A/N : Hi guys. I hope you're still reading. I realize some of you might have been disappointed by last chapter's sadness, and by the fact that Paige left Rosewood for Arizona. I understand that. It was a turning point in the story (and a strong contrast to the first chapter, which was lighter and funnier).

Don't worry too much though. Things are going to get better, much better for Paige, at first, and then for our girls. Read this new chapter, and you'll see ;)

And have faith in me – Paily is endgame. In my little author's universe, Paily is always endgame (though McHastings might be, too, why not).

Once again, this update was posted thanks to the amazing betareading job done by siophiefandom. Thank you so much! :)

*** Two years later ***

University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)

Although she was technically only a sophomore, Spencer Hastings was well known on the UPenn campus. Being an overachiever, she was involved in multiple activities and groups, such as Penn Women's Center, Civic Group, and Active Minds.

So it wasn't surprising that she was asked by the office of Students Affairs to be a tour guide, to show off the campus to potential freshmen. Spencer had a very busy schedule, but she knew UPenn and its facilities like the back of her hand, so she readily accepted the offer.

She was supposed to mentor a group of six potential students, coming from all accross the country (one of them was even from a foreign country).
Heather, the senior who was in charge of the program, gave each student a list with the names and states of "their" potentials.

Spencer's eyes scrolled down the list. One girl was from Minnesota, one from Maine, a boy was from Virginia, another one was from far away, Taiwan. And two girls were, apparently, from Arizona.

The slim brunette did a double-take at the last name.

"No way," she mouthed. "This can't be..."

"What is it, Spencer?" Heather asked. "Anything wrong?"

"No, not at all," Spencer reassured her, before checking the list one more time. This should be interesting.

The first activity was flag football.

"It's the perfect way to get to know each other, and to build a team spirit," Heather explained. "So each team will mix current UPenn students and aspiring freshmen. Remember this is a game, and have fun!"

Spencer slowly walked toward the small group she was supposed to mentor.

Her eyes were fixed on an tall auburn girl who was also staring at her intently. Spencer stopped right in front of the girl.

"Hi, Spencer," the other girl said in her unmistakable husky voice.

"McCullers," Spencer said sharply, earning a frown from a petite blonde next to the taller girl.

"Who's this, Paige?" the blonde whispered to the auburn girl, who didn't answer.

Spencer glared at the two girls, turned around and yelled, her voice loud and clear: "Okay guys! You know the rules. Don't forget, It's a non-contact game, so blocking is not allowed." Unfortunately.

"Play fair, and stay focused," she added.

The aspiring students, Paige and the blonde girl excepted, nodded with enthusiasm.

"And for those who are on my team, be aware: I don't like to lose. Even at flag football," Spencer concluded in a stern tone. Some girls and the Asian guy shared scared glances, but Paige didn't wince.

Paige and Spencer were on opposing teams. Paige's teammates wore red flags, and Spencer's, blue ones. Paige had never played flag football before, but she was pretty athletic, and she was a fast runner. So once she mastered the basic rules of the game, she impressed everybody on the field.

Spencer was doing very well, too. But, much to Paige's surprise, she seemed to avoid the auburn girl's path. She was always either at the other side of the field, or at a safe distance from Paige.

Until the very end of the game. Just before the referee blew the final whistle, Spencer surged from out of nowhere, right in front of Paige, and tackled her, more roughly than she had intended (and she had intended to tackle her roughly).

The loud sound they made when they hit the ground made the students around them freeze and gasp. The blonde girl who had seemed to follow Paige like her shadow, before and during the game, looked especially horrified.

Spencer quickly grabbed Paige's flag, and jumped on her feet, a victory smile on her lips. Paige was still on the ground, wincing in pain and trying to catch her breath. Spencer stared at her with a smug grin, and then extended her arm to help the other girl up.

Paige looked at her in disbelief, but accepted the hand. Spencer helped her to get up, and then leaned forward and whispered in the auburn girl's ear: "Now we're even, McCullers."

Then, she turned away and left the field, without a glance behind her.

The other team captain, who was a junior at UPenn, raced to join her. He had a concerned look on his face.

"Wow, easy there, Hastings," he said. "We're supposed to welcome potential students, not to knock them down!"

"Sorry," Spencer smirked. "Too enthusiastic, I guess."

"Wait, you did what?" Hanna exclaimed on the other end of the phone line. "Spencer!"

