Chapter 13

No matter how upset Paige was at the situation, she couldn't help but be amused at Kim's reaction. The look on her face was priceless, her loud outburst sending the entire room into a frenzy of hushed whispers. There wasn't a person in the room that wasn't focused in on them… or more specifically… Simon.

The others at the table sat in stunned silence, each of them undoubtedly trying to grasp the concept that Simon, the guy they had all practically drooled over and made lewd comments about all weekend, was Colin. Every person at the table sat gob-smacked. They stared at the now completely transformed man sitting with them.

Paige looked around her, seeing every eye in the room on them before she looked back at Kim and said, "Kim, sit down."

Kim stared at Simon with her mouth gaping open, her eyes wide. She blinked a few times, finally looking over at Paige before she started to laugh.

Paige sighed heavily, looking around the room when Kim fell back in her chair holding her stomach. Her laughter rang out through the banquet hall and the longer Kim laughed, the madder Paige became.

"Heather, make her shut up before I hurt her."

No one moved. Paige gritted her teeth, listening to Kim before she saw Megan stand. She grabbed Kim's arm and pulled her from the chair before guiding her out of the room.

Paige watched them go, noticing that everyone's attention was still on them. She rolled her eyes. It didn’t matter how much time past; people still gawked.

Looking back over at Simon, she noticed his entire demeanor had changed. The muscle in his jaw ticked, his fists were clenched tight, and his eyes were hard and cold. He stared down at the table, his body still and quiet. He'd sat there throughout Kim's whole hysterical laughing without saying a word.

He didn't look scared anymore. He looked angry as hell. And Paige felt horrible. She realized by the look on his face that what he'd just been subjected to wasn't anything he hadn’t suffered through before. Laughter, at his expense, all because of her. He spent two years being the butt of everyone's jokes for one reason or another. Now ten years later, he still was.

"Colin Gregory?"

Paige turned to Lance the same time Simon did and she wanted to slap her ex. After ten years he was still just as immature as her friends were. He sat there, laughing at Simon and she felt her heart break a little bit more for him. Why did they still do this? Treat him like he was… nobody.

She looked back over at Simon. She saw the same hurt look she witnessed more times than she cared to remember cross his face before his jaw twitched and he straightened in his seat. The pain in her heart for this man was nothing compared to the way he probably felt. Reaching out, she laid her hand on his arm just as he turned to her. "Simon."

"Forget it, Paige," Simon spat out hatefully, jerking his arm away. "I thought maybe ten years was enough time for you and your friends to get over yourselves. Apparently I was wrong." He stood and turned, walking away from the table.

"Simon wait," she said, quickly standing up from her seat and following him. She couldn't let him leave like that. She knew the hurt look on his face was once again her fault and she wasn't about to let it end like this. She wasn't the same girl anymore. She owed him something for all those years of torment he'd taken because of her, regardless of his motives in not telling her who he was. He deserved more than laughter and ridicule.

Simon stopped, turning back before taking a step closer to her, anger now replacing his obvious pain. "Oh, before I forget," he said leaning down close to her ear. "Thanks for the fuck. It was quite a memory. The next time you have an itch you need to scratch, you know where to find me."

Paige's eyes flew open at his harsh words before Simon stood up straight and smiled at her before turning and walking to the door. Every eye in the room was trained on her and when the whispers from everyone watching the scene started, her anger resurfaced.

"Do you people not have anything better to do!" she yelled before taking off after Simon.

* * *

Simon didn't know what pissed him off more. The fact that things had actually gone worse than he expected or that his chances of having anything other than a quick fuck with Paige were over. Or the familiar fact that he was once again left feeling like the odd man out while the "in" crowd got their laugh.

He walked through the door of the dining hall, hearing the whispers of everyone before Paige yelled. He held back a smile. Bout time the girl spoke up for herself. His shoulders were straight, his stride sure and no matter how confident he looked in his departure, all he could think of was the tears that stung at his eyes.

He buried Colin a long time ago, covering the weak, shy boy he used to be with the strong, cocky man who didn't take shit from anyone. Now, not ten minutes after entering the room, all his insecurities resurfaced and he cursed himself for even trying to be seen as anything other than what they thought him to be.

He'd known coming back here would be a mistake, especially after seeing Paige again, but the insane notion that she had grown up and started living for herself and not just to impress her friends made him think that maybe she wouldn't care. That maybe, she would be able to see past what her friends thought, and make a decision on her own.

He should have known better.

Reaching inside his jacket, Simon searched for his smokes, pulling them from his pocket, only to have them snatched away and a hand grab his arm and jerk him back.

"Just where the hell do you get off!" Paige yelled, glaring hard up at him. "You think you can just waltz in here, flash some cocky grin and then just leave without even an explanation?"

