Disclaimers: I think we all know the drill here. Not mine, not making profit, just for fun, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
Author's Note: This chapter will contain spoilers for: Season 1, Episode 15, 'If At First You Don't Succeed, Lie, Lie Again'. Many thanks for the reviews, faves and follows.
As always, comments and constructive criticism are appreciated. Enjoy!
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The water was cool, cooler than normal as Paige's body sliced through, each stroke a calculated pull. She was efficient, her technique nearly perfected after years of private tutors and practice. She consistently performed well in competition. Coach Fulton knew her as a work horse who could be trusted to put a solid time on the board. On any given day she was good. Today, Paige needed better than 'good'. She needed 'great'. She needed to solidify herself as captain in the eyes of her teammates. A position she had been a lock for until Emily had returned.
Paige had shoved 'A's gifts into her bag after school, figuring she had been presented with them to hand out to her team. She didn't like it but she wasn't above flat out bribery at this point. The photos of her had to stay quiet, whatever it took.
Pulling her concentration back to the water, Paige out distanced the senior beside her by the better part of a body length. Executing a tight turn underwater, she gained a more commanding lead as she finished her lap. Hauling her body out of the pool, she turned to watch Emily dive in, three lanes down.
The girl was a study of good mechanics, her body just the right mixture of muscle and fat to keep her at the ideal water level. She was slightly taller than Paige, longer arms giving her a genetic advantage. It figured the girl would start to peak just when Paige needed her to fail.
Between her friendly nature and increasingly competitive times, Emily would knock Paige right off competition block if she vied for the captaincy.
Coach Fulton set up their next relay, pointing at Paige and Emily to take the blocks next to each other.
"Great." Paige muttered to herself as she headed for her block. She set her position, arms poised to cut through the water on her entry dive. She spared a side glance for Emily who was in a similar position. A short blast of the whistle and they were off the block, flanked by their other teammates as they swam. Paige dropped the hammer, easily outpacing Emily on the first half of the lap.
It was as she turned to go back that Emily cut Paige's lead to nothing, her turn crisp and her kick powered by long, well developed legs. They were neck and neck by midpoint in the pool and try as she might, Paige couldn't get the rhythm to propel herself into the lead. Emily touched the side of the pool, body half out of the water by the time Paige pulled herself out.
Paige's naturally competitive nature reared up, coupling itself with the stress of 'A' looming in the shadows to leave her mouth working faster than her brain. "Ease up, Fields. This is practice, not a meet."
Coach Fulton walked over to them, a satisfied smile on her face as she held her stopwatch in hand. "Looks like somebody ate their Wheaties. Way to hustle, Emily."
"Thanks, Coach." Emily smiled brightly as she toweled herself off. Paige bristled at the interaction. Keeping herself on Coach Fulton's radar was necessary to secure the captaincy. Despite herself, Paige couldn't help but notice how cute Emily was when she smiled. Instantly irritated with her slip in concentration, Paige looked away. She had to keep her head in the game if she wanted to stay out of 'A's line of fire.
"Paige, you got some competition. Emily remembers she likes to win." Coach Fulton passed by them, walking over to the rest of the team.
"Happy to have her back," Paige said, truly meaning it as she toweled herself dry. If she could hold on to the captaincy and keep Emily, they had a real shot at the state championship. Scouts would look seriously at Rosewood High for recruits. "So, is this for real this time? Can we count on your for the full season?" Paige asked, hoping to get some idea of Emily's intentions.
"Yeah, I was distracted for a little while but that's over now."
Paige thought she detected sadness in the other girl's tone but chose to ignore it. There wasn't anything she could do about Maya.
"Okay, Good."
They finished up practice and Paige hurried to change, collecting the boxes from her gym locker. She felt like hell. If she was going to take the captaincy, she wanted it to be on her own terms. Not because she was forced into it by some psycho stalker peddling cheap ass bracelets as bribes. They were nothing more than a ploy to buy her team and if 'A' actually thought they would tip things in her favour, Paige doubted she would have gotten them in the first place.
Paige took a deep breath, straightening her shoulders as she mentally prepared her speech. Nothing off book. She would just follow the script she had laid out for herself and it would all be over soon. She walked around the locker room, pulling the boxes from the shopping bag and handing them to her teammates as she went.
