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.
So after this chapter I'm gonna go on a one week break. Not because of work (well kinda because of it too) but because of a mini time jump in the story. Chapter VI of Part I is gonna start a few months later and I can't explain it... but I feel as if a one week hiatus is necessary to the flow of the story. Now and then I'm gonna go on a one week hiatus. Once Part I ends I'm gonna go on another break before posting the first chapter of Part II. And I really can't explain why, LOL. I just feel comfortable doing that sort of thing for this fic.
Nae10, iowahawx, jme2887 & tvb123... Thanks for the PM.
PART ONE: "Mutantur Omnia Nos Et Mutamur In Illis"
~ All things change, and we change with them. ~
CHAPTER FIVE
"Come on. Come on. Come on. Pick up." Paige muttered under her breath as she restlessly drummed the fingers of her right hand on the surface of her study table.
The second Paige got home from her appointment, she bolted to her room and grabbed the handset of the cordless phone sitting on top of her desk. Before Jai left for London, she insisted that Paige know the phone number of the Figueroas, the family she'll be staying with during her internship. Paige initially protested saying she didn't plan on calling her best friend while she's there but Jai told her to memorize it in case of emergencies. Well this is an emergency. A big one.
"Hey. It's me." Paige blurted out the second the person at the other end of the line picked up. "Is Jai busy? I really need to talk to her." She said urgently.
Paige exhaled the breath she didn't know she was holding in all this time once the person at the other end of the line assured her that Jai wasn't too busy to take her call then went to get her best friend. She ran a hand through her hair before pinching the corners of her mouth with her thumb and middle finger, trying to calm her nerves as she waited for Jai to get to the phone.
"When are you getting back?" Paige said into the phone anxiously as soon as she heard Jai's voice at the other end of the line.
"Oh my god Paige I thought something horrible happened!" Jai exclaimed. "I said call me if there's an emergency!"
"This is an emergency." Paige insisted. Getting restless, she stood up and began pacing the length of her room. "When are you getting back?" She repeated.
"Paige I just left last month." Jai reminded her best friend.
Paige nodded several times, closing her eyes in distress. "I know. But when are you getting back?" She asked once again.
"Do you miss me that much already?" Jai asked, laughing.
"If I say yes will you hop on a plane now and come home? You need to come home." Paige pleaded.
"What's wrong?" Jai asked, suddenly aware of the strain in Paige's voice. "Are you alone? Ask Emily to come over if you are." She suggested worriedly.
"No!" Paige exclaimed. "I mean, I'm not. Alone. My dad's here. I'm fine." She said reassuringly, now starting to feel like an idiot for calling.
"Then what's wrong?" Jai asked, confused. "What's the emergency?"
"Sorry." Paige muttered after a moment of silence. "It's just that your girlfriend is starting to make my life crazy." She said, running a hand through her hair once again.
"Is this about the bet? Em told me you lost the energy bar versus granola bar wager. Do you want me to come back so you can stop eating that thing you claim tastes like mulched paper?" Jai asked teasingly.
"Hey it's not a mere opinion. It's an irrefutable fact. That thing tastes like mulched paper." Paige insisted. "I should know. I've eaten enough to last me until you come back then leave then come back from your next internship. But that's not the reason."
"Em is." Jai concluded. "Paige she's perfect. I don't see what your problem is with her."
That's the problem. "Whatever. I still don't see her appeal." Paige muttered as she forced herself to stop thinking about Jai's girlfriend. "Will you please get your ass back here already?" She begged.
"Still a few more months to go Paige." Jai said apologetically.
Paige sighed as she sat on the edge of her bed. "Ugh. You owe me for this." She said, suddenly feeling drained.
"I know. I promise I'll make it up to you when I get back. Just please try to be nicer to my girlfriend okay?" Jai pleaded.
My girlfriend. "Okay." Paige answered; the two words Jai said yanking her back to reality.
"Thanks. I'll talk to you again soon." Jai promised.
"Okay." Paige said again before finally ending the call. She stared at the phone she held in her hand for a moment before leaning back to lie down on her bed, her gaze automatically transfixed to the immaculate ceiling. A mental image of Emily's twinkling brown eyes and teasing gorgeous smile popped in her mind and she groaned out loud.
"Damn it." Paige whispered helplessly.
"I'm really sorry I wasn't able to answer your call last night." Emily said into her phone as she slowed down a bit to let her friends walk ahead of her. She and her friends were on their way to school on Tuesday morning and following her and Paige's conversation yesterday afternoon, Emily was hoping to get another chance to speak with the girl to find out if Paige saying her name wasn't a mistake. "The annual trick or treat is this Thursday and between that, homework and trying to catch up with the lessons I missed, I was so tired I ended up falling asleep while waiting for your call. I'm so sorry." She repeated.
"It's fine Em." Jai said reassuringly. "I'm just relieved you're talking to me again. I know how busy you are right now."
"But not too busy for you." Emily corrected her girlfriend. "And I was never mad. I just didn't want to talk to you and tell you that Paige and I fought again without being able to tell you that we managed to fix things." She reminded her. "I didn't want you to worry more than you already are."
"It's my fault. I really shouldn't have asked you to go. I was just really worried about the two of them being alone for days." Jai said apologetically.
"Jai you didn't know what was going to happen. I didn't either. Don't blame yourself." Emily said as she gestured for her friends to go ahead when they got to the school entrance. "Besides. Paige and I had a talk about it. We're okay." She added as her eyes set their sights on Jai's best friend who was busy trying to lock her bike near the school entrance.
"That's really good to hear." Jai said, the relief evident in her voice. "About that. Is everything okay with her? She called me last night and I told her to do that only when there's an emergency. She seems really stressed out and she kept asking when I'm coming home. Did something happen?"
Emily studied Paige, debating whether or not to tell Jai that Paige called her by her name and seemed so scared when she did. "Um, she seems fine the last time I talked to her." She finally answered, deciding not to tell her girlfriend just yet what recently happened in case it was just a fluke. She didn't want Jai to force Paige to call her by her name. She'd rather Jai's best friend do it willingly. "She's been a big help with the preparations for the annual trick or treat actually. Although of course she's merely doing it to add to her list of extracurricular activities to get into UPenn." Emily said absentmindedly as she moved to approach Paige.
"UPenn?" Jai's confused voice at the other end of the line made Emily stop in her tracks. "Paige didn't tell me she was applying to UPenn. When did that happen?"
Emily momentarily closed her eyes and mentally kicked herself for her slip up. Perfect. I just gave Paige motive to commit murder. "Um, she didn't tell you?" She asked nervously.
"No. She didn't. Is that the reason why she seems so stressed out lately?" Jai asked, worried.
