A Spectator's Sport

Disclaimer: I own nothing. No profit made.

An: So if everything works out, you guys should expect regular updates over the weekend like I did last weekend. Hopefully that doesn't keep you waiting too long.

An#2: Have faith in the process, I know you guys know how much I love Maya and Emily together, nothing can touch their relationship. The Paige thing is just that, a thing but I wonder…have any of you given any thoughts about Jenna…or Alison. Believe me, I haven't forgotten those two, and neither should you. And remember I'm always looking for suggestion of what you'd like to see happen, so tell me. R&R.

Present Time: 5:30pm, Friday – Rosewood High's Pool

She knew, had she done things differently, she wouldn't have found herself in this mess.

Truthfully she still couldn't understand how a day could begin so perfect then end up like this.

Yet here she was, cursing herself for doing something so idiotic.

She had thought she was doing the right thing, always one to believe that second chances should always be given, that you should here people out before you judge them.

How wrong she was.

One thing was for certain…Maya was pissed.

Twelve Hours Earlier…5:30am, Friday – Rosewood High's Pool

"You do realize that you're insane, don't you?" Maya called out, her voice echoing in the almost vacant Pool House. Emily laughed as she continued her stretching, though she paused long enough to look up to where her girlfriend sat in the stands.

She smirked. "Well you're dating me, so what does that say about you?" she teased, sitting on the concrete to stretch out her legs. For a moment Maya just watched her, a small smirk playing at the corners of her lips.

Catching Emily's eye, she settled her with a heated look, not even bothering to address the girl's question. "Only you would go to early morning practice on a Friday while the rest of your team sleeps in their cozy little beds." Maya shook her head in amusement.

Emily laughed, seeing through Maya's façade. "You didn't have to come." Emily reasoned, laughing even more at the appalled look that over took Maya's beautiful features.

"What! And miss seeing that gorgeous body of yours on display, never." Maya grinned as she gave Emily a thorough looking over. Suddenly Maya's grin widened, that certain sparkle shining in her eyes, telling Emily she was in for trouble…and it usually consisted of the good kind. "You know the best part about early morning practice?"

Emily watched as her girlfriend prowled down the bleachers and made her way to the edge of the pool. Emily licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry as she watched as her girlfriend put her hair up. "What?" her voice wasn't usually that hoarse was it?

Maya leered at her as she pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it to the side and revealing the black lace bra she was wearing. Emily gulped, helpless as she watched Maya start to undo her pants, pushing them down her deliciously toned legs and then finally kicking them to the side as well. Her matching black lace cheekies held Emily's attention until Maya cleared her throat. "The best part of early morning practice…is that we have the pool to ourselves for at least another two hours, isn't that just wonderful?"

Emily gulped, that sounded fan-fucking-tastic.

Maya sighed as her back came into contact with the concrete side of the pool, her arms and legs wrapped securely around her girlfriend as Emily treaded water for the both of them. "What are you thinking about?" Emily whispered as she took in the girl's serene expression.

Maya smiled and stroked the back of Emily's neck as she leaned in to press a soft, chaste kiss on her lover's lips. A kiss that's only purpose was to tell the other girl just how much Maya loved her. As she pulled away, she rested her forehead gently against Emily's, taking in the swimmer's confused but satisfied smile and matching it with a gentle smile of her own. "I was thinking about the night you let me be the one to make love to you."

Emily blushed at the comment, but in no way did she feel embarrassed. "What about it?" she asked, searching Maya's eyes for some sort of clue as to what her girlfriend's emotions were, but she only found love. 'Not exactly the worst emotion to find in your girlfriend's eyes though.' Emily laughed to herself.

"It's just that…" in an uncharacteristic show of shyness Maya looked down, a feint blush coating her cheeks as she peered at Emily through her lashes. "Even though you gave me your virginity that night…I feel as though I gave you mine as well." She cleared her throat, a sure sign that she was indeed very nervous. Emily stroked her back to offer some comfort. "I mean we both know that I wasn't a virgin…but in a way I was." She looked Emily full on in the eyes as she spoke now. "I'd never made love before, never even came close because Em…I've never felt for anyone the way I feel toward you. That counts, right?" She whispered the last part, her insecurities getting the better of her.

Emily nudged her nose to Maya's to gain the girl's attention. "As far as I'm concerned…it's the only thing that matters." Maya positively beamed at Emily's soft words. "Do you have any idea how in love with you I am, Maya?" Emily smiled softly at her girl.

Maya giggled as she bit her bottom lip and nodded. "I'm right there with you Emily." She kissed her girlfriend softly. "I love you too." She added just because she felt like saying the words.

