why she’s so closed off. Nevertheless, the brunette continues flowing with this never-ending pattern of stress and boredom, hoping that, someday, an adventure just… slaps her right in the face ━ or kisses her on the lips. It’s happened before ━ or 
  
    many 
  
  times ━ but nothing has ever stuck, leading to her constant, “I want to stay home today” type of attitude ━ until Spencer and Aria had enough of that.

  
    “You’re going away?” Emily questions as she sits on the couch in her living room, the TV now being blocked by two other brunettes who have their arms crossed, pointed looks cascaded upon their features. “And why are you looking at me like that?”
  

  
    “Because we’re going away,” Aria puts emphasis on “we’re” because, for whatever reason, the girl sitting on the couch doesn’t seem to get it.
  

  
    “What?” she shakes her head. “I have━”
  

  
    “Nothing to do,” Spencer interrupts. “It’s summertime, it’s not swimming season right now, and you barely have to be on campus, anyway. We’re not going without you, and we’re definitely going, therefore you’re going.”
  

  
    “Spencer’s right,” Aria nods her head. “We barely see you anymore and that bothers me because we know that you’re home most of the time. You’re coming.”
  

  
    “Guys, I don’t know,” Emily leans forward and hangs her head as her elbows dig into her knees.
  

  
    “It’s just for three nights, Em,” Spencer tries again. “I got us a great deal, okay? Aria even called Mona and Hanna, and they’re going to meet up with us because they’ve been meaning to get away.”
  

  
    When Emily’s eyes shift to Aria, the shorter brunette flashes a cheeky, begging smile. In response, the girl sitting on the couch groans and leans back against the cushions, allowing her body to slump slightly as she stares at the ceiling above her.
  

  
    “Great, you’re coming,” Spencer speaks in a flat tone, leaving no room for further debate.
  

  The door in front of them makes a small chiming noise once Spencer slides her keycard through, allowing the three girls to pass over the suite’s threshold a second later. They step into the cool room, earning a shiver from Aria who makes some weird noise. Emily laughs at the sound, drawing a look from the shorter girl who moves further into the suite’s main space. As Emily follows, she studies the room and notes the kitchen that’s already stocked with a fridge of expensive drinks, a living room filled in with soft couches, and the three, 
  
    huge 
  
  windows staring her right in the face. The glass covers most of the wall in front of her, looking out and down toward the ground 
  
    many 
  
  floors below them. Emily makes a face at the height, more so because she’s not exactly fond of tall places to begin with, but this is just… a lot to take in. 

  So, when Aria calls her name, it takes another few seconds before she faces the girl.

  “Mona and Hanna just got here, too. They’re getting ready and then we’re all heading to dinner,” she informs and Emily’s heart begins to feel heavy as she nods while walking into the room she’ll be sharing with Aria.

  It’s not that she’s upset about this entire meet-up with Hanna, someone who she’s barely seen since their core five split years prior, but she’s nervous because, well, she’s missed the blonde. On the other hand, before that rift opened up years ago, Hanna and Emily had actually… 
  
    experimented 
  
  at one point ━ but mostly Hanna since the brunette pretty much had everything figured out by then. Spencer and Aria never found out, nor did the other blonde of their group, but Emily would be lying if she said she’s not interested in seeing how they’d react if they knew ━ 
  
    especially 
  
  Alison whom Emily had a huge crush on during most of high school. 

  Unfortunately for Emily, Alison knew about that crush all too well and, in simple terms, used it for entertainment purposes. They kissed here and there, causing the brunette to fall into a deeper hole but, each time, the other girl broke off whatever-it-was and claimed, 
  
    “I’m straight, Emily.” 
  
  Once their little… 
  
    whatever-it-was
  
   ended, the tanned girl felt scorned and somewhat climbed back into her metaphorical shell but none of the others knew why. In fact, they never asked for an explanation and, once their group split with Alison taking Hanna and Mona “under her wing” while Aria and Spencer stuck by Emily’s side, most forgot about what happened during high school. Surprisingly, however, no resentment ever grew on either side of the split and the girls are able to stand one another perfectly fine. In fact, Aria has hung out with Mona, Hanna, 
  
    and 
  
  Alison a few times, courtesy of Mike and Mona’s solid, three-year relationship. 

  Overall, Hanna’s grown into a bubbly, outspoken girl with a big heart, Mona became a stunning and quick-witted friend, Spencer’s identity went from “has to know everything” to “does know everything but has fun while doing so,” Aria’s perspective on life has become a lot more colorful and upbeat, and Alison overall matured over the years, coming a long way from her old, bitchy self and growing into someone who’s a lot more capable of understanding that she’s not royalty ━ or so Aria says.

  But what about Emily? What about the girl who once felt swept under the rug by the blonde who “ran” (so to speak) their group of five before she trailed off with Hanna and Mona, an “outsider”? Well, that’s just it: the brunette has grown up and she’s certainly acquired a backbone and sharp tongue of her own but, every time Alison gets mentioned, she shuts down. Thankfully, when that happens, Spencer and Aria now know what’s going on, and they keep their distance from the subject as much as possible ━ 
  
    unless 
  
  it’s about Alison coming to Vegas.

