A/N: Wow! A HUGE thank you to everyone who took the time to read, review, follow, and/or favorite this story. It means so much to me! I'm sure many of you are familiar with the nervous feeling that goes along with posting your work to be critiqued by others, so your encouraging response was such a relief!
Warnings:
This story contains mentions of and discussions of rape (not in great detail, but it is central to the plot of this story). If this is triggering to you or will upset you to read about, please do not read this story!
This story also contains and depicts the use of marijuana. Again, if this offends or upsets you, please do not read this story!
I hope you enjoy part 2!
After the Storm II
:||:
Somewhat surprisingly (to Alex at least), it is Piper who first approaches Alex.
It had been about a week since the day Alex first saw Piper skating past her apartment complex. It was mid-afternoon, the sun high in the sky, and Alex was sitting in the shade against a tree. She was engulfed in a book, as per usual, when she heard a throat clear above her. She looked up into the smiling face of the girl she hadn't stopped thinking about since the previous Tuesday. She'd even begun to explore the surrounding neighborhoods in hopes of seeing her again. That was how she had come across the small park she was currently reading in.
"Hi!" The blonde girl (Piper, Alex remembered) said enthusiastically with a small wave.
Alex smiled slightly in return and said apprehensively back, "Hey." She wasn't used to kids coming up to her with the intention of being friendly, but Piper looked so genuine which made Alex feel pretty confident that this wasn't some sort of prank.
Piper took that as invitation to sit, so she squatted cross-legged in the grass facing her new acquaintance. "Are you new in town? I haven't seen you around before."
Alex nodded, setting her book aside. "My mom and I moved here two weeks ago."
Piper grabbed the book Alex had set aside. "I read this book last year! I really liked it. What do you think about it so far?"
The book was A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, and Alex had already read it numerous times. "It's one of my favorites," Alex replied smiling shyly.
"I'm Piper, by the way."
"My name is Alex."
The two new friends were interrupted when someone called Piper's name from across the park, near a playground.
"That's my older brother Danny. He thinks you're cute," Piper said raising her eyebrows with a giggle. Alex blushed slightly. She was eleven, but wasn't really interested in boys yet. Her mom said it was only a matter of time. "Do you want to play with us?"
"Sure," Alex said with a nod. She stood up and threw her book into the small backpack she carried with her.
As they walked to meet up with Piper's brother, Piper confided, "We're not actually supposed to come to this park. My mother doesn't like us to leave our neighborhood, but we do anyway! We don't have a playground like this in our neighborhood."
"Which neighborhood do you live in?" Alex asked.
Piper pointed in the direction that led to some of the biggest houses she'd ever seen, and Alex immediately felt her heart drop. She hadn't had good experiences with rich kids and she had hoped Piper wouldn't be one of them.
"Pipe, hurry up! The ice cream truck is coming!" Danny shouted as they drew nearer.
Piper smiled, quickening her pace. "That's the other reason we come to the park! The ice cream truck drives by here every day! My favorite is the big ice cream cookie sandwich!"
The two girls come to a stop by Danny, who was already in line. Danny smiled shyly at Alex, before turning to order his ice cream.
"What are you gonna get?" Piper asked as they waited for their turn.
Alex's face turned red and she looked away. "Oh. I don't really have any money with me."
Piper frowned. The two stepped up and the ice cream man asked them what they wanted. "Can I get two popsicles?"
"Sure thing!" The ice cream man turned to dig into his freezer. "What flavors would you like?"
"Cherry for me! And…." She trailed off nudging Alex.
A look of surprise crossed over Alex's features. Then she smiled and said, "Orange, please."
Alex looked at the prices on the menu and saw that the price of two popsicles equaled exactly the price of one big ice cream cookie sandwich.
:||:
Piper spent the next day attempting to entertain herself. It was a rare experience for her to have a weekend lacking any plans. She wondered what Polly was doing. She knew her best friend was probably just as miserable as she was; even though Polly was still included in social events, Piper knew the other girl wouldn't be having much fun without Piper there. Since Polly had moved onto her street when the girls were twelve, the two had formed a fast friendship. Polly's mother used to tell them they were "two P's in a pod" which led to Polly's family always referring to them as P1 and P2.
