17-year old Paige is absorbed in life, love, attitude and rebellion, but when normal teenage turmoil is turned upside down by something she can't explain, has she pushed her family too far? All 4 sisters. Paige-centric with Glen/Kyle
Disclaimer: Everything to do with Charmed Not mine!
A/N: Thanks for the encouragement – it's a great muse – it certainly got this chapter written quicker…hope you enjoy. Please Review!
Chapter 3: Stranger things are happening.
"Okay Paigey, all set?" Piper says brightly as she pulls up outside Baker High School. I know I got to bed late but how can anybody be so perky in the morning.
It takes all the enthusiasm I can muster to reply, "Sure"
"Have a good day, learn lots…" I have to say I kind of worry about my sister sometimes. I get out of the car reluctantly, "…and behave" I smile sweetly at my sister who gives me a knowing look in return.
"Bye Piper" I say, tossing my rucksack on my shoulder as I find my self heading into the zoo-like place that some adults claim is a high-school.
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Perfect. The smoke sails from my nostrils, way up into the sky I try to see if I can make a shape that looks like the clouds above me. I don't suppose it's what Piper had in mind when she was thinking about a 'good day'. Oh well. I lean back against the wall to savour the high. It's pretty quiet around here today and it's weird. Usually, the back of the sports building is teeming with people dying for a nicotine fix, with the odd 'unusual' cigarette thrown in the mix; all the smoke creates something resembling the polluted smog of a small city.
"Hey freak" So much for peace and quiet as I hear a familiar voice over my shoulder. It's Emily Taylor, chief queen bee and the nicest girl in school. She's pretty much text-book, with not a hair out of place on her pretty blonde head, and an outfit to match. Even Prue in her 'miss popularity' phase wasn't this much of a bitch and that's a big thing for the suffering youngest sister to say.
"Hi Emily" I say coolly. I'm not interested in being drawn into her game, I look away to stamp on the butt I've let drop onto the floor.
"Where's that little puppy dog that normally follows you around?" She drawls.
"I usually call him Glen, and he's my friend…not a concept that you'd understand I'll bet…"
"Friend? You see, that's not what I heard, someone told me that you guys were going out" I know she's trying to wind me up. Instead I'm just wondering how someone could load so much venom into a single sentence. Okay I can go with this, if I can deal with three older sisters at PMS-time I guess I can talk to this ice-queen and come out of it with pride intact.
"We are"
"Oh." She says looking me up and down through her perfect, baby-doll eyelashes. Oh my, I think she's actually gonna try and out attitude Paige Halliwell. Well, we'll see.
"…you know Paige…you should be careful that you don't get the same reputation as your sister did…what was her name? Freebie?"
I may not always be fond of my sisters, but that is so not on.
"Okay, Phoebe might have gone out with, what, two guys during high school. Emily, lets say we cover your list: Dan, Matt and oh the other Dan…well, that's tenth grade covered, Luke, Marty? girl, I don't know what you were thinking with that one, erm…Jason, Tyler and so I hear Mikey Reynolds at Shelby Lee's party last Friday night. So, Emily I don't think you'll mind if I point out that – with that score - you're clearly the winning slut…" Aswell as turning a scary shade of purple which so clashes with her platinum hair, she has raised her hand. I shut my eyes tightly, expecting pain to flash across my cheek.
Instead of my cheek searing with pain, it feels as if my intestines are being pulled out of my mouth. I open my eyes.
Whoa. This is so not good.
Ten feet off the ground, Emily staring open mouthed below me I'm on the roof. I feel a little wobbly, trying to get my footing a couple of slate tiles fall off. Maybe I can climb down if I can scrabble carefully over to that drainpipe.
"Miss Halliwell" A voice booms from the ground below.
Too late.
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"Paige, this is the fourth time the school has called me away from work…" So Glen and I might have dabbled in the world of school pranks before, well, it brightens up those boring days. Unfortunately when they find out, they call Prue. When we got back she frogmarched me to the dining table and sat me down. Now she's pacing and yelling there's no need for any psychology knowledge to tell who's on this power-trip.
"I…"
"Climbing the roof, what's funny about that? God Paige, that's so dangerous…" Good job she didn't find out about the prank that involved a fire-drill, sprinklers and the whole school on the football pitch.
"I…" Someday I'll get a word in.
"They said you're suspended, you hear that, suspended, you need school Paige…"
"I KNOW that Prue, but I don't know how I got there…"
"Don't be silly Paige, come on you were caught, time to grow up a little and take some responsibility"
"But Prue" I'm getting frustrated and tears pool at the corners of my eyes.
"No, you're grounded"
"You can't, you are not Mom!" Prue's clear eyes glass over at the mention of Mom, she looks at the floor shaking her head. Seconds later she fixes me with her normal gaze, all trace of emotion disappeared.
"I'm going to Andy's" She says coldly. "Piper is working late at the restaurant; Phoebe is out with college friends. Dinner's in the freezer." She tosses her hair over her shoulder and marches through the house. The door slams and the car revs up. She's gone.
Alone, well that's just a typical evening in for Paige. Prue didn't listen to me, none of them do. They just ignore me until I do something that they can yell at me for. I can deal with that kinda crap, I can deal with being ignored, chewed out for whatever; the only thing that's bugging me now is how the hell I got up on that roof. It seems a dead Mom, high-school hell and tyrant sisters are not enough for Paige and life just added a whole new load of crazy to the mix.
I think I might be going insane.
Mom would have at least listened to me, talked to me. Told me off, probably, but with a hug after she'd done; of course that's all in my imagination, I never even knew her properly. I can't even remember her face, I was too young…
but I wish she was here, now.
My stomach aches with hunger breaking me out of the daydream that has left my cheeks wet. To hell with the freezer and food, I think the liquid menu is on the cards tonight.
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