DISCLAIMER: Pretty Little Liars and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.
Reviews, reactions, comments, theories about the story = awesome. Keep 'em coming. I love reading your theories and analysis of the story so far. Thanks so much you guys! I like proving you right… and wrong lol.
So sorry for the late post. Like I said in chapter ii, I'm currently swamped at work. Please bear with me. : )
AliasThorne, Nae10 and BokononCradle... Thanks for the PM.
PART ONE: "Mutantur Omnia Nos Et Mutamur In Illis"
~ All things change, and we change with them. ~
CHAPTER FOUR
"Em are you coming?" Aria asked as she, Hanna and Spencer stood near their friend's locker, waiting for Emily to get the books she would need for her morning classes.
Emily didn't bother to turn around to face her friends as she shook her head, stealing a glance at the far end of the corridor. "You guys go ahead. I can't seem to find my notebook." She lied before inconspicuously checking her watch for the time.
"We don't mind waiting." Hanna told her friend reassuringly.
"It's fine. Really. I'll see you at lunch." Emily insisted, stealing a glance at the far end of the corridor once again.
"Is everything okay?" Spencer asked as she moved to stand beside Emily. "You still haven't told us what happened when you went to that road trip with Kayla and Paige." She said cautiously. "Did Paige do something stupid again? You really shouldn't have gone to that trip Em. Jai was asking a lot from you. She should've known her jerk of a best friend was going to use that opportunity to make fun of you again."
Emily felt her cheeks flush and she moved her head inside her locker, pretending she was still searching for her notebook. "It wasn't like that." She started, her voice muffled as she rummaged through her things. "I didn't want Jai to worry so I went with them. I actually spent most of the time alone. Paige went to that campus tour and I lost Kayla. She wasn't answering her phone so I ended up walking around campus by myself until it was time to go home."
"So why are you acting weird?" Spencer observed.
Emily sighed before finally turning around to face her friends. "I'm not." She said, managing to give them a smile. "I'm still just a little tired from the trip. I'll tell you all about it at lunch. Right now I just really need to find my notebook. You guys should go ahead. It's almost time." She said, checking her watch for effect.
"Okay. We'll see you later. Come on guys." Aria said, giving their friend a hesitant look before leaving, Hanna and Spencer close behind.
Emily watched their retreating backs for a second before turning to face her locker once again. She slowly took out her books and checked the far end of the corridor again, this time feeling her palms start to sweat when she finally saw the brown-haired girl she was waiting for. She gripped the door of her locker nervously, waiting for the right time to close it as she watched Paige walk towards her from the corner of her eye. A day has passed since they returned from their road trip to Los Angeles and though she was exhausted from the trip, sleep didn't come easy to her ever since their fight. She kept tossing and turning, her mind restless as her conscience nagged her until the wee hours of the morning for all the horrible things she said to Jai's best friend. She and Paige spent the rest of the trip in California being civil to each other and the drive home was filled with uncomfortable silence. The car would've exploded with tension if not for Kayla's attempt to lighten the mood by pretending to be a tour guide the entire time.
She was so guilt-ridden about all the things she said that she couldn't even bring herself to answer Jai's calls, not knowing what to say when her girlfriend asks how the trip went. She knows how much Jai loves her. And between Paige and her, Jai always took her side. But that was because Paige always gave Jai reason to side with her. This time she was in the wrong. And she'd rather fix the mess she made now than hear the disappointment in Jai's voice when she finds out about it from Paige. Emily didn't want to admit it but she got so used to Jai taking her side everytime Paige made fun of her that she didn't want to know what it feels like to hear Jai side with Paige on this one. She didn't know how her girlfriend would react when she finds out that Emily said all those cruel things to Paige. She owed Paige an apology. Even if the girl said she knew Emily didn't mean all those things, at the back of her mind, Emily knew she crossed a line and Paige deserved an apology.
"Hey." Emily said in greeting, forcing her voice to sound a little upbeat as she closed the door of her locker and stepped beside Paige the moment the girl walked past her.
Paige stopped chewing the piece of energy bar she had been eating, pausing mid bite when she heard Emily's voice beside her. After their disastrous road trip, the last thing she expected was for Emily to come up to her. She spotted the girl the moment she rounded the corner. But right now she didn't know how to go back to their usual bickering selves that she chose to pretend she didn't notice Emily when she passed by the girl's locker.
"Hey." Paige managed to say before swallowing the food in her mouth, taking another bite of the energy bar she was forced to eat until her best friend returned.
"Where's mine?" Emily asked, nodding her head towards the energy bar Paige held in her hand.
Paige stopped walking and turned to face Emily, searching her sling bag for something before finally pulling out a Ziploc sandwich bag with five energy bars inside. Wordlessly, she handed it to the girl, waiting for Emily to take it as she continued chewing the bite she just took.
"That's a lot." Emily observed, her eyes never leaving the Ziploc Paige held in front of her.
"Well that's what happens when you do your girlfriend's bidding and agree to babysit Kayla for Jai in L.A. You skipped several days' worth of this oh-so-tasty treat." Paige reminded Emily sarcastically, still slightly annoyed at the girl and her best friend for the stunt they pulled on her.
"So did you." Emily shot back cautiously, trying to gauge where they stood now that they're back in Rosewood.
"Hey I'm on my last bar here!" Paige exclaimed indignantly.
Emily felt like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. She and Paige were somehow back to their typical bickering and though she still would've preferred that they become actual friends, right now she'd rather continue bickering with the girl than be in a real fight with her.
"Either you're really hungry or it's starting to grow on you." Emily said, managing to give the girl a teasing smile despite the nervousness she was feeling.
Paige rolled her eyes, still unable to believe that she lost the bet. "Neither. I'm just trying to hold my end of the deal. Thank god this is my last bar. I don't think I can eat or smell another bar today without gagging." She said before swallowing the piece of energy bar she had been chewing. "I still can't believe my granola bar lost to something that tastes like mulched paper." Paige complained. When she noticed Emily trying hard not to grin, she narrowed her eyes at the girl. "Take these." She ordered, extending the Ziploc to the girl. "Since you claim to love them so much, let's see you finish these five bars by the end of the day." She said smugly.
Emily reluctantly took the Ziploc full of energy bars and placed it inside her shoulder bag before returning her gaze to Paige. They stared at each other for a moment before she cleared her throat to speak.
"Well we should probably head to class." Emily muttered, turning away from the girl and leading the way to their Film and Literature class.
They began walking in uncomfortable silence with the exception of Paige occasionally munching on her energy bar, using the act as an excuse to keep her mouth full so she won't have to talk to Emily.
"Are we cool?" Emily asked after a beat, glancing at Paige. "I mean, I know we're still not friends. But did you mean what you said? About forgetting it ever happened?" She asked hesitantly, her eyes looking straight ahead.
"What ever happened?" Paige asked coolly, making Emily look at her in surprise and uncertainty.