She had already binge-watched the most recent season of Pretty Little Liars on Netflix and finished the novel she was currently reading. Her homework was complete, and it wasn't even dinner time yet. Piper glanced at the time on her phone. She was admittedly bored and didn't know what to do about it.
Her thoughts immediately drifted to Alex and how much fun she had had the previous night reconnecting with the older girl. She had the sudden urge to text her, see what her plans were for the night, but didn't want to come across as needy or clingy.
Scrolling through Facebook and Instagram on her phone, she hoped to catch some sort of idea of what Alex was up to tonight. She acknowledged that it was a little creepy and maybe slightly stalker-ish, but Alex was her only friend at the moment and Piper was getting sick of her own company.
After finding nothing (let's face it, Alex wasn't exactly a social media queen), Piper decided it wouldn't hurt to just text the girl. She'd do it in a very breezy, nonchalant, non-clingy way.
To Alex (3:05pm): Hey! What are you up to?
From Alex (3:06pm): Not much. Just getting ready for work. What about you?
A frown immediately appeared across Piper's face at the new information. Alex worked tonight. She was disappointed they wouldn't be able to hang out again.
To Alex (3:06): That's a bummer. I was hoping to hang out again.
Piper began to get nervous when after a few minutes she didn't receive a reply. Maybe Alex didn't want to hang out with her again. Maybe she had just felt bad for her last night and that's all it was. Piper couldn't help but feel saddened at the thought. She had really been hoping to rekindle their friendship; not just because of her current lack of friends, but because she genuinely had fun with Alex the previous night.
She had just about given up on getting a reply, and was about to check what was new at the local Redbox, when her phone buzzed.
Perhaps too eagerly, she unlocked the screen to read the message.
From Alex (3:28pm): You could come hang out at the diner and keep me company when it's slow
From Alex (3:28pm): Not the most exciting way to spend a Saturday night, I know, but if you're bored…
From Alex (3:28pm): My mom is also working tonight, and I know you were hoping to see her
Piper smiled at the stream of texts.
To Alex (3:29pm): Which diner?
:||:
When Piper walked into the diner, she was immediately greeted by the grinning face of Diane Vause.
"And who might you be?" Diane joked, pretending for a minute not to recognize Piper. Piper grinned back and collapsed into Diane's arms. Diane whispered in her ear, "Long time no see, kid. It's so good to see you. Alex said you might come by tonight." She pulled away, gently pushing Piper to arm's length. "Now let me look at you. You've grown into such a gorgeous young lady, Piper."
Piper blushed slightly. "It's so good to see you, too, Diane. I've missed you."
"Come sit down." Diane led Piper to a corner booth and sat down opposite her. "Alex said you were going through a rough time?" At Piper's wide eyed expression (Because of course Alex tells her mom everything), Diane hurried on to say, "Don't worry, she didn't give me any details. I just wanted you to know that you're welcome at our place anytime, Piper. Even if Alex and I aren't home, the spare key is under the mat out front. You let yourself in whenever you need to, kid. You're family."
Piper felt tears sting her eyes. "Thanks, Diane."
Diane patted Piper's hand which rested on the table. "I'll tell Alex you're here. You want some fries, sweetie?"
Piper smiled. "Yes, please!"
Piper glanced around the diner. Even though it was dinner time, the restaurant was pretty empty. It wasn't the type of place Piper imagined ever getting too busy. Piper hadn't even known of its existence until Alex had texted her thirty minutes ago.
"Hey Pipes," Alex said as she slid into the booth across from Piper pushing a steaming plate of fries to the middle of the table.
"Hey," Piper replied, snatching a fry off the plate and popping it into her mouth. "Wow, these are really good!"
Alex smirked and said, "I made them fresh, just for you." She punctuated the statement with a wink.
Piper blushed slightly, but tried to cover it. "How long have you worked here?"
Alex shrugged and grabbed a few fries. "My mom got me hired when I turned sixteen. It never gets too busy which means I usually have time to finish my homework, so that's nice. We have a lot of regulars that come in and they tip well. All in all, it's not too bad."
