EPOV:
It's Wednesday, and I'm waiting by Paige's locker with the girls. After yesterday, when I heard Paige sing, I couldn't help but fall for her. She was truly mesmerizing, and beautiful.
"So I was thinking of giving Paige a surprise party for her birthday," I say out of the blue.
"What! Em, no we can't you know she hates them," Spencer says looking at me as if I had grown 2 heads.
"Yeah, Spencer's right Em, I don't think we should do that. You heard about her experiences, and they were horrible," Aria adds.
"Which is why I want to throw her one," I state.
"That doesn't make any sense Em," Spencer shakes her head.
""Look Paige only hates them because she's just had horrible experiences. So, if we throw her one to show her that they aren't really all that bad then, maybe she won't hate them anymore."
"But what if something goes wrong, I mean the whole reason why she hates them, is because something always managed to go wrong." Spencer states.
"Well, then we'll just have to make sure everything's perfect. I mean 3 times a kidder." Hanna finally speaks up, lacing her arm with mine, and I smile.
"It's 3 times a charm, ." Spencer says looking at Hanna who just shrugs it off, before looking right back to me. "Emily, there's a really big possibility that something bad happens, and what happens when it does? What are you going to do then? Because Paige, is just going to end up hurting and that could possibly ruin your relationship. Do you really want that?"
"Why can't we just skip that road when we to it," Hanna whines.
"Hanna! Please stop trying to use phrases in which you don't know the proper words of. It's we'll cross that bridge when we get to it for crying out loud." Spencer huffs out, throwing her hands in the air
"Well soooorry, I didn't know you were the English police." Hanna huffs.
"Even if I was, you would've been in jail a long time ago." Spencer quips back, and Hanna's about to respond but Aria intervenes, before Hanna can get her words out.
"Guys, back to the matter at hand,"
"Look, I just think that it would be nice for her to actually have a nice surprise party for once in her life. So just please can you guys just support me in this," I beg.
"I'm in," Hanna states raising her hand.
"Thank you," I say before looking back to Spencer, and Aria.
"Ugh, fine, but I will not have Hanna bossing me around like last time. I'm not her slave," Aria states, then looks toward Spencer along with the rest of us.
"Guys, I can't, I won't, because if something happens I don't want to be a part of the hurt that she will receive." Spencer shakes her head, and something about her words, makes me flinch a little.
"Well, fine just don't tell her. Can you at least help keep it a secret?" Hanna asks.
"Sure. Just don't expect me to cover for you guys-"
"Why would they need you to cover for them Hastings? What are you guys up to." Paige says coming up behind her, along with Pru.
"Yes, why would you guys need me covering for you?" Spencer mocking innocently, looks at me.
"Uh, nothing. Well, nothing you need to worry about anyways," I answer hoping that Paige will just drop the subject as I glare at Spencer.
"Okaaay, well anyways how's your morning Em?" Paige asks walking in front of me cupping my face, and her hand are so soft, but firm. I feel my knees start to buckle.
"Way better now that you're here." I say softly, sighing happily as she kisses me.
When she pulls away she smiles, and I just knew from then on that I could never get tired of that smile.
Pru clears her throat," Hey, yeah, uh nice to see you to Emily. P.S. we are still here, along with the other million kids that attend this school, so if you guys could I don't know stop, being so adorable that would be nice."
I blush as Paige moves to open her locker with a small smile dancing on her face.
"Well, sorry Pru, but some of us who aren't still single would really love to show our significant other how happy we are to see them." Paige says, pulling out a book and closing her locker.
"Oooh, burn," Pru says, smiling at Paige who just smiles back.
The bell rings and we all walk in the direction of the English room, with Paige holding my hand as we walk.
"Hey, Paige I'm gonna sit up front with Spencer today, you don't mind do you? I just need to be on top of my game academically and I already have a C- minus in his class so…" Pru says, looking to Paige as we enter.
"Yeah, sure, keep your grades up. You don't need to ask, I understand." Paige say smiling at her.
Pru nods and sits next to Spencer, while I just take Pru's seat next to Paige, and Hanna and Aria just sit in front of us like usual.
Class starts, and Paige just looks out at the window again. I'm trying to pay attention, but after 30 minutes I nudge her a little and she looks at me. There's something in her eyes but it's gone in a second.
"You okay?" I ask.
"Yeah, just fine," she gives me a small smile.
"Well don't you need to pass this class too. You should pay attention more," I suggest. I'm not trying to be bossy I just don't understand why she always seems to stare out the window all the time.
"No, I have an A+ in this class actually. So, I'll be just fine." With that she goes to look right back out at the window.
"So, in the John Green's "Looking for Alaska," what do you think the overall lesson or theme is in the book?" Ezra or shall I say, Mr. Fitz asks. Him and Aria have been going out for a while and it's quite difficult to actually see him as just Mr. Fitz anymore.
