Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! I really love them and use them all as feed back! I'm gonna reply to some of them here, so if you don't want to read 'em just scroll tip you see the Chapter _ and start reading (:

To Mazza88: On my laptop that part was on the bottom of the screen when I was writing it and so i thought that the bottom of the j was just off and mistook it for that. whoops, but I'm glad it made you laugh!

To Plamin24: I figured Spencer and Paige would get along better since they're both sport and competitive and Hannah's well... not :P

~Enjoy

Chapter 4

PPOV

i hear my alarm going off and roll out of bed, to turn it off. i bring my arms over my head and stretch, i can feel my back crack and i roll my neck side to side, moaning at the glorious sensation. quietly i change my clothes and go to the bathroom to brush my teeth. when i look at my phone it reads 4:53 am, and i have a few more minutes before i have to leave my house to meet up with Spencer. We had agreed to meet on a corner that was an equal distance from both of our houses, as we found that we only live about 4 blocks away from each other. While i slipped on my running shoes and tied them tightly, i scanned my room for my house key, placing it and my cellphone AND wallet, into my zip up pocket, in my jacket, and bolted out the door.

I reached the street and found Emily and Spencer already waiting for me. SHIT! I though to myself. i had forgotten that Spencer said that Emily was going to be joining us this morning, and i can feel my cheeks start to heat up. with a deep breath i find the courage in me to walk over and start our run.

"There you are McCullers!" Spencer says,

"Hey! I'm on time!" i say holding out my phone to show that it was exactly 5 am. Since talking to Spencer all day yesterday, i've grown to love her witty banter. She's also super competitive just like me, and we have a lot in common.

"Whatever 34 more seconds and you would've been." she huffs

"Wow Spence, you really weren't kidding when you said you found another you." i hear Emily comment, theres a smile in her voice and on her face so i know she was joking around with Spencer, I smiled at her and gave her a little wave.

"Yeah yeah enough chit chat lets run!" Spencer says as she takes off, just like yesterday I'm right behind her, and Emily is behind me, we follow this pattern following behind Spencer for a while. I don't mind being behind Spencer this time because were running in a line, but now that my muscles are heated up, i crave the burning feeling of pushing myself to go further, especially with Emily running behind me. so i Push a little harder and soon Spencer and i are running side by side, just like yesterday were neck and neck, each of us straining to get ahead. Im thankful for the challenge that Spencer offers, it helps me keep my mind from wandering and keeps me focused. Spencer and I matched our paces at full on sprints, we were still about 11 blocks away from the brew, our final destination, and neither of us were letting up on out pace. when there was about 5 blocks left, we see Emily passing us by on our right by running on someones lawn and sprinting in front of us, she's breathing hard and sweat is dripping off her face and down her neck, and her ponytail swishes back and fourth. For a moment I'm mesmerized. i never ever want to forget that moment, and i smile to myself in happiness. but soon i realize that i am half a step behind spenders pace, as she pushes harder to catch up with Emily. Im okay with being beaten by Emily, but being beaten by Spencer Hastings is unacceptable. so i push on harder. Spencer and I stay matched for our pace, with Emily a full stride ahead of us for the four remaining blocks up until we reach the brew.

All three of us are panting and gasping for air. with sweat dripping down our faces from the intense run. i take a moment to stretch my back and i see spencer and emily doing the same. when Emily stretches her shirt comes up a little past her belly button and i hear my self gulp. despite the need for replenishing all the oxygen in my body, my breath catches in my throat at the sight of her perfectly tan skin completely unflawed in anyway. i can see little beads of sweat trailing water lines down her toned abs and disappearing into her waistband. i can't stop staring until i feel spencer pat me on the back.

"Damn McCullers. neither of us won." she says staring at Emily in disbelief. i cough and start breathing again, shaking my head and looking away from Emily. "Jesus Em, you must be really stressed out to run like that." she comments while ushering us both inside.

"I'll say, Allison and Maya are just to much to handle." Emily and Spencer go to find a seat and i go to the counter and order 3 bottles of water to start. i return to them handing them out, while greedily guzzling down my own.

"Thanks," they both say in unison before drinking there own. i sit down in the empty seat so that they are on either side of me at the round table, and were sitting kind of in a triangle. but from where I'm sitting, i can see Emily's muscles move and strain as she gulps down mouthful after mouthful of water, and watch the sweat on her neck drip down, and see her chest rise and fall with every breath she takes.

"Hello earth to Paige?" i faintly hear, before i feel a smack on my arm.

"Ow! What?" i say turning to Spencer. "sorry, did you say something?" i ask, i watch as emily chocks for a second on the water she was drinking before coughing and laughing. i stare at her, her laugh taking a hold of me once again, and i zone out. I'm brought harshly back to reality when i feel another smack on my arm. "Ow!" i say turning back to Spencer

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING?!" she says, My eyes go wide and i look between the two of them, Emily starts to giggle again and i try so hard no to get lost in the heavenly sounds.

"Im sorry, no i wasn't.. what were you saying?" i answer honestly. Spencer huffs and brings a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose while Emily bursts into another fit of laughter.

"i said." she starts pointedly, "you know what, i already complimented you twice, not my fault you didn't listen." she says while crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. Emily has quieted down now, but the smile is still on her face, i look back to Spencer and notice that her lip is jutting out ever so slightly.

"Are you… pouting?" i ask while narrowing my eyes at her.

"What?! No! I was not!" Spencer counters like it was the most ridiculous suggestion that I've ever made

"Spence don't even try to fight it, you were pouting!" Emily chimes in, i love hearing her talk, she just has this voice thats soft yet firm.

"I was not!"

