"Paige: I have to laugh when I'm around you. I can't really help it. |
The relationship between Paige Michalchuk and Alex Nuñez is known as Palex (Paige/Alex). They met in the fourth season of Degrassi: The Next Generation and initially hated each other. This tension eventually turned into friendship when they were forced to work together at a local movie theatre concession. Their romantic relationship began in the fifth season.
Relationship History[]
Overview[]
The two first met in the fourth season of Degrassi: The Next Generation during their junior year at Degrassi Community School. Both girls originally could not stand each other, with their encounters often resulting in verbal catfights. However, when Paige wrecked her boyfriend Spinner Mason's car, she was forced to get a job to pay him back for the damage. After a brief and unsuccessful stint at The Dot, she found herself working at a local movie theater alongside Alex. The two soon grew to respect one another, even becoming good friends. In the fifth season, through a series of events, the two ended up kissing, which caused Paige to question her sexuality. Despite Paige's initial reluctance, the two began to date. As graduation loomed closer for them, Paige's big future shone brightly while Alex's did not. Alex ended the relationship because she didn't only want to be Paige's "lapdog." The two went on to date other people, but found their way back to each other in Season 6. However, they broke up for the final time in Season 7 when they realized they were at two different points in their lives. Alex then left Toronto to live with her aunt in Ajax.
Season 4 []
On their first day of Grade 11 in Ghost in the Machine (1), Alex and Ellie Nash were hanging out in front of Degrassi when Paige greeted the latter. Ellie complimented her outfit and Paige replied, "New year, new look, new Paige!" Their relationship had substantially improved from the previous year, likely due to the fact that Paige had helped Ellie to realise that she had a problem and needed to stop cutting. However, Alex said, "Ellie, just because Princess Prissy talks to you doesn't mean you have to answer." An annoyed Paige then left and Ellie sighed.
As Paige and Marco Del Rossi are walking through the hallway in King of Pain, Paige trips over Alex's legs. The incident results in an argument between the girls, with Paige seemingly coming out as the winner in the end.
In Mercy Street, both Paige and Alex hate on Rick Murray coming back to the school. Alex makes fun of Emma Nelson being Rick's "new crush" at The Dot. Paige overhears and questions Emma's motives.
In Islands in the Stream, Paige reluctantly starts working with Alex at a movie theater concession stand in order to pay her boyfriend Spinner Mason back for the damages on his car.
Spinner, Marco, Jimmy Brooks and Craig Manning pay Paige a visit during her first day on the job. Spinner orders a popcorn, and begins asking for silly customizations to his order, insisting that he's helping "train" his girlfriend. Alex looks on in disgust.
After the stand shuts down for the evening, the girls clean up. Alex even "rewards" Paige for her good cleaning skills with a bag of candy. As the two talk, Alex admits that she used to be afraid of Paige. Paige is surprised, insisting that she is "so not scary". Alex agrees, saying that Paige is in fact "a coward and a suck" for allowing Spinner to take advantage of her. When Paige is fired from her job because her boyfriend at the time, Spinner Mason, gets in a fight over Manny Santos, Alex gets it back for her.
When Alex became the school's vice president, she starts hanging out with Marco Del Rossi. Marco was Paige's best friend so Alex also starting hanging out with Paige more. As time passed in Season 4, Paige and Alex started becoming friends.
Season 5[]
Matt Oleander returns and meets up with Paige at a restaurant. Paige has high hopes that they could be together after graduation, but Matt breaks up with her; he already has a job lined up and tells Paige that he couldn't live the structured life she wanted. He gives Paige marijuana as a parting gift, but this only angers her, and she storms out of the restaurant. Alex and Paige later share the weed and both get stoned. Paige almost ruins her chances at getting into Banting University by announcing to a representative of the school at Degrassi's university fair that she was high.
In Lexicon of Love (1), Alex wants to go to the Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh! premiere and she's excited to attend. Paige admits she didn't get enough tickets to invite her, and Alex becomes upset because Paige had previously invited her. Paige says it was more of an observation. Alex thought she was serious, and Paige gets more upset about her attitude. Alex says she wanted to go to the premiere. Later, Paige asks Kevin Smith if she can get an extra ticket. He obliges, he says quickly, because he cut her out of the movie.
