Christmas breakfast wasn't as bad as regular breakfasts, they could actually choose what they wanted to have.
Alex chose pancakes because it was what she always had with her mom, Nicky went with –insipid oatmeal and Big Boo had scrambled eggs.
Lorna and Piper where nowhere to be found.
Alex was still shaking, extremely nervous about the outcome of the recent events. And she couldn't eat for she was scared but happy at the same time, and it showed on her face but Nicky didn't say a word.
In fact neither was talking at all.
Alex had fucked things up with Piper, Nicky let Lorna friendzone her again and Big Boo discovered that she was attracted to Tiffany, as weird as that may sound. So they all felt relieved when Poussey and Taystee asked if they could sit with them because they had a fight with the others.
"Yeah, of course."
"Don't even ask" they answered because they would make things a lot less awkward when the others arrived.
"It actually smells nice in here, for a change –"
"Man, and wait for dinner! I really love Christmas!" Poussey said enthusiastically.
"Calm down, it's not like we're getting presents or anything" Alex told her in a flat tone.
"Jeez, I know, but that's not the important part of Christmas, I love presents, but the nice thing about it –" she stopped mid-sentence because Brook entered the cafeteria, walking decidedly and with her face lifted, smiling slightly.
When Poussey didn't finish her sentence, everyone turned to look at her and noticed what or who she was looking at.
"Don't bother." Big Boo said annoyed.
"What?" Poussey asked her.
"She won't put out." Boo said matter-of-factly.
"Wow. I don't-"
"If you really like her, go and talk to her, dumbass." Taystee said shaking her head to Big Boo and turning to look Poussey in the eye.
"What's the worse that could happen?" Poussey ventured.
Both Nicky and Alex snorted and started laughing but stopped abruptly because Lorna entered walking slowly and whispering things with Piper who looked like she could kill anyone.
They went to get their breakfasts while Poussey walked all the way to Brooke's table, sat down across her and smiled sweetly.
"Uhm… hello." Brooke said shyly but smiled nonetheless.
"Hey." Poussey said dumbly.
"Look at that dork." Taystee said smiling from ear to ear.
"She looks really nervous" Piper commented while sitting down farthest from Alex but looking at her when she said those words.
"Yeah, but I have to admit she's brave." Taystee chirped proudly.
"Yeah, she is. I hope she doesn't get her heart broken." Alex commented to no one.
Piper felt that that comment was directed particularly towards her, but didn't say a thing, she just continued eating, still thinking about what just happened.
She wanted to tell Nicky everything because she was sure that the lion haired girl was the right person to help her out. So when Poussey returned for her tray to take it to Brooke's table all happy and cheerful, she stood up, walked to Nicky and whispered in her ear: "I need to talk to you. Like. ASAP."
Nicky was watching Alex while she pretended to not see the exchange in front of her and just nodded to Piper.
She excused herself and told the others that they definitely had to meet outside in a couple of hours for a snow battle and followed Piper out of the cafeteria, still holding her mug of chocolate
"What happened, blondie? Did Alex took advantage of you?" Nicky said joking when they arrived to the theater, but nearly spit her drink because Piper was crimson red from her neck all the way up to her ears.
With wide eyes and open mouth she told Piper "Are you fucking kidding me?"
"…"
"How could-? Things escalated quickly…" she waited for Piper to say something.
"Yes, we did… stuff, but I couldn't say that she took advantage of me. Not per se." Piper said cautiously, watching the door all the time to check that no one heard her.
And Piper told Nicky everything that happened, except obviously the details, and stressed the importance of what was going to happen next.
"Do you like her?" Nicky asked with her moronic grin.
"I don't even know, Nicky! For God's sake. I guess the only thing I can assess right now, put on Katy Perry's words is: I kissed a girl and I like it" Piper yelled the last part.
"Great, I think the boys didn't hear you back in their building." Nicky laughed.
