Dizzily, Emily slid into the pew. “Put your head between your legs,” she heard a familiar voice say.
Then another familiar voice snorted. “Say it louder, so all the boys can hear.”
Emily looked up. Next to her were Aria and Hanna. Aria wore a blue, purple, and fuchsia-striped cotton boat-neck dress, a navy velvet jacket, and cowboy boots. It was so Aria—she was the type who thought wearing some color to funerals celebrated the living. Hanna, on the other hand, wore a skimpy black V-neck dress and black stockings.
“Dear, can you move over?”
Above her, Mrs. DiLaurentis stood with Spencer Hastings, who wore a charcoal suit and ballet flats.
“Hey, guys,” Spencer said to all of them, in that buttery voice Emily had missed. She sat down next to Emily.
“So, we meet again,” Aria said, smiling.
Silence. Emily peeked at all of them out of the corner of her eye. Aria was fidgeting with a silver ring on her thumb, Hanna was fumbling around in her purse, and Spencer was sitting very still, staring at the altar.
“Poor Ali,” Spencer murmured.
The girls sat quietly for a few minutes. Emily wracked her brain for something to say. Her ears filled with the waaaah sound again.
She twisted around to scan the crowd for Maya, and her eyes landed square on Ben’s. He was sitting in the second-to-last row with the rest of the swimmers. Emily lifted her hand in a tiny wave. Next to this, the party stuff seemed petty.
But instead of waving back, Ben glared at her, his thin mouth in a stubborn, straight line. Then he looked away.
Okay.
Emily swung back around. Rage filled her body. My old best friend was just found murdered, she wanted to scream. And we’re in a church, for God’s sake! What about forgiveness?
Then it hit her. She didn’t want him to take her back. Not one bit.
Aria tapped her on the leg. “You okay after Saturday morning? I mean, you didn’t even know yet, right?”
“No, it was something else, but I’m okay,” Emily answered, even though that wasn’t true.
“Spencer.” Hanna’s head popped up. “I, um, I saw you at the mall recently.”
Spencer looked at Hanna. “Huh?”
“You were…you were going into Kate Spade.” Hanna looked down. “I don’t know. I was going to say hi. But, um, I’m glad you don’t have to order those purses from New York anymore.” She put her head down and blushed, as if she’d said too much.
Emily was startled—she hadn’t seen Hanna make that expression in years.
Spencer’s brow crinkled. Then, a sad, tender look came over her face. She swallowed hard and looked down. “Thanks,” she murmured. Her shoulders started to shake and she squeezed her eyes shut. Emily felt her own throat choking up. She’d never actually seen Spencer cry.
Aria put her hand on Spencer’s shoulder. “It’s okay,” she said.
“Sorry,” Spencer said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “I just…” She glanced around at all of them and then started crying even harder.
Emily hugged her. It felt a little awkward, but by the way Spencer squeezed her hand, Emily could tell she appreciated it.
When they sat back, Hanna pulled a tiny silver flask out of her bag and reached over Emily to pass it to Spencer. “Here,” she whispered.
Without even smelling it or asking what it was, Spencer took a huge swallow. She winced but said, “Thanks.”
She passed the flask back to Hanna, who drank and handed it to Emily. Emily took a sip, which burned in her chest, then passed it to Aria. Before drinking, Aria pulled on Spencer’s sleeve.
“This’ll make you feel better too.” Aria tugged down the shoulder of her dress to reveal a white knitted bra strap. Emily immediately recognized it—Aria had knitted heavy woolen bras for all the girls in seventh grade. “I wore it for old time’s sake,” Aria whispered. “It’s itching like hell.”
Spencer sputtered out a laugh. “Oh my God.”
“You’re such a spaz,” Hanna added, grinning.
“I could never wear mine, remember?” Emily chimed in. “My mom thought it was too sexy for school!”
“Yeah.” Spencer giggled. “If you can call scratching your boobs all day sexy.”
The girls snickered. Suddenly, Aria’s cell phone buzzed. She reached into her bag and looked at the phone’s screen.
“What?” Aria looked up, realizing they were all staring at her.
Hanna fiddled with her charm bracelet. “Did you, um, just get a text message?”
“Yeah. So?”
“Who was it?”
“It was my mom,” Aria answered slowly. “Why?”
Low pipe organ music began to lilt through the church. Behind them, more kids shuffled in quietly. Spencer glanced nervously at Emily. Emily’s heart started to pound.
“Never mind,” Hanna said. “That was nosy.”
Aria licked her lips. “Wait. Seriously. Why?”
Hanna’s adam’s apple rose with a nervous swallow. “I…I just thought maybe strange things had been happening to you, too.”
Aria’s mouth fell open. “Strange is an understatement.”
Emily clutched her arms around herself.
“Wait. You guys, too?” Spencer whispered.
Hanna nodded. “Texts?”
“E-mails,” Spencer said.
“About…stuff from seventh?” Aria whispered.
“Are you guys serious?” Emily squeaked.
The friends stared at each other. But before anyone could say anything else, the somber-sounding pipe organ filled the room.