Chapter 6
Paige POV
Strong arms wrapping around me, pulling me back to the surface. The look on her face when she realised I was ok. The fierce look she had when Chelsea tried to downplay the situation. The way she held my hand in the car, letting me know she was there. Her attention when I told her about my father. The way she kissed my hand when she found the mirror. When she kissed my bruised cheek as i drifted to sleep. The way she said 'I'll never let you go' when I asked her to hold me.
Last night was… intense. There really wasn't another word I could use to describe it. So many emotions were filling the room and I don't think either one of us had control. I wasn't ready to decide what last night meant about me and Emily but I knew we cared about each other, and whether that was more than friendship I couldn't quite figure out.
I was acutely aware of Emily's arms wrapped around me from behind, her front pressed into my back. I could feel her breath on my neck, it sent warmth through my body. I smiled and opened my eyes, but suddenly the throbbing pain radiated through my head and neck. Oh yeah, not everything about last night was so perfect. The headache was manageable, but what was worse was the neck pain. I didn't notice it last night but now it hurt to move my head. I really didn't want to move from my position in Emily's arms but my neck was stiff as a rod and if I didn't control the pain before she woke up, she might knock me out herself and drag me to the hospital.
I looked at the time. It was only 6:00AM so I didn't need to wake her up for school just yet. I reached down and pulled her hands from around my waist, gently touching her soft skin. I rolled over on my back and quietly sat up from on the bed. I kept my moves slowly and deliberate so I didn't wake her or cause more pain to my neck.
I stopped for a moment to admire the beautiful girl sleeping next to me. She looked so peaceful in her slumber. Her raven hair was in tangles around her face and she almost looked like she was smiling. I almost reached out to cup her cheek but if she woke up it might have made for an awkward situation. Oh yeah sorry Em, I was just thinking about how sexy you are when you're sleeping so I decided to get all creepy and touch you while you were passed out, hope you're cool with that. I laughed at how weird I could be in my own head sometimes.
But it was time to admit it to myself. Yes, I thought Emily was sexy. And smart, beautiful inside and out, funny, caring, strong and pretty much everything I didn't know I was looking for. I was still trying to figure out what she meant to me, but after last night I was pretty sure I wanted to be with her as more than a friend. I looked at her lips, her full perfect lips. I really wanted to know what they would feel like against my own. They felt so perfect on my skin last night I couldn't image what it would be like if they were moving together with my own. My stomach flipped at just the thought.
I stood up from the bed, making my way to the kitchen to get Tylenol and a drink. I looked at my reflection in the kitchen window. Well that life ring surely left its mark. I had a deep purple bruise on my cheek that stretched around to the side of my head as well. I sat at up on the counter and continued thinking about my infatuation with Emily.
I had never really considered that I might be gay. I never had a problem with it, one of my good friends was gay in Philly. I helped him when he was coming out in freshmen year, it was tough for him but he did alright. It was a disaster when my parents found out about him though. My dad made it seem like the world was coming to an end just because my friend was gay. This was the one thing I fought my dad on and actually came out with some success. I was able to hang out with Dan still, just never in my house anymore.
Now that I think about Emily, I definitely have to consider who I really am. I think I really have a shot in being happy with her, I just have to decide how I am going to tell her how I feel. From what I've noticed with Hanna's less than subtle comments and Chelsea's insult last night, I'm pretty sure Emily is gay. I practically did a happy dance at the thought that she might actually like me back, Hanna sure seemed to make it appear that way.
"What are you smiling about?" I looked up to see Emily standing a few feet away from me leaning against the wall. She was still wearing my cotton shorts and tank top and I couldn't help but let my thoughts spin because she was wearing my clothes. I gave my head a shake and focused on looking her in the eye. Ugh her eyes!
"Just thinking" I answered simply.
She looked at my face and that look of concern took over her face again. "How's your head feeling today? I'm hoping it looks worse than it feels"
"Umm.. it's a little sore but it could be worse. I think I'll be alright, it's just a bruise and a small headache" I explained lightly. Emily rolled her eyes. There was just no way to look her in the eye and make a lie believable.
