Paige sat down next to Dylan Both were silent, until Paige's voice broke the silence.

"How'd you get hurt?"

"Rough game, I told you."

"Yeah, but how?"

"Uhh I don't know, it happened too quick," Dylan lied.

"Is it going to be okay for your next game?"

"What?"

"Is it going to be okay?"

"Uhh.. I don't know," Dylan said. Maybe I won't have to tell them the real reason why I am benched, he thought to himself. "No, I don't think so. I'll probably have to be benched." Just then a slight knock was heard on the white front door. Paige walked over to the door and opened it.

"Hey," said a nervous Spinner.

"Hi," said Paige.

"Hey Dylan."

"Nice to see you Spin, listen I'll be upstairs if you two need anything," Dylan said lifting himself off the couch. He walked through the kitchen ditching his ice and headed up stairs. Paige sat back down as did Spinner who sat uncomfortably far from her. Spinner couldn't stand looking into Paige's eyes. The black vacancy was too much to handle. He couldn't bare to see his girl friend like this.

"What happened to Dylan?"

"He got hurt at his game."

"Oh."

"Why did you come here?"

"Paige, we have to do something about this. We have to tell someone. Tell Hazel. Tell your mom, I don't know. But we have to do something."

"Why? What good will that do? I don't need any more sympathy. They'd just think I was a slut anyways."

"They will not! If you don't tell them, I will."

"Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken."

"Alright Evanescence. But I mean that. You need help Paige. And I'm going to get it for you. Who do you want to tell first?"

"Spinner! Please! No one! Okay? I'm fine! Everything's fine. I'm dealing with it. I hardly think about it anymore." Paige lied. She was getting good at lying and not feeling bad about it. Spinner heard the words coming from her mouth, but he did not believe one of them. She was not fine. She wasn't dealing with it. It was the ONLY thing she thought about.

"Hazel or your mom?"

"Fine! I'll tell Hazel," Paige said with little intentions of telling anyone.

"Good. Let's call her to come over right now," Spinner said as he got up to reach for the phone.

"No! She's emm… she's not home, today. I already talked to her," Paige said protesting.

"Oh. Well let's try again. She worries about you. Don't leave her out in the dark. She cares about you. All she wants to do is help," Spinner said as he dialed Hazel's number. He was sure this was the right thing to do. The more help and support Paige had the better.

"I don't need any help," mumbled Paige under her breath.

"Hey Hazel! Hmm.. I see you're home. Well, anyways I'm hoping you can stop over Paige's, right now!" Spinner said not giving Hazel a chance to interrupt. "There's something she's been meaning to tell you."

"Paige! You mean? She told you what's wrong?"

"Just get over here!" answered Spinner as he hung up the phone.

"You really don't need to be doing this Spin."

"Yeah, well it's happening. So get ready for it."

"I'm going to go use the bathroom, before she gets here," said Paige getting up.

"I'll be waiting." Paige walked up the stairs and went into the white bathroom. Just once more, she thought to herself. Just once. Then I'll stop. Paige thought to herself as she looked at the razor she had used just a little while ago. She wanted to experience the incredible feeling cutting gave her. She was sure it would help her get through the dreaded conversation with Hazel. Damn Spinner! He's just like Dylan she thought to herself, only trying to interfere. Paige closed the bathroom door and took her razor off of the sink. She sat on the side of the white tub and rolled up her green sleeve. She looked at the cut she made earlier. It was already started to scab. Paige took the razor and slowly drew another line next to the one already on her arm. Her crimson relief spilled out all of the emotions worked up inside of Paige. The drops of blood were like the drops of tears she had once cried. It was as if every bad feeling was pouring out of her as she continued to bleed. Paige felt better. She convinced herself she would not get addicted to this feeling of control, but decided to cut once more before going back downstairs to face Spinner and Hazel. She cut a line perpendicular to the other two. She pushed harder and harder on the razor to see how deep she could make it go. When she was satisfied, she washed her razor off, took a black towel and soaked up some of the blood. She found some band aids in the cabinet and covered her wounds. She rolled back down her sleeve and looked in the mirror. And she smiled at herself.

