Chapter 2 - Gen 8 - Paige

"Paige, please tell me it is not true"  Payne said

"What's not true?" I asked

"Dad told me you are moving to the other side of the planet"

I had to laugh at my brother - he always over exagerated everything

"Not exactly the other side of the planet, but yes, I am moving to Twinbrook"

"But why - you can't??!!" 

"Its an opportunity I can not afford to miss!!"

"How come?"

"They have just built a new Stadium in Twinbrook and they are trying to put a team together, I applied for a position and I am going to be fast tracked to a Starter, I am only Minor League here at the moment."

"But it won't take you long to get to Starter here, why move to a completely new town thousands of miles away where you don't know anybody - just to get a few rungs up your career ladder!!??"

"Too be honest with you Payne, not knowing anybody is the best part and the main reason why I want to move to Twinbrook!!"

"Eerrr - now you have lost me, not knowing anyone is a good thing - how?"

"Well, you know I have a responsibility"

"Yeah - that heir thing"

"Yes well, basically there are too many Swans in this town, I don't want the mother of my children to have any Swan blood and genes."

"Oh, your still hung up on that mixing of generations thing you kept having a go at Perry for aren't you!!"

"Yes I am - come on, you can't tell me its right!!"

"I suppose when I think about it, it is a little creepy that we all actually originated from the same place, the same person, what's her name again?"

"Faith Swan - why don't you come with me Payne, your a young adult now, you could come with me!!"

"Oh I don't know - its a nice idea but ..."

"But what - there is nothing stopping you except your job and you can easily get a job in the hospital in Twinbrook!!"

"Its Mom"

"What about Mom, she's not ill is she???"

"No she is fine but she won't be once Dad has gone, she has gotten a little upset a few times lately I caught her crying the other day, which might just be her hormones, and I hate to say this but you have seen him recently haven't you - he is looking very old and tired and you know Mom is pregnant again, don't you!!"

"She never is!!"

"Yep, your leaving town, Perry is too busy chasing skirt, so that leaves me to look after her, and I know the girls are growing up and they will be there for her, but still I feel like I can not leave her, she is not coping with just the thought of it, so I dread to think what she is going to be like when he does die - I think the reality of their age difference has only just hit her since he became elderly - it is going to kill her you know Paige!!"

"I know, I have spent hours worrying over it myself, and you gained the Family Oriented trait on your birthday didn't you!!"

"How did you know?"

"Well its pretty obvious!!  So what is Perry up to then?"

"Working his way through our second and third cousins as we speak probably!!"

"Who?"

"The other day it was Codie - I dread to think who it might be today, but he was talking to Destiny on the phone last night, so its probably her at the moment!!!"

"He is very wrong!!!  Exactly why I want to get out of this town!!"

"Can I ask you something Paige?"

"Yes what is it?"

"Does your leaving town have anything to do with Shantel?"

"Shantel from work? What on earth would make you ask that!!!"

"Well, I heard a rumour that there was maybe something going on between you two"

"STOP right there - NO there is nothing going on between us - she is married!!!!"

"But you like her right and she is not a Swan, she just married one"

"Yes I like her, and I know she likes me, no she is not a Swan but she is MARRIED and where did you get this from anyway!!"

"Codie told Perry that Nial and Shantel fight a lot and  your name has been mentioned a few times, Codie thinks that you and her mother are having an affair behind her Dads back!!"

"That's Rubbish!!!  She has been flirting a bit with me at work lately but that's it, I talk to her online and by phone sometimes but have never seen her out of work - I wouldn't she is married, and besides she is two generations older than I am - I don't really want to put myself through what Mom is going to have to go through Dad being that much older than she is!!"

"Your never going to get married you!!"

"Why do you say that?"

"Your too damn fussy and those principals of yours are going to choke you one of these days!!"

"That's why this move to Twinbrook is a good thing for me!!"

"So when are you leaving?"

"At the weekend, Friday night my flight is booked"

"You will pop in and say bye before you go won't you!!"

"Of course I will"

"Have you already got a place in Twinbrook to live?"

"Yes, This house has been sold and I have bought a house in Twinbrook, which should be ready for me to move into at the weekend."

"And Dad was ok with all this - cause he did not look too happy when he told me you was leaving town?"

"Yes once he heard my reasons,  he's probably just upset because I am leaving he told me he did not want me to go but said going was the best thing for me to do!!"

"Your probably right - you always were his favourite"

"No I was not!!"

"Yes you was!!  You and Poppy got all his attention, me I was the forgotten child"

"Don't be silly - you werent!!"

"Even you - when poppy came along - I remember sitting for hours playing with that brick thing alone while you sat playing with Poppy!!"

"Shut up - you can not remember that far back, surely!!"

"Oh I can!!  Anyway, we are going to see you again aren't we!!"

"Of course you are silly!!  I will be back to visit when I can and you can visit whenever you want to, and if you ever feel like moving out to Twinbrook, you can come and live with me anytime!!"

"I really wish you weren't going Paige!!"

"I have to Payne - I have to!!"

