Ayyeee. It's me again. I wrote a new thing.
The title of the story is derived from the song Babylon by SZA which you can give a listen to...It's very emotive and when I was listening to it one day it dropped this story into my lap for Alex and Piper. But mostly, Alex. That being said, this story will be a little Piper centric at first but not for very long.
Also, this is an AU fic in that Piper is the older one at age 24 and Alex is 18 and they are not in Litchfield prison, they are at Litchfield High.
The only reason I'm saying that again is because this causes their personalities to be a little OOC from the canon. Piper never met Alex after college and had that experience, so she's how I think Piper would have been without it. Also, Alex is only 18 so she isn't nearly as cool calm and collected as she is in her mid 20's/early 30's and so she may come off as a bit of a hothead and not as calculated and unflappable as we generally like her to be.
But parts of her story from the canon remain the same, as with Piper, so they are generally the same.
Anyway, I'm done with this long ass intro. So. Here we go.
Babylon.
[Neutral POV]
"Aw, you drank all the soda..." Piper said as she shook the cup in her hand.
"Not necessarily, I mean, you could suck the rest off of the ice cubes."
The woman glared at the man sitting next to her before tossing a handful of popcorn at him. His eyes glinted playfully as he picked up one of the yellow projectiles and popped it into his mouth. Even as she rolled her eyes, Piper couldn't help but smile at him as the two of them sat on the hard metal benches of the Litchfield High School baseball stadium. It had been a long time since she'd found herself surrounded by this many people, all chattering and laughing and yelling and eating as they watched abnormally large adolescents compete with each other. The feeling of school spirit and parental pride was thick in the air, and although she practically hated baseball itself, the infectious vibe had her cheering and clapping as another Litchfield Lion rounded the bases.
She glanced at her companion who was standing up, hooting down at the field and nudging the guy standing next to him. A little smile crept onto her face as she looked at the handsome man. His usually well groomed brown hair, was unkempt and askew underneath a baseball hat that he kept putting on and yanking off, his amber eyes sparkling in amusement. He looked down at her in that moment and grinned. She had been reluctant to come at first but was glad that she had as she watched him, almost vibrating with excitement. It had been a while since he had been able to relax since his sales company was in a big push period and she was glad to be able to spend this moment with him. He sat down next to her as the excitement died down a bit and Piper's hand gently reached out toward him, landing on his knee.
"I'm really glad you forced me to come out here." She smirked.
"I'm really glad you're easy to lift."
Piper quirked up an eyebrow at him. "That may be true...but don't make a habit out of throwing me over your shoulder and toting me off when I tell you I don't want to do something. It's cute the first few times but eventually someone might report you for kidnapping."
"Who? You?"
Piper smiled. "I don't know. Could be. It could also be the creepy neighbor guy."
"Psh. He'd be more likely to kidnap you himself." He intoned lowly, the expression on his face displaying that he really wouldn't have been surprised if he did.
"Well." She gave his knee a squeeze. "Don't give him any ideas."
They watched the game in silence for a moment before he spoke up.
"So...are you getting excited about your new job yet?"
The blonde woman frowned a little as she looked away from him. "I mean...I guess."
She considered the teenagers mingled in with the crowd and down on the field cheering and playing. About a week ago, she had applied for a job as a guidance counselor at Litchfield. Her first choice had actually been Thornforest Academy which was more like the private high school she herself had gone to 8 or so years ago. Having rejected her under the premise that they were looking for someone with a bit more experience, and by a bit more they could have meant literally any experience. Sure Piper had graduated Summa cum Laude with a degree in Psych and spent several months teaching kids in Martinique but that apparently didn't translate to actual counseling experience. And so, with a heavy heart, she had applied for the position available with the public school down the hill and gotten it without very much resistance. And for a day or so, she had been excited about it, just the same. But then she'd realized that she was going to be a guidance counselor at a public school.
She knew from experience and from television that there were only 3 types of kids that frequented the GC office. The first kind were overzealous overachievers who were vying for scholarships and the Ivy League. Which she was okay with. The second kind were kids who had no one else to talk to about some terrible life circumstance. And she was okay with that too. But the third and last kind? Juvenile delinquents. It hadn't been until her eyes had chanced to skim over a list of the top 10 troublemakers that was posted in the teacher's lounge that that had occurred to her. The kids pictured had been mostly scary looking with a few exceptions, but if Ted Bundy was any inclination, being scary looking was not a necessary part of being a psychopath.
"Hey," the brunette man reached out and stroked her back. "You're gonna be fine." He gestured over the crowd with his other hand. "They're just kids, P."
"I know." Her brows were still furrowed letting him know that he hadn't done much to assuage her concerns. His hand slipped up from her the small of her back to the back of her neck and he pulled her gently towards him, kissing her forehead. She let out a quiet little sigh before she buried her forehead into the crook of his neck.
