Guest Yep, she is. And yep, she does. Eventually, she'll get there.

Paraddicted Yeah, it's gotta be tough for Emily. But, she's taking it in stride, doing what she can to help Paige get her confidence. Hopefully, it'll pay off for her soon. I am sorry about the 2 week wait. I wish I could post every week. Heck, I wish I could post every day. But, real life intervenes sometimes.

Tasha364 Thank you. I'm glad that you look forward to this story being updated. :) I wish I didn't have to make you guys wait so long between updates. But, I appreciate you being patient, and finding the silver lining.

theresgraffitionmydesk Yeah, I definitely side with Emily on this one. Even if I do sympathize with Paige.

jhas Sounds like you and Emily are in the same place, sad, a little frustrated, but ultimitely, not willing to give up. I think they'd both be struggling either way, whether they admitted their feelings for each other or not. At least this way, there's a chance for them to work through it and be happy together in the near future. And, I hope you like this chapter, it comes with a little bit of progress.

CarmellaD'Winter Emily doesn't really strike me as the stern telling off type, more the endure silently and hope it gets better type.

Dragoncila Vicky isn't a threat to them. She probably won't even appear in the story again.

siophiefandom I'm glad that you're enjoying the story. I think you're probably feeling about the same as Emily, just as she's at her wit's end, Paige does something or says something to turn it around. And yeah, Paige is lucky that Emily is as patient as she is.

ponderhouse Thank you. I'm glad you're continuing to enjoy it. :) Yeah, I'm thinking that things would not have gone well if it were Paige having that conversation. And, I'm glad that you're sympathetic with both sides, I'm trying to balance out what they're both going through, because neither of them are in an easy place right now.

Tns729 Thank you.

Guest She's working on it. She'll get there.

Chapter 23

Emily's gaze sought out Paige the moment she entered the cafeteria, her gaze travelling around the room only to come up empty. She didn't know if that meant Paige wasn't there yet, or if she wasn't coming, and she couldn't help but feel like it was the latter. She made her way through the lunch line on autopilot, not even looking at her selections. She knew that whatever she chose would be tasteless to her now, her appetitie having vanished the moment she realized Paige was not in sight. She paid for her meal and made her way across the cafeteria to the table where her friends were seated.

"Hey, guys." She slipped into an empty seat between Aria and Mona to a chorus of greetings and questioning looks from those in the know. She shrugged her shoulders and ducked her head, avoiding the sympathetic gazes and the conspiciously empty seat directly across the table from her. She didn't know how her friends had managed to finangle that, but she was appreciative of the effort, however wasted it might bave been.

"You okay?" Aria asked, leaning in and speaking softly as the conversations resumed around them.

Emily nodded. She was dissapointed, but it wasn't entirely unexpected.

"Are you and Paige going to be okay?" Aria dropped her voice even lower and turned her head, her hair falling in a curtain in front of her face, shielding their conversation from the rest of the table.

Again, Emily nodded. "Yeah." It's not like this was make or break for them. And she was sympathetic to what Paige was struggling with. It was just tough.

"Just hang in there." Aria rubbed her back gently.

"I'm tying." She knew that Aria understood what she was going through. She had it just as tough. Worse even. She and Mr. Fitz didn't even have the option of sharing lunch in the cafeteria or being seein chatting casually in the halls.

The faint clearing of a throat pulled them apart and had them turning their attention back to the table at large.

"Hey, Paige," Hannah greeted her brightly, nudging Emily a little to enthusiastically under the table, making her wince as she shifted her leg out of the other girl's reach.

Paige's eyes widened and her shoulder's slumped a little, as she caught, and apparently misunderstood, Emily's expression. Her grip on her lunch bag tightened and she shifted in place, glaning away. Emily's words of reassurance caught in her throat. She couldn't say them, not here in front of the others.

"Did you want to join us for lunch?" Aria asked, sounding genuinely curious, and not at all like she was surprised by or expecting, Paige's appearance.

