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As soon as they’d begun receiving notes from New A--on the anniversary of the horrible fire in the Poconos that had almost killed all of them--Emily was sure that Real Ali had survived the fire in the Poconos and the push off the balcony in Jaan to believe that as well--until the news came out about Tabitha’s true identity But even that didn’t rule out the possibility that Real Ali was still alive She still could be New A and know everything

Emily knehat her old friends would say if she voiced such a theory: Get over it, Eone More than likely they’d reverted back to their old assu house in the Poconos But there was so all of them didn’t know: Emily had left the front door unlatched and ajar for Ali before the house exploded She could have easily escaped

"Emily?" Mrs Fields called out "Can you coo," she told Aria "I’ll talk to you to up the phone, crossed to the bedroo Her parents, still dressed in thepoalks around the neighborhood, stood in the foyer A tall, freckled girl with reddish-blond hair just like E duffel over her shoulder that said UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA SWIMMING in big red letters

"Beth?" Emily squinted

Emily’s older sister, Beth, craned her neck up and spread her arms wide "Ta-da!"

E here?" she cried Her sister rarely visited Rosewood Her job as a teaching assistant at the University of Arizona, where she’d gone to college, kept her busy, and she was also assistant-coaching the U of A swim team, of which she’d been captain her senior year

Beth dropped the duffel to the hardwood floor "I had a couple days off, and Southas running a special I thought I’d surprise you" She looked E outfit"

E a stained T-shirt fro relay carnival and a pair of too-small Victoria’s Secret sweatpants with the word PINK written across the butt The pants had been Ali’s--her Ali’s, the girl as actually Courtney, wholed with, and adored in sixth and seventh grades Even though the sweats were fraying at the he that cinched the waist, they’d becoo-to after-school uniform in the past teeks For so bad would happen to her

"Dinner’s about ready" Mrs Fields turned on her heel toward the kitchen "Coirls"

Everyone followed her down the hall Coh the air The kitchen table had been set for four, and Emily’s mother scuttled to the oven as the timer started to beep Beth sat down next to E tulass since she was little She had the sa swimmer’s body as Emily did, but her reddish-blondish hair was cut in a choppy bob below her ears, and she wore a s at the top of her earlobe Eet it done She also wondered what Mrs Fields would say when she noticed it--she didn’t like her children looking "inappropriate," piercing their noses or navels, dyeing their hair weird colors, or getting tattoos But Beth enty-four; maybe she was beyond her mother’s jurisdiction

"So how are you?" Beth folded her hands on the table and looked at Ees since we’ve seen each other"

"You should come home more often," Mrs Fields chirped pointedly from the counter

Emily studied her chipped nails, most of which were bitten down to the quick She couldn’t think of a single innocuous thing to tell Beth--everything in her life was tainted with strife

"I heard you spent the summer with Carolyn in Philly," Beth pro up a chicken-print napkin The suht now

"Yes, Emily’s wild summer in the city," Mrs Fields said in a half-touchy, half-joking voice as she placed a cera a su, Beth"

"Well, it’s all water under the bridge" Mr Fields sat down at his regular seat and grabbed a piece of garlic bread froht, I heard!" Beth punched Emily playfully on the shoulder "A swim scholarship to UNC! Are you psyched?"

Ee lump in her throat "Really psyched"

She knew she should be happy about the swim scholarship, but she’d lost a friend, Chloe Roland, because of it--Chloe had assu up with her well-connected father in order to score a spot on UNC’s squad, but the truth was that Mr Roland had co she could to avoid him There was also a part of Eo to UNC next year What if A told the police about what they did to Tabitha? Would she be in jail by the tih the lasagna, their forks scraping against the plates Beth started talking about a tree-planting charity group she orking with in Arizona Mr Fields complimented his wife on the sautéed spinach Mrs Fields chattered about a new faon committee Emily smiled and nodded and asked her fa herself to contribute e h it was one of her favorite dinners

After dessert, Beth jumped up and insisted she’d do the dishes "Wanna help, Eo back to her room and burrow under her covers, but she didn’t want to be rude to a sister she rarely saw "Sure"

Together they stood at the sink, both of the out at the dark cornfield that bordered the backyard As the basin filled with suds and the smell of lemon Daafted around the roo to do while you’re holanced over her shoulder to make sure she and Es planned, actually," she whispered "There’s a costume party tomorrow that’s supposed to be awesome"