Thanks for the reads and reviews! I have another chapter almost ready, but until then, please enjoy! Reviews, comments, and suggestions are welcome. Thanks- SGB
Chapter 2
"I don't get you, Paige." I heard as I entered the hallway. I turned to the side and saw Jackson. He was now spotting a shiner and a bloodied lip.
"What the fuck happened to you?" I demanded as Jackson just shrugged.
"I may have said something about Noel Kahn...I also may have said he fucks sheep." Jackson said with a shrug. "I heard Noel called you a fucking dyke...I called him a sheep fucker. No big, bro." Jackson said as I shook my head. "So, Emily..."Jackson fished as I kept walking.
"Is not even on my radar. Drop it." I quickly answered as I caught sight of the girl he mentioned. She was talking with her group of friends, with Alison in the middle of the circle. I tore my glance from the group and headed back towards the lot, and towards a beat up '97 geo. Jackson opened the door and I climbed in, shaking my head wave at the group of girls.
"Mendez! Wait!" We heard and caught sight of Spencer Hastings, running towards the junker to the driver's side window.
"Sup, Hasty?" Jackson asked, smirking as she crossed her arms and pulled out a few pieces of paper. "Your notes?" Jackson continued as she nodded.
"Just in case you didn't take good enough notes in class." Spencer said seriously as Jackson laughed and handed them back to her. He reached over to his bag and pulled out his chem binder. Putting the car in park, he stepped out of the car and opened to their chemistry lesson and lab. Before showing her the lengthy pages of notes.
"I don't need yours, thanks...but you're welcome to mine if you'd like." Jackson said as I chuckled and relaxed into the passenger seat. Jackson is such an asshole sometimes, but it works in our favor most days. He's one for a fight, always has been and I'm fairly sure he'll always be. He probably said something along the lines of "your mother is..." Knowing full well that Noel would throw the first punch.
"Fuck you, Mendez!" I heard, breaking my thoughts as Spencer slapped Jackson, hard. My mouth fell open as I let out a loud laugh, only to laugh harder as he sat back down and watched the retreating form of one Spencer Hasting.
"What do you say? I don't think I've ever heard her actually say fuck...how the fuck did you get her to say fuck?" I asked as Jackson sat back, stunned.
"I questioned her smarts...then I poked and maybe said something about her never amounting to her perfect fucking sister and something about being second rate salty bitch and she hauled off on me. I think I'm in love." Jackson announced as I shook my head.
"Just...drive." I said, taking one more look at Emily.
Emily POV
I watched as the tiny orange car sped out of the lot and away from the school. Spencer was fuming, and yelling practically as we regrouped together near our cats.
"The nerve of some people." Spencer huffed as I laughed lightly.
"To be fair Spence...you know Jackson loves to fan the fires...you don't shave off all your hair and dye it neon green if you didn't want to cause a fuss." Aria said as Alison rolled her eyes.
"Who cares about Pigskin and the orphan? Christ, they're the biggest losers in this school...why are you even talking to him Spencer ?" Allison asked as she rolled her eyes and sat against her own car.
"He's my lab partner. For the rest of the semester. I have to talk to him." Spencer said as I opened my own car.
"As exciting as this is, I have shift at the brew. Catch you guys later?" I asked as they all waved and said their goodbyes, as I ignored Alison's glare and drove home. I was in no mood for Ali's judgments today. I couldn't believe her sometimes, but today, I just wanted ignore her snide remarks and get to work. I looked across the parking lot, and saw the orange car sitting at the stop sign, and caught a glimpse of my team mate, before they drove away. I always felt bad for the treatment of that group of friends by my own best friend. I drove towards the Brew, and turned up the music on my IPod. In chem, I was partnered with Paige, which caused Noel to call Paige a fucking dyke. First thing Alison did was say how fucking worthless they were, but I knew that wasn't true. I remember what Paige was like before her "change." I shook free of those thoughts as I got out of my car and headed inside. I would deal with these thoughts later. I didn't want to have to think about what my friends have to say about people I barely know.
XxxxxX
Jackson and I went to our place before school started. Every time something at school happens, we end up here, in the middle of the woods, with a bag of weed and a fury of rants and raves. Jackson stood tall in the middle of the clearing and I watched as he lit his fifth cigarette and inhaled it deeply.
"Paige, I fucking tired." Jackson said as he rolled a joint, and passed it to me. I lit it and sat against the hood of the car.
"Dude, I get it." I said as Jackson took a hit, and moved in front of me.
"Paige...I'm not gonna let that cunt get to me this year. I'm tired of apologizing for who I am. I'm Jackson Emilio Mendez. I was abandoned by some whore and adopted by a great family...I am a fucking punk because it lets me be myself. I like who we are and I am tired of Alison DiLaurentis and her groupies saying anything otherwise." Jackson declared as he turned back towards me. I sat back against the tree, and smiled as I continued to write. "What about you, Shakespeare?" Jackson asked seriously.
