Chapter 29

Tap…tap-tap…tap-tap-tap…tap

Tap…tap-tap…tap-tap-tap…tap

Tap…tap-tap…tap-tap-tap…tap

Riley stretched across the dining room table to smother Paige's hand with her own. "Stop!"

Paige looked up from her History book. She was trying to take notes from the chapter that had been assigned for homework but so far had not been able to concentrate. "What?"

Riley grabbed the pen from Paige's hand and began exaggeratedly tapping it hard against her own notebook. TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP "This! Stop doing this! Tapping. You're tapping non-stop."

"Sorry. Jeez. I didn't realize I was doing it."

Riley closed her Physics book. Paige clearly had something on her mind that wasn't at all related to World History. "You do that when you are nervous. I've noticed. What's up?"

Paige heaved a sigh as she closed her History book and pushed it away. Studying was not going to happen at this point. "Emily got a thick envelope from Penn State last week."

"I know, you told me already. Did she open it?"

Paige shook her head. "She wants to open ours together."

Riley smiled. "The girl has willpower, I'll give her that. I'd have ripped the thing open by now. It's nice of her to wait for you though."

Paige's head drooped and her eyes shifted to the table. "She might be waiting indefinitely."

"Paige, you are going to get an offer from Penn. Is that what the tapping is about? You're worried that you haven't gotten an offer packet yet?" Paige nodded her head. "I haven't gotten one either but that doesn't mean they won't be sending it, or that it's not on its way here now."

Paige looked up to her sister. "Are you sure you haven't gotten anything yet? You're not just hiding it from me so I won't feel bad?"

"I literally just told you if I had gotten a letter I'd have ripped it open by now. So no, I really haven't received anything yet. But I'm not worried. What is worrying going to do to help?"

Paige did not want to think about a scenario in which Emily got into Penn State and she didn't. It would be the worst of any "what if" situation they had dreamt up. Riley had a point though. What is worrying going to do to help the situation? It will only make the wait that much more agonizing. She resolved herself to stay strong and think only positive thoughts. Conceive, believe, achieve: it was a simple mantra. She, Emily and Riley conceived the idea of all three of them going to Penn State. Paige believed it would happen. She knew they had done all they could to achieve the desired result.

Paige opened the cast-away History book to the correct page. "You're right," she told Riley. "Thanks for the pep talk. Can I please have my pen back?" She held her hand out for the writing utensil.

"You may…," Riley started to place the pen into Paige's hand then quickly pulled back. "…but if I hear one single tap I'm taking it back and duct-taping your hands together." She smiled wide at her sister and cocked her head to the side. "And I'm glad I could help. That's what sisters are for."

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Paige answered her cell when she saw a call coming in from Riley. She had just pulled into her driveway when she heard the ringtone assigned to her sister. It was "It Takes Two" by Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock. Riley snuck Paige's phone a while back and assigned that ringtone to herself without Paige's knowledge. Paige decided she liked it so kept it as is.

"Have you checked your mail today," Riley asked as soon as Paige answered.

"No. I just got home. Why?"

"Check it. Now," Riley said, her voice a little higher pitched than normal.

"Did you put superglue on the handle or something? Am I going to stick to everything I touch," Paige asked with a chuckle.

"Paige, just go look in your mailbox."

Paige was getting curious now. She quickened her pace to the mailbox. She cautiously reached for the pull handle just in case her wild assumption about Riley was right. No superglue she surmised as she pulled the lid down. She peered inside. "I see mail. Shocker. What am I supposed to be seeing in here Riley?"

"Take it out and tell me where the mail is from."

"You're weird."

"Just do it!"

"Ok, Nike. Chill out." Paige started thumbing through the envelopes. "Water bill. Electric bill. Campaign flyer. Coupon to get the gutters cleaned out. Something from Penn State. Phone b-"

"Paige!"

"What?"

"Penn State?"

Paige pulled the envelope back to the top of the stack in her hands. She had not registered she'd said it while she was mindlessly reading out where the mail was from. "Holy shit! It's addressed to me!"

"I got one today too!"

"What does it say?"

"I don't know. That's why I called you. I thought if you got something today too that we could open them together. Has Emily opened hers yet?"

"No, she's been determined to wait it out."

"Pick her up then meet me at my house. We'll open them together."

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Emily and Paige made it to Riley's house in record time. Now all three girls are sat in a circle on Riley's bed. Their packets from Penn State lay in a pile in the center. The girls were visibly nervous. Their eyes darted back-and-forth between the letters and each other.

"Well someone has to go first," Emily finally said.

"You got your letter first, you go," Riley said. She jutted her chin towards the pile of thick envelopes in front of them.

"No, no. I've waited this long; I can wait for you two. Paige, you go." Emily looked to her girlfriend in anticipation.

Paige picked up the three packets and passed them out accordingly. "Let's open them at the same time. Let's count to three, ok?"

"Ok," Emily and Riley said simultaneously.

Paige began the countdown. "One, two-"

"Wait," Riley shouted. "Do we open on 'three' or after 'three?'"

Paige rolled her eyes. Her sister was stalling. And this was the girl who a week ago said she'd rip the envelope apart as soon as she got it. "On three. Ready?" They all nodded their heads. "One, two, three."

The sound of paper ripping filled the room. Each girl gingerly pulled the packet of information from the envelope, careful not to get a glimpse of anything they weren't ready to see yet. Smiles broke out across their faces as the three Rosewood teens learned their fate and place for the next four years.

