Chapter 5

Prue was the first to wake at the Manor. This was not out of the ordinary; Prue woke up early every morning. She glanced down and saw her youngest sister fast asleep; Paige's head was resting on her shoulder. Prue had to get her camera, she carefully moved her sister onto the bed. She ran to her room grabbed her camera and rushed back to Paige. She angled the camera getting ready to capture Paige's innocent face as she was asleep. The flash of her camera went off as the picture was taken and Prue heard Paige gave a small moan.

"Shh sweetie it's okay," Prue said lying her camera down on the nightstand. She sat down next to Paige, pulling her little sister into a sitting posistion. She rested her sister's head on her shoulder as Prue started to lie back down. She carefully eased Paige down with her. Prue rarely went back to bed if she woke up at six in the morning. She didn't know what to do with her little sister, her and Paige rarely fought but then again she hardly knew her little sister. Prue felt ashamed, she fought with Phoebe but they always fought, her and Piper got along , but Paige who was she? All Prue knew was that Paige was in Show Choir and she liked to draw.

"Hmm," Paige muttered as she woke up an hour later. She felt a hand rubbing her head and she jolted up.

"It's just me Paige," Prue said. Paige whipped around and slightly backed away, hoping Prue wouldn't notice. She had to get away, she needed time to think. Fortunately Prue didn't notice that Paige had backed away.

"Look, I know yesterday was surprising but we will get through this," Prue said reasuringly. Paige only nodded thinking that she would not get through this.

"I'm gonna get dressed, can um you go to your room?" Paige said cautiously.

"Oh yes, of course sweetie," Prue said, leaving the room.

"I wish she didn't call me that," Paige said to herself. She put clean clothes on and called Glenn to meet her at North Beach and sneaked out her bedroom window unnoticed.

"Morning Prudence," Grams said as Prue entered the dining room.

"Morning Grams," Prue said, sitting down with a cup of coffee.

"I imagine you and Paige are hungry," Grams said, "You both stayed up in that bedroom all day yesterday."

"Yes, I'm hungry, Paige will be down soon she was getting dressed," Prue said.

"How is she?" Grams asked.

"She's- struggling," Prue said finding the right word to use.

"I know this is a shock to her but Prue if I don't get well soon, you need to take responsibility of Paige, she's still trying to find herself," Grams said.

"Of course, how's Phoebe?" Prue asked.

"Surprisingly she isn't rebelling she's not saying much," Grams said, "When did you say Paige would be down?" Prue looked at her watch.

"I thought she'd be down by now, I'll go get her," Prue said, getting up from the table. Prue entered Paige and Phoebe's room and called for her Grandmother.

"What is it Prue?" Grams asked walking upthe stairs.

"It's Paige she's gone," Prue said sitting down on Paige's bed. Piper, who had just woken up rushed into the room.

"What is it? What's going on?" Piper asked.

"Piper wake up Phoebe we have to find Paige," Grams ordered, Piper left the room.

"It's my entire fault," Prue said, "If she's hurt I—I don't know," she said ready to cry.

"Prue listen to me! None of this is your fault, Paige is going through a rough time that's all," Grams said.

Piper nudged Phoebe awake.

"What?"Phoebe asked moaning, wanting to go back to sleep.

"Come on get up Phoebe, we need to find Paige," Piper said.

"She's sleeping, like every normal teen is at," Phoebe said glancing at the clock, "seven-fifteen in the morning."

"No, she snuck out come on," Piper said, with that Phoebe jumped out of bed.

"What?" Phoebe screeched.

"She snuck out," Piper said. Phoebe rushed into her room and saw Prue sitting on Paige's bed.

"I thought you were watching her?" Phoebe yelled, "If I trust Paige with anyone it's my family."

"Me? What about you? Paige was at that party with you the other night," Prue said.

"Girls stop it! Let's just find Paige and we will sort this out later," Grams said. Phoebe and Prue both muttered fine and everyone, except Grams, was out searching for Paige.

"Paige," Glenn called as he saw her stepping onto the beach.

"Hi," she said walking over to him and giving him a hug.

"What's going on?" Glenn asked.

"I needed some time to think, to get away," she said.

"I'm here because?" he asked.

"I needed a friend here, if only for a little while," she said, "They'll come looking I know that," she said.

"So what I'm here for like ten minutes?" Glenn asked.

"Are you okay with that?" she asked staring at the tumbling waves as she sat down on the sand.

"Yeah," he said sitting down next to her.

"I'm different from my sisters," Paige said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Glenn asked.

"You're the only one I've told, only Grams' knows," Paige said.

"You can tell me anything," Glenn said wrapping his arm around her. Paige's mood changed at the touch, she didn't like being touched, even by her family.

"They'll be here soon, you should go," Paige said changing the topic. Glenn moved his arm off of her, he didn't know what was going on, but he knew to give Paige space.

"Okay, then I'll see you at school tomorrow then?" he asked.

"Yeah," Paige said in a whisper. Glenn left Paige and headed home. Paige sat there watching the waves and stood up. She slipped her flip-flops off and went into the water. The bottom of her jeans got wet but she didn't care. She went further into the water and dove getting all of her clothing wet. Soon after she got out and her clothing dried quickly. She shivered as the wind picked up. She loved the beach and she didn't want to leave. No one knew that she hadn't been going to choir practice for the last three weeks. She had been going here, she was surprised Grams didn't pick-up that choir was over for the year.

"Where else can we go?" Piper asked Phoebe.

"I don't know, I've thought of every place I can," Phoebe said.

"We've checked Glenn's, the school; I thought Paige was practicing for choir, also we've checked Golden Gate Park, Phoebe are you sure you can't think of any place where Paige would go?" Prue asked.

"Well I know she likes the beach," Phoebe said.

"Piper what beach is closest to the Manor?" Prue asked as Piper checked the map.

"North Beach," Piper said. When they arrived Prue spotted Paige immediately. Paige was just sitting on the sand watching the waves, just like she had been for the last hour. Prue walked over to Paige and was about to burst out how irresponsible she had been but then she saw Paige's face. Her face was red with tear streaks. She knew Grams being sick wasn't the only thing bothering Paige; she had who knows where for hours, when she thought Paige had been at choir practice. Prue sat down next to Paige.

"Hi," Prue said to Paige. Prue's sister didn't respond, she just sat there watching the waves.

"I know you don't want to talk but we need to," Prue said, once again Paige didn't reply.

"We can talk now or at home your choice," Prue said, "What's your choice?"

"No," Paige said, barely audible.

"No?"Prue asked, making sure she heard right, "No what?"

"Just no," Paige said again barely audible.

"Paige, please talk to me what's going on?"Prue asked.

"I can't tell you Prue," Paige muttered. Paige suspected that Prue might know she is her half- sister, but that didn't matter, that wasn't what was bothering Paige.

"Paige you can tell your sisters anything," Prue said.

"I just can't," Paige said. Prue stood up and brushed of the sand on her clothing and held her hand out for Paige to take, Paige didn't even look out her outstretched hand. So Prue picked Paige up, Paige gave no effort to get free. Prue was surprised how light Paige was. Prue thought of what Paige couldn't tell her, was she anorexic? Prue carried Paige back to the car, and set her next to Phoebe. Phoebe got the seatbelt around Paige, the ride home was silent.

What secret is Paige hiding? Please review!