Stranger to Me
Conspiracy
Author's Notes: I left this chapter collecting dust in my flash drive long enough. I have not abandoned this story, nor do I plan to. I just couldn't write this chapter the way I wanted to. I don't know what's wrong. So here ya go, tell me what you think!
Okay, so, before I start this chapter off, I just got a say a few things. This is still a Paige-centre chapter. I feel like I didn't introduce everything right in the prologue chapter. Also, the timeline for this is my ideal season 8. There may be a few details in season 7 that I dropped and others that I created on my own. I'll let you pick up on those details by yourselves. One detail I will explain ahead of time is an obvious one. Paige has been really distant with everyone in season 7. That's the basis of the environment that I set up in this FF.
-Explain to me
-This conspiracy against me.
-And tell me how,
-I've lost my power
--
Paige danced over to the card table, spilling her beer cup as she waddled along. The card players, mostly strangers, were playing euchre. Paige forced a smile and pretended as if she knew what was going on. The little she knew about euchre she learned from watching Alex hustle a good game. At the coffee table where Marco, Eric, and a group of others were gathered Indian-style, was a game of poker. Once again, her knowledge fell short at this specific card g
"Want a hand, Paige?" Eric asked, scooting over to clear room for her.
"No thanks… I don't know much about poker but I can play a mean game of solitaire." She exclaimed before walking away.
The entire party had been a bore for her. She spent most of her time trying to remember names and even more time learning some. It was also very obvious that a lot of people there didn't really want to be there. Most of them came out of pity and others were invited out of pity. The latter crossed her mind as she looked across the room at Jay.
Paige felt ignored by the few people there who she actually considered friends. Ashley didn't take a second glance at Paige and Jimmy was out-of-sight for most of the party. Paige heard from Ellie that they were still dating but they hadn't spoken to each other once at the party. Manny, who admittedly wasn't one of Paige's best friends, merely waved and spend majority of the night with her arms wrapped around Marco's neck. Ellie made a small comment about Manny; calling her Marco's new fag hag. Spinner, on the other hand, took a few glances at Paige but he has yet to approach her.
As she realized she had no place in her own party, she slowly stormed upstairs waiting for someone to notice she was leaving. When she made it to her room she began undressing. She was hardly tired but she figured she would be better off in the room lying down than sticking around for a party she isn't needed. She undressed down to nothing but her bra and boy shorts before she could hide under her sheets and cry herself to sleep. Her door slowly creaked open. A familiar voice called her name.
"Paige? Are you decent?" A shaved head and a pair of brown eyes found their way into the room.
Paige scurried from under the sheets and gave welcoming grunts.
As he walked into the room, she noticed how his pale skin contrasted against his dark clothes. In just his stance alone she had noticed a darker vibe to him.
"Spinner." she said in a half-shocked, half-excited tone.
She opened her arms to let him know she wanted to hug him but she didn't stand because she was still hiding her revealing body under the sheets. He walked over to the bed and hugged her tightly.
"You came!" she said excitingly as they hugged.
Paige's grip on Spinner's black shirt kept switching. She wanted to grip it tightly to let him know she was glad he's there but she didn't want to give him the impression that she wanted something from him. It was hard to let him know how much she appreciated him without seeming pathetic. She stopped hugging him and smiled as they exchanged deep stares. It's almost been a year since she said a word to Spinner. The punk rock Spinner was going to take some getting used to.
"Paige," he finally spoke, sounding almost as nervous as Paige felt. "It's good to see you."
"It's good to see you too, hun." That nickname was her trademark, especially when directed to Spinner.
Paige and Spinner sat there, smiling. She swallowed as her mouth watered. She tried her best to look over Spinner's shoulder but she couldn't stop staring at his face. His head was down and his eyes weren't focused on anything. He bit down on his tongue and started rubbing his saved head. He spoke, following his hard exhaled breath.
"How come you're not downstairs at your party?"
"My party?" for that split second, Paige forgot that the party was thrown for her welcoming.
"Umm…" Spinner didn't know if she was being sarcastic or if she was upset for some reason. After a full party recap he noticed that she wasn't very social during the party. He wanted to believe that she was mad but her voice was showing hints of pain. "Come on, I'll introduce you to my girlfriend."
He stood in front of her and reached his hand out, knight-in-shining-armor style. His eyes were glaring down on her with grace. His smile had never looked so genuine and he never seemed so wise. Not in Paige's eyes. Not until that night.
"You're a true friend, Spinner." She smiled and looked at his reaching hand. "But…"
"It's fine… if you don't want to." His face only took the blink of an eye to turn into a big disappointment. He put his hand down and shrugged. "So… I guess I'll see you around."
Spinner turned around slowly and took baby steps toward the door. "Spinner," he turned around quickly, trying to hide his thoughts. "I was going to say 'wait for me'. I'm not completely dressed underneath here." Paige smiled, yet again, and waited for him to leave.
As the door closed, Paige hurried from under her bed and ran into her closet. It was the first time in a long time that she felt like she didn't have anything at all to wear. With her room being newly organized, she promised herself that the first outfit she'll tryout would be the last. Not long after trying on her first outfit did she promise the 2nd one was going to be the final. The 2nd promise was followed by the 3rd promise.