"You'll do great. You always do great." He pressed another kiss into her temple. "And if something happens with one of them just promise you'll bring the shovel and help me bury the body after I kill them and I promise I'll help you out."
She couldn't help but let out a little snort of a laugh as she leaned back to look him in the eyes. He was gazing back at her lovingly as he stroked her hair back out of her face.
"I love you, Darren."
The man's smile grew and he kissed her forehead again. "You too, P."
They continued looking at each other for a moment before Darren leaned in abruptly and kissed his fiancee soundly on the mouth.
"Hey! Don't even think about doing that out here!" The two snapped their heads towards a woman decked out entirely in yellow and black who had her arms crossed over the number 56. Clearly a parent of one of the players.
Piper blushed a bit before pulling away from the man who was still staring at the woman who had an eyebrow raised at him, daring him to protest. Silently, he turned back to the blonde haired woman who quickly pecked him on the cheek.
"It's alright. I have to go to the restroom anyway."
"Okay," he said with a small smile before returning his attention to the game, shooting his arms up at the events taking place down on the field. Piper rolled her eyes as she started up the stairs towards the restrooms near the concession stand. Next time, they were definitely going to have to sit closer to the top.
As she neared the bathroom door, it suddenly burst open, as a tall black haired alternative looking girl hastily strutted out with her phone in her hands, plowing into Piper who landed on her ass.
"Shit." The girl hissed as she slid her glasses to the top of her head to hold her hair back and bent down to pick up her phone. It's plastic backing and battery had popped out and she had one hand on the glasses atop her head to keep them from falling off as the other scooped up the pieces. Piper saw the battery by her foot and reached for it at the same time as the younger woman did, causing a pale hand to slide over her own as she clutched it. Pale green eyes ringed with blue snapped up into her own quickly scanning her face almost as if she couldn't see her before she overturned her palm. A pregnant moment passed between them as an apology tried to force itself out of Piper's mouth.
"Gimme."
Piper dumbly nodded and pressed the battery into the outstretched hand which then grabbed her and suddenly snatched her up into a standing position in front of the tall person who caught her and shook her slightly. She narrowed her eyes into a squint before breathing out, "Watch where you're going." The shorter blonde woman nodded hesitantly with wide eyes as the green eyed girl released her firm grip on Piper and darted off towards the exit furthest from the main gate. Piper's let out a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding as she looked at the retreating figure.
All the blood drained from her face as recognition slowly dawned on her.
That girl was on the troublemaker list. And if Piper remembered correctly...she was number two.
Piper had forgotten all about having to use the bathroom until that moment and hurriedly pushed the door open, feeling as if the wind had gotten knocked out of her.
As she looked in the mirror as she washed her hands her mind raced with concerns. Would the girl remember her if she came into the office? Would she hold a grudge? What was she number two for? Was it for beating the crap out of someone for breaking something that belonged to her?
The woman was startled out of her thoughts as the door opened up again, though only revealing a woman and her two little daughters as they shuffle into the bathroom. She let out a sigh as she quickly went to exit and get back to the reassuring embrace of her fiancé.
As she opened the door, it seemed as if the universe had been waiting for her to come out. Rain fell down on her in big heavy droplets as she gingerly, but hastily stepped past the people assembled at the top of the stadium to get back to her seat.
Darren was out of his seat shouting wildly along with the entire stadium as they erupted into celebration. One of the best hitters on the team had just hit a home run with the bases loaded. Piper's words died on her tongue as she turned her attention back down to the field. She was definitely overreacting to the whole situation. Troublemaker or not, she was just a girl and she had just run into her.
It was no big deal.
/
A bit further from the stadium, where remnants of the old softball field lie in ruin, there was the sound of a scuffle coming from within the now roofless old dugout.
A forceful grunt followed by the sound of metal striking bone rang out, muffled by the falling rain and background noise.
Cheers and applause were ringing out from the stadium but it sounded hollow and warped as it rang around the dark figure who lifted the metal baseball bat up again.
She grunted again loudly. The bat made a hollow sound as it cut through the air.
Crack.
An agonized shriek followed by the sound of a gasping sob pierced the air.
Her wet hair clung to her cheeks where it had whipped up from her swinging motion. Her clothes were unbuttoned and drenched through. Blood had spattered onto her face and ran down her cheeks along with the mingling of rainwater and angry tears. Her wild eyes darted about as she looked down at the young man who was lying with his back on the ground, pants down to his thighs and underwear riding dangerously low on his hips. His own eyes registered immense fear and agony as he gingerly touched at his kneecap with one hand, the other lying uselessly to the side. Blood thinned by water ran down his face from his purple stained nose and pooled onto the collar of his shirt and dripped onto his midsection.
"...Please..." He uttered shakily as he whimpered. His eyes were wide as he looked at the girl who still held the bat and was fuming. Her chest heaved and her hands shook with anger as she looked down on him in absolute disgust. The green eyes were dark as her gaze hardened and her body stopped shaking. She set her jaw and slowly lifted the bat above her head. This blow would be the last.