"Jai I really think she should be the one to tell you about that. It's none of my business. I just found out about it accidentally." Emily admitted as she started walking to approach Paige again. "I don't even know the whole story. I'm just helping her get in because she asked for my help."
"You're right. The last thing I want is to put you in the middle of things again. I'll just ask her about it tonight." Jai decided. "And thanks. For helping her. Spend more time with her if you can. I still get worried even if I know she can take care of herself." She confessed.
"I know. But don't worry. I think we're starting to get along actually." Emily said as she raised her right hand to wave at Paige when she saw the girl glance her way, their eyes making contact. She smiled and was about to call out to Jai's best friend but Paige turned her back to her and hurriedly headed inside. That's weird. I could've sworn she saw me just now. What's up with her? "So. Any plans for our third anniversary tomorrow?" She asked, putting Paige's odd behavior just now at the back of her mind.
"You mean other than think about you all day and mindlessly do more research then go to bed still thinking of you and how much it sucks that we're not together? No. I don't have any plans." Jai said lightly. "How about you?"
"You mean other than think about you all day and mindlessly go to school and finalize things for the trick or treat event then go to bed still thinking of you and how much it sucks that we're not together? No. I don't have any plans either." Emily said, smiling sadly.
"You should go out, Em. Have dinner with your friends." Jai suggested. "I don't want you to be alone tomorrow."
"I'm not really in the mood to go out and I'm too busy anyway." Emily said as she entered Rosewood High and made her way to her locker. "But you should take your own advice. Go out. Have dinner with the Figueroas. At least one of us should be celebrating."
"I'm not in the mood too." Jai admitted. "But it's a special day and I think we should make a deal not to wallow and be miserable tomorrow. We should find a way to celebrate our three years together."
"How are we supposed to do that when we're so far apart?" Emily asked, curious.
"It doesn't have to be romantic. In the three years that we've been together we did a lot of good things. So I was thinking, why not celebrate by doing three of those things tomorrow?" Jai asked eagerly.
Emily smiled. "Like one good deed for each year that we've been together." She said slowly. "I like it."
"And we can do it with a friend, a family member or even a random stranger. That way they get to help out too." Jai suggested. "We've just been so blessed Em. Finding each other and having all these amazing people in our lives. I just want to be able to do something good especially tomorrow to repay the universe or something." She admitted.
"I know. And I'm totally onboard with it. Although I think it's just going to make me miss you even more." Emily said as she opened the door of her locker to take some of the books she would need for her morning classes. "So what are your three deeds?" She asked.
"How about we make it a surprise? I'll call you tomorrow night and we'll exchange stories. Let's see if we did at least one thing in common." Jai explained.
"And if we did?" Emily asked, breaking into an eager smile. "Will you come home soon? I really miss you."
Jai chuckled. "I'm working on it." She promised. "I miss you too. So are you in?"
"I am." Emily said gamely. "I can't wait to talk to you again tomorrow night. I love you."
"I love you too. Have a great day today." Jai said before ending the call.
Emily stared at the phone in her hand, suddenly looking forward to their anniversary tomorrow. She and Jai did a lot of good things in their three years together. Picking three is going to be hard but she knew her girlfriend so well that she has an idea what one of those things was going to be. Now it was only a matter of whether or not she could convince Paige to do it with her.
Paige checked the time on her watch before reluctantly returning her attention to Emily who was currently standing in front of the room, talking to the rest of the members of the social committee. She dreaded coming to the meeting this afternoon because that meant having to sit and stare and give her complete attention to Emily and she was having a hard time enough as it is to stop thinking about the girl. But the trick or treat event was just a day away and she knew how important the event is to Emily. As the girl discussed the final details of the activity, Paige couldn't help but be impressed with Emily's leadership skills. She got the undivided attention of the group and she knew how to delegate the responsibilities so that each of the members played a role to the success of the event.
"So assembly time is at six and the trick or treating starts at seven." Emily reminded the members of her committee. "It is your responsibility to make sure that the volunteers each of you signed up for the event know their routes and that they have with them someone from the orphanage or the hospital where the kids they would take trick or treating come from." She continued. "You have their contact numbers, make sure they have yours in case of an emergency. I'll be here in school with Chloe and Greg to make sure that everything's setup for when the kids get back." She added, nodding to the two people seated in the front row. "The rest of you can either go with one of the volunteers or patrol the streets just in case something comes up. I'll check in with all of you once a while."
Emily paused to look at everyone and noticed that Paige was seated at the far end of the room, practically slouched on the table of her armchair, looking like she'd rather be anywhere but there. All day she had been trying to get Paige to talk to her but the girl kept running in the opposite direction. This time she's going to make sure that Paige won't be able to bolt. She casually made her way towards the back of the room, her progress gone unnoticed by Paige as the girl leaned forward and rested her forehead on her arm.
"If there are no questions the meeting's adjourned." Emily said when she was finally standing in front of Paige, making the girl look up at her in surprise. "Are we boring you or something?" She asked as everyone got up to leave the room, leaving the two of them alone.
Paige didn't answer Emily's question and instead looked down on the floor to get her bag, preparing to leave. She stood up and found herself standing too close to the girl that she held her breath, scared to breathe in Emily's scent.
"Did I do something wrong?" Emily asked, taking a step back. "Yesterday we had an actual conversation. Then you bolted and you've been avoiding me the whole day." When Paige refused to speak up, she decided to talk about something else. "I don't know if you know this but tomorrow's a special day for me and Jai. It's our third anniversary and to celebrate she had this idea of doing three things we did in those three years with anyone since we can't do it together." She paused, waiting for Paige to say something, like insult her or make fun of her, maybe even mockingly suggest going on a date, kissing, and cuddling with someone as the three things she could do, but the girl just kept staring at the floor.
"Anyway, I thought we could do those three things. Jai asked me to spend more time with you and I thought it's perfect timing. What do you think?" Emily asked timidly.
Paige slowly let out the breath she was holding in before forcing herself to act indifferent as she finally looked at Emily. "I think I don't have time to do the things you and Jai do. Why don't you ask one of your friends instead?" She said dismissively.
"Because I want to spend time with you." Emily repeated. "Jai's really worried. She said you called her last night and you seemed so stressed out."
"Jai's worried. Like that's supposed to be news." Paige shot back, annoyed. "Why would I want to spend tomorrow with you when it's your anniversary?"
"Because I miss Jai and I know you miss her too." Emily answered. "Otherwise you won't ask her to come home."
"So what, misery loves company?" Paige said sarcastically.
