Hey guys, bit less of a wait right?
So I really didn't like the previous chapter, and I'm guessing from the lack of response you didn't either? I'm a bit happier with this one, never written Paige before though, so could be interesting.
Big shout out to my reviewers; you guy's always make my day!
Tascar19, UngluckLiebhaber, Forever Courage and of course the anonymous reviewers as well!
Thanks guys!
Anyway on with the story.
The silence that filled the room after the earth shattering statement was one of the loudest things Paige thinks she's ever heard in her life.
She watched as the four exchanged glances, each one of them trying to think of something to say.
Something to do.
Something that would make any of this better.
And as she turned and looked out the window, seeing Aria sitting down against the base of tree, she figures it's worth a shot (it's not like she could make matter worse).
"I'm gonna go talk to her," she said, breaking the silence, gesturing to the smaller girl outside.
"Why?" Hannah questions doubtfully.
"Look at her," She shot back, "Someone has too!"
"And that should be you because…" Hannah trails off, leaving the sentence open for someone else to answer.
"Well I'm the only one who hasn't yelled at, or been yelled at, by her this morning?" She offers back obviously.
"She has a point Hannah," Caleb tries to reason with her.
"Oh no, you don't get any input here!" She shoots back, starting the argument all over again.
Paige looks on incredulously as the two continue to argue, not understanding how they couldn't just agree on something. She glances back out to Aria, mentally making the executive decision that she had to go out there. Before making a move however, she turned to Spencer silently asking her permission (as though she was Aria's keeper). Spencer just shrugs, willing to try anything at this point, desperate for something to finally go there way.
"Tell her… Tell her I… Whatever," Spencer trails off, realising she has absolutely no idea what to say anymore.
Paige just nods as she turns to go outside, grasping Emily's hand on the way out; her girlfriend smiling sadly at her in an attempt to convey some sort of support.
"She's going to be okay Spence," Emily offers as her girlfriend walks out the door.
"You really think so?" She questions, generally curious about the answer.
"I really do," And Spencer's honestly not sure whether Emily was lying or not, but those three words make Spencer feel that maybe, just maybe, there's a slight chance they could get through this.
Maybe it could all be okay.
"You here to lecture me as well?" Aria questions emotionlessly, without looking up to see who was approaching her.
"Well considering I literally have zero idea what's going on, I think that might be a bit unfair don't you?" She answers with a slight smile.
Aria looks up in surprise; not only at the fact that it's Emily's girlfriend who is standing in front of her, but at that words that came so easily out of her mouth. She offers the girl a small smile, which Paige takes as an invitation to sit down.
They sit in silence for a while, staring at nothing, both trying to figure out what to say.
Aria trying to figure out what exactly Paige expects from her.
Paige trying to figure out how to convince Aria they don't expect anything.
It's the smaller girl who finally breaks the silence, the eeriness becoming too much to handle.
"So is Caleb still alive or…?" She trails off, still staring straight ahead.
"Well he was when I left," Paige answers with a smile, "Though Hannah's not exactly one to let things go is she?"
"I never meant to cause a rift between them, I…" Aria starts, but doesn't get very far before she's cut off by the girl now sitting next to her.
"I know," The words are simple, but the conviction and ease in which Paige spoke was what meant the most to Aria.
Because it was as if she honestly believed her,
As if she held absolutely no blame towards the younger girl.
And she didn't.
Because Paige didn't know what was going on.
Sure she'd listen to Spencer explain, but she didn't understand.
She wasn't going to pretend she did.
All she knew was what she could see in front of her.
That Aria looked like a lost puppy, all alone, with nowhere to turn.
So she was going to show her the way.
Show her that her friends were there, that they always had been.
Because this morning's display clearly showed that somewhere along the line Aria stopped seeing that. And the desperate look in Spencer's eyes, made it obvious that despite her best efforts she couldn't convince the smaller girl otherwise.
But maybe Paige could do that.
Because clearly Aria had stopped listening to those closest to her,
But maybe someone with an outside view could help.
Because clearly she'd had no difficulty turning to Caleb.
So maybe Paige could convince her; that her friends were still there for her (just like they always had been).
So she turned to smaller girl, breaking the silence that they'd once again fallen into, as Paige was lost in her own thoughts.
"Listen Aria..."
"Here we go," Aria's exasperated sigh, cutting her off, before she even starts.