Afterwards, Paige is reluctant to go because she was cut out of the movie, but Alex finally convinces her to come and enjoy spending time together. To get into the after-party, they pretend to be a lesbian couple. Inside, they begin to dance provocatively in the middle of the floor. Jay Hogart criticizes Alex for "putting on a show for everyone," but Alex replies that the night isn't about her, it's about Paige. Alex walks Paige home, and they stop by Alex's house to get shoes (Paige's went missing). Paige chats with Alex's mother, who mentions that Alex talks about her all the time. Later, Alex begins to talk to Paige about their dancing, but is interrupted by her mother's boyfriend yelling and accidentally knocking Alex over an end table. They head to Paige's house so Paige could try to aid Alex's injured arm and Alex says how good it felt to be away from the chaos of her own house. They eventually kiss. Paige is very confused, pretending it didn't happen and insisting on sleeping on the couch.
In Lexicon of Love (2), the next morning, Paige refuses to talk about the kiss and says she just can't deal with what is happening. This upsets Alex, who then avoids her. In class, they agree to meet at the lane way. There, Paige says being around Alex makes her laugh; Alex says being around Paige makes her be a better person. Paige then kisses Alex, unaware that Jay is watching from a distance. Afterwards, Jay antagonizes Hazel Aden by telling her what he saw. Hazel then confronts Paige, asking if she turned gay and didn't tell her. Paige is caught off-guard and says she just got caught up in the moment and Alex meant nothing to her. Alex overhears the remark and is hurt.
After talking to Kevin Smith about the situation, Paige decides to stop caring about what other people thought, and pursues a relationship with Alex. She goes to Alex's apartment, and when Alex returns home, Paige asks her if she has "room for a stupid girl." Alex saying she "already had one of those." Paige then asks her if she "had room for someone who's ready to stop worrying about what other people think." She said she was wrong when she said Alex didn't mean anything to her because right now, she meant everything. They begin to date.
In I Against I, Alex and Paige both go to the Carnival for Charity where Paige suggests Spinner kick the Christian habit. The next day, they go to the safe sex seminar where Paige criticizes Spinner for having no idea what he's protesting. Alex tells them they're promoting stupidity.
In Our Lips Are Sealed (1), Paige and Alex walk up to Emma and Manny Santos in the cafeteria and Paige tells them their willpower to diet will make her jealous come swim suit season.
In Our Lips Are Sealed (2), Paige and Alex sit in the foyer and Alex comments on Heather Sinclair's outfit as she walks by. Paige laughs and says Alex is like the dressing on the dull salad of her life. Hazel shows up and Alex comments that Hazel heard the word dull and magically appeared. Hazel rolls her eyes and greets Paige. Hazel and Paige try to talk about university but Alex blows it off and Hazel leaves. Paige grows upset, saying that everything is a game to Alex. Though Alex says it keeps life interesting, Paige counters that some things and people actually matter to her, Hazel especially. She tells Alex she needs to be nicer to her. The next day in Media Immersion, Alex tells Hazel they should hang out. Hazel is hesitant until she gets the idea for them to go shopping together. Alex rolls her eyes but agrees.
After Hazel makes a comment about Alex not being able to afford some of the clothes, a fight breaks out between them. Paige tells them she is tired of the fighting and stops talking to both of them. Alex tries to get her attention in the cafeteria the next day, but Paige ignores her. Alex and Hazel, done with being frozen out, decide to stop fighting and grab coffee together. They invite Paige to hang out with them and tell her they've made peace. A humorous and playful cappuccino fight ensues when Alex tells Hazel that last weekend Paige ate 3 pieces of cheesecake and Paige, in retaliation, says it was their 2 month anniversary and that her spoon slipped as she flings whipped cream on Alex. After the fight is over, the three girls end up laughing about it in the mall security office.
In Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Alex and Paige study at the Dot with Marco and Ellie. Paige says university is harder than high school. The next day, after taking their exam together, Ellie, Alex, Marco, and Paige sit at lunch discussing their exams. Paige tells them they need to have some fun and Alex raises her hand in agreement. Paige says it's a gay club so they won't have to worry about getting hit on. Alex remarks that that's great. Later, at the line outside the gay club, Alex, Paige, Ellie, Marco, Hazel and Tim are excited about entering the club and getting a break from their studies. Inside the club, Alex, Paige, Ellie, and Hazel dance together.