Piper nodded as she chewed another fry.
"Hey, so," Alex suddenly looked nervous, not letting her eyes meet Piper's but instead staring at the plate of fries, "my friend Nicky is having a party tonight, and I was planning to stop by after my shift." Green eyes finally met blue. "If you're not doing anything you should come with me."
Piper's belly somersaulted at the invitation. "I'm not doing anything!" Alex's lips turned up in a smug, self-satisfied smirk in response to Piper's, perhaps too eager, reply. Piper's cheeks colored, and she cleared her throat. "I mean, that sounds fun."
Piper hung around the diner for a few hours chatting with Diane and Alex whenever they could spare a few minutes to take a break, before heading home around 7 to get ready for Nicky's party. Alex told her she got off at 9 and would come by around 9:30 to pick her up. After Piper's pestering inquisition, Alex had told her to dress casual.
After much debate, Piper settled on a cute turquoise strappy top, faded ripped skinny jeans, and thin black flip flops. She loosely curled her long hair, hoping to go for that effortlessly sophisticated, yet casual look. She assumed most of Alex's friends dressed similarly to the brunette, but Piper didn't really have any edgy clothes that fit the bill. She thought she looked good, though, and for some reason, that seemed to matter a lot to Piper. She figured it was because she wanted to look good for Alex so that she would be proud to introduce her to her friends.
At 9:30 on the dot, Piper was sliding into the passenger seat of Alex's old Toyota Corolla.
Piper could practically feel Alex's gaze on her as she buckled up, so she turned to face her friend. Her face immediately flushed as Alex's eyes raked up and down her body, taking in her appearance.
"Is what I'm wearing okay?" The younger girl asked self-consciously.
"Yeah," Alex replied, seeming to snap herself out of whatever thoughts she was having as she stared at Piper. She put her right arm over Piper's seat and turned her head to look over her shoulder to back out of the driveway. "You look good," She said, flicking her eyes to Piper's briefly before focusing them behind her once again.
Piper felt her stomach grow warm at the compliment. She looked down at her hands clasped together in her lap and murmured a quiet, "Thanks."
The short ride to Nicky's was uneventful (with the exception of Piper getting extremely nervous when Alex texted Nicky while driving, offering to text the other girl back for her. Alex had laughed with a sparkle in her eyes and said, "I got it, Piper. I see you're still a worry wart.").
As they parked in front of Nicky's enormous house, Alex seemed to pick up on Piper's growing discomfort.
"Hey. You okay, Pipes?" Alex turned in her seat to face Piper.
"Yeah, it's just… I haven't been to a party since… you know?" Piper fidgeted with her hands. "I didn't think it'd be a problem, but I guess I'm just kind of nervous."
"Shit. I'm sorry, Piper. I didn't even think about that." Alex rushed out, feeling kind of disappointed with herself for not considering how being at a party might make Piper feel. "I think this kind of party will be a bit different from what you're used to, though. And I'll be by your side all night, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you. If you start to feel uncomfortable at all, though, just tell me and I'll take you home, okay?"
Piper nodded, feeling better. "Thanks, Al."
Piper was relieved to see that Alex was right; this party was different. It was way more mellow, and Piper realized halfway through that it was because most of the partygoers were stoned rather than drunk.
Sure, there was alcohol, which Piper politely declined, determined to keep her wits about her, but it didn't seem to be functioning as anyone's main vice for the night. As they walked through the house looking for Nicky, Alex took her hand in a loose grip and smiled reassuringly at her, and Piper thought she may be experiencing her first contact high, because she felt on top of the world.
They found Nicky in the basement with a few others playing a game of pool.
"Yo, Vause!" Nicky shouted when she saw her friend, breaking away from the game to come say hi. "And who is this?" There was something suggestive about her tone, but Piper couldn't quite figure it out. She couldn't help feeling she was the brunt of some inside joke. She crossed her arms defensively across her chest while Alex introduced her.
"This is my friend, Piper." Piper picked up on a slight emphasis on the word friend, but she was still confused.
