Title: Wake Up Call
Author: Tempest
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters recognizable from Degrassi. I will have all characters returned to sender in a timely fashion. I make no money off these works. No copyright infringement intended. In other words, please don't sue me.
Spoilers: 5.11-5.12: The Lexicon of Love
Author's Notes: Inspired by Niki FM by Hawthorne Heights and by the livejournal community 15minuteficlets (word #129). I'm pretty sure these episodes haven't aired in the States yet as of this date (12/26/05), but I have a Canadian friend who is kind enough to send me the episodes that she records on television.

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Alex, the girl from the wrong side of the tracks, the fiery tempered bad ass, the last person in the world who was ever supposed to become friends with someone like Paige. Yet, here she was making herself at home in Paige's room, sitting on Paige's bed, kissing Paige's lips. What was wrong with this picture?

Paige wanted to pretend that she hadn't felt the rush of electrified emotions as they danced together at the after party. She wanted to believe that she hadn't felt the unspoken feelings floating on the air between them as they stared into each other eyes, exchanging soundless secrets only they understood.

She wanted desperately to believe that when Alex kissed her, she'd been as surprised as she pretended to be, that she hadn't prayed with silent pleas that Alex would kiss her, that she'd been totally innocent in the process. She knew that she could tell herself whatever she needed to hear to make herself feel better, but the truth of the matter was she had wanted it just as much as Alex had.

The subtle shift in her relationship with Alex hadn't come as surprise to her at all. She'd memorized every defining moment between them, playing it over and over in her head like a movie reel. An intense hatred blossomed into an intense friendship, which threatened to erupt into an intense… love? No, it wasn't possible.

One kiss didn't mean anything; a kiss was just a kiss. People experimented all the time. That was normal. Just because she'd kissed Alex didn't mean that she was a lesbian, but her friendship with Alex did satisfy something she felt was missing, though, even if Paige didn't want to admit it to herself.

Every relationship she'd ever had never filled the emotional void in her heart, always leaving her wanting for something more, searching for something that no one person had ever been able to satisfy. Then, along came Alex, the girl that Paige had once used a standard for everything that was wrong in the world. And she'd turned Paige's life inside out.

Alex was witty, funny, smart, full of life, and whenever she wasn't around, something in Paige withered. Despite all the friends she had, sometimes she felt that she had more in common with Alex than anyone else—even Hazel. Alex understood because she didn't just see the world as black and white, as right and wrong. She saw life for the complicated mess that it was.

Paige knew this was what she wanted, and for a moment, she resigned herself to it. This was her moment to be happy with someone who made her happy, even if she was another girl. Then, she saw Hazel's disapproving stare, heard the whispers that would trail her down the hallways. What would people think when they found out? She'd been supportive of Dylan, but she wasn't as strong as Dylan.

Words didn't bounce off her skin; she couldn't ignore it. She couldn't stand the thought of being the topic of everyone's conversation. She didn't know how to handle the looks of disgust. She didn't want her life to be held under a microscope for everyone to dissect. With this kiss, Alex was asking her to give up everything she'd work so hard to maintain.

With this kiss, Alex ruined everything.