After my brother left, I got to thinking about the part of the conversation we had had about Shantel.  I could not quite work out why anyone would think we were having an affair and why if Shantel and her husband were arguing, why my name should be mentioned!!   Not unless she had gone and done something stupid like telling him what she had told me - she wouldn't, would she!!??  I think I needed to find out!!!!

"Shantel are you alone?"

"Yes Nial is at work why?" Shantel replied

"I have a bone to pick with you!!"

"mmm that's sounds nice, my neck bone could do with your attention"

"Shut up Shantel, just stop for one minute will you - I phoned up to ask you something - but its this flirting of yours that is going to get us into trouble!!"

"Why what's up?"

"I have just had a strange conversation with my brother, Payne, apparently your Daughter has told my other brother Perry that she thinks that me and you are having an affair."

She started laughing "I wished!!"

"Shantel - I am being serious, she has also told Perry that you and your husband fight alot and that my name keeps being mentioned - Why Shantel?? - please tell me you did not tell him what you told me!!!"

"Oh its nothing - forget it - it has been sorted!!"

"No I won't forget it - Did you tell him Shantel??"

"Not exactly"

"Not exactly - and what is that supposed to mean?"

"I did not have to tell him because he read it for himself"

"You Idiot!!!"

"I know - I should have deleted the history off the computer chat"

"So what now?"

"Don't worry - not only did he read what I wrote - he read what you had to say too - so your safe, he knows nothing is going on with us because you won't let it, but he is pretty mad with me I can tell you!!"

"Well I am not surprised!!"

"Well it will do him good to know how I have been feeling all these years, maybe he might try a little harder with our marriage, he .......... oh he's coming Ill phone you back later" 

CLICK the phone went dead

That women is a pain!!!!!  No I should not say that it is not her fault really - its just an unfortunate situation!!!!   Yet again my principals get in the way - she is married so that's it!!  Its not that I don't like her because I actually do. Shantel works with me and that is how we have become good friends and she is probably the only woman I have ever looked at twice, after all she has no Swan blood in her veins, but unfortunate for me she is married to my Mom's Uncle and she is quite a bit older than I am - two generations older.  I do like her but not enough to do anything about it, not enough to break my principals for!!

My agent phoned and asked me to go and do some promotion work.  Tear down the dance floor for three hours at the local dance club.  So off I went, it would kill some time.  Somebody new - somebody who isnt a Swan, that makes a refreshing  change!!  I ordered a drink and sat watching the mixologist while drinking  and doing a little mind reading at the same time - nothing really interesting in there!!!

 I am sitting there distracted, too busy picking the mixologist mind to even notice that there was no music, no flashing lights, nobody else was in here, I was actually all alone.

"I am sorry for the lack of music we are having trouble with the sound system" 

suddenly the mixologist spoke to me.
"Oh - no problem!!"  I replied I was not really in the mood for dancing anyway!!
That is when my phone started ringing and it was Shantel

"It isn't true is it - Paige please tell me it isn't true" Shantel shouted down the phone
"What?" I snapped at her I was actually feeling pretty aggrevated

"You have quit your job and you are leaving town - you can't - why?"

"Who told you?"

"Perry told Codie, Paige please tell me it isn't true"

"Yes it is true I am leaving"

"No Paige please don't go - why? - it is not because of me is it?

"No Shantel, I am leaving because I have a better job in Twinbrook, besides it is probably doing you a favour me leaving town, you can forget about me and your husband might forgive you!!"

"How is it doing me a favour - I meant what I said to you Paige - I love you Paige, you leaving is only going to hurt me and how the hell do you expect me to forget about you when I love you!!"

"I am sorry Shantel you know how I feel about this situation - its best for everyone that I go even though I am not going because of this"

"I'll leave him - yes that's what I'll do - I'll leave him!!"

"NO Shantel!!!  I don't want to you leave him"

"He does not love me anyway you know, all these years I have just been convenient, he would never have married me if it wasn't for the fact he got me pregnant - he was in love with somebody else you know, but now she is dead, he still can not get over it - and he thinks I don't know about all the little tarts he has had over the years - even HER!!!!"

"Who is HER?"

"You mean you don't know - I thought everybody knew, mind you I suppose you wouldn't be old enough to know - Kandice, your grandmother!!"

"WHAT!!??"

"You ask your Mom or Dad, they will tell you all about Nial and Kandice!!"

"To be honest I don't think I want to know!!!  But Shantel none of this changes anything for me does it, I like you but I don't love you - you leaving your husband for me is just ridiculous, I can not give you what you want!!"

"You might given time!!"

"NO Shantel please don't do this to yourself!!!"

"Let me see you before you leave"

"I don't think that is such a good idea do you!!"

"Please Paige!!!"

"Ok - Ok - Saturday, I'll meet you Saturday afternoon in the laundrette, its pretty quiet in there, we can talk"

"What time?"

"How does 2 oclock suit you?"

"Great I'll see you then then, bye Paige!!"

"Bye Shantel"

I felt awful lying to her like this - I had no intention of meeting her, for her sake it was better this way!!  Saturday afternoon I would be long gone from Riverview, by 2 o'clock Saturday I will be settling into my new home in Twinbrook, she will soon forget me, I am sure she will!!

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Chapter 3
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