ch11 | ch12 | ch13 | ch14
Paige is in his room after doing his nightly routine. He had just pulled on a fresh pair of pajamas when his mom knocked on the door.
“Come in!” he says, walking over to his closet. The door opens.
“Hi, honey.” She walks in. “You all ready for tomorrow?”
“I was just about to pack everything!” Paige smiles. He picks up a silver bag that has two tall ears popping up from it and a tail dangling from below. It’s designed after a shiny Eevee. Brandon had a matching Pikachu one which he swore was also shiny, but Paige knew they both knew better.
“Ooh, breaking out the big guns, are we?” Quinn chuckles.
“I think he still likes Pokemon?” Paige mumbles. “I don’t think I ever showed him this bag. I thought he’d like seeing it since it’s so rare.”
It was true. Paige had won a giveaway for this bag and only about 100 of them were ever made. He was so happy about it. But he can’t remember if he ever actually mentioned the event to OJ or not.
“Go get 'em, honey!” Quinn smiles. “You want help picking out your stuff or are you good?”
“Moooom,” Paige whines. “I’m 16! I don’t need help picking out clothes!”
“Okay, okay!” Quinn laughs. “You don’t have to rub in the fact you’re growing so fast!” She walks over to him and sits down next to him, pulling him into a side hug. “You used to be so small… Did you know when you were born they thought you were a premie?”
“A premie?”
“Premature. They thought you were born too early.”
“Why?”
Quinn chuckles, holding up a cupped hand. “You could fit in my palm. You were just the tiniest thing!”
“Woah…” Paige breathes. “Is that even possible?”
“Very,” Quinn says. “I remember being so afraid for you…” She sighs, tightening the hug. “But! Look at you! You’re 16 and doing just fine, aren’t you?”
Paige thinks of earlier. “Um…” He laughs awkwardly. “You could definitely say that.”
“Paige?” Quinn asks, sitting up. She turns to him head on and holds his shoulders so he does the same. Her eyes are full of worry. “Sweetie? Did something happen today?”
Oh no. Had he somehow given away too much? He was just trying not to lie…
“Um,” he says, thinking. “...Nothing major,” he finally settles on.
Quinn isn’t having it. “Paige,” she says sternly.
Paige sighs. “I wiped out while skateboarding.”
“Oh, is that all?” Quinn says, exhaling. “I thought you had hurt yourself again!” When Paige looks away, Quinn gasps. “Paige, you didn’t get hurt again, did you? You were wearing protective gear, weren’t you?”
“Yes, I was,” Paige nods. “It’s um… it’s actually the reason I’m probably still talking to you right now.”
“Paige,” Quinn breathes, turning his head back to her. “Paige, what does that mean?”
The teenager frowns pensively. “The… the helmet may or may not have cracked in two when I landed wrong.”
“Sweetie!?” Quinn cries, pulling his head into her chest and holding him tight. “Oh my god. Oh my god. Sweetie, honey, tell me you’re alright.” She pushes him back and frantically feels around his head. “No wetness… no blood…” She sighs and pulls him close again. “Oh my god, baby. You can’t just say things like that without a warning.”
“I’m sorry Mom,” Paige says, sad that he upset his mom. “I was trying to be careful, honestly!”
“I know you were, honey,” Quinn whispers. “I know you were.”
The two of them simply sit like that for a while, Quinn rocking them slowly back and forth. Paige doesn’t mind it in the slightest. She always did this when he reported some sort of injury. He knew she was just worried he’d end up like his dad.
“It’s okay, Mom,” Paige says eventually. “I won’t end up like Dad, you know.”
“I know you won’t,” she says like she’s trying to will it into existence. “You’ll grow to be big and strong and an amazing little book of Paiges, won’t you?” She smiles softly and leans forward, planting a small kiss on his forehead.
Paige smiles. “Of course I will, Mom!”
“That’s my kid,” she chuckles. “Now go on, go get ready for tomorrow.” She stands up slowly and leaves the room. Right as she steps out though, she steps back in. “I love you, Paige,” she says.
“I love you too, Mom!” Paige beams.
Quinn has an odd smile on her face, but it’s a smile nonetheless. “Goodnight, honey.”
“Goodnight, Mom.”
Paige waves as his mom leaves him to pack as he pleases. He lists the things he needs to bring for tomorrow and then also Monday.
“Pajamas… underwear… uniform…” He packs things one by one, folding them along the way. Finally, after a hot minute, he’s done.
He brings the bag near his door before dropping it. This way he wouldn’t forget to grab it when he left tomorrow.
There. That should be everything he needed to do.
…Although… There seems to be something Paige is forgetting… Something about school? Let’s see… yesterday he was taken to the pizza place after school by OJ. Before that he had some classes, and before that he had Lunch. At lunch, Kevin came and asked about…
Oh!
The note!
His reply!
Paige quickly scrambles to his desk. This time, he uses a nice and neat piece of loose leaf to write his note down. He writes:
“We're friends? That's a much bigger hint than ‘we go to the same school’, you know! You're really funny. Can you tell me a joke this time instead of a fun fact? Not that I don't like the fun facts, but I think you'd be able to make me laugh!
(P.S
I'm happy to hear you love animals also! What do you think about dogs? My favorites are shih tzus!)
