"You look as if you're going to your own funeral, not a swim meet." Melissa cracked, giving her youngest sister a sidelong glance as she pulled in to a parking space in front of the school. They had spent the morning together at the Club. Paige was more at ease around her than she had first been with Spencer. It wasn't that she could remember Melissa - having been taken at such a young age - but her presence was comforting.

Paige had grown up thinking she was an only child. She wasn't sure how it was supposed to feel to have a sister, but being around Melissa felt natural.

Paige hadn't been interested in making friends when she'd arrived in Rosewood. She'd need to try harder with Spencer. Her more immediate problem was Emily. "Emily must hate me right now. I've been here less than a week and I messed up the only friendship I have."

"Don't be so tough on yourself." Melissa reached over and squeezed her knee to reassure her. "She invited you to the practice. I don't know if she's been with anyone since Maya."
"Who's Maya?" Paige frowned. She hadn't heard Emily mention the name.

"She was Emily's first girlfriend. She died. Emily took it hard. Who knows whether she's dating again. I don't keep up with the love lives of my little sister's friends." Melissa rolled her eyes with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood again.

"She died? How?" Paige wasn't smiling. Emily hadn't mentioned losing anyone. Paige's first girlfriend had been a girl named Lacey. They'd dated for three months in their freshman year before Lacey had transferred to another school. She had been heartbroken back then, but her ex-girlfriend was a distant memory now. She couldn't imagine living with her death.

Melissa shifted in her seat. "You should hear it from Emily… but I guess it's common knowledge. It was in the papers. She was murdered."
"Murdered?" Paige repeated. "What happened?"
"Maya St. Germain. Google it." Melissa whispered as she tossed a wave at Spencer through the windshield. She was walking up to them with Hanna in tow.

"What are you two doing here? Is Melissa going to show you her old field hockey trophies?" Spencer didn't bother greeting them as she leaned against the car, resting her arms on Paige's open window.

Paige ignored the pointed barb. "Emily invited me to swim practice."

"You can do that any time!" Hanna piped up, sounding far too cheerful. "Why don't you come for coffee with me and Spence?" The Hastings twins both looked confused and uncomfortable by her offer. Spencer tried to hide her annoyance but failed. Paige managed better. "Thanks, but I told Emily I'd be there."

"Yeah, you did… but she's super busy today. She probably didn't tell you that because, well, Emily is so nice to people. You should come with me and Spencer instead."
"Han, it's swimming. How busy can she be?" Spencer scolded.

"It's okay, Hanna. I just want to meet the Coach. I'll stay out of Emily's way." There was only one reason Emily's friend would try to keep Paige away from her. She gave Hanna a pointed look, making sure she understood that Paige knew what she was doing.

"Great… because she's super busy."

"Got it. I'll see you guys later. Bye, Melissa. Thanks for today." Paige unbuckled her seat belt and pushed open the car door, not waiting for Spencer to pull back from the window.

She made her way to the pool. The Devils had competed against the Sharks on their home turf enough times for Paige to know where she was going. The practice had started before she arrived. Emily leading the warm-up with the other girls.

She sent Paige a hesitant smile as she saw her. Paige greeted her back with a wave and headed to the coach's office.

Coach Fulton sat behind her desk. She looked up from whatever she was reading and gave the former Devil a friendly welcome. "Paige. Emily said you'd be stopping by. I'm Coach Fulton." She stood and offered her hand. Paige shook it.

Fulton sat on the corner of her desk and ushered Paige to take a seat in front of her. "I've got to say I'm excited to have you joining the team. I've seen you put Fields through her paces more than once."

"Thank you, Coach." Paige was still uneasy about belonging to a new squad, but she had no other choice if she wanted to keep scouts interested in her.

"I know you'd prefer to stay with your own team. I'm aware of your situation, and I can't tell you how sorry I am, but I need your commitment to this team. I need to know you won't throw a meet if we go up against your old team."

"I would never do that!" Said Paige. Her voice was sharper than she had intended. She spluttered out an apology. "You're right to have reservations, but I promise you I wouldn't lose a race for anybody. Swimming is my whole life… it's the only thing that makes sense right now."

The coach took a moment to consider Paige's answer, weighing up her options. She nodded, and a smile split her face in two. "That's what I needed to hear. You won't be able to attend any meets until you're enrolled, but you're welcome to join us for practice. I'm sure Emily will give you a copy of the schedule."

"Thank you." A flood of relief washed over the teenager, she knew being back in the water would help. She followed Coach Fulton out of her office and took a seat in the bleachers. She found herself watching Emily more than any of the other swimmers in the pool. Her form was excellent. Her turns tight and controlled. She moved through the water with the natural grace of an actual shark.

The practice went on forever. Paige wasn't used to being on the sidelines. Her body ached to be in back in the water.

"What was that with Paige?" Spencer and Hanna were sitting on one of the comfy sofas by the bay window of The Brew. The usual after-school crowd of students, couples and aspiring writers filled most of the tables in the busy coffee shop.

