That's Okay, I Bought Two--Sparia
Aria was in the midst of a fitful sleep when her phone woke her up. She thought it was a dream at first, but incessant the ringing convinced her she was awake. She answered, heart racing with worry when she saw the name.
"Spence? What's wrong?" she asked, sitting up, all traces of tiredness gone.
"I know I said I wanted to be alone, but I really need you right now," Spencer cried. Aria was already putting on her shoes before Spencer had finished her sentence.
"I'll be there in ten minutes,” she promised
After scribbling a note to her dad and scrambling to put together what she called a "detox bag", Aria hopped in her car and raced to the Hastings' house. She hesitated at the front door, unsure if Peter or Veronica was home. To avoid awaking them, in case they happened to be there, she used the spare key Spencer had given her and quietly let herself in. She followed the familiar path to Spencer's room and knocked gently on the door.
"Spence?" she whispered, tiptoeing into the room. A dim bedside lamp illuminated Spencer’s face. Aria’s heart broke at the sight in front of her. Spencer was curled up in bed, shaking and sweating, her eyes rimmed with tears. She hated seeing her beautiful, strong, smart best friend suffering so badly.
"Hey sweetie," Aria said softly, sitting down next to her.
"Thanks for coming," Spencer said, her voice rough. Aria nodded and gently caressed Spencer’s cheek. She was clammy, but Aria didn’t move her hand.
"How are you feeling?" she asked. Spencer shrugged weakly as she struggled to sit up straight.
"Achy. Nauseous. Tired. Cold,” she rattled off. Truthfully, she hated herself at the moment. She hated herself for ever popping a single pill into her mouth. She hated herself for not being strong enough to stop. She hated herself for everything that had happened in recent weeks. But she couldn’t tell Aria any of that.
Aria reached into her bag and produced a bottle of ginger ale.
"Drink some of this, it might help with the nausea," she said, opening the bottle and handing it to Spencer. Spencer took a few sips, but her shaking hands lost their grip and the bottle crashed to the floor.
"Dammit!" she cursed, tears springing to her eyes. She was infuriated with her own weakness. Aria squeezed her hand.
"That's okay, I bought two," she said reassuringly. Spencer looked at her blankly and Aria sighed.
"Let's get you changed into something that isn't soaked through with sweat, and then I'll get this cleaned up, okay?" she asked, though she left no room for argument. Spencer nodded silently. Making sure to avoid stepping in the spilled soda, Aria went over to Spencer's dresser and pulled out a pair of clean pajamas.
"I thought a t-shirt and shorts might be better," she explained, helping Spencer remove her soiled clothes. She didn’t really know how withdrawal worked, beyond the occasional episode of Dr. Phil, but she figured the most important thing was to make Spencer comfortable.
"Just lay down and I'll be back in a minute," she promised. Spencer nodded weakly and lay back down.
Aria got a towel from Spencer's bathroom and threw it onto the puddle of soda. The hardwood floors that covered every surface of the Hastings house had always seemed so cold and impersonal before, but now she was grateful for them. After cleaning up the mess, she pulled a small bottle out of her bag and shook a few drops of something onto her finger. Spencer sniffed.
"What is that?" she asked, too out of it to recognize the scent.
"Lavender oil," Aria responded, lightly dabbing it into Spencer's temples. "My mom swears by it. She says it's the cure all for headaches and nausea."
“I used to use lavender oil on long car trips,” Spencer said. That was why the scent had been so familiar. Spencer had always gotten car sick if she was in the car for more than forty-five minutes or so. Veronica had taken to keeping a small vial of lavender oil in her purse, and she’d dab it on Spencer’s temples when they got in the car.
Content that there was nothing more she could do to help, Aria joined Spencer in the bed. Spencer quickly curled up against her friend, laying her head on her shoulder.
"Thanks for coming," Spencer repeated. Aria rubbed Spencer's back, making random designs with a feather light touch.
"Of course. I'll always be here when you need me. Besides, I can't help but feel like this is my fault," she admitted. Spencer frowned.
"Why?" she asked. Aria sighed, guilt bubbling in her stomach.
"You started taking the pills because you wanted to figure out who A was. Then once you put the pieces together, you wanted to prove beyond a doubt it was Ezra because you knew I wouldn't believe you otherwise," she said. Just saying the words aloud made her feel like an idiot all over again. Ezra might not have been A, but he was still a monster. And Spencer had been the only one smart enough to see it.
"You didn't believe me," Spencer whispered. Aria sighed.
"I know. And I'm sorry. I never should have doubted you," she apologized. She felt Spencer shrug.
"It's okay. And it's not your fault. I knew I had an addiction and I started taking the pills anyways," she said. Aria didn't respond. She didn't know what to say.
"My parents want to send me to rehab," Spencer said quietly. Aria frowned.
"What?"
"This is my one chance to get clean. If I relapse, it's off to rehab for me," she said bitterly. Again, Aria didn't know how to respond. She had no idea if this was something Spencer could kick on her own or if it was something she needed help with.
"I'm here for you, Spence. We all are," she said finally. Spencer didn't respond.
"Spence?" she whispered. No response. She looked down and noticed that Spencer’s eyes had fluttered shut. She pressed a soft kiss to Spencer's forehead.
"Good night, Spence."