(P.P.S
I do ramble a bit... if today's note wasn't obvious, haha! But it's okay. I hope this was cute for you, because you definitely sound cute rambling. :) Heehee!)”
Paige smiles down at the note. For just a moment he imagines large hands opening the note, a gasp as the person reads it, a smile pulling at full lips…
His phone pings, startling him out of his reprieve.
Before he goes to check it, he folds and slips the note into the Eevee backpack. Then he picks up his phone.
branflakes: dont forget ur note tmrw
Paige sighs. Way to give him a heart attack over something he’d already done!
Still, he replies nicely.
paige: I won’t!
Paige waits outside for OJ and Sam to show up, Eevee bag in tow. He sits on the sidewalk, kicking his feet.
“I wonder if um… oh, I can’t remember his name…” Paige mumbles to himself. “Well, I wonder if OJ’s other parent will be with them…”
A cool, three tiered honk trills from down the street. Paige blinks, turning towards the noise. In only a few seconds, the grooviest RV Paige has yet to see comes into view.
“Paige!” OJ waves out of the window. “We’re here!”
Paige smiles wide as he hops up. The door is opened for him and he quickly climbs in.
“Hello, Snowy!” Sam greets.
“Hey, kid!” the person driving says.
“Hi, Sam!” Paige waves. “Hi… um…”
“This is Dani!” Sam says at the same time Dani says, “I’m Dani!” They both blink and look at each other for only a moment before laughing.
“They always do this,” OJ says, fond smile on his face. “Ma, Mami, this is my friend Paige!”
“Oh, don’t act like we don’t know Paige!” Dani laughs as he begins pulling off. “You only talk about him all the time.”
“Oh, please don’t say it like that,” OJ begs, glancing at Paige.
Paige tilts his head, confused. “Why not?” he asks. “It’s okay that you talk about me! It makes me feel good, actually!”
“It does?” OJ asks.
“Yes! It’s like…” Paige thinks. What was it like?
Like a hug after a crummy day.
Like sharing a knowing look with a friend.
Like knowing you exist to others just as others exist to you.
Like… like…
“I don’t know,” Paige eventually says, shaking his head. “But it makes me happy to know I’ve been on your mind enough to talk about me!”
Sam giggles. OJ, sitting behind her, kicks her chair a bit.
“Oh, Orville!” she continues laughing. “Don’t be so over dramatic! You of all people should know it’ll be fine.”
“¿Podemos no hablar de el ahora? ¿Por favor?” OJ says, switching to Spanish for some reason.
“Okay, okay,” Sam sighs. “Sorry, honey.”
“As long as you do not continue, it is quite alright, Mom.” OJ sighs. He then turns to Paige. “Sorry, there was… something I couldn’t think of how to say in English.”
Paige tilts his head again, interested. “Is English not your first language?” He asks, then gasps. “Um! Not that there’s anything wrong with it if it isn’t!”
OJ shakes his head. “No, no. It is. I just… didn’t know how to phrase it right.”
“Oh, okay!” Paige smiles. “It’s cool that you have more than one language you can speak fluently.” He scrunches his eyebrows and purses his lips, pushing his pointer fingers together. “You probably already know I’m not the best at Spanish after Friday…”
OJ laughs. “You did well for what you did!” he smiles. “Honestly. You just mixed up ‘have’ and ‘want’.”
“Ah, darn it,” Paige says, snapping his fingers. “I always do that…”
“Es OK, pequeña tórtola,” Sam singsongs. “We can teach you if you so wish!”
“Oh!” Paige gasps. “That’s so nice of you!”
“Mandy here just loves to flex every bit of Spanish she knows.” Dani chuckles.
“I do~!” Sam sings, laughing. Dani laughs with her.
“Mandy…?” Paige whispers to himself.
“A nickname my Ma has for my Mami,” OJ explains, then scrunches his face. “Erm… that is to say, Dani’s nickname for Sam.”
“Oooh,” Paige nods. “That’s cute!”
“Aw!” Dani coos. “You’re cute!”
Paige blushes. “Heehee!”
The four of them fall into a comfortable back and forth, the radio having come on at some point. Eventually though, they reach their destination.
“It’s an early 1 PM, kids!” Sam says once they get out of the car, stretching. “What will you two do in the beautiful sun today?”
“Hide from her,” OJ jokes with a smirk. “We’ll be in my room.” He grabs Paige’s hand and turns towards him. “There’s something I wanted to show you!”
“Oh!” Paige smiles as OJ begins pulling him into their house. It’s a tall, blue home. It looks complicated on the outside, but inside it’s layout is actually rather open. Something something, the home reflecting the tenants, something something… “There’s something I wanted to show you too!”
“Yes?” OJ questions as they ascend the stairs.
“It’s my bag actually!”
“Ooh! Well, we’re almost to my room. Show me once we’re there, yes?”
“Of course!”
OJ brings Paige into a fairly large room, almost rivaling his own. The decorations clash every which way he looks, one corner being filled with trains upon trains and another filled with Sonic merchandise and a third filled to the brim with Pokemon plushies. That last corner was actually his bed. Paige could barely tell it was with it being buried under all the plushies!
There’s one last corner, filled with a cornered desk which houses two monitors. There’s a bunch of stuff on the desk, all little bits and pieces Paige couldn’t really tell what they were.
