A/N: Guys! So sorry for the wait. I know I promised weekly updates, and I'll do my best in the future. I won't be able to post the next chapter till early June though, cause I'm travelling for the next two weeks. But there's good news: I've already translated 9 chapters, and I'm working faster now. So don't worry: I won't give up on that story. Just be patient. And as always, feel free to review or PM me! I like that!

Again, thank you to my betareader who did an amazing job! :)

jhas: you'll find soon about Alison. Just remember it's a Paily fanfic, not an Emison one ;). And yes, Emily is in a bad place for now. But Paige is here to help her now! It will be a bumpy road, but Paily is endgame. I promise! ;)

warrior29: thanks! hope you'll like this chapter!

Tns729: glad you like it!

Guest: yes, Drunk Emily is a classic! (you'll see more of her in chapter 7. With an epic McHastings intervention).

siophiefandom: thank you so much! And yes, I don't know how Emily made it home safe on her bike. ;) I guess Rosewood roads are rather safe at night (there's no -A in this story...).

LizHtee24: sorry for the wait! Thank you for your review.

Guest: well, again, sorry for the late update. Hope this chapter (and the following ones) is worth it.

Chapter 3

"Fields!" Coach Fulton barked angrily. It was never a good sign when she addressed her swimmers by their last name.

Emily got out of the pool, her eyes focused on the ground. She could feel her teammates' eyes on her, and it was unusually quiet. Coach was tapping her stopwatch; another bad sign.

Emily's times weren't so bad, but they were far from her best. And of course it had to happen now; with the Oakland team staying in Rosewood, the competition was getting tougher. Besides, the other Rosewood swimmers seemed boosted by their new opponents. Most of the girls had improved their times substantially.

As Coach Fulton stared at the tall raven-haired girl who was standing in front of her, the teenager's cheeks reddened, more from embarrassment than from physical exhaustion. The older woman sighed.

"Emily, what's going on with you? These last few weeks, it's like... you're not really here. If you don't get your head back soon, I might have to look for a new anchor."

Emily raised her eyes, looking at her coach in shock. For more than a year, she had been the anchor of the team, the last one to swim in relays. She had won numerous races, sometimes turning the situation around and winning from behind. Didn't that mean anything at all? Everything could end just because some bad training days?

Emily bit her lip. She was tempted to counter her coach, badly. What would Alison say? She would tell Fulton to fuck off. But Emily Fields was still a well-mannered girl. She knew she really couldn't answer that to a teacher. So her true nature took over her inner turmoil, and she only nodded, her eyes down.

"I'm gonna work harder, Coach."

"Good. We count on you. The team counts on you." Fulton seemed pleased. The coach turned back to talk to one of the other girls, who was having problems with her turns.

Emily headed to the locker room. She kept replaying Fulton's remark in her head. "Everybody counts on you." That's the problem, Emily thought with bitterness. What if I don't want to be that girl anymore, the same old reliable Emily?

Lost in her thoughts, she almost bumped into an Oakland student who was just getting out of the locker room, a towel on her shoulder.

"Hey! Watch out, sleepyhead!" the swimmer said sharply. Emily had seen her before; she was the Jet's co-captain, a tall black girl with intense eyes. Shana something.

The girl was looking at Emily with an air of poise and self-assurance, eyeing the Rosewood student from head to toe. Emily felt her anger rising. The girl was already acting like she owned the place.

She opened her mouth to answer, but before she could say something, a newcomer grabbed Shana by the shoulders and gently pulled her back.

"Wow, guys. Save your energy for the meets," a mocking voice said. Emily sighed. Paige. Of course.

Her new roommate whispered something in Shana's ear, making the black girl smile.

Whatever Paige had said seemed to have a magical effect on the Jet's co-captain, who lost her harshness all of a sudden. Shana motioned to Emily, in a rather theatrical way, to let her know she could go first. The Rosewood teen nodded and quickly headed to her locker. She didn't see Shana press a kiss to Paige's cheek. The chestnut-haired girl had her eyes focused on Emily.

Alison Di Laurentis' icy blue stare was inquisitive, as it often was with her. She looked at her friends gathered around her at their favorite table in the cafeteria. Hanna, as usual during lunch, was reading an issue of Vogue while absent-mindedly eating some grapes. Spencer was buried in a book, of course. Aria, a half-smile on her face, seemed lost in her inner world.

