A/N: Just thought I'd try the 3rd person approach for chapters 4 and 5. I'm going back to the first person POV for this chapter. To clear up any confusion, this chapter brings us into Jay's mind (as scary as that can be, we're going in!).

I can't believe what I just saw. Paige just took a huge swig of Bacardi 151, then glared at me and took another. She is going to be drunk, I thought, considering that she's probably never had a drink before. We had a few words over the pop I gave her- it was dumb- and then we were on the road again.

I had been driving for about twenty minutes when Paige started singing along to the stereo. Badly. "To the window, to the WALL!" She giggled as she was butchering the Lil' Jon song. "He just said balls! Oh wow, I've never felt like this before. Wheee!" She wheee'd as I turned the corner. Okay, still the middle of nowhere.

"Ooh ooh, look! Lights! Pretty!" More giggling. There was a little tavern up ahead. Maybe they'll have some clue on how to get back into Toronto, I thought. Ha. The first time I go to a tavern, and it's just for directions. What is wrong with me?

I pulled my car into the gravel mini-parking lot. "Can we go in? It looks like fun! Ooh, bull-riding contest!" Paige was definately not a drinker. Then again, even I get pretty messed up if I chug 151. I didn't see this being a good idea, but I shrugged. "We can go in for a minute. How's your ankle doing?"

She looked at me and smiled. "It does feel better! You know, it hadn't hurt like that since Manny had Darcy drop me last year. Like, we were supposed to go into a cradle, but Darcy and the other girl just stood there. It finally healed a few weeks ago, and then I go and fall into a ditch tonight. I am such a klutz!" She giggled as she opened up her car door.

I got out and helped her to the door. She could walk okay, but had some trouble with the stairs. She tripped on the last one and fell against me, her arms wrapping around me for support. "Whoopsie! Sorry, I'm sorry," she apologized as I put my hands on her waist and held her up straight.

"It's okay. Are you sure you want to go in? Are you okay to go in?"

She smiled, her arms still giving me a big bear hug. "Of course! I wanna ride the bull! Are you worried about me?"

"Well," I cleared my throat, "yeah, I'm a little worried. You're pretty buzzed, and these guys in here are probably gonna be, well, rude to you."

"Rude? I know rude. I am rude. I'm rude to you. I'm rude to you at school all the time." Her face got soft. "I'm sorry. I just, I don't know you. Didn't know you. You're really not a bad guy. You're really not the badass you come off to be. And I'm not really a bitch. I've just acted like one since, like grade seven. You know, the new year- new look- new Paige kind of thing. Since then, it's just kind of stuck with me. It's like, who I am or something. But, I won't be a bitch to you anymore, I promise." She grinned bigger. "You're a cool guy. You're such a cool guy. Why do you pretend to be such a bad-ass all the time?" She giggled as she put her face into my chest. "Wow, you smell good. Actually, I noticed that earlier, but I didn't want to say anything, I was almost afraid to. I don't know why though, it seems silly." Gigglefest into my black t-shirt.

"Paige, are you sure you can go in here?"

"Jay, hon, I feel fine! I feel great!" With that, she opened the door. We stepped into the smoke-filled tavern. It was dimly lit, with a mechanical bull in the middle, and a bar behind it. Paige ran up to the bull. "I wanna ride the bull!"

A big guy with a red flannel shirt and Carhartt's on stepped up to her. "Well, hello pretty lady. The deal is, it's 5 a ride. If you stay on for more than 30 seconds, you get 20. If you lose, then, you lose."

Paige looked at me. "All I have is a 20. Do you have change?"

I handed the guy- who was blatantly staring at Paige's chest- a 5 as I slipped my arm around Paige for the second time tonight. What was I, a bodyguard? "You sure you want to do this? I don't want you to get hurt." As soon as I said those words, a wave of emotion came over me. I had gotten to know this girl in less than 3 hours, and I actually cared about her well-being.

The guy took a small step back. "You're the boyfriend?"

Paige giggled. Again. "Jay is the coolest guy in the world," she beamed as she looked up at me.

He looked at her, then me. "You two don't look like much of a couple," he said, almost challenging me.