  
    “So, um,” Aria shifts her eyes from Emily as she glances at Spencer, not exactly knowing how to bring up the topic, “there may be a slight issue with Vegas.”
  

  
    “There are a lot of issues with Vegas,” Emily speaks pointedly, already feeling annoyed because she doesn’t even want to go on this trip to begin with.
  

  
    “Well, this may be a big issue,” she wrings her hands together.
  

  
    “Or a monumental issue,” Spencer’s eyes widen as she looks at the smaller brunette, feeling just as annoyed because this was supposed to be a relaxing trip.
  

  
    “What is it?” Emily makes a face when Aria won’t spit out the information.
  

  
    “Mona said they’re trying to get Alison to go to Vegas with them,” the girl’s eyes stay focused on Emily, searching for some type of reaction that never really comes ━ aside from the tanned girl looking away and breathing out.
  

  
    “Is that it?” Emily’s voice is somewhat sharp.
  

  
    “We don’t know if she’s really going yet, though,” Aria backtracks.
  

  
    “I don’t think she will,” Spencer shrugs, “but we wanted to tell you, just in case.”
  

  
    Emily raises her eyebrows and makes a curt humming noise, earning a pair of slightly sympathetic looks.
  

  She doesn’t 
  
    want 
  
  to be this petty, that’s truly not it, but it still stings when she thinks about what happened years ago. Her heart felt so much for this girl who held the information above her head like a bone and that 
  
    hurts
  
  . So, every time the blonde is brought up, Emily’s stomach twists repeatedly and she feels sick, but she promises herself that she’s grown up now ━ both of them have.

  Either way, neither Mona nor Hanna got a solid answer from Alison and, therefore, she didn’t join them on this “girl-cation” (as per Hanna’s text to Spencer). It’s probably for the best, Emily thinks, because the entire thought of Alison showing up makes her ten times more nervous. How would the blonde act around her? How would 
  
    she 
  
  act around Alison? How━ 

  “Em,” Aria waves a hand in front of the girl’s face, breaking her out of her thoughts.

  “Sorry,” she shakes her head, “tired.” 

  “Well, wake up because we still have to get ready, eat dinner, and have some fun,” the girl finishes speaking with a blunt tone, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of her lips almost as if she’s saying “don’t you dare back out of tonight’s plans.”

  Emily lets out a small laugh, afterwards groaning with an elongated “Okay” as she walks around the shorter girl, determined to unpack the rest of her things since she keeps getting lost in thought.

  “You’re not unpacking now, are you?” Aria frowns as she stands in the same spot.

  “I was going to,” her voice makes it sound obvious. “Why?”

  “We’re supposed to be meeting the others in like…” she pulls out her phone to check the time, now reading 5:17 P.M., “thirty minutes, and you need to get ready because it’s Friday evening and it’s going to be 
  
    packed
  
  .”

  “I don't need to do much in order to get ready. I'm not going all out tonight.”

  “But I’m so excited and I don’t want to stay in here for longer than we have to,” the girl suddenly confesses with an obvious whine, earning a laugh from the other who continues to unpack.

  Once Aria sees that she’s not going to stop unloading her multiple bags, she sighs and walks away with a soft “Fine, but you better be ready by the time we have to leave.”

  Emily watches the other girl leave the room, afterwards turning back to her few bags. Technically, she didn’t pack that much. All in all, she threw in the basics, her normal hygiene products in moderation, and a couple of nice, dress-up outfits ━ including a revealing dress which she’s not even sure 
  
    why 
  
  she brought because it’s not like she’ll be comfortable while wearing it. So, as the brunette picks that specific, dressy item out of her bag, she quickly stores it in a nearby closet in hopes that Spencer and Aria don’t find it because, if they do, they’ll 
  
    definitely 
  
  make her wear it ━ no question. Once that’s finished, she walks back to her bags to see that they’re empty for the most part and a groan erupts in her throat because, frankly, she’s practically ready to leave which means they’re going to be woven within a fit of complicated and “spontaneous” plans any moment now.

  Without stalling any longer, however, she picks out a nice outfit for dinner, ultimately choosing a thin, navy button-up to shrug over a white tank top, each partially covering the waistband of her tight yet comfortable leather pants. She finishes the outfit off with one of the pairs of boots that she had chosen for the trip. Before she walks out of the bedroom once her outfit is assembled, the brunette fixes her hair so it looks messy yet casual because she’ll be d@mned if she spends another hour doing her hair properly ━ not that Aria would really let her.

  “What’s Toby doing while you’re away?” as Emily walks out of the room, she hears Aria talking to Spencer, both now adorned in cute, colorful dresses with hair fixed in different ways.

  Aria plays with her earrings as she stands while facing Spencer, head tilted to the side.

  “I’m not sure,” the girl shrugs while scrolling through her phone, leaning against the countertop. “I told him to hang out with CeCe if he gets bored, but he just gave me a look.”