"If that's all right." Paige's gaze lingered on Emily for a long moment before flicking around the table.

"Of course."

"Yeah. Take a load off, McCullers."

Spencer and Caleb spoke at the same time. Emily, who had still not found her voice, offered what she hoped was a warm, welcoming smile, and nodded towards the empty chair.

"Thanks," Paige murmured as she slid into place.

"Are you here for a rematch?" Caleb asked.

"No. No more gambling," Hannah said before she could answer. "I already had to spot you for lunch today. I'm not doing it again tomorrow because you're too competitive to accept that a girl beat you."

Toby mimicked the sound of a whip beneath his breath, then let out a yelp as Spencer elbowed him, hard, in the ribs. The whole table erupted in laughter and Toby ducked his head, blushing, but grinning, at the good natured teasing.

"Looks like the rematch will have to wait," Paige said with a shrug. "You can hold onto your money for another day."

Smug looked good on her, Emily had to admit. Her lips curved up into a bit of a smirk and her eyes danced with amusement. It was a nice change seeing this Paige, the calm, confident, carefree version of herself. Especially after the vulnerability and insecurity that had been on display this morning. It was reassuring to Emily that that Paige still existed. And she hoped that it would enable her to get through everything she was struggling with.

Caleb scowled at her for a moment before his expression brightened and he reached into his pocket for his phone.

"You have to see this," he said, leaning so far over the table that he was practically lying across it, angling his phone so they could both see the screen. Paige, and Toby beside her, both leaned in as well, the three of them watching something play out in miniature across Caleb's screen.

Emily watched them for a moment,a small smile playing on her lips, then shook her head. She caught Spencer and Hannah giving Caleb and Toby similar fond looks before shaking their heads and turning their attention back to their conversation with Mona.

"So, this is going well. Right?" Aria tipping her head in the direction of Paige and the guys, and now Spencer, who had abandoned her conversation with Mona and Hannah and had leaned in, her head on Toby's shoulder as she commented on whatever it was they were watching.

"Yeah." Emily couldn't keep the smile off her face, watching Paige interacting with the guys, and Spencer, she looked so carefree, so at ease. It was a marked difference from the tension and confusion of earlier and it was nice to see. As much as Emily wished her support was all that Paige needed to be comfortable and confident with herself, she knew that it was going to take more than just her to help Paige get to that place. So she was glad that Paige was letting her friends in.

They didn't actually interact much over the course of the lunch period, Paige was caught up in conversation with Spencer and the guys and Emily spent most of her time chatting with Aria, Mona and Hannah. But, every so often their gazes would cross and Paige would flash her the sweetest, most adorable smile and Emily would melt, just a little.

"You know, if you're going for subtle, you might want to work on schooling that dopey look off your face every time Paige glances over at you," Hannah leaned across the table to whisper, the grin on her face belying the snark in her words as she glanced down the table at Paige and then back to Emily.

"Yeah, and maybe wipe the drool from your chin," Aria added, dabbing at her own chin in emphasis.

"I'm not drooling," Emily hissed, but wiped at her face anways, just in case, causing the other two to crack up. She scowled, but couldn't hold it for long before desolving into laughter as well. "But, if I were, could you blame me?" she added. "I mean, have you seen my girl? She's hot."

"Yeah, she is."

"Hannah!"

"Ow, Aria. What? It's true, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah. But you're not supposed to agree."

"What am I supposed to say then, no, she's a total troll?"

Aria shook her head and rolled her eyes. Emily glanced back and forth between them, amused but also, contented. She never thought that a day like this would come, where she'd be able to sit and talk and joke with her friends about her sexuality or a girl she was seeing. But, here here friends, her loving, wonderful, amazing friends, were treating her relationship with Paige the same as they would have if she were dating a guy. They hadn't batted an eye when she'd come out. All her fears had been completely unfounded. They'd told her they loved her just the same and that had been the end of it. She just hoped that Paige would have the strength to see it through to this stage herself.

