You guys...this is it. The conclusion to "Sister, Sister." I can't believe I got six reviews so quickly - the only reason I didn't post this yesterday was because I was still writing it! I wanted to make the ending perfect, and I hope you are all satisfied. Thank you to every single person who followed, favorited, reviewed, or just plain read all of these chapters. This has been a long journey and I thank you all for following Viola's story. I love you all!

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Epilogue

"Are you sure you packed enough? I mean, three suitcases of clothes just might not be enough."

"Shut up," Mona says, and I laugh, falling back onto the bed and grabbing the little stuffed beagle.

"You're taking Bungie, aren't you?"

"Of course I am," she says, taking the stuffed animal from me and shoving it into one of the filled-to-the-brim suitcases that litter the floor and bed.

I pull myself up, letting my legs dangle over the side of the bed, and catch sight of myself in the mirror on the wall across the room. I smile, turning my head and running a hand through the new blond highlights in my hair. Ironic, yes, but also kind of a reminder to myself. You can't forget the past, so why bother trying?

Maybe it's thinking about the past, or maybe it's the sight of all the suitcases on the floor, but suddenly I'm swallowing hard to choke back tears. "I can't believe you're really leaving today," I mutter, hugging a pillow to my chest. Then I force a laugh and add, "And I really can't believe you chose Duke over Harvard. God."

"Harvard might be the best," Mona says, sitting on a suitcase to zip it closed, "but it's too much pressure. I'm glad I'll just be able to be myself."

I nod, but I'm barely listening. Something else is bothering at me now, a secret that I should have admitted weeks ago. I've been putting it off, but I gaze around the nearly empty room and realize that my time is running out.

"You have two more weeks until school starts," Mona says just as I'm taking in a breath to speak. "Any plans?"

I smile despite myself. "I'm going out to the lake with Justin on Saturday. He's leaving for Case Western in a week." She raises her eyebrows, smiling, and I throw a pillow at her. "It's not like that. We're just…friends."

"I believe you," she says in a singsong, grabbing one of the suitcases from the floor and heaving it up. "Come on, help me take these downstairs."

I nod, but suddenly feel frozen on the edge of the bed. My hands clench tight on the bedspread, and I take in a deep breath. There's no way I can leave this room without getting this off of my chest. "Mona."

"Yeah?" my sister says, turning back toward me.

Awkwardly, I reach up and brush a strand of hair behind my ear. "Have you…visited her? Charlotte? You know…since….since she's been in the hospital?"

Mona's eyes narrow, and she steps back into the room, folding her arms. "No. Have you?" But I can tell that she already knows the answer.

"Yes," I say quickly, not letting myself think too hard about this. I made a promise to myself, after everything happened, that I would stop lying. I'm not going to let myself break it this soon. "A few weeks after she was committed."

"Why would you do that, Viola?" she asks, sitting beside me on the bed, and even though she doesn't look mad, I leap up anyway.

"I had to see her!" I blurt, pinching the bridge of my nose, where a headache forms every time I let myself think about Charlotte DiLaurentis. "You guys got to hear her story, watch her give herself up. I had to make sure for myself that she's not going to hurt us anymore."

"I understand," Mona says, and I'm so stunned that I take a step back and nearly trip over one of the suitcases. "I still have nightmares every night. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it's really over."

"I jump every time my phone buzzes," I add, laughing a little. "I'm not sure that will ever go away."

My sister sighs, getting up and squeezing my hand. "Look, I understand why you went to see Charlotte," she says again. "But I don't think it's a good idea for you to keep going back there."

I shake my head firmly. Even thinking about stepping foot in another mental institution makes me shudder. "I won't. I just needed…I don't know, closure, I guess."

"Speaking of closure," Mona says, beginning to lug one of the bags into the hallway, and I hurry to help, "did you say goodbye to Hanna, and the others? They're all leaving today."

"Well, except for Alison," I add, rolling my eyes. I can't believe that I'm still going to see her around town. It seems crazy that the one person who always seemed to have the biggest motive to leave this town is the only one who's choosing to stay. I think about my own desire to get out of here and wonder if, a year from now, I'll make the same choice.

Somehow I doubt it. Even if everything's okay now, I still can't wait to leave.

"I said goodbye to them yesterday," I say, grimacing as I pull one of the suitcases down the stairs. I'm surprised by the twinge of sadness that I feel when I think about those four girls. Even if we were never really great friends, I realize that I'm actually going to miss them.

Ten minutes later, the suitcases are packed into the back of the car and we're standing beside it. My throat suddenly feels like it's closing up. I blink back sudden tears and cough. "Um, aren't you gonna say goodbye to Mom?"

"I did, inside," Mona says, glancing back at the house. "She was already crying, said it would be too hard watching me drive away."

Oh, God. I hadn't thought about that part, even with the packed car right in front of me. "This is going to be like the summer you were in Radley all over again," I mutter, scuffing my flip-flop against the ground. "But this time I won't be able to come see you every day."

"I'm going to North Carolina, not Europe," Mona says, smiling and rolling her eyes. "I'll drive home some weekends. And you can come up and spend the night." She checks her watch and sighs. "I really have to go."

I hug my sister tightly, letting out something between a laugh and a cry. "You have turned the last two years of my life completely upside down," I say, pulling back and wiping a tear out of my eye. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'm going to miss you too," she says, hugging me again. "But keep your grades up and maybe you can come to Duke next year."

"One more year in Rosewood," I sigh, looking up and down the street at the way too familiar houses. "And then I'm free."

"I'll call you and Mom when I get there," Mona says, and climbs into her car. I step back into the front yard, clasping my hands in front of me.

I lift my hand in a wave as my older sister drives off, to start her new life. Then I walk to the end of the driveway and gaze back at the house. I might not be leaving Rosewood just yet, but even so, I feel like in a lot of ways, I'm starting over, too.