Emily wasn't quite sure how Spencer had talked her into going to a basketball game at the U of Penn, but Spencer had somehow managed to get her through the double doors of the mostly empty gym. Spencer was never one to really get excited about basketball, but for some reason, today she seemed quite giddy about having to sit through an hour of other girls running up and down the hardwood court for competitive glory.

They took a seat nearly four rows up from the floor and behind the U of Penn's bench and waited for some activity to begin. They didn't have to wait long, as both teams sprinted from their locker rooms and gathered around opposing baskets to take warm-up shots. Spencer stood up excitedly and waved enthusiastically as one of the girls caught a pass and hoisted the ball up towards the basket. Swish. The girl repeated the action three more times before noticing Spencer waving wildly in the stands.

"Spencer! You made it," the girl smiled brightly tossing a ball back to her teammate. "Sorry this game is ruining your Friday night, but…"

"But, I never get to see you anymore and if I have to give up a Friday night to see you, it's well worth it," Spencer said wrapping the girl up in a hug. "Emily, this is Jru; Jru this is Emily Fields."

Emily ran her hand through her hair uncomfortably. "Hi," she managed tightly.

Jru suppressed a laugh. "Seems like you ruined someone else's Friday too," she noted. "Hey, I have to warm up, but as soon…"

"Go," Spencer smiled. "Have a great game too!" Spencer sat back down; trying to ignore the strong glare Emily was giving her. After a few seconds, she gave up. "What Em?"

Emily rolled her eyes, "So you bring me to the basketball game of the swim coach's niece?"

"Jru is a good friend of mine, Em…" Spencer shrugged. "I can't help that she is super well -connected …"

"She was your natural enemy for three years! The only reason you like her now is because she graduated a year earlier and is no longer competition," Emily shot back quickly. "I told you, I don't want to go to U of Penn."

"A swimming scholarship here is like the best thing ever," Spencer rationed. "And plus, we could go to college together!" Spencer had given up hope that Hanna would make it to any college, not to mention an Ivy League one, and Aria seemed more interested into going to any liberal arts college more than U of Penn so Emily was her only hope. "Just watch the game and enjoy it…"

Emily didn't have any rebuttal. She and Paige weren't exactly on strong footing, so she didn't really want to be in Rosewood and her mother and Hanna's mother had decided to take a "girl's weekend" so what exactly would be the harm in enjoying a weekend with Spencer and Jru?

"She's really good," Emily had to admit by halftime. Jru and her team were up by fifteen points and she had only missed three shots. Jru wasn't exactly hard on the eyes either but Emily hated the fact that she was even noticing. She couldn't forget the information that Spencer had shared about Jru out of her head, which she really hated. Jru had come out a bit before Emily and according to Spencer had dated one hot older girl after another.

"Yeah, this is not so bad," Spencer decided. The gym had filled up a bit more and a group of three had parked themselves in front of Spencer and Emily. "Oh hell; that's Jru's mother," Spencer whispered in somewhat awe. "She is a congresswoman."

"Excuse me if I don't wet myself," Emily sighed sarcastically. She never understood Spencer's love for political figures or power, but Emily had to assume that it had something to do with her family. The Hastings weren't exactly normal individuals and they were drawn to power.

The second half started and Jru returned to her previous rout of the competition. With nearly three minutes to go, she already had thirty points, ten rebounds and eight steals, which Emily understood was a great game so far. Still, she could hear the group in front of her and Spencer's conversation. "They better not take her out before she gets two more steals, or four assists," the younger woman said. "How embarrassing would it be not to get a triple-double against this team?" Emily glanced at Spencer with a raised brow. Spencer shrugged awkwardly, expelling a loud breath.

Jru stepped in front a pass and sprinted down the court dribbling as quickly as possible. Although a defender from the other team was close behind, Jru was already in the air for a lay-up before the girl could properly attempt to block her. When she came down from the lay-up, the girl was still under the basket and Jru landed awkwardly on the girl's foot.

"Geez," Spencer popped up from her seat in agony for her friend. Emily hopped up too, like most of the other people in the gym. It took a few moments of writhing on the ground in pain before Jru tried to stand and limped off the court.

"Well, there goes the triple-double," the girl rolled her eyes in disgust.

It was nearly twenty minutes later when Jru hopped back into the gym. "Mom, Dad, Kelly, you made it," Jru tried to muster up any enthusiasm although she was in pain. She talked to them for a few moments before making her way back over to Emily and Spencer.

"Good game," Spencer said sincerely. "How is the ankle?"

"It's more of the knee that's killing me, but it's fine. It messed up my triple-double though," Jru pouted.

"You really keep up with that in your head?" Emily asked trying not to focus too distinctly on Jru. She was more beautiful after she had showered and changed into a pair of blue jeans, white long sleeve shirt and black leather jacket. Her caramel skin and hazel eyes simmered under the gym lights and her mouth was outlined with pink lip gloss.

"Of course I do," she seemed confused. "Anyways, since you guys drove up, let me take you to dinner," Jru offered smiling warmly. "There is this great bistro right up the street."

"What about your family?" Spencer asked looking over Jru's shoulder.

"My parents are headed back to DC and my sister…God, who knows…but we don't hang out," Jru said sternly. "We are more competitors than sisters."

"Amen," Spencer mumbled her understanding.

"So you are the swimmer?" Jru asked during dinner. Emily had been quiet through most of the meal but when Jru smiled at her, Emily couldn't help but smile back. Now that she seemed to have Jru's full attention, she couldn't help but blush a bit too.