'Whatever." Hannah rolled her eyes as well as she stood. "I need to talk with Mr. Sweeney before next period. Walk me to class?" she asked, turning to Caleb, who grinned up at her.

Emily and Aria exchanged grins. They really were adorable together. Caleb was so good to her, for her.

"Of course," he said, already packing up his things. He stood, shouldering his backpack with one hand and reaching for Hannah with the other. Their exit seemed to spark a mass exodus, as everyone else began packing up as well. "So, this afternoon, are we on?" Caleb glanced back and forth between Toby, Spencer and Paige.

"Definitely," Toby said, after exchanging a look with Spencer, who nodded her affirmation. The three of them then turned to Paige, who bit her lip, her gaze flitting over to Emily before returning to Caleb.

"What's this afternoon?" Hannah asked.

"Halo tournament. McCullers, you in?"

All eyes were on Paige and seemed to shrink under the attention as she shook her head. "Sorry, man. I can't."

"Dude, c'mon."

She shrugged and both Caleb and Toby sighed.

"Another time, for sure. But, Emily and I have plans."

Emily's head popped up at the mention of her name. She hadn't expected Paige would use her as an alibi. She figured that the other girl would just say she was busy, or already had plans. It was a small step, but it was a step nonetheless. Her gaze met Paige's across the table and she offered up a small smile.

"Look, if you want to hang with the guys-"

"Hey."

"And Spencer for awhile this afternoon, that's fine. My mom won't be home until like six. You can come over for around then. We can have dinner and study after."

As much as she'd been looking forward to having some alone time with Paige in her empty house, she was willing to give that up if for something that, not only did Paige clearly want to do, but would probably be good for her. Toby and Caleb didn't know about their relationship yet. Emily had thought it would be best to start small, with just her parents and the girls knowing for now. And, considering the difficutly Paige'd been having with just that, it was proving to be a good choice. But, maybe hanging out with them, knowing that they wouldn't judge her for who she was attracted to, it would give her the confidence to come out to someone other than Emily, and herself.

"You don't mind?" Paige asked, looking hesitant, but also hopeful.

Emily bit back a smile, and a flirty response. "No, I don't mind. Hannah and I were talking about going to The Brew for some coffee or something anyway."

"We were?" Hannah asked.

"Without me?" Aria said at the same time and, aross the table, Spencer pouted a apparently also being left out. Emily elbowed Aria, and gave Hannah a pointed look.

"Oh," Aria muttered. A moment later, realization seemed to dawn on Hannah, who nodded a little too enthusiastically.

"Oh. Okay. Well, that settles it then," Paige said, grinning broadly as the group began to make their way out of the cafeteria. Emily couldn't help but smile back.

"Text me later," Caleb said, offering his fist for Paige to bump. "See you in physics." He nodded to Toby, then tipped an imaginary hat to Spencer.

"See you guys later then?" Hannah glanced back and forth between Emily and Aria, uncertain whether the on the spot plans were actual plans or just something Emily had said to Paige wouldn't think she would be spending her afternoon waiting on her.

"See you later," Aria confirmed.

"Cool." Hannah hugged first Aria, then Emily, then moved over to Paige. She threw her arms around the other girl's neck and pulled her into an embrace with enough force to make Paige go "oomph" as her arms flailed for a moment at Hannah's sides before returning the hug. "Thought you might want to give your girl a hug goodbye." Emily was standing close enough to hear what Hannah whispered in Paige's ear, the words giving her a warm glow. "Figured it'd be less conspicious if you weren't the only one who did it, y'know."

Paige nodded, even though Hannah couldn't see her. "Yeah. Yeah, I get it. Thanks, Hannah," she said as they parted.

Emily's breath caught in her throat as Paige's gaze darted over to her. She honestly didn't expect Paige to go through with it, not in the crowded hallway. Though it would be nice if she did, Paige had done enough for one day, really. She didn't want to push the other girl past her limit. When their eyes met, she gave a slight shake of her head, hoping that Paige would get the hint and realize she didn't have to. Emily wouldn't be upset with her if she didn't.