  The shorter girl snorts when she imagines the face that he most likely made; they get along well when it’s the entire group hanging out, but CeCe’s personality is way too blunt and energetic for Toby’s more laid-back nature when they’re hanging out alone.

  Aria pouts, “I’m still pretty bummed that she couldn’t tag along.”

  “Yeah,” the other girl agrees, “but she’s been trying to get a kick-start on her journalism career for a while. I’m sure she’s having a blast preparing for her first day with the new company.”

  “I sense sarcasm,” Aria chuckles.

  “Maybe a little.”

  Spencer puts her phone away and glances at Emily who walks further into the room, giving the two a “well, I’m ready” kind of smile. 

  “Aw, you look so nice,” Aria seems excited when she sees Emily, “now let’s go.”

  “Jeez, Ar, slow down a bit,” Spencer laughs. “Everything will still be there when we arrive, trust me,” the girl begins to put her shoes on, feeling shorter than usual since Aria is wearing heels whereas she’s sliding on a pair of flats.

  “Don’t even 
  
    try 
  
  to act like I’m the only excited one. We haven’t been away in like… I don’t know. 
  
    Years
  
  . At least I haven’t,” Aria’s eyes widen; ever since she began teaching art to first-graders, she hasn’t exactly had that much time (or 
  
    energy
  
  ) to get out. 

  “No, no, you’re not the only one,” Spencer agrees, “but at least give me another minute to fix these things because they’re already killing me.”

  “They’re 
  
    flats
  
  , Spence.”

  “Aria, you know I’d pick bare feet over shoes any day,” her tone is flat.

  Emily stays silent for the most part, feeling more and more tired as the minutes pass. Admittedly, she’s starving, but it’s not like she’s as excited to go downstairs and find something to eat. So, in the end, she remains quiet as she slightly sways back and forth while looking around their suite once more, trying to find something she hasn’t already looked at. There’s a large TV situated across from one of the couches as they both rest adjacent to the large, glass windows, and her eyes spot a heater in the corner. Nearby, there’s a bathroom tucked into the opposite corner of the room as it’s partially hidden by a decorative wall, and another closet installed in the wall next to the front entrance’s short hallway.

  “Okay,” Spencer breathes out once she’s all set, “you guys ready?”

  “Mhm,” they both hum, albeit Emily’s tone is flat.

  “Awesome, let’s go.”

  Spencer exits the room first, followed by Aria who mutters a quiet “This is so exciting” as she’s followed by Emily who chuckles at the smaller brunette’s anxiousness; truly, she’s never seen Aria this pumped up about anything ━ not to say that the girl isn’t always excitable. She closes the locked door behind her once she’s fully out, reaching backwards to feel if she remembered to take her phone and wallet. Emily nods, more so to herself, once she feels the items in her back pocket, and she pushes forward to follow the two that are practically already at the elevator doors.

  As she catches up, Aria taps away on her phone while notifying, “They’re waiting for us in the lobby.” 

  Both girls nod at the information before Emily asks, “How long are they staying for?”

  “The same as we are,” Aria looks back at her. “They got the same deal we did. Their suite is only down a floor and on the other side of this wing.”

  She makes a humming noise in response, earning a sarcastic “You’re talkative today” from Spencer as they step into the elevator.

  “I’m sorry,” Emily finds her former spot against the wall, “I really don’t mean to be quiet.”

  “I know,” Spencer offers a sympathetic grin, “but we don’t regret bringing you.”

  She looks away.

  “Hey, Em,” the girl softly calls again as Aria finally puts her phone away, seeming quieter than before she pulled the device out.

  When Emily faces Spencer like before, the girl offers her a newer, sympathetic look, “Just try to have fun, okay? For two nights out of the three, even. Just 
  
    try
  
  . We’ll be home before you know it.”

  “Okay,” she breathes out, “you’re right.”

  The elevator dings and the doors open to reveal the long hallway which they previously traveled through to get up to their room. All three girls exit with Aria walking next to Spencer as Emily, once again, lingers behind. As they walk, the tanned girl can see Aria lean over to Spencer and whisper something but she can’t make out what she’s saying so her eyes only narrow. Next, she sees Spencer abruptly stop in her tracks before Aria grabs her arm and tugs her forward, practically dragging the girl through the hall as Emily follows with a confused expression permanently glued over her features.

  They turn another corner before a shorter strip of hallway comes into view. The group follows the carpet (with Aria and Spencer walking 
  
    much 
  
  slower than previously) until they reach the lobby’s marble floor. Emily looks around to find the others but can’t, so they all stand there whilst searching for Mona and/or Hanna. 

  “They should be somewhere━”

  “Aria!” Mona calls the girl from across the lobby, waving her hand so the three advance in her direction. 

  Once the three brunettes are face to face with Mona, they exchange hugs even though no one has ever really spoken to the dark-haired girl aside from Aria who compliments her dress afterwards.

  “Sorry, we wanted to put our names down for a table at the restaurant,” Mona waves her hand as she walks, the others following quickly. “Hanna’s been getting snippy because she’s hungry so I told her to wait for us there.”

  “Sounds like Hanna,” Aria comments, and both Emily and Spencer chuckle.