"Alex!" The dark haired girl blinked as if she'd been pulled out of a trance and began to turn in the direction of the voice before she was suddenly overcome by strong arms reaching underneath her own and clasping behind her head, effectively putting her in a headlock. She flailed as she was dragged backwards, fearing the worst.
"Calm down. It's me, Officer Bennett." She whipped her head up at an awkward to see the man's face as he relaxed his hold on her. He looked very upset.
"I'm sorry, Vause..." He said it lowly as he pressed her gently against the nearest fence and handcuffed her hands behind her back. "This is for your own good."
Another police officer ran up and looked over as Bennett apprehended Alex before rushing over toward the dugout. His face went white as he looked down into it, before pulling out his walkie talkie.
"I need an ambulance and a couple EMT's behind the Litchfield baseball stadium... yeah... Where the old softball field is. We got a kid back here with some serious injuries. None appear to be life threatening but he's not getting outta here without a stretcher.
The young woman just stared out through the holes in the fence, her face blank and even paler than usual. She felt herself beginning to come down from the adrenal high she was on and bit her lip as her eyes stung and her vision became blurry and despite her corrective lenses the stadium lights clouded out of focus. Behind her, she could hear shouting and the shuffling of feet across the grass. She wasn't sure when police sirens had replaced the sound of cheering fans but it was clear that there was no hope of her slinking away into the darkness, away from this situation in an external sense. So... like she had done so many times before, she slipped into her internal darkness... receded inside of herself where no one could hurt her and where her walls were too high and too thick for judgement to come crashing down on her.
She felt herself being roughly pulled back off the fence as another pair of hands grabbed her, and half led and half shoved her towards the parking lot. Towards a growing audience of concerned patrons. A bit of fear threatened to lodge itself in her throat and choke her as she realized what was truly, honest to God happening around her. Several people were rushing past her and her escorts to the dugout, shouting and clambering. Which reminded her...
Her eyes quickly scanned the area for the owner of the voice that had called out to her earlier. On the other side of the fence she finally locked onto the panicked face of her best friend, who stood there, holding onto the thin metal separating them. Alex took a deep breath and inclined her head, peering into her eyes as she passed by the wild haired red head. This seemed to relax the shorter woman some, as some color began to return to her face.
Get out of here.
Alex had mouthed it before nodding towards the street. The girl shook her head defiantly.
Now, Nicky!
Alex was having to crane her neck backwards to see her now, as the two policemen continue to urge her on, and before she could see if Nicky had done as she asked she was out of her sight.
She took another deep breath as the parking lot came into view. So many faces latched onto her with a myriad of expressions.
Shock. Concern. Disgust. Fear. Confusion.
But at this point Alex was immune to them all. She swallowed down the last bits of apprehension and slipped into a crooked smile.
/
Piper was frowning as she felt apprehension slowly building a knot in her stomach. The game had ended 15 minutes ago but people were still bustling about toward one end of the parking lot. The end that she and her fiancé had unwittingly parked in. Police sirens cut through the air as she absently bit at the hot dog in her hand, her face settled into a soft, doe eyed sort of fearful. Her eyes flicked up at Darren who was leading them unhurriedly through the crowd, tilting his head up every now and then curiously.
"Can you tell what happened yet?" Piper stage whispered as she side-eyed Darren.
"Nah..." His voice trailed off as he rose to his up on his tippy toes to see above the other curious patrons.
"Do you think someone got murdered?" Blue eyes widened as Piper's head whipped toward the direction the question had come from. It was a couple of women in Lions t-shirts talking animatedly to each other.
"Well, I mean... it wouldn't be the first time." Piper's eyes widened as the other woman gasped.
"No!"
"Yes. Something like this happened 3 years ago. They tried to cover it up some, but one of the Parkerson's kids was murdered. Apparently over drugs or something, I don't know."
"That's awful... I bet things like that don't happen at Thornforest...Maybe I should see if my Toby can get in..."
Piper's eyes somehow grew wider as she slowly turned her head towards her fiancé.
"Darren!" She whispers harshly.
The man is practically bouncing as he attempts to see over the crowd.
"Huh"
She snakes her hand out of his and smacks him in the chest with it, effectively getting his attention.
"What, hun?"
"Did you hear that?!"
"Hear what?" He frowns down at her, his eyebrows meeting above his eyes in confusion. "Gunshots?"
"No! It's worse."
She turns to face him but is graced with the sight of his profile as he has turned back toward the front of the fray. Piper huffs and is about to attempt to get his attention again, but glances in the direction he's staring off into before double taking.
The crowd is being pushed back by a queer mix of police, security guards, and school faculty members as a lone individual is escorted to an awaiting squad car.
Murmurs and gasps float through the masses anew as the handcuffed girl comes into focus. Piper gapes, her hot dog dropping soundlessly onto the pavement as the she subconsciously moves behind her fiancé.