Emily shook her head. "Not at all. Jai and I made a deal not to wallow and be miserable tomorrow. I'm not asking you to spend time with me so I can keep talking about Jai. I was just trying to get you to be involved." Emily said gently. "You seem to distance yourself to most of the people living in this town. And I get it. You're angry because of the rumors some of them spread about your family. But that's all the more reason to reach out to some of them. Prove to them that they're wrong about you."
"I don't need to prove anything to anyone." Paige said stonily. "I don't care what they think."
"Paige I didn't mean to offend you." Emily said apologetically. "I just don't understand why you seem annoyed and bitter the second I asked you to spend time with me to do some of the things Jai and I did." She continued. "Are you jealous of your best friend's popularity? That she's well-loved by everyone?"
"Unlike me. Is that what you're saying? That I'm a screw-up compared to her?" Paige asked, offended.
"I didn't say that." Emily said hurriedly. "Don't put words in my mouth."
"You didn't have to say anything. It was implied." Paige stated. "This may come as a surprise to you but not all of us are like you and Jai. Most of us are just struggling to get through the day. So I guess you're right. I am jealous of Jai. But not because she's popular." She clarified.
"Then why?" Emily asked, forgetting the reason she came up to the girl in the first place.
"Because compared to mine? Jai's life is normal. Something I've never felt my entire life and probably never will." Paige answered bitterly. "I don't want to spend time with you tomorrow going around town doing what you and Jai do. Trying to be one of the popular kids just to fit in. Ask one of your friends." She repeated. "And for the last time, stop trying to be friends with me. It's never gonna happen. I don't want to be friends with you so just stay away from me." Paige said curtly before grabbing her things. She was about to walk past Emily when she felt the girl grip her arm firmly.
"All you had to do was ask." Emily said, not bothering to hide the confusion, anger and hurt she was feeling. "You don't have to keep treating me like crap. I'm not a damn yo-yo. You're nice when you feel like it, rude when you don't. I'm tired of trying to figure you out. You don't want to be friends? Fine. Like having you in my life is going to change mine anyway." She snapped before releasing her grip on Paige's arm and leaving the girl alone.
Spent, Paige followed Emily's retreating back, forcing herself not to run after the girl and apologize. She swallowed hard before sitting on the armchair she occupied earlier, cradling her head in her hands.
I'm not a damn yo-yo. You're nice when you feel like it, rude when you don't.
Like having you in my life is going to change mine anyway.
Hours later, Paige found herself still thinking about the words Emily said to her while listening to the rhythmic pouring of the rain outside, trying to calm her nerves as she contemplated whether or not to answer the ringing phone on her study table. Paige knew it was Jai calling to check on her after the distressed phone call she made to her best friend last night and she didn't know how to talk to her friend without Jai knowing that something is still bothering her. But she didn't want her friend to worry so after letting it ring a few more times, she reluctantly lifted the handset from its cradle.
"Hello?" Paige said in greeting, pretending not to know who the caller is.
"Hey." Jai's relieved tone came on the other end of the line. "Did I call at a bad time?"
"No." Paige answered. "Just didn't hear the phone ringing. I was in the bathroom and it's raining hard outside." She added, placing the phone briefly near the window so Jai could hear it. "Sorry."
"It's cool. I just called to make sure you're feeling better today. You really had me worried with that phone call last night." Jai admitted.
Paige sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. I was just having a bad day." She explained.
"Is it because of your application to UPenn?" Jai asked cautiously, making Paige sit up straight.
"How did you...?" Paige trailed off before closing her eyes in frustration. "Your girlfriend." She uttered, annoyed.
"She didn't know, okay? Don't get mad at her again." Jai pleaded. "She thought you've already told me about it and honestly, I don't understand why you haven't. What brought this on? I thought you were set on going to USC?"
"I am. Believe me the last thing I want is to go to UPenn next year." Paige began before finally telling her best friend everything. From the guidance counselor telling her she could get in, to her dad asking her to try to get in.
"So why didn't you tell me any of this sooner?" Jai asked, confused.
Paige bit her lower lip, contemplating whether to tell her best friend the truth. "Because I know you're gonna tell me to try and get in and I'm tired of hearing those words." She admitted. "Telling you about it is just gonna put more pressure on me and the last thing I need is for my best friend to join the you-can-do-it fans club."
Jai laughed dryly. "That's the name of your fans club? I'm not gonna join that." She said, trying to make her friend feel better. "Paige I know you hate it. And I understand why you didn't tell me. Because you're right. I'm gonna ask you to try to get in. If it meant being able to spend time with you instead of worrying about you all the time, yeah. I'm all for you going to UPenn. You don't have to listen to Sara telling you to try. Because I know the reason you're really trying is because your dad asked you."
"And now you." Paige said, running a hand through her hair. "I'm doing fine Jai. For once I just wish you and my dad would believe that." She said quietly.
"I do. And I think your dad wants to. But you can't really blame us for still getting worried. Especially your dad." Jai reminded her. "What can I do to help?"
"Stop asking me how my application is going." Paige admitted. "That's going to lessen the pressure a lot. Whether I do or don't get in, I need to know that you're fine with it."
"Done." Jai answered quickly. "From now on I won't be asking you about college applications. In fact, you can tell me where you're going for college when you graduate."
Paige finally smiled. She knew how hard that was for Jai to do. "Thanks." She said sincerely.
"But can I say one last thing?" Jai asked.
"What?" Paige asked warily.
"I'm glad you asked for Emily's help. And that you're trying for your dad." Jai said seriously. "I know how hard those two things were for you to do. I'm really proud of you."
"O-kay. Before you start bawling like a kid can we change the subject?" Paige said lightly. "How's the internship?"
"Yeah about that. I've been talking to the department head, trying to find a way for my internship to progress faster. This morning he called me to his office and said I could put in more hours starting November. Stay late on weekdays and I could even work during the weekends." Jai began.
"That's good news. I think. I mean it is, right?" Paige said hesitantly. "I don't know what my reaction's supposed to be. Should I be happy or something else?"
"I don't know. I'm having mixed feelings about it actually." Jai admitted. "Putting in more hours would mean I get to come home sooner. But that would also mean that I won't be able to call as often as I want. We barely talk as it is. You only answer my calls during the weekend. This is actually the first time we talked on a weekday. Twice if you count last night." She added.
"I'm doing fine. And Kayla is looking after me when she's here. I don't mind not being able to talk to you every week. Your girlfriend though... that's an entirely different matter. She misses you even when you two talk all the time." Paige reminded her best friend.
Jai sighed. "I know. She wants me to come home soon. And I do too. But I don't know how she'll take it if it meant not being able to talk to her for days." She admitted. "I plan on telling her after our anniversary. So don't say anything. I don't want her to be bummed tomorrow."