"Ahhhh, yes, Piper. Don't you hang out with that cuntface, Jessica Wedge?" Nicky asked, and Piper hated that out of all her friends, Jessica was the one she was associated with.
"They're not friends," Alex said, saving Piper from the embarrassing connection.
Nicky just shrugged and threw her arm around Alex's shoulders. "Wanna take a hit then play next round?"
Alex nodded as Nicky led her away. Alex locked eyes with Piper and motioned with her head for the blonde to follow them. Piper followed them into a room where people were rolling and smoking joints. Nicky took one and lit it up, taking a hit. She passed it to Alex, who then offered it to Piper.
Piper looked at it wondering what she would do. She didn't want to look lame by not taking a hit, but she was also worried she'd cough again and embarrass herself. Alex saw her hesitation and passed it back to Nicky, saving her (once again) from having to make a decision that may embarrass her. If Nicky noticed, she didn't say anything, which made Piper relax.
"Do you care if I play a game of pool?" Alex asked Piper as they made their way back to the room with the pool table.
Piper shook her head. "Can I watch?"
Alex chuckled. "Of course, you idiot. You can cheer me on." Alex pulled a tall bar chair against the wall near the pool table and commanded, "Sit. I'm going to grab a beer. You want anything to drink? Soda? Water?"
Piper smiled at Alex's attentiveness. She decided she felt comfortable here and so she said, "I'll take a beer, too, please."
So Piper watched and cheered dutifully for Alex as she faced off against Nicky. When Alex sunk the eight ball, effectively winning the game, Piper squealed and flung herself into Alex's arms. Alex squeezed her briefly then gently pulled away to high five another girl who had been watching the game, Piper thought her name was Tricia.
Even after Alex let go of her, Piper stayed fairly close to her side, gazing up at her with a look of pride and awe. Alex couldn't help but smirk at the look.
"You okay there, Pipes?" Alex asked after everyone had finished cheering and congratulating her and Nicky had sulked off to go smoke another joint.
Piper nodded enthusiastically, "You were amazing, Alex!"
"And I think you, kid, are a lightweight." Alex teased. At sixteen, Piper was tall and thin with an athletic build. Alex figured she weighed one hundred pounds soaking wet.
"I am not!" Piper exclaimed in mock offense, crossing her arms over her chest petulantly.
Alex rasped out a laugh while draping her arm around Piper's shoulders. Piper shivered as Alex leaned in close and husked out, "Are you having fun?"
Piper couldn't find her voice so she nodded. Piper didn't know why all of a sudden this whole night felt sort of like a date. How excited she had felt when Alex asked her to come to the party with her; how she took so long to choose her outfit, because she wanted to impress Alex, and how she felt butterflies in her stomach every time Alex touched her or looked at her in a certain way.
"Come on," Alex said, stepping out of Piper's personal space. "Let me teach you how to play poker."
:||:
By the time Monday afternoon rolled around, Piper wanted to kill herself. She had no idea how she would make it through a week of being home alone with no school, no social interaction, nothing to occupy her time. She felt like she was already going insane.
She really hoped Jessica would find another target soon so she could get her friends back, especially Polly. Her phone buzzed and she couldn't help the excited smile that appeared at seeing who was texting her.
From Polly (2:33pm): Pete finally fucking asked me out today. About goddamn time, amiright?
To Polly (2:34pm): fucking finally! He's been all over you since school started!
From Polly (2:34pm): God I missed you, Pipe.
From Polly (2:35pm): I'm so sorry for everything. Jessica can suck my dick. Life seriously sucks without you.
From Polly (2:36pm): I got all your assignments from your teachers. Want me to bring them over?
To Polly (2:36pm): Thanks, Pol. That would be awesome. I am literally dying of boredom. Come fill me in on the gossip.
When Polly arrived, she immediately pulled Piper into a quick hug, saying sincerely, "I really am sorry I haven't been here for you during all this, Piper. But I'm back to being your number one bitch and if you need to talk or vent or cry or whatever, I'm here for you."