12:30pm Friday – Rosewood High Library

"Is there a reason we're hiding out in the library instead of having lunch?" Hanna questioned as Emily pulled her down into a secluded corner.

"Shh!" Emily shushed her as she peered over the book shelf, watching her target.

Hanna rolled her eyes, but she did lower her voice. "What are we even doing?"

Emily bit her lip, "You can't tell Maya. Promise?"

Hanna's eye grew wide, wondering just how she could be put in a position to choose loyalties between her two best friends. She looked at Emily's anxious face and sighed. "I promise."

1:00pm Friday – Emily's Locker

"I can't believe that you think this is a good idea." Hanna stressed.

Emily sighed, "I don't need you to think it's a good idea, I just need you to hang out with Maya after school. Can you do that?" She gave the blonde a pointed looked.

Hanna rolled her eyes, pissed that she let herself get in this situation. "Yeah, of course I can. We already made plans to go shopping today anyways." She shook her head at Emily. "Be careful." She warned before taking off down the hallway.

5:00pm Friday – The Grill

"You think Emily will like it?" Maya asked Hanna as she inspected the gift she had bought for her girlfriend.

Hanna gave a tight smile, "Of course. She's lucky to have such a thoughtful girlfriend." Maya missed the tight undertone to Hanna's voice as she lost herself in thought of her girlfriend.

"No, I'm lucky to have her." Maya smiled softly, tucking the necklace away in the bag.

Hanna frowned, the guilt weighing down on her. "Maya…there's something you need to know."

Same Time Different Location 5:00pm – The Brew

Emily sat at the table, nervously cupping the coffee as she waited. In truth she didn't know just what to expect, but she knew she had to at least try this. Everything Maya had done for her in the past couple months…she owed it to her girlfriend, as well as herself, to do this. She could fight her own battle, she wasn't the same spineless girl that had let Alison walk all over her…or at least she hoped she wasn't

The bell chimed above the coffee shop door and when she looked up she saw just who she was waiting on, she schooled her features as they made their way over to her table. The girl smirked smugly at her as she took her seat across from Emily. "Well, well, well…I've got to admit that I never saw this coming."

Emily gritted her teeth, remembering her purpose. "But it is what you were hoping for, isn't it?" She kept her voice neutral even though everything inside her screamed for her to through her coffee into the girl's face.

Paige smirked, "Depends…where is Maya?" She spat the name.

Emily's face hardened as her love's name slithered across the girl's lips; she didn't like it, not one bit. "Why are you sending me notes?" She countered not wanting her girlfriend to be a part of this conversation.

Paige quirked an eyebrow at the change, but she allowed it, it's not like she wanted to waste time talking about her anyways. "I figured you're the type of girl that liked a bit of romance." She shrugged cockily.

"What gave you the impression that I wanted that from you?" Emily couldn't stop the sneer as it settled upon her face, venom dripping from her words. Paige stiffened at her words, but Emily didn't give her time to respond. "What gave you the impression that I wanted anything from you?" She had thought she could talk to this girl, maybe reason with her and offer her a second chance at friendship…she was having a hard time sticking to her reasons for being here.

"You haven't even given me the chance to prove how good I can be!" Paige whispered harshly.

Emily balked at her like she was insane…maybe she was. "When was I supposed to do that? Before or after you tried to drown me? Maybe after you insulted my relationship for the hundredth time? When you insulted me for being gay?" Paige didn't give an answer as she glared down at her hands. "I'm in love with Maya." She stressed slowly. "It's always been Maya. Paige I've never given you any reason to believe that I wanted you in any way. Even if I did like you, your actions would have erased any emotion I could have had for you."

When Emily finally stopped, Paige was shaking her head, as if having an internal battle inside her head. Finally she looked up at Emily. "But I love you Emily…why isn't that enough?" she whispered.

Emily shook her head in disagreement. "You don't love me Paige. You just think you do, but you don't know what real love is." She paused. "Love is protecting them from anything that might hurt them. Love is knowing when they need you and knowing how to find them. Love is trusting, and caring. Love is allowing mistakes to happen but working to make things right again. Love is standing by their side whether they're right or wrong and facing the consequences together. Maya…Maya loves me Paige."

Emily tried to convey just how much these things meant, felt to her. It was Maya that did all this for her, not Paige…it'd never be Paige. "I could do those things." Paige pleaded weakly.

Emily shook her head, "Even if you could, even if I could forgive you for everything, it wouldn't be the same." Emily licked her lips, trying to find the words to explain. "I've already loved Maya…no love could ever measure up to it." She shrugged, not knowing how else to put it.

