This chapter got longer than I expected. I had even concidered breaking it up into two chapters. But in the end I decided against it. So you just get this really long chapter. About twice the size of my usual chapters. Like I said before, I'm ready for some palex. I also said I wasn't going to comment what would or wouldn't happen in this chapter. But this chapter is definitely gonna get the ball rolling for palex.

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Chapter 31

The next few days following Dylan's graduation was hectic. Mrs. Michalchuk was trying to get things ready for Dylan's graduation party as well as work out sleeping accommodations for everyone. It was decided that I would keep my room and Paige would keep hers and Dylan could sleep on the couch in the den, which was equipped with a pull out bed. Dylan had been set up as a intern working for some computer corporation and he wouldn't be starting work until July. He was hoping to find is own place as soon as possible. The graduation party, which took place on the following Saturday, consisted of only close family and personal friends.

"Who wants a hotdog?" Mr. Michalchuk questioned standing by the barbeque. Only a few people raised their hands, myself and Ellie included. I had invited Ellie to Dylan's graduation party, which really turned out to be more of a get together. I hadn't even really seen Ellie since school ended and we had never really spoken since the kiss. I didn't want anything to be awkward between us, so I decided to keep a good physical distance from her while we were together.

"So.." Ellie started standing next to the ice cooler, having just arrived, "Nice party."

"Yep." I replied. I could see she was trying to make small talk.

"So, how's work?" Ellie said quickly, as if excited she thought of something to say.

"It's good." I replied. I was getting a little worried that the conversation was dead.

"Oh my god! Ellie!" Paige called walking out from behind the screen door. "Get over here!" Paige held her arms out.

"Hey Paige." Ellie replied embracing her in a hug.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in forever! How are you?" Paige said taking a good look at Ellie.

"I'm doing really good." Ellie replied, "And how are you? How is Banting?"

"Oh, I'm doing good. Banting is good." Paige replied.

"Well, that's really good." Ellie said nodding her head.

Paige nodded back.

"So...you're taking care of Alex now?" Paige questioned.

"What?" Ellie replied looking a little confused.

"You got her to go college." Paige replied, "Something I could never do." Paige finished trailing off.

"Oh, well...actually.." Ellie started, "Well, yea. I guess so." Ellie said giving an uneasy chuckle.

"Paige." I started rolling my eyes.

"I'm just saying." Paige said. She sounded just like her mother.

I glanced at her grinning and she returned it. Ellie, who was standing in the middle of us started to fidget uneasily.

"Umm.." Ellie started, "Can I use your bathroom?"

"Sure hun." Paige said breaking her gaze from me, "Through that door, down the hall, to your left."

"Right." Ellie said, disappearing through the sliding glass door leaving just Paige and me.

"So." Paige said trying to think of something to say.

"So." I replied doing the same thing.

"You know," Paige started, "I really should have gotten a picture of you all dressed up for Dylan's graduation."

"Yes you really should have. You know, I don't dress up everyday." I joked.

"Oh, I know." Paige joked back.

"This party is really nice." I decided to change the subject.

"Yea." Paige agreed looking around at all the family and friends.

"I mean, look at all the people who took the time to come here and celebrate with Dylan." I started.

"Yea, it really is great." Paige replied. She seemed a little unsure of what I was talking about and I myself was getting lost in my thoughts.

"I mean, my family would never have taken the time out for something like this." I started.

Paige looked down. She didn't seem to know how to reply so I just continued.

"I mean my mother barely even gave me a graduation party from Degrassi." I thought back to the day I graduated. That night she had made me cake with a candle on top so that it would seem special. It was the best my mother could do.

"Well," Paige started reaching out and putting her hand on my shoulder, "You know you always have a place here."

I smiled back gratefully and Paige seemed relieved for some reason. But it wasn't long before I buried myself back into my thoughts.

"You know, I haven't even seen my mother in over nine months." I said it more to myself than to Paige. I suddenly felt a little shocked. Thinking back on my life and everything that had happened and now. I looked at around at where I was and it wasn't were I ever thought I would be. I felt like a different person. I looked at all of Paige's and Dylan's family members. They would never know the life I had. To them, I was no different than Paige. I didn't know whether to feel happy or sad about it. For the first time in my life I was being viewed as something other than trailer trash and I felt completely indifferent about it. I glanced back at Paige who was still looking down.

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After the party everybody said their goodbyes. I said goodbye to Ellie, who had spent a lot of the party just standing around and having small chit chat with Paige, Marco and me. Since Dylan was the graduate, instead of helping to clean up, he got to go out and celebrate with Marco on their own. While Paige and I got left with clean up duty. Paige and I did most of the clean up without talking to one another. Afterwards I crashed on the couch to enjoy what I thought would be some time for a little relaxing. I was wrong. I had just barely gotten comfortable on the couch as was about to turn on the television when Paige walked right in front of me.

