A NEW STORY?! Surprise! You weren't expecting it to come so soon, were you?
Hehe, well, this is one of the new fanfics I have planned to post/update in order to expand my fanfic account and give me more chances to write my little heart away! And of course, I wanted to give you more stories :) I do have others planned, but I'm not sure when I'll be posting them because they're still just ideas in my head and I'm still developing the stories' main elements and details! And I also don't want to overwhelm you guys with too many stories and I don't want to kick my own butt and get worn out writing either, so I'll gradually introduce them! But when I'm not posting updates on For Now and now this, I'll be posting one-shots because I have some awesome ideas I'd really like to use but not create long stories out of. Besides, they're nice, quick reads that still have substance and an actual storyline, even though it's not as detailed :) And I personally LOVE one-shots!

So, without further ado, enjoy the story and make sure to let me know your thoughts on this new story :)

DISCLAIMER cause I have to say a few things so I don't get sued:
Though I did create the storyline, the characters are owned by the creators of Pretty Little Liars. I am simply using their lovely characters they created but using my own ideas to create the actual story. Because I'm unoriginal and love the characters the PLL writers have created, I decided using their complex and truly wonderful characters as inspiration to my stories and need for romance. *cough* Ezria. *cough* OK, wellllllll...I hate having to say this stuff, but I mean, hey, gotta protect my ass from getting sued...I am not affiliated with the PLL cast/writers because if I was, I wouldn't have to put up with half the shit I do and I'd be able to buy friends I don't have. Oh, and I'd also have the PLL cast on speed dial and Lucy Hale, Ian Harding, and Troian Bellisario would know about my existence.

Aria Montgomery sat on a stool, in front of a microphone, reading the words she'd wrote one late night when her thoughts wouldn't let her rest.

Paper and pen had always been there for her, acting as a source for her to release everything that had been restrained and bottled up inside her. When her father decided to leave his family behind for another woman, she relied on a piece of notebook paper to allow her to expel her the feelings of neglect and abandonment that rattled her body and mind. It seemed that ever since, a journal kept her deepest thoughts and secrets hidden in its binding. It was the place where she recorded the thoughts that had no other way to escape but out onto paper. She never thought she'd be able to write such powerful, meaningful pieces that held the depths of her soul and that revealed details she tried to keep hidden, insecurities that she never wanted to be found.

And yet, here she was, being in her most vulnerable state in front of people she didn't know, but something felt good that way. She didn't worry about their ideas of who she was because she knew she wouldn't see them outside of their shared sanctuary. Her writing portrayed who she really was and there wasn't a need to hide from the words that seemingly spilled from her heart and to hold back any longer—there was no one here to police the things she said.

This little café, hidden away in Rosewood, gave her a feeling of being infinite. There was no more shame over the way she felt, guilt over how she could never seem to make things right in her family, and there was no need to live up to a false facade and impress others. This place didn't hold people that were like everyone else that'd tried to keep her from her own self, instead, they encouraged her to find the raw Aria and believed in what she had to say. Here, she was someone.

"And her chance to find the right kind of love was taken from her."

She looked up from the piece she had been reading, a slight smile on her face as she saw the reactions of those who listened to and felt her words.

"Thank you," she said softly, slowly rising off her stool.

As she stepped off the small stage, she made her way to the table where her stuff laid as the next person took their place in front of the small crowd of fellow writers who shared the same passion and ambitions to use their words to create stories and masterpieces with their imaginations.

She picked up her purse and jacket and held on tightly to her journal. She made her way to the door to leave, receiving positive comments from the audience members who stopped her on her way there. She'd thank them for their kind words and for listening to her piece and would find herself making small talk. But as she got to the door, she heard a young man's voice trying to get her attention before she could leave. She turned around to find a handsome man in his early to mid-20s smiling at her, seeming to look fairly familiar. She realized she'd seen him several times in the past when he'd come to the readings.

"Aria, isn't it?" he asked.

"Uh," she paused. "Yeah?" she replied back with a confused look on her face, not knowing what to say or what the young man needed.

"Uhm," he said, realizing he'd placed her in an awkward position when he'd decided to make an unexpected move. "I've been here before when you've read. Actually, I've been really impressed with your writing for some time. I just wanted to let you know how great of a talent you have for it." He smiled at her, his face a shade of poppy pink from embarrassment.

Aria smiled at him widely in appreciation. "Thank you," she said. "So much."

He smirked at her and held out his hand to introduce himself, clearing his throat before saying, "I'm Ezra."

"Aria," she said as she reached out to grab his hand. "Aria Montgomery."

After they shook hands, he let the curiosity he'd had about the girl he'd seen pour her heart out on the stage, brave and inspiring in the way she spoke, and spawned a question he wasn't even expecting from himself: "I know this is forward, but would you like to grab a coffee before you leave? I mean," he paused. "Help me out here," he pleaded, a grin on his face as he looked for any sign of her acceptance to his request.

"Uhm," she said, not knowing exactly how to respond to his invitation.

"Before you say no, I'm not creepy, I promise," he chuckled. "I just really enjoy your writing and I've been trying to work up the guts to talk to you for months now."

Aria considered this and soon complied, nodding in approval that coffee sounded like a plan. He was handsome, with rich, chocolately brown locks, slight untamed curls strewn throughout his otherwise well-styled hair. Besides, her mom had taught her to keep her guard up around guys, especially ones like her father and this one seemed harmless. Instead, he seemed like someone she could picture herself being with in the future. Way in the future.

She was only seventeen, but felt more like a thirty year old stuck in a teenager's body with all the things that had happened to her within the past year, between her father's infidelity and her parent's nasty divorce. Both had begun to wear heavily on her and she felt like, even though it wasn't showing on the outside, it was taking its toll on the inside. She no longer felt a need to love, but instead, wanted to avoid loving someone because being in love and having something deep with someone only meant that when it ended, the deeper the pain would cut.