"Um." Emily uttered, not knowing what to make of Paige's answer. She didn't know if Paige was waiting for her to bring up their argument or if the girl was pretending she didn't know what Emily was talking about. She was about to go with the former when Paige spoke up again.
"Because I thought we agreed not to tell Jai that Kayla got drunk under our watch? Why do you want to bring that up now?" Paige asked, stealing a quick glance at Emily before looking away.
"Right. No. I was just checking." Emily said, finally understanding what Paige was trying to do. "That definitely stays between us." She said as they got to the door of their class at the same time just as the bell rang. Emily decided to let Paige through first but the girl stood her ground.
"No. Please. After you Sniffles." Paige said sarcastically, gesturing for Emily to go inside first. "You already missed several days of school because of me. If Mr. Roberts reprimands you today for being late to his class because of me I just might start feeling special."
Emily sighed and ignored Paige's jibe, choosing to enter the room first like the girl told her to. Yeah, she understood that Paige wanted to put what happened in California behind them. She does too. But just the fight. Not everything that happened. Now she couldn't help but feel hurt that when Paige said forget it ever happened, the girl wasn't just referring to their fight. Paige was telling Emily to forget she ever saw part of the real Paige she wanted to get to know.
"To facilitate next week's discussion on the existence of philosophical skepticism in film, I want all of you to submit an essay on one crucial part of the film the matrix." The film teacher instructed the class before turning his back to them to write the title on the board.
"Seriously? But that movie is like… old." Paige muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Emily to hear.
Although the two girls never sat together in their Film and Literature class ever since the start of their senior year, they were forced to sit together today since they were the last ones to enter the room. Because she let Emily go in first, Paige didn't notice it until she looked around the room and saw that the only remaining seat available was beside the girl. She grudgingly made her way towards Emily and wordlessly sat beside the surprised girl, staring straight ahead. She remained that way for the rest of the class until now.
When Paige saw Emily shake her head discreetly from the corner of her eye, she angled her body towards the girl. "What? It's old! Just like Mr. Roberts." Paige whispered, jerking her head slightly towards the balding man engrossed in writing everything on the board.
"Will you pay attention to class?" Emily reprimanded the girl under her breath. "Just listen to the instructions first."
Paige rolled her eyes in annoyance and focused her attention to their teacher again.
"Pretend that you're the protagonist of the film, Neo. And this." Mr. Roberts said, gesturing around him. "Is the matrix." He explained. "For those of you who've watched the film, you know the catalyst of the story. Neo's choice to take the red pill propelled the story forward. Now I stand in front of you, the Morpheus of this matrix, and I am offering you the infamous blue and red pills." He continued, taking out two pills from his pocket for effect. He placed one on each hand and opened them, palms up for the class to see. "You take the blue pill, the story ends; you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes." He said, quoting verbatim the lines Morpheus said to Neo in the film.
Mr. Roberts walked behind the teacher's table and placed the pills on top of it. "Which one would you take and why?" He said, gesturing to the pills in front of him. "There is no right or wrong answer." He added as he gazed at his students. "There is however, a limit to the number of red pill and blue pill takers. To make sure that we don't end up with an influx of blue pill or red pill choices in this class, I have assigned for you to write the paper in pairs. One takes the blue pill, the other the red pill. Before submitting your papers on Monday morning, make sure you read what your partner has to say about their choice. Have a discussion about it. That should start the ball rolling next Wednesday. Pairings are posted on the door. Check it on your way out." He managed to say just as the bell rang.
Paige hastily got up from her chair and bolted for the list on the door, Emily right behind her. They must have seen it at the same time because they groaned at the same time as well.
"Unbelievable. A thousand miles away and Jai seems to be able to force us to spend time together." Emily said as she continued to stare at their names which Mr. Roberts have written side by side.
"Not if I can help it." Paige said determinedly when she spotted their teacher heading towards them. Moving fast, she blocked the path of the balding man. "Excuse me Mr. Roberts, but is there any way for the pairings to be changed? Can I write the paper with someone else?" She asked hurriedly.
"I'm sorry Miss..." Mr. Roberts said, trailing off as he tried to remember who Paige is.
"McCullers." Paige supplied after a beat.
"Yes. Miss McCullers. But the pairings were done for a reason." Mr. Roberts explained, moving past Paige.
"What reason is that?" Paige asked, hurrying to catch up to him.
"I've decided to pair the students who excel in my class with the students who I feel could use a little more push. Work with Miss Fields." Mr. Roberts instructed sternly, leaving Paige standing in open-mouthed shock.
"Excel?!" Paige repeated incredulously. "Excel?! It's just October! How could he say I already need more pushing?!" She exclaimed indignantly to no one in particular before turning around, instantly becoming uncomfortable when she realized that Emily heard what Mr. Roberts said to her when she saw the girl standing right behind her.
"Wow. Did he just practically tell you that I'm smarter than you? Burn!" Emily said teasingly. "I guess we're stuck writing that paper together then." She continued, oblivious to Paige's sudden discomfort. "Can we meet Saturday afternoon? I have plans on Saturday morning and whole day of Sunday." Emily explained.
Embarrassed at practically being called an underachiever in front of Emily, Paige turned her back to the girl and hastily wrote something on a page of her notebook before tearing part of it off. Facing the girl once again, she handed the piece of paper to Emily. "Nope. Saturday morning." She insisted firmly. "Be at this address around eleven." She instructed, not meeting Emily's eyes.
Emily took the piece of paper the girl was handing to her, about to protest when she finally noticed Paige's demeanor. "I'm kidding. I was kidding." She repeated apologetically when she realized that the girl didn't see the humor of what just happened. She mentally kicked herself for offending the girl. Great. You still haven't found a way to apologize for practically calling her a bastard and now here you are, making fun of her for being told she wasn't motivated enough. I'll never be able to talk to Jai again at this rate. She thought miserably. Just when things were starting to go back to normal. Whatever that is.
Paige knew what Emily thought of her. Compared to Jai, she's practically oozing with slothfulness. But hearing someone refer to her as such, though indirectly, is humiliating. Especially when she's trying. Not hard enough. She reminded herself. "I have to go. Can't be late for my next class." Paige muttered under her breath before hurriedly walking past Emily.
"So do you plan on telling us what happened or do we have to guess?" Spencer finally asked as they watched Emily mindlessly prod her plate of salad during lunch time. "I feel as if in between now and this morning's conversation your mood just got worse." She observed, gently nudging the girl seated beside her.
Emily finally gave up trying to eat the lunch she bought and instead took out one of the five energy bars Paige gave her. She might as well start eating them if she wanted to finish all five bars before the day ends.
"And now you're weird again." Hanna declared. "What's up with the energy bars for lunch? Don't you usually eat those in the morning?"