"Shit." Darren's eyebrows rise high on his forehead and he blinks out his surprise. Piper just panics wordlessly and tightens her grip on his arm.
It's the girl from before. That she had knocked into.
In the back of Piper's mind she could hear the two women start to talking again beside her but it was only background noise. No rumor could rival the horror of her current reality. The reality that was somehow strutting across the parking lot despite being held by two police officers.
Her feet walked with confidence and assurance and an almost smug smile graced her features. Her blood stained, make up smeared features. A bruise was forming on the side of her head as well a another on her arm. The shirt she was wearing was torn on one shoulder, the same arm as the bruise, and the leather jacket she had been wearing was nowhere to be seen. Furthermore, a fresh hole had been torn into the knee of her grass stained jeans, a pink bloodstain marring the fabric. And she was strutting. And she was smiling.
It was beautiful and deadly.
And it scared Piper absolutely shitless.
/
[3 days later...]
"Piper."
"Polly."
Silenced ensued as the blonde woman bit her lip, waiting for her friend to say something.
A sigh crackles loudly into the phone's speaker and Piper looks nervously out of her car window.
It is 3:25 pm, just minutes before she is supposed to be inside of Litchfield High School, in what will soon be her office, with Mr. Healy and a student. Currently, she is parked in front of the main building, waiting on her best friend Polly to give her one good reason not to start up her car and drive back to her house.
True enough, she might have to go elsewhere since her fiancé had all but tossed her and her things out and locked the door behind her when she had nearly called in to quit the job entirely.
"You're being a pussy and it's not even cute."
"That's not a real reason, Polly."
"And neither is your irrational fear that some tall chick is gonna beat the shit out of you, even though she has probably been arrested and detained."
"..."
"She's probably got bigger and butcher fish to fry now, Piper."
"You really don't think she'll show?"
"...I'm saying I highly doubt it... What did Big Daddy D have to say about it?"
Piper rolled her eyes at the nickname Polly had given Darren. It was the result of a terribly embarrassing story Darren had told on a double date they had been on with Polly and her boyfriend Pete. She would never live it down.
"Darren said I was probably overreacting...and that just because she might be a murderer, didn't mean she was a psycho."
There was a snort on the other end. "That's true. And she didn't even kill that other kid, right?"
"Well... no."
"See." It was said flatly, more a statement than a question.
"Oh, yeah, she just beat him within an inch of his life! No big deal!"
"Piper..."
"Polly."
Just then, the sound of a motorcycle kicks up in the background, whizzing behind the cars of the parking lot until it reaches a spot on a patch of grass a couple spaces away from Piper's. It was neither a motorcycle or a student parking space but it was clear that a student had just parked in it from the backpack thrown over their shoulder.
"Hold on a sec, Pol." Piper lowered the phone from her ear as she looked over. There was a bad feeling creeping into her stomach.
"I actually have a job too, y'know, but whatever."
The person pulled one leg back from over the seat in order to stand and took a few brisk steps in burgundy Doc Martens; long legs snugly encased in dark wash jeans making quick work of the parking lot towards the school. Then the person was pulling off the helmet they were wearing, releasing long black hair, streaked with blue.
Piper felt her jaw go slack.
"You still there, asshole?"
The flustered woman attempted to speak several times before she was actually successful.
"She's here." Piper hissed into the telephone, sinking into her seat as if she'd been tranquilized.
"Who?"
"Oh, just fucking Margaret Thatcher former prime minister of -Who the hell do you think is here?"
"Well, for the record, I don't know who the hell that first person was either, but I'm going to assume that you're trying to tell me that the she you're referring to is tall, dark, and handsy."
"Duh, Polly..wait, handsy?"
"Um, yeah, from what you said happened when she ran into you, it sounds like she was a step away from feeling you up. And she might've if she hadn't been preoccupied with beating the shit out of that kid with a baseball bat."
Piper exhaled deeply and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Well, I've figured out one thing."
"Which is?"
"That I'm definitely not going in there."
"Piper!"
"Polly."
"Isn't there a chance that she'll get stuck with that other counselor? The one you said looked like a rapist? Capisci...Cappuchino...
"Mr. Caputo?"
"Yeah, that guy! Since he's probably got more experience, you can pretty much assume that he'll get stuck with her. Right?"
"I guess.." Piper murmurs as she looks out at the school's entrance door again.
"Look, hun-" Polly pauses there before there's a rustling sound on her end, followed by some muffled arguing. "Yes, yes, I am working!" Rings clearly and Piper knows that her friend's boss must have realized that Polly was doing more talking on the phone than anything, and that their time on the phone is over.
"Sorry, sweetie, I gotta go. Apparently helping a friend through a traumatic life experience is frowned upon in this establishment."
Piper groans. "Why are you always working when I need you?"
"Why do you always need me when I'm working?"
"Ugh."
