Thanks for your feedback on the last chapter and your patience! I had to play around with the timeline of when Paige finds the rat a bit for this story, but otherwise I'm trying to remain relatively faithful to the canon storyline. As always, I appreciate your feedback and look forward to getting the next chapter up a bit quicker.
Chapter Six: The Silence of E. Lamb
It wasn't until the next day after practice that Paige found the rat in her locker. After the initial shock, she explained to the coach what had happened. She was promptly excused for the rest of the day.
"What do you mean someone played a prank on you?" Her mother asked, incensed at the story. "Leaving a dead rat in your swim cap is bullying. It's cruel. And they carry diseases." Paige rested her head in her hands. She was sitting on the couch while her mom paced in front of the coffee table in their living room. The tea they were about to have was now cold and long forgotten.
"I know mom! I had coach excuse me from class and I came straight home. You really can't ask for a better-behaved daughter!" Paige explained.
"Oh honey I know that. I just wonder…if Rosewood is even a safe place anymore. Especially because everything that keeps happening seems to revolve around your friends." Paige immediately understood the subtext.
"Just say it. This is really about Emily. You think Emily is ruining me." At least they were far enough in their relationship that Paige knew it wasn't about being gay. And she knew her mom's intentions were good. But the road to hell was paved with good intentions. Paige had lost Emily to learn that lesson.
"That's not what I'm saying. I think Emily is a lovely girl…but maybe a little confused and overwhelmed right now. Especially with her friend Alison being back." Paige nodded, noting the tears stinging her eyes and threatening to fall over. She reached for her tea but nearly knocked it over because her hands were shaking.
"I can remember what typical teenager problems are like. I know you are going through something far worse than if you wore the right outfit to school or if your hair looks nice." Her mom came and sat beside her at this point, setting a hand on Paige's shoulder. "Why don't you take a few days off school? Just consider it staycation. Mental health days." Her mom waved a hand through the air like it was a wand opening up possibilities.
A few days away from school sounded so good. Blessedly good. She could train from home, and try to get herself off Mona's radar. Her shoulder and back were still achy from trying to break through the wood A had put up in the abandoned apartment, so it would help to let it heal. Paige smiled and nodded yes.
"I was feeling okay till Sydney explained someone planted a dead rat in Paige's locker." Emily said, frowning.
"Mona?" Spencer asked. After her initial feelings of guilt, it was getting a little easier to be around Emily and realize her friend had no idea what happened between her and Paige.
"That's what I'm guessing. Although I don't even want to know where she would have gotten the rat." Emily said, shuddering a bit. "Anyway please try to finish up with Ezra as soon as possible? I really need you over at my house tonight."
Spencer tried to be subtle. "I will try my best but I really can't make any promises…besides it will be fine. Your mom is just concerned but it isn't like she will grill Alison too hard. Alison is a mastermind at avoiding giving answers." She added sarcastically. Emily looked in her eyes, trying to figure out what exactly Spencer was really trying to get at.
Melissa shrugged, still holding the garbage. "Let me throw this away then we can talk." She said, starting to walk past Spencer. Spencer moved so she was in front of her sister. She was full of nervous, nauseous energy.
"No if he left a mess I should clean it up he was here for me…"
"No it's okay!
Spencer grabbed the bag.
"Just let me do something okay? Please?" Instantly a rotten odor hit her.
"Spencer…" Melissa sighed trying to get the bag away.
"Ew what is in here?" Spencer asked, the smell only getting stronger as she opened the bag to look inside. She saw a bit of brown fear and a black, dead eye before dropping it in shock.
"Oh my God!" She looked up at her sister, awaiting an answer. But she already knew it. Melissa had slipped the dead rat in Paige's locker. She had probably put food out on purpose to attract a rat to the traps.
Melissa smirked and shook her head at Spencer's shock. "I told you he left food out." She repeated, grabbing the bag and dumping it out.
Spencer had tried not to think of Paige the past couple days, partially as a penance for what had happened. But now the other girl was all she could think about.
Spencer rang the doorbell to Paige's house. She hoped that Paige's invitation to stop by anytime was still open, even after what had happened before. She had just finished up with Ezra, but didn't want to be anywhere near the dinner table at the Fields house tonight. And she just wanted to see Paige and make sure she was alright.
Paige's mom opened the door. She looked both happy and confused by Spencer's presence at the door which almost made Spencer laugh despite how inappropriate and random that would be.
"Hi?"
"Hi…my name is Spencer. I'm here to see Paige?" Spencer realized she should explain why she had just shown up. She pulled her backpack off one shoulder and swung it forward, pulling a textbook out a little bit. "I have the homework assignments she missed." Paige's mom seemed to relax at that.
"Aw…Spencer from field hockey right? I think I remember you. Please come in." She opened the door wide and gestured for Spencer to enter. Then she softly shut it and walked over to the stairs, calling Paige's name. After a few moments Spencer heard some rustling and then footsteps rapidly coming down the stairwell.
Paige regarded her with a curious mix of confusion and excitement. Spencer offered a small smirk, almost unable to hide her own relief at seeing Paige looking okay despite the ordeal she had been through in the past few days.
"Your friend brought over some homework assignments for you to look over. Isn't that nice?" Mrs. McCullers asked. Spencer thought it was refreshing to see such a sweet, unburdened parent. She hoped Mrs. McCullers would never be put through the stress her parents had to go through.
"Yes it is. Thank you Spencer."
"Listen you two can go upstairs if you need to go over some assignments. Do you want anything to drink or snack on?"
