Chapter One

Emily walked into her third period class and found a folder at her usual table. Dover-Kerry it read. She looked around at the handful of other confused students before following their example and searched out her name. She pause as she looked down at the folder bearing her surname.

Fields-McCullers.

Emily looked up to see Paige also looking at the folder. Their eyes met for a moment before Emily broke the contact and sat down, pushing the folder subtly toward Paige's side of the table.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen," Ms. Sawyer said a moment before the bell rang. "I am sure you are all curious as to your new seating arrangements."

She chuckled at the numerous mumbles of agreement coming from the roomful of students. "For the remainder of this semester you will all take part in a socio-economical team project. This project will count for half of your final grade." Ms. Sawyer paused to allow for the groans before continuing. "If you all will indulge me by looking at your desk partners."

In her peripheral vision, Emily saw Paige slowly turn to look at the side of her face. A frog had lodged its way into her throat as she turned her head, effectively catching sight of Paige's chestnut-colored eyes. So much had changed in the last few weeks; the way that Paige looked at her had changed as well. Love was still evident in her gaze but pain and longing had joined the crowd of emotions hidden in the swimmer's eye. Emily tried to swallow the frog that had taken up residence in her throat again.

"Congratulations! You are each looking at your husband or wife." Ms. Sawyer announced.

A dozen head returned their gazes to the front of the room. Some seemed excited while others looked like a four-year-old whose ice cream was suddenly ripped away. Emily continued to stare into Paige's orbs until the girl ducked her head.

"Now before you all groan and moan about this assignment, I want you all to be aware that I have spent two weeks preparing your personal folders. Inside your folders, you will find your couple history- how you met, how long you dated, how long you've been married- as well as your individual careers, salaries and financial obligations." Ms. Sawyer smiled. "I know that none of you would want to hurt my feelings by not taking this assignment serious."

Paige absent mindedly pulled the folder toward herself and opened it.

"Each couple have been paired by actual couples I've noticed around school and random pairings specifically designed to have either social or economical issues inside the relationship. Those couples with these two disadvantages were chosen randomly and by no means reflect my personal favoritism."

Paige closed the folder after reading the first paragraph of their relationship history. The parallels were uncanny.

"You will find, on the board, a daily event. You will take these challenges into your marriage as part of the final report. If, by chance, you were to find an asterisk next to your gender role- a personal journal entry is required based on the challenge." Ms. Sawyer informed them. "Paige, Emily, your name will be in parenthesis; determining your gender role for any specific journal entry."

An hour later Emily slung her bag down onto the courtyard table. Spencer looked up from her garden salad to her exasperated best friend.

"Afternoon, Sunshine."

Emily glared up to the tall brunette.

"What's going on?" Spencer asked, pushing her tray away slightly to lean her arms on the table.

"Sawyer; she paired me and Paige for some marriage assignment that is half our grade."

"Oh, yeah, I remember doing that."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, her timing is just spot on"

"Who's timing?" Hanna asked as she and Aria sat down with their lunch trays.

"Ms. Sawyer," Spencer announced. "Emily got married last period, to Paige."

"Seriously?" Aria sputtered. "Can't you talk to Ms. Sawyer? Tell her you've broken up?"


Emily hung back slightly as the room cleared out for lunch. Paige had taken the folder, tucking it between two textbooks after Emily continued to refuse even looking at it.

"Excuse me, Ms. Sawyer?" Emily asked as the last of her classmates left the room.

"Miss Fields," The young teacher greeted as she packed away her own bag before the lunch hour. "You have question about the assignment?"

She could feel her cheeks growing red at the thought of being educationally married to Paige for the next few weeks. "I was wonder if... whether I might be able to, uh, switch partners?"

Ms. Sawyer ceased her actions and looked up at the student in front of her. "Is there a problem with your pairing?"

Emily lowered her head, her fingers scratching at one another. "Paige and I," She raised her gaze once more. "We're not together anymore."

Ms. Sawyer continued to hold Emily's eye, instantly making nose of the unease in her chocolate-brown gaze. "I'm sorry to hear that, Emily. It appears that I unknowingly put you two into the social disadvantage category."

"You won't swap partners." Emily stated, feeling her stomach drop despite already anticipating the answer.

"As I said in class, I spent two weeks creating those folders." Ms. Sawyer reminded, picking up her keys and ushering Emily toward the door. "It will be interesting to see how your final report comes out."


Emily folded her arms across the table and groaned, allowing her head to fall forward. "How am I gonna do this?"

"Is it really that hard to imagine being married to Paige?" Hanna asked her.

"Yes, I mean, you two were more domesticated than any of us." Spencer pointed out. "Now two weeks ago you were going to California with her; you were going to live together, remember?"

Emily sighed as she picked her head up again and looked at her friends. She knew they had a point about the relationship she'd shared with Paige.

"And now I'm not."

"Incoming." Aria mumbled as she looked over Emily's shoulder.

