If A Never Existed: After School Special
Dsiclaimer: I own nothing.
AN: Ok so hopefully I haven't kept you guys waiting to long, I figure I'll post a new chapter every Friday or Saturday night, if that's too long let me know and I'll see if I can make it sooner. BTW I've decided that Alison is just going to be the evil bitch who moved away, details will be revealed later on so don't fret too much. Enjoy! R&R as always :*
Italics are past tense i.e memories or dreams!
It was safe to safe that Maya St. Germain was anything but a morning person, yet here she was sitting on her front steps waiting for Emily, her poor unsuspecting neighbor. Poor girl really had no clue as to what she was getting herself into. Maya smiled amusedly to herself as she actually found herself a little bit anxious for the arrival of the other girl.
Emily stopped in front of Alison's, no, Maya's house, smiling at the girl as she approached her. "Ready for school?" Emily asked once they started walking, keeping at least 5inches of distance between them.
Maya noticed, of course, she smirked, "I know we just met and everything so allow me to explain what kind of girl I am."
Emily laughed, "Wait, wait let me guess. You're the badass, do what you want, don't care what others think, go with the flow type who doesn't take shit from anyone. The kind that'd be sooner caught behind the school getting high than going to school early just to study in the library. You don't do the whole 'school spirit' thing because it's lame and you wouldn't be caught dead at any school event that wasn't mandatory, and even then you'd try to get out of it."
Emily smirked looking straight ahead as Maya stopped gapping at her, "You goggled me, didn't you!" She laughed and caught back up with Emily, "Ok so you got the basics right, but don't think for one second that you got me pegged, Fields." Maya bumped her shoulder gently, "That's just the book cover, not the content."
Emily shrugged, "Shouldn't your cover represent your content?"
Maya smiled that secret smile again, "It should, but this is high school we're talking about. Sometimes the cover is just a cover, if you know what I mean." Emily did in fact know what Maya meant, maybe a little too well. "But I'm still pretty badass on the inside too."
The tension officially broken, Emily laughed, "Ok badass," she teased, "how about we hold off on any official baddassery until after the first day, yea?"
Maya raised an eyebrow, looking Emily over, "Fly under the radar? Maya St. Germain? Never!" she gasped mockingly, making Emily laugh.
"You're something else Maya, you know that?" Emily shook her head free from the feelings Maya's smirk and left upon her.
"I think, maybe, that's a good thing." Maya whispered just low enough for Emily to hear her, her words cutting Emily deep in a not so horrible way. Maya's gaze stayed locked onto the side of Emily's face, almost daring the girl to look back. Emily didn't though; she kept her stare in front of her until they reached school grounds and then all the way to the office.
"Well this is it; my locker is just right down there. Just meet me after you get your schedule, if you want." Maya smirked again at her ability to make Emily so nervous.
"Sure thing." Maya smiled, totally not oblivious to the effects it had on Emily, though at this point she seriously doubted that Emily didn't react strongly to everything she did. She fought to contain her smirk as Emily tripped over her feet and over to her locker. 'Girl definitely doesn't know what she's dealing with.' Maya thought as she entered the office, chuckling quietly to herself.
It wasn't until Emily was waiting outside the school to walk Maya home did she realize exactly how she had been behaving during school. 'Lovesick.' But that couldn't be right, yet her actions were definitely screaming otherwise. Emily had shown Maya around quickly before first period and then that was it, no further contact till lunch.
This in itself wasn't telling, but the fact that she had searched Maya out in the corridor during period changes was. She told herself that she was just making sure the other girl had actually gone to class, but that wasn't the truth. Emily was just desperate to see Maya.
She was…craving to just be in the girl's presence, and she tried so desperately to push the feeling aside but no matter what she told herself she couldn't. She felt like crap the entire day because she hadn't seen Maya, this was absurd! At least she thought so, until lunch hour.