"I got in," they screamed in unison as they bounced, still sitting on the bed. They looped their arms around each other's shoulders forming a perfect ring. It was appropriate really, that they formed this never ending circle. A circle as they say has no sides to be broken, no ends to be ended and no angle to be measured. The three of them, with Paige at the core, would always have each other for the rest of their lives.

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Paige and Emily sat together on the comfy glider on the Fields' front porch. They had shared the good news with Pam and Wayne when Paige brought Emily home. Paige wanted to get home to tell her parents as well, but she wasn't quite ready to leave her girlfriend yet. She was too excited.

"It's happened, Em. It's really happened!"

Emily lifted her head from Paige's shoulder to kiss her cheek softly. "Just like we knew it would."

"This summer we can go buy stuff for our dorm room. Decide how we want to decorate. It's gonna be great."

Emily bit the corner of her bottom lip. She had been thinking about this for a little while now; since she got her packet. She had a good feeling Riley and Paige would both get offers. That brought up a yet to be discussed decision. One that it sounds like Paige had already made, possibly without giving it much thought.

"Um, Paige. Have you talked to Riley any about possible rooming situations?"

"No. Why?"

"I just wonder what her expectations might be. You don't think she has maybe at least considered rooming with you?" Paige was quiet. She didn't respond right away. That in itself told Emily that Paige had not considered it.

Paige shrugged her shoulders. "Huh. I didn't think about that." Not considering Riley in the roommate equation made Paige feel bad and she was surprised she had not thought of it. Rooming with her girlfriend just seemed like the logical step.

"I think you and Riley should room together next year." She hoped her girlfriend didn't take that the wrong way. Emily rubbed her hand gently along Paige's leg as she spoke. She was hoping that would soften what she had just told Paige.

"You don't want to room with me?" Paige thought for sure Emily would want to live with her in a freshman dorm next year.

"It's not that. I would love to room with you next year. It's just…I think it would be good for you and Riley. You didn't get a chance to grow up together. This could be a second opportunity for you. Only you and Riley…in a double…not the three of us and a stranger in a quad." Emily kissed Paige soundly on the lips. "Besides, you and I are going to have plenty of time to live together. You're stuck with me McCullers…for the long haul."

A smile started to spread across Paige's features as she thought about it. And she really appreciated Emily thinking of them. "I see your point. I'll talk to Riley." She kissed Emily in return. "And you're right. You and I have the rest of our lives."

"I'll probably get assigned a roommate from the swim team anyway."

Paige held up her hand in a "hold up" sign. "But not Peyton."

Emily laughed out loud. "No, not Peyton. Anyway, after our display at that house party I think she and everyone else got a pretty clear picture of who my heart belongs to."

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The following weekend the McCullers, Fields and Hastings got together for a celebratory dinner at the McCullers' house. It was a very nice night for everyone. There was a lot of laughter, excited conversations and fun stories shared at the embarrassment of the three teenagers.

As the evening wound down Paige got up to take everyone's dishes into the kitchen. Both Emily and Claire got up to help but Paige waved them off. She was standing at the kitchen sink when someone walked up behind her, dropping a few plates into the sink.

Paige turned around to face Natalie. "You didn't have to bring that stuff in here. I've got it."

Natalie turned to face Paige directly. She leaned against the counter with her hip resting on the ledge. "I wanted to. Plus, I was hoping to talk to you for a minute."

"Ok…"

"I just wanted to make sure you are comfortable about rooming with Riley next year."

"Yeah, yeah. Of course I am. I love Riley. You know that. Or at least I thought you did. I'm really looking forward to spending that time with her. We have a lot of time to make up for." Paige hoped Natalie didn't take that last comment personally. She didn't say it to throw that in Natalie's face. They were moving past that.

"I know you do. And I'm so happy about that. But you know, Paige, with you and Riley living together, I'm going to be around. You realize that, right? You'll most likely see me a lot more than you do now. I want to make sure you are comfortable with that."

Natalie would be lying if she said she wasn't concerned about Paige's reaction to seeing her more. When Riley came to her and told her that Paige had asked her to be her roommate next year Natalie was overjoyed. And then the doubt started to encroach on her thoughts. They were still trying to navigate these unknown waters. The first thing she did was pick up the phone to call the McCullers. She wanted to talk through this with them to make sure they all understood the situation and the boundaries. Like it or not, where Natalie was concerned there were boundaries and this could still be a delicate situation for some time to come. The conversation with Nick and Claire went well. They all agreed that this would be a good thing for Paige and Riley.

Paige was a little surprised that Natalie would question this now. Ever since Riley had spent that night in the hospital Paige and Natalie had been talking more and more. "Natalie, that doesn't bother me. My mom is my mom…I love Claire. I'm a McCullers. But that doesn't mean I don't want to get to know you better. I'd like to continue this process and really, I think it can only help; us being around each other more. That goes for me and Riley and me and you."

"I can give you some pointers on Riley Hastings survival if you'd like. She's not always the easiest person to live with but she manages to be endearing no matter what," Natalie said with a laugh.

"Yeah well, I just hope she doesn't duct-tape my hands together," Paige half mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing." Twin inside joke thing Paige thought with a grin. She was definitely looking forward to rooming with her sister next year. Riley was an unexpected addition to her life; one that she didn't know was missing until she knew what it was to feel complete.

A/N: Until next chapter…which hopefully won't be too long of a wait.