Disclaimer: I do not own, and am in no way affiliated with PLL or any of the characters.

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Prodigal

A Pretty Little Liars Fan-Fiction

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Chapter Three: Aria

Not many people can point to an exact moment in time and say there it is. That's the moment where everything changed. Where my world changed. Where I changed. Jason DiLaurentis was one of the unfortunate few. He knew the moment that Ali disappeared, his world crumbled. He crumbled.

The Jason DiLaurentis the world knew was destroyed the day Ali disappeared.

And nobody seemed to see that in Rosewood High.

Except her.

The last few minutes of her psychology class ticked away in an agonizing crawl, and as a few students were attempting to finish the assigned pages of their workbooks to avoid having homework and others were trying to wade out the agonizing silence demanded upon them by Mrs. Twait- there was a reason her last name was so close to a particular swear- Aria found herself stealing glances across the room at him.

The school had been abuzz with news of Jason's return, so she thought she wouldn't be surprised to see him. Yet she was. Not to see him but what she saw. He seemed more present, the wayward stumble through life shrouded in a haze of smoke long gone. The long shaggy locks that'd overgrown due more to not caring than a style choice were cut shorter on the sides and the length on the top pooled just above his eyes in a stylized fashion. But what really threw her for a loop was his eyes. She tried to keep eye contact to a minimum, at first to not be awkward but now because she didn't like what she saw. Sure, no longer being bloodshot was a plus, but she used to get entangled in those leafy green eyes, like she was lying in the jungle staring up past the canopy of leafy terrain and vines with a gorgeous glimmer of light. But now, there was no light in those gorgeous green eyes, no gleam of happiness and darker, like a forest.

Yes, Jason DiLaurentis had changed, so why was he trying to hide it?

Was it denial, or something far more sinister?

She couldn't deny the timing of his return had coincided with the emergence of this knew threat- this monster masquerading as Alison- and Spencer claimed that they had to see everyone as a suspect, but she always had a soft spot where Alison's brother was concerned. Jason DiLaurentis was always a mystery to Aria. Combine that and her soft spot for bad boys, it was no wonder she had a crush on him.

So engrossed in her examination, Aria stared a little too long and the supposedly reformed rebel's gaze had shifted from his textbook and to her. Slightly embarrassed, she ducked her head down and pretended to be focusing on her notebook, praying that her cheeks weren't turning red, but they were and he most certainly noticed.

The edge of his lip quirks up into a smirk as he watched the rosy tinge hits her cheeks, the first genuine reaction he'd had all day which was exactly how long Jason had been avoiding her. Of all the powerpuff girls, Aria was the one he found bearable. Okay, he found her so much more than bearable. In fact, he was intrigued by the girl with the pink hair, her rebellious streaks visible. She was always so creative, so full of life that their brief encounters would actually breathe life into him. But she'd never been his. She couldn't. Alison was always a solid barrier, her friends her possessions and therefore off limits.

And now she was more off limits than ever.

Everyone was a suspect, and she was no exception. If he wanted to find justice- or more accurately to avenge- Alison, he couldn't let feelings overpower logic. He may look at her and see an angel, but even the devil was once an angel, and she couldn't be trusted. Shifting his attention back down to his already finished paper, he silently reprimanded himself and debated on whether he had what it'd take to strike up a conversation after class- to use her as his access point to get into the liar's circle.

Suddenly the seconds that had ticked by in an agonizing crawl hit warp speed and the bell rang, blaring at him to make a decision. As the rest of the class got up and made their way to the door like a herd of cattle, he slowly gathered his books and turned his attention towards them silently hoping that she was at the front of the mass exodus and he was lucky enough to have the situation out of his hands. Fortune never did favor him though.

Their paths would converge on their way out the door and all Jason could do now was embrace what was about to happen. The last thing that crosses his mind before he potentially earns his place in hell is 'for Alison'. Every lie, every manipulation, every damning thing he will do… it's all for his sister.

"Can I ask you something," he questions, standing beside her as they made their way out the door? He didn't bother with pleasantries, the mundane niceties such as 'how are you' and 'what's up' never really his thing, nor was it hers. And that's what he liked about her. She was able to see past the bullshit of everyday life. She never settle for ordinary because she was so extraordinary.

"Sure," she responds, her heart quickening slightly as her mind raced with possibilities of what he might ask.

"Did everyone fawn over you when you came back from Iceland, or am I just special?" he teased, a bit of the mischievous spark in his demeanor that made her second guess her earlier assessment. Maybe she hadn't completely lost the mischievous rebel after all.

"Don't worry, soon enough they'll be treating you like you never left."

He didn't know which fate was worse, but he treated the statement as if the answer would suffice. Letting out a mock sigh, he continued, "thank God, I'm starting to feel like an exhibit a zoo or something."

She let out a little laugh at his response, the song of her laughter so intoxicating that he almost let himself drown in it. Almost. He couldn't look at her like the girl that he's had a crush on since they were children. Love was nothing more than a weakness now and he refused to fall prey to it. But that didn't mean he couldn't use it to his advantage.

"So thank you," he continued, his gaze slipping from where he was headed to her and stopping in his tracks. She followed in suit looking up at him with a hint of confusion as to why he was thanking her. Realizing the questioning in her eyes, he continued, "For not being everyone else."

She blushes at his statement, a slight nervous chuckle of disbelief dancing across her lips. She was beautiful and didn't even realize it, which somehow made her more so. Indulging himself in the flirtation, Jason continued, "What? It's true. You've always had this way of being different and doing the unexpected… like your pink hair."

She lights up at his statement, the recollection of her streaks of rebellion rushing back. She opens her mouth to comment but before she can, she hears her name being called out among the hustle and bustle of the halls. Momentarily, her eyes shift down the hall and to Hannah, who was waiving her over. Apologetically, she looks to Jason and starts, "I should go."

He nods in understanding and she turns to walk away only getting a few feet before she hears the familiar baritones calling her back. Turning to Jason, she pauses waiting to see what he had to add. A beaming grin slips onto his lips and his eyes sparkle making her heart race. He was beautiful, handsome entirely too feeble a word to describe him when the illusive happiness found its way onto his typically brooding features.

"I miss that pink hair."