They stayed on the line in silence. Paige knowing what's about to come and Jai being too reluctant to ask.
"Jai just say it." Paige finally said.
"I know you're not crazy about spending time with her. But I don't want Emily to wait for me to come home by herself. So please... try." Jai pleaded. "Maybe you can do a trial run tomorrow. I know you're not a fan of horror films but Emily loves them and she's been wanting to go see one at a drive-in theatre. Can you take her? I just don't want her to be alone on our anniversary." She explained.
Paige closed her eyes, conflicted. After pushing Emily away this afternoon, she doubted the girl would want to spend time with her tomorrow. And she preferred it that way. But she needed Jai to come home early too and unless she promised her friend that there's absolutely nothing to worry about back home, Jai won't go through with putting in more hours.
"Okay." Paige said after a beat. "I promise to take care of her and spend more time with her starting tomorrow." She said sincerely, hoping she could find a way to fight her feelings at the same time. "Just promise me you'll come home soon."
"I promise." Jai said earnestly. "Thanks Paige. It's going to be a while before I can call you again. I'm entrusting her to you. Please don't make her cry."
"I won't." Paige promised. "I gotta go. I have to call Tia and ask her for a favor."
"She still works at the drive-in theatre?" Jai asked.
Paige laughed. "Jai her family runs the place." She reminded her friend. "She has no choice but to work there."
"Right." Jai said thoughtfully. "You think you can convince her to hold a special screening tomorrow?"
"Leave that part to me." Paige said reassuringly. "But you owe me one."
"More than one actually." Jai admitted. "I guess you have a phone call to make then. I'll talk to you when I can. Bye."
"Bye." Paige said, ending the call. She stared at the phone for a moment before pulling open the top drawer of her study table and rummaging for Tia Martinez's phone number, dreading having to call the girl to ask for a last minute favor.
"Well can't you get someone else to volunteer on such short notice?" Aria asked the girl seated in front of her during lunch on Wednesday.
"I don't know. Are any of you willing to volunteer at the last minute?" Emily asked as she stared at her friends. When none of them answered, she smiled wryly. "See? Easier said than done."
"We want to help you out Em. But we don't exactly have transportation big enough for the kids and the adult coming with them." Hanna explained beside her.
"I know. That's why I didn't ask any of you." Emily said understandingly. "This day sucks." She added miserably. "It's supposed to be a good day. I promised Jai I won't be miserable but nothing's going right today."
"I think it's about to get worse." Spencer warned from beside Aria as she looked past Emily.
Emily turned around to see what Spencer meant and immediately saw Paige walking towards them with a determined look on her face. Great. Just what I need. She thought as she turned around to face her friends once again.
"We need to talk." Paige said from behind Emily, waiting for the girl to get up. "Alone." She added when Emily didn't move.
"I'm perfectly fine right here." Emily said without looking behind her. "What do you want?"
Paige gazed at Emily's friends who all looked like they were ready to pounce on her and decided to make the most out of the situation, opting to tell the girl about the drive-in theatre later. The more the people in Emily's life hate her, the better. "I got a call from Jai last night." She began. "Apparently she knows about UPenn. How do you think that happened?" She asked coolly.
Emily cringed inwardly. She forgot about that one. "I'm sorry." She said, turning around to face Paige. "But I thought you told her."
Paige scoffed. "I told you I didn't want her to know. Did you hear me say anything about planning to tell her someday?" She asked incredulously. "I kept my mouth shut about everything that happened in L.A. She actually thinks I got mad at you for some lame reason. I expected you to do the same. But apparently you're only interested in keeping your secret."
"Look I'm really sorry about the slip up. It's not like it was intentional." Emily said, starting to get annoyed at Paige's behavior. "Honestly, you know you'd have to tell her eventually. What, you plan to attend UPenn for the next four years avoiding Jai the whole time?!" She retorted. "I'm having a bad day. Unlike you, I have an actual problem in my hands. One of the volunteers cancelled at the last minute and unless you can come up with a solution, I don't have time for your tantrums."
Paige rolled her eyes. "That's hardly a problem. Call for an emergency meeting. Talk about renting a van. Then ask if one of the volunteers can take ten instead of five kids. If that doesn't work, maybe ask some of the volunteers to take an additional kid or something." Paige suggested. "If no one steps up I can take those kids trick or treating instead." She volunteered.
Emily abruptly stood up, surprising her friends and Paige. "I don't get you." She told Paige. "One minute you're biting my head off, the next you're offering to help out. You say stay away from you but now you're standing here talking to me. It's like I'm talking to Jekyll and Hyde at the same time everytime." She said, not bothering to hide the hurt and puzzlement in her voice. "Make up your mind because I'm getting tired of your mood swings." Emily said quietly. "I'll see you guys later." She said to her friends before picking up her lunch tray and walking past Paige, leaving the girl alone under the scathing glares of the three girls still seated at the table.
The moment Paige exited the school building that afternoon and saw the downpour, she finally admitted to herself that today was definitely not her day. She still hasn't found a way to ask Emily to come with her to the drive-in theatre later this evening and she doubted the girl was going to answer her call. Paige took out her phone and contemplated calling Tia to ask the girl to move the special screening to Saturday instead but a slight movement from the corner of her eye made her stop. She looked to her right and saw Emily standing by herself, checking the time on her watch every now and then. Paige studied the girl for a second before returning her phone inside her duffel bag and slowly made her way towards Emily.
"Why are you still here?" Paige asked when she was within hearing distance. Emily glanced at Paige in surprise but didn't say anything so she continued. "Don't you have a shift at the Brew? You're gonna be late."
"You think?" Emily shot back sarcastically.
"I know." Paige answered, making Emily roll her eyes in annoyance.
"I'm waiting for the rain to let up." Emily finally said when it became obvious that Paige wasn't going to leave her alone.
"You didn't bring an umbrella?" Paige asked like it was something Emily should've thought of.
"The sun was shining this morning when I left for school. I only leave my house with an umbrella if it's raining when I step outside." Emily explained.
Paige nodded. "Gotcha. Well where did your friends go?" She inquired.
"Aria left early, Hanna's mom picked her up before it started raining and Spencer's still inside with the rest of the debate team. She's gonna be there for a while." Emily added.
"And you need to go to work." Paige concluded.
"I'm not going to work today." Emily revealed. "I'm gonna go do the other two deeds Jai and I talked about."
"I thought you have to do those deeds with someone?" Paige asked.
Emily sighed. "You said no, remember?" She said, pulling her jacket closer when a gust of wind blew past them.
"I also said ask one of your friends instead." Paige reminded the girl.
