Chapter 12 - Gen 8 - Paige

"Come on I asked you - what are you doing here Shantel?"

"So I don't get a cheery welcome from an old friend" she said

"Not till you tell me just what are you doing here in Twinbrook"

"Job hunting - house hunting - you know the things you do when you move to a new town"

"And why on earth would you want to be moving to Twinbrook?"

"I have my reasons!!"

"What reasons?"

"Paige is that really any of your business?"

"Well, I am sorry for being a little suspicious but there are thousands of towns in this world and you just happen to pick the exact same one that I moved to, a little too ironic wouldn't you say considering the situation between us when I left Riverview!!"

"Yes and you still owe me an apology - you stood me up remember!!"

"I wandered how long it would take you to bring that up!!"

"Well - why did you stand me up?  You had me sat in that launderette like a fool all that Saturday afternoon, did you ever have any intention of turning up??"

"I am sorry, I know I should not of done it but it was the best thing for all of us"

"For you maybe, but not for me!!"

"I need to know WHY you think you should leave Riverview and move to Twinbrook - is it because of me or is it because of the mess you have made of things with your husband, daughter and my brother??"

"Ooooooooh I should have guessed the jungle drums would have been banging already, but I am surprised the gossip travelled so far and so quickly in such a short space of time - so who told you?"

"Does it matter who told me - Whatever were you thinking - my brother? your own daughters fiance? the father of your grandchild - you make me sick!!!!"

"I should have known you would get on your moral high horse - you and your principals!!"

"Well maybe you should have thought about that before you jumped on a plane to Twinbrook!!  I really don't understand you Shantel, if you claim to know me so well you should have known with my morals and principals, either way I would not have accepted you with open arms, because I am sure you must also know I am married and have children, I would not mess with your marriage and I definately am not messing with my own!!!!"

"Yes I knew you had a wife and kids - Perry told me"

"So why on earth come here??"

"I really don't know!!"

"Well, I am sorry Shantel -  I need to go home, its my daughters birthday and I am running late, hopefully you will come to your senses and just go home, back to Riverview where you belong - and try to sort out the mess you have made with your daughter!!"

"Paige I ......"

"Goodbye Shantel, hopefully you will come to your senses 
and I will not have to see you again!!"

"Paige wait please!!!!"

"Goodbye Shantel!!"

I quickly left, she followed me to the road but I just ignored her and without looking back I went home.

"Where have you been?, I was getting worried - I thought you was going to miss Rhia's birthday!!"

"I am sorry, something awful has just happened, I got home as quickly as I could"

"What's happened?"

"Shantel, that is what, she turned up outside the stadium while I was doing the autograph session - I nearly died when I saw her standing there!!"

"What is she doing here in Twinbrook?"

"Lets just do Rhia's birthday and we will deal with this later - ok!!"

"OK!!"

Rhia, like Rio turned out to be a mix of both of us

she has my hair and Razz's eyes, whereas Rio has Razz's hair and my eyes.

"So come on tell me - what is she doing here?"

"To be honest I don't think she knows herself, but I would say she is running away from her problems, remember what I told you about my brother Perry and her daughter"

"She must still have feelings for you if she came here in particular to get away from the upset she has caused in Riverview - what do you do when you are upset, usually run to someone you can get comfort from, maybe she thought you would comfort her!!"

"Well she knows me well enough to know I would not agree with what she has done and she knows I am married and have children, apparently Perry has told her."

"I just have a nasty feeling she is going to cause trouble for us!!"

"She can try but it won't work, Razz as long as you believe in me, I really am not interested in her in any way I promise you, even more so now that I have seen her again!!"

"So how did you leave things with her when you left her"

"I told her she should go home and patch things up with her daughter and hopefully I would not have to see her again"

"Do you think she will go home?"

"I hope and pray she does - we need to try and forget about her - hopefully she will go!!"

The next evening I was making a start on Rhia's walking when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it" Razz shouted and went to answer the door.

She had been outside for ages and I got curious and went out to see what was taking Razz so long.  I nearly died when I could see her outside talking to Shantel who was wearing a stadium uniform.

"Shantel what the hell are you playing at?"

"It's not what you think Paige, I am sorry I did not even realise"

"Realise what?"

"This was where you lived and Razz was your wife, I was just running an errand for Buck on the way home"

"Errand for Buck???  Please tell me you are not...."

"Working at the stadium - yes, I'm sorry Paige I decided not to go home after all!"

"What errand - what do you want with my wife??"