She was walking lazily, begrudgingly, to the cafeteria when a hand shot out and grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her away from the cafeteria doors and outside to the courtyard. "Maya?" It seemed she wasn't the only one messing the other's company, or so she hoped.
Maya giggled, "Emily! Now that we're sure we haven't forgotten our names while our other brain cells tragically perished during that torture they call class, can we eat? I'm starved!"
Emily giggled, "I haven't got my lunch…someone pulled me away before I could." She threw a smirk at her companion, how now sat rather smugly on a bench. Emily narrowed her eyes in suspicion, "Why do you look so pleased with yourself? Is it part of your grand plan? To starve me?"
Maya threw her head back in laughter, allowing Emily the perfect opportunity to steal a glance at the girl's slender neck and down to the barely there cleavage…not that Emily did such thing. Well okay, maybe just a bit…ok so she stared a lot…and she totally got caught if Maya's smirk was anything to judge by. "Who said I had a grand plan?"
Oh yeah she was definitely caught. Clearing her throat awkwardly, Emily sat in the space next to Maya trying, in vain, to keep the blush from her face. "Are you denying that you don't?"
Maya was rather impressed by the quick, and flirty, comeback. She smirked, shrugging noncommittally, "Oh I definitely do…I just want to know who told you of my bad, bad plans." She purred, making Emily choke.
"Relax. I was kidding…well mostly anyways, and look! I have your lunch." Maya beamed, proudly producing a lunchbox packed with two turkey and tomato sandwiches, a baggy of sliced apples, a baggy of orange slices and two cookies.
Emily grinned, "Aw! How sweet, Maya!" she cooed eliciting an uncharacteristic blush from the darker girl. Which she was so going to point out, "Oh my god! Is the Maya St. Germain blushing? How scandalous!"
Maya shoved her playfully, "Shush you, unless you do want to starve." She mumbled in utter embarrassment. 'Since when do I blush?" she thought before peeking at Emily, 'Oh yea…'
"Ok, ok I'll stop." Emily caved, if only to feed her belly.
It had gone that way through out lunch, light flirting, innocent touches, not so innocent looks. Emily didn't know what had gotten into her, but she was so deluded as to think that she didn't enjoy whatever it was going on between her and the new girl.
"Hey." The soft, and now familiar voice, broke Emily from her reverie. Maya now stood beside her, smiling softly.
"Hey, ready to go?" Emily responded in kind and began walking after receiving a nod in return. It was silent between the girls, not awkward or unpleasant but comfortable and relaxed. 'Is it normal to feel so at ease with someone you just meet?" Emily questioned herself, but she couldn't find the answer.
It was when they were nearing Maya's house did she notice how closely they were walking. How every step had their hands brushing, skin touching; creating that very same tingly, burning, sensation Emily felt in Maya's room. The sensation caused both girls to grin goofily, though unconsciously so.
Finally the silence breaks as Maya lets loose a giggle, looking at Emily, "Thanks for walking me home." It was a simple statement of gratitude, so why did Emily feel as though it meant more? Why did Maya's eyes read as though it meant more?
"It's no problem, really. Practice doesn't start until four…" Emily played it off coolly; even surprising herself that she didn't blush from Maya's ever intense, ever focused gaze upon her.
Maya saw right through it, and decided to play with the girl a bit, "I've never had a jock friend before…guess that makes you my first." She bumped Emily, both giggling with nervous energy. Both choosing to just let the comment hang in the tensing air around them.
It was then, as they came to a stop in front of Maya's house that Emily noticed some movers tossing what seemed to be Alison's left things into a moving truck. She stopped and watched for a moment. "You ok?" Maya questioned, concern blatantly laced in her words.
Emily smiled tiredly, "It's just…weird I think; it's like she never existed." Maya rocked back onto her heels, debating whether or not she should just ask about this mysterious Alison, Emily made up her mind for her.
