Chapter Twelve: Paige's Guilt

The Next Day...

~*Paige*~

I waited on the front steps of Bianca's house nervously after I had rung the doorbell. I hope Manny had given me the right address. The door opened to reveal Jimmy. He sighed.

"Paige, what are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to Bianca." I replied. Jimmy set his mouth in a firm line and looked at me.

"Look, Paige, Bianca had a bad night and she can't handle any torment from you today."

"Manny told me what happened." I replied. "And I thought she might need to talk to someone who knows what she's going through."

Jimmy looked at me for a minute, then sighed and opened the door wider to grant me access. "Fine. But if you say one catty thing..."

"Jimmy, I won't. I promise." I assured him.

I walked in Bianca's house and up the steps, looking for her room. I found her laying in bed watching TV.

"Um, hey, Bianca." I said.

She didn't even look at me. "Paige, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to let you know how sorry I am about what happened to you last night." I said.

"Manny told you? Surprise, surprise." She said bitterly. "Paige, why do you care? Weren't you the one who conspired with Ashley and Manny to cut off my coif and make my life a living hell for four months?"

"I can't take that back, Bianca. But I am sorry. It was overkill. But the only reason Manny told me is because the same thing happened to me last year." I admitted.

She finally looked at me, and I gasped at the shape her face was in. As much as I hated to admit it, Bianca was drop dead gorgeous, and had perfect skin with not a hint of a blemish. Until now.

"I just thought you might want someone to talk to." I said, sitting down in the chair next to her bed.

"He just picked me up off the street and grabbed me." She said softly. I didn't know what to say, so I let her talk. "There were other people on the street, and he just picked me at random. And he just....kept kicking me and hitting me."

"Bianca, I know how you feel. I didn't have exactly the same experience you did, but I know how you feel." I said.

She looked at me. "What happened to you?"

I sighed. I disliked talking about the situation, but I had a feeling Bianca really needed to hear it.

"I was at a party last year with this guy named Dean. He was the star basketball player from a rival high school we were playing that night. He invited me to a party after, and I said yes. So we're at the party, and we're alone, and he just starts....all over me. And he wouldn't stop. I told him no, but he held me down and wouldn't listen. That's when he did it."

"I'm sorry." She said simply.

"Me too." I replied. "But, Bianca, I got through it. And you're gonna get through it too. I had some really great friends help me get through it."

"All I have is Jimmy." Bianca replied.

"Again, I am way sorry about what happened. You know it is, you see other females as a threat."

She started to tear up. "I used to...but now I see men as a threat too. And they used to be the only people I could trust."

I sat on the bed and gave her a hug. "Bianca, I know it's hard, but I promise you'll get through it. And you can trust Jimmy. He really loves you, you know."

She nodded. "I know. I wouldn't have gotten through last night if it weren't for him."

"Tell him that." I said. "He needs to know." I sighed, took a deep breath, and continued. "Bianca, let's just bury the hatchet, and forget about last year, okay? I think we could help each other."

She nodded. "I still miss my hair though."

"I'll pay for your extensions if you forgive me." I said, cracking a smile. She looked at me for a second, and finally a smile broke through.

"Alright." She said.

"Okay, great. I'm gonna go, but I'll write my number down, and if you need anything, to talk, or...assemble a powerful team of head hunters to catch that asshole, just call me, alright?" I asked.

"Okay." She replied. "Hey, Paige?"

"Yeah?" I asked, turning when I got to the door.

"Thanks." She said.

I smiled. "No problem. I'll come by later this week to see how you're feeling."

"Okay. Bye." She replied.

"Later." I said. I exited her room, and as I did, I passed by Jimmy.

"That was really cool of you, Paige." He said.

I shrugged. "Yeah, well, it sucks that it took that to make me realize what a total hag I'd been."

He nodded. "I just hope the rest of your friends will realize too."

"I'm going to have a talk with Ashley and Hazel and set them straight." I replied. "Manny already feels awful. Just finding Bianca like that made her feel bad enough."

Jimmy nodded again. "She should."

"Jimmy, she wants to start over." I defended her.

"Well, she needs to come over herself and start over, not send an ambassador to do it for her." Jimmy replied.

"I know." I said. "I'll see you later Jimmy. Let me know how she's doing, okay?"

"Alright." Jimmy replied. "See ya Paige."

"See ya." I repeated.