Paige

Background/Early Life
Paige comes from a typical middle-class upbringing, and lived in the suburbs. She is not very close with her parents, who were “overly-critical” of her academic pursuits. She is an only child.

She chose to attend Piper College because of the small class sizes, individualized attention, the isolated location, and because she wanted to escape living in a middle-class suburb. She admits to Tav that she was afraid of becoming her parents, that she wanted more that live in some middle-class suburb (WL ch 8).

Areas of Study/Knowledge
Paige was studying pre-med at Piper, and was probably in her 3rd year. This is based on the fact that she does not talk about having started to apply for medical schools, which she would have been doing by the 2nd semester of her 4th year, since she intended to go to med school.

Her experience with biology and anatomy has inured her to dealing with the unpleasant aspects of survival. Almost immediately she begins helping Tav with the skinning, gutting, cleaning, and butchery of the animals they hunt.

Her knowledge as a pre-med student leads to her assuming the role of medic for the team, though she knows that she can quickly get out of her depth, since she has no practical experience at the beginning of the story.

Preferred Weapons/Equipment
Paige carries a medical bag with first aid supplies whenever the team goes on mission. She is not a very good shot, and prefers shotguns to rifles or pistols.

Appearance
Paige is described as mousy or nerdy. She has longish brunette hair, which she normally wears piled up in a messy bun and held in place with a pencil. She wears glasses with a heavy, dark frame. She normally wears loose or baggy clothing. Her jeans are always described as baggy, and she usually wears a sweatshirt. She has pale skin and “perky breasts.” Tav notes that she has more curves than one might expect given her normally casual dress.

Behaviors/Habits
Paige has a good appetite, and is usually the first one to mention eating. Prior to the apocalypse, she practically lived on energy drinks and power bars. She would also occasionally go running, particularly to help clear her head so she could concentrate on a problem. She feels that she is “good under pressure, great even” (WL, ch 8).

Paige’s first answer to any question is “it’s in the library.”  She likes to research, and spends most of her free time in the library reading up on various subjects related to issues central to book or current plot point.

Sexcapades
Paige was the first of the girls to have sex with Tav. This happened when she was treating him for an injury he had received while fighting a bear. While she was treating him, she told him she was tired of putting aside what she wants to pursue “some meaningless goal,” but that now she was going to “get what I want.” (WL ch 8)  The first time she and Tav have sex, she goes “bareback” and rides him reverse cowgirl so that she can be in control and avoid hurting him and re-opening his wound.

She is the first girl to reveal a major kink. At one point, she asks Tav to tie her up and tease her before having sex with her.

She has had threesomes with Bailey/Tav and Tara/Tav.