A/N Thank you to those who have been reviewing! Means a lot! Please keep your reviews coming. Reviews always boost confidence, and encourages me to keep writing and posting! In this chapter you will be briefly introduced to the character of Melissa. Please Read and Review! Thanks so much! xx

Chapter 4

Paige

Paige was alone again, but not for long. In a matter of seconds, Paige and Jack's mutual friends, who happened to be a couple themselves, Helga Dahl and Fabrizio De Rossi appeared at the top of the stairs.

Fabrizio was a boy who had just recently moved to Chippewa Falls from Italy. His English wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible, and Paige was trying to learn Italian from him, which proved to be quite interesting. She had always wanted to learn another language, but just couldn't seem to find the time. So far she only had a few words down, but with some time and luck, she hoped that she would be able to have whole conversations with Fabrizio in his language. Fabrizio looked forward to this day to, when he would be able to speak his language with someone other than his own family. He'd confessed to Paige and Helga how much he missed Italy, but how America was great, and he planned to stay, at least until they graduated high school.

Helga had been living in Chippewa Falls since she had been 13 years old, just before their freshman year. She was a pretty girl of Norwegian background, with wavy blonde hair and eyes as blue as the sky.

Paige remembered that on Fabrizio's first day, Helga had practically thrown herself at him, and he, not speaking any English at all, had simply decided to go along with her. Following her around like a lost puppy dog, it was apparent that even though Fabrizio couldn't speak or understand English, he did understand how he felt about this pretty blonde Norwegian girl. Helga had told Paige how she thought it was love at first sight, and how she was sure they would be able to get past the language barrier. She was right of course, and she was the one who had helped him learn everything he knew about the English language, with their late night study sessions, which also probably involved a little bit more than just strictly studying.

"Hey Paige!" Helga greeted her enthusiastically as she took a seat next to her on the floor.

"Hey Helga, how's it going?" Paige questioned.

Her and Helga had only started talking when they had been sophomores, and the only reason they had started talking in the first place was because of Jack. They had become fast friends though, and had hung out together everyday since.

"Pretty good, I'm tired as hell though!" Helga replied leaning her head back against the wall.

Paige laughed, "I feel yah. I'm pretty much dead on my feet."

"But… you're not on your feet, you're sitting down." Helga responded with a smirk.

They looked at each other and both burst into a fit of giggles at this, proving just how tired they really were.

"Want some coffee?" Helga asked her once they had finally stopped laughing and had managed to catch their breath. She offered Paige her sterling silver coffee mug, and Paige took it gratefully.

"Thanks." She said before taking a small sip, and then setting the mug down in between herself and Helga.

Paige heard footsteps on the staircase, and her heart leapt into her throat again. She hoped it was Jack coming back to sit, he had been gone for awhile, and she loved spending time around him. Just being in his presence was an amazing feeling, even when he didn't say much.

She saw the shaggy blonde hair. It was Jack, and her heart hammered loudly in her chest as he approached. So loudly in fact that she was suddenly afraid somebody would be able to hear it. Of course she was being ridiculous, no one could hear it but her.

To her utter disappointment however, he announced; "I'm going to the library. See yah."

With that he grabbed his backpack off the floor, swung it over his shoulder and disappeared down the staircase once more.

"Heeeeey bitchessss! How's it hanging!?" Paige's best friend Melissa's voice called up the stairs, making her arrival known to all before anyone could even see her. She reached the top of the stairs a few minutes after her greeting was called, and took a seat across from Paige, Helga and Fabri.

Paige and Melissa had been best friends ever since elementary school, the fourth grade to be exact. Their families had been so close that they had both decided to move to Chippewa Falls right before freshman year of high school.

Melissa was blonde with pale blue eyes. She was crazy and loud, and funny, and anyone who met her liked her instantly. There was an extremely likeable quality about her, though Paige couldn't pin point exactly what it was. she was just the type of person that everyone loved, and she was extremely outgoing.

"Hey Melissa!" Paige greeted her best friend with a huge smile, trying to push all thoughts of Jack aside, and out of her mind. Nobody knew she liked him, and that was the way Paige intended to keep it.

Melissa's boyfriend, Tommy Ryan arrived shortly after Melissa herself. He was from Ireland, with a super cute accent and charming blue eyes.

The only person that appeared to be missing from their little group was Jack, and as hard as Paige tried, she just couldn't stop thinking about him. About what he might be doing at this very moment instead of hanging out with them. He had told them he was going to the library, but was he really? Or was he just using that as an excuse? An excuse to hang out with Rose.

Paige couldn't stand it anymore. She needed to know. "I'll be back." She announced to the group as she got to her feet. She had to know if Jack was with her right now. If he was, it was most probable that they were sitting in one of the hallways together. So, Paige roamed the halls, looking for the pair. She ended up going around the whole school, and didn't see a single sign of them. She supposed that meant Rose was in class, and that Jack really was in the library, which was a good thing. She felt satisfied knowing Jack hadn't lied to them. More specifically to her.

On her way back to the stairs, Paige decided to make her way to the washroom and see how she looked today. She entered the small room, which was empty, and checked herself out in one of the small rectangular mirrors placed above one of the many sinks.

Her shoulder length black hair was straight, and her eye makeup done to perfection. Her blue nose stud sparkled in the florescent lighting, and she smiled at her reflection, admiring her straight teeth. Apparently having braces as a child had really payed off. She was pretty, wasn't she? Why didn't Jack want her? Why on earth did he insist upon Rose? It was so unbelievably frustrating!

She trudged back towards the stairs, feeling slightly depressed. Why did Rose have to come to Chippewa Falls? Why couldn't she have stayed at her old school, in her old city with her old friends and probably many admirers. Why did she have to be so pretty? Why couldn't she just disappear, so Paige and Jack could be happy together? Questions like this and many more raced through Paige's mind. Questions that could not, and probably would not ever be answered.

Paige returned to Helga, Melissa, Tommy, and Fabri at the top of the stairs. Sure, she put a happy face on, she smiled, and laughed, and conversed, but she could not bring herself to stop thinking about Jack Dawson, and no matter what kind of happy façade she put on on the outside, on the inside, she was miserable.