A/N: Hi this is my 1st fanfic ever! & I think it is gonna be a 5 chapter deal, I have most of it planned out & I hope you all like it. I'm not usually a short story or dialogue writer & this chapter doesn't have any in it because it is all in about what Paige is doing, but I am sure the next chapters will have some. Also please bear with me on my grammar & spelling & I often have tense trouble.
The story will pretty much follow Canon, but hopefully fill in gaps that the TV show doesn't get to do. This is a total Paily Ship & I intend to go down with it… This chapter is rated K, but the whole story won't be I think…so I raised the rating slightly.
I wanna say thank you to PLL for creating such interesting characters & thanks to Lindsey Shaw & Shay Mitchell for being inspiring in so many ways.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters just the words I use to talk about them.
Chapter 1 "The Rain Starts to Fall" 12-03-12
Paige stares out the 2nd floor window in her Algebra 2 class looking at the clear blue autumn sky above her small town of Rosewood PA. The red yellow green leaves of the maple trees sway & fall as she thinks alternately of the crisp cold water of the pool this morning & of nothing at all. She is aware that she should be paying attention to the lecture because of the cascading effect that failing a test would have on her all-important GPA, but she just can't, not today. Today she is consumed with thoughts she spent years, pushing away pushing down & hiding from, the problem is today she can't avoid them. There's no way to not after the note that was stuck in her swim locker, like a message in a bottle. She'd gone to her locker to change after getting in some laps right before school in order to get ready for her day of overachieving when she noticed a light blue envelope sitting neatly on her bags with delicate looping slanty writing that she didn't recognize. Paige was in a bit of a hurry so she dressed & stuffed the envelope into her school bag, it wasn't until lunch that she had a chance to pull it out & open it up.
When she did she was shocked as she 1st started to read she had to stop many times & look around to make sure no one was watching her or reading over her shoulder. She looked across the Cafeteria in particular to make sure that Alison DiLaurentis was seated & not up wondering around messing with people like usual. Sure enough she was at her regular table with her adoring fans surrounding her; Spencer Hastings who Paige was pretty sure was gonna beat her out for the top grades this year, but certainly wouldn't beat her to the field hockey team MVP list HA, Aria Montgomery whose awesome red streaks in her hair that Paige was positive her father would never allow so she was thinking about dying hers a bright auburn that he could possibly tolerate, Hanna Marin whom she'd heard Alison call Hefty Hanna because she wasn't waif model thin (what a bitch) & then there laughing at one of Alison's jokes is Emily Fields looking amazing every time she tossed her head back in glee. Paige could hardly believe what she was reading... because it was a note from Emily herself saying things that Paige had never even imagined Emily would ever say, let alone to her. She started the letter from the beginning;
Paige,
I am so sacred to write this letter to you, but I had to as my feelings were burning a hole in me. I can't stand to be around you anymore in on the Swim team & not let you know how much I want to be with you. I know I have a boyfriend, but lately I've been dreaming about you & fantasizing about kissing you, touching you, & more than I am brave enough to write here. I had to let you know in hopes that maybe you want me too. I've been staying away from you at practice & in school because I don't want anyone to catch on or see me staring at your body moving in the water. Oh God I don't know why I am writing you other than to say please please if you feel the same way, please write me back. You could send me a note back giving me a safe place & time we can meet up to talk. Leave it behind the sandwich board in front of the Bike shop today by 5pm I will come get it at 5:30 so that we are not seen together in public. Please don't text or call as no one can know about us. If you don't feel the same way please, please Don't Tell, I beg of you.
Thinking of your amazing eyes,
~Emily Fields
Paige's jaw dropped at the thought that Emily Fields was in interested in her this way. All of the feelings she'd been keeping a tight lid on her whole life bubbled up with reading this letter. She knew now that all that she was avoiding, hiding & denying was true. She couldn't really say it of course not even in her own head, but it was as if something had fit together for her for the 1st time. It felt like some piece of a cosmic puzzle yet to show its final picture, but she got the 1st corner piece she needed in order a piece it all together; it had been hidden under her nose the whole time. The most outrageous thing about this note was that Paige couldn't quite grasp how someone so amazingly beautiful like Emily could be spending time thinking about her. Her, Paige McCullers who spent all her time doing exactly what her dad wanted her to, academics, sports, & school clubs so that she could get into a great college & then go into Business like her father did. Paige who never did anything that could make her family upset or rock the boat because she knew they had worked so hard to provide for her. She was overwhelmed & nervous.