"Alison means nothing to me. As far as I'm concerned, she is dust..." I started as Jackson smirked and sang.
"In the wind...all she is dust in the wind." Jackson said and chuckled lightly, clearing starting to feel the effects of what we were smoking.
"I mean it Jackson. You're fucking right...in less than a year these people...will mean nothing to us. We are going to an Ivy League school together, to fuck shit up. I can finally get away from the school, the church, all of these fucking people here. This is it. These last eight months, I'm not going to hold back... I'm not fucking Robin. I am Batman god damn it!" I declared as I dusted myself off. "And I'm going to be late for swim practice. Catch you later?" I asked as I ran towards my bike.
"Course. I'll see you in first period tomorrow. Need a ride home tonight?" Jackson asked as I shook my head and pedaled away.
XxxxxX
E POV
Some days I wasn't sure what I was going to do. Alison knew about my crush on her. She knew all about it before I could even say it to her. It was ridiculous to think about it now. She outed me alright, but it came with a reaction she didn't expect. Total acceptance from everyone, my dad, my mom, the girls, the teachers and my teammates. I was lucky, I guess. Unlike someone else I knew a few years before me. I remembered when Paige was outed herself, by the same person...Alison had a knack for finding out every little secret.
OooooO
"Can you guess what I found out today?" I heard as I sat down at our shared table. "It's so fucking gross...I can't believe it." It continued as I looked at the source of the gossip. Hanna bent forward and listened intently as Alison pulled out her phone, and scrolled through the screenshots.
"What is it?" I asked curiously, as she smirked and turned towards me.
"Pigskin has a crush...I found her writing in her notebook and I took pictures of the pages. It's a bunch of love letters. Nothing you'd want to read. Not that you're dating Ben at least." Alison said teasingly as Hanna teased up and gave her back the phone.
"Delete those Ali...it's none of your business who she is dating." I said as Alison rolled her eyes and smirked again, before letting me watch her delete the images of her phone. Satisfied, I relaxed, and continued my lunch, and put Alison's latest game in the back of my mind.
OooooO
The laughter stopped as I walked in to the gym. The other girls stared at me, before the subject of the laughter joined me. I didn't know much about Paige McCullers. I knew her father was a pastor and that she hung out with the quiet guy in my honors English class. I watched as coach grabbed a sheet of paper from one of the seniors' hands, and shook her head.
"Trash them and forget what you read girls! In the pool, Charlton! You're running drills! Fields, locker room, McCullers, my office." Coach said sternly. "If I find out any of you girls are responsible for this, you're off the team. Once I'm done with these two, I want answers." The coach finished as I watched her guide a shocked Paige to the locker room. I quickly followed and sat close to the door, trying to hear what they were saying.
"Paige, this isn't your fault." Coach assured.
"Don't let her read this...not while I'm here. I know who did this. It wasn't anyone on the team, Coach." Paige said coldly. "It was Alison DeLaurentis...she did this." She declared angrily.
"Paige...I..." The coach started as I heard the chair move.
"No offense, coach, but this is bullshit. She gets away with everything, and this time, I'm done. Just forget it. She's gonna read it, and just like everyone else out there, will think I'm disgusting and a freak. My father is already struggling with this, my mother ignores my every plea for help, and love and acceptance, and now...my only secret is being passed around the hallways of Rosewood high school. So, I'm done. Just...fuck this, coach." Paige said as she opened the door and ran right into me.
"Are you ok?" I asked seriously as she pushed passed me, and out of the locker room. I turned back to the office and coach called me in. "What's going on, Coach?" I asked seriously, taking a seat in the vacated seat. She sighed heavily and sat back.
"Alison DeLaurentis...possibly outed Paige today. She is passing around a picture of this." Coach said as she passed the paper to me. I read the words in the beginning, only to see that the letter Alison found was a letter to me. Paige poured her heart into this...the words were poetic, heartfelt, and completely sincere. I was blown away. I turned the page and frowned. "She is struggling right now. Her family has talked about transferring her, and she is on the verge of losing a lot of things. The last thing she needs is you trying to ease her pain while rejecting her. Do yourself and her a favor. Forget what you've read. Trash that letter and get a muzzle on Alison." Coach said seriously. I took the page and read the letter again, before crumpling it up, and tossing it in the garbage.
"What letter?" I asked, as coach nodded and sat back.
OooooO
I got out of my car and saw the subject of my thoughts ride into the parking lot of the gym. Paige jumped off her bike and chained it to the bike rake before she turned towards my car. I took in her outfit and laughed as she tilted her head, before running her hand through her hair and turning towards the gym. She wore a motorcycle jacket and a black shirt that said "The Ramones" and plaid skin tight pants. I wonder if she still felt the same way. If the once quiet pastor's daughter still felt the way she elegantly wrote out once. She knew I was out, just like her. She knew I was welcomed wholeheartedly, never threatened, never the embarrassment of my family. I had it easy, while she...she was given hell. I imagine she fucking hated me after what Alison did. Paige was a mystery to me, and you know what...I want to learn about.