Simon sighed heavily as he stared down at the now red-faced blonde before him. Her eyes were glassy and she was trembling, her anger at him apparent by the look on her face. "What do you want me to say, darling?"

"First off, I'm not your darling," Paige began, "And how about... oh, I don't know, why you forgot to mention that you were Colin Gregory! And don't even get me started on that rude-ass comment in there."

Simon shoved his hands deep inside his jacket pockets and leaned against the wall. "The comment was a cheap shot and I don't exactly remember you telling me `your' name at the time."

"You knew who I was! The fact that you knew should have...."

"Should have what!" Simon said loudly, pushing off the wall and taking a step towards her. "Should have made me crawl at your feet, whining like some pathetic fool to try and get your attention? Sorry gorgeous, but I don't play that game anymore."

"What game is that, Colin? Your attempts to woo me with your useless poetry or following me around like some lost puppy trying to find a home," she ranted before she started to pace the floor.

"You know, my mother told me! She said, `Paige, don't go sleeping around, it'll only get you into trouble.' Why did I not believe her?" she asked no one as she continued to make short laps up and down the hall. "I know people have casual sex all the time... but not me! Not Paige Foster!" she yelled, half laughing as she stopped to look at Simon before returning to her one sided conversation.

"What was I thinking?" she yelled to herself, "I mean, sure you looked good and all, and the dancing was… but, I had sex with you! A complete stranger! Unprotected I might add!" She yelled as she shot daggers at Simon. "Twice!"

Simon watched her pace the hall in front of him yelling and flinging her arms around. She looked like she was talking more to herself than to him. He knew she would be upset, but he didn’t expect this. She was furious.

"I should have just stayed at home! I didn't even want to go to that stupid club," Paige said, sparing a glance over at Simon. "I should have just listened to myself for once and done exactly that!"

Simon snorted at her comment. "That's always been your problem."

"What?" Paige yelled, stopping to turn around.

He looked completely calm lounging against the wall and when he turned his head to look at her, she could see his disposition change in a matter of seconds.

"I said, that's always been your problem," Simon repeated.

"And what is that, oh wise one?" Paige asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Simon shook his head, laughing lightly before pushing off the wall and taking a few steps closer to her. "You, following that little herd of hyena's around and doing exactly what `they' want you to, that's what."

"I do what I want."

"Since when?" Simon asked, laughing. "You've always done exactly what your friends thought you should. You did it then, and ten years later, you're still doing it."

"For your information, this is the first time I've seen any of them in years."

"Yeah, and the minute you do, you fall right back into the pack, following orders like some confused groupie."

"I do not."

"Then tell me… why are you so upset?" Simon asked her. "Is it because of who I am, or is it because of who they think I am?"

Paige stared up at him, completely lost for words. She'd always done exactly what they told her she should, even when she'd felt she should do differently. Her friends were all she had, what they thought mattered… at least she thought it did.

Simon sighed. "Paige, I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that the minute I saw you at the club that I didn't rejoice in the prospects that you'd finally be able to see me. Me, not who they thought I was," he told her calmly, closing the distance between them. "I have done nothing since the first day I saw you but hope that maybe, someday, you'd be able to see. To see past what everyone else thought. To see me for who I really am."

Paige looked up at him and the quiet shy boy she remembered once again came shining through. The small voice and scared, almost terrified look in his eyes made her look away. She remembered all the things that had been done and said to him, things she didn't like, but stood by and let them happen… all because she felt powerless to stop them.

"Paige."

Paige closed her eyes briefly before she slowly opened them, looking up into the same blue depths that made her skin tingle and pull her into a world where nothing seemed to matter but her.

"You don't have to listen to them anymore," Simon said, quietly. "You can make your own choices."

"Simon, I don't—"

"No. I know what you're going to say Paige and it shouldn't matter what your friends think. You can't tell me you didn't feel anything. I know you did. I could see it in your eyes."

Paige glanced down the hall when she heard footsteps, seeing her friends finally emerge from the dining hall and she felt every ounce of breath leave her lungs when Simon reached out and turned her face back to him.

"They won't be here to run your life after tomorrow," he said, "Do what you want, Paige. For once, make your own decision. Come with me."

Paige swallowed hard, the lump forming in her throat making it difficult to swallow as her mouth went completely dry. She looked at him when he held his hand out to her and the fear in his eyes made her wish for the first time in her life that she'd had the strength to do what she'd wanted to ten years ago.

"Paige?"

Paige turned her head, looking back down the hall when Heather said her name. Her mind was cluttered with rights and wrongs and the line between the two was rapidly becoming confused.

She looked between her friends and Simon. She knew they all had their own reasons for wanting her to go with them and she was sure they would all be legitimate… right or wrong.

The question was… did she do what she wanted to do or what her friends thought was best.

* * * *