"They're busy." Emily explained before checking the time again.
Paige studied Emily for a moment before speaking. "Where do you need to go?" She asked, taking out the keys to her dad's car. "This rain isn't about to let up anytime soon. You're gonna be stuck here."
"It's fine. I'd rather be stuck here than spend my time trying to figure out how to act around you." Emily said quietly.
"Look, I need to take you somewhere tonight because Jai asked me. And obviously you're not going to come willingly so let's make a deal. I'll be your designated driver for the last two deeds just as long as you come with me after you're done." Paige offered.
Emily didn't say anything for a moment, contemplating what to do. It was getting late and she won't be able to do the remaining deeds in time because Paige was right. The rain wasn't letting up at all. "Which Paige am I talking to right now? The jerk or the nice one?" She asked cautiously.
"I don't recall ever being nice to you." Paige answered, giving Emily an indirect apology. "But right now I'm standing here as Jai's best friend. Nothing more."
"Good. That means you're doing this for her. The only way I'm gonna let you drive me around town is if you agree to do the last two deeds with me." Emily said adamantly.
Paige sighed. "Fine." She said, left with no other choice. "Wait right here. I'm gonna get the car." Paige instructed before setting her duffel bag down near Emily's feet. She folded the hem of her track pants until it was just below her knees to make sure that it wasn't going to be soiled before looking up to the skies briefly and making a dash for the parking lot.
Emily waited until she saw the Buick Encore near the school entrance before she lifted Paige's bag and slung it on her shoulder, making a run for it. She hurriedly opened the passenger door and gave Paige her bag before getting in, shutting the door behind her.
"Bringing a car to school. Hoping to impress the girl you like?" Emily asked as Paige locked the doors and turned up the heater.
"My dad didn't go to work today so I get to use his car." Paige explained, ignoring Emily's attempt to stir the conversation to the mystery girl but Emily wasn't letting it go.
"To impress the girl you like." Emily insisted.
"No. To go to and from school. And apparently to give you a ride." Paige added as she shifted the gear. "Where to first?"
"Rosewood Gen. We're going to donate blood." Emily explained. "Then we're going to the homeless shelter for the feeding program. That's sort of our thing. Me and Jai."
Paige nodded as she steered the car towards the direction of the hospital first. "So what was the first deed?" She asked as she switched the windshield wiper to high and leaned forward to see the road better.
"I decided to make an online donation to the Hugs Project this morning. It's a charity for our troops serving in the Middle East." Emily said as she tried to dry her hair while balancing her things on her lap.
"You know, you'd be more comfortable if you placed your things in the backseat." Paige suggested when she noticed that the girl seemed to be struggling with trying to do two things at once. "There's plenty of space back there." She added, jerking her right thumb behind them.
Emily shook her head. "It's fine. I like placing my things on my lap so I don't forget anything once I get out." She explained.
"In a hurry to leave, huh?" Paige said wryly.
"Don't take it personally. Whenever Jai gives me a ride in Logan's car I also hold on to my stuff. She keeps telling me to place my things at the back as well but unless we're traveling far, I like holding on to my things so I don't forget anything." She repeated. "Less hassle of having to go back for it especially if what I had with me was important."
Paige shrugged. "Suit yourself." She said before turning on the stereo, the two of them spending the drive to Rosewood Gen with just the music filling the silence between them.
"Where are we going?" Emily asked as soon as Paige settled in the driver's seat of the car. She and Paige were done with her third good deed and now it was time for her to hold her end of the deal. Agreeing to go with Paige to the place Jai told her to take Emily.
"You'll know once we get there." Paige said mysteriously, glancing at the dashboard clock to check the time.
It was a good thing the rain finally stopped on their way to the homeless shelter. Paige didn't want to cancel at the last minute if the weather refused to cooperate by the time they were done lending a hand in the feeding program. Instead, she called Tia when she had a moment alone to check if everything was setup and told the girl to expect them around eight. She and Emily barely had anything for dinner except for the food they were given after they donated blood and though her stomach was grumbling, she knew it wasn't because of hunger. She was nervous about the rest of the evening and having to spend it with Emily Fields in a closed space.
"Jai said you love horror movies." Paige began, trying to clue-in Emily regarding their destination.
"I do. But I love it more because Jai's such a scaredy cat and I get to cuddle with her. I think she watches horror movies with me for that reason alone." Emily admitted. "What about you?" She asked, glancing at Paige.
"What about me?" Paige asked, not taking her eyes off the road.
"Do you like horror movies?" Emily clarified.
"Love them." Paige answered emphatically, her grip tightening on the steering wheel. The truth was she barely slept last night. When Jai told her Emily loved horror films, she knew she had to brace herself before tonight so she watched a few times the films Tia recommended to get accustomed to the scenes. Now she won't be screaming her eyes out. "We're here." She said as she steered the car towards the center of a large, empty space before killing the engine.
Emily looked around her as she tried to figure out where exactly 'here' is. She leaned forward and studied through the windshield the wide, white screen in front of them before looking outside her window. When she saw the blinking lights of the concession stand from a distance, recognition finally dawned on her. "It's a drive-in theatre." She said, breaking into a grin as she turned to face the girl seated beside her.
Paige nodded. "Yeah. And they're showing The Evil Dead trilogy." She revealed. "This is Jai's surprise for you."
At the mention of Jai's name, Emily's grin got wider. "This is awesome." She said, looking around her once again to take in everything. "I've always wanted to try watching movies this way." She admitted.
Paige unbuckled her seatbelt and unlocked the door. "Wait here. I just need to tell Tia we've arrived so she can start the film." She explained before getting out of the car and running towards the blinking lights at the distance.
A few minutes later, Emily saw Paige emerge from inside the building, walking briskly while trying not to spill what looked like two huge tubs of popcorn.
"Where's the rest of it?" Emily asked teasingly as soon as she opened the door for Paige and saw that most of the popcorn on both tubs is gone.
"Stupid wind." Paige muttered, making Emily chuckle. "I didn't know if you liked cheese or butter so I got both. And some salt. In case you wanted yours salty." She explained, offering to Emily the two buckets, letting the girl choose.
Emily took the butter flavored one. "Thanks." She said, smiling at Paige quizzically when the girl looked away.
"Wait." Paige said, moving to pop open the glove compartment and handing Emily several tissues. "Take these. In case you need to wipe the grease off your fingers." She explained. "And I brought some drinks in the cooler at the back. In case you get thirsty. Nothing fancy though. Just juice boxes and some bottled water." Paige said hurriedly.