"That's it, we're taking today off school and you're getting checked out" I began to protest but she cut me off. "Relax! I thought about it and we don't have to go to the emergency room. Spencer's brother-in-law is a doctor I'll give him a call and let him know we're stopping by. That way, if it's nothing then you won't have to tell your parents and I'll be satisfied that you're actually alright."
"Emily you should really go to school, I can get myself to the hospital" I didn't want her to skip school just because of me.
"Nope! I already called my mom and explained, and she thinks I should go with you to make sure you're alright! I also called Wren…umm I mean Dr. Kingston, already as well so you really have no say in this I'm sorry to tell you" She smiled at me.
"You're relentless, Fields." I had no choice but to give into her. "But what about swim practice, because you are not missing the second practice because of me I don't care if I have permanent brain damage and slip into a coma!"
She glared at me, apparently not liking my joke. "Funny, Paige. But we can drive to practice after your our visit with Wren. If you're not injured to bad, you can practice and if you are, well you'll have to have a talk with Coach Fulton" Oh, right. Even if I didn't have any serious injuries I still had a pretty big bruise that she would no doubt ask about.
"I'll have to think on that one" I sighed. I didn't know if I wanted to tell the truth or not. I pushed that thought from my mind though, I was going to have a day with Emily Fields all to myself. I wanted to make the best of that despite the circumstances. I wanted her to see that I wasn't always drama and pain, I actually did have a fun side.
Emily's POV
"So Em, what are you making me for breakfast?" Paige looked at me, sweetly batting her eyelashes and smiling softly. I was momentarily distracted because of how flipping adorable she looked, perched on the counter in her short shorts and tank top.
I played along, keeping my composure "What makes you think you deserve breakfast there, Superstar?"
"Pleeeeeeeeease, Em? "she whined and jutted her lower lip out into the cutest pout I have ever seen.
"Not a chance" I smiled at her and folded my arms, holding my ground.
"Oh C'mon! Look at me! I just suffered a head injury and you won't even pour me a bowl of cereal?" she jumped off the counter and walked towards me. There goes my composure. She walked right up to me and I swear, for a moment I thought she was going to pull me in and kiss me but she just reached around me and took a box of Cheerios from the counter. How disappointing. She pulled away and smirked at me.
"Has anyone ever told you how freaking cute you are, Paige?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Oh all the time. There's actually a club in Philly called 'We Adore Paige' you should really think about joining"
"Pour your cereal you dork"
Paige poured a couple bowls of cereal and we both began eating in comfortable silence. She looked like she was really concentrating on something but I didn't want to pry to much so I let her think in peace.
"Em… can I ask you something?" she spoke quietly and I noted how nervous she looked.
"You can ask me anything Paige you know that" I looked at her in encouragement.
"You can totally tell me to fuck off if I'm stepping out of line but I'm really curious about what Chelsea said to you yesterday… you know that comment about you being a lesbian?"
I nearly choked on my breakfast as she said the word. What if she wasn't okay with it? We spooned last night and I kissed her cheek! What if she thinks I'm some sort of creep now? I had to be truthful with her though, I owed her that much. She would find out eventually so why put it off. I silently prayed she wouldn't get weirded out.
"I… uuh… Yes. I'm gay, Paige." I finally got the words out. "I'm sorry, I probably should have told you before we slept in the same bed, I hope you don't think I'm a total freak now. I wasn't trying to hide it Paige I swear but I just didn't know how to bring it up without seeming weird. I really hope you're okay with it but I think I already said that so I'm just going to shut up now" I stopped rambling and looked up at her shyly.
She had her head turned to the side and was looking at me thoughtfully. "Chill out Em, I'm cool with it, you don't freak me out, you never will. I kind of suspected before Chelsea said anything, I mean Hanna isn't the most subtle person I've met" Paige grinned at me and I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding. Her answer meant a lot to me.
"Thank you Hanna." I mumbled sarcastically and Paige laughed. I couldn't help but join in with her, I was so happy she accepted who I am.