“Welcome to my room, Paige!” OJ grins, striking a pose. “It’s rather crowded, but I made sure there was enough room for you to sleep here tonight!”
“I get to sleep in here?” Paige gasps, pulling off his backpack.
“Yes! You even—oh my gosh.” OJ cuts himself off in his own gasp, rushing over next to Paige and bending down. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh.”
Confused, Paige blinks. Then, he looks down to where OJ is hovering.
Oh! His bag!
“Paige,” OJ breathes, “Is this an honest to god shiny Eevee backpack? The one they only made 102 of?”
“Yes!” Paige smiles. “It’s actually what I wanted to show you!” He sits down on the floor and pats next to him, urging OJ to do the same. He does, plopping down with an exhale.
“How did you get your hands on this?” OJ asks, turning it around and around. “This is incredible! Though you’ve most certainly had this since 2009, it’s practically immaculate!”
“I like it a lot!” Paige laughs. “I like to keep my things clean!”
“Yet you use it often, yes?”
“Eh,” Paige wobbles his hand. “Every so often. Like I said, I like it! I wanna keep it looking as good as it can for as long as I can.”
“Incredible willpower you show,” OJ commends. “For I would’ve run this poor thing into the ground! Haha!”
Paige watches as OJ laughs, something warm filling him. OJ had the prettiest laugh Paige had ever heard. He loved hearing it. He didn’t even realize how much he had missed it until just now.
He hopes he can hear more of it soon.
“Oh, apologies, Paige. I do tend to get a bit carried away.” OJ says, a little shy.
“Don’t apologize!” Paige grins. “I love to hear you talk!”
OJ rubs the back of his head. Was he blushing? “Ah… thank you.” He shakes his head a bit. “But! This is amazing. I’m so happy I got to see one of these backpacks up close.” He hands it back to Paige. “Here you are.”
“Thank you!” Paige smiles, placing it in his lap. “Now what did you wanna show me?”
“Oh yes!” OJ grins, clapping his hands together. “Well, you know how you mentioned my love of Sonic the other day?”
“Yes?”
“Yes! So! You kind of sparked a revitalized love for it in me!” OJ stands and goes to his computer, beckoning Paige to follow along. “I made something and I was hoping to show you!”
“Ooh!” Paige smiles, putting his bag aside and going after OJ. “What is it?”
Paige comes up behind OJ and looks over his shoulder. The mouse moves in precise motions. Soon, the screen shows a document entitled “Sonic ‘06 is Savable, and Here’s Why”.
“I have a power point prepared!” OJ smiles wide. “I can prepare some popcorn if you so wish!”
“And, because of that, Silver is then able to return to a good, happy world with Blaze, and they all live happily ever after,” OJ concludes. “The end!” he smiles.
Paige claps from beside OJ, having pulled up a chair. “Bravo!” he congratulates. “Amazing!”
OJ’s smile turns bashful. “Thank you, thank you,” he chuckles. “I’ve been working on that since Friday. I do hope it wasn’t too verbose…”
“No! I think I understood most of it from what I remember and what you explained!” Paige grins. “Besides, I’m sure we weren’t here that long.” In truth, he wasn’t really paying attention to how long they had been here, but as he checks his phone, he can see it’s now 5 PM. “Oh my gosh.”
“Hm?”
“OJ, we’ve been here for four hours.”
“Oh my,” OJ gasps. “Apologies… I didn’t realize my essay was so long.”
“It’s okay!” Paige says earnestly. “Like I said, I really love listening to you. Besides, it’s not like we didn’t get distracted every two minutes,” Paige laughs.
“Yes, I suppose that is true,” OJ chuckles. “But if it’s been four hours, that means it should be around 5 now, yes?”
“Yeah, it’s…” Paige checks his phone again. “5:23.”
“Ah. Dinner soon, then.”
“Oh!” Paige gasps. “You have dinner around now too, then?”
OJ nods. “Everyday at six. Ma cooks and Mom cleans and I get to do the dishes.” He sticks his tongue out at the last thing, pouting. “I hate it, but at least I get to use my gloves.”
“You guys don’t use paper plates?” Paige asks.
“We try to minimize waste as much as we can,” OJ explains, stretching. “Paper plates are quick and easy, but they add up over time.”
“I never thought of it like that before…” Paige mumbles. “Should I ask Mom and Aunt Carmen to switch to glass plates?”
“Oh, no, no,” OJ is quick to say. “This is just something me and my family do. You’re very welcome to do whatever you wish.”
“Oh, okay!” Paige smiles. “Well, we have about another half hour to kill. What d’you wanna do?”
“Well, I think I have spent quite enough time talking my head off!” OJ laughs. Paige’s face softens. “So I think perhaps we should switch to a topic you know an equal amount on?”
“Oh? Like?”
“Pokemon perchance?” OJ offers. “I know we mentioned it briefly once you arrived, but…”
“Oh my goodness,” Paige gasps. “I would love to talk about Pokemon!”
OJ smiles wide. “Wonderful!” He turns back to his computer for a moment. “Here, let me put on some music. I realize I neglected to do so after we got distracted the first time.”
“My bad!” Paige giggles, rubbing the back of his head. He had wanted to hear Shadow’s theme after hearing it be described as just the coolest thing ever. And it was!
“It’s quite alright, Paige,” OJ says, turning on the Sun and Moon soundtrack.