"Girls. Hey, everyone. Can I get everyone's attention, please? I've been thinking a lot about team spirit lately. What is spirit and how can we create..." Paige paused to stop a teammate from peeking early. She really didn't need a visual reminder of 'A' throwing her off her game. "Actually, can you not open your presents until after I'm done? Um... like I was saying, a leader inspires spirit, these are my gift to you to boost morale."
Or they're a lame prop in high school Hannibal's twisted little play, one of these is the truth. Paige had an entire second act to her speech which was completely headed off by Coach Fulton, who wrapped an arm around her.
"Alrighty, alrighty, Paige. I'm sure everyone appreciates your gifts but I want you swimming, not shopping. Alright, listen up, Sharks. I want you focused, like Emily." Coach turned to the girl in question, pointing at her. "She renewed her commitment and broke a record today!" The team clapped for her before returning their attention to the coach. "Alright ladies, let's get to class. Come on."
The team began to clear the room, spreading out to their respective classes.
"Paige. I just..." Emily paused, evidently unsure what to say. Paige had nothing to say. Not only had Emily showed her up in the pool but she had firmly put herself in Coach Fulton's favour. Not good. In two weeks, one girl had single handedly thrown her entire season off track. Even if 'A' hadn't been nipping at her heels, it would have pissed her off. Paige brushed by Emily without a word, knowing it wasn't truly the other girl's fault. She didn't want to snap off something she wouldn't be able to take back later.
Paige spent the rest of her day in a fog, trying to figure an end around to get what she needed. By the time she slid into bed, she knew what had to be done. The reception to the bracelets had been lukewarm at best, no surprise there. Her speech had fallen just as flat, the wind knocked from her sails by Coach Fulton. Paige didn't have any options left.
If Paige couldn't hoist herself up, she was going to have to pull Emily down.
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The next morning, practice went on without much fanfare. Paige changed quickly, waiting behind a bank of lockers as the rest of the team cleared out. Emily was often one of the last out and she didn't look to disappoint today, the girl in no hurry as she organized her locker.
Paige hadn't wanted to get too hands on with taking pokes at Emily's morale. Her preferred method would have been to start some rumours within the team, let the group do the dirty work for her. Given Emily's popularity though, it would take more than a few choice words to pull the girl from her pedestal. Paige doubted 'A' was going to give her that kind of time. She would have to go straight to the source.
The thought of it made Paige's stomach turn, openly attacking a teammate. One she liked, no less. She didn't want to do it, every sense of justice urging her to let things play out. Maybe 'A' was bluffing, using the pictures as a prod to get what he or she wanted. But what if it wasn't a bluff? What if the pictures got out?
Her father would disown her. Nick McCullers was a flat out conservative at best and that was on his forgiving days. He would probably have a boot in her ass before the last picture downloaded. And, as much as Paige loved her mother, it was rare that she didn't follow her father's lead. It would destroy her family. And never mind if the scuttlebutt made it through to the university scouts. No matter what kind of tolerance they preached, Paige knew decisions weren't made in a vacuum. Coaches had team composition to think of. Having an out lesbian running around on deck could cause tension that destroyed cohesion. No one would risk that.
Paige didn't have a choice. Any chance was too much risk. Emily would bounce back, she had proved herself resilient already. She just needed enough to throw Emily off her game temporarily, a small slip that lasted long enough to secure the captaincy.
Nodding to herself, Paige walked to Emily's locker, drawing a blank on how to start the conversation. She settled on picking up the first piece of clothing she could find to comment on. Her brain nearly shorted out when she realized she had picked up Emily's bra.
"Pretty."
"Thanks." Emily held a hand out and Paige relinquished the undergarment, pointedly trying to stop herself from picturing it on the other girl.
"Congratulations on your time today. First freestyle, now butterfly. You break any more records and we're going to have to test you for doping."
"Bring it on."
Paige leaned against locker, trying to appear casual, the conversation was already awkward enough. "You know you'll have to do more than break records if you want to become team captain."
"Who said I wanted to become captain?"
Paige paused, it hadn't really occurred to her that Emily might not want the captaincy. With the way she had come back on the scene, it was the only thing that made sense. "Come on, Emily. You checked out on this team for months and now you check back in and act like you never left. Of course you're gunning for Captain."