We finished our breakfast and went back to Paige's room to get ready. She walked over to her dresser and opened it grabbing a pair of black denims and a red tank top. She then motioned me to come over.
"Pick anything you like, Em, we look pretty much the same size. I don't have anything to 'wow' in here though I'm more of a jeans and a t-shirt kind of girl" she walked to the other side of her room and began changing. I was a little shocked. I thought after I told her I was gay she would be a little more nervous around me but she really seemed to have no issue with who I was. I was impressed.
I took a pair of dark wash skinny jeans and a light blue tank top and quickly changed. I loved this whole, getting to wear her clothes thing. I turned to look at Paige again and noticed her looking at my outfit with a smile.
We walked back out into the living room, Paige leading the way. I couldn't keep myself from staring at her as she was walked in front of me, causing me to whack my foot off the edge of the side table by the couch.
"Fuck!" I let out the curse word mostly in surprise more than pain.
Paige turned and looked at me in mock surprise. "Emily Fields did you just drop the F-bomb? Tisk-tisk just wait till I tell your mother!" she started laughing and poked me in the side. I couldn't help but let out a giggle, I was extremely ticklish. My friends used this against me all the time and I silently hoped Paige wouldn't see my weakness
Paige clearly noticed. She looked at me with an evil smile and raised her hands towards me, wiggling her fingers and approaching me slowly.
My eyes widened. "Paige, don't even think about it!" I squealed and tried to back away but she pushed me down on the couch and began tickling me furiously. We were pretty evenly matched so far. She would tickle me but I was doing pretty good at fighting her off. She ended up on top of me, grabbing at my sides and my feet. I gave her a good shove and she suddenly flopped down on the couch grabbing at her head. I remembered her recent head injury and freaked.
"Paige! Oh my god are you okay?" I sat up and reached for her hand. "I'm so sorry I totally got caught up in the moment and forgot!" I was almost crying at this point, thinking I really hurt her when she tackled me down again, effectively pinning me down and winning our little fight. She looked at my freaked expression and began laughing. She really got me this time.
"That's not funny!" I yelled in embarrassment. "You are seriously a mean person Paige you need to get your head checked" I said the last part lightly and began laughing. "Speaking of getting your head checked, let's go get your head checked." She stood up, reaching her hand out and helping me up from the couch.
Paige looked at me and relented "Fine, but I'm driving there, my car, my head, my rules"
We arrived at Rosewood Community Hospital and asked for Dr. Wren Kingston, explaining this was a pre-planned visit. I could tell that Paige was relieved that we wouldn't be subject to long emergency room waits. A friendly old nurse led us to a private room, warning us that the hospital was busy today and Dr. Kingston may be a little behind schedule. Paige sat up on the examination table and I took a seat in the chair by the door.
"So Dr. Kingston is Spencer's brother in law?" Paige asked
"Yep, he just started at Rosewood Community a couple of months ago. He's fresh out of med-school so he's pretty young"
"Em, do you think he'll.. you know wanna contact my parents?" she looked at me in worry.
"He's a pretty relaxed guy, as long as its nothing serious I doubt it"
She looked relieved at my answer "Oh, okay"
The door opened and Wren walked in, sporting a white lab coat over light blue scrubs. "Emily, so good to see you again, its been a while" I smiled at him. His English accent never failed to amuse me.
"Hey, Wren. I didn't really explain to much over the phone, but my friend here took a pretty good hit to the head last night" I explained.
" must be Paige then." He looked at her and smiled. "Emily here made it sound like you were nervous about getting it looked at. I'm glad you came to me though, I don't mind checking you out" Was it just me that saw the double meaning in his words? He was obviously flirting with Paige. He was charming, there was no denying it and he never failed to use it on cute girls. I should have taken her to the emergency room last night, this was a bad idea.
I glared at him and clenched my jaw to keep from saying anything. Paige seemed oblivious to his flirting though. "Uh.. yeah some girl was a little drunk last night and hit me with one of those hard plastic life rings. I was knocked out for a bit but that's all I really remember, I mean aside from the headache and sore face thing" Paige smiled. I didn't want her to smile at Wren, maybe she found him cute. Most girls did. I took solace in knowing he was married.