  “Yup,” Mona’s eyes widen once they approach the restaurant to find Hanna standing next to the front entrance, back initially facing the group until she turns around to launch herself at everyone.

  “Oh my God, it’s been so long,” she whines, hugging two of the brunettes until she gets to Emily and hugs her harder, likely because they’ve seen one another the least amount out of the others.

  “I’ve missed you,” Hanna makes a pouting face as she pulls back slightly, looking at Emily who smiles and wraps her arms tightly around the blonde. “Please don’t go M.I.A. for too long ever again.”

  “I’m sorry,” the brunette says even though she’s smiling as they pull away from one another, “I’ve been busy with… I don’t know, honestly. I’ll make more time for everyone, I promise.”

  “You better, Em,” she pokes at the girl’s chest.

  “There you guys are,” another voice sounds from behind everyone, causing five heads to whip toward the source of the sound.

  As Emily’s eyes land on Alison for the first time in what feels like forever, her stomach drops ━ 
  
    completely
  
  . The blonde stands there, practically motionless as if she’s just as caught off-guard when it comes to seeing the girls for the first time in a while ━ excluding Aria ━ until she approaches with a softer smile, passing Emily on her way fully into the group’s little circle. 

  Meanwhile, Spencer and Aria watch Emily’s reaction like two hawks. Spencer, actually, lingers there while biting her thumbnail before side-eying Aria who flashes her a tight-lipped smile. The tanned girl continues to look at Alison who stands there with nervous features, attempting to keep the smile plastered across her face even though it’s falling more and more flat by the second.

  “Um,” the blonde forces another, newer smile, “how is everyone?”

  A blend of phrases such as “Great” and “I’m good” flow around the circle. For the most part, Spencer and Aria are welcoming yet a bit surprised, and they get along just fine with slight conversation getting thrown back and forth. Emily, however, still hasn’t spoken a word since the blonde showed up, but she’s managed to put an obviously fake smile onto her face as she stands next to Hanna who talks with Mona nearby. 

  Suddenly, “Hanna, party of six” is being announced by the hostess and they’re following the woman a minute later. 

  Aria makes her way to the back of the group where Emily walks, subtly moving closer while whispering, “I’m sorry, Em. I really didn’t know. I think it was a last minute thing because Mona didn’t mention it until we were on our way down here.”

  “It’s fine,” Emily shakes her head and forces another smile that obviously says otherwise, “I’m going to 
  
    try 
  
  to have a good time,” she side-eyes Aria who walks next to her.

  “I promise she’s better than she used to be. Give her a chance,” the girl suddenly stops to face Emily who has to stay in place when she can’t maneuver around the shorter brunette.

  When the taller girl doesn’t answer, Aria tries again with a stern tone, “
  
    Please
  
  .”

  “It’s not like I’m going to make a scene, Aria. She just caught me off-guard, that’s all.”

  “I know,” a sigh falls from her lips. “I feel guilty. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” she matches the sigh, “I know you would’ve told me if you knew ahead of time.”

  A small wave of silence crashes between them until Aria speaks up again with a quiet “Are you sure that you’ll be okay?”

  “Mhm,” Emily nods and hums, “just don’t be surprised if I don’t talk the entire time.”

  Aria gives her a look as she tilts her head, earning a tiny laugh from Emily who gestures to their table nearby, seeing everyone seated accordingly. Alison, Hanna, and Mona sit on the further side of the round table while Emily begins to sit down in the middle of Spencer and Aria, straight across from Alison who, for the first time since she arrived, makes eye contact with the brunette. Emily smiles as much as she can, she really does, but it’s shaky and she swallows hard before looking away. Suddenly, she’s back at square one and feels like a young, smitten teenager whereas Alison is the icy, dominating Queen Bee ━ and she 
  
    hates 
  
  it.
 
  X X X
 
  Emily drums her fingers along her knee as she watches her friends gamble in a nearby casino hall. She sits in a comfy lounge chair that’s situated further away from the ropes surrounding the area, perfectly able to see her friends laughing and drinking as they 
  
    attempt 
  
  to win big ━ but, as per usual, no avail. She breathes out when thinking about the last few hours, especially when she looks at her watch and sees that it’s nearing nine o’clock at night but 
  
    “The night is still young”
  
   (according to Mona once they left the restaurant).

  While they ate, everyone discussed whatever happened within the past years. Mona, Hanna, and Alison shared stories about the office they work at and how they became even closer over time, and Mona played coy when Spencer asked how she and Mike are doing. Much to Emily’s surprise, Alison asked each individual girl what they’ve been up to and threw back genuine, complimentary remarks, and she grew even more shocked when the blonde locked eyes with her and asked the same question.

  
    “And what about you, Em? What have you been up to?” she smiles softly, causing Spencer and Aria to glance in Emily’s direction as they wait for a response as well.
  

  
    “Um,” Emily rubs her lips together in thought, “well, I help coach at a college in Baltimore, but otherwise…” her voice trails off, not knowing what else to say.
  

  
    “Still swimming, huh?” it’s a slight assumption but she arches an eyebrow and the brunette shifts her jaw, looking away when she flashes back to a time in Rosewood High’s locker room.
  