"What are you doing?" She asked folding her arms across her chest.

"Golfing." I replied sarcastically and Paige rolled her eyes.

"Get up." Paige said leaning down towards me grabbing my hands and pulling me up.

"What?" I moaned as I hoisted myself to my feet.

"Come somewhere with me." Paige said.

"Where?" I asked feeling extremely tired at the thought of going somewhere.

"Just c'mon." Paige begged as she started pulling me away from the couch.

I reluctantly obeyed as Paige lead my out the front door to the bus stop.

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"So really Paige, where are we going?" I asked again for the 10th time on the bus.

"You'll see." Paige said. Her voice sounded indifferent. She herself sounded unsure if she even wanted to be going where she was taking me .

I spent most of the ride deep in thought like I had earlier that day. I would glance up at Paige ever once in while and she herself seemed to be in the same state I was in. She seemed very unsure of something.

Paige nudged me on the shoulder when the bus finally stopped at our destination. She glanced at me uneasy.

"We're here." She said getting up.

As I walked off the buss and looked around I noticed something that seemed fairly familiar to me.

"Paige..." I started.

"Lexi, common." Paige begged.

"Paige..." I said again looking around the area that I knew all to well.

"You haven't even spoken to her in nine months. And you miss her. And I know she misses you."

"How?" I questioned my feelings were overwhelming me.

"Because she is your mother." Paige said. Her voice suddenly got stern.

I remained quiet as I looked up at my apartment complex.

"Do you miss her?" Paige questioned.

I took a deep breathe, "Yea." I finally said.

"Then common." Paige said taking my hand as we walked into the building.

As we walked down the hallway to my apartment my head filled with memories of my childhood. I felt I was in a dream. Everything seemed familiar but distant. Paige and I reached my old apartment door and stood there. I knew I didn't have my key so I would have knock. I thought about what was going to happened. Would Chad be there? Would there be somebody new? Would she be drunk or sober? Would she even be home? I was shaking with fear. I had missed my mother a lot while I had been gone. Though my mother had made a lot of poor decisions in her life, I had always known she had done the best she could for me.

Paige was tightly holding on to my hand. I slowly raised my free hand into fist as I lightly knocked on the door. I held my breathe as I waited for someone to answer. After a few moments of waiting. I decided to knock again. This time a little harder. I thought I heard somebody fumbling around on other side of the door. My heart instantly started to beat faster. I felt Paige's grip on my hand tighten. The door swung open.

"Look, I already told you I don't have...Lexi?" My mother said standing in the doorway.

I suddenly felt my eyes water up. There she was. She looked exactly the same. Tired and washed out. But that was my mother and I was glad to see her again. I couldn't say anything because I knew if I did I would burst into tears.

"Lexi." She said again acknowledging it was me. I could see her face light up. I loved to see my mother smile. I never thought she smiled enough. I had always wished life wouldn't have been so cruel to her.

I could see tears begin to fall down her cheeks as she reached out and grabbed my in a tight hug, "I never thought I would see you again."

Paige let go of my hand so I could hug my mother fully. I clasps my hands around her trying to hold on to her tight. At that moment I forgot about everything else except my mother. I think it's true for most people, but there is something about the comfort of being in you mother's arms that nothing else could ever replicate. As I inhaled her scent I couldn't help but let the tears fall. After the long reunion were we both cried everything out my mother invited Paige and me inside.

"Umm...Paige, right?" My mother asked remembering back to the last time she had seen Paige, well over a year ago.

"Yes, Mrs. Nunez." Paige replied.

"Please...Emily." She demanded.

"Emily." Paige replied happily. Paige was such a people person.

My mother glanced around the apartment for a second, "I'm sorry about the mess."

"Oh no, it's fine, Emily." Paige replied.

I didn't say anything. I knew my mother was only talking to Paige. This was the way the apartment normally looked. When we had guests of any sort come visit, my mother would try to play it out as if she had been planning on cleaning up.

"Hey," My mother started. I could tell she was trying to lighten the mood, "Did you girls want something to eat or drink?" That was the way my mother was. She was always bad with expressing her emotions. She would always try to mask them behind another emotion. I couldn't blame her for it. I was the same way.

"So your living with Paige now?" My mother suddenly asked. Her voice was plain and I couldn't draw any emotion out of it.

"How did you know?" I questioned. I was actually surprised she knew. I thought I would have to spend my time explaining what I had been doing all this time.

"Jay told me." My mother replied, "You know he still comes by. He's such a sweet boy. He's been doing all my handy work."

"Ohh.." I said. Not sure how to respond to Jay still dropping by the apartment.

