Rosewood, Pennsylvania - Saturday Evening
Jan. 19th, 2013 09:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
new_it_girlHanna returned home for the weekend to give moral support for one of her best friends. Spencer this time.
Apparently, the president of Rosewood High's academic decathlon was in a bicycle "accident." Spencer was next in line to be the new president because there were no challengers. At least there hadn't been until Mona decided to join the team. That was a convenient "accident" leaving a spot open on the team like that. Hanna and the others knew better.
Before the quiz off to decide on the new presidency, Hanna stopped by Lucas' to get more answers. Caleb informed her Lucas had been acting strange again. She found out why when he told her he'd been working with Mona because she had something on him. He'd been selling test answers. It wasn't one of his brighter plans, but Hanna understood more than most how mistakes and secrets could come back and bite you. Lucas was so terrified of Mona he was now being home schooled. He also felt terrible for some of the things he helped her with, things that hurt Hanna and her friends. She wasn't even angry. Instead, she felt protective of him. She knew now that Mona hadn't really changed, no matter what her video claimed last week.
The quiz off didn't exactly change Hanna's mind about Mona. She watched as Spencer started out kicking Mona's ass at trivia for super smart people. It wasn't until the end that Spencer started losing her train of thought. Mona smugly swooped in to steal Spencer's thunder, winning the quiz off. Hanna couldn't believe it. She watched Spencer's reaction, one of shock and sadness. Meanwhile, Mona was beaming excitedly, like she was Queen. It only made Hanna angrier.
"Are you okay?" Hanna asked Spencer when they met up at the local coffee place afterward. Mona was there handing out celebratory cupcakes.
"I lost," Spencer said, her voice shaking.
Hanna frowned. "I bet she cheated."
"Yeah," Spencer said, nodding. "I...I don't know."
She seemed so defeated, very un Spencer-like. "I just really blew it and I need to get out of here."
"Toby's not home?" Hanna asked.
"No, he's at dinner with his boss." Spencer sighed.
Hanna offered a sympathetic smile. "Okay, we'll go. In one second."
She marched over to Mona, staring her down with disdain. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure. There's still more cupcakes if you want to join."
Hanna wanted to take one of those cupcakes and smash it in Mona's face. But she was a bit more dignified. "I'm on to you. Nothing's changed. You are still pulling strings and pushing buttons. Manipulating lives, using people's secrets. I've wasted months visiting you, defending you, feeling guilty for everything you did to me."
She was just getting started. Her anger and need to tell Mona off were blinding her to the potential harm she might have been doing in the long run. "I kept thinking, maybe if I was a better friend."
"Hanna..." Spencer warned.
Hanna wasn't listening. Instead, she started mocking Mona. "You almost reeled me in. 'I'm scared, Hanna. I need you.' Bullshit! I know you're still 'A,' and I know what you're doing to Lucas."
Mona tried to protest, but Hanna was having none of it. "No, I'm done! I don't wanna see you. I don't wanna hear from you. I don't wanna know you."
She turned away, not wanting to see Mona's pretend tears and fake shock that Hanna could be oh so mean to her. Whatever. Hanna was done.
"We have a competition in a month," Spencer sighed later on as they hung out at her place. "Over night travel. I'm not gonna be able to survive a weekend with Mona."
"Maybe we can throw her under a bus," Hanna suggested, walking over to the couch with a bowl of ice for Spencer's emerging headache.
She reached for her phone when it beeped at her. She wasn't surprised by the text.
"Cut Mona off? Big mistake. You're not the only one who can slice and dice. A," she read out loud.
"That's not Lucas?"
"Definitely not," she replied. "Mona just used him like an evil personal assistant. I think there's more people out there who are way worse."
Spencer looked grim. "You shouldn't have yelled at her like that."
"She had it coming."
"I know, but if she's up to her old tricks, that text isn't going to be the end of it," Spencer pointed out.
"So what?" Hanna said. "We know her tricks. I'm not gonna live my life in fear. Mona can't hide from this anymore."
"The other day, she unraveled in the courtyard," Spencer explained. "You weren't here to see that. I saw her crack like that tonight. I thought I could rattle her cage and send her running. That's what made me lose."
"How?" Hanna asked.
"Because I got cocky and competitive," Spencer sighed. "I saw her soft underbelly and I lunged."
"So you think she showed you a weak spot on purpose?"
Spencer nodded. "That's what I'm worried about. She doesn't have to hide behind 'A' anymore. She can take us down right in the open."
That was enough to rattle Hanna. It was enough to make her regret her words to Mona, even if it felt good at the time.
She wondered what kind of hell they'd have to pay now.