"What?" Hanna tried to appear innocent as she sipped at her soy milk latte. "I invited her for coffee. It's not as if she has a ton of friends here. I was trying to be nice!" Spencer wasn't buying it. She stared at her friend, making Hanna squirm in her seat.

"Did Emily tell you what we were talking about this morning?" She'd been venting to Emily in the car when she had said Paige wouldn't even go for coffee with her. She didn't mean for her friends to coerce Paige into going for actual coffee. Spencer just wanted her sister to take an interest in her. To want to spend time with her; the same way she did with Melissa.

She and Paige were twins. That had to count for something. Despite the time they had spent apart, and the circumstances of their separation, Spencer thought they could one day be close. She could have an actual sister; not a robot like Melissa.

The expression of relief that washed over Hanna's face at her question was comical. "Oh, thank god! She told you too! Em told me about it at lunch and it's been killing me trying to keep it in all day! I mean, she kissed Paige and I'm just supposed to keep that to myself-"

"What?" Spencer demanded. "Han, what the hell are you talking about?" Hanna's eyes widened as she realized her mistake.
"What… What were you talking about?" She asked.

"I was telling Emily how Paige and Melissa are BFFs. Apparently, you and Emily were talking about her kissing my twin sister!"
"It's not like you're identical!" Hanna dismissed, trying her best to minimize the fallout from her confession. "It's not like she was kissing you when she did it!"

"No. She was kissing my sister!" Snapped Spencer. Her outburst brought a few curious looks from the patrons at nearby tables. She lowered her voice as she added in a hiss, "My traumatized twin sister who - by the way - has a girlfriend. Just like Emily does! What the hell was she thinking?"

"She wasn't." Hanna anxiously tried to explain. Emily had been distraught earlier. She didn't need Spencer going off at her. "Her head is a mess, Spence. Maya's birthday is coming up, you know how she gets around this time of year!"

"That doesn't excuse her kissing somebody who isn't her girlfriend, Han! Paige's world just imploded! She doesn't need Emily adding to that!"
"She feels like shit already, Spencer. She couldn't face Paige this morning. Please don't tell her I told you!"

"Jesus Christ…" Spencer pushed her hair back with one hand, counting to ten in her head before she wound up giving Hanna a lecture intended for Emily. "Fine. Fine, I won't mention it. To either of them."

Coach Fulton finally blew her whistle and ordered the girls out of the pool. A group of them walked past the door for the locker room and headed towards Paige. The self-appointed leader of the pack was a girl with short black hair and choppy bangs that Paige herself had once sported. She had her arms crossed over her chest and a sour expression on her face.

"Look what we have here girls. A stupid bitch has found herself in shark-infested waters." The other swimmer jutted her chin to appear tough. At a good two inches shorter than Paige, she needed whatever help she could get.

Paige mimicked the other girl's posturing as she sat where she was and folded her own arms. "The water's over there. From the way you were swimming in it, I wouldn't be that surprised if you thought it was jello."

The girl's top lip curled back. She took a step forward, only to stop as Emily shouted at the group. "Hey! Hit the showers!" She came storming over, placing herself squarely between her teammates and Paige. It was only then Paige stood. She didn't like the way the other Shark was glaring at her captain. "I said move it, Bethany."

"Are you seriously okay with this, Fields?" Bethany threw her hands up like an angry toddler. "She's a Devil, not a Shark! She's not welcome on this team. Is she, girls?" Bethany tossed a look over her shoulder when met with silence from her followers. They were throwing cautious glances at their captain, unsure of where their loyalties should lie.

Bethany found herself very much alone as Emily stepped right into her face. "Paige is joining this team. If anybody has a problem with that, then they've got a problem with me. Understood?" It was a side of her Paige hadn't seen before.

It wasn't like she needed Emily to defend her any more than she needed the other Sharks to like her.

"Whatever." Bethany turned and skulked off to shower and change, followed by her lackeys. Coach Fulton was in her office, leaving Paige and Emily alone by the bleachers. The air between them was heavy and tense.

Paige shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans and offered Emily a wary smile. "Thanks for that, but I don't need you to defend me. I'm a big girl, Em. I've taken on tougher than Bangs over there."

"I wasn't defending you." Said Emily. She was a terrible liar. Paige shot her a scrutinizing look, and the other girl finally gave up. "Well, not entirely. I'm the captain. I'm responsible for the team. You're part of that team now… whether certain people like it or not."

"I guess that makes me your responsibility." Paige quipped, hoping to make her laugh; or at least smile. Emily shifted uncomfortably on her feet, adjusting the towel she had tied around her waist.

"I should hit the shower. I'll see you around." She turned to walk away. Paige reached out to stop her. Emily froze like Paige's touch on her bare arm had scalded her. She let her hand drop to her side. "Sorry. I just… Can we talk? About what happened-"

"I need to go." Emily wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm sorry about last night. It was a mistake. You were saying such nice things and I… I wasn't thinking. I shouldn't have done it." Paige felt a lump the size of a rock forming in her throat. She hoped the burning sensation in her eyes was from too much chlorine in the pool - and not the fact she was crying.

