1Hey guys, thanx for everything! I really appreciate all the reviews and feedback. I'm glad I'm getting new readers too...so here's chapter 10....OMG I'm at chapter 10! LOL kidding sry. Anyways here it is...
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This past 2 weeks have been so great. Except for the weekends that is. I try endlessly to break up with Greg. I don't tell Leo, because I don't want to get his hopes up again, and then just drop them if I flake out.
Which is exactly what happens. I call Greg and plan to meet at the park. I try as best as I can to end it. I just cant.
It seems so easy when it's in my head, but when I come face to face with him, it doesn't come out. Sure it looks like we needed to end it, since things between us have been a little rocky lately, but it's just so hard.
I look back on the past 2 years we were happy, and it pains me to see that end so quickly. He might have been seen a jerk or really obnoxious in other eyes, but underneath it all he was great.
He was sweet, he was caring, he would go out of his way sometimes just to keep me happy. Many other girls wanted him. I remember when I was ecstatic that he asked me out. A lot of the other girls were so envious of me.
It was when I was reflecting, that I finally actualized the fact that I did love him. Not how I thought. Not the way I explained to Leo. But I loved him like we really were still something. I used to just tell him that because I felt I had to.
Never til now did I know that I meant it. But now's to late. I can't show him. I need to end it. For Leo. I love him more, but the scary thing is I've known him not as long. Guess that means it's real.
I can't just let the flame die out overnight though. I don't think it's supposed to work that way. I'll do it. I'll do it soon.
I have to force myself to drift away first, that may be the only way for it to happen.
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Today I get ready, leave usual time, but instead of going to school, I go to Dunkin Donuts.
Leo called last night asking to meet there. I went. Asked to meet again today. At first I told him I can't go a day without my laps because it'd throw my routine off. He finally convinced me that one day wouldn't kill me and I would be just fine without them.
I had also started meeting Denise there, when she could make it. We would race and try to beat our times from before last. It was pretty fun.
Leo tried to bet me he can get discounts. I didn't go for it. I already knew he could. The guy worked there, how could he not.
I pulled up and he was already inside. Sitting there with his stuff and mine. He has his back turned to me. Sometimes I think he does that purposely.
I walk up to him and cover his eyes. "Guess who?" I whisper in his ear.
He smiles. "Hey Brandi." Okay I know he's joking, but of all names. Or people.
I pull his shoulders back. "Who?" He laughs.
I go around the table and sit across from him. He looks at me. I give him the evil eye. "Why do you say her?" I ask.
"I was only kidding." Yeah, sure, try to save yourself.
"I know you were, but you couldn't just make up a name? You had to use her. I'm asking Why?"
"Oh come on baby, don't tell me your mad just because I said her name. I said it because I know you hate her." he says. I don't hate her. I just don't like her.
"What makes you think I hate her? I never said that." I say. Keeping it cool.
He laughs again. "Why try to lie? You know I can see right through it. And you do to hate her because she flirts with me and you get jealous."
Damn. He's right there. She pisses me off when she flirts with him. Of course he never flirts back, but it still bugs me to no end.
"I don't get jealous, I already have you. She just gets me mad when she does it. Not just with you, but with anyone. She is such a tease." I say and look out the window.
"But you admit you hate her?"
"Nope, not hate. I highly dislike her."
He chuckles. "The difference would be?"
"Yours sounds so much harsher than mine."
"Okay sorry. Whatever you say. You ready?" he says checking the time. I look too. It's barely 6:15. Why we leaving so early? I haven't even touched anything in front of me. The donut or my latte.
"Leaving already? I didn't even finish." I say as he gets up.
"You can eat in your car. I wanna show you something." he says throwing his trash away.
"Well then I could have got this when I left. Now it's all cold." I say.
"Piper, your drink is iced, it can't get any colder and those donuts sit there for hours the same temperature. They don't get cold." he points out. True.
"Good point. Where we going?" I ask following him out.
"Somewhere. Just follow me straight down the road." he says walking me to my jeep. I get in and he stands by the door.
"What?" I ask. He's just standing there and I can't close the door til he moves.
"You never said Hi this morning. You just jumped into babbling about Brandi being a flirty tease. I never got a nice hello." he says turning me toward him.
I smile at him, looping my arms around his neck and pulling him to me. "That's your own fault." I say
He wraps his arms around me and pulls me out of my seat. "Well I apologized. Now come here." He covers my mouth with his and pulls me more into him.
He does it the same way every time and I never get tired of it. His arms around me feel like they belong there. Sometimes he goes under my shirt and rubs his hands all over my back and stomach. I stop him when he goes to high.