"No thank you Mrs. McCullers. This shouldn't take long." Spencer replied, following Paige up the stairs.
Paige was walking in front of Spencer, but she whipped around once they got in her room.
"I know what this is really about." Paige said with a nervous hiccup in her voice.
"You do?" Spencer asked incredulously as she sat down on the side of Paige's bed. She looked up at Paige, waiting for her to elaborate.
"Did A…did they blackmail us? Did they show Emily or Toby the…you know?" Paige trailed off, embarrassed to say it out loud. She wanted to tell Spencer that A was doing this to get at her. That Toby shouldn't be upset at Spencer. This was all on Paige. Spencer wasn't even like that.
"No! Of course not. It's about…"
"I know why A is doing all this stuff. The rat in my locker…the message in my room…forcing us to kiss." Paige was working herself up pretty bad, her anxiety clear as she paced and talked out loud. "Just…when the time comes. Here's the thing. You can tell Toby that A put us up to it because they know that I…used to have feelings for you." Paige hesitated on the word used, but figured that was better than admitting the truth out loud.
Spencer was trying to keep up, trying to organize her thoughts. But hot blood was rushing around her body, clogging her logical thoughts.
"Paige it's not that…would you sit down?" Her voice was low and raspy. Paige froze and slowly came over to Spencer and sat next to her. "I don't know about the other things…but I'm pretty sure my sister was responsible for the rat. And she wouldn't have threatened our lives over a kiss."
"I'm not sure who to trust anymore." Paige sighed.
"Used to have feelings for me?" Spencer asked, finally understanding what Paige had just said. Paige had sat so close to her. She could feel the heat of Paige's skin, their hands inches away on the bed. Spencer looked up, meeting Paige's eyes. Something flickered in the other girl's expression. Hunger.
"I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Paige whispered, staring straight into Spencer's eyes, she glanced down at Spencer's lips. Paige's mouth felt dry, and she licked her lips.
"No…you didn't. You don't. I…" Spencer realized she wasn't going to be able to finish her statement before their lips connected. She could feel Paige's hot breath mingling with hers as Paige leaned in, overtaken by her feelings. Spencer hesitated to respond as Paige's mouth moved insistently against hers. This is Paige. She shouldn't be doing this. But she couldn't seem to stop it.
Paige reached up, caressing Spencer's jaw as her other hand found purchase against the other girl's hip. She nearly got carried away before she realized with a stab of anxiety that Spencer wasn't pulling away but wasn't kissing her back.
She had made a mistake.
Paige pulled away; ready to begin apologizing for temporary insanity. But Spencer shook her head, grabbing the back of Paige's neck to pull her back. This time their tongues meeting as their kiss became more frantic, both of them moaning into each other's mouths.
Paige felt like bursts of electricity were shooting up from her stomach to her jaw. She pulled away and whispered against Spencer's mouth. "Why does this feel so good? I can't seem to stay away from you."
"I don't know." Spencer responded honestly. "I shouldn't…I can't do this…" She added, her voice torn. Paige pulled away.
"I don't want to get hurt again. I know you can't do this." Paige seemed to shrink in on herself as she spoke. Spencer already missed Paige's soft lips against her own. And the way Paige was looking at her, so longingly…is this what Emily had given up? "I mean you're not even gay." Paige added, managing a small, almost pained smile. Spencer wasn't gay, but the things she felt for and wanted to do to Paige weren't exactly a testament to her heterosexuality.
"If things were different…" Spencer quietly said, trying to not cry. She hated feeling so vulnerable. Hated that she felt so alive around Paige, when she should only feel this way for Toby. She had once felt like this for Toby, but it was hard to forget the past. It was hard to feel he was there for her when he often wasn't there at all. And as the rift between them increased she was drawn closer and closer to Paige.
"I know. Did you actually have any homework assignments for me to look over?"
"You actually want to do your homework?" Spencer asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No. But I do want something to show my mom in case she sees through your ruse." Paige responded. Spencer opened the backpack and they both reached in at the same time, their hands brushing against each other. They both froze, Spencer drawing a sharp intake of breath as their hands lingered against one another.
"This is going to be hard." Spencer murmured, finally breaking their contact to grab the folder she had been reaching for. Paige nodded in agreement.
Spencer looked up from the kitchen island, noticing Melissa. Her sister. The same one who had been conspiring with Mona. The same one who had threatened Paige with that rat. As her and Melissa started to go at it over their parents, Spencer's thoughts kept returning to Paige. Now they shared a secret too, just another one of the dirty secrets Rosewood thrived on.
"Parents aren't supposed to just stop loving one another." Melissa whispered.
"This isn't about love otherwise there wouldn't be bodies buried in backyards up and down the block. This is about lies. Whispered conversations that stop when someone enters the room." Spencer paused, considering how to finish her thoughts. "This is about Alison. And what really happened to her. And what happened to that poor girl who ended up in the ground."
After a few moments, Melissa replied. "You're right."
"I am?"
"But it's still about love Spencer. Sometimes, people do things they can't explain, things they regret. But it is still about love." Then her sister turned and left the house.
"I'm sorry I put you in the middle of all this. If you need anything please call me. Listen…even if you don't need anything…just…call. Please? Okay I love…I'd love to hear from you. I hope you're alright. Bye."
Paige had listened to the voicemail at least five times, and her heart broke a little each time she heard Emily almost say "I love you." She couldn't stomach talking to Emily after what had happened with Spencer. She needed this time to sort through her feelings on a lot of things.