"Yeah. But Paige and I had a bet about this. I won so she has to eat them with me until Jai returns. Long story short, she said she ate five today so I have to eat five." Emily explained to the girl seated in front of her before reluctantly taking a bite of the bar.
"Did you like, actually, physically, see her eat five?" Aria asked cautiously from beside Hanna. "She could just be making fun of you again, Em."
Emily shook her head. "She isn't. Not today." She said, reminded again of what she did.
"So how was the trip to California?" Hanna asked. "Did something happen? You're unusually quiet ever since you returned."
Emily stared at her friends' worried faces and finally caved. "Paige and I got into a huge fight." She revealed just as Jai's best friend entered the cafeteria. "A real one." She added as she followed Paige's progress across the room.
"What did she do this time?" Spencer asked crossly, her eyes following Paige as well.
"I'd rather not talk about it." Emily said, ashamed. Spencer assuming Paige was always at fault was the reason she was still unable to tell her friends about how horrible she was to Paige. They were going to take her side. Tell her Paige deserved it. And she didn't want her rude behavior to be tolerated.
"Well did you tell Jai? You should tell her." Hanna insisted. "She should know how horrible Paige has been to you since she left."
Emily shook her head. "I'm trying to fix things myself. I don't want Jai to worry everytime Paige and I fight." She explained.
"Wait, why are you the one trying to fix things?" Aria asked, confused.
"Because what happened was my fault." Emily admitted. "I don't want to go into the details. Let's just leave it at that." She pleaded.
"Fine by me. I'd rather not talk about Paige anyway. Not if it meant hearing how horrible she is to you." Spencer said before returning to her lunch. "Let's talk about something else. Like triple play tonight." She said enthusiastically.
Emily groaned inwardly. She was really looking forward to tonight but because she offended Paige earlier again, she couldn't protest when the girl insisted to meet tomorrow morning.
"About that. I can't make it to triple play tonight." Emily said reluctantly.
"What? Why? It's your turn to host." Hanna reminded her. "Finally." She added, making Spencer and Aria hide their grins.
Every month, Emily and her friends spend one Friday night at one of their houses for a 'triple play'. They watch three movies that have one thing in common. Whether it's an actor, a character's name or a title, even as subtle as the name of a street. If there's one thing in common, they get to include it. The host of the triple play for the month has to guess what the three movies have in common. Each movie is chosen by the other three and by the end of the movie marathon (usually early Saturday morning), if the host isn't able to guess the common denominator, she has to host the triple play again the following month. It's fun if you host it once. But hosting one every month is tiring especially if you have to cater to their every whim, from the simplest like an extra pillow, to the ridiculous like a bowl of three parts blue M&Ms, one part yellow. And so far they've been sleeping over at Hanna's for five triple plays now. That's why the girl was looking forward to tonight.
"I know. But I have a paper to write for my film and lit class and Paige wanted to write it tomorrow morning." Emily explained. "I couldn't protest since like I said, I'm trying to fix things."
"You have to write the paper in pairs? How come?" Spencer asked before taking a sip of her bottled water.
"We need to write an essay on why we'd choose to take the blue pill or red pill in that scene from the movie the matrix." Emily answered.
"Ugh. That sucks. Getting Paige as a partner I mean." Spencer said, rolling her eyes in irritation. "It's a good thing you won't have to fight over which pill to take though. Paige would totally choose to take the blue pill."
"No I think she's going to take the red pill." Emily said thoughtfully. "We'd still have to discuss it though. Our choice." She added. "So I won't be able to make it to triple play tonight." She told her friends apologetically. "I promise to host the next two after this one. Let Spencer host tonight instead." She suggested.
"But that would mean having to think of two new films!" Hanna complained.
"Hey compared to Em having to write that paper with Paige you two have it easier." Spencer reminded Aria and Hanna.
"We have to outsmart you. How is that easier?! Can you at least finish the films this time before guessing?" Aria asked, leaning close to Hanna to start talking about movies.
Emily tuned out the rest of the chatter, smiling and nodding her head occasionally to pretend she was still listening. She found herself following Paige's movement as the girl left the cafeteria. If Spencer was right and Paige wanted to take the blue pill, they would end up arguing about it tomorrow. Because taking the blue pill meant staying and she wasn't in a hurry to leave this place anytime soon.
"Come on. Stay after breakfast." Kayla pleaded for the tenth time as she expertly flipped the pancake she was cooking before turning to face the girl standing next to her.
Paige smiled at Kayla's ease around the kitchen. "You have the makings of a chef." She commented as she tore a piece off one of the pancakes that Kayla stacked on a serving plate and popped it in her mouth. "Sorry but I can't. I have a paper to write with Sniffles then I have to start writing my personal essay for my college applications. Don't you have homework anyway?" She reminded the girl as she began chewing, moving to tear another piece off the pancake she began eating earlier.
Kayla playfully swatted Paige's hand off the pancakes. "Done with it. And hands off breakfast." She warned.
"I can't help it. I'm starving and it's really good." Paige said, making Kayla grin. "And you're lying about being done with your homework. I can tell."
"I'm doing it tomorrow." Kayla promised. "Come on. We can play pool?" She suggested.
"I'm really sorry." Paige said reluctantly.
"Whatever." Kayla replied nonchalantly, finally giving up trying to convince Paige to spend time with her. "You seem to be doing well and if I had known that Emily wasn't going to be able to make it today, I wouldn't have come home this weekend. You know how much I hate staying here." She said, glancing at Paige meaningfully.
Paige sighed. "I do. I'm sorry you're stuck with babysitter duties. You know how your sister is." She said, seemingly hurt.
"What? Come on. I didn't mean for it to sound like that." Kayla said hurriedly. "Yeah she reminded me to look after you. But even if she didn't I still would. I just meant that it sucks that I'm stuck in this house while you write a boring paper." She complained before pouring another perfect portion of the pancake batter in the skillet. "Oh hey. Maybe I can stay over while you and Emily write that paper? I promise I'll behave." She said eagerly.
"The last time you said that I ended up with a huge gash on my knee. Not to mention I had to take an impromptu swim in the pool with my clothes on." Paige reminded Kayla. "I'm not falling for that again."
"I apologized for that countless times!" Kayla protested. "And that was because of the prank I pulled on Em and Jai. I've matured since then. Please? I'm so bored here. All my friends are back in Girard."
"I really can't today Kayla. How about tomorrow?" Paige suggested, trying to make the girl feel better.
"Promise?" Kayla asked, looking at Paige expectantly.
Paige nodded. "Yeah." She answered sincerely.
Kayla beamed. "Cool." She said before looking past Paige when she saw Logan enter the kitchen. "Hey dad." She said in greeting.
Logan looked up from his phone and glanced at his daughter and Paige. "Girls." He said, nodding unobtrusively. "Paige. You're here early." He observed before returning to checking his phone for messages.
