That night I was sitting at my desk finishing my homework. Yes, I was spending my Saturday night doing homework, mainly because Glenn had a family thing to do and we planned to spend Sunday together. My English essay is due in a few weeks and I still had to get at least 10 more pages written by then. After finishing my algebra and biology homework I pulled my notebook in front of me and began filling in what happened after I started living with my sisters again.
In the two years that I had lived with my sorry excuse of a father a lot had happened with my sisters. Piper, who had married Leo when I was 2, was pregnant with her second son Chris and had a 3 year old son Wyatt. Phoebe had just gotten married to her boyfriend Cole, who was a lawyer that she has worked with on a few cases, and was pregnant with her first son Henry. By this time I guess you could say the manor was getting a little full. My sisters and brother-in-laws were occupying the three downstairs bedrooms, leaving the four bedrooms upstairs and the attic bedroom for us kids. In the following years we added 7 more children to the family. Prue had given birth to Luke and Jake, Piper had Camdyn and Sophia, and Phoebe had Cooper, and twins Patty and Penny, which makes for a full house. Things got busy and I decided to move to the attic bedroom while the others spilt the 4 remaining rooms. Melinda being the oldest, after me that is, had a room all to herself. Wyatt, Luke and Henry now share a room. Then there are the three little girls, Patty, Penny, Camdyn and Sophia sharing a room and finally the other boys Chris, Jake, and Cooper. Things around the house got very busy very quickly. Balancing work schedules, school, sports, PTA, day care, sick kids, and everything else proved simple for my sisters.
My cell phone started to ring and looking at the caller id I grabbed my jacket knowing that soon I would be sneaking out my window.
"Hey Derek what happened this time?"
"Hey Paige. Look ummm…Mel is pretty drunk and she won't listen to me. Can you come get her and make sure she gets home?"
"Yeah no problem Derek, text me the address and I'll call when I get there," I sighed and putting my phone in my pocket I reached out my window, grabbed the old oak tree branch and started my climb down the tree. I walked the 8 block to the park where Derek told me to meet him so he could at least get Mel away from the alcohol. As I reached the park I could see Melinda puking into the bushes while Derek held her hair back.
"Hey Paige, good to finally see you, she's all yours."
"Yeah thanks, so how's our little drunk doing tonight?"
"Let's just say that she probably finished off a keg by herself. Paige I just don't know how much longer I can handle this. You know I don't drink and it's hard when your girlfriend practically lives off the stuff. Well I'll see you later thanks for taking her home."
"I know how it is Derek. Thanks for taking care of her and everything. Plus, I can guarantee you that I will be the one getting yelled at," I scoffed as I grabbed my now passed out niece and stretching her across my shoulders I started walking the 8 blocks back home. When we reached the house I took off my long sleeve shirt and tied Melinda's hands together so that I could put her arms around my neck leaving my arms free to climb back up the tree. I managed yet again to get Melinda to her bed without being seen or heard by one of my sisters and with that went back to my own room and collapsed on my bed. A minute later there was a knock on my door as it squeaked open, and I instantly pretended to be asleep.
"Wake up baby girl, I know you're not asleep," Piper whispered as she sat down next to me.
"How did you know Pipe?"
"I was up working on the catering menu for a wedding and when I came up to check on everyone I saw your light on. Want to guess what I found when I went to turn it off," she questioned and I just shook my head, "An empty bed. I was just about to wake up Prue and Phoebe when I heard doors closing so I figured I would give you a chance to explain where you were?"
She sat their staring and me while I avoided her eyes. I was it deep now I had to come up with something quick. The hard part was that it was Piper I would be lying to. She is the one person that I have never been able to lie to. Whenever I would try she would give me that look of hers and I would crumble. It didn't take my sister long to figure it out and whenever they wanted to know what was going on they sent in Piper. If I was going to pull off a lie right now I couldn't look at her.
"I left my blanket on the roof this morning and had to go get it," I replied quickly almost to quickly. Piper reached over and grabbed my chin moving my head so that I was now facing her. She had that look on her face and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't look away. She knew I was lying, I knew she knew I was lying, and I knew I would crumble soon.
"I know when you're lying to me sweetheart. Tell me what's really going on honey."
"I can't its not my secret to tell and I promised I wouldn't say anything. I want to tell you I do because I hate getting it trouble for helping and things are just getting worse but I can't. I just can't."
"Honey you need to tell me what is going on so that I can help," she said as she brought my eyes to meet hers and that was it I was about to crumble.
"My friend spends every Friday and Saturday night at parties. She drinks a lot, to the point where she passes out and can't remember anything. People call me to come get her and take her home when she is drunk or passed out. I sneak out to take her home and then come right back home. I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone and you know that I never break a promise."
"Paige I know you made a promise but you really need to tell her parents or the school counselor or somebody because drinking that much is extremely dangerous. It's late and you need to get to bed. We will talk about this later but if you care about your friend you will tell someone so she can get help."
I stared at my door after Piper shut it behind her. She wasn't going to let this go. I am in deep now even though Mel wasn't conscious when I made my promise but I had promised her all the same and I couldn't, no I wouldn't, break my promise.