In High Fidelity (1), as graduation nears, Paige insists more than ever that Alex plans what to do after high school. She refuses, and said that she isn't on the same time table Paige is and has to do things when they're right for her. She says she isn't sure what she wants to do, but she doesn't want to follow Paige to college and be her "lapdog." With this, they effectively break up.
They were both hurt, and revealed their broken hearts to old friends. For Paige, it was Spinner, but Alex came home to find Jay. He insisted that he was not there to bother her, but was just there to watch a baseball game with Chad. Alex revealed to him that she had broken up with Paige. Jay offered himself to her as 'a quick rebound', but Alex angrily rebuffed him, and came out to him as a lesbian. Jay backed off and was sincere in cheering her up.
Alex proved that she didn't harbor any hatred toward Paige by hugging her at graduation.
Season 6[]
Alex returned to Degrassi to earn more credits for university, as she now had an interest in becoming a physiotherapist.
After a bit of persuasion from Ms. Hatzilakos, Alex reluctantly joined the lacrosse team and tried to make new friends. She met a girl named Sirina whom she used to torment. (Alex almost blinded her with a laser pointer during a debate, and later on tripped her, spraining her ankle in the process.) Alex didn't remember having done such actions to her.
She had a brief conversation with Paige at The Dot, in which she expressed her desire to change and become a better person and rid herself of her previous bad-girl persona. Paige told her that it was impossible to change overnight, which disappointed Alex, who felt she had changed a lot already. Between her conversation with Paige and her run-ins with fellow lacrosse teammate Sirina, Alex learned that even if she does change, people would still remember her for who she used to be and may not be willing to give her a second chance. Alex received a phone call from ex-girlfriend, now friend, Paige, that she would be home from Thanksgiving break and wanted Alex to be there during the break with her. When Alex heard how Paige was on the phone, she decided to cheer her up and also wanted them to catch up. Alex revealed to Paige that she had a new girlfriend and she was 'kicking butt' in school. She also told Paige that she may join her at Banting next year. Paige insisted that Alex stayed over for a sleepover, just as friends, and Alex agreed.
The next day though, things turned sour, when Paige's panic attacks caused them to have an argument over their futures and Alex's new 'imaginary' girlfriend, Carla Carlisle, who Alex later brought to The Del Rossi/Michalchuk Thanksgiving dinner to get under Paige's skin. Alex didn't know that Paige was stressed out and was suffering from panic attacks. Alex phoned Paige and told her she'd aced her biology test and apologized for her behaviour at the Thanksgiving dinner. Carla took her out for a congratulations dinner, which got interrupted when Paige walked in to join them.
Later, Alex took Paige over to her place and wanted to know why Paige was back in town so early. Paige said that it was because she missed everyone and no one at Banting got her. Paige softened the moment by asking Alex if they were going to be together forever, and Alex jokingly asked her if Paige had planned on screaming at her again. Alex didn't want to get into a big discussion about it, since it was a school night, so she changed the subject by offering to tuck Paige into bed. As she went to do so, Paige surprised her by kissing her. Alex asked her what the kiss was all about, but Paige told her it was just a good night kiss. Alex, disappointed and angered by Paige's response, went to bed.
The next morning, Paige made Alex 'amends waffles' for breakfast and told Alex the kiss 'never happened', which disappointed Alex. Alex couldn't understand why Paige had come back home from school so much in the past few days, but when she tried to ask Paige about it, Paige told her she had a plan and that Alex would just have to wait and find out.
Once at dinner with Alex, Marco, Spinner, and Jimmy Brooks, Paige told everyone she was getting a scholarship to Toronto University in the middle of the semester. Alex confronted her outside about it and Paige lied more, and said that she was kicking butt at Banting. When Paige spilled gas on her boots, she asked Alex to look for paper towels in the trunk. There, Alex found burnt papers with failing grades.