"Yeah. Started running early so I decided to help Kayla with breakfast." Paige explained, risking a glance at the girl who was now nervously turning over and over in her hand the spatula she had been using to cook the pancakes.
"Is everything okay?" Logan asked, looking at Paige worriedly.
Paige nodded. "Yeah. Everything's fine. I just wanted to keep trying to improve my times." She said, crossing her fingers behind her.
"I made your favorite." Kayla finally interjected, pointing to the stack of pancakes near Paige. She got up at the crack of dawn to prepare her dad's favorite breakfast, Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes. "Oh. Emily said she won't be able to eat breakfast with us this morning. She and her dad are going hiking." Kayla explained before removing from the skillet the pancake she just finished cooking.
Logan glanced at the stack of pancakes Kayla made. "Then you shouldn't have cooked so many. It's just you and Paige having breakfast this morning. I told you last night that I have a meeting with the board of Rosewood Gen for the trick or treat event next week." He reminded his daughter before looking at his phone again.
"Oh." Kayla uttered, the disappointment in her face unnoticed by her father. She didn't forget about the board meeting. That's why she woke up early in the first place. So they could have breakfast before Logan left.
"Clean up after you're done here." Logan reminded his daughter distractedly.
"Take some to the hospital." Kayla suggested, moving to get a Tupperware from the cupboard.
"I'd rather not." Logan said, making Kayla stop in her tracks. "They're going to serve a heavy breakfast after the meeting. It's best if I go on an empty stomach." He explained.
"You know what?" Paige suddenly said, noticing Kayla's disappointment. "I have an idea. Since we probably won't be able to finish all of these, we could just swing by the homeless shelter after breakfast; make them taste your cooking?" She suggested, looking at Kayla and Logan.
Logan nodded thoughtfully. "That's a good idea Paige. It's something Jai would definitely do if she were here. Glad to know she still inspires people even if she's not around." He said, smiling at them. "Well I'm off. I'll see you later honey." He said before leaving the kitchen without waiting for Kayla's response.
"Yeah." Kayla said quietly. "Have a nice day." She added before facing the kitchen counter to start cleaning up.
Paige took out her phone and hurriedly sent a message to Emily before touching Kayla's arm lightly. "Let's cook a few more batches. I don't think we have enough. They're really good." She added, smiling at the girl.
"It's fine Paige. You need to get home to write that paper with Emily." Kayla reminded the girl as she busied herself with transferring the pancakes she made into a Tupperware. "You should take these with you. Give some to Gwen and to Emily."
"What? No way. I don't want Gwen to feel threatened by your cooking and Sniffles hasn't earned the right to taste your cooking. Those people at the homeless shelter should definitely taste these. I'm not gonna deprive them of that. Sniffles can wait." Paige said reassuringly. "Come on. Show me how you made these then when we have enough let's go to the shelter. Afterwards let's watch a movie or two in your home theatre upstairs. I can write the paper tonight instead. Sounds good?" She asked, changing her plans at the last minute.
Kayla finally smiled. "Maybe we should eat a few first." She suggested timidly.
Paige nodded. "Definitely. I wouldn't say no to that. But let's multitask. Show me while we eat. How do you make them so perfectly round anyway?" She inquired as she moved to finish the pancake she started eating earlier, standing next to Kayla as the girl moved to pour another portion of the batter in the skillet.
"Okay. So the trick is actually in the wrist. You do it like so..." Kayla began, her mood noticeably better as she showed Paige how she made her pancakes.
At exactly seven that night, Emily unenthusiastically approached the towering house in front of her, checking the address Paige wrote on the piece of paper again. She barely remembered this place and as she stood on the driveway, she almost forgot her irritation at the girl for the sudden change in their plans that morning, unable to believe that Paige lived in a mansion. The girl's house was almost as big as Jai's. She nervously made her way towards the front porch and found the doorbell, ringing it twice. Emily had to remind herself that she still owed Paige an apology as she forced a smile on her face, expecting to see the girl behind the door but a woman in her late 40s with kind eyes and a warm smile answered it instead.
"Oh. Good evening. I'm here for Paige?" Emily said, breaking into a genuine smile.
The woman was about to respond when Paige herself appeared behind her.
"I got it Gwen. Thanks." Paige said, giving the woman a small smile as she moved forward to open the door wider and let Emily in.
Emily timidly entered the house and watched Paige close the door behind her before turning her attention back to the woman.
Gwen smiled at Emily and turned to face Paige. "Should I prepare something for you and..." She said, trailing off as she waited for Paige to introduce her visitor.
Emily knew that Paige wasn't going to say her actual name so she answered for herself before Paige introduced her as Sniffles. "Emily." She provided, smiling at the woman kindly.
"Emily, to eat?" Gwen continued, looking at Paige again.
Paige looked at Emily questioningly. "Have you had dinner yet?" She asked.
Emily nodded. "I ate before I came over." She answered.
"Well just in case." Paige started. "Please bring a bowl of chips and something to drink in my room." She instructed Gwen.
The woman nodded and left the two girls to themselves, heading to the kitchen to prepare the food Paige asked her to bring upstairs. Emily's eyes followed the woman's retreating back for a moment before she turned her attention to Paige.
"Who's Gwen?" Emily asked.
"Housekeeper." Paige answered vaguely.
"It's just you two tonight?" Emily asked, noticing the heavy silence in the spacious house.
"Why? Do you plan on robbing my house?" Paige asked, amused.
Emily shook her head, smiling wryly. "I just thought your dad would be home or something." She admitted, studying Paige. "I was kinda nervous actually. Meeting him in case he's here."
"Don't be. He's usually out of town during weekends. It's just me and Gwen tonight. Whenever he's away Gwen spends nights here." Paige explained.
I don't want her to be alone. Jai's words suddenly came back to Emily and as she continued to study Paige, she couldn't help but wonder what the two girls were hiding from her. She managed to give the girl a small smile and forced herself to study the inside of Paige's house instead, not bothering to conceal her awe. "So this is where you live." She began. "It's..."
"Bare?" Paige supplied, looking around them as well.
Emily shook her head. "I was going to say..." She tried again.
"Cold?" Paige finished for the girl.
Emily chuckled. "Will you stop describing your house using negative words? It's amazing." She admitted. She walked towards the console table near the entrance and studied the framed photos of a young Paige and her dad and several of them and Gwen. Emily realized Gwen wasn't merely a housekeeper in Paige's life. She was considered as part of the family but she decided to keep that to herself.
"You and your dad are really close, huh?" Emily said, looking at Paige again.
"Yeah. Although it wasn't always that way." Paige said quietly as she stared at a photo of them on the table. "But I think next to Jai he's my best friend now." She added.
"I'm a daddy's girl myself." Emily admitted, smiling at Paige.
Paige scoffed. "I doubt we have the same idea of the term 'daddy's girl'." She said coolly. "I don't exactly have a complete set of parents remember?"
