Paige sat in the cold room facing Dr. Evans. Another wasted session. I'm not talking to her. She could never understand me. She doesn't know what it's like. She's just a pitiful woman who wasted all of her years in college to be called a doctor. That title doesn't mean anything. Spinner, could call himself a doctor and would that make him any wiser than her? Of course not, neither understand. All I am is a pay check to her, Paige mused to herself.

"Paige, I'm going to have to talk to your mom. Can you tell her to come in?"

With a sigh Paige lifted herself from her chair and made her way back out to the waiting room. Her mom looked up and smiled at her, "How did it go sweetie?" she said as she stood up.

"Good, as always," Paige lied. She ignored the fact that Dr. Evans wanted to speak to her mom. Paige led the woman standing beside her through the door, into the parking lot, and into the car.

"So what did you talk about today?" asked Mrs. Michalchuck as the car entered the road.

"Uh.. Dylan and everything he does for me," replied Paige amused at herself for always knowing the right thing to say. Paige stared out the window, ready for anymore questions her mom had for her, none came.

Soon, she was home, before she could get upstairs the phone rang. She heard Mrs. Michalchuck answer it downstairs. She then realized it was Spinner calling to check up on her. Oh my poor little Spinner, Paige thought as she smiled to herself. She realized she hadn't been fair to him lately. Sure, he cared way too much about everything. He didn't always say the right things, but through all of his goofiness he was hers.

She heard the worried tone in Spinner's voice as she answered the phone, "Paige.. How.. How are you?"

"Fine," Paige lied once again.

"How was therapy?"

"Fine."

"Paige, I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks." Paige silently laughed to herself. Proud of me? For what? He doesn't know anything,. Why does he pretend to? Ahh! I can't keep doing this! Be fair to the kid.

"Do you feel like doing anything tonight?"

Paige's inner voice wanted to scream no and crawl up in a little ball, but reluctantly she answered, "What have you got in mind?"

"I didn't have the chance to tell you about it before, but there's a charity concert in the park tonight. A couple bands are playing. Craig signed Downtown Sasquatch to go and we got a slot. I was, I was just wondering… if you'd like to come and listen?"

"Sounds good Spin," Paige said promising herself to act like a real girlfriend to Spinner, despite all the pain.

"Okay, can you be down at the park around 7?"

"Sure, see you then Spin." Paige said with a click of the phone. She heard the front door open and realized Dylan was home. She and Dylan hadn't had many confrontations since he realized she was hanging out with Dave. He didn't realize the complex nature of their relationship. He felt she was cheating on Spinner, but what did he know? What did anyone know? "Why are you home?" asked Paige.

"What can't I be home, without you questioning me?"

"Yeah, but don't you have a game today?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Ahh.. Dylan shouldn't you be there?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"That's a mature answer."

"Thanks."

"Why aren't you at your game?"

"I don't play."

"Oh don't tell me coach put in Cody over you for that play?"

"I don't play," repeated an angry Dylan.

"What are you talking about?"

"I, as in me, Dylan Michalchuck, don't, as in do not, play, as in play hockey anymore."

"Did you quit?"

"No."

"Dylan, you're not making sense. Why don't you play?"

"I was benched, Paige, okay?"

"Why were you benched?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?"

"Dylan.."

"I got in a fight with someone from a different school after a game on school grounds. Raditch found out, benched me. We're losing 2-0 all because coach won't put me in. So.. I left."

"Who did you fight with Dylan?" asked Paige half expecting the answer.

"Dean," answered Dylan walking past his little sister.

"Why would you do that?" screamed Paige. There was no reply. Paige angrily sat down in the living room on the couch as the tears welled up in her eyes. She silently laid down and let them overflow from her eyes. She heard the phone ringing once again, but made no effort to listen to see who it was.

Dylan answered the ringing phone to find Spinner at the other end.

"Hey Dylan is Paige busy?"

"I don't know."

"Emm.. Can you get her for me?"

"No."

"Is something wrong Dylan?"

"No, listen I have to go."

"Hey, wait I was meaning to ask you something."

"What?"

"Did we ever find out who Dean is?"

"Yeah, we did. Don't worry about it Spinner. You're not going to fight him, alright!?" With that, Dylan hung up the phone, angry at the world. I go to the ends of the Earth for that girl and all she can do is yell, he thought. Can't she see I'm only trying to help?