Spencer's hand shoots right up, and a couple of other people follow. He looks around and after a few seconds he finally calls on someone.
"Paige, what's your answer?" he asks, and the whole class looks to Paige who is still looking out at the window.
Paige, has never raised her hand, or ever been called on in this class. She has never spoken one word, and I don't understand why all of a sudden he wants her to speak. Paige's eyebrows scrunch together a little in thought, before she gives a slight nod and speaks.
"I feel, it's all about passages, and finding your way," her eyes never leave the window. She just keeps looking. "They kept talking about the concept of a labyrinth, which is really just a maze. Or more like a bunch of passageways, full of pain, suffering, sorrow, and complications. And the only one path, the right path can lead you to freedom, or just to the end of the pain, sorrow, and complications. The real irony if you ask me, is how the whole time Miles, was actually in his own labyrinth. In his own maze, although he kept getting lost, stuck, and confused. Remember in the beginning how he was clueless about well, mainly everything about himself and his life, looking for some 'Great Perhaps"? But in the end after getting through the pain, and sorrow, when the school year was over and done with he was able to how'd he put it?...Oh yeah write his way out if the labyrinth. So it's all about finding your way, or just being able to. No matter what you go through you will somehow always find a way out, or a way through it. "
When Paige is finished, everyone is in complete and total shock. No one speaks, everyone mouth is hung open including mine. Well everyone except Mr. Fitz who just has a small smile on his face and Paige who's still looking out at the window.
"Very good, Ms. McCullers," Mr. Fitz speaks up, and we all look back to him for the rest of the period.
"Holy shit, McCullers, that was incredible," Spencer says, as soon as we get in the hallway.
"Why, thank you Hastings," she smiles.
"Yeah Pai, I didn't even know you were paying attention, and that whole speech just blew my mind. How did you even come up with that?" Pru asks, and Paige just shrugs.
"Yeah, alright McCullers I'll find out your secret." Spencer concludes as we walk off to our next class.
Its lunch time, and we are all seated when Shana comes over to talk to Paige.
"Hey hot new girl!" She exclaims smiling at Paige, and I tense. I really don't like her calling Paige that, and I wish she'd stop being friend with my girlfriend, but I don't want Paige to feel like I'm possessive or jealous, so I just suck it up.
"Hey," Paige just smiled.
"So, what are you doing after school?" she asked, putting her and on Paige's shoulder.
I glared at her hand, and then at her.
"Hey, Shana did you forget your manners to? Paige isn't the only one at this table ya know," Spencer said glaring her Hastings glare.
"Your right Hastings, hey Pru," She looked towards Pru who just nodded in acknowledgement not wanting to get involved. "So Paige, any plans?"
"Uh, well actually no, not really."
"Well then you do now, oh, and I ran into your brother a couple of minutes ago, he wanted me to give you your guitar." She pulled it out from behind her back, which I didn't even notice her holding the whole time.
"Oh, uh, thanks I guess." She grabbed the guitar, "Guys wanna go out and sit by a tree?"
"What is up with us sitting on the grass all of a sudden. It's like we don't even have chairs anymore," Hanna said dramatically, while the rest of us all get up to leave.
"Oh, come on, during our free period I'll play you a song. And we won't be sitting on the grass," Paige says, and Hanna perked up.
"Hey, why don't you play us all a song now," Spencer suggests.
"Yeah, but not a song that makes us all cry, we still have a classes to get to after lunch." Hanna says, sitting next to Caleb.
"Hanna!" we all say, except for Paige who just smiles and says, "well of course."
I sit next to Paige and it isn't long before she's strumming up a few chords, and I think I know the song she's about to sing.
"You're not the type, type a girl
To remain with a guy, with a guy too shy
Too afraid
To say he'll give his heart to you forever,
I'm not the boy who will fall to his knees
With his hands clasped tight beggin'
Beggin' you please
To stay with him for worse or for better,
But I'm staring at you now
There's no one else around
I'm thinking you're the girl for me"
And she's now looking at me smiling as she continues the song, and I can't help but smile back.
"I'm just saying its fine by me
If you never leave
And we can live like this forever
It's fine by me,
In the past I would try
Try hard to commit to a girl
Wouldn'tget to far
It always somehow seemed to fall apart
But with you I can see what I need
I can dream realistically
I knew that this was different from the start,
And it seem every time we're eye to eye
I can find another piece of you, that I don't want to lose,
I'm staring at you now
There is no one else around
I'm thinking you the girl I need,
I'm just saying its fine by me
If you never leave
And we can live like this forever
It's fine by me
I'm just saying its fine by me
If you never leave
And we can live like this forever
It's fine by me
And it's never easy
But darling believe me
I'm as skeptical as you,
But when I think of, life without us
It seems like what we're supposed to do
But I don't wanna come on to strong
I'm just saying its fine by me
If you never leave
And we can live like this forever
It's fine by me
I'm just saying its fine by me
If you never leave
And we can live like this forever
It's fine by me
I'm just saying its fine by me
If you never leave
And we can live like this forever
It's fine by me" ("Fine by Me"-Andy Grammer)
When she's finish I notice a small crowd around us, kind of like last time, only this time everyone's cheering, especially Hanna and Pru.