Emily bit her lower lip, suddenly reminded that she's yet to apologize for the things she said to Paige. "Well at least yours is around most of the time. My dad's in the army so I rarely get a chance to see him." She said lightly.
"Isn't he home now?" Paige asked, looking at Emily curiously. "You two went hiking this morning." She reminded the girl.
Emily nodded. "He is. But it's not enough. He's leaving again before Christmas." She said, smiling sadly. Emily continued to study the photos, noticing something strange. But before she could point it out, Paige spoke up.
"My room's this way." Paige said, knowing what Emily observed. "Come on. I've got the matrix on blu-ray in case we decide to watch that part of the film again." Paige said as she led the way upstairs.
Emily wordlessly followed, studying the framed photos that hung on the walls of the hallway. The photos told a story of a once happy life. Emily observed each frame as she glanced at the photos of a young and cheerful Paige. But the story was incomplete. It was like Paige's life stopped when she was around eight. All the frames held photos of a young Paige. No grown-up ones. And there wasn't a single photo of Paige's mom. It was mostly photos of her and her dad and her and Gwen. What really happened to her family?
Paige pushed the door of her bedroom to let Emily in, holding it open until both of them were inside before releasing it to let it swing close. "We really don't lock doors in this house." She explained when she saw Emily's gaze linger on the door which was missing a knob.
Emily nodded before taking in the girl's bedroom. "So this is your room." She said, looking around the spacious area. "I feel as if I just entered some sort of sacred ground." She admitted. She looked to the far end of the room and saw that Gwen already brought up the bowl of chips and beverages Paige asked for earlier.
"You are. So don't touch anything." Paige warned. "You might accidentally discover my hidden chamber and I'm in the middle of a sacrificial offer when you arrived." She revealed, keeping her expression neutral.
"You're so funny." Emily shot back.
Paige furrowed her brows. "Who said I was kidding?" She asked, confused. When she saw the uncertainty in Emily's eyes, she continued. "Oh don't worry. You're perfectly safe. I only offer virgins." Paige said reassuringly.
Emily rolled her eyes and chose to ignore Paige's remark, knowing if she protested Paige would make fun of her again, this time for not putting out for her best friend when they've been together for almost three years. "My room can fit in your room." She said instead, starting to study Paige's things. She walked towards the girl's bureau and felt her lips curl into a smile.
"Who's this little guy?" Emily asked as she faced Paige and held up a stuffed toy of an orange monkey with yellow lips wearing a greenish tan T-shirt, bright red neckerchief, black pants/shoes, and greenish tan beanie hat with blue stripe.
"It's Lazlo." Paige explained. "Of Camp Lazlo? Cartoon Network?" She said when she saw Emily's confused look.
"Okay but why do you have this? I didn't peg you to be the type of girl who's into stuffed toys. What, you're crazy about monkeys?" Emily asked as she started playing with the stuffed toy.
"It's a spidermonkey." Paige corrected, starting to get uncomfortable. "Now put him down and let's get to work."
"That doesn't really answer my question." Emily said teasingly.
Paige rolled her eyes. "It's a gift." She answered. "Will you please stop going through my stuff?!" Paige exclaimed.
"Hey. You've been in my room. Twice." Emily reminded the girl. "I'm just making the most out of my visit to yours." She said smugly.
"Need I remind you that you and my best friend threw me out of your room as soon as my feet landed inside? I hardly had time to look at your prized possessions the first time I was in there! And I was too busy setting up for your webcam birthday party with my best friend to look around the second time so stop going through my stuff!" Paige exclaimed in frustration, making Emily laugh. "Will you just come over here so we could start this paper?" She asked as she gestured for Emily to join her at her study table.
"It's your fault we're starting this thing late." Emily reminded the girl as she put down the stuffed toy and walked over to Paige, sitting on the chair the girl offered her. "If I had known that you were going to cancel on me I would've insisted we meet tonight instead. I ended up canceling triple play with my friends." She revealed, still annoyed at the sudden change in their plans.
"It's not like I planned to cancel on you on purpose. Like I said when I texted you this morning, something came up." Paige explained.
"Yeah. That's one other thing. That's probably the worst explanation I've ever gotten." Emily blurted out. "Something came up? Seriously? What came up?" She asked.
Paige sighed. "Kayla and I..." She began.
"Again?!" Emily exclaimed, exasperated. "Paige I know it's not my business but what's the real deal between you two? Do you like her or something?"
"What?" Paige asked disbelievingly. "It's not like that okay? Kayla needed me this morning. I wasn't planning on spending time with her today. But something came up and I changed my mind." She insisted.
"What came up?" Emily asked again.
"It doesn't concern you." Paige said earnestly. "I apologize for ruining whatever triple play is supposed to be. Let's just write the paper okay?" She asked, suddenly exhausted.
"Okay." Emily agreed, feeling as if they were on the brink of getting into another fight and she didn't want that to happen so she decided to let the matter drop. "And triple play is sort of a movie marathon. My friends and I do it once a month." She explained. "I can't stay long by the way. Let's just decide who writes which paper then meet on Monday morning to discuss our papers before we submit it. I want to get home before Jai calls." She said, touching the locket on her necklace instinctively.
"Don't you two ever run out of things to talk about?" Paige asked, exasperated.
"Not really. I don't expect you to understand but I like telling her about my day and hearing about hers." Emily explained, her hand absentmindedly playing with the locket.
"Really. So how come Jai asked me this morning if you're mad at her for asking you to go to L.A.? She said you haven't answered her calls since we came back from California." Paige stated, studying Emily closely. When the girl didn't say anything, she continued. "You don't have to worry. I didn't tell her about what happened and I'm not planning to. Like I said, I'd rather forget the whole thing. You can tell her whatever you want." She said dismissively. "She's worried sick so will you just talk to her? Tell her what you had for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ask her what she had for dessert. Tell her how work was. Let her tell you about how the professors at King's think she's the brightest intern they've seen in years." She rambled on. "Just start talking or something. It must be killing you, not being able to talk to her for days."
Emily nodded. "It is. But it's not just about talking. Sometimes I just want to hear her voice." She explained wryly. "Don't you miss her?"
"I do." Paige admitted. "I guess just not as much as you." She added, glancing at the locket on Emily's necklace.
Emily noticed Paige watching her play with the locket and she forced her hand to let go of it. "Okay." She said, taking a deep breath. "Mr. Roberts said one of us should take the blue pill and the other the red pill." Emily began. "I choose..."
"Blue pill." They said at the same time.
"I'm writing about the blue pill." Emily repeated.
"I want to write about the blue pill!" Paige insisted.
"You know that taking the blue pill means staying in the matrix." Emily reminded the girl.
"So?" Paige asked.
"So this is the matrix. Why would you want to stay here?" Emily asked cautiously. She really thought Paige would insist on taking the red pill when she remembered the pain she saw in the girl's eyes when they were in California and at the airport when they bid goodbye to Jai. "This is the illusion."
