Chapter 10

The girls outside all whistled, clapped and yelled when Simon finally walked outside. He smiled at them, hearing their cattle calls and giving them a brief wave of his hand before grabbing his helmet and putting it back on.

"Damn, Paige is one lucky bitch," Amy said, grinning as the loud roar of Simon's motorcycle rang out over the parking lot.

"That she is," Megan said, her smile matching her friends. They all watched Simon back the bike up and slowly pull away from the curb.

"I swear if she doesn't go after him for more than just the occasional ride, she's a bigger dork than Courtney is," Heather said grinning

"Hey!" Courtney yelled, turning to Heather and sticking her lip out. "I'm not a dork!"

"Of course you're not, sweetie," Megan said, patting Courtney on the back.

Paige almost dreaded going outside. The constant Simon talk coming down the road had been bad, but now she knew they'd never shut up about it. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door of the store open and walked outside.

She couldn't help but smile at them. They were all lined up by her car. The minute they saw her they whistled, clapped and yelled. She blushed lightly and shook her head at them before stepping off the curb.

"Alright guys, enough with the whooping," Paige said when she reached the car and opened her door.

"Oh I don't think so, missy," Amy said, climbing into the car along with the others. "We want details."

Paige laughed, starting the car, before shaking her head "Not this time," she told them. "I'm leaving this one completely between me and Simon."

"Oh come on, Paige!" Kim yelled, "You can't leave us out!"

"Yeah! If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have even met him," Heather said. "We want all the slick and sweaty details!"

Paige laughed, looking up and down the road before she pulled out onto the highway and headed for Riverdale. "Sorry ladies, but this is one time you're not going to get anything."

"You'll spill or I swear I'll find the most hideous creature at the Reunion and tell him you were madly in love with him all through school!" Amy blurted out.

"Go ahead." Paige laughed. "There isn't anything you could do to get me to tell. It was private."

"Private!" Kim yelled, "You just fucked a man in a public bathroom! There's nothing private about that," she said, laughing hard with the others.

"Fine then," Amy said, poking Kim in the side and winking at her. "I think the first person I find once we get to the Reunion is dull, mousy little… Colin!"

Paige's gaze shot up at that, staring at Amy in the rear view mirror before she clenched her teeth. She couldn’t explain why, but her temper flared hotter than she ever imagined it would with her friends. "Amy, you do what ever you think you have to, but you leave Colin alone!"

Everyone sat stunned in silence. Paige felt her face flame as anger surged through her body. Why did they always do that? Why did they act like spoiled bitches all the time? Why destroy someone for the sake of doing it?

She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She glanced at Meg sitting in the seat next to her and her friend's eyes were wide. She leaned her head to the side and a question lurked behind her eyes. She saw her glance at the others before she turned her attention back to the road.

Paige sighed heavily, looking in the mirror before smiling slightly.

"Look, I'm sorry Amy. I didn't mean to snap. Just… just promise me you won't go torturing Colin if he's there, okay? I think we did enough of that ten years ago. We're all a little old for childish games."

Her mind flashed back to the boy who had done nothing but adore her from the first day he'd arrived at their school. She hated their treatment of him, always had.

She wasn't sure why, but she felt brave enough to stop them now. To finally speak up and stop them from hurting him. She only wished she'd had the courage ten-years ago.

Megan smiled, looking at Paige before she turned to Amy and the others in the back seat. "You got that?" she asked, looking at each of them. "No one says anything remotely mean to Colin, or Paige will rip your hair out while I hold you down."

Heather rolled her eyes. "There's no point in going if we can't tease the dorks." Meg turned her head, looking over her shoulder and glared. "Fine, whatever," Heather said, looking out the window.

"Well, back to more interesting topics," Kim said, breaking the eerie silence. "Did you at least get a sloppy good-bye kiss this time, or did he high tail it once the deed was done?"

Paige shook her head, and looked at Kim in the mirror. "You just don't ever give up, do you?"

Kim laughed. "Nope, we want details, girl."

"Well, I'm not giving any. I told you already."

"But—"

"No buts," Paige said, before they all became quiet again. Either her yelling had scared them all silent or Meg's evil glare did. Paige smiled to herself when everyone sat quietly.

Of course it didn't last. Why did she think it would?

"You're going to see him again aren't you?" Courtney asked softly, looking over at Amy when she snickered at her.

Paige grinned at them when she looked into her rear-view mirror. All their faces were alight with laughter. "Maybe."

"Was it as good as last night?"

"Better," Paige said, her smile widening, the soft giggles filling the car.

"Did you get good-bye smoochies?"

"Yes," she told them calmly. She thought about their last few minutes together. She wasn't about to tell her friends she actually had a date of any kind with him. They could find that out later. She’d never get them to shut up if she did.

She remembered the soft kiss he'd given her and him telling her bye. Her smile widened as the sound of his voice floated through her mind. The way her name sounded whispered from his lips sent chills up her spine.

"Well, that's a start," Kim said grinning. "Who knows, maybe you can venture back to the club and see if he wants more."

Kim’s words were lost to Paige as her last thought rang in her head. Simon said her name. He'd called her Paige before he left. She thought back on their encounter and remembered him whisper her name against her neck. He really had said her name. Twice!

"Oh my God!" Paige yelled, her head snapping around and looking at them wide eyed as she remembered.

Everyone in the car screamed when the car swerved, running off the road as Paige screamed and straightened the wheel. She slammed on the breaks, her heart nearly bursting from her chest before the car came to a complete stop in the middle of the highway.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Heather yelled, her hand over her heart.

Paige's eyes were huge as she looked at her friends. They were all wide-eyed and she turned in her seat to look at them before she whispered, "He said my name."

"Well that monster!" Amy yelled, sarcastically. "You almost gave me a fucking heart attack screaming like that! Are you trying to kill us?"

"He said my name."

"Big deal. Simon said your name. Men tend to do that from time to time!"

"He said my name!" Paige yelled back at her, turning to look out the front window. She remembered him saying it. At the time, she had smiled, loving the sound of it slipping past his lips, but now, as she thought about it, it horrified her.

She racked her brain trying to remember when exactly she told him what it was. As far as she knew, he didn't know her name. She hadn't told him. Did one of her friends tell him? No! When would they have done that?

Her breathing increased until she felt light headed.

"Paige, calm down," Megan said, laying her hand on Paige's arm. "Let's get off the highway, okay?"

"But, he said my name." Paige turned and looked at Megan. She stared at her before her body went numb. "I never told him my name, Meg. How did he know it?"

"Are you sure you didn't tell him?" Courtney asked, looking confused.

"Positive," Paige replied, turning to look at the others. "How does he know my name?"

As the question ran through her mind, Paige thought of every possible explanation she could think of. How did Simon know her name? Did she know him?

She knew the answer to that the minute she thought it. No. There was no way she could ever forget him. But yet, he apparently knew her.

But from where?

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