"It's fine, Paige." Emily said, finding the gesture sweet. As the girl closed the door and went to the driver's side of the car to get in, it suddenly occurred to Emily that Jai didn't plan all of this. The drive-in theatre and the horror movie probably. But the rest of it was entirely Paige. "What happened to rule number one?" Emily asked as soon as Paige got inside the car.
"Tonight that rule is lifted." Paige explained. "Since this is Jai's idea, I'll just bill her for the carwash and auto detailing if you spill anything tonight. But… although that sounds extremely tempting, I'd rather you didn't. I'm gonna be home before Jai is. I wouldn't hear the end of it if I ruin my dad's car."
"I'll be extra careful." Emily promised. "Thanks for this." She said sincerely. "For being Jai's best friend tonight. Even if I promised her that I wouldn't wallow and be miserable, today really sucks without her."
"She knows. That's why she asked me to do this. She doesn't want you to be alone today." Paige admitted.
"Here's what I don't get though." Emily said after a beat.
"What?" Paige asked, starting to eat her popcorn.
"What's with the horror movie trilogy?" Emily asked, amused.
"You said your friends do this once a month. The triple threat thing with the movie marathon. I figured since I made you miss it this month I might as well make up for it tonight. Killing two birds with one stone." Paige explained.
Emily laughed. "Okay one, it's triple play. Not triple threat." She emphasized.
Paige frowned. "Yeah that makes much more sense now." She said slowly, mentally patting her back for a job well done. It was a work in progress but she was getting the hang of pretending she wasn't paying attention to everything Emily says and does.
"And two, triple play isn't about trilogies. It's different movies with a common theme." Emily explained.
"What are you talking about? Lots of things are common in trilogies. The title, the characters, the genre, the actors. It easily fits into the triple play rules." Paige argued.
"Well the objective of the game is to guess the common denominator after you've watched three different films. If you say that we'll be watching The Evil Dead trilogy that's like the easiest thing to guess." Emily said, shaking her head in amusement.
"Hey cut me some slack. It's not like I'm part of your gang. I just made a wild guess." Paige shot back.
Emily pursed her lips to keep from laughing out loud. "I'd hardly call it wild." She muttered under her breath.
"Excuse me?" Paige said, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at the girl who was clearly making fun of her.
Emily shook her head and began eating her popcorn. "So who's Tia?" She asked as the first installment of the horror film began rolling. She'd seen the movie before but she didn't want Paige to feel like she didn't appreciate the trouble the girl went through so she didn't say anything.
"A friend." Paige answered vaguely. "Her family runs this place. And no. She doesn't go to Rosewood High."
"You two must be really good friends then if she agreed to screen three films just for you. Unless their business is not doing so well." Emily added.
"It's a favor." Paige admitted. "We went out a few times in the past and she agreed to screen the films privately for us tonight."
"You mean for you." Emily corrected. "What does she want in return?"
Paige shrugged. "Just to hang out whenever we're both free." She answered.
"Doing what?" Emily persisted. When Paige didn't say anything, she angled her body to face Paige. "Is she the girl you have feelings for?" She asked cautiously.
"Maybe." Paige said offhandedly.
"No she's not." Emily observed. "So what are you doing?" She asked, confused. "Why are you seeing all these other girls when you've liked someone all this time?"
"I told you she's not available." Paige repeated.
"Because she's seeing someone." Emily added. "What's her name?" She asked again hoping this time Paige was going to open up to her. They were in the middle of nowhere and unless the girl shoved Emily out of her dad's car, they weren't going anywhere.
Paige sighed. "Dominique." She answered, saying the first name that came to mind.
"I don't know any Dominique in Rosewood High." Emily said slowly, mentally going through the names of girls in their school.
"That's because like Tia, she doesn't go to our school." Paige explained.
"So where did you meet her?" Emily asked.
"Around. I've known her for years." Paige added.
"Do you love her?" Emily asked hesitantly.
"I used to. Now I don't know anymore." Paige answered, looking away. "It's complicated."
Emily heard the pain in Paige's voice and decided to stop asking questions about the girl Jai's best friend is obviously still in love with. "I'm parched." She said, changing the subject.
Paige twisted her body and lifted the lid of the cooler on the floor of the backseat. "Water or juice box?" She asked without looking at Emily.
"Water." Emily answered. "Thanks." She said as she took the bottle Paige handed her and twisted the cap off.
Paige nodded wordlessly and faced forward, focusing on the scene playing on the screen as she continued eating her popcorn. They spent the rest of the night sitting in silence, the occasional sound of rustling popcorns inside their buckets the only sound audible inside the car.
"Are you sure you're up for this?" Emily asked Paige for the fifth time as they stood outside the school entrance on Thursday night.
It was almost time to take the kids trick or treating and because Emily couldn't find a last minute volunteer to take the place of the one who cancelled due to a family emergency, she was forced to accept Paige's offer to take the kids instead.
"Will you relax? I got this." Paige said, starting to get annoyed.
"Okay. Okay." Emily repeated nervously. "Keep your phone on at all times. I'm gonna check on you once a while."
"You don't have to. You need to focus on setting up here for when the kids get back. If something comes up you'll be the first to know." Paige reassured Emily. She checked the time on her watch and took out the keys to the van Greg rented for her earlier that day. "I better get going. The kids are excited to start going from house to house."
Emily nodded. "Don't drive too fast." She called after the girl. She watched as Paige slid the door of the van open and gave each kid a high five before they got in, saying something that made the kids smile eagerly. Emily took a deep breath and turned around to head back inside, hoping tonight things would go smoothly.
I got this.
"Yeah… I think I spoke too soon." Paige muttered under her breath as she stared at the phone she held in her hand, debating whether or not to call Emily for this particular emergency. Before she left she knew the girl was already on edge and she didn't want Jai's girlfriend to be sidetracked with preparing for the activities after the trick or treating. But she did promise the girl that she'd call the moment something happens. Paige sighed, finally deciding to dial Emily's number.
"What's wrong?" Emily asked before Paige could even say anything.
"Okay don't panic. I'm just giving you a heads up." Paige began. "One of the volunteers, Hank, had engine trouble. We already called Triple A but they said they're gonna be a while and the kids riding in his SUV are starting to grow restless so I took them with me." She explained hurriedly.
"Wait, what?" Emily exclaimed, making Paige cringe and move her phone away from her ear. "Why did you do that?!"
"I think thank you is what you meant to say." Paige said, trying to calm down Emily.
"No. I'm pretty sure I got it right the first time." Emily insisted. "Where are you now?"
"Um, corner of Cutler and Main." Paige answered as she looked at the kids inside the van. "Look. I just called to tell you that I have ten kids with me now. Plus two adults." She added. "The kids are getting restless and we can't exactly separate them since they're under the care of a rep from the hospital and the orphanage. I can't sit around and wait until another volunteer passes by with a vehicle big enough to accommodate six more people because it might start raining."