"No this is my reality. I want to take the blue pill to go to the illusion." Paige explained.
Emily shook her head emphatically. "It doesn't work that way! Mr. Roberts said this is the matrix. If you take the blue pill you stay here. The red wakes you up." She insisted.
"What? No. He said this is the matrix. That's it. Whether this is your illusion or your reality is up to you. That's the whole point. If this is your reality, you take the blue pill and you wake up to the illusion. The red, you stay here." Paige reasoned out.
"No. That's not the way it works! The blue pill lets you stay. The red wakes you up." Emily repeated, getting fed up with Paige's hardheadedness.
"Why can't it be my way? I'm the one taking the pill." Paige said stubbornly.
"Unless you're the long-lost sister of the Wachowski brothers, you don't have a say in it. That's the way they made the film. Stick to it!" Emily reprimanded the girl. She watched Paige furrow her brows in concentration, thinking about which pill to take now. "So which pill do you want?" Emily asked after a moment of silence passed between them.
"Blue pill." Paige stated.
Emily stared at Paige disbelievingly. "Still?!" She asked.
"He said there is no right or wrong answer." Paige reminded the girl. "I'm taking the blue pill." She repeated.
"No I'm taking the blue pill!" Emily insisted.
Paige sighed. "Okay Jai isn't here to mediate so we have to settle this fast before we end up spending the entire night arguing." She said, not wanting to fight with the girl seriously again.
"How do you suggest we do that?" Emily asked.
Paige looked around her room and saw a deck of cards on her study table. She quickly took it and shuffled it. "Higher card takes the blue pill." She said before placing the stack of cards between them. She and Emily both drew one card from the stack. "What did you get?" Paige asked.
"You first." Emily said, grinning smugly.
Paige rolled her eyes, annoyed at Emily's arrogance. "I got a two." Paige said, facing her card up reluctantly.
Emily eyes twinkled with laughter. "I guess I'm taking the blue pill." She declared as she turned face up the ace of hearts card.
Paige stared at the card incredulously. "What? No way! Two is higher than one! I get the blue pill!" She corrected.
Emily shook her head. "Everyone knows ace is the highest card." She stated. "You go two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king, ace." She emphasized.
Paige scoffed. "No. It's ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king!" She exclaimed, not willing to let Emily get her way.
They glared at each other for a moment before looking away. "Ugh." They said at the same time, frustrated.
Emily glanced at Paige, biting her lower lip before speaking. "Rock, paper, scissors?" She asked hesitantly.
"You do realize it's irrational to bring a bike to school and then walk beside it instead of ride in it. I mean, what's the point?" Emily asked as she and Paige walked to school on Monday morning.
After a few more bickering about who writes for which pill last Saturday night, they finally agreed to write for both instead and meet early Monday to decide which paper to submit once they get a chance to read each other's work. Emily came over to Paige's house again but because they spent most of the morning bickering once again after reading the other's paper, they ended up wasting time and before they knew it, it was time to go to school.
"The point is I get to strut my bike around town. Let people admire it." Paige explained as she examined every inch of her bike for scratch marks.
"Showoff." Emily muttered under her breath, shaking her head.
"Besides, I ride it on my way home." Paige continued, choosing to ignore Emily's comment.
Emily laughed. "That makes much less sense. You're not in a hurry to go home so that's the right time to walk beside your bike." She argued.
"But I don't go home in the afternoon. I mean not right away. I have to go somewhere first and it's far so I need to ride my bike." Paige explained.
"Where do you go?" Emily asked nonchalantly. She still wanted to get to know Paige and if the girl kept refusing to engage in actual conversations with her, she figured she'd observe the girl's actions and read between the lines instead. But even that wasn't easy.
"You're not my friend so I don't need to tell you." Paige said stubbornly. She glanced to her left at the girl walking beside her. "Why are you walking with me to school again?" She asked.
"Because we couldn't decide which papers to submit." Emily reminded her. "I had to tell my friends to go ahead or they're going to be late as well. Since I'm at your house anyway, I thought we might as well walk to school together." She explained. "Like friends." She added.
"But we're not friends." Paige argued.
"I'm trying here." Emily said, stopping to face Paige.
"Don't. It's pointless." Paige stated, facing Emily as well. "You and I..." She stopped mid-sentence when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Acting fast, she stepped forward much to Emily's surprise. "Watch it!" Paige suddenly exclaimed when she saw a boy riding his skateboard whizz past behind Emily. Before she knew what she was doing, she was gripping Emily firmly on the arm, pulling the girl away from walking too close to the street.
Not used to being touched by the girl, Emily gasped at the sudden contact, seeming to recoil from Paige's touch. This was the first time she and Paige had actual physical contact and she was so surprised that she flinched.
"Watch where you're going!" Paige yelled after the boy who just waved his hand behind him in apology. She turned her attention back to Emily to ask if the girl was fine but she saw Emily staring at her hand which was still gripping the girl's arm. She suddenly became aware of Emily's discomfort about their proximity and she quickly removed her hand. "Sorry." Paige muttered, embarrassed. "You should stay on this part of the sidewalk. It's safer." She said quietly before changing places with Emily.
"Thanks." Emily said when she finally found her voice, mentally berating herself for flinching when Paige touched her. "Sorry. I was just caught off guard when you..."
"It's fine." Paige interrupted, shrugging. "No harm done. You pretty much tell me I'm repulsive, right? Shouldn't surprise me that when I touch you you'd flinch. You have our papers, right?" She asked as she got on her bike. "Submit my red one and your blue one like we talked about. I'll see you at school Sniffles. Don't walk too close to the pavement. Jai is going to kill me if you get so much as a scratch on you." She reminded the girl before pedaling away.
"Wow. You look like medusa." Hanna said in greeting the moment Emily sat down beside her to join them for lunch.
"Thanks." Emily said, smiling wryly as she ran a hand through her hair, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
"Relax. You're medusa's way too distant relative. You could turn her into stone." Aria said reassuringly, smiling at the girl seated in front of her. "What happened anyway? You look sleep-deprived and it's just Monday."
"Had to pull an all-nighter to write that paper for my film and lit class." Emily reminded her friends.
"Yeah that's what I don't get when you told us not to wait for you this morning. Didn't you and Paige write that paper last Saturday?" Spencer asked from beside Aria.
Emily stifled a yawn. "We were supposed to meet Saturday morning to write it but then she had to cancel at the last minute. Don't ask." She added when she saw her friends' looks of disbelief. "We met that night instead but I wanted to get home before Jai called so instead of writing the paper together, I told her we should just decide who writes for which pill and then meet today before we submit it to Mr. Roberts. But then we couldn't decide who writes for which pill." She explained.
"So what did you two do? Grab each other's hair?!" Spencer exclaimed, concerned. "With Jai gone that couldn't have been easy."