Paige blushes a little, and I give her a quick peck just because I can't resist, she so adorable when she blushes. This only makes the crowd cheer louder, and Paige dip her head with a little smiling and blushes more.
"Awww, McCullers is that a little blush I see?" Spencer teases
"Shut it Hastings." Paige says, and the bell rings signaling lunch to be over.
I give her a kiss on the cheek and we all go in a different direction, but not before I look back and see Paige did to. She gives me a wink, and I just smile widely at her.
After another round of swim tryouts I asked Paige if she wanted to hang out forgetting about her and Shana's plans. And apparently she did too because she agreed. Now we're lying on her bed cuddling, when she gets a text.
"Oh shit, I forgot about Shana," Paige said looking at her phone, and types something out before lying back down.
"She has your number?" I ask, trying not to sound jealous.
"Oh, yeah we had exchanged it after we had grabbed a bite to eat for lunch." Paige explains wrapping her arms around me.
I melt into her arms, forgetting completely about Shana. There's something about Paige's touch that just soothes me, she feels like…..home. I move head up to kiss her lips, it was supposed to be a calm soft quick kiss, but it soon leads to a heated, passionate kiss. Soon enough, I'm on top of Paige kissing her, while her hand is on my ass. I moan as she gives it a squeeze, and I tug at her shirt. She sits up enough for me to take it off her. I look at her body, and then freeze.
"What?" Paige asks.
"You have tattoos, as in more than one," I say in shock. How in hell did I miss this?
"Oh yeah, I have a couple small ones," she sits up more so I'm straddling her hips as she leans on her head board.
"I have this one," She moves up a little, pull her jeans down little revealing a tattoo of a butterfly, and some a Chinese symbol on her left hip bone. "It's a butterfly, and also a Chinese symbol for butterfly."
"Why butterfly?" I ask.
"Well, butterflies are usually symbols for change, or transformation. Also another meaning of butterflies is about finding joy in life and lightness of being. And well, when my mom was killed everything and just about everyone changed around me, including me. And people either became bitter, and cold like my dad, or in denial, or depressed, so I chose a different route. I don't want to be like them, I want to find joy. I know that my mom would want that for everyone." She finishes and I nod.
"Okay so what about the other ones?" and I touch one on the right side of her ribs.
"Well this one is easy. This just says music vertically, with my mom's guitar at the bottom." She says, "My mom taught me to play the guitar along with, the piano, but she loved the guitar more as well as I. Anyway, um, so music is one of the top most important things to me along with swimming. When I sing, or when I just play her guitar, I can somehow feel her you know? It's like she's right next to me, singing along. It's like she was never gone. And not only that but music to me, is a way to say things, when it seems as if you just can't. I feel like it's a whole other language for me. So, most times I sing, I sing from my heart, despite how stupid or cheesy that may sound."
"Trust me there's nothing stupid about it." I say and give her peck on the cheek.
"And this one on my other left ribs just says, "Live, Laugh, Love, Believe", and honestly I just got this one, just because. But then there's the small ladybug on my shoulder." And I get off her, while she turns around to show me. "I got this one, so I could have good luck with me everywhere I go. I mean it's on my shoulder because you know how superstitious people throw I think it's either pepper or salt behind their shoulder for good luck or something? Well, I just decided that a lady bug will do instead, and now it's there."
"Your tattoos are sexy," I say with a flirtatious my smile, as she turns around.
"Well thank you, but I'd have to say, you are sexier," She says not missing a beat.
She kisses me, and I kiss her back. Soon I'm making out with a shirtless Paige, and I can't help but caress her abs, and the tattoos on her ribs.
"As much as I love this make out session, I have to get home, so my mom won't get worried," I pull away breathless.
"I'll walk you to the door," she says not bothering to put a shirt on.
"You're not gonna put a shirt on?" I ask shamelessly staring at her abs.
"Nope, no need. Not to mention Patrick's not gonna be home tonight, he's getting ready to go to college. Therefore, he's probably asleep in one of his friend's house, because of being tired from packing all day." She states.
"You know all of that how?" I ask looking at her suspiciously.
"Because I'm psychic," she states moving to the door, "and he just so happened to leave a note on the refrigerator door."
"Smartass," I mumble following her.
She ends up walking me to my car door, and we ended up kissing for 5 more minutes, before I actually drove off, with a huge smile on my face. I went to sleep, that day dreaming only of the one and only Paige McCullers.