"You know he's got a girlfriend now." My mother continued taking a seat at the kitchen table.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Real nice girl. She's cleaned him up real nice." My mother continued.

"Really?" I questioned. I thought back to last time I saw Jay. When he had stopped by my work. He had just wanted to hang out sometime.

There was a moment of silence between everyone. We all weren't sure what to say.

"Umm...I'm gonna use the bathroom." Paige said suddenly. She glanced at me for a second before disappearing behind the hallway.

"Were is Chad?" I finally asked.

"Oh, Chad left about five months ago. We just weren't working out." My mother replied.

"And how long have you known where I've been?" I asked wondering just how much my mother knew.

"For awhile now." My mother replied.

"So why haven't you come to see me?" I suddenly felt angry that my mother had known were I was and neglected to even visit me in nine months

"I dunno..." My mother replied.

"You don't know?" I replied feeling a little bit frustrated now.

"Because you were better there." My mother replied.

I was silent.

"You know I saw you once." My mother started, "With a friend of yours I guess and you looked happy. Happier than I had seen you in a long time. And I thought, if they can give you the life I never could, why interfere with that?"

"I missed you." Was the only thing I could think to say. Yes, I had been happier living with the Michalchuk than I had ever been at home, but I didn't want my mother to think I didn't care about her either.

"I know, baby." My mother said to me, "I know you did."

My mother seemed to be trailing off into a deep thought.

"You know," She started. She still seemed to be deep in thought, "I remember when I brought you home from the hospital. I remember holding you in my arms and thinking to myself, 'how could somebody love someone so much?'. You know when you love someone you want to do what's best for them. And I know I've made some bad choices and I know they've hurt you. And I know it's hasn't been easy. And I know you probably resent me for that. I'm sorry, Lexi. If I could go back and do things differently...I would. But I can't and..."

"Mom..." I interrupted, "I love you. And I know you did the best you could." I was beginning to hurt. In my whole life my mother had never been so sincere. She usually tried to drown her emotions and failures behind alcohol and anger.

My mother looked at me a little bewildered. I don't think she had expected that from me. She finally seemed to bring her focus back to the present and looked up at me.

"I love you too." She smiled, "You know Lex, I quit drinking. Or have tried anyway. I even got a job. I'm practically supporting myself now."

"That's great, mom." I replied. I was surprised how much she had changed.

"I read this book...And it said it was never to late to turn your life around. And well.." My mother's tone changed as if she thought what she was saying was going to sound stupid to me, "I just figured, you know...since I'm not doing anything better."

"No, that's really great, mom." I assured her, "I'm happy for you."

My mother let out a sigh, "You know, I'm really glad to see you again."

"I know, mom. Me too." I replied.

Paige finally came back from her long visit to the bathroom, which I got the feeling she was just giving my mother and I some alone time. We spent a few hours just talking and catching up. Paige also joined the conversation a little bit, but left most of the talking to my mother and me. My mother was proud to hear I was going to college. She insisted I stayed where I was. I also promised to visit her more regularly from now on. I couldn't even begin to explain the feelings I had to have reestablished my relationship with my mother. I felt less stressed. I had hated leaving her alone all this time and I was scared out of my mind to come to see her. The fear of getting sucked back into this world I had so desperately tried to escaped kept me away. Now I was no longer afraid.

"Oh hey Lex," My mother said as I was getting ready to leave, "I was going through some things the other day and I found this."

My mother walked over to the countertop, opened the drawer, and pulled out a what looked to be a necklace.

"Remember that old locket you lost years ago?" She said handing it to me.

"Yea." I said remember back to when my mother had given it to me when I was child. It had a close resemblance to the one Paige had also given me for Christmas. I took it into the palm of my hand and looked at it.

"I found it under your bed, behind a shoe box." My mother chuckled, "Maybe now you have somebody special to put a picture of inside there."

"Yea." I said still looking at the necklace I had lost so long ago.

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It was way past dark as Paige and I caught the bus ride home. There were only a few people besides us on the bus. I was beginning to feel extremely exhausted thinking just how much had happened. Paige also seemed equally tired. Sometime during the bus ride she rested her head on my shoulder. I leaned back against the seat to get a little bit more comfortable with the extra weight from Paige on me. It felt nice having her so close to me again. I was trying my hardest not to nod off. I of all people should know a public bus is not a good place to fall asleep, especially at night. After a while I managed to bring myself out of a drowsy daze as I noticed the bus had stopped moving. I started to hear some of the people on the bus talking.

"What's going on?" Paige asked coming out of her drowsy state also.

"Sounds like there was an accident. Traffic jam." I said gloomily.

"Great." Paige replied.

"Well, I guess were just sitting here." I said leaning back into my seat to get comfortable again.

