Hanna Marin knows what Hanna Marin means (numbtothedanger) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2016-09-18 13:05:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, emily fields, hanna marin, spencer hastings |
Who: Emily, Spencer and Hanna
When: September 13
Where: UCI
What:Random Encounter
Rating/Warnings: Low/None
Status: Complete when posted
It’d been a really horrible few weeks for Spencer Hastings. After heading up to Stanford for her second year of school, she’d been told she was no longer welcome at the university. Humiliated, Spencer moved back home with her parents. The Hastings house had been a terror for a while, with Melissa and Spencer at each other’s throats before they sort of stopped communicating entirely. But somehow Spencer had been granted late admission to UC Irvine, so she went to the bookstore on campus to get the books she needed for her classes.
With her schedule in her hand, she left the bookstore, a huge bag of books dangling from her opposite elbow. She took a quick look left and right, wondering where the best place to get a cappuccino was around here.
Emily had already started classes at USC and had been adjusting fairly well to the new school; it helped that she had enrolled at the beginning of the school year, but as a result of her late enrollment it had been difficult to get some of the classes she’d wanted and would have to wait and take them in the winter. As a result, she wasn’t taking as many classes as she would have been and had had an early morning class then accompanied Hanna to UC Irvine so the other girl could buy her books since classes there hadn’t started yet, “We should get lunch after this.”
And so began the oh so fun game of preparing for school to start. One more thing to fit into her schedule but Hanna knew that it was part of the whole...growing up thing. And hopefully it would give her something else to focus on instead of the stupid dreams and the annoying murder mystery of it all. And she got an Emily today, which was even better. She supposed it made sense that she would go where there was a better swim team. “Oh, definitely! There’s this great side cafe type restaurant near campus that most people don’t know about--”
And that was when she noticed a very familiar someone walking out of the bookstore.
“Spencer?” Which...okay, awkward. Thank you dreams and your stupid confusing changes. But Spencer was apparently there and even with the awkward situation from the dreams, they were still best friends and that was what had been most important to her in the dreams as well.
Spencer turned at the sound of the voice, a little confused as to who might be calling her name. Then she broke into a bright smile at the sight of Hanna and Emily wandering in her direction. “Hey! I didn’t expect to see you guys today.” She said, a tiny bit flustered at being face to face with her friends. She hadn’t figured out how to tell them about Stanford, to tell them why she was here instead of in Palo Alto. “Buying books?”
“Most people don’t know about Spencer?” Emily was confused for a moment before her attention was drawn to their friend and she smiled upon seeing her, “Hey. Yeah, well Hanna is. I’ve already started.” It occurred to Emily then one reason Hanna might have been surprised to see her there, “Wait, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at Stanford?”
Yep, it was definitely a Spencer. Which… weird. Especially since Spencer didn’t go to UC Irvine…. So why was she there?
“Yeah. We didn’t either.” Well, it was Hanna, and she could be quite blunt at times. Spencer hadn’t reached out to either of them to know that she was in town, let alone going to school here now. Had something happened like with Emily that brought her back? But if so, why wouldn’t Spencer have reached out? Ugh. Headache. Still, she had made the comment with a smile as she went to hug Spencer before taking a step back. Emily had handled the school question during the hug so…. Letting Spencer answer that before saying anything else.
Ah. Of course it would come up right away. Spencer’s face fell just a little before she forced it back into a smile. “Oh, that. About that. I’m going to UC Irvine now. Surprise?” She shrugged her shoulders as if this was no big thing. “But hey, it means I’ll be around more often.” She turned to Emily. “You’ve already started? How are classes so far?” ...way to change the subject, Spencer. Nice try.
Emily’s eyes widened slightly at that, “Wait, what happened to Stanford? Why didn’t you say something earlier?” Emily was not letting Spencer change the subject. She’d switched schools so that her mother wouldn’t be alone now that her father had died, but what reason could Spencer have left Stanford for? Emily couldn’t think of a single reason that made sense.
Of course it would come up right away. Spencer had gone to freaking Stanford. Hanna remembered the end of high school, everyone waiting to see where they’d gotten accepted. Okay, so she could have gone to a higher level college if money hadn’t been a concern, but that hadn’t been a concern for Spencer. So what in the world would have her transfer to UC Irvine?
“Wasn’t UC Irvine on your absolute last choice scenario lists? What gives?” Yep. Absolutely no way Spencer was getting out of this conversation, even if Emily hadn’t pressed. But now it was two against one. They would get answers.
Spencer opened and closed her mouth like a fish a couple of times, turning her eyes from Emily’s questions to Hanna’s, then gave a little sigh. “I was asked to leave Stanford, all right? Turns out in all my freaking out about college applications and finals and whatever else Junior year, I sort of… stole my sister’s admissions essay.” She added quickly, “and it wasn’t my last choice. Maybe… fifth. Or sixth.”
If Emily’s eyes had widened before, they were on the verge of falling out of her head now. “What?” Spencer was the last person she would have ever thought would use someone else’s work, “You submitted Melissa’s essay? Why? You could have done your own with your eyes closed.” As far as Emily was concerned, Spencer was one of the smartest people she knew and she couldn’t believe she’d do that.
God, how many parallels from the dreams were there going to be in their lives here? At Spencer’s admission that she stole Melissa’s paper, Hanna just quirked a brow. It had happened in the dreams, but not for college admission. “Stress.” Admittedly they hadn’t been stalked and blackmailed here but stress still was a thing. Hanna resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. “Really not helping yourself. But okay, you’re here now and all of us are together again. Well. Not Aria.” Which sucked because it was always the four of them. But still, they were all gathering.
Now she just had to hope neither Emily or Spencer started to dream.
“Between the academic decathlon and model UN, not to mention all my other advanced placement classes and all the other crap I was doing… I ran out of time and I panicked. It doesn’t matter. It’s over now.” She shrugged her shoulders. “And I’m enrolled, so I’ll be starting here at the end of the month. Hence books.” She lifted her bag and then lowered it again.
“What are you guys up to?” Spencer asked, trying not to think of all the other errands she had to do today.
“Oh Spence. You should have said something then.” Emily was still shocked that Spencer would have used Melissa’s paper, but above all else, Spencer was her friend and she would never judge any of her friends. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around Spencer in a hug, “I’m just glad you’re here.” Releasing her friend, she stepped back, smiling, “Makes my being back a little easier with both of you here now.” She missed Aria too and while they felt a little incomplete without their fourth, she was glad that Aria was off doing what she wanted to do.
Hanna was all too familiar with the idea of hiding things that happened, and not wanting to talk about it. Mostly from the dreams, but it was still a thing that she was familiar with. So beyond the comment that it had clearly been stress, there wasn’t much more to say. Emily already said it in terms of Spencer should have mentioned it. But she hadn’t so here they were.
“Well, after getting my books, we’re getting lunch so obviously you’re coming with us.” Now that Spencer was there? She was getting lunch with them. No ifs ands or buts.
Spencer returned the hug, thankfully. She smiled at Hanna, too. “Sounds like a plan.” Spencer couldn't think of a better way to avoid running errands than to procrastinate with her friends.