"No listen," She shoots back sternly "I don't know what's going on with you, I have no idea; and I'm not going to tell you you're being stupid, or how dangerous this is, or that you have to stop or anything like that okay?"
Aria just looks at the ground by her feet, Paige taking her silence as permission to continue.
"I'm just going to tell you this; you have five people here, including me, who care about you." She doesn't miss the slight scoff that comes from Aria's mouth, but decides to ignore it, "Those three girls in there love you so much, they'd do anything for you, hell, if Emily keeps asking you to lift up your shirt, I think I'm going to start getting jealous!"
She's relieved when Aria's mouth turns into a smirk, and she lets out a small laugh.
"Look Aria, all I'm saying is those girls would do anything for you…"
"I know,"
"Then why won't you let them?"
"Because I don't deserve them!" The raw emotion in Aria's voice as she answers the question almost breaks Paige's heart, because with those five words it would be clear to anyone that she seriously believed it.
"Why would you think that?"
"All I do is cause trouble, I got my parents divorced, my brother snapped, I got my ex-boyfriend fired, and all this crap has just caused more arguments, fuck, Hannah's probably torn Caleb to shreds by now!"
"Aria none of that is your fault!"
"So you're telling me if we went in there right now, that they wouldn't be arguing over me?" She shot back incredulously, and when Paige couldn't answer, she continued, "See? There better off without me."
"Aria they're arguing about you because they care about you…"
"Well they shouldn't!"
"Well they do!" Paige shoots back, "Dammit Aria can't you see that? They're arguing because of all this fighting crap, if you'd just agree to stop, then they'd have no reason to."
"I can't just stop!"
"Why not?"
"Because out there it doesn't matter if I don't have anyone okay?" She fires back, "Out there I can't fuck everything up! I can't make there lives worse! Out there the only person I can hurt is me!" And as she admits it out loud, she leans her head back against the tree, closing her eyes on the world. "And maybe the other person in the ring." She adds as an afterthought.
"Aria, don't you get it? It hurts them that you didn't go to them when you needed to help, it hurts them to see you hurt." Paige answers softly, taking the smaller girls.
"Well I wish it didn't, they don't need me to make their lives even harder." Aria responds softly attempting to pull her hand out of her grasp.
"Aria, you walking out of their lives, now of all times, would hurt them more than anything in the world! You've all been through so much together, and like it or not, you're in this together; you can't just walk away. They love you too much to let you, and I think you love them too much to do that." Aria silently wipes the stray tear that's beginning to fall from her eye, as Paige's words hit their mark.
"Those girls in there need you! But they don't need you to be strong all the time Aria, sometimes the just need you to need them."
"They've got more important things to worry about," Aria answers, though her words are becoming more and more uncertain.
And at that Paige just laughs, "Aria, I watched Emily make it out of the house in under 10 minutes, I've seen Hannah, almost throw something at her boyfriend, and I've seen Spencer look more concerned and terrified then anyone in my entire life. And that was just because they were worried about you." Paige turns and makes direct eye contact with Aria before continuing, "There's nothing more important to those girls then you."
Aria pulls her hand out of the grasp, as she wipes the tears free falling down her face, nodding slightly at Paige's words.
"I know we've still got a lot of shit to sort out, but listen to me when I say, you are not on your own okay? I'm here, Caleb's here, you know assuming Hannah hasn't killed him yet," This earns choked out laugh from Aria, through all the tears, "You've got Hannah and Emily, and I hate to break it to you, but I think you're going to be living with Spencer for the next 20 years, because I don't think she's going to let you out of her site ever again."
At this Aria can't help but smile, because somehow deep down she knows Paige is probably right.
"Do you want to go back inside?"
"Yeah, just um, just give it a sec okay?" Aria questions tentatively.
"All the time in the world," Paige answers simply.
"Thanks Paige, for everything," As Aria rests her head on her shoulder, Paige can't help but think she's finally gained access into the weird, yet warm social family.
And as she looks in through the window to see Emily eyes upon her, smiling warmly, she knows she wouldn't have it any other way.
Because for all the drama, antics and terrifying moments that came with being Emily Fields girlfriend.
The friends, family and good times that came with, made it all worthwhile.
If you have any request on character interactions, or any ideas please let me know, I'm always keen for input, it really helps when it comes to writing!
I'm thinking more of the fours girls and more Sparia next chapter?
Anyway, please let me know what you thought :)