Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi, or the lyrics used in this story. Those belong to Straylight Run.

"Hands In The Sky"

Chapter One - The Perfect Ending

- So if you made it
Just be glad that you did and stay there
If you ever feel loved or needed
Remember that you're one of the lucky ones -

Paige's POV

Things had been wonderful the past few months. Alex was living with me in my fantastic little house, and we were together again. I was happier than I had been in a long time. I was still acting, and Alex had decided to go back to college. She wanted to become a therapist. I was glad she finally had some direction, and being a therapist seemed like her calling. She could help people like her, and she could be there for people who needed her. Alex was excited about doing that, and it was good to see her excited about a job. I knew she would be amazing in whatever she chose to do. I was so proud of her.

Alex and I decided to go out together to blow off some steam. We headed to one of the hottest clubs in LA. It was crazy. The lights were bright and flashy, the music was loud, and I couldn't help but remember the night of the premiere. The night when it all really began. Here we were, reunited and ready to hit the dance floor.

When we started dancing together, I noticed a few guys inching closer, watching us. I rolled my eyes, pulling Alex closer to me, swaying against her. She smiled, throwing her arms around me protectively. We danced like that for what seemed like an eternity.

"Baby, I'm gonna get us something to drink." Alex shouted over the music, giving my hand a squeeze. I nodded, still dancing as she walked over to the bar. A guy scooted in, trying to dance with me. I scoffed, pushing him away.

"No thanks." I said, not bothering to pay much attention to him. He frowned, looking upset. He didn't go away, either. He stood there, staring at me.

"Why not?" He asked, as if he was heaven on earth. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Because I have a GIRLFRIEND." I was getting sick of guys hitting on me all the time. It seemed like I had thousands of male admirers, and it was driving me insane. I had a girlfriend, and I didn't appreciate them trying to get with me all the time. After I said that, Alex came towards me, carrying our drinks. The guy looked at her, and then back at me.

"Seriously?" A grin appeared on his scheming face. I saw a glint in his eye. Alex got on defensive mode, stepping towards him and cracking her knuckles threateningly.

"Fuck off." She growled, handing the drinks to me and giving him a shove. He backed up, not wanting to get into a confrontation with a pissed off lesbian. I didn't blame him. She glared at him, and he ran off, anxious to get away. I turned to Alex, aware of the giant smirk on her face.

"Well, that was fun." She winked, taking me over to a vacant table. We sat down and began to drink our margaritas. She looked so hot tonight, hotter than usual. It was probably because of the different lighting. She looked amazing in the club lights. I smiled at her, taking a sip of my fruity drink.

"I'm getting sick of guys being...the way they are. I swear, I think I should just publicly come out so they'll stop pestering me all the time. Maybe then I'll just get some female admirers." I let out a laugh when I came to the last part, seeing Alex's jealousy.

"They can't help it, Paige. You're HOT. And besides, when guys like you, I'm fine. But girls? That's another story. I don't need any competition." She raised an eyebrow, and I leaned forward, giving her a peck on the lips.
"Please. Like anyone could compare to you."

---

Coming out to the public actually didn't sound like a bad idea. I'd been hiding my true self ever since I got into the entertainment industry. I wanted to just be myself, and be able to take Alex with me without people asking questions. If being a lesbian was going to hurt my career, then it wasn't worth it anyway. It had helped other people. Ellen Degeneres was a huge deal now, so I didn't figure my being gay made much of a difference. It didn't affect whether or not I was a good actress.

"I think I wanna tell everyone I'm gay." I announced to Justin, my co-star and best friend on set. He looked up from his script, obviously surprised.
"Really?" He questioned, taking a drink of water. I nodded, gazing over at him.

"Yeah. I do Soap Talk this week. I think I'll talk about it on there."

---

Sure enough, I went on Soap Talk on Friday. The hosts, Lisa Renna and Ty Treadway, were really nice. I'd watched the show a few times before, and it had always been pretty interesting. I was beyond nervous as I was standing backstage, waiting for my entrance. Part of me was nervous about being on tv and well, not acting. And the other part of me was scared because I knew what I was getting ready to do. When I heard Lisa announce my name, I stepped out onto the stage. The crowd erupted into applause and I smiled, making my way over to the guest couch.

"So, Paige, this is your first time on the show. You've been on All My Children for about a year and a half now. How's that been?" Ty asked, looking at me.
"Oh, it's been terrific. The cast is all really nice and everything, and I've loved every minute of it. I've made a lot of new friends and it's just been a joy to work with all of them." I answered happily.

"Have you made any...romantic connections on the show?" Lisa brought up. I bit my lip. Now was the moment. It was now, or never.

"No. I actually have a girlfriend right now -- so she'd be pretty upset if I had made some romantic connection on the show." I laughed, my stomach twisting up into knots.
"Oh! Your girlfriend? I didn't know you had a girlfriend." Ty replied. I knew he couldn't find anything else to say. I couldn't help but smile.

"Yes. We're high school sweethearts. She's amazing," I paused. "I'd do the Tom Cruise thing and grab her and take her out here to show all of you, but she's not here. I'll jump up and down on the couch if you want me to, though."

They both laughed, and then came the commercial break. I knew they cut me off earlier than expected, and I couldn't help feeling a little upset. But I felt better backstage, when a few people congratulated me and told me how great I'd been. It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. The whole world would know soon enough that I was a lesbian, and taken by a wonderful girl. So I was happy.

When I got back to the All My Children set, Justin asked me if I'd done it. I told him I had, and he was so happy for me. He gave me a hug, and I called Alex to tell her the news. She was a bit shocked at first, but was excited too once she realized what this meant. She could go with me to events, and I could show her off.

The joy got cut off when my cell phone rang, and I could feel the blood draining from my face.

"There's been an accident."

A/N: Oooh, what a cliffhanger! Hope you like this first chapter, and I'd love it if you'd review. I'm going to be trying really hard to start writing longer chapters, and from now on, any author's notes will be at the end of the chapter so they don't disrupt the flow of anything.