  After that, the blonde frowned but shook her head and continued to discuss whatever with everyone else. Throughout the rest of their meals, Alison became less quiet than she was when she had previously walked up to the group outside of the restaurant, resulting in Emily falling more and more back into her old, shy and secluded ways. 

  It wasn’t until Alison pulled out her phone and rolled her eyes with a huff that the brunette zoned back into the conversation, and that’s because she watched Mona lean over to the blonde as she whisper-hissed, 
  
    “What did I say about you-know-what with you-know-who?”
  

  
    “I can’t not tell him anything,” Alison’s eyes widen as she tries to keep her voice down but fails. “He still thinks I’m in Philly.”
  

  
    “If you tell him, he’ll be p@ss@d and that’ll ruin your time here. You know that.”
  

  
    “Uh, he’ll be p@ss@d either way, so,” Alison tries with an incredulous head shake.
  

  By the end of that not-so-quiet discussion, Emily correctly assumed that Alison has a pretty controlling boyfriend and, apparently, the blonde failed to mention that she’s going to Vegas for three overnights. Either way, judging by the look on Mona and Hanna’s faces, they don’t exactly care for Alison’s boyfriend ━ who, Emily was surprised to find out once Spencer asked, is a former Rosewood officer named Gabriel Holbrook. In fact, the two other girls don’t seem to like him at all and, as she listened to the end of their discussion, Emily doesn’t either.

  
    “You know that I’m making you stay with me when we get back home, right? I don’t trust you with him. Especially when he’s going to be that angry.”
  

  
    “He’ll be fine, Hanna. After a few hours, he’ll be━”
  

  
    “━his same old, useless and emotionally abusive self,” Mona dares Alison to deny it.
  

  Emily cautiously eyed Alison at the time, feeling guilty but not enough to ever try to sympathize with the girl whom she once knew so much about ━ A.K.A. the girl who’s walking toward the brunette right now.

  As Alison approaches with a timid yet carefree expression, Emily straightens her back out and uncrosses her legs, sitting awkwardly as the blonde situates herself in an adjacent chair. Neither girl says anything, at first. Actually, an entire five minutes go by and silence mounts as Alison pulls out her phone to check her texts, seemingly getting nothing because her expression doesn’t change while shoving the device back into her purse.

  She looks nice, Emily muses; the girl is wearing a tight, red dress, heels, and her hair is falling over her shoulders like it once had years ago, though it’s a few inches longer than when they were in high school. Additionally, the brunette can tell that the girl’s tastes have matured, judging by the less-powerful perfume that graces her nostrils. Emily bites her lower lip and looks at her hands, breathing out a sigh as Alison looks at her for the first time in minutes. Her lips part as if she’s going to say something, but no words come out and she looks away, causing the brunette to glance in her direction.

  “Why aren’t you gambling?” Emily voices her thoughts, not knowing why the girl is sitting with her when she used to be the life of the party.

  Alison seems stunned by the random question, but she recovers and looks back toward the girls who stand around a machine while Hanna plays some slots, “I don’t bet on things unless I know I’ll win.”

  
    There’s 
  
  the old Alison, Emily internally rolls her eyes; cryptic replies were always her specialty. When a tinge of hurt stabs at the brunette’s chest due to thinking about their old relationship, Emily licks her lips and faces the girls just the same, purposely looking away from Alison.

  “I thought Alison DiLaurentis always wins.”

  It comes out colder than she intended but, once the words pass her lips, she doesn’t backtrack or attempt to apologize. Alison, upon hearing the girl’s tone, looks at the brunette with an extreme frown, afterwards turning away and taking in a deep breath.

  “Emily,” she glances at the brunette again, eyes narrowed in slight confusion, “did I… do something to upset you? I mean, I know we haven’t spoken in a long time, but…” her voice trails off with a quiet laugh, not knowing how to continue.

  “No, not at all,” Emily stares ahead.

  “Really, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong.”

  “You’re lying to me.”

  “I’m really not.”

  “I know when you’re lying,” her facial expressions make her seem amused by the entire thing.

  “I’m not the same person that you knew before, Alison,” the brunette sounds insulted, finally looking at the girl who raises her eyebrows with a face that says “clearly.”

  “Neither am I,” she says after a moment of thinking and Emily nearly snorts at the statement.

  “Mm,” her hum is flat and the blonde rolls her eyes.

  “Fine, when you want to stop being a little baby, let me know,” Alison grabs her purse and flashes a bitter smile at the girl who remains sitting, walking away as she approaches the others who begin to walk toward her.

  Emily watches the blonde step in front of the others, only to turn back around as they all walk toward where the lone brunette sits. She sighs heavily, getting ready to go wherever they’re about to drag her next. Once they’re close enough, Emily gets up and locks eyes with Alison who, on contact, looks away forcefully. The brunette feels bad because the other girl seems pretty hurt, but she shakes her head and pays attention to Aria who asks, “Ready to go?”

  “Where?”

  “We’re going clubbing!” Hanna interrupts and blurts out, a beaming smile across her mouth.