A few hours later, Paige raised from the couch and started to get ready to go to the park. She went upstairs and subconsciously threw on a tank top and a cute denim skirt. She suddenly looked down at her arms and sighed. She grabbed a gray sweater and threw it over top of her tank top. She wondered how long it took scars to go away. Emotional and physical. She applied gray eye shadow and her usual eye liner. For once, she looked like the Paige she used to be. Paige was surprised at how easily she could walk out of the house with out being noticed. It caused her to wonder if they really cared or if they thought shoving her to at therapist is an easier way out. She tried to get to the park as fast as she could, seeing that she was late already. When she did finally get there, Craig was warming up and Spinner was standing around twirling his drum sticks. She walked over to him as he ran to pick her up in a much needed, on his part, hug. An announcer, hurriedly announced Downtown Sasquatch, but not after making cracks at their name. Paige sat down in the grass by herself.

Craig started singing the song he wrote for Ash as Paige slowly stopped paying attention. She watched the blades of grass blow slowly in the wind. She watched a bird swoop down into a nearby tree. Had she taken this all for granted before? Before she knew it, Downtown Sasquatch was ushered off of the fake stage as the announcer began speaking again, "And now ladies and gentlemen we have a group not from our home town, take it away Innocent Bystanders." Paige suddenly sat up, recognizing the name. She looked up and saw Dave smiling back at her. He had the mic and assured the crowd that this song was a cover, but it was for someone special.

"Well, I couldn't tell you why she felt that way, she felt it everyday. I couldn't help her. I just watched her make the same mistakes again. What's wrong, what's wrong now? Too many, too many problems. She doesn't know where she belongs, where she belongs. She wants to go home, but nobody's home. It's where she lies, broken inside. With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes. Broken inside."

Paige immediately knew the words were meant for her. Dave never took his glance off of her. Paige felt an arm slip around her. She looked to her side and saw a grinning Spinner seated beside her. Paige glanced back to Dave who continued singing, but with a different expression on his face. A look of confusion, almost a look of hurt.

"Be strong, be strong now. Too many, too many problems."

"We were awesome weren't we?" asked an excited Spinner. Here I have my goofball boy friend who is excited because he played his drums at concert in the park. Who forgets about everything to ask if they played good. And on the other hand, I have Dave who is singing for me. Singing about me. Paige removed Spinner's arm from around her shoulder and pulled her knees up to her chest. She mumbled choice words to Spinner and began concentrating back on Dave.

"Her feelings she hides. Her dreams she can't find. She's losing her mind. She's fallen behind. She can't find her place. She's losing her faith. She's fallen from grace. She's all over the place."

Paige barely recognized the song as Avril Lavigne, Innocent Bystanders took it to a whole new level. Guitars could do wonders. Paige stared down at her feet, for how long she didn't know. She heard Spinner talk beside her, but didn't bother to listen. She saw people walk in front of her, but didn't bother to see them. She felt an hand on her hand, and definitely made sure to snap out of her trance to see who it was. Touch was a completely different sense. The most sensitive to her, the only one that mattered. She looked up to find Dave staring back at her. She quickly looked away.

"What do you want?" asked Spinner.

"Uh… to talk with Paige if that's alright with you," replied Dave smartly.

"No, that's not alright," protested Spinner.

"No, Spin. It's fine. This is my friend Dave," cleared Paige.

"Whatever," answered Spinner as he laid down on the grass, pretending not to listen.

"How have you been?"

"Don't you want to know who he is?" said Paige motioning to Spinner.

"No, I want to know how you are, for real. No lies."

"I'm fine."

"You're lying." Dave is the first person to question me on that, Paige thought to herself. Yet, I'm annoyed that Spin cares too much, Paige thought quickly to herself. Paige stood up and walked away from both Dave and Spinner. Leaving them both wondering.

"Who are you?"

"I thought you didn't care?"

"I do now."

"I'm Spinner, I'm her boyfriend," replied Spinner boldly.

"Oh yeah? Is that so?"

"Look, who the hell are you man? Where did you even come from?"

"Doesn't matter. All that matters is I'm here now. So unless you can be there for Paige like no one else can, step down buddy."

"Be there for Paige? What do you even know about her!? You don't know anything!" screamed Spinner.

"The hell I don't. You just watch your back. If anything more happens to her…."

"And why do you even care about her? You and this Dean fellow, whoever he is can just stay in Bardell."

"I care a lot more about her than you do. Look at yourself. Do you even take the time to realize what she's going through?" questioned Dave with full force emotion in his voice.

"She's in therapy. She's getting better," said Spinner quietly.

"Who are you convincing, me or yourself?" asked Dave as he walked back to where his band was sitting. Spinner began walking in the direction Paige ran off to. He saw her in the distance and began sprinting towards her, into the setting sun. When he finally caught up with her he turned her around to face him.

"Who is he?"

"I told you… Dave," Paige muttered.

"Your friend?"

"My friend."

"And who am I? Spinner? Your friend?"

"Spinner. My boyfriend."

"Spinner? Your boyfriend? Are you sure?"

"No."