"No. No, that's not… you didn't… It was an accident. It shouldn't have happened and nobody is to blame. You're basically my only friend here and I'd hate to think I'd messed that up. So we're good, right? Friends."

"Yeah!" Emily let out a sigh of relief as she forced a strained smile. "Friends. Right… I'm glad we talked. I'm here for you, Paige. As your friend."
"Great." Paige's eyes still felt on fire. "In that case, how about we grab a coffee at The Brew-"

"Sorry," Emily interrupted. She walking backward towards the locker room. "I can't tonight. I have plans… but maybe tomorrow night?"
"Sure." Said Paige. She wished the ground would just open and swallow her.

"Great. I'll text you… and don't worry about making friends. You're awesome. You'll meet tons of people when you start school next week."
"Can't wait." Her throat was dry as Paige choked the words out and waved at Emily's retreating form. Her tears fell as the door closed behind the other girl.

Paige wiped furiously at her eyes in the car park. The cool autumn air hit her square in the face, making her wish she had grabbed her jacket from the back of Melissa's car.

A honking sounded caught her attention. She frowned at the sight of Spencer's Toyota. She headed over to it. "Hey." To Paige's relief, her voice didn't crack when she greeted her sister. "What are you doing here? I thought you were with Hanna."

"I was." Said Spencer. "I came back to give you a ride home. You're welcome."
"Thanks." Paige walked around to the passenger side of the car and climbed inside. She sat facing the window, hoping Spencer wouldn't notice she had been crying.

"I was thinking we could grab dinner. You haven't been to the Apple Rose Grille yet. You'll love it. The food is to die for." Spencer pulled out of the student parking lot and started toward Main Street.
"Sounds great," Paige replied. She wasn't very hungry. "Do they do takeout? I'm feeling beat. I'd rather just go home."

Home to her Dad, to her own room and its familiar comforts.

Spencer didn't have time to reply as Paige's phone rang. She fished it out of her back pocket. Shana's name was flashing on the screen. She let out an exasperated sigh before answering. "Hey, Babe. Sorry I-" She got all of four words out before her girlfriend was chewing her ear off. Spencer could hear her ranting from where she sat. "Shana, I… I'm sorry. I forgot all about… I know I said I'd be there… I've had tons going on right now… No, I didn't say you're not important. I-"

Paige sighed as the line went dead. It was a relief that Shana had hung up on her. She had been close to telling her girlfriend where she could go. She tossed her cell phone on to Spencer's dash and covered her face with her hands.

"Is everything okay?" Asked Spencer. She winced as Paige dropped her hands and glared at her. "Okay, wrong question. Of course it isn't."

"I was supposed to go for dinner with Shana's family tonight. It's her grandparents' wedding anniversary today. It totally slipped my mind."
"That's understandable, given everything that's happened lately."

"Try telling her that." Paige rolled her eyes at her twin. Shana was lots of things, but patient wasn't oneof them. Paige had honestly expected her patience and understanding to run out much sooner.

"How long have you guys been together?" Spencer tried to change the conversation. Paige looked close to tears as it was.
"Six months. It was our anniversary last weekend. The day after that stupid field trip…" Paige sat staring out of the window, watching the town she was growing familiar with passing by.

"Were you happy together? Before all this?"

"Yeah. We were." Paige nodded. She fell silent for a few minutes; until they were on Main Street. "She was the one who was meant to have her prints taken. The agent that was showing us how the scanner worked, he chose her… but she made a big fuss about it. She made me do it instead. All of this happened because of her… I'm not sure I can forgive her."

Spencer pulled the car over and killed the engine. She kept her hands on the steering wheel, flexing her fingers as she contemplated a reply. "Paige, I know this whole thing is a nightmare for you, that you wish none of this ever happened; but if it hadn't then I would never have known about you, and my Mom would still be going through hell."

"Oh yeah, I bet it was just killing her! Pretending I didn't exist!" Paige spat sourly. She turned on Spencer, narrowing her eyes on her. "That's what she did, right? You didn't even know I existed until a week ago!"

"She must have had her reasons." The excuse sounded feeble, even to Spencer's ears. "I mean what was she meant to do? She had two other kids to raise. When was she supposed to tell me I had another sister? When would have been a good age to tell me my twin sister was abducted, huh?"

Paige had no answer for that. She shook her head. "Ever since I found out the truth I keep asking myself would she have said anything? My Mom. Would she have told me? About what she did? If she hadn't… if she hadn't died."

"She loved you. She raised you as her own kid." Spencer reached out and took her twin's hand. "I don't know why she did what she did, but she loved you. Nothing can take that away from you."

"We can go get takeout and you can hide away in your room, or we can go eat and talk." Spencer offered. Her tone was firm yet gentle. "I don't mean about this stuff. We can just talk about our favorite movies and what music we like and other normal stuff that sisters talk about. What do you say?"

Paige wiped at her eyes. She had been doing nothing else for days. She wasn't sure she even had any tears left in her. The teenager's life had fell apart in just seven days, but not all of it was bad. She had two sisters now; both of whom were trying their best to support her right now.

"Do they do pie?"