"Man the fuck up and walk in there, okay? Then call me and tell me how it goes."
"Fine."
"Love you, bitch."
Piper's eyes roll but she smiles a little at her friend. "That's not a term of endearment."
"That's because there's nothing endearing about you. Now say it back so I can hang up."
"...Love you too, Pol."
/
[Neutral POV]
I can't recall the last time I took advice from anyone that was shaped like a figure 8
Who trusts pretty girls anyway?
And I can't recall the last time I took advice from anyone
...I'm sure that'd be the death of me.
And I can't recall the last time I took love from anyone that I called daddy
Who's got one anyway?
Not me.
...Are you hating yourself?
"Alex." A hand reaches out and touches her shoulder as she leaned her head back onto the wall. Uncrossing her legs slowly, she sat upright, rubbing her eyes. Her face contorted into a slight grimace as she reached up and gingerly pulled one of her earbuds out, the corner of her lips twitching downward as the too loud music seemed to spill of her ears and out into the too empty white hallway.
"My turn?" Her eyes darted up into the face of the 40 something year old red head whose arms were now crossed in front of her.
She pursed her lips and jerked her head noncommittally in the direction of the office.
"Oh, goody." Black hair mingled with electric blue streaks draped down, masking Alex's expression as she looked down at her phone and paused the song and pocketed the device. She ran a hand through her hair before pushing herself up to a standing position suddenly, causing the woman in front of her to step back quickly and step to the side. Green eyes followed the woman's movements as a humorless smirk slowly crept onto pink lips. She gestured dramatically in her direction.
"A pleasure as always, Wanda."
[Alex]
My head throbs as I massage my temples which does more to display my annoyance than to assuage the sharp pain shooting through my skull. I let my eyes wander around the room. The same cherry finished wooden bookshelves were on both sides with texts on a variety of subjects mostly on education and on the juvenile psyche. There is something about looking at a vast assortment of books that I love almost as much as reading in itself.
"Alex?" I lazily return my gaze forward until I'm looking into the face of my guidance counselor, Mr. Healy. The look on his chubby, drooping face is a terrible attempt at empathy that might have been believable if I was actually, literally retarded. I know apathy when I see it. I have my Master's in apathy with a minor in not giving a fuck. Not a single fuck.
"Hmm?" I incline my head at him, mimicking his expression with an exaggerated pout. My eyes flick over to the clock momentarily before locking back onto him. It's 3:45. And I'm ready to haul ass out of here. My eyes drop back to him when he sighs and licks his fingertip before fingering through my file.
"Anything you want to talk about?"
I have to bite back a laugh as I screw up my face and shrug. "Nah, I'm good." Leaning back in my chair, I scrutinize him with my face in my hand, waiting for him to start like he always does. 'Well I guess we could start with...'
He shuffles a couple of papers to the front and then taps the lot of them on his desk. "Well, I guess we could start with your most recent exploit."
"Oh yes." I kick one leg over the other and slide my glasses up onto my forehead. "That one's a personal favorite."
I can see a flash of agitation as he pauses his movements and stares blankly at my response. One day, I swear I'm gonna get him to crack and call me out for being a little shit. One day, very soon. A day like today. I try to make it my goal to get each of my counselors to lay into me for being rude before they float off into the wind. For the record, I have never failed to do so.
He presses his granny glasses up on his nose and holds the paper away from him. Must suck to be farsighted.
"You seriously injured John Peterson...and..." He squints. "It says here that you are facing charges on possession with intent to sell." Mr. Healy scratches his head of rapidly greying hair and lets the file plop heavily on the desk. He's gaping at me incredulously. That facial expression is too fantastically hilarious to be faked. Oh, how I wish I could capture this moment.
"I know, right?" I place my hands behind my head and let a wide grin spread across my face. "I really outdid myself." The pictures of my handiwork are now splayed across the desk. I can't help but to lean forward and finger one of the glossy images before smiling up at him. "Have you seen these?" He doesn't answer. "Really nice camera work. They really capture the essence of my violent act." My chest starts to feel tight looking at them so I collect them all and place them face down and slide them towards the flabbergasted man.
He fidgets in his chair a bit. God he's so close to cracking I can feel it. This is why I love playing the long game. It takes a hell of a lot longer than just taking your hands and fucking people up, but for the most part, it's so much more satisfying. Delayed gratification, if you will.
It also keeps my hands clean.
"You could pretend to feel a bit of remorse."
I raise my eyebrows as far as they will physically go and clutch the arms of the leather chair I'm sitting in, my nails digging into it's upholstery. Now I'm the one who's speechless.
"Appreciate the fact that you narrowly avoided getting sent straight to jail with your track record. Are you forgetting you're no longer a minor? You're walking on thin ice here! Take something seriously for once! You're already being held back a year for missing so much school! What do you think is going to happen if you go to prison? You'll never make anything of yourself. Don't you want to get a respectable job and help your mother?"