But, Paige ignored the subtle signal and shifted to stand in front of Emily. She took a deep breath, her shoulder's shifting with the effort, and then wrapped her arms around Emily in a brief, tight hug. It was nothing compared to the long, lingering embrace of a few days prior. But, it was the most contact they'd had in public since they'd decided to give a relationship a try. And even though it was over almost as soon as it started, Paige had still done it.

She stepped back with a shaky breath, looking paler than normal, but, also less tense. Her posture was straight, her arms hung loosely at her sides. She looked proud of herself. And, Emily was proud of her.

"I gotta get all the way over to the annex," she said, hitching her bag up onto her shoulder. "See you later?"

Emily nodded. "Yeah. Just, come on by whenever you're finished with the guys."

"And Spencer," Spencer muttered, huffing softly when nobody responded.

She tossed a wave before turning and striding quickly away.

"We should get going too," Hannah said, tugging Caleb in the opposite direction.

"Yeah. Meet me at your locker after class." Aria hugged Emily quickly and then headed towards the stairs.

"What, am I invisible over here or something?"

Emily glanced over to find Spencer pouting, arms crossed, eyebrows drawn together, bottom lip slightly protruding and she bit back a laugh. "Sorry, Spence." She slung an arm around her friend's shoulders and began guiding her down the hall. "Walk me to class?"

"Want me to carry your books for you too?" Spencer griped.

"Why, Spencer Hastings, whatever would people think?" Emily faux gasped and held a hand to her heart, as if appalled by the suggestion. Spencer sniggered and elbowed her lightly before slipping her arm around Emily's waist, tugging her into her side as they made their way down the hall.

"So, Paige did good today, huh?" she asked softly, pitching her voice low to avoid being overheard by passersby.

Emily nodded. Better than expected, anyway. "Yeah. I'm proud of her."

"I'm proud of you."

"Of me, what'd I do?" All Emily could think of was her anger and frustration from earlier that morning. Her disapointment when Paige had not been in the cafeteria and how quickly she had given up hope that she would be. Of how her heart had fallen when she'd thought that Paige wasn't going to acknowledge their plans, or give her a hug.

"C'mon, Em. I know you. You fought so hard to be able to be out and proud. To be able to walk down the hallways of this school and hold Maya's hand. And to not be able to do that with Paige, I know that's gotta be tough. But, you're doing it. Because it's what Paige needs. So, I'm proud of you."

"Aww, Spence." Emily ducked her head, feeling a blush heating her cheeks. Spencer squeezed her waist. "You'll keep an eye on her this afternoon, right? Make sure she's okay, with how the guys get?"

She knew that whatever they said to her would only be in jest, but, considering Paige's somewhat fragile state, Emily was a little worried that the guys, not knowing about Paige's sexuality or her relationship with Emily might inadvertently say something.

"Don't worry, your girl is in good hands," Spencer said as they reached Emily's math class. "I'll make sure she gets to you in one piece."

"Thanks, Spence." Emily wrapped her free arm around Spencer's neck, giving her the hug she'd been pouting about missing out on earlier. Spencer returned the embrace with vigor, her slight frame capable of a deceptive force.

It was Hannah's wolf whistle from inside the classroom that pulled them apart. "You know that's only going to spark those rumours." Laughing, Spencer flipped Hannah off as she backed down the hallway and then spun on her heel, heading off to her own class.

Emily shook her head and made her way past Hannah towards her seat, reaching for her cell phone as soon as she'd settled and resting it on her knee beneath her desk. It hadn't been more than ten minutes and already she was missing Paige. As the bell rang and Mr. Sweeney started his lesson she unlocked her phone and typed out a text. She kept half an ear on the lecture as she kept up a text conversation with Paige, ignoring Hannah's quiet teasing about having it bad. Maybe she did. She didn't care.