“Oh my gosh, Sun and Moon!” Paige smiles wide. “Oh, those are my favorite games!”
“They’re some of my favorites as well!” OJ grins. “I do prefer the pixel graphics over the 3D ones, but I can’t deny a good game when I play one!”
“Yeah!” Paige nods. “The game was really fun and the story was amazing!”
“Yes, yes!” OJ agrees, practically beaming. “Oh, speaking of story, what did you think of the story changes in Ultra Sun and Moon?”
Paige frowns immediately. “Boo!” he pouts, sticking his tongue out. “I hated it!”
“Finally!” OJ cheers. “Someone who gets it!”
With that thread successfully picked up, the two teenagers talk about the differences between each version of the games, ranting in equal amounts about the things they liked and disliked. Eventually, there’s a knock on the door.
“Orville? Snowy?” Sam calls from behind the door.
“Come in, Mom!” OJ calls back.
The door swings open and Sam walks in a bit. “Dinner’s ready!”
“Ooh!” Paige smiles. “What’s for dinner?”
“Stir fry!” Sam answers enthusiastically, clapping. “It’s Dani’s special!”
“Oh, I love Ma’s special!” OJ grins, clapping himself.
Paige smiles. He can see OJ in Sam a lot. It’s sweet, knowing they obviously must be close.
“Come, come!” Sam beckons. “It only gets colder by the second!”
“It’s not going to freeze in two seconds, Mami!” OJ giggles. He stands anyways, holding a hand out for Paige. “Come on, let’s go get something in our stomachs.”
Paige’s face is likely to break with how wide his smile is.
+++
The table is ready and set when the three of them arrive. “Heyo!” Dani greets. “Got everyone’s plates ready, hope that’s alright.”
“Of course it is, sweetie!” Sam giggles, walking over quickly and kissing Dani on his mouth.
“Aaah, Mandyyy!” Dani drones playfully, pulling away a bit. “Not in front of the kids!”
“Oh, the kids are 16! They’ve seen a kiss or two in their lives!” Sam turns towards said children, who have taken a seat at the rectangular dinner table. “Haven’t you, sweeties?”
“Um!” Paige says. “Um…!”
“I live with you two,” OJ says, rolling his eyes. “Of course I have.” The smile on his lips betrays his serious tone. He turns to Paige. “Have you really never seen a kiss before, though?”
“Um…!!!” is all Paige can say, face flushing hard. “I—I’d love to try some of the stir fry!” he says, dodging the question altogether.
The other three laugh as Paige stares down at his plate. He knew he was a little sheltered, sure, but…
“Are you alright?” OJ asks suddenly. Paige blinks, looking over.
“Y-Yeah…” he mumbles. “Just… I don’t know.” He pouts. “I didn’t get out much as a kid.”
“You’re still a kid,” OJ notes.
“Yeah, but I mean like a kid kid. You know, like before I was 8.”
“Ah.” OJ nods. “Well, that’s quite alright, you know. It matters not if you’ve seen a kiss before. It’s nothing special.”
“Isn’t it?” Paige asks as the adults take their own seats across from the children. “It’s supposed to be like… this big, huge thing, isn’t it?”
“Not necessarily,” Dani shrugs, taking a bite of food. “Ooh! I did good today!”
Sam laughs. “Yes, my dear turtle dove. It’s nothing big if you don’t make it something big!”
“Oh…” Paige pulls a hand to his mouth and turns to OJ. “Have you ever kissed someone before?” he asks without really thinking about it.
OJ, mid bite, chokes.
It now suddenly strikes Paige how out of the blue that question must seem.
“Ah!” he gasps, patting OJ on the back. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
“It’s—” OJ tries, only to cough again. Dani has gotten up to get a glass of water for him while Sam has leaned over the table to hold her hands over his, eyes huge with worry.
“Here, Odge,” Dani says, pulling him back from being leaned over and pressing the cup into his hands. “Drink up.”
OJ does as requested while Paige sits there miserably. He had nearly killed OJ! All over some dumb question he didn’t even mean to ask, really…
Once the commotion has died down, OJ having recovered from choking, there’s a collective sigh to be had.
“Um,” Paige says bashfully. “Don’t worry about answering that.”
“It’s alright,” OJ says, a little hoarse. “Let’s—let’s try it this way: what were you doing at the skate park yesterday?”
“Ooh, you skate, little man?” Dani grins. “Longboard or a reg?”
“Um…” Paige takes a quick bite of food. “I um… I don’t actually skate.”
“But you found yourself at a skate park?” Sam questions.
“I was with my friends!” Paige smiles a bit. “OJ, you know Brandon and Bro, but I was also hanging out with my old friend Kevin and his friend Piper!” He takes another bite. Gosh, this was good! “Did you know Kevin actually owns that skate park?”
“Oh!” Dani says, pulling his arms up a bit in excitement. “I just connected some dots!” He looks at OJ. “IIs that what you were talking about last night?”
“Yes!” OJ grins. “Me and Paige were on the phone for quite some time as he let me talk about the history of the Sharp’s park.”
“Cool!” Dani smiles. “Good to know you’ve got someone else to talk to about your fun facts with again!”
“I agree,” OJ says, turning to Paige with a polite nod. “I do so appreciate you listening to me go on about it.”
“Of course!” Paige smiles. “I didn’t have much else to do, anyways.”