  “Great,” Emily forces a large, pained smile, allowing everyone to pass her as she walks behind the group.

  The brunette attempts to keep her eyes off of Alison’s figure as the girl walks in front of her, remembering the times when the blonde had very obviously swayed her hips in an exaggerated way while wearing heels as a young teenager. Her eyes evade everyone, really, and she pays attention to where she’s walking because crowds of people begin to pass them, some bumping into her shoulder as she passes through a sea of formal-dressed guests. Luckily, Emily thinks, a good portion of this area is connected, meaning that she can always head back to the suite if need be.

  Suddenly, they’re waiting in a line as people make their way into a loud, thumping club. The line moves at a steady rate as Emily takes out her wallet, flashing her I.D. once she’s coming face to face with the bouncer. 

  She follows the other girls into the club, making sure not to lose them because she’s not about to get stranded in a foreign place. Soon enough, the girls are splitting as Hanna and Mona drag Alison to the bar while Spencer and Aria move over to a table and lounge area toward the side of the room. Emily follows her two best friends, immediately sitting down in the padded booth as both girls make pointed faces at her.

  “What?” she chokes out.

  “Em, come on. Drink a little, dance a little,” Spencer leans on the table, “or at least 
  
    talk 
  
  a little.”

  Emily doesn’t respond; she simply looks away.

  Spencer grunts but relents, pushing herself off the table while saying, “I’m going to get something to drink. Do either of you want anything?”

  “I’ll come with you,” Aria shakes her head and tosses her purse next to Emily. “Em, do you want a drink?”

  “Just get me what you’re having, thanks,” Emily nods, sighing afterwards when she feels bad that no one really wants to be around her because she’s been cold for what seems like the entire night ━ not that she blames them for it.

  Aria nods before walking away with Spencer, semi-whispering to the girl once they’re further away from the speakers, “Spence, I feel really bad.”

  “Why? It’s not your fault,” the girl says as they approach the bar, somewhat on the opposite side of where the other three of their group are waiting. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m upset that she still feels so sore, but she’s letting this get to her way too much.”

  “Yeah, but we don’t know what that kind of thing feels like. Alison was our best friend and she used Emily’s deeper feelings against her. She hasn’t seen her since then. That’s gotta hurt,” she mutters.

  Spencer sighs, “No, I know, I know. I’m not talking about 
  
    just 
  
  that, though. She’s been so… 
  
    off
  
  , recently. We barely hear from her anymore, she stays home all the time, and…” her voice trails off before she shakes her head and shrugs.

  Before Aria can respond, Hanna and Mona walk toward them as they wait for their drinks once Spencer notifies the bartender of their order. Once the four girls are in a little huddle, Aria turns to see Alison missing from the group, only to arch an eyebrow at Hanna who quickly notifies, “She’s talking to some dude over there. I don’t know. I didn’t want to ruin her fun.”

  Aria nods before turning back to the bar and grabbing their drinks, carefully weaving through a crowd while the others follow close behind with their own beverages. Once they’re at the table once more, Aria places Emily’s drink on the table and earns a small “Thank you.” In return, Aria offers a tiny, sympathetic smile before telling the girl that they’re going to dance for a while.

  “Where’s Alison?” Emily frowns and Aria raises an eyebrow.

  “She’s at the bar, I believe.”

  “Oh,” is all the brunette gets out, not knowing why she asked in the first place.

  When no more words are exchanged, the shorter girl walks off and disappears into the crowd, ultimately leaving Emily in the same spot as she pulls out her phone. Thumping music and flashing lights fade out of mind as she scrolls through her messages and, suddenly, she’s checking the last text she received from Sabrina: 
  
    “Have fun this weekend… but not too much fun.” 
  
  Emily’s mouth remains in a straight, unaffected line as she leaves her iMessage app, never replying to the girl. After, she begins checking social media, somehow ending up on Alison’s Instagram page which, to Emily’s surprise, is private. For a few moments, her thumb hovers above the “
  
    follow
  
  ” button, but she shakes her head and leaves that app just as quickly. 

  The device is in her pocket a moment later and she crosses her arms upon the table’s surface as she periodically sips her drink, initially grimacing at the taste. Her eyes search the dancefloor, not seeing any of her friends at first but, once she looks harder, she watches Hanna, Mona, Spencer, and Aria dance in a group while they laugh at something. She smiles at the sight, mostly because she’s missed their group together ━ even if Mona wasn’t a part of their “original” clique ━ but the expression falls flat when her brown eyes catch sight of the remaining blonde girl pulling some dark-haired, douchey-looking guy semi-toward the group of girls. Once they’re close to the others, Emily watches Alison turn around as she tilts her head and whispers something to the man, leaning in closely before he smirks at her. Afterwards, he puts his hands on the blonde, bringing her closer as they dance in a very less-than-appropriate fashion to the booming music.