"What do you mean?" Emily asked, confused.
"You didn't check the weather advisory?!" Paige said, incredulous. "It's been raining the past two days. That's why I checked before I left the house this evening. I wanted to make sure I could take the kids around town before it started pouring."
"And you didn't bother to tell me this because?" Emily inquired.
"Because I thought you had it covered." Paige answered. "Okay why don't you take care of that instead? Tell the other members of your committee to contact their volunteers, give them a heads up. I'm gonna continue taking these kids trick or treating. Okay?"
"Okay." Emily said reluctantly. "I'll get right on it now."
"Wait." Paige said, a thought crossing her mind. "Are you guys all setup there? In case the kids came back earlier than the designated time?"
"Yeah. We are. I just need to think of another activity to add in case that happens." Emily admitted. "But I got it covered." She added.
"Well call or text me if you need me to get some materials or something." Paige said as she moved to get behind the wheel of the van, starting the engine and shifting the gear to drive. "I'm gonna hang up now. Can't talk while driving."
"Okay." Emily said absentmindedly. "Paige you're driving with ten kids." She reminded the girl nervously.
"I know. I'll be careful." Paige said reassuringly before finally ending the call.
Emily smiled faintly as she sat on the front steps of the school entrance, watching the kids bid farewell to the volunteers who took them trick or treating tonight before getting on the bus that would take them back to the hospitals and orphanages they came from. Other than the kids getting back early because it started raining like Paige told her and Chloe forgetting to pick up the tokens to be given to the volunteers, the rest of the night went off without a hitch. She should've felt happy. Maybe even proud. But for some reason she felt disappointed. She was about to get up and help the others clean up inside when she felt her phone vibrate inside her back pocket. Taking it out, she glanced at the number on the screen and smiled.
"Hey love." Emily said once she answered Jai's call.
"Hey." Jai said in greeting. "Trick or treating over?"
"The event, yeah. The clean up, just finishing." Emily said, leaning her head against the brick-veneered wall beside her.
"How did it go?" Jai inquired. "Did the kids have fun?"
Emily nodded. "Yeah." She answered. "They did. They're on their way home now."
"So is this a good time to talk?" Jai asked hesitantly. "I have to tell you something."
"What is it?" Emily asked, hearing the anxiety in her girlfriend's voice.
"Are you sitting down?" Jai asked. "It's sort of good news. And bad. It's both." She clarified.
"Well what is it about?" Emily inquired. "You're scaring me."
"No. Don't. You shouldn't be. It's about the internship." Jai began. "I've been talking to the department head for sometime now. He's been helping me find a way to log in more hours in the program so I could come home soon. He told me last Tuesday that starting next month I can start staying late during the weekdays. And work during the weekends. It's going to be exhausting. But I decided to accept it if it meant I get to come home in five months." She explained. "But there's a catch."
"You won't be able to call me everyday anymore won't you?" Emily guessed glumly. "You said it yourself. You're gonna be putting in more hours, probably stay up late. You're going to be really tired."
"I'm really sorry Em." Jai said quietly. "I wish there was another way for me to keep calling you everyday and still come home early. But unless I can multiply myself..." She trailed off. "Are you mad?"
"No." Emily answered firmly. "I'm not. I get it. It's fine Jai. If it meant you can come home in five months it's fine." She repeated. "You've known since Tuesday." Emily suddenly said. "Why are you telling me this just now?"
Jai sighed. "I didn't want to tell you before our anniversary." She admitted. "It's bad enough that I made my best friend spend it with you. And I know you were still miserable yesterday even if we made a deal not to be. Telling you about it when I called you last night would make your day worse and I didn't want to do that." When Emily didn't say anything Jai spoke again. "And... I have a feeling I caught you at a bad time. What happened tonight?" She asked worriedly.
"It was a disaster." Emily admitted. "Well that's an exaggeration actually but things didn't go as smoothly as I hoped they would. We got into several snags. I forgot to check the weather, a volunteer cancelled, one had engine trouble. Then one of my members forgot to pick up the tokens of appreciation for the volunteers. I feel like such a failure." She confessed.
"I'm so sorry you had a rough day Em." Jai said sympathetically. "I wish I was there so I could've helped you out." She added.
"Yeah." Emily said as she caught sight of Paige exiting the school building with the kids she took trick or treating earlier. "So when can I talk to you again?" She asked, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she averted her eyes and stared at the wet pavement distractedly.
"I'll definitely call you on the holidays that matter most to us. Thanksgiving. Christmas. New Year's. Valentine's." Jai promised. "And maybe every other week." She added. "I'm really sorry." Jai repeated.
"Just promise me I'll see you in five months. And that you'll make it up to me." Emily added.
"I will." Jai promised. "I'll make it up to you everyday. I can't wait to come home to you Emily Fields."
Emily smiled sadly. "I love you Jai." She whispered.
"I love you too." Jai said earnestly. "Goodnight, love."
"Goodnight." Emily said, feeling an overwhelming sadness the second Jai ended the call. She stared at the phone she held in her hand a moment longer before she was distracted by the sound of kids laughing from a distance.
Emily watched as Paige high-fived each kid boarding the bus, smiling at the sight when each kid kissed or hugged the girl in return. Tonight Paige reminded her of Jai. Not just because her girlfriend's best friend is good with kids, just like Jai is, but because Paige came to her rescue several times. And that upset her. She watched as Paige waited until the bus the kids boarded left the vicinity before turning around to head inside.
Paige took a deep breath, exhausted by the night's activities but feeling happy when she remembered the smile on the kids' faces the entire time she was with them. She headed to the far end corner of the function room and got her things, looking forward to heading home to get some rest. She was about to leave when she noticed that Emily's books and shoulder bag were still on the table and she looked around the room, trying to find the girl.
"If you're looking for Emily she's right outside." Greg said as he walked behind Paige to get his letterman jacket which was resting beside Emily's things. "Where're the keys to the van?" He asked, extending his hand towards Paige.
Paige took out the keys from her jacket and handed them to Greg. "Thanks." She said before taking Emily's things and leaving the room.
As soon as she exited the building, Paige looked around and finally spotted the girl sitting on one of the steps near the bushes. She slowly approached Emily, waving her right hand in greeting when the girl glanced her way.
"They're almost done cleaning up inside so I decided to bring you your stuff." Paige explained as she handed Emily her books and placed the girl's bag beside her.
"Thanks." Emily said gratefully as she looked up at Paige. "Not just for bringing me my things but for tonight. For your help in the whole trick or treat activity actually." She added, looking away.