"Sounds like quite the night" Wren smirked. "Were you dizzy last night? Did you experience any confusion? Was there any neck pain?" Wren fired off his questions. It was about time he started doing his job.
"Uhm.. yeah I was pretty dizzy and a little fuzzy for a while. My neck wasn't sore last night but it feels pretty stiff this morning" I looked at her in shock. She didn't tell me this when I asked her how she was this morning. Ugh, Paige why can't I just read your mind that would make my life so much easier?
Wren nodded thoughtfully and approached her. "Alright then, let's take a look" He brushed his hands across the bruise on her face and began poking around her left temple. She winced a few times and I really wished I could take her hand. I settled for walking over to them and leaning against the wall next to the examination table.
"Is that tender?" Wren asked.
"Just a little bit. Most of the pain is on my cheek, but the headache is still there"
Wren continued his examination, brushing her hair to the right side and feeling down her neck. He had her look up, down, left and right. I noticed she was trying to hide the pain the movements caused her.
"Looks like that's hurting you quite a bit Paige" Wren had caught on as well.
"Well like I said it feels a little stiff" Paige explained, trying to downplay everything as usual. Wren began rubbing her neck, gently massaging it for her. She let out a sigh and I felt very jealous. I wanted to rip Wrens arms off. Doctor's weren't supposed to do this were they? I glared at him in anger. Couldn't he just hurry it up and tell us if she was alright?
"Ahem, so Wren is her head alright? It's not too serious is it?" Wren removed his hands from her neck and stood back. He began scribbling something on a piece of paper.
"Well, it looks like you took most of the hit to your Zygomatic bone. You can see the bruising there. You're very lucky for this because that's a strong bone and hits there have to be pretty hard to effect the brain. However, the object hit your temporal bone as well… that's where you're headache is coming from. From the symptoms you told me and the pain I'd say you likely just got knocked out, maybe a little rattling in your head. And of course one hell of a bruised face" He smiled lightly.
"Does that mean I don't have to sit out of swimming?" Paige asked hopefully. Of course that would be her first question. I was happy that there was no serious damage and she was hoping she wouldn't miss swimming.
"I would advise against any physical activity for at least a week, sorry Paige but no swimming for you. Because unfortunately I'm not quite done my diagnosis" Paige's face fell at the bad news.
"Now for your neck. It looks like you have some minor spraining to your fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae. They didn't look misaligned, be thankful for that because you would have been out of swimming for much longer if that was the case. Anyway in English, you have a little bit of whiplash so try not to move your neck to quick or you might cause some more damage."
"Thanks Dr. Kingston, I'll take it easy for the next few days" Paige was upset again, and looked pretty anxious to leave.
Wren chuckled. "Not so fast! You're going to need a few X-rays just to be sure" Paiged groaned and slumped back down on the table. "Relax, its just routine and if they don't find anything serious you will be on your way. I'm also writing you a medical note to give to your coach. Emily I will trust you make sure this gets to the coach? If you re-injure yourself it could cause long term, serious damage Paige"
I looked at Wren. "Of course, I'll make sure she's taken care of" I explained with honesty. Paige wasn't going to dip a toe in the water until next week, I would make sure of it.
"Right, well you two can hang out here if you'd like, a nurse will be along shortly to take Paige to the radiology clinic. It was nice meeting you Paige and good to see you again Emily" He tore of a piece of paper and handed Paige's medical note to me.
"Thank you Wren, I'll see you around" He turned and walked out the door.
It was completely silent in the room and I could tell how upset Paige was. I walked over to her and put my hand on her knee. "Paige—"
"I don't wanna talk about it, Em. I hate missing practice. How am I going to explain this to my dad?" She turned away from me, lying back on the table face down. I propped myself up, sitting on the edge and began to rub the small of her back in comfort.
We remained silent until a nurse came in and took us to the Radiology clinic. We sat in the small waiting area and noticed how busy it was. Great. Paige was going to hate me after forcing her to do this. I wouldn't apologize though, I had to know that she was alright.