"Are you throwing a temper tantrum?" i ask Spencer, never in the world would i have thought that this is how Spencer Hastings really acted. she's so… normal. I always painted this picture of her being pointed and stuck up and all about school. i guess i was totally wrong, because she's actually really hilarious and amazingly fun to be around.

"You know what!" she yells before getting up and going to the bathroom. before i even know what I'm saying, i hear myself calling after her,

"No Spence! i don't know what! wait come back! i have to know!" in a playful voice. I watch as Spencer turns around and flips me the bird while Emily puts her head down in her arms to laugh. i chuckle to myself because it was funny, and smile while bringing my water back up to take a drink.

"Wow Paige, you are seriously hilarious!" Emily says to me while wiping tears from her eyes, "Honestly I've never seen anyone even come close to challenging Spencer like that or getting her to pout or not even have a come back!" she says holding her hand up for a high five. i high five her not knowing what else to do,

"I don't even know where most of that came from." i say honestly, "I guess I'm a little too fluent in sarcasm." i shrug, i hear emily chuckle in agreement.

"Do you want some coffee?" She asks, i nod and she tells me to wait there and gets up. i turn around to watch her, my eyes are instantly glued to her perfect butt, as she walks and Im unable to rip my eyes from her. next thing i know theres a hand on her ass, and i immediately tense up, i tear my eyes away to look up to see her girlfriend standing beside her. Instantly my mood is crushed and I'm filled with all kinds of jealousy that I'm not the one that gets to do it.

"Who are you glaring daggers at?" I hear Spencer ask behind me, her eyes follow mine and she sees Maya and Emily. "Oh shit." i hear her mumble.

"Whats wrong?" i ask looking at her,

"They're currently fighting, but…" she trails off.

"I said NO Maya!" i hear Emily say loudly, and i whip my head around to see them. Emily is standing with her arms crossed and Maya keeps grabbing for her hands. Before i know it I'm walking towards them,

"Hey everything okay?" i ask, as i get closer to them

"Fuck off," i hear Maya say to me, the same time Emily says "Yeah were just talking." i look at Maya a little closer, i can defiantly smell a faint trace of weed off of her, but weed doesn't make you angry. i look at her eyes, and see that they are dilated, in a way that i know well. i know plenty of my friends that do coke, and their eyes look like that after they snort some. the effects are always different, but i know that she's on it. immediately i put a shoulder in front of emily and face Maya,

"I think you guys are done talking for now." i say with every ounce of authority i have in my voice.

"Who the hell are you?!" She questions. i can feel Emily put a hand on my shoulder, but she doesn't know that Maya could very well hurt her right now and not even mean to. i can feel her trying to pull me out of the way but i stand my ground in front of her.

"You need to leave." i deflect her question. before i know it i feel my head snap back as Maya punched me in the jaw. i see the second fist flying to my face and i block it, grabbing her wrist and spinning her so that its trapped behind her and holding her in a choke hold. "If you don't want Emily to find out that you're snorting coke i suggest you leave now." i growl quietly in her ear. She stops struggling in my grasp and finally relents. i let go of her and she yanks her hand forcefully before storming out the door.

"Oh My God Paige! i am so sorry! i don't know what came over her!" I hear Emily yell for someone to grab an ice pack and Spencer rushes over to see if I'm okay, i can feel my jaw throbbing and i know theres gonna be a decent sized bruise there later, but i don't care. i turn around and grab both of Emily's hands.

"Are you okay?" i ask her. she stares at me for a second confused.

"My girlfriend just punched you in the face and you're asking me if I'm okay?"

"Better me than you." i shrug. someone brings an ice pack and Emily holds it gingerly to my face.

"Yeah, i guess I'm okay." she says quietly. "Thank you." she says and i look at her. our eyes meet and i can see emotions swinging through them. all i wanted to do in that moment was to kiss her.


A few hours later after the incident in the brew, Spencer and Paige are at Spencer's house and Emily has gone home.

"Hows your face?" Spencer asked me for what seemed like the billionth time.

"Fine, i promise." i reply again.

"I've never known Maya to be violent. Em's never said anything, do you think this has happened before?" She questions worriedly. i find Spencer's over protectiveness of her friends cute, its like she's their own personal guard dog. i must've been smiling at the thought of it because she breaks my train of thought by asking what i was smiling about.

"Nothing," i say, "I just find your over protectiveness cute. its like you're your friends own personal guard dog." i chuckle slightly because it sounded so much better in my head than it did out loud.

"Yeah i guess i am, i just hate to see any of them get hurt in any sort of way, i mean-" she cuts off as the door bell rings. She opens the door to find the pizza delivery man there, and gets the pizza. placing it in the middle of the table, i immediately grab a slice.

"Anyway, so what did you say to Maya?"

"When?"

"After you got her in that choke hold" she explains "Which by the way you have got to show me how to do that." i laugh a little bit at her enthusiasm, but don't answer her question. i don't know how she'll react. i don't want to be the reason for Emily and her girlfriend to break up. as awesome as it would be and as much as i hate Maya with every living fiber in my body, i don't know if i should tell. i mean, i want whats best for Emily, and if i said that her dating that doped up idiot wasn't the best for her than id be a hypocrite. "Paige?" she asks more gentle. i don't look at her as i fish through my brain for a solution. "Hey, is everything okay?" she's in front of me now, and takes the piece of pizza out of my hand setting it back in the box.

"It was nothing." i say in defeat. i just met an awesome friend. two if i can include Emily, and i don't want to lose either of them. not so soon.

"Paige, come on," she ushers me again. But how do you tell your new friend that their best friends girlfriend is snorting coke, and that the only reason you figured it out so quickly was because you and your friends do it at least once a week?

"Let it go Spencer, please?" i beg her. i look up at her pleading with my eyes for her not to ask again. she caves and gives in for now, but i know that this conversation isn't near being over.