Paige walked up to the table, her hands nervously wiping a downward path against her thighs.

"Hey, Paige." Spencer greeted with a smile. "Here to sweep Emily off on a honeymoon?"

Paige blushed slightly. Despite Emily avoiding her, Aria's warm-cold shifts and Hanna having never really made an effort toward her, Paige was glad that Spencer had retained their mutual respect perception.

"Sort of, I guess." Paige caught Emily's eye once more. "I wanted to figure out a time to go over the folder together. Are you working today? I can come by The Brew after practice."

Four pairs of eyes had now settled on the former swimmer. Alone, she probably could have gotten out of the meeting for the day but it seemed that Paige had a lease one of Emily's friends in her corner... if not all three.

"Sure," Emily forced a smile. "I mean, I'm not working but The Brew sounds great."

Paige smiled softly, her hands stopping their nervous actions Emily swore she saw the brunette bounce on her toes a fraction, a subtle sign of pure happiness. "It's a date."

Before Emily could correct her ex, Paige had returned to the table on the opposite side of the courtyard.

"Emily has a date," Aria grinned in a sing-song voice.

"It's not a date," Emily stated. "It's schoolwork."

"Can I make the wedding scrapbook?" Aria continued.

Emily groaned again, her head once again falling against her folded arms.


Paige walked into The Brew with the strap of her bag crossing over her chest. She paused briefly, looking around for the familiar face before continuing into the small alcove that she always saw the girls sitting in. Trevor, a junior from her Advanced Bio class, came over to take her order. Reaching into her bag, Paige pulled out the folder and simply stared at the two names on the cover.

"Ahem," Paige looked up to see Emily standing above her. "Sorry, I'm late."

Trevor returned with the two steaming cups of coffee, mumbling a greeting to his coworker. Emily glanced down at the liquid before arching her brow at Paige.

"Americana, right?" Paige asked, though she knew the girl's usual order for every place in town.

The swimmer watched as Emily smiled softly before lowering herself into a chair opposite the couch she sat on. As per usual when Paige was in Emily's company, her chest ached at the refusal to sit next to her.

"So, have you looked at our folder yet?" Emily asked.

Paige shook her head, "Just the first paragraph back in class."

Silence fell over the pair as they continued to stare into each others eyes. Paige had never been able to close off the portal that lead right to her heart when it came to Emily. The ex-swimmer could practically see herself in Paige's eye. Pain, nervousness, and undying love radiated from the chestnut orbs she had always been able to lose herself in. Emily felt her own chest constrict as her own pain surfaced for a moment. The betrayal was still fresh and Alison continued to remind her of how close they'd come to being killed y Shana. Somehow, that was Paige's fault.

"So, do you want to read it or..."

Paige looked down at the folder in her hands, silently wishing that Emily would sit next to her as they studied the folder. "Oh, uh, sure."

Paige opened the folder as she heard a text alert from Emily's phone. She briefly saw Alison's name on the screen before Emily hit the ignore button and shoved her phone deep into her bag.

"Paige and Emily Fields-McCullers met in high school, true high school sweethearts. Stars of the Varsity Swim Team, the pair became serious in their senior year and continued on to college with matching scholarships." Paige glanced up at Emily who had shifted uncomfortably with the last sentence. "The couple became more serious, dating throughout college and marrying shortly after graduation."

"So we've been together five years," Emily summarized.

Paige turned the page to see a bullet page. "You have a career as a Sports Therapist, while I am teaching Health and Fitness as well as coaching Cross Country."

Both girls seemed to find their faux careers sufficiently acceptable as Paige continued to read.

"You have a salary of a hundred dollars a day, mine is eighty-five." Paige skimmed down the spreadsheet. "The mortgage on our house is fifteen-hundred... bills, including car payments, insurance and utilities is nine hundred. Leaving food, entertainment and savings at just over eighteen-hundred."

"Hello, Middle Class." Emily joked.

"Shouldn't be too difficult," Paige calculated. "As long as one of us doesn't end up in hospital for an extended period of time."

"I wonder how she decided all of this," Emily voiced. "I mean, now that I can't swim- Sports Therapy wouldn't be such a leap."

Paige smiled, looking up at the beautiful girl in front of her. "Did Ms. Sawyer give you an idea?"

Emily smiled easily in return, "Maybe."

Silence suddenly enveloped the two girls as their eyes met. Paige had always loved how Emily's whole face would light up when she smiled; she loved it more when she was the reason for that smile. Paige instantly saw a distraught Emily in front of her. The very Emily who was mourning the loss of her first girlfriend. It was that story of her crazy grandfather and the bright smile that had made her feel truly happy since coming out to her parents three months before.

"Uh, so, do we have any kids?" Emily asked, breaking the lingering gaze and joining Paige on the couch.