It was about two hours before Paige was taken away for her X-ray. And another half hour before she came back into the waiting area. We didn't talk much and finally, after another hours wait the nurse called Paige into a room and explained that nothing was found, just as Wren suspected. We left the Hospital just in time to start driving to swim practice.
"Is there any way I can convince you to rip that note up?" Paige asked hopefully as she drove towards the school.
"Not a chance Paige, I'm not risking your health just so you can swim a few laps this week" She rolled her eyes and focused on the road. I knew she wasn't really mad at me, but it sucked that she was being this way about it. I was really concerned about her and it was relieving to know it was only a minor injury.
Paige's POV
We pulled into the parking lot of the school and I marched towards the natatorium without another word to Emily. She walked beside me in silence, I wasn't really blaming her and she didn't deserve to see my temper tantrum but I was still trying to come up with a way to keep this from my father. I huffed and decided it was pointless, I would have to tell him, just the same way I would have to explain this to the Coach.
"Em, give me the medical note, I should be the one to explain this to Coach Fulton"
"Are you going to tell her what happened? I mean the whole swim team knows so she's going to notice the tension" Emily looked at me and I knew the last part was her subtle attempt at asking me to tell the truth about my injury.
"Sorry, Em, you know I can't do that. Sometimes its better to let things go. You saw how well it worked last time Coach Fulton was warned" When I saw the hurt in Emily's eyes I immediately regretted what I said. "No I didn't mean it like that! It's just pointless to make an issue out of this in my mind. I'm thinking about the rest of the team Em, I can't always think about myself"
"Do you ever think about yourself?" She muttered, almost to quiet for me to hear. She handed me the note and I walked past the locker rooms towards Coach Fulton's office. Emily looked like she was going to follow but I waved my hand at her so she turned for the locker room as I knocked lightly on the open door to the Coach's office.
"Come in Paige" she looked up at me, her face quickly turning to shock as she took in my bruised left side. "Oh, goodness! What happened to you?" Crap. I guess I should have decided on an excuse if I wasn't going to tell the truth. I handed her the medical note and while she read over it my mind came up with a reasonable story.
"Well… I was out for a jog downtown yesterday and someone opened their car door while I was running by and hit me right in the face. It's not as bad as it looks, I hope that dumb note explains that part. Emily saw me and forced me to go to the hospital today and I guess I have to sit out for a week" I kept the details simple, hoping it was believable.
"Well it sounds like you were very lucky, and I'm glad Emily took care of you, I have a feeling you would have been too stubborn on your own to get yourself looked at" She laughed lightly
"Yeah lucky me" I mumbled.
She just laughed again. "It's only a week and you're swimming is impressive, Paige I'm not at all worried about your times. Just make sure you let yourself heal. You should still attend practice this week but you can just help me time and help the newer students with their form"
Well, it was better than being told to just go home. We walked out to the pool and most of the girls were filing out of the change room and starting their warm up laps. I looked around for Emily and noticed her swimming in the lane closest to me and the Coach.
This was the first time I saw her swim and I don't think I could forget it. Seeing her lean body cut through the water was incredible. She moved with such grace and strength that it almost looked like a performance. Not only was she moving though the water with such beauty but her form was impeccable and she was fast. The way Emily moved it was obvious she put her heart and soul into swimming. She swam for herself, pure enjoyment, nothing else. Okay there was no longer any question. I was into Emily Fields, I had it bad for her and I felt no shame for my feelings. I was so busy gawking that I didn't hear the Coach's instructions.
"Paige?" Coach Fulton asked
"Sorry…uuuuh what was that?" I looked at her and tried to focus.
"I said, did you want to time Emily? Her times are pretty close with the ones your dad sent me so I figure you to partnering up during practices will motivate you guys to do better." She handed me a stopwatch and moved on to speak with the some of the other girls. She blew her whistle and gave everyone instructions on what to do. Everyone had a partner who timed them and they would take turns in each stroke. Today was pretty much just a test of our basic abilities. More conditioning and form work would take place for the rest of the week.
I walked over to Emily and she smiled at me. "Howdy partner" she winked and eyed my stop watch.