"I already help her. And I'm going to make it just fine without finishing at this fucking shithole school." Fuck if I've learned anything here that I couldn't have taught myself. "Why don't you get to the real reason why you want me to stay here and finish, huh? Because you would miss our little chats."
He pinches the bridge of his nose. I hate when he does that. "Speaking of which...Alex, I'm leaving. Tomorrow is my last day, okay? After that I'm going to be replaced by a very nice lady." His eyes shoot up and his voice has gone soft.
I feel myself cringing. Not because I'm going to miss him. But because I hate being spoken to in that tone by people flaking out of my life. Especially therapist types. I've gotten a new one every year or so and they all seem to have this idea that just because I'm the stereotypical daddy issues having delinquent that I'm gonna take it personally when they fuck off. I don't take the shit personal and I'm sure as hell not gonna miss them! Its so fucking patronizing. But I guess I will miss the level of comfort I have with Mr. H. We have an understanding. He pretends to care about my life without actually asking me anything about it and I pretend like I don't care about anything. We fall easily into the broken system and that's how I like it. This new bitch is gonna want to actually talk about my feelings and my future plans and shit, and I don't have time. It's okay though. I'll break her. I always do.
"No one could ever replace you, man." He rolls his eyes at me but I can see he's a bit flustered which makes me smile. I clear my throat and find myself shifting in my chair. "..Is that the worst news I'm going to receive from you today?" It's his turn to smirk at the hopefulness in my voice. God he's such a passive aggressive bitch.
"No. You've got morning detention and after school janitorial duties for the rest of the semester. Also you'll have to meet with the new counselor regularly."
I frown. "How regularly are we talking? Monthly? Bi-weekly? "
"Daily. Oh, and your first full day of school will be tomorrow."
Shit.
"What about Peterson? What's he getting?"
He sighs and twiddles his thumbs. "Don't you think he's been through enough?"
I just stare at him. He cannot actually be serious. My eyes narrow at him as I place my hand over my mouth for a moment in contemplation. "You're fucking shitting me."
At that he recoils and finally lets a deep frown set in. "Language! Please try to act like a lady!"
Deep pressure begins to build up in my head as I feel fire burning behind my eyes, sinking down into my throat and settling into my chest. "Me? Control myself?" I'm standing before I realize it. "And to answer your question, no, I fucking don't think he's been through enough. Not even close," I stiffen as I feel myself beginning to crack. It jars me enough to cause my anger to subside just a hair. Just enough to keep my control from slipping.
"If you acted more lady-like maybe you wouldn't have gotten yourself into that situation."
And that's all it takes. I feel something snap within me and growl as I fly across the desk, beating the shit out of this fat asshole, breaking his granny glasses and hearing him whine like a little bitch beneath me. But then I break out of my violent trance and find that I, though still angry, am just staring at him and he is staring at me with a mildly unimpressed expression and gesturing back towards the seat. My fists clench and unclench as I consider making my violent vision a reality but as my eyes drop to the file on his desk I realize I'm one wrong move away from going back to juvie...well... prison this time I guess and the thought sobers me up enough to kick a small trashcan at the corner of his desk in frustration which ricochets harmlessly into the corner of the room before plopping down heavily into my chair.
"Done?" He asks clasping his hands together in front of him, his tone now thickly condescending. I know that he thinks I'm acting like a child and I regret giving him the satisfaction of seeing me that way. No more being half assed. Next time I get up to beat someone senseless there's no turning back. Prison be damned. I cross my arms with the thought firmed up in my mind and scowl at him in response. Yes, I prefer to manipulate and systematically break down a person, but more and more lately I'm feeling like I want to just make people hurt.
"Well, now that that's out of the way, what I want to tell you is that you should be happy that the Peterson's are willing to drop the assault charges against you even though you could've ended his football career. But think of yourself on probation. One more infraction here at the school or another run-in with law..." He leans toward me and slides his glasses down. "And your ass is grass, so to speak."
I roll my eyes at whatever the fuck that was supposed to be. "What did you hear that line on tv or something?" He narrows his eyes at me. "You've been waiting for a good time to use that one, huh?" I laugh as he becomes even more agitated. "Next time, maybe work on your delivery."
A couple of his fingers twitch before he suddenly slams a hand down on the desk and slowly parts his lips to speak, "Listen here you little-"
Knock knock
Healy's lips stop moving and he freezes as he looks towards the door. I frown and tilt my head back until I can see the door too, albeit upside down.
Ms. Bell, his redheaded and almost equally unpleasant assistant from before opens the door wide enough to stick her head in.
"Aw, c'mon, Wanda! I was this close, this close to getting Mr. H to finally snap! Can't you see we are having a moment?!"
She blinks at me with a blank expression on her face before ignoring me and looking to Healy who's face is probably redder than a baboons ass. "She's here. You wanted her to sit in, right?" I slowly crane my neck up so that I can look at him. She? She who?
