a/n: thank you so much for reading my story! i know this first chapter is a lot of exposition, but i promise they will get a lot more exciting.

i'm super excited to be writing a Paige/Quinn fic (Paiquinn? Painn? Quaige? McBray? who knows!) especially since i don't think ANY exist out there! at least i can't find one. there is just so much potential between these two!

so, please, if this piques your interest, pass it along. i don't know how many people will just "stumble" upon it. and most of all, write reviews! let me know your thoughts. what's working, what isn't. enjoy!

The sun had barely been over the horizon for an hour and my stomach was already in knots. There was a silence that filled the car, like a dense fog, and it made me even sicker. My parents had hardly spoken for the first two hours of the trip other than a question or two asked by my mother to my father. They barely even acknowledged my existence. I must have just blended in with all the boxes and bags surrounding me. That's must be it.

With at least two hours left in the journey, I reached for my backpack, which was buried underneath a large box on the seat next to me. The sound of the shuffling stirred the air in the car and broke the silence. My dad remained completely focused on the road while my mother turned around and gave me a weak smile. I pretended I didn't see her, though I wish I actually didn't see her. It gave me an ache in my chest.

I pulled out my iPod from my bag and placed the headphones around my ears. Finally, some relief. As I rummaged through the bag, I noticed I had thrown in the student handbook I had received in the mail last week. It was fairly thick...75 pages to be exact. It had a navy blue cover with white and gray lettering, the school's colors I assume. St. Catherine's Academy for Girls. Just below that, it had the school's crest.

I don't really understand why he's sending me to an all-girl's boarding school. I mean, I do understand why he's sending me away. I could tell by the redness in his face and the look in his eye when I said, "I'm gay." Right then and there, I knew he wanted to throw me out. He wanted nothing to do with me. I was a disappointment and a failure. The only reason he didn't at that very moment was because of my mother. She's about the only thing that can reign in my dad's temper...and even sometimes that doesn't work. By the next week, my father had already submitted an application to St. Catherine's Academy. A Catholic boarding school. If he couldn't throw me out on the street, then he was going to do the next best thing, pull me out of Rosewood High and send me far away to the rural mountains of Pennsylvania, hoping to pray the gay away.

He told me he thought it would help me academically, with the smaller classes and being at school 24-7, and he said they had a very good swim team as well. Hopefully I could become their anchor..."since that Emily Fields stole that from me." He wanted me to get into the best college possible. With scholarships.

But, I'm going into my senior year. Isn't it a little too late for all of that? I'll be sending out college applications in a few months! I mean, my B average isn't fantastic, but it's still not too shabby. And, even though I wasn't anchor, I still had some of the best times in the county.

I knew exactly why he was sending me away.

I still didn't get why an all-girls school though. Was that his form of torture?

I began to thumb through the handbook and see what I was in for. I scoffed when I got to reading the belief statements.

"2. Diversity is an expression of God's creativity."

I didn't laugh because it's not true. It is. But, I laughed because I highly doubted that I'd see much diversity around the halls of this school. Lots of rich and prudish white heterosexual bitches.

The more I read, the more I became aware of my father's reasons.

I had to wear a uniform. Everyday. A knee-length skirt. I was horrified. And everyday, homeroom would open with a prayer. And a prayer before we eat at lunch. And church services were required each Sunday. I hadn't been to church on a non-holiday in years. A fact that my father, a deacon in his "spare" time, resented.

Then my mouth literally dropped open. I found the section on social life and activities. In bold face I saw "Senior Prom Regulations". Regulations? Then I read on...

"In accordance with diocesan policy, the Senior Prom is a date dance;

therefore, young ladies must be accompanied by a gentleman escort."

Must? I couldn't even attend if I were alone?

That is downright frightening. They were really going to pray the gay away. Teach me to be a good wife to my husband and have lots of kids (after I'm married, of course) and all of that nonsense.

Diversity my ass.

I stared out the window, watching my freedom fade away. All the steps I had taken with Emily, all the strength I used to be truthful to myself, and everything I did to not hate myself will soon be for naught. It hurt even worse than being in the closet. Here I am, finally admitting to the world and to myself, that I am gay and my father is doing everything in his power to make sure I follow the straight and narrow.

I've never felt so helpless in my life.

When we finally arrived, there were only a few other cars in front of the residential building. It was still very early in the day, only about 9AM. My father decided it would be best for me to move in on Saturday, with the freshmen, rather than on Friday, with the rest of the transfers. He just didn't want to miss a day of work. He couldn't be inconvenienced.