These thoughts stayed with her as she mindlessly made her way to a table with two chairs near the back and by the exit of the coffee shop as to not disturb those who made their way on stage to read. After making themselves comfortable at the table, a young waitress came up to the two of them and asked what they were interested in having. Both ordered and, as they sipped on their different variations of coffee, they made small talk to pass the time.

"So what do you do?" she asked, intrigued by the young man sitting in front of her.

"Well," Ezra cleared his throat. "I came here from the suburbs of New York City, looking for a small town to get away from the fast pace lifestyle and, truthfully, my parents. I went to Hollis, which was disappointing and a blow to my parents' egos. They'd planned for me to go to Harvard and follow in my family's footsteps. I wanted to make myself into something I wanted to become, you know? I didn't want to live up to their ideas of what I should be, so I rebelled against the life I grew up with and downgraded to a small apartment and a community college to find myself. But then I got my degree in education and English, but I decided that, after I graduated, I needed to head back up home to help my mom take care of my ill father. But I'm back," he explained. "For good."

Aria smiled. "Sounds perfect. I mean, I would love to get away from my parents and run for the hills. This place holds so much," she paused, shaking her head slightly and not finishing the thought. "I'd rather go to a big city and start over than live a life here in Rosewood. But I've grown up here and, even though it's my hometown, it's worn on me. The people have too." She sighed. "But that's not in the plans right now. I need to finish getting an education and see what I want to do then."

Ezra nodded, understanding where she came from and seeing the unhappiness spread over her face when she talked about her parents and her desperateness to leave behind what they had apparently ruined.

"So, what do you think you want? And what are you doing now to get there?"

"What I think I want is something like this," she said as she looked around. "A chance to be accepted and a chance to use everything I learned in English class to make something of myself. I've always been creative, artsy and thoughtful." She shrugged. "But that doesn't get me anywhere. It doesn't pay the rent, so I guess I have to figure out something from what assets I have that can actually help me become something because being an obsessed Shakespeare reader leads me nowhere."

"I would hardly say that," he replied. "You have to believe that your skills can get you somewhere because you wouldn't have them if there wasn't a use for them. It's Darwin's basic theory: Survival of the Fittest," Ezra reminded her, chuckling slightly. "Besides, there would be no way you wouldn't make something out of yourself. Even if you didn't have skills, your looks would get you were you needed to go. And your personality and obvious intelligence would be helpful merits too."

Aria blushed at his compliments. "Why are you trying to flatter me?" she said, laughing slightly at the thought of someone being kind to her with no motive.

"I get the sense that you don't understand who you are because all you thought you were and all you thought you had were taken from you. Now you're just trying to find yourself, but maybe to do that, you have to have someone who reminds you of what you're capable of. Everyone needs someone who believes in and supports what they want. And if you want to go far, the only thing stopping you will be yourself if you don't break free from the negative perspective you have of yourself," he explained.

She looked at him, astonished. She tried to speak, opening her mouth then closing it because she couldn't find words. For a moment though, she took into consideration his words, but then she realized that, though he was undoubtfully charming and admirable and seemed to be a decent guy, he was a stranger to her. Finally, she was able to work up, "How are you so sure you know me?

"I don't, but I've listened to your writing and I've heard your emotions in the way you share and read each piece. Each has its own meaning and their significance isn't that hard to find when you know what to listen for."

"You don't know me because you've listened to my writing," she protested.

"Well I'd like to get to know you beyond what you write," he said softly in reply to her defensive manner.

Aria just looked at him for a moment, apprehensive and examining what his intentions were and why, exactly, he was interested in her. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she closely took into account the possible motives he could have. She found none and caved, asking, "Why are you so intent on getting to know me?"

"Is it bad that I find you quite," he paused, trying to find a word to describe what drew him to her. "Inspiring," he finished, a slight, warm smile appearing on his face, his eyes twinkling with hope for an answer he wanted to hear.

Aria chuckled; he was obviously trying to charm her. "Flattery won't get you anywhere," she said, a subtle smirk on her face.

"Really?" he asked, taking a small sip of his steaming coffee. "Because I think it already is." He made an upward movement with his eyebrows, attempting to humor her.

"Oh, is that so?" She chuckled again. "Are you trying to hit on me?"

"Maybe you can figure it out over a date," he said in a charming manner she couldn't resist.

She nodded in compliance and smiled sheepishly at him. "Okay," she agreed, taking a long sip of her drink.

TADA! It's not my strongest piece, but I had a trouble with introducing the characters for some reason. Idk because that's normally my favorite part, but WHATEVER. #sorrynotsorry #imactuallysorrytho Regardless, I do hope you all enjoyed and look forward to reading because this story will somewhat follow the original storyline of Ezria because it is going to be a student/teacher relationship and they'll battle the ethics of a romanctic relationship between a student and teacher (which, who really cares when it comes to Ezria? Not me.), but there will be no Jake and their storyline won't be fucked over like Marlene's version of it is, so you're welcome guys.

PLEASE leave me feedback because if I don't get a response, I don't know if I'll want to continue to write it and waste your guys' time with a story y'all don't like or are interested in. Just let me know what you think and comment your thoughts! I would LOVE to hear your input and if you guys are liking it enough for me to continue or if I shouldn't because, ya know, y'all matter and your opinion is so helpful! Let me know so I can know where to go from here, ok? Ok, thank you sooo much :) I love you guys to the moon and back

-Halle

P.S. Really though, this isn't good so I'm sorry and if you don't want to read it, I wouldn't blame you #oops