"I'm not gunning for anything."
The fire in Emily's eyes told Paige differently. The girl was fighting for something and if it wasn't for the captaincy, Paige couldn't think of what else it could be. She needed to break Emily down a little, she was too feisty. Paige's mind wandered back to the message that had set her on her heels, wondering if it would do the same to Emily.
"Good, because being so into the breast stroke could really end up hurting you." Paige hated the words as they left her mouth. Judging by the way she could almost see Emily's hackles raise, the other girl thought about the same.
"What does that mean?"
"It means we all know what team you really play for."
"You know what, Paige? You need to suck it up. If you want to beat me, work harder." Emily kicked her locker door closed with her boot heel, brushing past Paige without so much as a side glance. Paige leaned against the locker, a small smile edging at her lips despite the fact that she felt like utter crap. Emily had fought back like a champ, she admired that about her teammate. It was a total pain in the ass given the current situation but part of her liked knowing Emily could take care of herself.
Paige headed out of the locker room and on to class, moving through the day on autopilot. Hastings death glared her more than normal after lunch, being so bold as to 'inadvertently' hip check Paige as she walked past her in the hall. If Paige had any doubt about Emily keeping the altercation a secret from her friends, it had been officially put to rest. Great, first 'A' and now Hastings. If she stepped on any more social landmines, Paige wasn't going to get out of Rosewood High in one piece.
When the day was finally over, Paige headed for home. She sincerely hoped the small confrontation was all that was needed to convince Emily that going for the captaincy was too much trouble. She had rarely felt such shame as she had by stooping so low as to attack Emily's character with the slur. Using 'A's tormenting words no less. Paige tried to tell herself that she had no choice -that 'A' had left her with no other recourse- but it was hollow comfort.
It probably hadn't worked anyway, Emily had pushed back hard enough for Paige to know it was unlikely she would give in. Paige wasn't particularly surprised. Emily had lasted through years of friendship with Alison and Paige had a feeling that hadn't been all sunshine and roses.
Paige needed to do something more. Just a little something extra to throw Emily off and get the captaincy, she could make amends later.
Paige rolled up to her driveway, hopping off her bike with practiced ease. She locked the bike beside the garage, slightly disgruntled that both of her parents' cars were in the driveway. She had absolutely no desire to put on her happy face. She just wanted to go to bed and forget the entire day had happened.
Not to be.
Her parents were both seated already, a simple meal spread out across the long dining table. Paige took her place -always at her father's left- her backpack tucked discreetly under a side table to keep the space neat. The house was always tidy. Ready for company. For networking. For whatever cause her father was currently fronting.
Her mother rose from her chair to serve dinner, lean chicken breasts set on each plate. The rice came next, her mother doling out a heaping portion on to Paige's plate.
"Did you go for your run today?" Nick McCullers asked, almost absently. Paige knew it was an act, her father was calculating, every question held meaning more than just an off hand curiosity.
Paige fumbled for a second before shaking her head. Between homework, practice and plotting the downfall of the girl she was crushing on, her extra workout had managed to work itself right out of her day.
"Then maybe you should go a little easy on the carbs tonight." He gave a pointed look at her rice as he spoke.
Paige knew her activity level on any given day was more than enough to burn off the carbs but it was easier to give in than to argue. She cut her portion in half, catching eyes with her mother for a moment. There was sympathy there but she also knew there was solidarity with her father. Her parents rarely disagreed with one another in front of her.
Her mother pushed over a large bowl of vegetables in compromise. Paige's vegetables were steamed and bare of anything but a few herbs, a stark contrast to the glistening, butter laden veggies that her parents loaded on to their plates. Her mouth watered at the smell of butter, a forbidden food during the season. She knew her parents loved her, that her strict regimen was meant to keep her disciplined and focused on her goals. More often than not, she willingly made the sacrifice because she was just as driven to get to the top. But, every once in awhile, she wanted to shove her face into a bowl of ice cream or extra buttered popcorn. Just for spite.
The rest of dinner was a quiet affair, as per usual, her parents discussing their respective days. Paige offered up little about her own day, only giving her father a brief run down of her performance at practice. When she had completed her meal, she picked up her plate and her backpack, heading for the kitchen.
"Homework before TV," her father said, barely looking away from his conversation with her mother.