Emily shook her head, smiling wryly. "No, it wasn't. Turns out we both wanted the same pill. We tried drawing cards. The one with the higher card gets it. But then I drew an ace and we can't decide whether it's higher or lower than her two. Drawing another card was pointless since that won't answer the question of which card was really higher the first time. So then I suggested we play rock, paper, scissors."
"How did that one turn out?" Hanna asked, amused.
Emily sighed. "It's like we could read each other's minds. When I do rock, she does rock, when I do paper, she does paper. Drawing straws didn't seem fair since if one of us tore the strips of paper we'd know which is the longest. Rolling the dice didn't get us anywhere. Finally she suggested we write for both, exchange works after and pick which is better." She concluded.
"That actually worked?" Aria asked, surprised.
"Yeah. Unfortunately it took me all night to write two papers. It's like I didn't have a partner for the assignment. I ended up arguing with myself." Emily said, exasperated. "If the paper had to be submitted by the end of the week it would have been fine. Challenging yourself to think why you'd want the blue and the red. But because we had to submit it today I didn't have time to write a good one." She admitted.
"I think you're still gonna get an A, Em. Don't sweat it." Spencer said reassuringly. "So who ended up with which pill?"
"I submitted my paper on the red pill, Paige got the blue. I read her paper on the red and it was..." Emily said, trailing off.
"Full of crap?" Hanna supplied.
Emily shook her head. "No. It was good. Both her papers were good." She admitted as her eyes caught sight of Paige entering the cafeteria. "It was just different from the rest. Mr. Roberts would give her a failing grade if she insisted on her version of the matrix. I had to submit her blue one." She explained, only telling them half the truth as to why she changed the papers at the last minute. She needed to talk to Paige later and tell the girl of her decision.
"It makes much more sense that you'd submit your paper on the red pill anyway." Aria commented. "Paige still can't seem to accept the reality that she has to share Jai with you."
Spencer smiled. "You noticed that too, huh?" She said wryly. "I thought I was the only one who was thinking that Paige is so horrible to Em because she feels threatened. Jai is like, her only friend. Em entering Jai's life mustn't have been easy on her."
"It's not like that." Emily said, studying Paige from the corner of her eye. "Believe me. She's not threatened. And you guys are great friends for always having my back. But I'm trying to be her friend. For Jai's sake. So can you all please try to be nice to her?" She pleaded.
"We can try." Hanna said, exchanging wary looks with Spencer and Aria. "But if she so much as hurts a lock of hair on that medusa head of yours all hell is gonna break loose." She promised.
Emily laughed. "Thank you but please stop with the medusa comment!" She exclaimed. "She's not so bad." She added earnestly, refusing to explain what she just said to her friends as her eyes met Paige's briefly from across the room.
Paige absentmindedly went about placing things inside her duffel bag, in a hurry to leave the locker room after swim practice. She had a couple of hours to spare before her appointment later this afternoon and she wanted to run a few miles to pass the time. She was so out of it that she jumped back in surprise when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she rolled her eyes when she found herself face to face with Emily.
"See? I told you it caught me off guard." Emily said, giving the girl a small smile before removing her hand from Paige's shoulder. "I didn't mean to startle you. I just came over to say I'm sorry about earlier. I was just surprised. That was the first time you were that close to me." She explained.
"And like I said, it's not a big deal." Paige insisted, returning to what she was doing.
"Can you stop for a second?" Emily asked, moving to stand beside Paige's locker. "I need to tell you something." She said nervously.
Paige checked the time on her watch and nodded, placing the rest of her things inside her bag before closing the door of her locker and facing Emily. "Talk fast." She demanded.
Emily nodded. "Don't be mad but that paper you wrote. Why you want to take the blue pill. I submitted yours at the last minute. Not mine." She confessed anxiously.
"Why?" Paige asked, confused. "I thought we decided yours was better?"
Emily sighed and sat down on one of the wooden locker room benches, licking her lips uneasily before looking up at Paige. "You said you know me. Why do you think I changed it?" She asked quietly.
Paige studied Emily for a moment before taking a seat beside the girl, her duffel bag the only thing separating them. "Because admitting that you don't want to wake up from this reality is not something people would expect of you. You think they expect you to be brave. Face everything head on." She guessed.
Emily nodded subtly, ashamed. "Your reason for taking the blue pill is better anyway. Staying because you believe that things will somehow get better eventually." She added.
Paige scoffed. "It's not better. It makes me feel like I'm a coward for refusing to wake up." She corrected.
Emily smiled warily. "So does mine." She admitted. "Those things you said to me. Back in L.A. After I read your paper I was actually surprised that you still thought that way. Despite the pain I saw in your eyes. You still chose to take the blue pill for that reason and it's… admirable." Emily said, finally finding the word she was looking for.
"Well I saw your paper on the red pill. It's good. You were right to submit it." Paige said, staring at the row of lockers in front of them.
"But it's not me. The reason I wanted to take that red pill. That's the kind of reason teachers want to read. A reason written to get an A plus. It speaks of bravery. But it's not me. Those things I said in the paper… it's not how I really feel." Emily said quietly. She looked at Paige. "You said you know me. The real me. So you know that I'm a coward for not wanting to give all of this up for something that isn't certain. What if I take the red pill and I don't like what I wake up to? Yours was better. Both the blue and red pill arguments." She said sincerely.
"How come?" Paige asked, turning to face Emily.
"Because when you finally listened to me and tried to see things from Mr. Roberts' perspective, your reason remained the same. Either way, whether you took the red or blue one. Yours was one of hope. The reason why you'd take either pill. If you took the blue, hope that when you wake up and stayed, things will get better. And if you took the red, hope that things are better on the other side. Yours was better." Emily admitted, not bothering to hide her awe with Paige's way of thinking.
Paige shrugged. "I've been through so much crap I figured it could only get better." She said dismissively, focusing her attention on the row of lockers once again. They sat in heavy silence for a moment before Paige spoke up again. "And I don't think it's not you entirely. The one who was brave enough to take that red pill." She added. "I think it's the you you hope to be one day. I think that matters too. That takes a lot of courage and right now you're just not ready. But it doesn't mean you're a coward for choosing to stay. I would too if I had your life." She admitted, meeting Emily's gaze. "One would be crazy to want to wake up. You have everything you want here. Happy family, fiercely loyal friends, stable and loving relationship with someone who's got everything figured out. I understand why you'd want to stay. It doesn't make you a coward. And I think one day you'll find the courage to take that red pill. When it truly matters, you'd take that leap of faith."
Emily gave Paige a grateful smile. For a moment she felt like she was seeing part of the real Paige again and she was starting to understand what Jai kept telling her. When Paige wasn't being a jerk to her, the girl had her shining moments. She took a deep breath before speaking. "Paige I'm really sorry. For everything I said in L.A. I know you don't want me to apologize and that you just want to forget what happened. But I can't. Because you deserve that apology. So I'm sorry." She said sincerely.