“Oh?” Sam asks. “But weren’t you at a skate park? To skate?”
“Well, yes…” Paige says, swallowing another bite. “But… there was a… hmm… how do I say this…?”
“I just remembered, you said that something had happened?” OJ prods. “I never followed that thread. Is that what you’re talking about?”
“Yeah,” Paige nods. “It… well…” He looks over at everyone to make sure none of them are in the middle of chewing. Once the coast is clear, he says. “I may have almost died…?”
The following silence is palpable.
“I—I’m sorry?” OJ asks, placing his fork down and turning to face Paige head on. “You what?”
“Ahaha! Yeah! It’s um… it’s actually a little funny after the fact!”
“Paige, you just told us you almost died,” Dani says, voice serious. “Are you alright? I mean—how are you even here right now?”
“Well, I said almost for a reason, you know!” Paige defends. “But… I um… I slipped. Badly.” He knocks on his head lightly. “If it weren’t for that helmet that cracked in two, I might be humpty dumpty right now! Haha!”
Paige laughs weakly, but no one joins him. In fact, everyone’s faces look mortified.
“Paige,” OJ breathes. “Should you not be in a hospital right now?”
“What?” Paige blinks. “No, no. I’m alright! Honest!” He takes another bite of his food and flaps his hand. “This sort of thing happens to me all the time.”
“Huh?” Dani asks, sounding completely dumbfounded. “All the time?”
“Orville told us you were a bit accident prone, but my goodness…” Sam breathes.
“Really, I’m okay!” Paige assures. “Like I told my Mom, I’m not gonna end up dead like my dad or anything!”
“Huh?” everyone asks at the same time.
“Didn’t I tell you about my dad, OJ?” Paige asks, confused. “How he died by slipping and falling and hitting his head?”
OJ stares at him. “Paige,” he says.
“Yes?”
“Do you realize what you just said?”
“Um…” Paige mumbles. “Nnnooo…?”
“You just told us your dad died by slipping, falling and cracking his head open,” Dani recaps. “Which is the exact same thing you just told us about you wiping out yesterday.”
“Oh.” Paige says smartly. “I guess I didn’t really think about it like that.”
“Ok,” Sam says, shaking her head. “No more talk of death, yes?” She turns to Paige. “You’re okay? Really and truly? You promise?”
“I promise!” Paige smiles. “Really, I’m normally good with a little rest in my system.” He yawns. “Speaking of rest… I’m a little sleepy…”
“Sweetie, it’s only 6:20?” Sam asks. “Do you usually sleep this early?”
“Yeah, actually,” Paige nods. He quickly picks up the rest of his food on his fork and pops it in his mouth. “Really delicious food, by the way, Mr. Dani!” he smiles after he swallows.
“Dani, Dan, Dan the Man, Dandy…” Dani lists off, pushing one finger out with each name, “You can use any of those, but Mr. is not allowed in this house, buddy boy.”
“Oh, okay!” Paige nods. “Well, I’ll go get my clothes ready for a bath, if that’s okay?” he asks, hopping off of his seat and taking his plate over to the sink. He rinses it off a bit, leaving it to be thoroughly washed by OJ later.
“Oh, I’ll show you how to use the shower,” Dani offers, also done with his food. “C’mon.” He stands and does the same thing Paige just did and then begins leading the way.
+++
Later, Paige is falling asleep at OJ’s desk, slumped back in his chair. OJ himself was busy showering and getting dressed, but he hadn’t told Paige where exactly in his room he’d be sleeping tonight. So, he waits, curled up into a loose ball.
“Terribly sorry for the wait,” OJ says as he pushes into his door. To his credit, Paige only startles a little bit.
“‘M up, ‘m up…” he mumbles.
“Oh dear,” OJ worries. “It seems I may have kept you waiting too long doing my routine…”
“‘Sokay,” Paige yawns. “I jus’ didn’t know where I was gonna sleep… so I jus’ sat here for a minute…”
“Oh, did I not tell you?” OJ asks, moving to his closet and pulling out what looks like an inflatable mattress. Oh, wonderful. Paige always liked having an excuse to break out one of these bad boys. “You’ll be sleeping on my bed.”
“Oh, okay,” Paige nods sleepily. Then, as the air mattress begins to blow up, he blinks. “Wait, what?”
“You’re my guest!” OJ smiles. “It’d be rude of me not to offer my bed!”
“But!” Paige says. “It’s—it’s your bed!”
“Yes, and it’s my choice to offer it to you.” OJ’s smile falters a bit. “If it makes you uncomfortable, however…”
“No!” Paige is quick to yelp. “I—I mean… I… I don’t mind.” Nice save. “It just… I’ve never slept in someone else’s bed?”
“Well, here’s your chance!” The mattress finishes inflating and powers down. “I need to go find the sheets for this and take my medicine,” OJ says. “Feel free to go to sleep, however.” He stands and waves, one hand behind his back. “Goodnight, Paige.”
Paige waves back after slowly having sat down on OJ’s bed. “Goodnight, OJ.” With that, OJ leaves, closing the door behind him.
Paige slowly lays down on OJ’s bed. It’s fluffy and bouncy, and so are his pillows. The teen takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
The whole thing smells exactly like OJ.
Paige is going to be dizzy if he doesn’t force himself to sleep right now.