"Don't shoot the messenger and there is no need to be so defensive either - Buck just gave me this address told me to pass the team sheet for Wednesdays game to Razz and to confirm she was definitely going to make the team."

"I am finding this very hard to believe, Buck could quite easily have got me to do this, and how the hell did I not see you at the stadium today?"

"I am the toddler coach, we kept them indoors today because Mr Sports Legend, he who must not be upset had the sports fiield - get you anyway, you had my job when you left Riverview!!  Anyway Buck did mension something about Razz's husband rushing off before he could catch him, but I never dreamed he was on about you - I did not know your wife was also working at the stadium."

"Hang on your toddler coach? - you was the Team Captain when I left the Llama's why the drop??"

"Well I kind of went off the rails a little after you eeerrr ..."

"I left, go on say it, Razz does know everything we don't have any secrets"

"So I gathered when I told her my name she was quick to tell me exactly who she was and she seemed to know exactly who I was and where I had come from, but I was not sure exactly how much she knew"

"She has a name and She is stood right here still!!"  Razz snapped

"I am sorry Razz, I did not mean to be so rude" Shantel said to Razz but she was staring at Rhia like she had been for most of the time since I had carried her out.

"Have you finished running your errand?"

"Yes when Razz tells me if she is playing in Wednesdays match"

"Yes she is - Goodnight Shantel!"

 "Paige you was pretty rude to her!"

"Yes well, I am angry!!"

"Hey I am the one who should be getting angry not you!!"

"Maybe - but I am still angry - very angry - I don't want her here Razz!!"

When I got home from work the following day I was totally shocked to see Shantel in our house, chatting away with Rio like they were old mates.

 "What is she doing here Razz?"

"I asked her to come round - I thought we needed to talk"

"I am not happy about this"

"I am sorry I had to do it for me!!"

"I wish you had discussed this with me first!!"

"Look stop stressing everything is fine!!"

(Julie: ha! ha! - everything does not look fine to me!!!)

"Has Buck spoken to you about me?" Shantel suddenly said to me
"No why?"

"He wants to include me in the team for the Riverview game"

"Because you are a vampire?"

"Yes, but I am a little rusty, I'll need to join your training session tomorrow"

"Whatever I don't care as long as we beat them!!"

"He said I should ok it with you first, so I can tell him its ok then!"

"I suppose"

 "So how is the old team these days?"

"Ageing!!  We have the advantage you two being young adults, you know they are all maturing now."

"Yes but there is five of them there is only three of us with you"

"I remember you always used to run rings around them and Noah is the only one we will have any trouble with - he's good - very good!!"

"The vampire element has always been what has made the Llama's the best team on the planet"

"There aren't many vampires in this town are there?"

"There are eight including you that we know too, ten with Rio and Rhia"

"I have only seen one, quite cute he was too, purple and blue hair"

"Thats Nial" I said
"Ahhhhh" she looked confused

"My Uncle Nial - my Dads got three half brothers in Twinbrook, Nial, River and Pheonix"

"Oh, more Swans"

"No they are actually Strong not Swan - they are my Grandad Chase's kids"

"Yeah, now I get why his hair colouring was bugging me so much!!"

"If you are planning on staying in this town, maybe I should introduce you to them, they are your age group and they are all three single!!"

This idea made me smile, maybe one of my Uncles could distract her away from me, having her around was making me feel very uncomfortable.  Evan how well she was getting on with Rio was making me feel nervous!!

While Shantel and Rio were busy chatting away I pulled Razz to one side
Whispering in her ear I said

"I have had a wicked idea - I am going to try and get her fixed up with one of my Uncles!!"

"Your jokin!!"

"No, she's already said she thinks Nial is cute they are all mature adults like she is and they are all single - you never know she might attach herself to one of them - it would make me feel a whole lot more comfortable"

"Your make me laugh sometimes!!  I don't think she is going to cause us any problems you know"

"I am not because she hasn't even got going yet, this Shantel is pretty tame compared to the Shantel I know - I see she has pulled the wool over your eyes already!!"

"Maybe she has changed!"

"A leopard never changes its spots!!"

I caught a bit of the conversation Rio and Shantel had been having.
"So if you are not married now did he die?" Rio said

"No I used to be but not any more because me and my husband fell out we are not friends any more"

"But Dad says when you get married, it is for life and .."

"Well your Dad would - he is a very good man, he'll be an Angel when he dies!!"

"Really!!"

Shantel started laughing

"Can you stop filling his head with stupidity Shantel!!"