"What?" Spencer asked in a defensive tone. "I just did what she did to me, once."

"Wait, that time in middle school, on the hockey field? You were what, thirteen then!"

"Maybe," Spencer groaned. She was beginning to feel a little guilty.

"The thing is, Spencer," Hanna continued. "You just hit a girl who suffered from an abusive childhood. That's why she left Rosewood, right? Her father used to beat her up. She even ended up in the hospital. And you... you knocked her down at flag football. Not to mention, in front of everybody. She must feel like shit."

"Oh god, Hanna," Spencer stammered. "You're right. I didn't realize..."

"Well, I guess you just have to make it up to her now," Hanna concluded.

"I will find a way, Hanna," Spencer reassured her.

"Fine. And by the way, when you're at it, don't forget to ask Paige about that blonde girl who clings to her. I want to know who she is."

"Hanna!"

A couple of hours later, much to her surprise, Paige received a brief text from Spencer:

"Coffee break at five, Jitters Cafe? (central campus). My treat. SH."

Paige hesitated for a minute, and then texted Spencer back. Her answer was even shorter. "Okay. P."

When Paige entered the small cafe, just after five o'clock, she immediately spotted Spencer. The slim brunette was sitting at a table near the main window, a few empty cups of coffee in front of her. She stood up quickly when Paige approached the table.

"Thanks for coming," she blurted, seeming nervous.

"You're welcome," Paige said politely. "I didn't know you had my number, by the way."

"It was on the list," Spencer explained with a sheepish grin.

"The list?"

"The list of, um, aspiring freshmen. I'm part of the welcome committee."

"Oh yeah, really? Well, I saw that," Paige said, a wry smile on her face. She didn't seem mad at the other girl, though.

"Yeah, about that..." Spencer muttered, looking uncomfortable. "I... I'm sorry, okay? What happened on the field this afternoon... it was inappropriate."

"Well, not really," Paige smiled. "It was just a slightly late hit, I think."

Spencer let out a small laugh.

"Yes, probably."

"But, I know why you did it. And it's okay. I'd probably have reacted the same way."

"Really?" Spencer asked, surprised.

"Yes. And as you said before, we're even now. So, fresh start?" Paige asked, before holding out her hand to the other girl.

Spencer looked at her, surprised, and then took the offered hand and shook it firmly. "Fresh start. I like that. You know, McCullers..."

"What?" Paige asked, while taking a seat accross from Spencer.

"You've changed."

"For the best, I hope," Paige teased.

"It seems," Spencer smiled. She was sincere; the auburn girl looked radiant. Her hair was a little longer than before, with some blond highlights. Her big brown eyes were sparkling, with no more trace of anger or hurt. She still had this boyish style, but her clothes were neat and well-tailored.

"What do you want to drink?" Spencer asked. "The cappuccino is awesome here. And trust me, I'm an expert on all things caffeine," she added with a wink.

"So, cappuccino it is," Paige smiled.

"Okay, McCullers," Spencer started, once Paige had her coffee cup in hand.

"Be straight with me. No pun intended, of course," she added when Paige raised a mocking eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

"Um, applying for UPenn, I guess?" Paige ventured.

"Of all colleges? You want to go to UPenn?" Spencer asked suspiciously.

"I haven't decided yet," Paige answered honestly. "I also have offers from other universities."

"Offers?"

"Full rides. From Cornell, Lafayette, and well, yes, UPenn."

Spencer stared at the other girl, her mouth agape.

"Don't look so surprised, it's almost offensive," Paige smiled, before taking a sip of her cappuccino.

"No, I..." Spencer protested, before admitting with a small smile, "Okay, I must say I'm surprised."

"It's understandable," Paige said. "I didn't think I was college material, either. If you had told me that two years ago..."

"So, what changed?" Spencer asked, intrigued.

"I did," Paige smiled. "Well, my whole life changed, as you can guess."

"When you left Rosewood for Arizona," Spencer recalled.

"Yes. I'm not gonna lie, that wasn't easy at first. My mom... we hardly knew each other. I had to trust her, and well... she had to trust me, too. So it took some time. But with her help, I was able to get back on track, first going back to high school, and then community college."

Spencer nodded. "I guess you did pretty well, if colleges such as UPenn and Cornell are after you."