  Emily stares with a straight face aside from the fact that, when she looks away, her eyebrows raise and she begins to play with the water dripping down the side of her small glass. Although she doesn’t 
  
    want 
  
  to, her eyes keep glancing upwards to find Alison still dancing with the same guy, apparently getting closer and closer with every song that passes while strobe lights illuminate the room at a fast rate. Meanwhile, the brunette presses her tongue to the inside of her cheek and draws pictures on the table with the water that pools a bit near her glass.

  “
  
    Wow
  
  , how fascinating,” Hanna comments as she slides into the padded booth, leaning her head on Emily’s shoulder once she’s close enough. 

  The brunette lets out a small laugh as she tilts her body so her cheek rests on Hanna’s head, afterwards backing up once the blonde looks up to see Mona approaching.

  “I thought you were staying with Aria and Spencer,” she furrows her eyebrows, making Emily push over once Mona slides into the seat.

  “I was going to, but they’re going to get more drinks and I didn’t feel like watching Alison and that dude practically go at it.”

  Emily’s eyes glance in the direction of Alison once again, absentmindedly frowning a bit as the three sit quietly.

  “Doesn’t Alison already have a boyfriend?” Emily suddenly questions the girl’s two best friends as she continues to watch the blonde on the dancefloor, deliberately moving her body against the guy whose hands begin to drift toward not-so-friendly areas. 

  “Oh, mm,” Mona takes a sip of her drink and places it back onto the small table in front of them, “technically yes, but he’s more like her father than anything.”

  The brunette narrows her eyes, “What do you mean?”

  “He’s…” Hanna tries to answer but trails off, looking at Mona in the process because she doesn’t know what she should and shouldn’t say on Alison’s behalf, “not a great dude. He hasn’t been for a while now.”

  “Honestly, I have no idea if they’re even together right now,” the dark-haired girl continues. “They break up every other day. It’s ridiculous.”

  “So,” Hanna drawls as they all glance in Alison’s direction, “we brought her here in hopes that she’d let loose and just… have a good time.”

  “She always knows how to have a good time,” Mona slightly adds onto Hanna’s statement, “even though she doesn’t drink much.”

  “I hardly think grinding on random strangers is a good time,” the brunette breathes out a laugh, earning smirks from both Mona and Hanna when they hear a hint of something in the girl’s voice.

  “Jealous?” Hanna raises her eyebrows and continues to wear an amused grin.

  “Of Alison?” Emily looks five times more amused than the blonde, nearly choking on her drink since she had reached for the cup to take a sip. “No way in hell.”

  “No,” Mona shakes her head and smiles. “Of the guy.”

  “The dude she’s…?” Emily nods toward the area, eyebrows raised as she laughs. “
  
    Again
  
  , no way in hell.”

  Mona and Hanna look at one another, interested expressions cascaded over their features. As the blonde goes to say something again, Spencer and Aria approach, thus ending the entire conversation as Emily’s eyes stay practically glued to the girl on the dancefloor, eyebrows furrowed with a straight line covering her mouth. The two girls stand by the table, sipping their new drinks as Emily is lost in her own world until the blonde begins tugging whoever-the-f@ck’s hand in the direction of their table. Emily’s body language stiffens, causing Hanna and Mona to regain their previous smirks, afterwards turning their attention to Alison who now stands in front of them as music blares nearby.

  “We’re heading out,” she speaks while her hand is clasped by the man’s. 

  Emily studies him with curious, narrowed eyes, not bothering to relax her face because, really, she doesn’t care at this point.

  “Really?” Hanna frowns. “We literally just got here.”

  Alison shoots her a pointed look, causing the other blonde to sigh with a curt “Fine, go.”

  Mona, on the other hand, doesn’t intervene; the girl simply waves her hand at Alison with a carefree, tight-lipped smile while Emily makes a scoffing noise as she looks away. Before the blonde leaves with the man, she glances at Emily when she hears the sound, arching an eyebrow before rolling her eyes and wrapping the dude’s arm around her shoulders with one last “Don’t wait up” and a wink.

  Once the girl exits the club, Hanna lets out a groan while Mona tuts, “I know. I 
  
    knew 
  
  this would happen, but━”

  “Isn’t this what you 
  
    wanted
  
  ? I thought you brought her here to have a good time,” Emily interrupts in a flat tone, earning a look from Mona and an eye-roll from Hanna.

  “
  
    Yeah
  
  ,” Hanna drawls, “we did. This isn’t Alison having fun. This is Alison wanting some type of comfort in the form of getting physical with a guy who won’t get… possessive.”

  When the word falls from her lips, Hanna flashes back to when they finally got Alison to join them on this entire trip. 

  
    “I don’t know,” Alison shakes her head as she folds some laundry, being stared at by Hanna and Mona who haven’t let up on their pouting lips for minutes now, “I think I should stay here with Gabe━”
  

  
    “Alison,” Hanna starts, speaking with her hands so the other blonde shuts up, “your possessive━”
  

  
    “━that’s putting it lightly━” Mona mutters as her eyes widen.
  

  
    “━man-child will be here when you get back, I promise,” Hanna finishes with a bite and Alison rolls her eyes, breathing out.
  

  At first, the other blonde was reluctant and pretty much dismissive but, after a few more minutes of pleading, Alison nodded and said, 
  
    “Alright, I’m in.”
  