Ultimately, it’s not a hard thing to achieve. He just has to count the immense amount of figurines OJ had until his eyes slipped closed and his breathing evened out.
+++
“Apples…?”
Paige shifts in bed. Someone was mumbling something out loud.
“No, no… Apples aren’t interesting. What about…. no… that would be too obvious…”
…OJ?
“Perhaps something like… ohh, what was that joke about the mathematician…?”
Paige’s eyes are quickly closing on him. Whatever OJ’s talking about can wait until later. Right now, Paige needed some more z’s.
Monday is October first. Paige and OJ walk to school together, talking about whatever pops up in their heads. It’s such a pleasant moment, Paige feels a little sad once they reach the school grounds.
“I have to get my first period class early,” OJ says, waving at Paige. “I’ll talk to you soon, yes?”
“Yes!” Paige nods, waving back. With that, OJ is off.
Nothing to do now but wait for Brandon. Paige pulls out his phone.
paige: Hey! Im at school!
Brandon replies in a couple minutes.
branflakes: b there soon <3
Soon… Paige stands near the school gates, waiting to see his mom’s car. Eventually, it pulls up, Brandon hopping out.
“Hey man!” it greets. “Got your bag.” It leans back into the car and pulls out Paige’s normal school bookbag.
“Oh, thanks!” Paige smiles, pulling off his Eevee bag. He walks over to the front of the car where the window is pulled down. “Hi Mom!”
“Hello darling!” she smiles brightly. “How was your sleepover?”
“Um…” Paige mumbles, remembering the dinner fiasco. “Good?”
“Did something happen, honey?” Quinn asks, looking worried.
“Not really? It’s… complicated.” Paige places his Eevee in the front seat through the window. “I’ll tell you when I get home, okay?”
“Okay, hun.” Quinn says, somber smile on her face. “I love you!”
“I love you too!” Paige grins. “Take care of Eevee for me, okay?”
“Of course, honey.”
Paige is ready to move away from the car, but then he gasps. “Oh!” He quickly rummages through his bag and takes out his note. Almost forgot!
But, with that, Paige backs up and waves, and Quinn drives off.
“Alrighty, man!” Brandon says, giving Paige one of its Brotherly Pats On The Back and holding out its hand. “Hand it over.”
“The note?” Paige asks.
“No, your homework,” Brandon jokes. “Of course the note, Paiges!”
“Oh, alright!” Paige gives over the note. “Be sure to get it to him!”
“‘Course, playa,” Brandon winks, throwing a finger gun. “See you at Lunch!”
“See you!” Paige waves, walking into the school instead of to the side like Brandon would do everyday. It must have a secret meeting spot or something with the admirer…
Paige shrugs. Nothing to be done about that.
+++
Lunch seems like it comes faster than usual, Paige stuck in his own head during class. He thinks about the note he’ll get today. He thinks about yesterday, when he made a bit of a fool of himself in front of OJ and his parents. He thinks about the day before, where he almost died.
There’s a lot for Paige to think about.
But now it’s Lunch, and Brandon has a new note for Paige. It reads:
“I’ll be honest, I’m not too good at jokes! But here’s one I heard quite some time ago. It’s a little cheesy, but…
Did you hear about the mathematician who was afraid of negative numbers? He’d stop at nothing to avoid them!
I hope that was able to at least get a giggle out of you. I’d love to hear it again someday. ♥
(P.S.
My favorite dog breed is corgi! I love them a lot, they’re very fun! I had a moment where I really, really wanted a corgi, but my parents had refused. Now that I think of it, I wouldn’t have been able to take care of the poor thing on my own, so they would have been the main ones taking care of it. Makes sense now! Haha!
Anyway, I noticed your bag today. What is your favorite starter Pokemon? Mine is Charmander! A little cliche, I know, but I can’t help it! He’s my favorite color!)
(P.P.S.
You flatter! But yes, the note was very cute, just like always!)”
Paige smiles wide at the note. His admirer certainly did have a tendency to ramble, but it was so cute! And the joke was cheesy, but Paige loved cheesy.
+++
Paige is getting ready for bed, Teds all warmed up and him with clean pajamas on. Time to write his reply note.
“I think the joke was silly! It made me smile a lot! …It was a little cheesy though. Heehee! If you think facts are easier to write, you can do that again. I like learning things!
(P.S.
My favorite starter is Eevee, just like my bag! Your favorite is cool, though! My friend OJ’s favorite is also Charmander, actually! He told me yesterday! Maybe the two of you could be friends? Whenever we meet of course! What’s your favorite Pokemon ever? I think mine is probably Alolan Vulpix!)
(P.P.S.
I think all your notes are really cute, too! I can’t tell you how excited I always am to receive them, really! So, thank you for starting this!)”
There we go. Perfect. Paige folds the note and slips it into his bookbag.
There’s a knock at the door as Paige is climbing into bed. “Come in!” he calls.
Quinn enters the room. “Hello, my little book of Paiges,” she smiles softly. “You wanna talk about yesterday?”
Paige sighs, cuddling up to Teds. “I may have told everyone about Dad and then talked about how I almost died in almost the same exact way on Saturday?” he tries, awkwardly smiling.
“Paige!” Quinn gasps. “You can’t just say things like that!”