And Emily. Emily who was here, but seemed so far away. Alison had also noticed that Emily's eyes were carefully avoiding the back of the cafeteria, where the Oakland swimming team occupied two tables.

The California girls were all dressed in their team tracksuits, even when they weren't training, which Hanna had found, "Ridiculous; Especially with these colors; they don't match at all. Red and yellow, really?"

They seemed to form a close group, rather effusive. The cheerful voices and the laughter from their tables proved they were already feeling at ease in their "foster" high school. Alison's eyes landed on Shana, who was the center of the attention. The Jet's co-captain was obviously telling a compelling story. She's probably bragging about her prowess in the pool... and in the bedroom, Alison thought with annoyance. Some of the girls seemed fascinated; a few even had their mouths open.

Alison smiled. She knew this kind of fascination; It was usually directed at her. She also knew how to use it. And she had no intentions of letting that change.

"How long are they going to stay?" Alison suddenly asked. Spencer raised her eyes from her book. "What?" she and Aria asked at the same time.

"Those girls. Those swimmers. When are they going to leave?" Alison asked sharply. All eyes turned to Emily.

"They're only in Rosewood for the next two weeks," she mumbled.

Alison looked relieved. "Good. At least they won't be a nuisance for too long."

Spencer shrugged. "I don't see what the problem is. These kinds of exchanges between schools are actually really rewarding. And it's a good challenge for Emily's team."

Emily reacted strongly, much to her friends' surprise. "It's not my team. Don't call it that. I don't own the team. It's the high school team. I'm just on it."

Flabbergasted by the girl's sharp tone, Spencer chose not to argue, for once. But she couldn't help responding. "Okay, if you say so. But... you're still the star of the team, right?"

"Not for long, according to Fulton," Emily said gloomily.

"Come on Em, I'm sure Fulton knows you're still the best", Aria said quickly.

Emily shrugged, her face resigned. "Maybe. Or maybe not. I don't know anymore."

Alison put her hand on Emily's left arm. "Oh, sweetie. Don't bother too much. It's just a high school swim team. Who cares?"

Emily felt her cheeks getting warm. The blonde girl was staring at her with her usual smile, but her eyes were ice cold. Emily wanted to answer, but her mind was swirling, which was usually the case when Alison looked at her like that.

And, of course, her heart was hammering in her chest. She was torn between the need to cry and to snap at Alison. "Who cares, Ali? Well, I do. And my friends too. Because swimming is the only way for me to get a college scholarship."

The silence was heavy. The girls were all staring at Alison, Spencer the most upset by far. Maybe realizing she'd gone too far, the Di Laurentis' only daughter raised her hand and gently stroked Emily's hair. She leaned over the pretty raven-haired girl and whispered something in her ear. Emily raised a small smile, and Alison leaned back, relieved. She still had the control of the situation.

On the other side of the cafeteria, among the Oakland team, Paige McCullers was watching the exchange with interest. She couldn't hear the conversation between the two girls, but she had noticed the sudden tension, and Emily's reaction to her friend's comment. She had already nicknamed Alison "the Queen Bee" because of the influence she seemed to have on many students.

Paige had arrived in this high school only three days ago, and she wasn't going to stay, but she couldn't help noticing the strange atmosphere. Some students were hugging the walls, especially when Alison DiLaurentis and her 'posse', as one of Paige's teammates called them, was around. Those four girls, always impeccably dressed, actually seemed to be the sultry blonde's minions. And among them was Emily.

Emily who was only talking to Paige when it was absolutely necessary, and who looked really annoyed simply by the other girl's presence. Paige had been welcomed warmly by Pam Fields, but Emily's coldness was hurting her, more than she wanted. Paige McCullers was a charmer; she wasn't used to having people dislike her. Usually, her warm smile and her easy-going attitude were enough to soften even the surliest ones.

Paige was all the more curious because she found Emily really interesting. Of course, the tall raven-haired girl was gorgeous, but there was more thant that: she seemed to be fighting an inner fire that she wouldn't, or couldn't, let go of.

Paige knew that fight. She had been there. She was like that, before. Feeling closeted. Anger against the world, and against herself.

Her eyes still focused on her roommate, Paige made herself a promise. She was going to do her best to know the real Emily Fields. And, maybe, to help her.