"Thanks, Pol," Piper managed through the tears that had accumulated in her eyes. She felt so relieved to have her best friend back.
Polly pulled out of the hug and smiled, wiping a stray tear from Piper's cheek. "Alright. Enough of this sentimental bullshit. I have to tell you about how terrible this weekend was!"
Piper and Polly sat at opposite ends of the living room couch, legs spread out in between them. Piper couldn't help the gigantic grin that seemed to have set up permanent residence across her face as Polly detailed Jessica's pool party that had been prematurely shut down when her parents returned home earlier than expected.
"The look on her face was fucking hilarious, Piper. I wish you were there to see it." The girls laughed together for a few more minutes and Piper was so thankful to have Polly back again.
"Me too." Piper said quietly as their giggles died down.
Polly bumped her knee against Piper's and said, "How was your weekend? Are you still doing okay?"
Piper smiled at her friend's concern. "Yeah, I'm doing okay. I'm glad I don't have to see him around, which helps me not to think about it too much." She didn't mention how she still occasionally had nightmares. They were getting better, and there was no need to burden Polly with problems she couldn't help with. "I actually hung out with Alex this weekend."
"Alex Vause? Huh, I didn't know you guys still talked."
Piper laughed. "We hadn't, up until Friday. I tried to buy weed from her." Piper admitted somewhat embarrassed.
"Piper Chapman! You seriously choose the one weekend I'm MIA from your life to decide to break the rules and do something so not like you!" Polly seems disappointed, yet also pleasantly surprised. "So what was it like?"
So Piper fills Polly in on her exciting weekend with Alex.
:||:
On Tuesday evening, Piper received some good news. Principal Healy called to tell her that during the board meeting they had discussed her situation and decided that there wasn't sufficient evidence to suspend her. He mentioned that her excellent track record and high GPA had also factored into their decision. She could come back to school Wednesday.
Piper sat in her car in the school parking lot Wednesday morning with mixed feelings. She was happy to be back, solely to save her from the boredom of sitting home alone, but she also knew, courtesy of Polly, that Jessica was still angry at her. She was not looking forward to whatever Jessica had planned for her next.
At lunch, she found herself in a similar situation to last week. She stood in the cafeteria surveying the groups of friends hunched over their lunches, trying to decide where she could sit. Her eyes finally landed on the table Alex was sitting at with a few of her friends; some of them Piper recognized from the party Saturday.
She was still very insecure about where she stood with Alex in terms of their budding friendship. Both nights they had hung out had been initiated by Piper, and Alex had yet to contact her first via text. Piper still wasn't sure if Alex just felt bad for her or actually enjoyed her company, and she didn't know if Alex would want her intruding on her school life like she had on her life outside of school.
Piper hesitated, but in the end, she realized she had no other options unless she wanted to eat her lunch alone in a bathroom stall like a pathetic loser with no friends (which she kind of currently was).
She had just taken a determined step forward when she felt a cautious hand on her arm. She turned and came face to face with Larry, the nerdy boy from her fourth period Geometry class. He smiled at her so she smiled back.
He cleared his throat, then said, "I saw you standing here looking a little lost and I remembered you saying your friends were mad at you, so I thought I would invite you to sit with me and my friends in the band hallway."
Piper couldn't help but smile at his obvious nervousness. She thought it was kind of cute and sweet that he had noticed her distress and wanted to help. "That would be great. Thanks, Larry!"
She gave one last look to the table Alex was sitting at, and found piercing green eyes lock with her bright blue ones. Piper smiled and gave a nervous wave. Alex smirked at her with an eyebrow raised in acknowledgment. Piper's stomach flipped, and she was beginning to realize that she was strangely attracted to Alex, in a way that seemed to indicate more than just friends. Piper wasn't clueless. She was able to recognize why her stomach flipped every time Alex gazed at her intently or smirked in her direction or teased her; and why she was a nervous wreck around her, second guessing how the brunette thought of her; and why she couldn't hold back a smile when she thought about her. No, she knew exactly what these feelings were; she had just never felt them for another girl before.
She tore her gaze away from Alex and followed Larry into the band hallway.