"Okay, Dad." Paige dropped her dirty dishes in the dishwasher and made her way to the basement. Her parents had converted the large space over the summer, putting in a generous room for her and leaving the rest as a small workout area. It had been meant to be a 'family' gym but Paige had yet to see either of her parents use the equipment.
She walked past the treadmill -strategically placed in front of a big screen TV- and wandered into her room to finish her homework. It was easy work to complete her assignments, the worst of her midterms behind her for the semester. When she was done, Paige found she had no desire to watch the small TV in her room, mind too preoccupied with her day.
She hated what she had said to Emily. Hated that she had to do more still to keep 'A' quiet. Emily had been one of the few people on the team Paige had hoped to forge a bond with. Someone who shared her drive. Even if Paige couldn't act on her feelings -hell, she could barely admit them to herself- it would have been nice to have someone like Emily in her corner. To live through the girl vicariously, if nothing else.
Paige was twitchy, body humming with nervous energy. She had already put more than enough time in the water for the day so she decided against swimming laps in the small pool outside. Shucking her jeans, Paige traded them for jogging shorts and a t-shirt before hopping on her treadmill.
She set the course for a longer run than normal, slowing her pace as she thumbed up her mp3 player. Her mind wandered aimlessly for a few minutes, chaotic thoughts trying to pull her in every direction. She forcibly pushed them down, wanting a moment alone in her own head before having to deal with the consequences of what was to come.
Emily was at the forefront of her thoughts, though admittedly not for the right reason. Paige's mind focused on her memory of the girl's shy smile, the way her eyes lit up whenever she used to catch sight of Maya. Paige allowed herself a moment to think what it would be like for Emily to look at her that way. To know she was the reason the other girl smiled or blushed charmingly. It was foolish to imagine Emily that way, especially with the bad blood now between them. Paige knew it but that didn't stop her from spending most of her run imagining it was her at Emily's side. When she thought of what she wanted in a person, someone bright and competitive but kind and empathetic, her brain refused to bring up anyone else as an example.
Her thoughts turned to 'A', knowing the bitch was somehow getting off on all this. The all seeing tormenter had to know about her feelings for Emily by now. They were going for maximum effect by pitting Paige against her. Paige just wished she could figure out why. What had she done to put herself on 'A's hit list?
She had searched her memory of the last year, trying to find a single point in time that could generate such hate. There was nothing. There had been run ins with teammates to be sure but nothing that smacked of earning a comeuppance of this magnitude. Hell, even Hastings -the Joker to her Batman- wouldn't have gone this far. 'A' had to know that forcing Paige toward the captaincy would mean taking shots at Emily. Hastings, as much as she might hate Paige, was a pitbull when it came to protecting her people. No way she threw Emily under the bus in an attempt at revenge.
Paige had to accept that she was no closer to figuring out who 'A' was than she had been when she first started receiving the texts. She would have to play along with her tormenter until she found a way to strike. Nodding at the decided course of action, even if its execution still made her nauseated, she turned her thoughts back to happier things.
Tonight she could have her musings. Tomorrow, she had to go to war.
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Paige's eyes threatened to close as she listened to the monotonous tone of her teacher. A grueling morning practice coupled with fatigue from her long run yesterday had depleted her energy reserves. She twitched somewhat violently in her seat when her phone unexpectedly vibrated, sparing a glare for Pru who looked at her as though she had grown a third eye. Flipping open the device, she let out a small sigh of relief. The message wasn't from 'A', rather from Coach Fulton, asking to speak with her after class. Paige quirked an eyebrow, they didn't have an evening practice today. What was so important that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?
Maybe it was about the captaincy. Maybe she had actually grabbed it. This could all be over. She could apologize to Emily, get 'A' off her back... Those thoughts propelled her out of the classroom at the bell, barely a goodbye to Pru as she tore out the door. She took the shortcut through the main gym nearly sliding to a halt at the door of the locker room.
She adjusted her hair, bag cinched tight to her shoulder as she headed into the change room of the natatorium. She knew something was wrong the moment she caught sight of the coach, her expression -usually kind- was reserved and dare Paige say it, disappointed?