"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that" We walked to the lane she warmed up in and she got on the starting blocks. We went through each stroke three times. Her times were nothing short of amazing, obviously. Coach was right, they were very close to mine. Like me, she excelled in front stroke and butterfly, her other times were good as well. Practice went quickly when I didn't have to dwell on sitting out, especially if it meant I got to watch Emily swim.
I sat in the locker room and I waited for Emily to get showered and changed so I could give her a ride to Spencer's to pick up her own car. A few of the girls chatted with me, asking how I was but no one mentioned what happened. Chelsea and Megan didn't so much as look at me or say a word and most of the girls looked at me apologetically, I was glad to know this didn't affect my relationship with the rest of the team. Emily came back from her shower in only a towel so I conveniently went to the bathroom so I wouldn't torture myself. I went back as Emily was closing her locker, ready to head home.
Emily looked at me and smiled. There was something in her eyes though, determination maybe? "I just have to take care of one more thing" With that she walked over to Chelsea's locker.
Emily grabbed Chelsea by the shoulder, looked her keen in the eye and snapped her arm back, punching her square in the jaw. "I shouldn't have to explain what that's for" It happened so quick that most of the girls were just turning to see the confrontation after it already happened.
Chelsea was rubbing her jaw, looking at Emily in shock. "Did you seriously just sucker punch me?"
"Trust me, you deserve so much worse and everyone here knows it. I dare you to tell Coach Fulton about this, Paige lied for you but I'm not that forgiving. No one likes a rat Chelsea, remember?" Emily spoke passively, and honestly it was more terrifying than hearing her yell.
Chelsea looked like she was about to retaliate but I wouldn't have that. I stepped in, grabbing Emily's hand and pulling her away. "Come on, Em. She's not worth it." I squeezed her hand and we walked out of the locker room to my car.
"Emily—"
"Paige, just don't say anything. I did what I had to and I don't want to hear you say it" She looked at me pleadingly.
"Do you want to go get dinner?" I blurted out. Like usual when I was talking to Emily, the words came out before I thought them through.
"uh—what?" she asked, looking very confused.
"Do you want to go get dinner before I take you to Spencer's? We don't have to, I was just wondering." My brain seriously needs to learn to keep up with my mouth.
"no—I um… I would like that actually" She smiled at me and climbed into the passenger side of my car. I quickly got in the driver's side and started the car.
"So, where's a good place to eat?"
"Oh, we can just go to the McDonalds uptown if you want" She looked sort of embarrassed and I couldn't figure out why
"Em, I said a good place to eat. And besides no McDonalds for us anymore, we're in training" I smirked at her.
She laughed and thought for a moment. "Well the Applerose Grill is nice, and there's Linguini's, it's a little more fancy" she explained.
"Linguini's it is then" I said simply. It was right downtown, a few blocks from The Brew so I didn't have trouble finding it.
We walked in and a friendly host greeted us. "Hello ladies, table for how many?" He looked at Emily and his eyes widened. He looked her up and down, obviously checking her out. Guys were so obvious sometimes. Oh buddy, if you only knew how not her type you are.
"Ahem, Just the two of us" I smiled at him and he focused on me again. Emily was right about the place being fancy, we were pretty underdressed compared to everyone else but that didn't bother me much. Emily deserved a nice dinner. The host led us to a quiet corner of the restaurant and the waiter came quickly to take our orders.
"My friend Kelly would love Rosewood" I said, making conversation. "She has a thing for these types of places with locally owned shops and what not. She'll probably be visiting this weekend, She is going to want a full tour of this place" I looked up to see her listening intently as usual.
"Tell me more about her, I want to know what your friends in Philly are like"
"Well she's been my best friend since the first day of high school. We just clicked ya know? She's very trendy I guess you could say. She loves shopping, girl talks, that kinda thing. She's basically Hanna but a little more reserved. She has a big heart too. She helps me a lot when it comes to my family issues. She wouldn't hurt anybody on purpose and I've seen her take guys down a couple levels when she's caught them bullying younger kids. She's just a good person" I liked telling Emily about her and I hoped they would meet soon. I would have to introduce her to Hanna, I feel like they would instantly love each other.