“I didn’t realize it would be a weird thing to say!” Paige defends. “I thought OJ already knew about Dad so I mentioned it off handedly… and they asked about Saturday so I just told them!”
“Oh, baby…” Quinn mumbles, coming over to sit on Paige’s bed. “Honey, you’ve got to be a bit more conscious of the things you say, alright? I know you’re a bit…” She glances to the side. “...Air headed, but this is new for you.”
“I guess…” Paige mumbles, feeling bad.
“Hey, hey,” Quinn is quick to move over and give her son a hug. “I never said that was a bad thing. Just… try and be more present to the atmosphere.” She sighs. “I know it isn’t easy, lord knows it’s not, but nothing beats a failure but a try, alright?”
“Alright,” Paige nods. “I’ll try.”
“That’s my boy,” Quinn smiles. “Now get you some rest, okay?”
“Okay. Goodnight, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetie.” Quinn plants a kiss on Paige’s forehead before standing and leaving.
Alright, then. Starting tomorrow, Paige would try his hardest to be more present.
+++
Wake up, do the dailies, text OJ on the way to school, give Brandon the note and then wait for Lunch. This was the start of Paige’s Tuesday.
He’s got the goal of being more aware of himself and others today. But, try as he might, he finds his mind wandering in his classes. Nothing interested him enough in the early morning to really catch his attention, so he simply let it all pass by him.
Until Lunch, of course.
Today’s note reads:
“I am much better at facts, I think! Speaking of which, did you know hermit crabs, king Crabs, and horseshoe crabs are all false crabs? They’re not actually classified as crabs, but they look it! I however would never lie to you about my feelings. I think I may have a crush on you… ♥
(P.S.
My favorite Pokemon ever is Riolu! It’s full of energy and it’s emotionally tethered to the world. A second favorite of mine is Ralts for the same reason! Unrelated to those Pokemon, have you ever heard of the secret Mew in the original games? The myth intrigues me so!)
(P.P.S.
I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to hear you like my notes! I look forward to replying everyday. Really and truly. Excited to hear from you tomorrow!)
Paige is so busy giggling at the note, he doesn’t notice two people walk up behind him.
“Oh my god, crabs?” one of them says, sounding upset. “Oh my god. Paige, you cannot be serious.”
Paige blinks. Who in the world?
Turning, he sees the two folks that had rounded on him. He remembers the blonde one being Sarah and the other being Peppa. Sarah speaks up again.
“We seriously learn you get an admirer and they’re telling you facts about crabs?” They stick out their tongue. “Boo!”
“This is a little disappointing,” Peppa says. “I don’t know why anyone would care about crabs. They’re so creepy!”
“Hey?” Brandon breaks in. “Who the hell are you people?”
“Oh, sorry,” Peppa apologizes. “Sarah and I heard from a little birdie that Paige here had an admirer! So we totally had to come and check it out!” He frowns. “But knowing the weirdo must like crabs… Paige, I think you’re better off finding someone else.”
“He’s not a weirdo!” Paige defends.
“And like, who the hell are you to say that?” Brandon adds.
“Y-you don’t even kn-ow us,” Bro says.
“If all you're going to do is insult Paige’s admirer, you two should take your leave,” Sue huffs.
“Okay, okay!” Sarah pouts, holding up their hands. “Geez. We can tell when we’re not wanted. C’mon Peps.” Sarah turns and walks away.
“Good luck with Crab Guy,” Peppa says before following behind.
“What was that?” Paige blurts out.
“No clue,” Brandon says, frowning. “But it looks like your secret is getting around.”
“Oh no…” Paige frowns. “I hope this doesn’t scare him away…”
“It won’t,” Sue says matter-of-factly. “Trust me.”
“If you’re sure…” Paige mumbles, folding the note away. Lunch would be over soon, after all.
+++
“I didn’t know crabs could be fake! That’s so cool… I have a fun fact for you today, though! Did you know rainbows could form at night? I learned this one day after searching what makes rainbows so colorful! Night rainbows are called moonbows! Cool, right?
(P.S.
I do know about that myth! I thought it was real for the longest time. I didn’t know how to get to the truck though, so I never could try it for myself… Maybe that was for the best, though? I didn’t have to get disappointed at the young age of 8! Heehee! Do you know any other myths or legends? They don’t have to be Pokemon related!)
(P.P.S
I think every note I get is the highlight of my day now. Please don’t stop!)
+++
“Hey Sue!” Paige hears on Wednesday. He turns to see two people he barely recognized, but he remembers Sue used to talk with them a lot in the past.
“Nick,” Sue says, tone flat, looking at the shorter one with gray-black hair. “Barret,” they say, tone now normal and with a small smile. Barret is taller and has fluffy black hair. Sue then turns back to Nick, eyes looking bored. “What do you want.” It’s not a question.
“Good to see you too!” Nick laughs, pushing his way to sit next to Sue and throwing an arm around their shoulder. Sue picks it off.
“What do you want, Nick?” They ask again, no nonsense tone.
“Ugh. You’re no fun,” Nick pouts. “But, whatever. You know a lot of info, right?”
“You’ll have to pay me $20 to continue this conversation,” Sue deadpans, holding out a hand.
“Aw man, are you serious?”
“Very.”
“Ugh.” Nick digs through his bag and pulls out his wallet, taking a 20 out and handing it over. “There. Now. Info?”