Her gaze shifted to Emily as she walked in beside her, eying Paige before turning her attention to Coach Fulton. Paige spared a second to take in her teammate as they waited for instructions from the coach. Knee length brown leather boots, loose army style jacket, dark hair falling free, purple scarf that hung 'just so' off a lean neck. Son of a bitch, that girl had gotten in line twice when they were handing out looks.
"Have a seat girls."
Paige froze at the tone. Something was definitely wrong. She obeyed the request, knowing whatever was coming couldn't be good.
Coach Fulton looked between the two of them. "An incident involving a homophobic comment has been brought to my attention."
Oh, shit.
Momentarily panicked, Paige turned to Emily who looked as confused as Paige was scared. If Emily hadn't told... Paige pursed her lips, she had to give 'A' points, that little bastard certainly earned their grade when it came to manipulation. 'A' had led her just far enough to turn around and slap her with what she had done. Paige was impressed. Pissed off, but impressed.
"We have a zero tolerance policy..."
Emily broke in. "Coach Fulton, whatever happened between us, it's over now." Emily looked at Paige, as if trying to silently nudge her into agreeing. Paige nodded blankly, the rest of her mind trying to catch up to what was happening. Emily was letting her off the hook. Her respect for Emily went up another notch, it took a good person to forgive so readily.
"I need to know what happened and then I'll decide if it's over."
Paige looked at Emily for guidance, the ball was in her court. The disdain was clear in the other girl's eyes. Okay, maybe 'forgive' had been too strong a word.
"There's really nothing to talk about," Emily assured, looking directly at the coach. Paige did her best to convey innocence, still wondering why Emily would cover for her.
"In that case, you can go, Paige."
Paige collected her things and moved out as fast as she could, not wanting to give the coach another crack at her. With her luck, she would end up spilling all about 'A' and Paige knew that was a recipe for disaster.
She did her best to put the close call out of her mind, going through her usual routine as she biked home and joined her parents for supper. Her father was in an abnormally congenial mood, offering to time her as she did her laps in the home pool to make up for not having an evening practice. Even though the thought of having him critique her every move put her brain on high alert, Paige welcomed the company. If nothing else, trying to keep herself in perfect form would give her a problem other than 'A' to chew on.
He put her through her paces, randomly calling out the strokes to test her transitions. She knew she would be sore in the morning, Coach Fulton rarely made them go at full pace for the length of the practice. Her father demanded no less than putting the hammer down, offering bits of advice as Paige powered through the water. When he finally called time, Paige tugged her goggles off, breathing heavily as she hauled her body out of the pool.
"Hit the hot tub, kiddo. Keep those muscles loose." He handed her the towel, following behind her as she made her way to the deck where they kept the hot tub. "You shaved a half second off your P.B." He nodded approvingly as he glanced at the lap times he had written out. "But your butterfly is still sloppy. Should I call Keith to come take a look or can you fix it?"
"I can do it." Her form had been perfect for the first ten sets of laps, by the time she had hit thirty, she had admittedly let her strokes deteriorate. It was a matter of conditioning, not technique. There was no need to call in the private swimming coach her Dad had found. She would just amp up her training in the gym to compensate.
"Good, I'll get your mother to bring you out some protein, keep warm." He left her soaking in the tub, her head lolling back as she rubbed at her shoulders to keep them from knotting up. Her mom came out shortly after her father went in, a glass of protein enhanced smoothie in hand.
"You looked wonderful out there, Paige."
"Thanks, Mom. I've got to do some extra cardio training, I got sloppy at the end."
Her mother didn't say anything, likely recognizing her husband's words coming out of Paige's mouth. She merely kissed Paige on the top of her head and made her way back inside. After the hot water turned her into a pile of red skinned mush, Paige went down to her room to change. A quick dry, tugging her hair into a loose ponytail to thwart any potentials knots, Paige lay down and drifted to deep sleep.
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The next morning, Paige spent her first two classes in somewhat of a fog, body weary from two long workouts the day before. Even was Pru steering clear, her 'good morning' rebuffed with barely a sleepy grunt from Paige.
She hadn't heard anything from 'A' which was a surprise, considering the stunt the bitch had pulled yesterday by ratting her out to the coach.
Paige had no idea how she was going to fix the situation. Coach was pissed, her teammates certainly wouldn't be of any help and Emily thought she was some kind of homophobe. She probably wasn't going to get the captaincy now which meant within a matter of days, 'A' would out her. Not bad for a couple days work. Maybe she should just come clean, tell Emily she had been put up to it.