Piper had never set foot in the band hallway before. The band kids were pretty low on the social hierarchy, and Piper's crowd and the band crowd rarely, if ever, mixed. But Piper liked Larry, despite herself. He had a sort of nerdy charm, and she really was grateful to have someplace to eat her lunch away from Jessica and her followers.
Larry struck up an awkward, yet somewhat easy, conversation with Piper and she found herself enjoying his company. She could tell he liked her due to his not so subtle flirting and checking her out. He was nice enough, and given the same circumstances she was in, but minus the Alex factor, she probably would have gone for it with Larry. However, as it was, her thoughts rested solely upon Alex and the confused attraction she felt for her. She knew it was something she wanted to sort out before even considering any kind of relationship with Larry.
:||:
On Thursday, Piper was beginning to feel comfortable again, so she let her guard down. That was her first mistake. Jessica and her loyal followers had been rather low key toward Piper since she had returned the following day, so Piper had wrongly assumed their vendetta against her was over.
Her second mistake had been ditching Larry at lunch to sit with Alex and her friends. That morning Piper had received the following text from Alex:
From Alex (7:15am): Wanna sit with me at lunch today?
She had been so giddy to have received the invite (not to mention that fact that Alex had texted her first), that she hadn't thought about any potential consequences of eating in the open space of the cafeteria, leaving her vulnerable to an attack from Jessica.
When Piper first sat down next to Alex, she was relieved to recognize Nicky as well as a few other familiar faces from the party Saturday. Luckily they were all friendly toward her, and Piper could tell that even though they teased each other mercilessly, it was never done in a malicious way. It was refreshing, considering what Piper was used to with her popular friends.
They were halfway through the lunch when Piper heard an oddly familiar, but misplaced sound followed by movement behind her that caught her attention. Before she even really knew what had happened, Alex was up out of her seat, towering over two frightened-looking freshman, clutched in their hands were pairs of scissors and a few thick chunks of Piper's blonde tresses.
Piper reached behind her head, mouth dropped open in shock or horror and felt her newly mangled locks.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Alex spoke in an authoritative and threateningly tone, somehow without raising her voice much to draw more attention to what had happened.
The two young girls looked like they wanted to die and stumbled over their words as their faces turned red enough to match the spaghetti sauce on Piper's plate.
Alex didn't back down and continued to hold them under her harsh gaze. One of the girls managed to sputter out, "Jessica said that we could sit at the popular table at lunch if we cut some of Piper's hair off."
Alex was seething. Piper had never seen her so mad before and was afraid she'd do something drastic. She put her hand gently on Alex's arm and said, "It's okay, Alex. It's just hair. It'll grow back."
Alex took a calming breath, then said threateningly to the two freshman, "You listen to me. If you come near her again, a bad haircut will be the least of your worries."
Alex returned to her seat and the two girls scurried off. Piper knew it was stupid, but the whole situation was just so tense and upsetting, she found that she was battling tears.
She managed to get out, "I'm just going to go to the bathroom and try to put my hair in a ponytail or something," before quickly throwing her backpack over her shoulder and practically sprinting out of the cafeteria toward the nearest bathroom.
:||:
After school, Piper made her way across the parking lot toward her car. All she could think about was getting home and hiding out in her room for the rest of the night. She had just about made it to her car when Alex swung her own car into the empty space next to Piper's.
"Get in, loser," she husked out, reaching across the passenger seat to open the door for Piper. "We've got ourselves hair appointments."
At the salon, Alex and Piper sat in neighboring chairs and made idle chit chat with their hairdressers.
Piper explained her situation to Sophia, who promised to make her hair look real good and told her not to let nasty bitches get to her.
"So what are you going to get done?" Piper asked Alex.
"Well, it's definitely time for a change. I'm thinking blue tips."
Afterward, they stopped by the diner to say hello to Alex's mom and pick up some food to bring back to Alex's place. Then Alex dropped Piper off at school so she could get her car, with the intention of meeting back up at Alex's. They ate quickly and worked on homework together until it began to get dark outside.
"Well, I'm finished with mine," Alex said, stretching her arms above her head and yawning.
