[b][center][h2]Paige Kennedy[/h2] [/center][/b]

Everytime she crossed the Costa Bridge, Paige thought briefly how many more times she would have to drive across it. The sound of her front tires hitting the bridge joint and the hum of the lifeless concrete underneath her made the thought almost automatic. Not even a hint of aesthetic appeal, just worn lanes and boring signs. Strictly utilitarian. Likely named after some individual equally as unremarkable. Of all of Sol’s downtown structural architecture, she found the uncreative, gray expanse to be the most dull, almost a chore to drive over. With Manami in the passenger seat, she counted another trip. [i]Not many more to go…[/i] She thought with only the slightest shake of her head and glanced over towards the lights of downtown. They were on their way to pick up Milo, then it was down south to meet Siobhan and her much heralded, race-driver boyfriend. Paige cared little about cars or celebrity, but she looked forward to seeing Siobhan. There wouldn't be many more of those opportunities either. 

It felt in poor taste to simply leave Manami to her solitude after the confrontation they’d just had with her [i]former[/i] stalker so she’d extended the invitation for her to come along and enjoy the evening. Normally, bringing extra guests to a party wasn’t a good look either, but she knew Sio wouldn’t mind and the rest of them could get over it. Manami wasn’t the type to be left alone after such an encounter and after the adrenaline wore off Paige could see the conflict all over her face. What they had done wasn’t by any stretch, “by the book” or even remotely legal, [i]but it worked[/i]. She just needed to keep the young girl talking and thinking positive, not stewing in the right and wrong of the whole scenario. What was encouraging was that she could see Manami’s whole persona change within the short time they’d met. Taking care of Jerome seemed like the push she needed for a much larger spectrum of her life. There was less tension in her words and more confidence. The person who confronted her stalker and pummeled him unmercifully with a phonebook was completely different than the timid girl who called for help on Saturday night. 

For Paige, it was the one of the best parts of her job. Other than ruining the day of some asshole, she had helped someone come into their own. “I’ve never met Siobhan’s boyfriend,” She said, referring to the gathering’s apparent host. “And I know you haven’t met [i]any[/i] of them, but just try to relax and have fun. Sio’s my best friend here, you’ll like her, and you’re about the same age.” They dropped into the offramp towards [i]Final Round Armoury[/i] and Paige tapped her phone screen still seeing no replies from Milo. No response wasn’t out of the ordinary for him, particularly if he was deep into some intricate project. She wriggled her lips a bit, slightly irritated. They’d be there in a few minutes. 

[@RoccanIronclad]
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