She went back & forth as to whether she should respond to this note from Emily. Something deep inside her screamed to write back & longed to connect with Emily in this way. She noticed Emily from the 1st day of school in 7th grade when Paige had moved to Rosewood. She'd bumped into Emily in the hallway & as they were both picking up their books Emily accidently brushed her hand & she felt a beautiful fire rise up in her & then settle back down when Emily was gone. At the time she thought it was just the nerves of her 1st day & meeting so many new people, but after that event anytime Emily Fields was around there seemed to be that fire feeling inside her to different degrees. If they swam next to each other in practice her times would be off until she learned the trick of not looking at Emily before diving in. If they had to be in a group for a class project she tried to make sure she never sat by her & always took charge of the group so that instead of Emily talking to Paige it was often Paige talking to Emily. These things seemed to minimize the fire, but it never completely went out when Emily was around.
Getting the letter cemented what her insides had been telling her for years…that she wanted Emily, really profoundly wanted Emily but another part of her, her head part was screaming loudly in her ear about how her father would react if he found out. Paige wasn't terrified of her father, because he wasn't a bad dad, an abusive dad nor did he even yell that much. He was just very over barring, pushing her this way & that way to succeed, to be #1 no matter what the game or subject she had to be the best & win. He wasn't mean just intimidating & given that she was petrified of talking to him about getting a B+ on her Algebra 2 quiz today she couldn't dream of talking to him about this, whatever this was. Yes, overall she thought it might just be better not to write back, not to acknowledge the note & to run the other way from Emily & her declarations as quickly as possible. To hide & bury her feelings deeper inside & focus on school, but then right as the bell rang to end lunch Emily walked past & said a brief but polite hello to Paige complete with an enormous smile & gentle flip of her amazingly glorious brown hair that melted Paige to her seat. That was it…after that smile she knew she had to write back, had to tell her without any hesitation how she felt. She had to say YES! Yes to Emily, & Yes to them together. Yes to everything that could possibly entail. In her head she started to sing that old Stevie Wonder song, "Here I am baby signed sealed delivered I'm yours" Paige knew she was hooked.
Later the nice sunny autumn day turned a bit overcast & a few drops of rain started to fall. The multicolored leaves shook in the trees as the wind started to pick up, but the weather held off not completely changing. Paige sat down at her desk & grabbed some nice stationary that she'd been given to her by her Aunt 2 years ago for as a part of a birthday gift with hopes that the art of letter writing was not lost on Paige. Though Paige had started off well sending a letter every two weeks she quickly fell into once every other month thing & now she was overdue by 2 months. The paper was thick & white with an intricate purple pattern down the side of the page & the stationary also had bright green envelopes that went with it. She paused not knowing what to say or how much to reveal, starting to worry that maybe it might be a bad idea she just put pen to paper and the words just came pouring out of her.
Emily,
I can't tell you how amazed I was to get your letter, I had to read it over & over again just to make sure it was real. From my 1st day here in Rosewood I felt a connection to you an overwhelming desire to be near you, but that feeling has scared me so much that I needed to run the other way. My father is a Deacon at our church & is so over protective that he can't know how I feel about you. I am afraid that if we start something there will be trouble, but I can't help being totally attracted to you. I've wanted to kiss your soft bronze skin & breathe in the scent of your long hair for so long & I just can't quite believe that you feel the same way. I would love to see if we can make some of your fantasies happen & maybe a few of mine. Yes let's meet & talk & maybe see if we can get closer to each other. Meet me at 202 W. Chester Pike at 7pm.
Thinking of your beautiful smile,
~Paige
Paige could not believe how bold she was being, but it felt like the flood gates were opening & she couldn't stop now. She wanted her feelings for Emily to totally consume her, eat her alive so that all that was left was those feelings for Emily. She thought she might finally be doing something for herself & be actually getting what she wanted for the 1st time in her life. She might get to let her guard down, be who she is & not who everyone else wants her to be. She folded up her note put it in the bright envelope sealed it up & addressed it. The sun poked back out from behind the clouds as Paige braided up her hair, picked up the note & headed out her room, downstairs & out the door to her pale green/blue one speed bike.
(End of Chapter 1 "The Rain Starts to Fall" )
A/N: Any feedback would be great, just be nice please I am sensitive