[dialogue from 3x15 "Mona-Mania"; expect fallout from this, oh yes.]
Apparently, the president of Rosewood High's academic decathlon was in a bicycle "accident." Spencer was next in line to be the new president because there were no challengers. At least there hadn't been until Mona decided to join the team. That was a convenient "accident" leaving a spot open on the team like that. Hanna and the others knew better.
Before the quiz off to decide on the new presidency, Hanna stopped by Lucas' to get more answers. Caleb informed her Lucas had been acting strange again. She found out why when he told her he'd been working with Mona because she had something on him. He'd been selling test answers. It wasn't one of his brighter plans, but Hanna understood more than most how mistakes and secrets could come back and bite you. Lucas was so terrified of Mona he was now being home schooled. He also felt terrible for some of the things he helped her with, things that hurt Hanna and her friends. She wasn't even angry. Instead, she felt protective of him. She knew now that Mona hadn't really changed, no matter what her video claimed last week.
The quiz off didn't exactly change Hanna's mind about Mona. She watched as Spencer started out kicking Mona's ass at trivia for super smart people. It wasn't until the end that Spencer started losing her train of thought. Mona smugly swooped in to steal Spencer's thunder, winning the quiz off. Hanna couldn't believe it. She watched Spencer's reaction, one of shock and sadness. Meanwhile, Mona was beaming excitedly, like she was Queen. It only made Hanna angrier.
"Are you okay?" Hanna asked Spencer when they met up at the local coffee place afterward. Mona was there handing out celebratory cupcakes.
"I lost," Spencer said, her voice shaking.
Hanna frowned. "I bet she cheated."
"Yeah," Spencer said, nodding. "I...I don't know."
She seemed so defeated, very un Spencer-like. "I just really blew it and I need to get out of here."
"Toby's not home?" Hanna asked.
"No, he's at dinner with his boss." Spencer sighed.
Hanna offered a sympathetic smile. "Okay, we'll go. In one second."
She marched over to Mona, staring her down with disdain. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure. There's still more cupcakes if you want to join."
Hanna wanted to take one of those cupcakes and smash it in Mona's face. But she was a bit more dignified. "I'm on to you. Nothing's changed. You are still pulling strings and pushing buttons. Manipulating lives, using people's secrets. I've wasted months visiting you, defending you, feeling guilty for everything you did to me."
She was just getting started. Her anger and need to tell Mona off were blinding her to the potential harm she might have been doing in the long run. "I kept thinking, maybe if I was a better friend."
"Hanna..." Spencer warned.
Hanna wasn't listening. Instead, she started mocking Mona. "You almost reeled me in. 'I'm scared, Hanna. I need you.' Bullshit! I know you're still 'A,' and I know what you're doing to Lucas."
Mona tried to protest, but Hanna was having none of it. "No, I'm done! I don't wanna see you. I don't wanna hear from you. I don't wanna know you."
She turned away, not wanting to see Mona's pretend tears and fake shock that Hanna could be oh so mean to her. Whatever. Hanna was done.
"We have a competition in a month," Spencer sighed later on as they hung out at her place. "Over night travel. I'm not gonna be able to survive a weekend with Mona."
"Maybe we can throw her under a bus," Hanna suggested, walking over to the couch with a bowl of ice for Spencer's emerging headache.
She reached for her phone when it beeped at her. She wasn't surprised by the text.
"Cut Mona off? Big mistake. You're not the only one who can slice and dice. A," she read out loud.
"That's not Lucas?"
"Definitely not," she replied. "Mona just used him like an evil personal assistant. I think there's more people out there who are way worse."
Spencer looked grim. "You shouldn't have yelled at her like that."
"She had it coming."
"I know, but if she's up to her old tricks, that text isn't going to be the end of it," Spencer pointed out.
"So what?" Hanna said. "We know her tricks. I'm not gonna live my life in fear. Mona can't hide from this anymore."
"The other day, she unraveled in the courtyard," Spencer explained. "You weren't here to see that. I saw her crack like that tonight. I thought I could rattle her cage and send her running. That's what made me lose."
"How?" Hanna asked.
"Because I got cocky and competitive," Spencer sighed. "I saw her soft underbelly and I lunged."
"So you think she showed you a weak spot on purpose?"
Spencer nodded. "That's what I'm worried about. She doesn't have to hide behind 'A' anymore. She can take us down right in the open."
That was enough to rattle Hanna. It was enough to make her regret her words to Mona, even if it felt good at the time.
She wondered what kind of hell they'd have to pay now.
[dialogue from 3x15 "Mona-Mania"; expect fallout from this, oh yes.]