“You could’ve gone for Michelle for free, you know,” Sue smirks, pocketing the 20. “But yes, I know a fair amount of things.”
“Awesome. So me and Barr were wondering about this thing we heard about..”
“Just tell me,” Sue says, rolling their eyes.
“There’s someone getting love letters in the school,” Barret says. “And Nick wanted to know who it was.”
“Wow!” Nick chuckles. “Way to throw me under the bus, Barr Boy!”
“Ah…” Barret mumbles, shuffling where he stands. “Sorry…”
“Nah, I’m just fuckin’ with you,” Nick grins, then turns back to Sue. “So? You know who it is?”
Sue stares at Nick. Then, slowly, they pull out the 20 and hand it back.
“What?” Nick blinks.
“I cannot give you that information,” Sue says plainly. “Do not ask anyone else about it, either.”
“What!?” Nick huffs. “You deny me knowledge and then tell me not to learn it from elsewhere?” He’s talking really haughtily. “Hmph! See if I listen to you!” He stands and grabs Barret’s hand. “Come, Barret! We have a Mic to see!”
“Oh, okay…!” Barret squeaks out. “Um… see you later, Sue,” he waves.
“See you,” they wave back.
“What the hell was that…” Brandon mumbles. “And who the hell is spreading the rumor around? We didn’t tell anybody!”
“I don’t know,” Paige frowns. “But if it doesn’t scare him away… I guess I don’t really care who hears what.”
“So I could have kept that 20?” Sue asks seriously.
Brandon and Bro laugh.
Paige finally reads his note for the day.
“Back again with another fact! Did you know cuddling heals wounds and fights off depression? I consider myself a pretty happy person, but I would love to cuddle with you. ♥
(P.S.
I did not know about moonbows! I would love to see one with you one day, should we get lucky enough. I think that would be amazing. As for myths… there’s a common misconception that women accused of witchcraft were burned in the Salem Witch Trials. This is actually untrue! In medieval times, however, they did burn people.
Apologies for the mood shift, but I recall being really interested in witches and wizards and the like. I kept finding things of an unmentionable source, however, so eventually my searches lead me to historical matters. I do hope this note still makes you smile with the new knowledge you may have gleaned!
That being said, do you have any odd facts that you know of? I’m intrigued!)
(P.P.S
I can’t wait to talk with you in person one day. Hopefully that will also be a highlight!)”
The school bell rings. Lunch was over.
+++
“I’ve never cuddled with anyone besides my mom, aunt and my friend Brandon before… I think it would be really nice to cuddle with someone else! The idea of being next to someone like you… well! Heehee!
(P.S.
I didn’t know about the witch trials! That is interesting! I always thought they were burned for no reason, but it sounds like they weren’t burned at all!
As for weird facts… I don’t think I have any weird ones, but I do have a fun one! Do you know Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood? It used to be a show on television! The main man, Mr. Rogers, used to feed his fish every episode, but never would mention it. Then, one day a blind girl mailed him a letter that said she was afraid the fish would die if he didn’t feed them. So he started announcing whenever he fed the fish so she would feel safe knowing they were fed! It’s such a nice and wonderful thing I learned about once, it’s never left me since!)
(P.P.S
Do you think a meetup could happen sometime soon? Not right now, I don’t think I’m ready, but… I really want to know who you are!)
+++
It’s Thursday. The day goes by as usual, Paige barely paying attention to his classes until he was released into Lunch.
Today’s note:
“Did you know sea otters hold hands so they don’t drift apart? I can’t tell you how badly I’d love to hold your hand… ♥
(P.S.
I remember Mr. Rogers! He was always so kind, a fact like this doesn’t surprise me. I never really watched the show, but I listened to it while nodding off in my evenings at home. The theme song was so calming. What’s your favorite theme song? It can be a cartoon or a live action show, I’m simply curious!)
(P.P.S.
Meeting has been my hope since the beginning. I hope that doesn’t come off as weird. I just really like you, and I would love to show you how in person. I think of it quite often in fact!)”
Paige swoons over the note. He was so head over heels for this mystery person…
As Lunch draws to a close, Paige excuses himself. He had to get some books before the next class. He hums on his way to his locker, thinking of the notes, when suddenly a scream splits the air.
Paige blinks. What the…?
“STOP!” someone screams. It sounds kind of like Kevin, actually. “STOP, STOP, STOP!”
Paige abandons his locker in favor of rushing towards the sound of the voice. He was hoping everything was okay, but…
He finally turns a corner to see Kevin on the ground, sobbing. Their leg is at an odd angle.
“Oh my god, Kevin!” Paige shouts, rushing over. He hovers over them, unsure what to do. “Oh my god, what happened?”
“S-someone came by and just started attacking me… I don’t know why or anything.” Kevin hisses. “They stomped really h-ard on my leg when I fell down… I think… I think they broke it…”
Paige’s face creases angrily. “Do you know who did this?”
Kevin shakes their head, wincing in pain. “Some kid I’ve never seen before…”
“Description,” Paige demands, voice dropping an octave.
“Huh?” Kevin blinks.
“You’re one of h—my oldest friends, Kevin,” Paige says. “I’m not letting whoever did this to you off scott free.”
“What do you mean?” Kevin asks, eyes full of pain and confusion.
Paige chuckles. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m gonna return the favor.”