And then what?
Tell the other girl that some mysterious texting stalker had forced her hand? Emily would probably laugh in her face. If Emily found out the reason she had gone along with 'A's twisted little game, Paige was totally cooked anyway. There were no secrets between Alison's friends and Paige knew the minute Hastings got wind of her crush on Emily, the other girl would use it for payback.
No. She had to stick with the plan. Besides, telling Emily might encourage 'A' to rope the other girl into their twisted game. Damned if Paige would be responsible for that.
The bell rang and Paige headed for the door with barely a word for Pru. Her eyes focused anywhere but Emily and Spencer, the latter of which she could feel staring daggers into her back. She skipped the lunch room entirely, heading directly for the school's small gym. Given that her stomach was turning in nervous knots, whatever she attempted to eat was liable to come right back up anyway.
Paige tugged on her workout gear, a white sports and orange tank top, complete with black spandex shorts. A quick tug to pull on her sneakers and she was off to the weight room. Paige hopped on the treadmill, ignoring the weights completely as she put in her earphones. Her legs and shoulders were sore from her extended swim the night before but she pushed through it. It was as much in self punishment as it was an attempt to drown out her thoughts.
Her peripheral vision picked up someone in the hall outside but Paige didn't bother to turn her head, knowing full well who it was. She had often seen Emily pass through this way to get to the locker room. Emily stood and watched her for a moment before passing on, heading through the back hallway to the natatorium.
When her legs wouldn't take any more abuse, Paige hopped off the treadmill, wiping her face free of sweat. She had clocked in a good hour of running, more than enough cardio for the day. She left without completing a set of weights knowing that, as fatigued as her muscles were, she would likely do more harm than good.
She walked down the quiet hallway to the showers, taking longer than normal to soak, hoping the steamy spray would somehow make her feel clean again. When she couldn't take the heat any longer, she shut off the water, toweling herself dry as she headed for her gear. Her phone flashed at her, another message. Having a good idea of who it was and what the message would contain, Paige chose to ignore it. At this point, a few minutes wouldn't make much of a difference one way or the other.
Paige took in the well equipped locker room, eyes finding the latest posting for their next meet. She padded over, flip flops squelching on the tile as she read through the heat set ups.
"Wait." No. That couldn't be right, she had been punted out of her slot. Emily was anchoring.
Paige leaned her head against the wall, closing her eyes as reality truly sank in. If there was a brighter sign that Coach Fulton had lost faith in her, Paige couldn't think of what it was. Even if Emily had slightly better times, Paige's dedication to the team should have kept her at anchor. Coach Fulton was as much about rewarding long term loyalty as she was about rewarding performance. A loyalty that Fulton had never questioned until yesterday. Paige couldn't even blame her for it, she had brought it on herself. No way she made captain now which meant she was officially on her own.
'A' was going to out her. It wouldn't take more than a day for the word to spread around the school. Paige wasn't Emily, she didn't have the support system to watch her back when the gossip machine started to churn. She had all but destroyed any chance of creating an ally in the one person who knew what she was going to face. Maybe this was what 'A' had wanted. They had set Paige up to fail, forcing her to cut her own legs out from under her.
Her only action now was to decide how this all came out, pun not withstanding. Would it better for her parents to hear it from her or through the rumour mill? Didn't matter, either way. The end result would be the same. Her father would look at her with nothing but shame.
Paige pushed herself from the wall, heading for her gear. She couldn't bear the thought of tugging her jeans back on, opting instead for her simple 'Rosewood Sharks' track suit. She slicked her hair back, sitting on the bench with her head in her hands.
Her phone vibrated, an unwelcome reminder that she had a message. She flipped it open, unsurprised to find the blocked number.
You didn't do what Simon said. Time's up. You're out.-A
Paige blew out a breath, tapping her phone against head. Game over.
"All right then." Paige stood, shoving her things into her locker. She hadn't wanted it to come this -had done her best to stop it- but now that it was happening, she refused to lay down and take it. She would face it like she had every other opponent, teeth bared and fists swinging. First things first, she needed to apologize to Emily. If the jig was up, she wanted the girl to hear it from her, not through the convoluted communication system that was the high school grapevine.