"Wow..she sounds amazing., and a lot like you in some ways" Emily smiled.
I laughed. "Yeah we bicker a lot about our differences of opinion but in the end we've always been there for each other and always will"
"does she know about…" Emily paused.
"No. I know it sounds lame but I didn't want her to worry about me. She feels awful enough as it is that my dad forced me to move here. If she knew I was miserable she would probably come here with a moving van and drag me back to Philly" I laughed because I knew it was true.
"Are you Paige? Still miserable I mean?" She looked a little hurt and I was about to explain but the waiter arrived with our food. We ate in silence for a minute but I needed to answer her.
"I'm miserable about the reasons I'm here. I'm not here by choice and its effecting the way I like this place. And of course the situation with Chelsea has been tough. I've never been picked on like this before. I always had a good group of friends so I never had to deal with anything like that. It's really…depressing. But, I have friends now, and that helps. Emily, you've made being in Rosewood a lot nicer. Don't tell anyone but I think I'm actually starting to like this place" I laughed and she started laughing with me.
"Thanks for being honest with me Paige. I'm glad to hear things are getting better. I honestly was worried about you on the first day. I know that sounds weird but you looked so sad" She looked down as she spoke.
"Yeah well my welcoming committee did a shit job. I mean, threats, a ruined lunch, an attempted drowning and being knocked out are not really the nicest things to deal with when you're starting over. But maybe other people like that sorta thing but not me" I joked.
"Attempted drowning? Didn't that come after the being knocked out part?" she looked confused.
Shit. I never told her about that. "Well, you're not gonna like this but you know that day I was swimming at lunch, and you were talking to Coach Fulton?"
Her expression dropped and she stared at me. "Yes"
"Well, long story short, they weren't very happy about me being in the pool at lunch" I smiled sheepishly.
Emily dropped her fork. She glared at me and her hands started trembling. "While I was right there?! With Coach Fulton. Ugh I can't believe this! You should have—"
"Said something I know, I know"
"Those girls are gonna get what they deserve" She mumbled that look of determination returned to her eyes. I reached out and took her trembling hand. I meant for it to be a brief comforting touch but I suddenly didn't want to take my hand away.
"Em, like I said before it's not worth it" She looked down at my lingering hand so I removed it, placing my hands firmly under the table so I couldn't get myself into more trouble.
"You're worth it, Paige, believe me" Again, I almost didn't catch her whisper but her words ran clear in my mind, setting off those butterflies in my stomach.
"Anyway, enough about my life, I need to hear some stuff about you. Parents? Any drama there? Are you an only child? And your swimming…Em, I know I said it before but your times were amazing today, do you plan on swimming in college?"
"Jeeze, Paige! One question at a time"
"Sorry, but start answering or ill fire off some more"
"Alright, alright. I'll start with the easy one. Thanks, yes I love swimming and I plan on swimming in college. Danby showed some interest in me last year so I'm thinking about going there maybe, but I'm open to other offers if I get them"
"you will" I said immediately.
"no more compliments about my swimming, besides its my turn to talk." I made a motion of zipping my lips and she broke out in her beautiful smile. "And I am an only child. There's no drama in my family really. My dad is in the army, he's overseas right now on a 6 month rotation. It's tough, I'm very close with him and it's hard not to worry. Some days are harder than others, I mean I try to ignore the news otherwise I'd be in bed all day worried sick. My mom's the same way."
"I'm so sorry, Em" I said sincerely. I saw the way she looked when she mentioned her dad. She misses him and its almost heartbreaking. "I can't imagine how hard that is on you and your mom"
"Like I said, some days are harder than others but we're there for each other. I wasn't always so close with my mom. When I came out to her things were… the worst. My dad was accepting but my mom had so many dreams for me that suddenly seemed to be crushed. But lately, after my first real girlfriend left, well she's been a lot more accepting. Things are great between us now, I feel like I can finally be open with her. Now she just wants to find someone who will be good to me" She smiled and I realised that Emily had been through a lot more than I ever knew.