"But how can you know that? How do you know that she isn't just your first love?" Paige was grasping at straws and even she knew it.

"That's just it Paige." Emily sighed, a loving smile appearing on her lips as she thought of her girl. "She is my first real love…but she feels like my last." She shook herself from her thoughts and refocused on the girl in front of her. Why was she here again? Why wasn't she with Maya? "Listen, you need to let this go and leave me alone. You leave me alone and you stay away from Maya, understand?"

Paige glared at her and pushed from the table harshly. Before Emily could do anything, Paige surged across the table and locked her lips to Emily's. Emily froze…and then pushed Paige away. The damage was done though, because there in the doorway of the coffee shop stood a furious Maya and a shocked Hanna.

'Fuck.'

Present Time: 5:30pm, Friday – Rosewood High's Pool

She knew, had she done things differently, she wouldn't have found herself in this mess.

Truthfully she still couldn't understand how a day could begin so perfect then end like this.

Yet here she was, cursing herself for doing something so idiotic.

She had thought she was doing the right thing, always one to believe that second chances should always be given, that you should here people out before you judge them.

How wrong she was.

One thing was for certain…Maya was pissed.

Emily stood from the table, pushing Paige's hands away from her body; the girl hadn't realized her error just yet and was still smiling smugly at Emily. Maya and Hanna were still by the door, but that wouldn't last long. As soon as the two girls got over the initial shock all hell would break loose.

"Why would you do that?" She said harshly, glaring at Paige and making that stupid smirking smile drop from her face.

"Like you didn't like it, Fields." Paige argued back, standing her ground.

Emily shook her head with a disgusted look. "No Paige I didn't like it! How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not interested before it gets into that thick skull of yours? I've never been nor will I ever be interested in sharing anything with you. Just the thought of it disgusted me." She knew she was being harsh but honestly Paige had gone way too far.

Shaking her head, Paige finally caught sight of the girls who were making their way over from the door. She sneered at Emily. "Oh I get it, your girlfriend shows up and suddenly you're not interested? Is that the game you want to play Emily?"

"What are you talking about? I'm not the one playing games here." Emily stared at the girl in disbelief. "Were you even present during our entire conversation? I keep telling you that I don't like you, in any sense of the word, why is that so hard to believe?" Her words grew quiet as she sensed Maya behind her; she reached her hand back and let out a breath of relief when it was encased in Maya's soft grasp. Maya stepped forward so that her body pressed softly into Emily's and their tangled hands rest at their sides.

Paige went to respond with yet another rendition of 'You belong with me' but Hanna cut her off. "Save it." She fumed. "Can't you see it?" She gestured to the couple, watching as they spoke without words. Maya leaning her head close, her face turned to the side so that she could see Emily and still hold her from behind. Hanna turned back to Paige. "Stop being a creepy bitch and let this go…hell go find yourself a girl who's actually interested in you. Do something, just…leave them alone."

Hanna tried to convey the sincerity and truth behind her words, and it seemed like they might just have hit Paige. Paige's stance wilted in front of their eyes, her face losing its creepy mix of crazed determination and anger, melting away to something far more pathetic. With a quick nod Paige moved to leave. "Paige." She stopped at the sound of her name.

"I'm leaving okay…I'll leave her alone." She rushed as Maya stepped closer to her with an unreadable look on her face.

"I appreciate that." Maya said calmly before her fist connected to Paige's jaw perfectly, making the girl drop to the floor. Maya stood over her with a hard look. "But don't ever think that you can touch my girlfriend without her permission." Maya seethed, Paige nodded in response holding her sore jaw as she stood. She left without another incident.

"Okay that was just awesome." Hanna clapped gleefully as she watched the door swing shut from Paige's hasty retreat. "You're seriously my hero." She gushed making the other to girls smile at her enthusiasm. Maya caught Emily's eye, and they both knew that they needed to talk…alone. Hanna caught the look, "Well would you look at the time…Maya I'm sure Emily can give you a ride. The blonde stopped her retreat to smirk at her friends, "Though after that little display, I'm sure Maya would be just as willing to give you a ride Emily." She laughed at her own joke, winked at Emily and then left without another word.

The girls turned back to one another, a sheepish smile on Emily's face and a tired one on Maya's. "Come on, you can call your mom from the car…I think we're going to be awhile." Emily just nodded and followed Maya out to her car, even allowing the girl to drive as she called and talked with her mother. 'At least I'm spending the night…so that's a good sign. Right?'