"OK Paige - keep your shirt on, this boy asks too many questions!!"
"Are you related to me Shantel - your name is Swan too?" Rio asked
"Do you ever stop asking questions Rio?" she said to him

"Rio its bed time for you!"

"Oh Dad please just ten more minutes"

"No Rio you have school in the morning!"

A few days later and my phone rang.

"Paige I need to see you"

"Well you know where we live"

"No alone, without Razz, I need to see you alone"

"There is nothing you can say to me that can't be said in front of Razz"

"No Paige she wouldnt understand and I am upset, its about Perry and Codie, I need you to help me - look I'll meet you in a public place if you like"

"What can I do about Perry and Codie its your mess Shantel"

"I know but he is your brother, you might be able to help me"

"Help you do what?"

"Meet me and I'll tell you!"

"Where?"

"Do you know the hotel on the edge of town by the film studio"

"Yes I know it"

"Meet me there in the bar"

"So what is this about Shantel, I hope you are not messing me about"

"Get us a drink and I'll tell you"

"You already look like you have had too many"

"Well what else do I have to do with my time?"

"Are you drunk?"

"Maybe"

"I knew I should not have come here!!"

"Well you did AND I bet you told her where you was going didn't you!!"

"Of course I did why shouldn't I"

"Saint Paige"

"Shantel you are drunk and I am going home!!"

"Just get us a drink, I need you to talk to your brother for me!"

"Maybe you should go home and sort your own mess out!!"

"I can't go home, I have nothing to go home for!!"

"Of course you do -  your daughter your gandson and of course there is your son in law, but I can see that being a little awkward as you have been sleeping with him!!"

"Yeah but thats just it - I am dead to them so they keep telling me and to get lost!"

"Well you only have yourself to blame"

"I know but it takes two and Perry played his part, in fact it was Perry's fault keep pushing me and pushing me, he never let up every minute Codies back was turned."

"Maybe you start from the beginning and tell me exactly what happened because I have only had my Moms version of things and I can imagine she does not know half of it!!"

"I was never happy about Perry being with my daughter because he is no different to Nial, he played around and he hurt Codie so many times , I warned her she would end up with a life like mine if she stayed with Perry but she wouldn't listen, just like I didn't listen to my sister Violet when she tried to warn me about Nial.  I think you know what my marriage has been for a long time - nothing more than a joke, he was in love with Kandice and that was that, he slept around, fell to peices when she died and hardly ever came near me - he never loved me he only married me because Neo nagged at him to do the right thing when he got me pregnant.  I can see my life replaying again for Codie with Perry, its the same, she gets pregnant and now your parents have nagged and nagged at Perry that much - they are married and have a baby but I know Perry, he will not be happy and it won't be long before he starts sleeping around again and hurting Codie.  Codie is going to need me in the future but she wont even see me or speak to me she keeps telling me I am dead to her"

"But she has forgiven Perry and that is what is getting at you isn't it"

"Yes because it wasn't just me it was me and Perry together"

"Why did you do it Shantel - why sleep with Perry?"

"I don't know, it was a lot of things coming together, I fell apart and I know now it was very stupid but at the time my head was not in a good place and it just happened. he kept flirting and pushing me and eventually I did not stop him.  My life has just been one big mess since you"

"And just what do I have to do with all this!!"

"I don't need to tell you - I think you know already!!"

"Don't start with all that I love you rubbish again!!"

"But it isn't rubbish to me because I do!!"

"I'm Sorry maybe not but you know how I feel Shantel and it hasn't changed in any way!!"

"No because now you are the one married instead of me"

"This is not just about anybody being married Shantel, I don't love you and I never have!!"

"You never even gave us a chance because you were too busy fighting your morals"

"And maybe if you had some morals you wouldn't be in the mess your in now!!"

 I had said it then realized I really shouldn't have said it out load,
I was not sure how she was going to react to my insult, but I never expected her to start flirting with me!!.

"Well, maybe its about time someone showed you that being naughty can actually be more fun - I bet you have never had any real excitement have you Paige!!"

She stepped closer to me, and I knew exactly what she was up to!!
"STOP Shantel!! Don't touch me, your flirting is never going to work with me!!"

"Oh come on Paige, be adventurous for once in your life, come upstairs with me, Razz will never know"

"No Shantel, your drunk and I am going home!!"

I left her there swaying and laughing.
I knew it was way from over with Shantel and I had some trouble to come!!!

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Generation 9
Chapter 1

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