Piper caught the yawn from Alex and said, "Me too." She finished the sentence she was writing and then set her pencil down. She knew it was getting late, so she began to pack up her things, figuring she had overstayed her welcome.
"You don't have to leave yet if you don't want to," Alex said, pushing her chair back and disappearing into her room.
Piper didn't know whether or not she should follow, but Alex reappeared shortly after holding up a blunt in her hand.
"I thought we could smoke together again, and maybe take a walk around the apartment complex? It's really nice out tonight." Piper picked up on the slightly nervous undertone to Alex's confident invitation and the masked hopefulness in her eyes.
"Okay." Piper agreed, and Alex's grin was triumphant.
"I think I'm corrupting you," Alex said with a raspy chuckle as she lit the blunt.
"Yes, I think you are," Piper smiled deviously as she took the blunt from Alex and inhaled. This time she managed to stifle the coughing fit down to a few small coughs into the crook of her arm. She looked at Alex, pleased with herself.
"See? Already a pro." Alex said, taking the blunt back from Piper.
After they walked around Alex's apartment complex, they ended up at the basketball courts. They lay down with their heads parallel to each other, feet pointed in opposite directions and looked up at the stars.
Piper was the first to break their companionable silence. "Thanks for sticking up for me today at lunch. And for taking me to the salon after school."
Alex rolled over so that she was facing Piper and propped her head on her hand. Piper mirrored her actions, so they were face to face. "Of course, Pipes. I told you I'm not just going to sit back and watch as Jessica and her minions treat you that way." Alex paused and got a look on her face like she was thinking deeply about something. She reached over to tuck a loose strand of Piper's hair behind her ear. "Your new haircut looks cute, by the way," she said in a teasing tone, but Piper could detect the sincerity in her eyes. Piper blushed, and hoped Alex couldn't see it in the dark.
"Thanks." Once again mirroring Alex, Piper reached over and fingered a blue strand of Alex's hair. "The blue looks good, too. Makes you look even cooler than you already did."
Alex feigned a surprised gasp, "Piper Chapman thinks I'm cool! Maybe now I can eat lunch at the popular table."
Piper pushed Alex's shoulder lightly at her teasing.
"Hey! Remember that time we explored that cave down there?" Piper said out of the blue, pointing in the general direction of the location of the cave. "You wanted to play Indiana Jones. God, you were so obsessed with him that summer," Piper laughed.
"Yeah," Alex said with a wistful laugh, laying down again in her previous position. Piper followed suit. "I remember having a very "Indiana" moment when I had to save your ass after you fell off that rock and broke your arm."
"You gave me a piggy-back ride the whole way back. I remember thinking that you must have been pretty strong to carry me the whole way."
"Piper, you were a literal twig back then. Still are." Alex teased, poking her in the rib.
"Hey!" Piper exclaimed with a giggle, swatting Alex's hand away. "You were my hero that day. Kinda like you were today," Piper said softly. She immediately felt embarrassed that she had said that, and hoped that Alex would blame her sentimentality on the weed.
Alex didn't respond and they lay in silence a moment longer. Eventually, Piper began to shiver as the air took on a chill, so Alex suggested they head back to the apartment.
:||:
The following day, Piper didn't see much of Alex around school. They made eye contact in the hallway once in the morning, but that was it. She wasn't at her usual table at lunch, so Piper sat with Larry in the band hallway again.
After school, she went up to her room to work on some homework. She couldn't help wondering what Alex was up to that night and if she should text her to find out.
She was just about to give in and send the text when her phone rang.
"Hey, Pol! What's up?"
"You may want to reconsider buddying up to your new bestie." Polly said without preamble.
"Huh?"
"She totally outed herself to the entire school today. Alex Vause is a big old lesbo."
:||:
A/N: Alright, so this story kept growing and growing and growing, so I decided to split the last part into two. That means there will be one more chapter Thank you all so much for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing this story so far! You have no idea how much it is appreciated. The encouraging words I received on the first chapter really helped me get this chapter done as quickly as I could! Please, please, please consider leaving a review! I will love you forever if you do! :)