A/N – And I don't like this chapter either…something about Paige having to interact with her parents just pushes my writing skills beyond their breaking point. But for now, this will do. Again, suggestions, concrit. Feel free to tell me what should stay and what shouldn't.
Chapter 10
"One of you has to go home," said Meeri when the girls arrived for work.
"Why? Are we overstaffed?" asked Paige.
"No. You two will no longer be working the same shifts."
The girls both sensed that it had to do with their new relationship, but were baffled as to how Meeri found out.
"Why?" asked Alex defensively.
"Because you were neglecting customers last night. I had complaints. One man in particular – I had to refund both his food and his movie just to calm him down. And then I had to find out where you two were. Did you know we have security cameras in the backroom?"
"We're sorry. It will never happen again," said Paige.
"You're right it won't. Now, which one of you will be going home?"
"You can't do this," said Alex.
"I most certainly can. I could fire you too, except you're two of my best employees."
"This is discrimination."
"Don't try to play that card. This is me trying to properly manage my workers. I don't really care what you do off the clock; I just care that when you're here, you're working. Patrick was kind enough to come in this evening. One of you will be taking his day shift tomorrow…"
Paige soon found herself on the bus heading back home.
Once there, she took her pouty self upstairs towards her bedroom, but heard the voices of her parents coming from Dylan's room – now doubling as the computer room. They spoke in their native Ukrainian, which made Paige intensely curious as to the topic. She stood outside the door, doing her best to pick up as much of the conversation as her poor Ukrainian would allow.
She quickly realized they were talking about herself and Alex. Her mother was concerned, her father not so much. After a few minutes, and after being reassured that her parents were not mad, only worried, which could easily be remedied, Paige leaned against the door frame.
"My Ukrainian's not as bad as you think it is."
"Oh, Paigey, we didn't realize you were home," said her mother.
Her father narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing home? Aren't you supposed to be working?"
"Meeri sent me home. We were…overstaffed. So, do you want to discuss my relationship?"
"Everything is fine," said her mother.
"You said something about me making poor choices. You mentioned Matt."
"No, no. I don't think Matt was a poor choice. He was a very nice young man."
"Mom."
"But he was your teacher, and he was so much older than you, and – "
"Only a few years."
"At your age that's a lot."
"Well, Alex is my age. Shouldn't that mean I'm doing better?"
"We're just concerned, Paige," said her father, motioning for her to have a seat with them. "If this is really what you want, then we will support you. But you have to understand that this just might be a bit difficult for us to comprehend. You have always been so…what is the word?"
"Straight? Boy crazy? Superficial? Concerned with my popularity?"
Her father didn't speak for a moment, but instead looked at her tenderly. "We worry about you. All parents worry about their children. It is their job."
"Well, don't worry about me. I'm handling this well. I know what I'm doing."
"Do you really? This isn't just about you. Your friend could get hurt too."
"Girlfriend. And I'm not going to hurt her. I like her too much."
"But do you really like her, dear," asked her mother. "I think that's what we're having a hard time with."
"Of course I like her. As a girlfriend. More than just a friend who is a girl. Like I liked Spin and Matt."
Her parents still looked concerned.
"I kissed her, ok? We kissed, and I had to deal with what that meant, if it was a mistake or something more. And we're definitely something more. And I'm happy. She makes me happy. Happy enough to not care what people say. And if I didn't follow this through, if I'd kept on pretending I didn't like her, told myself we shouldn't date because I'm straight, then I would only wonder what could have been. I'd regret it until the day I died."
"That's rather dramatic, dear."
"But it's true. And anyway, you know I always get what I want."
"I know. But even you have to admit that sometimes the things you want are not always what's best for you."
"And you have to admit that sometimes I do make the right decisions." Paige sighed and smiled at her parents. "Did you talk Dylan to death too when he came out?"
"No. We saw that one coming. You, however, have taken us completely by surprise."
"Well, I guarantee you this whole situation has been pretty surprising to me too. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find some way to occupy my time until Alex comes over."
"She's spending the night again?"
"Yes, is that a problem?"
"Well…no. It's just…your relationship is so new and…well…are you sure she's…safe?"
"Mom! We're not having sex!"
"I didn't mean that," her mother said, though it was obvious that that was exactly what she was worried about. "I just thought, maybe, she should sleep in here. Your bed is much too small for two people. You'll be much more comfortable in separate beds."
"We were fine last night – and FYI, nothing happened. Don't upset yourselves over this. Save it for the next time I actually get in trouble. Be happy for me now, please?"
Her cell phone rang, and she gleefully announced that it was Alex, her joy unhidden, which managed to infect even her parents to some degree, and they smiled at her as she left the room.
"Hey, I think I'm just going to go home tonight."
"What for? Are you already tired of me?"
"Hardly. I don't get off till late and you've got first shift tomorrow. You need sleep."
"I don't care. I'd rather have a hellacious case of sleep deprivation because you were in my bed than a hellacious case of sleep deprivation because you weren't in my bed."
"You're a strange one, Michalchuk."
"Does that mean you're coming over?"
"Yeah, sure. Anything to see that you don't get sleep for all the right reasons."