"Well..." Paige started. She seemed more awake now, "We don't have to wait for the road to clear."

I looked at her and Paige got up.

"What are you doing?" I asked wondering what crazy idea she had stuck in her head.

"Let's just walk the rest of the way." Paige suggested.

"Your crazy." I replied

"Oh common, were almost home anyway. And besides we don't know how long this will be." Paige pleaded.

"It's almost a mile from here." I argued.

"So..." Paige replied.

I could only look at her. Here we both were tired from our long day and Paige wanted to walk the rest of the way home.

"I dunno." I finally replied.

"Lexi common!" Paige begged, "Remember, it's called living in the now..."

I shook my head grinning.

Paige let out a small whimper, "Fine then, but I'm walking. With or without you. So I guess I'll see you at home. " Paige said turning and slowly beginning to walk down to the front of the bus.

I cleared my throat, "Fine." I said pulling myself up.

"C'mon." Paige smiled as I followed her.

We walked off the bus and onto the side walk. The air was a little bit chilly for summer weather and I found myself shivering a little bit.

Paige and I walked most of the way lost in small irrelevant chit chat.

"It's so cold." I finally stated unable to contain my chill.

"Yea," Paige agreed, "Pretty weird weather for summer."

I nodded wishing I had more on than just a black t-shirt on.

"Oh hey." Paige said getting my attention, "Let's cut through the park."

"Alright." I agreed just wanting to get home now.

As we made our way through the park I kept having to rub my shoulders to help keep myself warm.

"So," Paige started, "I really like your mom."

"Thanks." I said unsure how to reply, "I really like your mom too."

Paige laughed, "Thanks."

We walked a little ways more. We were deep into the park's field now.

"Hey Alex." Paige said. I turned my head to look at her, "Look up at all the stars."

I did. There were so many of them all shining brightly.

"There so pretty." I replied.

"Yea." Paige said, "It kinda makes a person feel small. Doesn't it?"

"Yea." I said gazing up. I glanced at Paige to see her watching her me. She had a small smile on her face before breaking her gaze and looking back up at the night sky.

I also returned my gaze to the stars. Though I would have sworn I caught Paige glancing at me every now and then from the corner of my eye. A glance I happily returned. I found myself more wide awake now and I had even forgotten about the cold.

"Well, we should probably get going." Paige finally said.

"Yea." I agreed. We started walking again. I thought maybe my exhaustion was getting the best of me, but I thought I was hearing weird noises. I looked around to see nothing. Though in the distance I thought I was hearing something. A sound I couldn't explain but I knew I had heard before. The sounds was getting closer and closer. Suddenly I felt a burst of water on me. The park sprinklers had turned on and a rush of cold water was blasting me in the back. I heard Paige let out a shriek as she also got hit with the water.

"Let's get out of here." I called to Paige who was covering her face. She grabbed me by the arm and we started moving through the field. The interference of the water had caused me to lose my sense of direction and I had the hunch Paige also had no clue where she was going. We just wanted to get out of the water.

"Which way?" Paige said to me. Trying to figure out which direction to go. She was practically soaked.

"I dunno." I replied. The water was freezing but at the same time I couldn't help but laugh.

Paige started moving again and I followed her. It seemed no matter which direction we went we only seemed to be getting deeper into field and the sprinklers only pounded us harder. Finally Paige came to a dead stop. I stood next to her. We finally managed to be out of direct contact of the sprinklers but the mist was still falling on us. Paige looked at me laughing. She was completely drenched with water.

"I don't know how to get out." She said practically falling over from laughter.

"I don't know either." I chuckled. I couldn't help but smile.

Paige wiped all the dripping water from her face, "This is great." She laughed.

I could only laugh back at the humor of it all.

"I never realized the park was this big." She said still having trouble controlling her laughter, "Okay, let's go this way." She said grabbing me by the hand again and pulling me with her.

I don't know why. It just seemed like the right moment to me and I was feeling kind of risky. I pulled back on the hand Paige had a hold of yanking her back to face me. Before Paige even had time to react my lips had met hers. I felt the butterflies in my stomach flutter like crazy. I was extremely relieved when Paige didn't pull back, but instead returned the kiss. She let go of my hand and moved both her arms up by my neck resting them on my shoulders. The kiss deepened as I rested my hands on her hips. Paige felt so soft and tender. It wasn't just the feeling of kissing another woman, it was the feeling of kissing Paige. I no longer even felt cold as Paige and I kissed tenderly under the stars, while being splashed by the water from the sprinklers.

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I don't expect the next chapter to be as long as this one. And you can now probably see why I didn't break it up into two chapters. I promised Palex this chapter and I wanted to make sure there was some Palex! The next chapter is gonna start dealing more with their relationship now. Like I said, the ball is rolling! D