"She sounds like she's really come around. Things were that bad when you came out?" I asked curiously.
"Well, my first and only girlfriend, Maya was a bit of a handful. I didn't understand at the time but now it makes sense. She was a party girl and a bit of a bad seed. My mom caught her smoking weed numerous times, once even on our property. I liked her a lot but I was kind of blinded because she was my first real girlfriend" she explained.
"What ever happened with her?"
"not much to tell. She moved away and we fell apart. We wouldn't have lasted anyway, I'm sure. I just didn't see it at the time. She made me brave though, so I'll always remember her in a good way" I loved how honest Emily was with herself. It was admirable.
"I don't mean to be weird but you mentioned she was your first 'real' girlfriend. Was there something else before her?"
"Yeah. There was my friend Allison who I was in love with. That was a complicated thing. I was crazy in love with her and she knew it. She went missing two years ago and they found her body last year. She was murdered. Luckily they caught Ian, the killer a few weeks after finding her. It was hard not knowing what happened but me and the girls finally got some closure when Ian was caught" She spoke sadly but she smiled. She had to deal with this but I could tell she had come to terms with it.
"Emily, you've really surprised me tonight. I didn't know how much you really had going on in your life"
"Yeah but it's all in the past. I'm happy now and that's what matters."
We finished eating and as much as Emily tried to stop me, I paid for our meals. We drove to Spencer's in comfortable silence. I parked on the street and got out to walk her to the door.
Emily turned to look at me when we got to Spencer's door, "Paige, I need to ask you something. Was tonight meant to be like… are you.. ugh! Was tonight supposed to be a date?" she looked down in embarrassment. I walked closer to her and took her hand. I had made my decision earlier tonight that I wouldn't hide my feelings from myself anymore so I might as well put it out there.
I looked at her and forced myself to be confident. "Em, if tonight was supposed to be a date, I would have done this…"
I leaned into her, pressing my lips to hers. It felt so much better than I had imagined it. The kiss was soft but I put everything I had into it, I wanted her to know how I felt. I was so absorbed that it took me a moment to realise that she wasn't kissing me back. I pulled away immediately, feeling the most humiliated I ever had in my life. Why did I just kiss her? I should have asked her if she liked me, not acted so rashly.
"Em.. oh my god I'm sorry, I thought—I mean I didn't think—I shouldn't have assumed you would like me just because I know you like girls!" she looked so confused but there was a fire in her eyes. That determined look. Was she going to hit me? I surely disserved it for acting so stupid. I turned to walk away when she grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.
"Emily, please.."
"Shut up, Paige" She grabbed me by the waist and pulled me in, pushing me against the door and she kissed me hard. If I thought the first kiss was amazing this was something completely different. Emily Fields was kissing me! There was so much passion as our lips moved together. I cupped her neck as she sucked on my lower lip. I couldn't help but let out a moan and she slowly pulled away so out faces were just inches apart. I rested our foreheads together and looked straight into her beautiful brown eyes.
I was still to breathless from our kiss so she spoke first. "You know, for claiming that you didn't date much you sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet" she exclaimed, breathless as well.
"I like you a lot, Em. You're amazing" It sounded so lame but it was all my head could come up with right now as I felt her hot breath on my face.
She kissed me again, softer this time and smiled into my lips. "I think you know I feel the same way about you" she lifted her one hand from my waist and took laced it with my free hand.
"Yup, I really think I'm starting to like Rosewood" She laughed and pulled away slightly, still keeping our hands laced together.
"It's getting late, and as much as I hate it, I really need to get home. It's been over 24 hours since I've seen my mom and she's probably going to call any minute. But Paige, can we just—"
"Not mess around and make this," I pointed at us "official?"
"There is nothing more I wanted than to hear those words come out of your mouth"
"So I'll see you at school tomorrow…girlfriend?" I winked at her. Saying those words, calling Emily my girlfriend was something else.
"You're so cheesy. But I like it. Yeah I'll see you tomorrow. Drive save please, and text me when you're home" She leaned in and gave me a soft, lingering kiss. "Yep, I can definitely get used to this"