What could she say? How could she say it? Maybe lead with the apology and then head into the reasons for her appalling behaviour. She would leave 'A' out of it. She didn't want Emily involved in whatever 'A' was planning. And blaming some mysterious stalker for her jackassery just seemed cheap. She had made her choice, decided to be weak rather than strong. She had to live with the consequences now.
Paige tucked her phone into her pocket and headed for the natatorium, running the conversation through her mind as she walked. She reached the pool deck, leaning against the bleachers for a moment as she watched Emily swim. She didn't want to break the girl from her rhythm. Emily's form was poetry in motion, each stroke an efficient pull that propelled her down the length of the pool.
Paige's phone beeped again and she rolled her eyes, pulling it from her pocket. She fully expected it to be a text from 'A' telling her the photos had gone across the broadband. Whatever. The bitch could have this round. When the dust settled from her outing, she was going to make it her personal mission to search out 'A' and destroy them. Steeling herself for 'A's taunt, Paige flipped open her phone, blood draining from her face at a message that was far more chilling than she expected.
Simon says you get a second chance. Scare Emily off the team. Or I will.-A
Paige froze, rereading the text, hoping it would morph into something less ominous. No such luck. It seemed no matter how much she wanted to keep Emily out of 'A's sights, they just kept zeroing in on the girl. How far would 'A' go to scare Emily?
Between the break ins, the stalking and the flat out threats, it didn't seem that actual violence was a far fetched idea. The psychotic bastard had already proven themselves willing to go the extra mile. At least if she scared Emily, she knew it would be just that. A scare tactic.
It wasn't ideal by any stretch and Paige would never go so fast as to hurt the other girl, 'A' or not. But maybe she could get them out of this. Or at least get Emily off 'A's radar. If she was off the team, Emily wouldn't be close enough to Paige to bother with. Maybe 'A' was a teammate. Someone who wanted both Paige and Emily off the team and had pegged her as the easiest to manipulate. Paige frowned, realizing she had been far too easy to control. The thought rankled her as she debated what to do.
Paige sucked in a deep breath, knowing that what she had to do would kill any chance of Emily looking at her as something other than a freak. If it kept Emily out of 'A's sick game, it was a sacrifice she had to be willing to make. 'A' wasn't playing around and she wasn't going to risk the girl's safety by betting on the bluff of a psychopath.
There wouldn't be a better time to make her move. Emily was on her own, the uber protective Hastings nowhere in sight. It was Paige's best chance to make a lasting impression. Isolated, alone and totally unaware of Paige's presence.
Walking up to the edge of the pool, Paige waited until Emily reached the edge, toned legs kicking in an easy fashion. Steeling herself against her stomach's immediate urge to rebel, Paige knelt down and pressed her hand on Emily's head, pushing the girl back underwater. She cringed as Emily struggled, the air bubbles that popped up showing that she had definitely caught the other swimmer off guard. Emily fought hard against her grip and -worried that Emily had let out too much air in the struggle- Paige let up on the pressure. She weakened her push long enough to make sure Emily got a breath before shoving her down again, using her body weight to hold her underwater. It took a few more seconds before Emily switched on, kicking off the edge of the pool to get out of Paige's reach.
Emily tugged her goggles from her head, looking up Paige, her expression a cross of panic and anger. "What the hell?"
Figuring the best way to sell the act was to stay in character, Paige leaned forward. "I saw the line up. I know what you're doing."
"What are you talking about?"
"Coach replaced me as the relay anchor with you." She didn't have to fake the tone of discontent, the replacement had truly stung.
"So go and talk to coach."
"I would never rat out a teammate because my feelings were hurt." Paige spat out the word 'feelings' as though it were a bad piece of fruit. She tried to project as much menace into her body as she could while crouched down, half soaked in flip flops and a track suit. "I take care of things myself."
With that, Paige stormed off, struggling to hold her body steady as shaking legs threatened to give out beneath her. She kept control of herself long enough to make it to the garbage can, the meager remnants of her breakfast making an escape from her stomach. When she was satisfied she had nothing more to offer, she wiped her mouth off, body shaking with nerves as she slid to the ground. She dropped her head into her hands, the tears coming unbidden to her eyes.
What the hell had she done?
Tbc...