She had tried on six different outfits before she figured there was no use. 'It's not a date,' she repeated to herself. The plain jeans and beige top was very classic but casual. She wasn't satisfied but she had no place to argue against it. 'It's not a date.'
As she left her room, she looked down on the wall next to the door and Spinner sat there with his head buried in his knees.
"Spin? You waited for me?" Spinner picked his head up. His cheeks looked as if someone had continuously pinched them. "And, I see you've been smothering cherries."
Spinner rubbed his cheeks forcefully and smiled. As he stood up, he looked up and down at Paige. "Uh… that's not what you were wearing earlier."
"Yeah… It took me forev-" Paige cut herself off. "Nevermind that. Are you ready to go back to the party?" Paige asked as Spinner stood up.
Spinner and Paige started walking down the stairs together. The music was much louder than earlier and the crowd was larger. Marco was running around frantically, handing out coasters to anyone with a drink.
"Jane."
"Huh?"
"Jane is her name. The name of my girlfriend."
Paige had forgotten that the invitation's purpose was to meet Spinner's new girlfriend. "Jane? That sounds real… sitcom-ish. Is she cute?"
"See for yourself." Spinner walked through the crowd and wrapped his arms around a girl who was sitting against the kitchen sink.
Her onyx black hair sticks out the most. Her hooped nose ring is one of the biggest Paige had ever seen. Jane wore black everywhere. Besides the black outfit, black lipstick, and black eyeliner, there was a hint of blue mascara up-close.
"Jane, this is Paige. Paige, Jane." Spinner said, introducing the strangers. Paige studied Jane up-and-down but Jane wasn't as studious. Her eyes were on Paige's eyes the entire time.
"Jane? That's a real classy name."
"Yeah, that's why I hate it. If it was up to me, I'd have a name like…" she nudged at Spinner. "Gavin."
"Well, I love the name Jane." Spinner said as he kissed her on the cheek.
"Paige is your name? So you must be Spinner's infamous ex-girlfriend." Jane said as she laughed.
"Infamous ex-girlfriend? Were we that much of a power couple?"
"Um, I don't think so. I had to hear about you from my future ex-boyfriend here." Jane pinched Spinner as she laughed.
"Future ex-boyfriend? Are you breaking up with me, dude?" Spinner asked playfully, staring down at her face.
"What if I was, dude?" Jane giggled before giving Spinner a teasing kiss.
Paige laughed. "He talks about me? Oh, do tell."
"Not much, except that you're the one who broke his wee-wittle heart."
"Wee-wittle, huh?" Spinner groped Jane and shook her for a while.
"That's – not the only – thing that's – wee-wittle!" She said in between certain shakes.
"Oooh! Now I'm gonna kill you!" Spinner said, lifting her off her feet and bear hugging her.
"Ahh, I can't breathe, Spin."
"Then say my name."
"Never!"
"Say it!" Spinner hugged her harder.
"Okay. Spinner." She said in a low tone.
"Louder."
"Spinner!"
"Louder."
"SPINNER!"
The introduction didn't take long before it turned into foreplay between the two. Paige's stomach was burning badly at the sight. In a way, she felt foolish that she put so much unnoticed effort into her outfit. She didn't even want anything from him but she still felt entitled to dress for his benefits.
This is just what I need to wake me up. Spinner is so high school and I shouldn't be trying to dig up old bones. Spinner looks extremely happy with Jane and he's my oldest friend. I should be happy too.
"You guys are too cute."
After that statement from Paige, Jimmy rolled up from behind her. He barely looked at her but he couldn't look away from her either. His mouth was open but he couldn't find any words to say.
"Hey, Jimmy!" Paige said before hugging him tightly.
Had it not been for the fact that Jimmy was reluctant when he was hugging her back, this hug wouldn't have been half as awkward as her hug with Spinner upstairs.
"Hey, Paige…" Jimmy's tone was the worst she'd ever heard it. He was obviously bitter for some reason.
"Jimmy, can we talk outside."
"Sure."
Getting away from the party didn't seem to help the situation. Jimmy was still sour in the face and he never looked Paige in the eye once. She never felt this unwanted before. Not in Jimmy's presence.
"I missed you, hun." Jimmy looked up at her for the first time. "I don't know. Maybe an entire summer seemed longer than it actually was. Maybe I was expecting open arms from everyone I know. I don't know what it is but can you tell me why I feel weird with you."
"An entire summer is a long time, Paige."
"Then what's the problem, Jimmy? What did I do to piss you off?"
"It's been a year, Paige."
"What?"
"A whole year. I haven't talked to you in a whole year. Every since my store fell through it's like I never existed to you."
"Jimmy I-"
"I missed you too Paige. But it was long before the summer."
Jimmy turned around and started strolling back inside the house. Paige was too embarrassed at the time to face Jimmy so she sat outside and decided to wait for a while. The curb was always a place where she could really think about everything around her. When she broke up with Alex, she spent an hour on that curb, covering her tears under a pair of shades.
"Room for two?" the familiar voice behind her asked.
"Don't you mean room for three?" Paige's remark came out before she realized what she was saying.
"Nah. My friend needs me right now."
Spinner sat next to her for as long as she needed.
