Template:Featured Articles/52-2024
 “Oh, sorry, I didn’t-“ Regaining her balance, Paige looked up to see Jono. “Oh, hey. We really should stop meeting like this.” Jono blinked at her before pulling out his light writer and typing. “I’m sorry, do I know you? I’m just trying to cut through to get to my girlfriend before she has too much to drink.” That one stung. “Why are y’all actin’ like you don’t know who I am? I’m Paige! You’re Jono, you’re my friend, and that’s my brother behind the bar, and my sister-“ Paige paused, processing the end of Jono’s statement. “Wait, since when do you have a girlfriend?” “Jonnie! There you are!” Mel, much drunker than before, floated right past Paige and wrapped herself around Jono’s side, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Her fingers trailed up his chest in what was much too intimate a movement with Paige standing right there. “Yknow baby, my roommates not in. We should go to my suite and have some fun.” It was singsonged into his ear, yet clearly audible to everyone in the vicinity. A wave of nausea passed over Paige. “What the hell is going on?!” She wanted to grab Mel and Jono and shake them until they gave up whatever act this was and started acting like themselves again. Mel hated Jono, why was she suddenly all over him? This had to be done kind of sick joke. Jono rolled his eyes fondly and gently moved Mel’s hand off his chest, trying to convey that she needed to behave. He raised an eyebrow at her and typed. “Water. Seriously, I’m not carrying you home again.” Then to Paige he turned and typed. “I really am sorry, I don’t remember meeting you. Do you need help with something? I’m sure Sam can keep an eye on Mel if you need help.” Mel only seemed to have eyes for Jono, barely noticing Paige there. “M’not drunk! I only had a few,” she pouted. “An’ I like when you carry me back, like my own knight in shining armor.” Her hand squeezed his bicep to accentuate her point. “How can you not remember me?” Paige could feel the frustrated tears welling up in her eyes. “We’re friends! You told me about your band and let me sleep over at your room and we talked about Lord of the Rings and I gave you a playlist of country music that was way too long and you showed me how to get up on the roof! And you!” She rounded on Mel. “I’m your sister! We shared a bed back home and now I’m your roommate here and I helped you move in and you love romantic comedies and making fun of me and Sam for being too serious!” The tears still sat in the corners of her eyes. “I thought I was important to you.” Out of habit, she reached down to fiddle with the ring Jono gave her only to find it wasn’t on her thumb anymore. That was the breaking point, finally bringing Paige to the point of crying. “I ain’t sure what yer on about, all of my sisters still live at home. I’ve never seen you before until tonight,” Mel said before turning back to Jono and giggling. “See baby, I could be so much drunker, like her! At least I remember who my siblings are.” Jono rolled his eyes, less fondly than before and typed. "Stop being rude. She's clearly upset, there's no reason to make it worse when we could try to help her." Biting her tears back, Paige flared up at Melody. “I know who my family is, what I don’t know is why you can’t remember. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?” Pissed and thoroughly done with whatever bullshit was happening, Paige stormed back over to the bar and climbed up on the counter. She faced the group of people who had now all turned to look at her. “DOESN’T ANYONE HERE KNOW WHO I AM?” All that answered her were blank stares and silence. |