Paige nodded. "Well I never apologized too. For what happened at Jai's going away party. When Kayla and I barged in. We didn't mean to interrupt anything." She added.
"You weren't." Emily said firmly.
"And I wasn't making fun of you. I was making fun of Jai. I'm sorry if it seemed like I was using that situation to get a rise out of you. I wasn't." Paige continued.
Emily suddenly grinned. "So does this mean we're friends now?" She asked hopefully.
"What?" Paige exclaimed. "No we're not. We'll never be friends." She insisted, shaking her head stubbornly. "Nope. Not friends."
"I think we're almost there." Emily declared optimistically, making Paige shake her head harder. "So as almost friends, can I ask you something?" She asked hesitantly.
"We're not almost friends." Paige insisted. She sighed when she saw Emily's anxious look. "What's the question? Spit it out. I'm gonna be late."
Emily grinned. "It's about Kayla. You said you had to cancel on me because something important came up. Something that involves Kayla. And she's home a lot lately. I mean, since Jai left." She began.
Paige groaned inwardly. She didn't like where the conversation was heading. "I guess. What's it to you?" She asked, waiting for Emily's question.
"Nothing. It's just that when Jai was around she practically had to beg Kayla to get on the bus to visit her and their dad during the weekend." Emily continued.
"Your point being?" Paige inquired warily.
"I just think there's a reason why she's always home during the weekend even if Jai isn't here." Emily said, a smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. It was time Paige realized how Kayla felt about her.
"Like?" Paige asked. She didn't like the way Emily was staring at her.
"You." Emily stated.
"Me?" Paige uttered, wondering if Emily figured out her secret.
Emily nodded. "Yeah. I think Kayla really fancies you." She finally blurted out.
Paige snorted, relieved that Emily was still in the dark. "Fancies me? What era are you from? No one uses that word anymore." She taunted.
"So you know she has a thing for you." Emily said, ignoring Paige's attempt to change the subject.
"No. I doubt Kayla likes me that way." Paige said wryly.
"Why not?" Emily asked, confused.
"Have you seen me?" Paige asked, looking at Emily incredulously.
Emily nodded. "Yeah. You're stunning. She'd be crazy not to notice it." She said matter-of-factly. She suddenly felt self-conscious when she noticed that Paige wasn't looking at her anymore. "What's wrong? Do I have something on my mouth?" She asked as she brought her hand to her lips to touch it.
Paige shook her head. "No." She answered, managing to keep her voice normal despite the sudden quickening of her pulse.
"So. Now that you know. Are you going to ask her out?" Emily asked.
"Because you think she fancies me? No." Paige replied as she shook her head for emphasis, willing her brain to function and forget what Emily just said to her.
"Why not? You look good together." Emily stated.
Paige sighed. "One, Jai's going to kill me if I dare even look at Kayla that way. Two, like I told Jai, she's not my type." She explained, tired of saying those words over and over again.
"Well one, Jai thinks you're going to break her sister's heart that's why she told you to stay away. Get past that and you're free to date her. And two, just give it a try. Maybe she is exactly your type." Emily said encouragingly.
"No thanks." Paige said, shaking her head.
"Come on." Emily persisted.
"Will you please stop trying to set me up with Jai's younger sister? It's like incest." Paige explained, starting to get annoyed.
Emily studied Paige for a moment before breaking into a grin. "I think you like someone that's why you're not making a move." She began.
"I don't." Paige shot back, willing herself to stay calm.
"Yes you do. You were thinking about her just now!" Emily exclaimed, suddenly eager to know who the girl is.
"What?! I'm not!" Paige protested weakly.
Emily laughed. "Just tell me who it is. Come on. Just tell me her name." She coaxed.
"Emily just drop it." Paige pleaded, instantly realizing what she just did as she met Emily's eyes uneasily, hoping the girl would overlook the slipup just now.
Emily saw the fear in Paige's eyes and chose to ignore what just happened. "Why won't you tell me her name?" She asked after a beat, her voice unusually hoarse as she pretended not to notice that Paige just said her name for the first time. She didn't know what to make of it and why Paige seemed so terrified just now.
"I'd rather not." Paige said, looking away.
"Why?" Emily asked, willing the girl to talk to her.
"She's not available and she's way out of my league." Paige explained quietly.
"Paige I still don't know you that well… but the part of you I've seen? I find it hard to believe that this girl won't fall for you." Emily said gently.
Paige sighed. "Like I said, she's not available. Regardless of what you hear about me, I am not one to ruin a relationship. It doesn't even matter if she could fall for me or not. I'm not going to make a move when it's clear she's with someone." She said adamantly.
"Wow. You really have it bad for this girl. As your almost friend, I have to meet her and tell her what she's missing out on." Emily declared, trying to lighten the mood between them but it backfired instead.
Paige stood up abruptly. "If there's nothing else, I'm gonna go ahead. I'll see you around." She said tersely, zipping her duffel bag close and slinging the strap on her shoulder. She hurriedly made her way towards the door, not risking another glance at the confused girl she left behind.
Emily followed Paige's retreating back, bewildered by the girl's odd behavior just now. What was that about? She thought to herself as she stood up and left the locker room as well. And why did Paige look so scared when she said my name?
Paige forced her feet to run faster, attempting to clear her mind of all thoughts of Emily Fields as she concentrated on the trail she chose to run this afternoon. Their conversation earlier made her feel flustered and she had a feeling she was losing another battle. As she jumped over a piece of protruding rock, Paige found herself thinking more and more about the conversation they had earlier. About Kayla having a thing for her. But that little piece of information didn't bother her. It didn't bother her at all. Because Kayla having a thing for her was cute. She never saw Jai's little sister that way and she knew it was just a harmless crush. It didn't bother Paige. What bothered her was Emily's candid answer as to why Kayla would have a thing for her.
Have you seen me?
Yeah, you're stunning.
Paige almost lost her balance but she had been running for most of her life to know how to stop herself from stumbling. Recovering, she continued to run, choosing a less challenging path. A smoother, less complicated trail as she ran again.
You're stunning.
Paige finally stopped running. It was futile. Trying to run away from something when it already caught up to her. Resting her hands on her knees as she leaned forward to catch her breath, she checked the time on her watch. Fifteen minutes. She had been running for merely fifteen minutes. Usually this much running wasn't enough to make her heart race so fast. Paige sighed, feeling a sense of dread overwhelm her. Her heart was racing and she knew it wasn't because of all the running she just did.
You're stunning.
Paige swallowed hard. Damn it. She cursed herself inwardly. It caught up to her. She didn't know when or how. But somehow it caught up to her. The feelings she had for the insanely beautiful and completely off limits Emily Fields she thought were long gone found a way to catch up to her and she had a feeling she will never be able to outrun it again.