Saved

7. Fate

Time flew by as popcorn soared through the air and stuck on the walls.

"Oh, it looks like you have a piece in your hair." Paige said as she walked from the other side of the hall.

Leaning up against the wall behind me, I watched her hand reach up from her side and felt it tug my hair a bit. On her toes, Paige was almost at my eye level and I found myself staring down at her lips.

As if it were gravity, when she was this close to me, I had to kiss her. Leaning my head down to meet hers, her hand still in my hair, she turned her face up to mine. Those pink lips met mine and I tasted butter, knowing mine were probably the same.

"Your lips taste like popcorn." She mumbled and I laughed along with her.

"Will you parents be home soon?" She said, leaning back, hands still on my chest.

"No." I stated simply, looking away at the pictures on the wall.

"I know when you're trying to get away from a question, Landon." She pursed her lips, eying me.

"This isn't a conversation I can have standing in this hallway with you so close to me." I joked, raising my eyebrows.

Thinking this would make Paige forget the question and start kissing me again, I leaned down towards her. Her hands left my chest and I watched her walk out of the hall and sit down on the couch.

Huffing quietly, I knew I would have to answer the question. There was no getting around it.

"I kicked them out." I said without thinking, this probably didn't make any sense to her.

"Kicked out your parents? You can do that?" She looked up at me, shock and confusion in her eyes.

"With the help of the Department of Children and Families, yes." I said, hoping to defer her from the question.

Paige knew about my parents growing up.

"How long have you been by yourself?" She questioned, actually interested in this conversation.

"Since sophomore year." I looked around, trying to keep my eyes from meeting hers.

"Bills? Do you pay bills?" She said, concern laced in her voice.

"The house was my grandparents, so it's payed off. I pay the utilities." I answered truthfully.

"Has it been hard?" She was genuine with her words, no hint of sarcasm at all.

"At times." I recall the month I went without air conditioning because I forgot to pay the bill.

"Do you have to be home soon? Not that I want you to go." I said, not trying to sound as desperate as it came out.

Sighing deeply and laying her head back against the couch, Paige closed her eyes.

"My parents probably won't be back home until tomorrow at midnight. Fridays are usually their "party" nights." She put air quotations around the word party.

Just as Paige knew about my parents, I knew about hers; too drunk to function rich people, leaving all their money in Paige's hands.

Reading my mind, Paige continued.

"If I was smart, I would spend all the money on whatever I want, I would go shopping and buy all the newest things, and- oh sorry, I'm rambling." Blush crept up her neck.

"No, Paige, you're not." I said seriously, finally looking her directly in the eyes.

"How did we find each other? Two kids with the weirdest family dynamic watching horror movies when our parents weren't home." She smiled at me, flashing her perfect teeth.