The old man narrows his eyes in confusion, and then blinks back slowly before snapping out of his angry trance and rushing to try and make himself and his desk a bit more presentable. Finally, running a hand through his hair, he nods and makes a beckoning motion. I can't help but glare at him in amused disgust after that pathetic little display for whoever she is's sake. He glares back pointedly for a moment before clearing his throat.
"Hi-Hey, um-yes. Come in Ms. Chapman."
I hear the door open a bit wider and the sound of heels clacking onto the wood floor of the office.
"Alex." I feel a smile growing on my face at his attempt to sound as if he's been being polite to me. "This is Ms. Piper Chapman. She'll be sitting in for the rest of our session because she's going to be your new counselor."
My eyebrows raise at the prospect of seeing my new buddyso soon and I drop my head back again to look at the stuffy old crone with a smirk on my face. As I look back though, it is most definitely not a stuffy old crone and my calculated smirk immediately falls away as I take her in.
She's got this pretty long blonde hair thats half pulled up and half down and I wish I could see her face right side up cuz from this angle she looks so damn...and her eyes are so... and that tight pencil skirt she's wearing...
Basically, she's just looks really fucking fuckable. Like...shit. I try to swallow because I think my mouth is watering and my fingers actually just twitched at the thought of being curled inside her. Her lips part a little as if she's going to speak as she looks from Healy to me and then from me to Healy and back to me. I'm not sure why she's doing that little dance with her eyes but the shock of actually having an attractive counselor has worn off enough for me to think clearly. I raise my eyebrows at her, taking my time as I let my gaze slowly travel up from her legs to her face. Then, I put on my most suggestive of smirks and simply say what's on my mind.
"Damn."
/
[Piper]
Damn. DAMN.
"Damn."
I try to hide the fresh alarm on my face as I look at the dark haired girl in front of me and and back to Mr. Healy. Can she read my mind or something? She's looking at me like she can and she definitely just said what I was thinking. I feel my eyes widen and I'm trying to remain calm, I really am. Of all the people to get assigned to me...out of all of them. The one I specifically pleaded with the universe not to give me is sitting here in what will soon be my office and- and is she checking me out?! I feel heat rising to my face as I step all the way into the room and hear the door click behind me. The girl stops leaning back as I walk over to the chair Mr. Healy is patting at the corner of the desk. She gazes at me with what I guess is acknowledgement before smirking more to herself than to me and returning her attention to Mr. Healy. She looks hopelessly bored. Okay, so I was probably being paranoid about her checking me out. She's probably thinking of how to punish me for possibly causing her to crack her screen the other day. I mean what are the odds of her being the number 2 most notorious kid on the principle's list and into women, right? Right?
I mean it is a distinct possibility. She is the criminal type and you know how those types get in prison.
I frown as I mentally berate myself for assuming a stereotype. And at the fact that her being interested in woman seems to unnerve me more than the possibility of her plotting my demise. It is only then that I realize that Mr. Healy is looking at me expectantly. Has he been saying something to me this whole time? I glance at the girl... Alex? She is side-eyeing me with her glasses in her hand as she bites down on one end of them with a slightly amused look on her face. Was she wearing those when I ran into her? And wait, just how long has he been waiting for a response? Say something, Piper!
"I'm sorry, what? I'm a little nervous so I...went blank for a second."
Mr. Healy just nods. "I was just asking you to tell Alex a little about yourself."
I look at the aforementioned girl who's eyebrows have raised even higher if that's possible and her smirk has turned into a full blown grin. That is really unnerving.
"Well like Mr. Healy said, My name is Piper Chapman. I'm 24 years old and I got my degree in Psychology with a minor in sociology at Smith University. Um.. I've only lived in this city for a year or so...and I recently got engaged to my wonderful boyfriend Darren. " I smile at her and she just blinks. "Um... It's nice to meet you...Alex. I look forward to our time together." She takes her glasses out of her mouth now and slides them onto the top of her head and smiles. But it's not a smile that makes me feel better about this situation. It's the type of smile that makes me feel much worse.
You did just say you were nervous. Out loud. In front of her.
Shit! Isn't that a rule or something? Not to show any fear in front of these types of people?
She's just a teenager.
A teenager who is legally an adult and taller than me might as well not be one at all as far as I'm concerned.
Mr. Healy sends a pointed look at her. "Anything you want to share about yourself, Ms. Vause?"
She runs a hand through her dark hair, revealing an almost unnecessary amount of ear piercings before folding her hands into her lap. "What would I like to share?" Her eyes drop to her hands.
"Well, my name is Alex Vause. I am 18 years old, but only until November, thank God. I graduated from the school of hard knocks where I got my degree in beating up bitchass meat heads and minored in petty drug trafficking. ...I've lived in this city my entire life, but I'd get out of here on the next bus if I wasn't on some kind of lame ass probation. Shit, I'd get outta here with a shopping cart and a leaf blower if it was the only way."