Alex took matters into her own hands by telling Paige's mom about Paige's failing grades at Banting. Paige, of course, was upset that she told. But Alex told Paige that she had only told her mom because she was tired of Paige lying to her since she'd gotten back in town. Paige told Alex that the reason she had been lying to her was because she had wanted Alex to be proud of her and not see her as a disappointment because of her failing grades. Paige didn't know what to do and asked Alex for advice, but Alex told her that she needed to do what she wanted to do. Alex encouraged Paige to have fun and to date a variety of guys casually. Paige took Alex's advice and started seeing Spinner and Ellie's ex-boyfriend, Jesse Stefanovic, and Alex grew increasingly jealous over Paige's budding attraction to Jesse.
Alex helped Jimmy and Spinner model their clothing line at the mall, an event that turned bad when Jesse and Spinner got into an argument over Paige. When Paige started to suffer from a panic attack, Alex comforted her and calmed her down. She then angrily broke up the fight. She rejected Paige's attempts to apologize for Jesse and Spinner.
Afterwards, at The Dot, Paige told Alex that she was finished with Spinner, but that Jesse still wanted to date casually. When she asked Alex for advice on what to do, Alex told her that Jesse and Spinner 'both suck' and that Paige did as well. She then stormed out on Paige. Paige chased Alex outside and confronted her about why Alex was angry at her, since it was Alex's suggestion that Paige date a few guys casually in the first place. Alex suddenly kissed Paige and confessed her love to her.
Confused, Paige asked why, if Alex loved her, she told her to go on all the dates. Alex told her that it was because she didn't want to see Paige dating another girl, and she thought any casual dating with guys was no big deal. Paige, shocked, almost confessed something to Alex, but quickly stopped herself. She told Alex that she just couldn't be with Alex right now and walked off, leaving Alex heartbroken.
In Don't You Want Me? (1), Paige tells Alex that she isn't where she expected to be (i.e.: dropping out of Banting), but that she's happy being with Alex. She kisses her, but Alex pushes her away, saying that she can't blow hot and cold.
Later, Alex's mom, Emily, tells her that her boyfriend, Chad, ran up thousands of dollars in debt and that they are going to be evicted from their apartment unless they can pay the rent. After telling her friends, Jay's new girlfriend, Mel, offers her a job at a bar as a cocktail waitress. But she soon learns that there's bigger money onstage as a stripper. She doesn't want to at first, but as the situation worsens, she decides to strip for big cash.
In Don't You Want Me (2), Paige asks Alex to be her 'sweetheart'. Alex kisses her, saying that the kiss was her answer. After learning that Alex is going to quit her job at the strip club, Paige decides to go congratulate her at her work with a rose bouquet, not knowing that she was lying and is in fact a stripper. When she finds out, Paige and Alex have a big fight that ends with heartbroken Paige storming out, throwing the bouquet at Alex. The next day, they meet at The Dot, where Paige wants to wipe the slate clean. She offers Alex an internship at her mom's company, but Alex turns it down, saying that she already has a job. Hurt, Paige tells Alex that it 'kills her' every time she strips. Alex refuses to quit, and Paige leaves, heartbroken again.
Eventually, Alex does quit stripping. She goes home and discovers that all the money she earned was used by her mother to bail Chad out. Alex, furious, packs her things and tells them that 'they're on their own'. She goes to the Degrassi Winter Formal in the red dress that Paige had bought her days before. She meets up with Paige and tells her that the dance was the first ever Degrassi dance she's been to. Still kind of hurt, Paige asks her why her dress isn't on the floor at her work. Alex tells her that she quit. She starts to break down, saying that Chad was bailed out and that now she has nowhere to go or no one to go to. Paige tells Alex that she has her, and they hug.
Season 7[]
In Love is A Battlefield, Alex had completed all of her credits she wanted at Degrassi and moved in with Paige,
Marco and Ellie. Alex seemed to lack ambition, mostly sleeping in day by day. She volunteers to be Paige's driver until she can get her license renewed, eager to spend more time with her. But Alex ends up abandoning Paige and smokes up with Jay. She tries to make it up to Paige by showing off one of the dresses she was given to look after, but this only causes more tension between the two. Paige has her make it up by sending out chocolates, but Alex decides not to do this since Paige's job was more like being a maid. The two have a fallout at Paige's work, where they end up breaking up. The next day, Paige packs up all of her stuff. Alex says she'll be staying with her mom's cousin, that she has other options. She and Paige knew it was time to end it since Alex felt alone and left behind by Paige's career plans, but that didn't make it any less painful for them to split.