Paige studied Emily for a moment before deciding to sit beside the girl. "We did a great thing today." She began. "So why the long face?" She asked, confused.
Emily didn't say anything for a moment, fidgeting with the strap of her bag. "I'm disappointed." She finally admitted, embarrassed.
"Why? Did you see the smile on those kids' faces? The event was a success." Paige stated. "You should be proud."
"I am. At least I want to be. But I failed as the social chair on this one. You and Jai came to my rescue. If she didn't talk to her dad and you didn't visit those institutions there would be no kids tonight." Emily explained.
Understanding dawned on Paige. "This is about Jai doing things for you." She said cautiously.
Emily shook her head. "No. This is about you two doing things for me." She corrected. "You're no different from Jai tonight. Thinking I'm not capable of doing things by myself. Coming to my rescue when something goes wrong." She said, taking out her frustration on Jai's best friend. "I don't need your help. I can do it myself."
"I know that." Paige reassured Emily.
"You do?" Emily asked, surprised.
"Yeah." Paige answered. "I wasn't trying to make you feel like you're helpless. I just didn't want to bother you with a problem I knew I could find a solution to when I know you're back here dealing with problems of your own." She explained. "You planned the whole thing." She reminded the girl. "I know you're not helpless. So does Jai. And I know it frustrates you. That Jai swooped in again to save the day when you've barely done anything about it yet."
"I don't mind." Emily said quietly. "I don't." She repeated. "It's one of the things I love about her. My gorgeous knight in shining armor. I just wish sometimes I can stop being the damsel in distress." She confessed.
"You're not helpless. That's just the way she is." Paige said understandingly. "Jai grew up taking care of everyone important in her life so I'm used to it. I'm like, four years ahead of you on this one." She reminded Emily. "It irritates me sometimes but I know she means well. And if I'd known that Jai getting the Rosewood Gen to agree because of her dad made you feel bad about yourself already, I would have taken you with me to those other institutions so you could talk to them yourself. But at the end of the day, I think you should let this one slide. This is just the first of many and if you ask me, I think it went well. So don't be too hard on yourself. The important thing is that you made those kids happy."
Emily nodded, starting to feel better. "How did you get those institutions to agree anyway?" She asked, glancing at Paige.
"I've been doing volunteer work in some of them for a while now. Reading to kids, teaching them simple stuff. Most of the people who work in those places know me. So it wasn't that hard to convince them." Paige explained.
"Sounds to me like you have lots of extracurricular activities already. Why do you still need to join the social committee?" Emily asked, confused.
"Because I don't plan on listing those down." Paige admitted. "I didn't spend time with those kids so I could add it to my list of extracurricular activities. I just wanted a sibling of my own but life happened and I didn't get it." She said quietly.
"Got it." Emily said, for some reason knowing not to push the issue further. They sat in silence for a moment before she decided to speak again. "So I got a call from Jai just now." She began. "Did you know? About her plan to log in more hours starting next month?"
Paige nodded. "I did. But I thought you'd be fine with it because it meant Jai's coming home soon." She added. "I mean, you are. Right?"
"I told her I was fine with it." Emily said softly. "And I thought I was. But I'm not. And now I just feel really lonely." She confessed. "I'm torn about it actually. I do want her to come home soon. But I don't want the daily calls to stop. And I hate myself for being this selfish but I feel as if everything's changing when she promised me before she left that it wouldn't."
"You have your friends. They can keep you company." Paige reminded Emily. "Before you know it you're gonna be standing at the airport waiting for her to exit the plane."
Emily smiled faintly. "I love my friends. And I know they love me too. But I don't want to chew their ears off, talking about Jai nonstop when I'm with them." She admitted.
"Well I did promise Jai I'd keep you company from now on so if you need to keep talking about your girlfriend, you can always come find me… Emily." Paige added, making the girl look at her in surprise.
"You just called me by my name again." Emily said, breaking into a dazzling smile. "I was starting to think it was a fluke."
Paige shook her head. "It had to stop some time, right?" She said quietly. "I'm done calling you Sniffles. I can't do it anymore." She confessed, the meaning of those words unknown to the beaming girl sitting beside her.
"Good. Because we can't be real friends if you keep calling me Sniffles." Emily admitted.
"Whoa! Slow down! Who said anything about being friends?!" Paige exclaimed. "This doesn't mean we're friends." She insisted.
Emily laughed. "You really have serious commitment issues." She stated. "Fine. I'll accept that for now. But can you at least walk me home?" She asked, standing up and brushing the dust off the back of her pants.
Paige looked up at Emily and smiled. "Sure." She answered before getting up as well. "Might as well start this whole keeping you company thing." She added as she joined Emily at the bottom of the steps.
They walked in silence for a moment as they headed towards the direction of Emily's house before Paige decided to ask something.
"So... does this mean I'm part of the social committee now?" Paige asked as they walked side by side. "Ooh! Maybe I can be co-social chair." She suggested.
Emily elbowed Paige lightly. "You wish." She shot back. "Hey. I never got to ask." Emily suddenly blurted out when they passed by a party supplies store.
"Ask what?" Paige asked, following Emily's gaze.
"That college party Carla invited you to. How did you manage to get out of going?" Emily asked, looking at Paige.
"Oh. That." Paige began, grinning. "Well I went to dinner with her and her friend. I was nice, flirted a little, brushed skins a few times. On our way back to the car the weirdest thing happened. I asked if either of them felt queasy because my stomach was starting to hurt. They said they felt fine. So I said maybe it'll pass. I got into the car with them and when we were near Lucky Leons I asked Carla to pull over because I was gonna hurl. I hurriedly got out of the car, ran to the trashcan that was far enough for them not to see the actual vomit but hear the sounds I would make and then proceeded to make fake vomiting sounds." She explained animatedly. "When I felt I was convincing enough, I looked up and pretended to wipe my mouth then smiled and told them 'I feel much better now'. I was about to get inside her car again when she said she got a text saying the party just got cancelled. So I feigned disappointment saying I was really looking forward to spending time alone with Carla. She said maybe some other time and before I could say 'call me' they were gone." Paige concluded.
"You're serious?" Emily asked, not knowing whether to believe Paige's anecdote.
Paige nodded. "Totally. You should've seen me. I was great. I got a free dinner and I got to ride a Corvette. That's one car I can cross off my list of possible cars I want my dad to buy for me." She added.
Emily shook her head in disbelief. "You're..." She trailed off, trying to think of a word.
"Freaking awesome?" Paige suggested.
"Devious." Emily corrected.
Paige shrugged. "I'll just pretend I heard you say I was freaking awesome." She said stubbornly, making Emily smile in amusement.