Blushing
I locked up the bar for another night, except things were just a little different. I had one of my sisters back in my life, hopefully for good. Maybe I could get her to come and stay here, even if it's just temporary, just for a while because living in this big house all by myself can be kind of lonely sometimes. I know she probably won't want to but it's worth a try. It might be nice, or there's always Phoebe. What am I talking about, Phoebe's gone, has been out of my life for eight years. She is god knows where doing god knows what. I used to know where she was, for a while she kept in contact, not that Prue knew, I could never tell her. It would break her heart to know that Phoebe kept in contact with me but not her.
I pushed these thoughts that I had been thinking all the way home out of my mind and walked into the house. I put my keys down on the table by the door and walked up the stairs of the big Victorian house which we call the Manor. It was my childhood home; I had lived in it with Mom, Dad, Grams, Prue and Phoebe. But then it seemed to get emptier. First Dom died after Phoebe was born, then Dad just left, when I turned twenty Gams died, all those things hurt me real bad.
It got really lonely when my sisters left. When Phoebe was fifteen she had some real issues with Prue and the rest of us and she left, just picked up and left. As I said she kept in contact with me for a little bit, she had gone to New York. But then the letters, text messages and phone conversations stopped. I no longer knew where she was or how she was doing. That scared me at first. I always wondered why they stopped, was it something I had said or something I had done? I never did figure it out.
Then, when Prue was twenty-five, she had a big Photography job and it got really big, she was quite successful and she moved to Boston. When she left I was angry, really angry. I felt like everyone had abandoned me and she was the final straw. I miss them all, I want to them both again. I knew I had to do something so I decided I was going to try and track down Phoebe. I walked into the other room and sat down at my already turned on computer. I clicked on the internet browser icon and went to the white pages website. It gave me instructions to find a person, first the persons name, the persons last known address and any contact information that you have. I filled in Phoebe's name and then rummaged around for her first address in New York. I clicked on the send button and it came up to a contact phone number. I grabbed the phone and began to dial the number. I started to get excited when it began to ring,
"Hello?" spoke a nasty male voice on the other end of the line.
"Hello, I'm looking for Phoebe Halliwell, is she there?" I answered nervously.
"Who's asking?" he snapped and I realized he was drunk.
"I'm Piper, her sister"
"Look lady, I don't know you, and I don't know who you are, and your not talking to my Phoebe," he spat before slamming the phone down in my ear. I started to cry. I was really worried; not only did I not know where Phoebe was, but I had no idea what had been happening to her. I figured it couldn't be good considering she's living with whomever just answered the phone. At that moment I felt a sudden rush of loneliness and decided to give Prue a call.
"Hey sis" I said when she picked up the phone.
"Hey I just arrived at the hotel I'm supposed to be staying at and it's a dump. It's cold and there's no one here and I'm trying to figure out what to do," Prue said in a calm voice but inside I knew she was frantic.
"You could always come and stay here, at the Manor?"
"Really Piper, you wouldn't mind having your sister there?"
"Actually at the moment I could use some company," I said deciding not to tell Prue about the Phoebe situation, one person to worry about it was enough.
"Ok, I'll be over soon, thanks sis, love you." I hung up the phone and walked upstairs to shower before Prue came over.
I opened the front door and let Prue in. She put her bags down and we shared a long hug.
"So which room can I stay in while I'm here?" Prue said and I laughed.
"Your old room is still free, why don't you take that one?"
"Really Piper, you never took the bigger room?"
"No, I like my room the way it is."
"Ok, thanks, I'll take my stuff upstairs and be down in a second."
"Ok."
I walked into the kitchen just as the phone rang.
"Hello, Piper speaking," I said and with the background noise I knew it was P3.
"Hey Piper, it's Leo, Jessica called in sick and I just thought I should let you know."
"Oh no, what am I going to do, Garry can't come in and Steve is on holidays, what can I do?"
"No Piper, it's ok, I'll work the shift, I don't mind, anything for you," he said and I unintentionally blushed. Maybe Prue was right, maybe I do like him. Maybe he does like me, but I decided not to think about it. I needed to stop blushing because Prue had just walked into the room.
"Thanks Leo," I said. I caught Prue smiling at me from the corner of my eye. She was giving me that look that clearly asked, 'what's going on here?'
"I'll check in later tonight and I'll see you tomorrow at work."
"Ok goodbye Piper" Leo said and I hung up.
"What was that all about Piper, and oh my god, are you blushing?"
"No I'm not and he was just calling to tell me that someone called in sick and that he was going to take the shift," I replied and my cheeks got even redder.
"Sure Piper sure, I know you, you like him don't you?"
"Even if I did, I'm his boss, there's nothing I can, I mean could do about it," I retorted.
"But I can see he wants to do something about it you just have to let him."
"How do you know he wants to do something about it, how do you know he isn't just a dedicated employee?" I suggested with a nod.
"Ok, what did he say when he told you he would take the shift?"
"That he didn't mind, and, um, anything for me?"
"Piper, he likes you, let him know you feel the same way." Prue told me with a wink.
"How?" I started to ask but Prue didn't have a chance to answer because the phone rang. I was just about to reach for it but she grabbed it out of my reach, answering it.
"Hello, Prue speaking."
"Hello its Leo Is Piper there, I have to let her know something else.