"Yeah, I swim," Emily said humbly.

"Spencer said you are really good…I'd like to see you swim sometime," Jru smiled seductively. Emily wasn't sure if Jru meant to be flirting or not, because it struck her that Jru was the kind of girl who flirted without really knowing it. Still, Emily shifted a bit in the comfortable seat of the restaurant and tucked a lock of black hair behind her ear. "Anyways, you guys wanna go to a concert tonight…I have passes to this cool live band from around campus…"

"We'd love too," Spencer answered for them both.

"Cool, we can take my car. The show is a bit off campus," Jru smiled, exposing her dimples again. Emily hated the fact that she was feeling a small flutter in her stomach every time Jru looked her way.

Jru paid the check and led the girls back around the corner to the gym parking lot. It was pretty much empty besides Spencer's car and a few other cars lined up near the gym entrance. Jru made her way over to a black Jaguar and although Emily didn't want to be impressed, it was a beautiful vehicle.

The trance of Jru's car was broken when Spencer's phone rang inside of her bag. "Hold on a sec," Spencer quickly pressed the speak button on the screen.

Jru pressed a button on her key chain and then opened the passenger side door. "You should get in," she told Emily, "it's freezing out here." Emily hadn't noticed that she had been shivering just enough that it was noticeable. Emily looked back at Spencer, who was in deep conversation with someone on the phone. "I don't bite," Jru promised.

"Hey guys, bad news…I gotta head back to Rosewood," Spencer informed them.

"Is something wrong?" Emily asked a bit too worriedly. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms trying to warm up.

"No, it's just Toby," Spencer began. "He said he just has to see me soon. I really hate messing up the night though."

"If you still wanna go hear the band, Emily, I can drive you back to Rosewood later; or you can crash at my apartment," Jru offered.

Emily looked from Spencer to Jru, who was now leaning on her hood. "Yeah Em," Spencer agrees, "the concert sounds fun and I don't wanna ruin you guys' night. I'll call you guys later?"

"Sure," Jru hugged Spencer. "Thanks for coming up, and I'll make sure to take care of your friend."

"You'd better," Spencer said seriously, then smiled. She headed to her car and zoomed off into the night.

"You gonna get in now?" Jru asked Emily sarcastically. Emily got into the car and settled on the black leather seats.

They were well on the road before Emily found the nerve to speak. "I've never seen a twenty year old drive a Jaguar."

"Not every nineteen year old has a thirty-two year old sister who decided she was a BMW girl after her parents had bought her a Jag," Jru countered. "It's a hand-me-down," she assured Emily. She slowed down in front of a small building and parallel parked in front of it. They both got out and Jru hit the button on her key chain to lock her doors.

"Do you come here often?" Emily asked as they headed through the door and into the darkly lit club. Jru took her by the hand and she automatically tensed up, but followed her through the club and to a table near the stage. Hey Jru…she had heard a few times but Jru didn't stop until they were seated.

"Yeah, I come here a bit," Jru managed to say before the bass player keyed the band.

"This band is really great," Emily had to admit after listening to the first set of the band. She was relaxing a bit, beginning to sway with the music and enjoy herself.

"So you are enjoying yourself," Jru asked skeptically, "I thought you were destined to go back to Rosewood with Spencer. Thanks for staying." Jru exposed her dimples again and Emily couldn't help but melt a little.

"I feel like everyone is kinda look at us," Emily realized. The band was in their intermission and people were mostly circling around the tables and talking now.

Jru frowned and then begin to laugh. "They are definitely not looking at me," Jru allowed her eyes to take in Emily in her casual black leggings and purple low-cut sweater. "But it would definitely be understandable if they were looking at you." Emily smiled widely, exposing all of her perfect white teeth. It was becoming harder and harder to remember that she and Paige were dating, much to Emily's chagrin. Luckily, someone stopped at their table to break the moment.

"Jru, you didn't tell me you were coming tonight," a tall attractive girl broke in. She stared at Emily, rolled her eyes and then focused back on Jru.

Sitting back with frustration, Jru turned to Emily. "Emily, this is Sienna, the bane of my existence. Sienna, this is Emily, my new friend."

"Cute…" Sienna didn't try to hide her disgust now. "Dance with me…so we can talk in private."

"I'll pass," Jru said with the first hint of real attitude. "Dance with Ashleigh, I'm sure she's somewhere here…" The band began again, preventing Sienna from responding and she moved through the crowd with obvious frustration.

It was nearly an hour later, after they had heard two more sets that Emily got her chance to ask Jru about the girl. They had exited the club and Jru had unlocked the door for her. When she got into the driver's seat, Emily asked a bit too curiously, "So, who was that girl?"

Jru glanced at her for a moment and let out a labored breath. "The bane of my existence," she repeated dryly. "So, am I driving you to Rosewood tonight?"

Emily spotted the clock on her dashboard. It was barely even ten at night and she was in no mood to go home to an empty house; especially when she and Paige weren't exactly getting along. She didn't want to spend an entire night, not to mention, an entire weekend thinking about what was going wrong with her and Paige. She knew that Paige was going to be a bit clingy or protective after all that has happened between them, but it was becoming infuriating. Paige wanted to be picked over all of her other friends and after all, she, Aria, Hanna and Spencer had been through, Emily knew she just couldn't do that.

"I don't mind if we do something else," Emily decided.

"Nice," Jru said brightly. She grinned…"Let me take you somewhere fun…"

Emily thought about it for a moment. She had nothing to lose… "Okay!"