Chapter 5

High (school) society

"So, you've got your nerds, your jocks, your cheerleaders and your outcast types, this place is just your usual high school really. And that..." said Phoebe listening intently "... is the bell for lunch period. You can take care of yourself for an hour right? I have other stuff to do." With that and spotting her friends in the distance, she headed after them calling to them to wait for her.

Paige stared around her afraid and lonely again. Yeah, Phoebe had treated her like a chore but at least she had been there.

Paige stood battling between the conflicting urges to stand and bitch to herself or cry, when someone laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Paige spun around swallowing the edge of hysteria that threatened to come out in her voice. "I'm fine...I just... I'm new and I don't know anyone and the girl who was supposed to show me around is gone and..." Paige could sense herself babbling and forced herself to calm down "I'm just a little lost is all."

"You can come and sit with me and mine if you'd like?"

"Thanks...erm?"

"Piper, my name is Piper. McKenzie, like the new restaurant down town?"

"I'm new I haven't tried it. I will though! I'm Paige, Paige Matthews", the younger girl said as she gathered her things and followed her new friend. "This is probably going to sound silly to you Piper but, have we met before?"

"No, I don't think so but I know what you mean."

Piper smiled as she and Paige approached a group of girls sat on a picnic bench in the middle of the big quad. "Hi guys, this is Paige, Paige this is Claire, Alex, Jenny and Rowan.

"Hi," Pipers friend Claire spoke first "You're new right? Didn't the admissions office lumber you with 'Freebie' Wildman?"

"Claire!" Piper spoke up admonishing her friend for her cruelty.

"Well..." Claire said and something in her tone told Paige, that she felt nothing more was needed. Piper grimaced at her friend and changed the subject "So, Paige, where did you transfer from?"

"Just another school up state" Paige felt sick, she did NOT want the conversation to turn this way, and she decided another subject change was in order.

"What do you guys do when you're not picking up waifs and strays then?" Paige said forcing false brightness into her voice and a smile onto her face.

Rowan chimed in here. "We don't really do much, we just hang out at Pipers' family's new restaurant"

"And make the place look busy!" Piper laughed.

As everyone joined in with her laughter a group of jocks and their assorted girlfriends spilled out onto the quad from a classroom building onto the grass of the quad, raucous and loud. Paige noticed one couple stood aloof, the girl quiet and watching, the guy all about the girl.

"That's Pru Gordon and Andy Trudeu" Piper said quietly to Paige "Head cheerleader and captain of the football team."

It seemed to Paige that Pru heard her name mentioned even over such a distance and headed over to the group on the bench.

"Piper! Have you sorted out the booking at your parents restaurant for after the game?"

"Sure I have Pru. It's the biggest booking we'll have had since we opened! From the numbers you gave me half of the senior class will be there!"

Pru flashed Piper a grin as Claire asked "Hey Pru, what's it like to have the perfect guy?"

Pru smiled her eyes lighting up at the mere mention of Andy in spite of the fact he was barely twenty feet away.

"He's not perfect. I think it's Piper looking for perfect. I heard you turned down Chase Salter last week?"

"The Vice Captain of the football team" Rowan whispered to Paige.

"Sorry Pru, but my perfect guy would have to be a real angel." Piper quipped quickly.

"And Chase is certainly not that!" Pru admitted, she stopped then as if seeing Paige for the first time.

"Pru, this is Paige, she's new."

Pru extended her hand and Paige shook it, their contact bringing a shock of recognition to Paige for the fourth time that day.

Claire stood and gathered her things "Piper, we gotta go. It was nice to meet you Paige. 'Bye Pru."

"'Bye guys" Piper called to her retreating friends, just as Phoebe stormed across the quad looking for Paige and on seeing her headed over to pick her up.

As Phoebe leaned on the table and her hand came into contact with the wooden surface, as were the hands of the other three girls it was as if a circuit had been completed, the air around them turned electric blue and cracked as if it had lightening in it.

And in the distance... oh so far away a school bell rang