Paige smiled. "Yes, to my own surprise, it... went beyond all expectations. I even aced the SATs, you know," she said, a glint of pride in her big brown eyes. "And I did pretty well in field hockey, too. Hence the college offers."

"Wow," Spencer said, impressed. "That's... that's good. And, yes, unexpected, I guess. Except for field hockey, of course. I know first-hand that you're a beast at it," she teased, earning a knowing smile from the auburn girl.

"You dropped out of school when you were in Rosewood, right?" Spencer asked.

"Yes. When I was sixteen. You know, I was..."

She stopped and dipped her head. Spencer was staring intently at her.

"I was... lost, I guess," Paige confessed in her low, husky voice. "Unhappy, for sure. And scared, and angry. Very angry."

"You had a rough life back then, with your father and all," Spencer said. "And we all make mistakes."

"You included, Hastings?" Paige asked with a small smile.

"Of course," Spencer admitted. "And by the way, McCullers... I'm sorry about the way I treated you that night," she muttered, fidgeting in her seat.

Paige frowned. "When?"

"That night, in Rosewood, at the movies. The first time I saw you with... with Em," Spencer said with a sheepish grin.

"Yeah..." Paige said, blushing. "I do remember. It's okay. You were just taking care of your friend. And... I wasn't exactly nice to you, either."

The two girls remained silent for a while.

And I guess it's about time to talk about the elephant in the room, Paige thought.

"How... how is she?" Paige asked softly.

"You're not in contact with her at all anymore, right?" Spencer asked in a cautious voice. "I... I never really knew what happened between you two," she confessed.

"Life happened, I guess," Paige said simply. "We didn't cut ties, not really. But well, little by little... we lost touch."

And it was the truth. At the beginning, Paige and Emily were texting each other all day long, and they talked on the phone every evening. Then, once a day turned to once a week, and soon, to once a month. And even less.

They were only eighteen (seventeen for Paige), and they were living in different states. They were seeing different people, living different lifes. So, gradually, naturally, they moved on.

"...And then, that summer," Paige resumed, "Emily asked me for some space. She had just met this girl, Meghan."

"Yeah, Meghan, I remember her," Spencer said. "It didn't last long."

"Really?" Paige asked, surprised. I didn't know that. "Well, anyway, we completely lost touch after that. And then, I... I met someone, too."

"That blonde girl who's all clingy over you?" Spencer asked. She had instantly disliked the girl. "Um, sorry," she added when she saw Paige cringing.

"Yes, well, Brianna can be a little... overprotective sometimes," the auburn girl said.

"You mean, possessive?" Spencer retorted.

"Spencer..."

The slim brunette raised her hands in surrender.

"Sorry, sorry. Not my business."

"...It's okay," Paige said, biting a smile. "But you didn't answer me, Spencer. How is Emily doing?"

It feels weird, saying her name out loud after all this time. Emily. Emily. It was never just 'Em' for me, even in my head, because the whole name suits her so well. It's so beautiful, just like her.

Spencer studied the other girl's face before answering.

"She's doing fine," she said simply.

"...Good," Paige said, nodding. "Good. She's... she's still in Pepperdine, right?"

"Yes," Spencer confirmed. "Sophomore year."

"What's her major?"

"Paige, are we here to talk about Emily's studies?" Spencer asked with a pointed look.

"I don't know, I..." Paige stammered, before letting out a deep sigh. It's harder than I thought.

"You know," Spencer said in a softer tone, "If you choose UPenn... you might cross paths with her again. We're not far from Rosewood, and her mother still lives there. And you know I'm one of Emily's closest friends, so..."

"I know," Paige answered simply.

"And you don't mind?"

"Spencer, Emily and I... I mean, that's water under the bridge. We both moved on. I have a girlfriend, she has a girlfriend..."

"Had a girlfriend," Spencer corrected. "She's single now. As far as I know."

"O-kay," Paige said, fidgeting in her seat. "But that's not the point. I mean, I haven't chosen my future college yet. I'm visiting Cornell next weekend, by the way."

Spencer shrugged.

"Yeah, Cornell. You could do worse. But remember, if you choose UPenn..."

"Yes?"

"You've already got a friend here."

A/N: Yeah! McHastings rules! ;)

...And I know, I know: no Emily in that chapter (not in person). I promise I will make it up to you soon.

Thanks for reading, and please review, it means a lot.