"She completed the group, you know? We were all friends with Alison which lead to us being friends with each other. When they moved last year…well the group kind of fell apart. We're still friends…but we don't exactly know how to be as close without the center piece of our relationships." Emily rolled her eyes at herself.
They walked over to the porch steps, "Sounds hard." Maya was at a loss for words.
Emily laughed despite herself, "I use to think that if I didn't talk about her I wouldn't think about her…didn't work."
Maya frowned, "Sounds like a bad break up." The comment was so innocently said, but so devastatingly true, at least for Emily. Seeing Emily's discomfort, Maya laid a gentle hand on her forearm, "I'm sorry."
Emily just looked up into Maya's eyes, both caught in the intense gaze as the air surrounding them seem to grow thicker with each unconscious move they made, bring them closer until both leaned in, missing lips by just a breath.
Maya pulled back first, coughing/laughing awkwardly as she looked away. She tried to say something but her mind was preoccupied with just how close Emily's lips had been to hers. Emily was having the same problem. Finally gathering her thoughts she threw Emily a half-embarrassed half-cocky smile, "So…see you tomorrow?"
Emily's eyes widened just a fraction, still too caught up in her thoughts, "Yea, uh yea." Emily agreed as Maya nodded and took the steps swiftly. She took a breath, her lips forming into an unknowingly devious smirk as she watched her go, "Bye." Emily whispered, mostly to herself before turning and walking away.
It was after swim practice, as she walked to her gym locker that she found herself still thinking about the almost kiss. She was dressed in nothing but a towel, in a locker room full of half-dressed girls, and her, herself a closeted…lesbian…so not a good time to let her thoughts get the best of her.
"Hey Em, you been hanging out with Aria lately?" Spencer asked breaking her back into reality as they talked to each other mere lockers away.
Spencer was fishing, Emily knew this. She bet they all were wondering where she'd been throughout the day, definitely not with Aria. "Um, no, not really." She mumbled, finally getting her locker open and quickly getting dressed.
She spared Spencer another glance, noticing she was staring right back at her, "So…have you met the new girl? The one living in Alison's house?" Spencer leaned against the locker besides Emily's as the girl sat down on the bench to tie her shoes.
Emily rolled her eyes to herself, as if there was another new girl? "Yes, I helped her move in, and showed her around school. She's cool." The unconscious goofy grin snuck onto Emily's lips once again as she thought of Maya.
Spencer smirked, "I bet." She paused, her next words calculating, "Bet she's even better than Alison…what do you think?" she tossed the question at Emily, making her frown and Spencer scoff, "Oh come on Em! Anyone is better than that bi-"
"Enough Spencer!" Emily effectively cut her off. Spencer watched as her friend sat stock still, reining in her emotions. She sighed and sat down next to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Taking a look around, Spencer noticed they were now the only ones in the locker room, free to spill their secrets, "I'm sorry Emily…it's just, come on! Everybody knew how much of a bitch Alison was, especially you. How she played with you, made you believe that she loved-"
"Ok…I get it ok?" Emily hushed; afraid Spencer's words would bring old scars to the surface. Spencer just watched on helplessly as her friend fought to keep her emotions at bay. If she could make Alison pay for what she did to Emily, well it wouldn't be pretty. Hanna and Aria too; they all hated Alison for what she did to them, but mostly for what she did to Emily.
Emily was the sweet one, innocent, and just so good, Spencer, Aria and Hanna couldn't fathom why Alison had chosen her to deliver the most damage too. Alison thought Emily was the weak link, but time and time again their friend had proven to be the strongest. Now though, she was different, jaded by Alison.
In truth they were all changed in some way, it was Alison's legacy that she wanted to leave. Her mark left on all four girls. Emily's was the deepest, the most visible. This was only to be expected when someone toys with your heart only to crush it and spit in your face, leaving you broken and ashamed of who you are. They always joked that Alison was the spawn of Satan; their best friend and their worst nightmare, but once she broke Emily the three knew she was pure evil.