I coudn't help but to laugh a little at that. As I did her eyes slowly met mine and she smirked in a way that made my stomach drop into my... wow that was weird.
I've literally never felt so off kilter in my entire life. I was less nervous for my job interview at Thornforest than I am right now. I've got to keep it cool though, make it seem like I'm not deathly afraid of her. I mean I must be, why else would I be having such a hard time? I mentally will myself to make conversation.
"Oh, okay. Well how about you? Do you have a little boyfriend of your own?" It's the only information she didn't mirror from my introduction and the only thing I can think of.
Her grin broadens into a full fledged smile as she leans her head onto her fist and regards me fully. "No. I'm more into kitties than cockles if you know what I mean." She winks at me and licks her lips. "That being said, I'm looking forward to our time together too, Ms. Chapman.
I walked right into that one... and I can feel my face burning as a result.
"Alex!" Healy snaps.
"What?!"
He gestures at me in a not so subtle manner, inclining his head. "Ix nay, on the ay gay."
"What?" Her face is the epitome of incredulity as her eyes narrow at him. "What the actual fuck was that?"
He does the head thing again in an even more exaggerated manner.
"You do realize that you still said the word 'gay' right. Also, you're a grown ass man." She turns to me again. "Besides, she would have found out on her own soon enough." Her tongue flicks out and she runs it over her bottom lip before biting it.
My eye twitches a bit as I look between the two who are now locked into a glare off, saying nothing.
My mouth is moving but I'm not saying anything. Fortunately, before I can a little timer goes off on Mr, Healy's desk cutting through the tension in the room. All of our eyes dart over to it as Healy slowly reaches over and turns it off.
"Welp." Alex picks up her bag and pushes her glasses up on her face. "I think this has been a really lively and informative session. Piper, it has been a pleasure meeting you, really." She lifts her eyebrows at me while peering at me from under her dark lashes with that awfully disconcerting smirk on her lips before shifting her attention.
"Healy, it's been nice knowing you. I'll miss your condescending attitude and your homophobic, misogynistic tendencies." She gestures between both of us. "I'm out."
And with that she steps out of the room leaving the both of us staring after her.
Did she just call me Piper?
I'm so not ready for this. Fortunately, it seems like maybe she doesn't remember bumping into me...come to think of it, I know I wasn't peering through her glasses when she looked into my eyes.
So maybe she is really blind and can't see without them. But that only makes this situation marginally better. And I mean a very small margin. Like, we're talking hairline fracture. Actually, scratch that, I don't want to be talking about fractures at all.
"Mr. Healy."
"Hm?" He looks at me over the top of his glasses.
"Why isn't Mr. Caputo the one who has to work with Alex?" I try to level my voice to keep it from sounding quite so whiny, but I fail. And I don't care because this is really unfair.
"Well, the school board thinks it's good for our young women to get the choice to work with another young woman like yourself. Someone they can really relate to." He shrugs. "They gave the brats surveys a little while back and apparently they could put a little check mark for if they preferred a counselor of their own gender... I guess Vause marked it."
Of course she did.
"Is there anything you can do?" My hands are clasped out in front of me as I plead with my eyes. I'm not ready, I swear I'm not.
His eyes narrow for a moment as he looks at me...long enough for me to be thoroughly creeped out...as I slink back into my chair. Then the corners of his lips turn up and he smiles.
"No."
I don't think I've ever frowned so hard in my life.
/
[Neutral POV]
Alex was practically beaming as she stepped back onto the pavement of the near empty parking lot.
No, she didn't have her favorite leather jacket. No, she wasn't going to graduate in May. Yes, her body was still sore. And yes, her messy ass life had gone to total and absolute shit at the moment. But she knew all of that when she walked into the school.
What she didn't know was that she was going to get that delicious little blonde for a guidance counselor, and that was one hell of a ray of sunshine.
And she was going to enjoy her time with her.
Thoroughly.
...Which is to say that she was going to fuck her. More than once. And she was going to like it. A lot.
Just so we're clear.
Alright, ladies and gents. That's the first chapter of Babylon. I hope it was alright, because I really enjoyed writing it. I have a basic outline for this story all the way through the end, so you don't have to worry about me abandoning it (yay?) or leaving it for a year (probably). Which is good news if you liked it. And I hope you did.
So, feel free to drop a review in the review box or a message in the inbox if you want more of this story! I only want to give you people what you want! If you are like "the fuck is this, gimme more of that other thing" then that's what I'll do!
Speaking of which. This story has been the reason I have taken so long to update my other story, IANS, but I am almost done with the next chapter and it will be up soon.
Also, maaajor shoutout to Fig-aruna for her help when this was still in the concept phase!
The next installment of this story will be more from Vause's angle, and maybe we'll find out what happened that made her go coo coo bananas on that dude and why she gets to come back to school instead of going to prison.
Maybe.
See ya next time.
-Price