I know what he's hinting when he does that, but that is the one thing I will not do until me and Greg are over for sure. That certainly wouldn't only feel wrong, but it would be. We've already talked about it and he feels the same way. He just keeps pushing me to get over and Greg haven't done it since he left for that trip to Texas, but still yet, it wouldn't be right. I have wanted to do it with Leo, but I just can't tell Greg. I feel so confident and then I fall. I hate myself for that.
He does that now. His hands stray up my sides. They move slowly over and I put my arms down. "Leo..." I say out of breathe.
He moves them down slowly. "I know . I'm sorry. But come on, can you blame me?"
I shake my head. "No I can't. I'm hot, I know that." Then we laugh.
"Yes you are." He kisses me again and pushes me back into my seat. "So just follow me. It's right down that street." he points. I nod.
He runs to his blue neon and we leave. He pulls out and heads up that street, wherever it goes. I follow as told. I don't know what's so great to see when we get there.
We pull up to this small secluded area. I park next to him and get out. "What is this?" I ask looking around.
"It's our spot now." he says and takes my hand, leading me down a small path hard to see. We walk in and around many bushes and trees. It's like a forest maze or something.
Finally we come out in a huge clear area of an old abandoned park. The merry-go-round is broken, the swings are rusted, the slide is tipped over and the monkey bars could probably come tumbling down at any moment.
I look around and look back at him. "Our spot?" I ask.
"Yeah. It's small, it's secluded, no one knows this place is still here. It's perfect for us to come and be alone." he says placing an arm around my shoulder.
"How did you find it if no one knows it's still here?" I ask. All I have are questions for him.
"Well once we moved here, my mom asked to pick some stuff up for her at the store. I got lost on my way and stopped up there, where we parked, to try and make my way back into town. Something sort of made me want to take a walk so I did. I was about to turn around when I slipped and came rolling this way. Since then, I've been coming here just to get away." he says.
"Oh." I is all I say.
"Come on sweetie, it's what we need. At least until you finally decide to..." I nod.
"I know. But...are you sure, I mean sure, sure. No one comes here anymore? And I what happens if someone goes cruising by and recognizes our cars? I agree it's perfect, but we can't take that chance, can we?" I face him.
"Piper, I've been coming here since we got here almost 6 months ago. So far no one else has come or asked questions." he sounds so reassuring, but I'm still not sure.
"And the cars. If someone recognizes them?" I add. I have that gut feeling.
"So we'll come in mine. There isn't anyone who drives by here and hasn't already seen it. They wont bother us."
"I don't know, Leo. It doesn't feel right." I say.
"Or maybe we could just let everyone see them both and see who decides to be nosy first. Let's say on the off chance it's him. He'll finally see what's been going on and save you the small talk. The word will get around and make it easier for you not to have to tell anyone. There's always a plan B." he says.
Now I'm annoying him. He always pulls this when I don't agree with him or when he gets fed up. Not that he isn't. For a second, I actually think he has a point. Then I don't consider his Plan B as much.
Word will get around all right. Greg is free. Word is Piper had been cheating on him since this year with that new Leo Wyatt guy. What a slut. Poor Greg. I see it in the halls now. Of course that's not the truth, but what's a rumor without the exaggeration right?
"Fine." I say.
He spins around fast. His eyebrows shoot up and his eyes go wide "Seriously?"
"Seriously. Not you plan B, but I mean about this being our spot. I can't lie. It really is perfect." I say.
He smiles big thanks me for agreeing. "I love you." he hugs me. Maybe this would work. I hope so.
We make out until my phone alarm goes off. It's set to 6:45. That way I now when to leave the gym in time to make it to my locker than to class.
"Shit. I am so late." I say running back up the path, pulling him along. I don't know if I'm going the right way, but I must be since he hasn't said I wasn't.
"Just skip it." he says, slacking behind.
"Leo you don't know my mother or the teachers who know me. I have a reputation. Top of that, I don't skip." I look at my phone "Under that, never late."
"First time for everything." He says following me to my car. Of course he wouldn't be in a hurry. He faked the morning class.
I chuckle. He clearly doesn't know my mother. "Not this, sorry. I gotta go." I say jumping into the jeep. He steals one more kiss and I speed off.
By the time I get there, were already ten minutes into class. Not bad, but still not good. I walk in as best as I can trying not to be noticed. Failed.
Once the door opens everyone looks. I apologize to them for interrupting whatever it is I was supposed to be doing too. They all look back down at their papers. Mr. Walker finger motions me to go to his desk.
"Miss Halliwell, care to explain where you've been?" he says.
"Sorry Sir. I had a late night. Real late." I don't know what to tell him. I'm sorry. I was just out seeking new landscape to hide from my boyfriend at. So what's the assignment? That sound good?