Paige walked downstairs to find that Hazel had already arrived. Hazel ran up to Paige and gave her a giant hug.

"Alright, sit down," said Spinner. They both responded to his request and sat on the couch. "Well, Hazel as we've noticed something was wrong with Paige. And it took a little investigation, but Dylan and I found out what really happened. And now she's going to tell you…right Paige?" Paige just looked down. She couldn't do this. Her arm was throbbing and she felt very dizzy.

"Paige?" asked Hazel afraid of what she was going to hear next.

"Haze. I'm sorry I haven't been that great of a friend to you lately, it's just…."

"What?"

"That party you and I went to…."

"Dean's?" asked Hazel. A chill ran through Paige as she shuddered hearing his name.

"Yeah.." she answered weakly.

"Things.. Emm didn't go as planned." she said as Spinner walked over to her and grabbed her hand. She immediately pulled back, but then relaxed and allowed Spinner this close to her.

"What happened?" asked a curious Hazel.

"Nothing!" she said running away from the living room.

"Paige stop!" demanded Spinner.

"Spin! I can't do this! I can't."

"Please Paige. Sit down and try." Spinner said coaxing her over to the couch. He sat her down and she looked at him shaking her head.

"He…. He… "

"What Paige? WHAT?!!?!"

"I can't say it Spin, I'm sorry."

"He raped her." Spinner said bluntly.

"Oh my God! Paige! I'm so sorry!" Hazel said as she grabbed Paige in another forceful hug. Paige wasn't thrilled with the sympathy when she heard Dylan's booming voice.

"PAIGE LYN MICHALCHUCK!"

"What? What?" asked Paige scared.

"Come with me," said Dylan as he ushered her up the stairs and into the bathroom. Immediately Paige saw what Dylan was concerned about. A small, but noticeable puddle of blood was laying there ever so still on the white linoleum. Hazel and Spinner rushed in behind them and saw it too. It was three against one. This isn't fair, Paige thought to herself.

"What? How'd that get there?" asked Paige, playing dumb.

"Geee Paige, you tell me," answered Dylan.

"I don't know."

"Did you cut yourself shaving or something," asked Hazel.

"No." Dylan grabbed Paige's arm and she cried out in pain. Dylan secretly was watching out for something like this to happen. He did a report on cutting and other self-injury habits and knew all about it. He then rolled up her sleeve, revealing the three recent cuts. One for each of them she thought.

"Paige, you don't have to do this to yourself."

"You can talk to me instead."

"You can't bottle things up like this."

"Paige please!"

"Never do it again, you hear me?"

"Any time you feel like doing this you can call me."

"You don't have to take things out on yourself."

The voices echoed back and forth in her head as she slipped past them and went into her room. She slammed the door and locked it. She heard pounding noises, but ignored them. Eventually, they stopped. She was terrified. Terrified because they knew her secret. And the likelihood of Dylan not telling their mom was very slim. Terrified that they were going to take her hope away from her. She unlocked her door and decided to go downstairs to face Dylan. Maybe he hadn't told her mom anything yet. He was sitting in the kitchen and just stared at her, but for once it was he who broke the stare, instead of Paige. He looks so sad, she thought to herself. Did I do this to him?

"Does Mom know?"

"No."

"Oh."

"And Spin and Hazel?"

"Spin left, angry. Hazel said she was going home and to tell you to check your email. And I suggest you go do it, unless you want to have a chat with Mom right now." With that Paige went to her computer. Sitting there waiting from her was an email from Hazel. Paige read through it quickly.

"You don't need to do this … blah blah blah… yeah how would you know?" Paige said outloud. She quickly hit reply.

Hazel,

I know what I did was wrong. I won't ever cut again. I promise you.

Love Always,

Paige

Paige thought she hit send and left the computer on incase Hazel had anything else left to say and went back to her room. Her mom walked past the computer and saw it was on. She walked in with the intent of shutting it off. Not meaning to read the unsent message Mrs. Michalchuck was shocked as the word "cut" stood out to her.

"Paige… come here please…"