I held her closer, wrapping both arms around her waist and resting my chin on top of her blonde hair. I could smell the lily, mixed with the scent of her pineapple shampoo. Or conditioner. Or whatever the hell she put in her hair to make it smell like pineapples.

Paige's hands rubbed up and down my arms. "Jay is the greatest!"

The guy backed off. "Oh. Well, little girl, you ready to ride?" He sneered as he said the last words, making them sound dirty. I really wanted to punch that smug look off of his face. Instead, I burned holes in his head with my eyes as Paige got up on the bull. It started, and she jerked forward. "Whoa!" That turned into "wheee!" which turned into "this is sooo much fun!" I couldn't believe it; she was actually pretty good at this. Somehow she had gotten her jacket off and was waving it over her head. "This is so cool!" That yellow shirt fit her like a dream. I couldn't help but stare. She didn't have that fake smile she usually had at school; she was actually having a good time. Again, there was that innocence about her, something pure and true. The flower was falling out of her hair.

An airhorn went off, making me jump, since the guy blared it in my ear. I gave him a dirty look. "We have a winner!" Neanderthal stopped the bull, and Paige kind of stumbled off. He placed a 20 in her hand, and gave her a smile. "Nice, little girl. You sure can move."

Paige giggled. "I guess I can, huh? I'm having a blast!"

I put my arm around Paige. "Hey, let's go get a drink," I mumbled in her ear.

"Anything, as long as you do that again," she giggled.

I looked at her. "Do what again?"

She shook her head. "Nevermind."

I took her to the bar and sat her down. "Now, can you be a big girl and stay here for a sec while I talk to the nice bartender?"

She brushed my shoulder. "Jay, I'm fine. Really. I feel normal again. Um, almost," she giggled. "Really, I'm fine. Go talk." She gave me a smile.

I sat at a stool about 5 feet away from Paige and got the bartender's attention. "Hey, where are you from?" I asked, as she wiped down the bar.

She gave me a weird look, then replied "Toronto" while wiping down the counter.

"Really? Never been there before. Where's that?"

"Um, we're right next to it. Keep on driving, you'll get there." Then she gave me this knowing smile. It was like she knew I was lost and was trying to find my way back. As if she could read my mind, she said to me, "sometimes, when we go home, we're not going back; we're moving forward, you know?" With that, she went to the back. Creepy.

I turned to get Paige so that we could leave, and saw Neanderthal putting his hand on her leg. I rushed over and got her. "Come on, we're leaving."

"What if she doesn't want to go?" he asked me.

"Oh, no, I fully want to go," she said, holding on to me. We made it outside, her getting into the car, when the tavern door swung open again, with dumbass walking towards me. "Hey!"

I stopped. "Paige, get in the car." I looked at her, her worried face illuminated by the neon signs in the bar windows, the only lights in the dark night. There weren't even any stars out. It was dark- really dark -and with caveman looming over me, it was going to get even darker.

"Jay, let's go."

"Paige."

She got in. I saw her watch me from the car.

"Hey! I was talking to her." He put his face thisclose to mine. His breath smelled like sour beer, and he reeked of cigarette smoke. Well, after being in that bar, I bet I did too, but it just oozed out of this guy. I held in a choking cough.

"Yeah? She didn't want to talk to you." I put my hands up, ready to shove him away.

"You don't know that."

"Whatever, dude." I turned to get into the car when his hand clamped down on my right shoulder.

"No, I don't think so," he said as he turned me around. "I wasn't done talking to you."

"Well, I'm done talking to you." As soon as I turned back around, I felt him shove me. He shoved me pretty hard.

I turned around. "What the hell is your problem?"

He didn't opt for words. Instead, he slammed his fist agaist my cheek. I could feel the blood running down my face.

I swung and punched him in the stomach. As soon as he doubled over, I brought his head down and kneed him in the jaw. He fell to the ground, and I made my way to the car. I took off, spewing gravel all over him and the other guys who had just come out to see what was going on.

"Jay, you're bleeding." Paige was wiping off my cheek with her jacket. I pulled away from her, but eventually stayed still, mostly because I didn't feel like driving with my head against the driver's side window all the way to Toronto. It could be awhile.