Someone from the residential staff came over and greeted us as I began unloading my belongings from the car.

"Welcome to St. Catherine's! May I have your name?" She was far too perky to handle this early on a Saturday.

"McCullers. Paige McCullers."

"Welcome, Paige!" She scanned her clipboard for a minute or two before she began to furrow her brow.

"I can't seem to find you on our check-in list, did you -"

"I'm actually a transfer. Not a freshman."

"Aha! Problem solved! You must have read my mind." She smiled and dug farther into the paperwork on the clipboard.

"Here you are. Room 507. I will be right back with your key and Welcome Packet!"

A few moments later, the perky girl returned as promised and also brought another girl with a luggage trolley.

"Here is your key and your Welcome Packet. It will tell you when and where everything is this weekend!"

I nodded.

"Lisa here will help you bring your bags and boxes to your new room!"

I swear, this girl made everything sound incredibly exciting just with the tone of her voice. It was exhausting.

I pulled the last box from the car as Lisa began to load up the trolley. She was a lot more...subdued...than the first girl. I trotted back to the car and peered in through my mother's window.

"Are you going to come in?" I asked, more out of politeness already knowing the answer.

My mother turned to my father. "It's a long drive. We should be heading home." His tone was ice cold.

My mom turned towards me again. "Sorry sweetie, we'd liked to though," she lied. In her defense, I could see in her eyes that she, too, was hurting. She was only saying what my father wanted to hear. I reached in through the window and gave my mom a hug and kiss and told her I loved her.

"I love you, too, sweetie."

I pulled away and looked towards my father.

"Good luck, Paige." It was more of a command than a farewell.

I turned without saying a word. I returned to Lisa and the overflowing trolley. As I heard the car pull away, I felt tears begin to well in my eyes.

I sat on the mattress, completely unfazed by the amount of packing I had to do. I couldn't focus, so I just ignored it. I stared at my side of the room, bare and sterile. I had a desk in front of the window a few feet from the foot of the bed. Next to the door was a closet and against the wall near the closet was a dresser. I looked over to my roommate's side. She had obviously arrived much earlier, as she was already completely unpacked. I wasn't sure what year she was, I knew she had to be a junior or senior since we were on the upperclassman floor, but I didn't know if she was a transfer or not. The bed was made already, so I assumed she was already out getting breakfast or being social. I enjoyed having a moment to myself.

I noticed the abundance of pinks and pastel colors on her side of the room. Her comforter was a dusty rose color with some bright pink throw pillows. She had matching pick accessories for her desk and a pink laundry bag.

I rolled my eyes. "Great."

Two picture frames caught my eye, sitting on top of her dresser next to a jewelry box. My curiosity got the best of me and I walked over to take a look. I couldn't help it, I wanted to know who this girl was that I was going to be living with for the next year.

I didn't want to touch the frames, I'd feel super awkward if she noticed that they had moved. The first picture was of three girls in cheerleader uniforms. I sighed. I felt like this was turning into my worst nightmare. I examined to picture more closely. Two of the girls were blonde. How stereotypical. The other was darker skinned with jet black hair...and really striking eyes. Strangely enough, she reminded me of Emily. It made my heart flutter a little bit. I wondered which of the three girls would be my roommate.

I took another step closer and glanced at the frame behind the first one. It was a boy, in a football uniform, of course, and one of the blonde girls in the cheerleader uniform. There was also another brunette in the picture, but she wasn't wearing any sports garb.

So, that must be my roommate. A pretty blonde cheerleader dating the high school quarterback. It felt so cliche it didn't even seem it could be real. I let out an even bigger sigh. Alison DiLaurentis must be haunting me still. Some how, I'm stuck with the blonde Queen Bee.

I heard the door handle jingle and unlock. The door creaked open and a girl walked in. As soon as she caught a glimpse of me, she gasped and jumped.

I felt awkward standing on her side of the room, staring at her things.

"I...I'm s-sorry."

She was actually much prettier than she looked in her pictures. She was wearing a pale blue sundress with a white cardigan over it. Her hair was long and flowing, clipped back on one side. She exuded a certain innocence that Ali seemed to lack. And was even more beautiful than Ali. Maybe she wouldn't be an evil Ali incarnate after all. I was still wary though.

She caught her breath. "Don't worry about it. You just scared me. I wasn't expecting there to be anyone else here." She smiled and outstretched her hand to me.

"You must be my new roommate."

I nodded.

"I'm Quinn. Quinn Fabray."

I took her hand and gently shook it.

"P-paige."