   In response, the two other girls clapped happily until the same blonde confessed, 
  
    “I’m not telling Gabe, though. If he knew…”
  
   she trailed off, causing the other two to share a look.

  Suddenly, Emily is sighing and sliding out of the booth, meanwhile being stared at by the four others. She stands up as she comes face to face with Aria and Spencer, offering a fake smile while she informs, “I’m going back to the room. I’m tired.”

  “Are you sure?” Aria frowns and Emily hears Hanna whining somewhere behind her.

  “Yeah, I’m sure,” she sighs. “Will you guys be okay?”

  “Well, yeah, but━”

  “Don’t go,” Hanna continues to whine.

  “Jeez, you and Ali are both such sticks in the mud,” Mona comments, her eyebrows raised as she takes another sip of her drink.

  “At least I’m not going back to my room with some stranger,” she comments, earning a sarcastic “Meow” from Mona.

  “Don’t be like that, Em,” Aria tilts her head and silently scolds the taller girl. “We all came to have fun, one way or another.”

  “You know what?” Emily walks a few steps away from them, speaking with her hands. “Whatever. Maybe my ‘fun’ just so happens to be when I’m 
  
    alone
  
  .”

  Before anyone can respond, she storms off, leaving the other girls waiting around with wide eyes until Mona raises an eyebrow at Spencer and Aria with a sudden “What’s her problem?”

  The brunette pushes her way out of the club until she reaches the hallway. It’s much less crowded than when they first arrived, but visitors still file in and out of the loud space. She walks over to a nearby wall and takes a few deep breaths, suddenly feeling as if she’s going to pass out because she hasn’t been 
  
    this 
  
  stressed in months. Sure, it’s been bad, but not this bad and she’s not all that sure why it’s happening when she’s supposed to be relaxing and enjoying time with friends. Suddenly, guilt attacks at her chest, mostly because she never wanted to snap at them like she did but she’s just so 
  
    p@ss@d
  
  . How can they blatantly 
  
    defend 
  
  Alison walking out with some stranger? It’s disgusting, Emily thinks, and probably pretty damn dangerous. She feels worried for the blonde, in all honesty, and, as she begins to walk down the hall, she wonders when the girl will arrive back to the suite safely. Hopefully it’s not too late, she thinks.

  But, wait, why does she care again?

  The girl shakes her head and pushes forward, eyes feeling heavy as she ends up going the wrong way. She groans a few seconds later, quickly finding a map plastered to a pillar toward the side of the large, almost-empty room. As she studies the glossy poster, her ears catch onto the sound of a familiar laugh and her stomach twists again, especially when her eyes look to the side and see Alison walking in her direction with an arm around her shoulders. 

  When she spots Emily, she stops in her tracks and her lips part. Emily, on the other hand, looks at her and purses her lips, afterwards glancing at the dude and absentmindedly making a face at him before the blonde narrows her eyes, tugs his arm further around her shoulders, and whispers something in his ear. He nods and licks his lips before they change directions and walk away with Alison offering one last, bitter smile as she looks back at the brunette. 

  Once they’re out of sight, Emily huffs and walks in the direction of her hotel at a fast, irritated rate.

  
  

    
      
        
        
          Yes, okay, I know I'm four days early. I have the patience of a goldfish, I get it.Alright. Lots to talk about… (and, for those of you who don't know, I enjoy writing lengthy author's notes so you should always plan for like… at least 1K of me rambling about everything).First off, what'd you think? Be brutal, be enthusiastic, be honest, etc… (preferably in the reviews/comments so I find something in my email every two seconds).This story is, in a way, written to be predictable (at least in the first half of the fic) ━ and maybe a bit far-fetched in terms of "Pls, that wouldn't happen…" I, myself, find it far more entertaining that way, mostly because stories along the same line allow me to mentally yell at characters for not realizing something that's extremely-f@ck@ng-obvious. In fact, now that we've gotten through the first chapter, you likely have a few theories about certain things already, especially given the story's summary with a specific, inserted movie title (A.K.A. one of my favorite movies). With that being said, I'll always strive to set my own twists and turns in anything I write.There's a saying (or maybe just a concept): When one deals with hurtful experiences and/or challenges, their character becomes hardened. ━ Basically, that's why Emily is acting so cold and overall harsh; she dealt with what Alison put her through as a teenager, followed by those pained emotions stewing inside of her as she grew into someone with a backbone ━ too much backbone, as you can see. Moving forward, she's going to learn how to loosen up and figure out what's going on in her own head because, currently, she clearly has no idea.Alison, on the other hand, has her own story to tell and (obviously) a big part of it has to do with Holbrook ━ which, yes, I know… #ew. She's somewhat (or majorly) the opposite of Emily in the sense that she doesn't know how to make clear choices ━ A.K.A. something that will become quite apparent in approaching chapters.'
User: Summarize the chapter based on the content provided, ensuring to follow the set format and emphasize key aspects within the specified length.
User: Summarize the chapter based on the content provided, ensuring to follow the set format and emphasize key aspects within the specified length.
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