Degrassi Minis[]
In The Lovecats, Alex and Paige are in line in the cafeteria when Alex asks why Paige is eating low-fat cottage cheese on pizza day. Paige explains that she is on a bit of a diet in hopes that she will be able to fit into her dress for the premiere of Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh! Alex rolls her eyes and says that she's lucky that no one invited her or her "big fat ass". Paige insists that Alex's "ass" is "fantastic", and that she envies her. Alex jokingly tells Paige that she's a jealous "lesbo", and the girls continue to tease each other. Paige then says that she has only one pass to the movie premiere. Alex says she'll stop bugging Paige, and goes quiet. Paige asks Alex whether she would like to go. Alex says that she may go if Paige is going.
In Lost in Degrassi, Paige and Marco are kept hostage by Jimmy, Spinner, Alex, and Ashley Kerwin. A series of numbers appear on the computer, and Alex says the "3" stands for the number of times a day Paige told Alex that her G.P.A. wasn't enough. Paige retorts that maybe if Alex had stopped trying to make out with her, then maybe she could have got something done.
In Reunited, Paige runs into Alex, Jimmy, and Spinner at a Degrassi class reunion. Paige is still upset with Alex for stealing her job as Jimmy and Spinner's manager for their clothing store, which has now become a very successful company.
Rival Relationships[]
Trivia[]
- They both had a conflict with Emma Nelson.
- Alex had a conflict with Paige's best friend Hazel Aden.
- They were both friends with Marco Del Rossi and Ellie Nash.
- Paige had a dislike for Alex's ex-boyfriend Jay Hogart.
- They both worked at the movie theater.
- Alex's final line was spoken to Paige. ("You make it sound like cough syrup.")
- They both graduated in the Class of 2006.
- They are the first main characters to become a lesbian couple in Degrassi history. The second are Fiona and Imogen, the third are Jack and Imogen, and the fourth are Zoë and Rasha.
- They are the first couple in the series to have their ship name (Palex) to actually be mentioned on the show. The second was Peter Stone and Mia Jones (Pia), the third was Dave Turner and Alli Bhandari (Bhandurner), the fourth was Sav and Anya (Sanya), the fifth was Winston and Frankie (Frankston), and the sixth was Winston and Goldi (Goldston).
- Marco Del Rossi, a mutual friend of Paige and Alex, came up with their ship name in I Against I.
- They were both the other's first same-sex relationship.
- They were the third known couple to smoke marijuana together. The first was Scott and Kathleen, the second was Jay and Alex, the fourth was Kelly and Emma, the fifth was Summer and Cash and the sixth was Imogen and Jack. This is the second of those couples to consist of Alex and her significant other.
- They were both members of the Degrassi Drama Department.
- They briefly lived together in 2007.
- In King of Pain, Paige supported Marco over Alex in his campaign to become Student Council President.
- Both of their ex-boyfriends are best friends.
Timeline[]
- First Relationship:
- Start Up: The Lexicon of Love (2) (512)
- Broke Up: High Fidelity (1) (518)
- Reason: Paige felt Alex had no plans for the future, and Alex was tired of feeling beneath her.
- Second Relationship:
- Start Up: Don't You Want Me? (2) (619)
- Broke Up: Love Is A Battlefield (703)
- Reason: Alex almost got Paige fired.
Quotes[]
- Paige: "Morning, Ellie."
Ellie: "Hey Paige. Great outfit!"
Paige: "New year, new look, new Paige."
Alex: "Ellie, just because Princess Prissy talks to you doesn't mean you have to answer."
Paige: "I'm going, I'm going." - Ghost in the Machine (1) - Paige: "I have to laugh when I'm around you. I can't really help it."
Alex: "And I have to be better when I'm around you. I can't help it, either." - The Lexicon of Love (2) - Alex: (to Paige) "I love you, you idiot! So much that it scares the crap out of me!" - Love My Way