"We all have those nights, don't we? They say never try what you can't pull off. (Who says that?) That's advice, take it. Now get in your seat and open up your workbook. Page 23, essay question number 5. Go." I turn to leave.
"Oh Piper," I turn back "Next time your this late, don't bother entering at all." Now that, I have heard before.
I get to my desk and pull out my work. I set up and pull out my phone. '10 mins. I blame u.' I send him. He replies 'LOL. Y blame me? U cld hve lft earlier. Nt my fault I cnt b let go of easily!'
I smile to myself. 'Dnt flatter urself. JK. C u l8er. xoxo luv u' then I get to work.
After class, Leah comes up to me at my locker. "Where were you last night? She asks like the question demands an answer.
At Dunkins with Leo. "Oh yea about that. I'm so sorry. I just got really tired last night and I fell asleep. I was gonna call, but I didn't get around to it. Obviously."
"Yeah, yeah. It's alright. Kirsten showed anyway. How bout this morning? I mean ten minutes is not like you." she smiles.
Tell me something I don't know. "I know. Tell me about it. I overdid my laps again. I was concentrating so hard, I lost track of time." I say as nonchalant as it can sound.
She looks down. Something's wrong. "Piper, we've never lied to each other before. A few fibs here and there, but never lies. Why start now?"
Because I'm not who I used to be. "What are you talking about? I really did loose track of time." not a complete lie.
"Bullshit Piper." I look at her confused "Leah..."
"Your new friend, Denise?, Yeah she came up to me looking for you this morning. Said you missed your laps and coach wanted to talk to you. I thought maybe you just slept in, didn't sound like you, but what else would you be doing at 6am. So I called your house. Your mom told me you left regular time. Then I knew that wasn't the deal." she says in a yelling whisper.
I look down, busted for the first time. I look at her. "I'm s–"
"Sorry?" well let me finish "About when? This morning or last night?" I look at her in disbelief.
"Yeah busted there too. After you didn't show, I called your house again. Sam answered, said you were out with Greg. I thought alright fine, I'll call Kirsten. Little after that, Greg shows up. 'I was looking for Piper' he says. He said he went to your house. Your mom answered the door and said you were with us. I have no idea what possessed me to cover for you when I didn't even know what was going on myself, but I did. I told him you had just left, you weren't feeling good. Tell me how you did that."
There's a true friend. Covering for reasons she don't even know to save my ass. I look up. "Did what?"
"Oh you know that trick where everyone got different information without finding out they were all being lied to. I figured just to put it all off. 'She's my best friend, she'll tell me what was really going on' I thought. Now I stand here get shit on." she says.
Plan B or Truth? "Leah, I really am sorry. Just please give me a chance. Tonight at Dil's Diner. 6 o'clock. I'll explain everything."
She looks away and nods. "No more games Piper. I'll tell you what other tracks you didn't cover. You know I wont tolerate lying in anyone. But you always have a second chance. You're my better half. Now don't make me regret saying that." she says and walks away.
Lying, she wont tolerate. Lying and cheating. Hates them both. How will she like my news? Can I even tell her the truth? Plan B sits in the back of my head. Waiting to be put into play. I won't let it. I'm gonna do this right. If not try to.
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I enter Dil's Diner at 6 as planned and walk straight up to Leah. She's sitting at a booth in the back. Why is it that when I make plans to meet with someone, they always beat me?
"Hey." I say. How do I even start it off?
"Well you don't have to act like were barely meeting for the first time." she replies. It makes me laugh. I missed her. I only see it now.
"So what's up?" I ask.
"Well actually I was the one told to be here, not the other way around. I'm thinking you should ask yourself what's up." she smiles. That's fair.
I take a deep breathe. "Okay, I'm just gonna come out and say it alright." I say. She nods. Please understand...
"Well..." she says. I put my head down and get ready to explain.
"I've been seeing someone else. There's the reason for all the ditching, the missed phone calls, the tardiness, all of it. He's the reason. I just can't find the way to tell Greg. I love them both, Lee. I love Leo more, but I can't stand to see Greg hurt because of me. I'm sorry for all the lying. I'm sorry for all the games. Just please say your on my side and be there for me like you always have been. Help me get through this and turn everything okay again. I don't wanna loose you Leah. I need you."
I look up at her, but there's no one to look at.
I told her...in my head. I guess I can scratch out number 1 in my 'People to Tell' list. I chose her first because I felt her to be the most understanding and supportive. If I couldn't even handle her, why try the rest?
Plan B...
****************************************************************************** Well there goes her best friend. She's trying her best. A lot harder than it may seem. Everyone has their expectations. When you can't live up to them, they walk out on you. But hey, there's always Plan B... (Review!!)