Hey y'all. This is set post DYWM part 2. It's basically what I hope and pray will happen!
This is my first fanfic so...be harsh! I need reviews! Thanks.
Chapter 1: To the Place Where I Belong.
The day began like every other day. The light seeped through the blinds and the honking of horns and bustle of passersby streamed through the slightly open window to Alex's room. If it was possible though, today, for the first time ever, the light seemed brighter and warmer and the hollers and conversation of pedestrians seemed jovial. Alex stood in silent wonder, her head cocked to the side trying to place this new feeling. What was the word to describe this? Was it 'refreshed'? 'Care-free'? Maybe Paige would let her borrow her thesaurus later. The one that she oh-so-hated.
Paige. Ah, the thought of her name made the light even a little bit brighter. She could have sworn she heard laughter come from outside. Laughter? On this block? More common was a cry of despair or a shriek of anguish. Alex shook off the notion and returned her thoughts to Paige.
Last night had been one of the best nights that Alex could remember. Yes, in many ways it had been one of the worst, but three little words that Paige had said seemed to cast an impenetrable shadow over everything else. Last night, Alex left her mom. Last night, she quit a job, not just an ordinary job, but a job as a stripper. Last night, she went to a dance at Degrassi (she could barely even believe that). Last night, Alex lost everything. But it didn't matter. Because last night Paige looked her straight in the eye, hands grasping hers, and said "You have me." And for the first time, though she had no home, Alex felt at home.
Paige hadn't asked Alex any questions. Wanting to save the tears and prying questions for tomorrow, she demanded that they spend the night celebrating, and that Alex spend the night with her. Paige was, to Alex, obviously eager to celebrate the end of Alex's ephemeral existance as Alex by day, Lexstacy by night. Alex had no objections.
She hadn't spoken to her mother since the big fight went down yesterday and she certainly didn't plan to, maybe not ever again. Or, well, maybe not soon, at least. Now, at 8 o'clock in the morning, while her mother was at work, Alex was packing her things. She was moving in with Paige, Marco and Ellie. The day couldn't be any better.
"Gee, Alex. I don't know, we might not have room for all this stuff in our apartment. I'm sorry, hon, but you really can't take all this," Paige grinned mischievously at Alex, then eyed the contents of the small box Alex had packed. In it were some tank tops, a jacket, a few pairs of pants, a couple textbooks, those trademark Alex Nunez silver hoops, a few CDs and a black cowboy hat that looked all too familiar. Alex set the box on the bed.
That was really all she wanted and needed to bring with her. Sure she had photographs of her and her mother and father, some stuff from when she was really little, and some other things that held a little grim significance. But why would she want that stuff? What was the point? To remind her how shitty her life had been? No, the only thing she wanted that held memories was that black cowboy hat. She loved the way it framed Paige's face. She loved the way Paige had worn it to school on their first day as an 'item', the way she strutted around, arm linked in hers, flaunting their newfound relationship. That hat symbolized the beginning of the best thing in Alex's life: her relationship with Paige.
"Oh, Paige, you hide your sarcasm so incredibly well. How do you do it? I'm dying to know." Alex rolled her eyes.
"You're not so good at it yourself, hon," Paige said indifferently, thumbing through a stack of photographs that remained unpacked. "Why aren't you bringing any of this stuff?" she asked, motioning to a pile of various memorabilia.
"I don't want it. I thought its exclusion made that pretty clear."
"Why not?! Alex! Hon, this is your past! You can't just leave it behind like a pair of dirty socks! You have to bring this with you."
"What's the point? To bring back memories of 'Little girl with drunken mother go to the park' and 'Little girl with drunken mother and drunken mother's boyfriend go to the zoo'? No, thanks. I'd rather have the dirty socks."
Paige knew that even though these things were painful, it was part of who Alex was. She didn't want Alex to leave the things behind, so she searched for anything that would convince her to bring it. "Alex, come on. In five years from now, you're going to want to look at this stuff. It will make how far you've come and where you are seem so much better!"
Alex raised an eyebrow. She thought she recognized a hint of something deeper in that statement. "Oh yeah? Hmm..now..where exactly will I be five years from now?" she said, trying to rid the flirtatiousness from her voice, but knew she had failed when smugness took hold of Paige's face almost immediately. Alex tried her best not to smile. But that look that Paige does when she knows she's being flirted with? Got her every time.
"Well, I see a cozy living room..." Paige looked beyond Alex as if she was envisioning the very scene, "...you curled up on a couch by a fireplace with a girl..a very cute girl, might I add."
Alex feigned moderate interest. "Guess I could live with that. I hope she's not blonde though. Blondes aren't my type." Alex scrunched up her nose and slightly shook her head with the last few words.
Paige's eyes rolled upward and she heaved an extremely audible sigh before replying monotonously "Oh, ouch. That stung. Really, Alex. I'm hurt."
Alex chuckled and reached out for Paige's hand, pulling her into a kiss. Alex broke the kiss quickly, not intent on having a long make out session in a rather unromantic setting, but to her surprise, Paige lurched forward, grasping the back of Alex's neck, pulling her in for a deeper kiss. Alex smiled as her mouth moved with Paige's. Paige broke the kiss after what seemed like a full five minutes, and rested her forehead against her girlfriend's. "How do you like blondes now?" She turned, threw an empty box to Alex, and, motioning towards the pile of Alex's past, commanded "Pack it, and let's go." She picked up the box full of Alex's clothing, first stopping to throw the cowboy hat on her head, and disappeared from the room after sending an exaggeratedly goofy wink Alex's way.
Alex chuckled and shook her head, looking down at the photos in her hands. She knew Paige was right. She would look back at this stuff five years from now. She would contrast her present life with her past life, and through that contrast she would be even happier. Paige was always right.
Alex closed her eyes, smiling and thought to herself 'Blonde isn't my type...Paige is."