Paige felt her pulse quicken and a flutter in her stomach as Emily sat next to her and hunched forward to read the binder in front of them. The swimmer was completely aware of the two inches that separated their thighs.

"Uh, I don't believe so." Paige sat up and leaned forward, mimicking Emily's posture. "I didn't know you wanted kids."

Emily shrugged as she continued to gaze intensely at the folder yet not really seeing the gibberish written inside. "Yea, I mean, most people want kids don't they?"

"I hadn't really thought about it," Paige admitted.

Emily turned her head unable to describe the feeling of sadness that coursed through her chest. "Really?"

Paige met her eye once more, shrugging a shoulder. "Can't close the closet door once it's opened."


Mr. DiLaurentis had completely lost his mind. Alison had been locked away in her house since the day following her mother's funeral and it had quickly lost its luster. She didn't want to be hiding anymore; not when she'd finally returned home to where everyone adored her again. The girls had all started acting strange over the past week and she could feel her group pulling away from her; that was just not acceptable. At least she had Emily. Emily could never stay angry at her; knowledge that she loved having because it made her so much easier to manipulate.

Alison walked around town. She knew that she should be accustomed to the gawks from passerby's but it wasn't exactly the type of attention she yearned for. It got rather tiresome being stared at all the time. She groaned quietly as she pushed the door open to The Brew as another group of children stopped in their tracks as she'd walked toward them.

Ali looked around her for a moment, catching her bearings before going to order a coffee. She'd begun to take a step to the counter when she noticed the two brunettes staring intently at each other on the couch opposite the door. As she gazed at the unknowing pair, the look she witnessed burned white-hot jealousy through her. Emily and Pigskin?

"Can't close the closet door once it's open." Paige said as she approached them.

"Depends on the closet, Pigskin." Alison sneered.

The thread that held Emily's attention to Paige's chestnut eyes instantly snapped. She glanced up to her best friend and suddenly felt Paige's body stiffen as she turned her attention to the blonde as well. Almost immediately Paige had turned into the crying shell she'd been when she confessed the bully-victim relationship she'd shared with Alison before her disappearance. A part of Emily wanted to reach out and hold the girl just as she'd done that night on her front step.

"Hey, Em." Alison continued sweetly, as if she hadn't just taken a jab at Paige's sexuality. "I thought we were meeting up after school. I've been cooped up in that house all day. Do you want to go see a movie with me?"

Paige remained silent, knowing that Alison was attempting to get a rise out of her by openly asking Emily on what was to appear as a date. Her eyes remained glued on the folder, studying the mash up of their surnames.

"You're not busy, right?" Alison spoke again in that award-worthy innocent voice she used to entice people to do what she wanted of them.

"Actually-"

"No," Paige suddenly spoke up. "No, we're done."

Emily looked down to Paige's hands as she folded the notebook and went to shove it in her bag. Her hands were shaking slightly as she shoved the folder between her Bio and Trig books. "Paige-"

"I'll see you later, Emily." Paige said as she got to her feet and stepped past Alison without even closing the zipper on her backpack.

Emily watched from the couch as Paige twisted the knob, slung open the door and pulled it close behind her. She jumped visibly as the door slammed, signaling Paige's retreat. Her lips formed a tight line as she returned her gaze to the blonde standing above her.

"What was that?" Alison snapped.

"What do you mean?" Emily asked, picking up the two cups of coffee that sat in front of her on the table.

"Don't play dumb, Emily. It's not becoming of you." Alison paused as she caught Emily's eye briefly. "I saw how you two were looking at each other. You were practically undressing her with your eyes."

The brunette straightened up as she stood, throwing her bag over her shoulder and picking up the cups. Alison followed her as she deposited the cups in a container where Angie stood clearing a table next to the door.

"You should be careful who you associate with, Emily; you wouldn't want to give off the wrong impression."

Emily opened the door before turning on Alison again. "It's just a school assignment. Paige and I were partnered together, I don't have a choice."

"Of course, you have a choice-"

"If I want to fail."

Emily turned to proceed out the door when she felt Alison's hand catch her arm. "I don't want you to see Pigskin again."

Almost instantly, Emily jerked her arm away from the blonde and took a half-step forward. Her nose was mere inches from Alison's and the gleam in her eye was of red-hot anger, not the adoration that Alison was so used to seeing. "Don't call her that ever again. Her name is Paige."

The blonde wasn't even given a moment to completely understand what was happening- that Emily had just stood up to her for the first time, that she was defending Paige McCullers- when Emily turned on her heel and strode out the door without so much as a second glance. She was losing her girls, they weren't her puppets anymore.

That was just not acceptable.


So this is my first attempt at Paily. My muse has been nagging at me for some time now and since I couldn't decide which story to write, I will be combining the three ideas. This is part one- HS Paily. Thanks to my RP twin for having such a positive reaction to this chapter. I love you girl!

Please let me know if I should continue with comments, follows, likes... all that jazz. Thanks!

Lawral