Great! She practically has sex with me and goes after Nicky. Alex bitterly thought and from the moment they left the cafeteria, Alex couldn't help but be sulky and annoyed at everything and everyone.
Lorna was humming and smiling peacefully while eating her breakfast and that made Alex angry.
"Why are you so happy?" She spat at Lorna
The shorter girl stopped smiling and turned to look at Alex. She knew part of the story because Piper told her that she had figured out that Alex wasn't flirting with her to annoy her but because she really liked her and Lorna made Piper say that she kinda liked her too but wasn't sure if it was that way, so she just grimaced and said:
"Don't be jealous, Vause. Nicky wouldn't do that to you. First, I know she wants me, and second, Piper doesn't like her." Lorna winked at her and stood up to go to her room to prepare for the upcoming snow fight.
"Piper doesn't like who?" Taystee asked, not because she really cared, but because she loved gossip and was bored because Poussey replaced her this morning and she was talking with Boo, who apparently was boring.
"Piper doesn't like Vause." Boo said venomously.
"Shut up, you don't know anything." Alex said hurt and stood up too. She knew that Boo was just playing with her, but what she said really got her.
|1234567890'
"Hey, Morello." Alex knocked on her room.
"Yes, Vause." Lorna answered from inside. "Come in."
Alex opened the door and found Lorna putting on red lipstick.
"Why did you say those things back in the cafeteria?" Alex said straightforwardly.
"Because that's the truth and I know you like Chapman." Morello said sympathetically.
"Fuck." The tall brunette said while sitting on Nicky's bed. "I'm so fucked."
"I'm sorry, but I think you are, because as far as I know, Chapman is straight." Lorna said because she didn't have a clue about what happened.
Alex felt a knot in her throat and a thousand blades going through her heart at once. She wanted to scream and cry her eyes out and Lorna noticed.
"I'm really sorry, Vause." She felt like crying too and sat down beside Alex to hug her.
"I… I better stop this now." Before it's too late.
Who am I kidding it IS too late.
"Maybe it will be difficult at first, but when you get over it, you can be friends. Look at Nicky and me. She loves me, but she knows it can't happen, and we're still friends." She said calmly.
And that's fucking killing her. Alex thought. But realized that Morello was right. She needed to get over Piper, because as much as it hurt to admit, what happened between them was caused by Alex and obviously just because Piper was curious.
"Thank you." Vause said broken hearted and stood up, walking towards the door. She decided the best thing to do was just ignore the feeling and stop talking to Piper. For good.
"If you can't correspond her like she wants, you better stop, you need to stay away from her for a little bit, until she calms down." Nicky muttered, already feeling sad for her brunette friend.
"But I like being her friend. I really like her and I love her because she's my friend, I couldn't be apart too long because she makes me feel happy." Piper said sadly.
Nicky knew that it was a matter of time for Piper to come to the conclusion that she was actually in love with Alex, and she knew that being apart would work, because Piper was going to miss her. The problem was Alex, because knowing her friend, the moment she decided to walk away, she'd really walk away even if it hurt to death.
"I know, but she needs this. If you care about her, you know what the right thing is." The shorter blonde sighed.
Around noon, visits started coming and Piper was relieved to see her parents and his brothers. She felt better when she talked to both Cal and Danny because they kept joking.
Carol and Bill Chapman bought presents for their children and brought them to Litchfield. They gave Cal a new PSP and Piper received a new iPhone. And Piper asked her parents to buy her presents for her friends.
They were happy and everything but Piper decided that she needed the experience of someone older, so she bravely decided to tell Danny everything and ask him for his opinion.
"Mom, dad, would it be okay if I talk to Danny outside?" Piper asked politely.
"No, of course not, honey, go ahead." Bill said smiling.
Danny was perplexed but followed Piper to the grounds.
The sun was there in the sky but it was cold and everything was covered in snow. It smelled really nice, the smell of the trees covered in snow and the mist that formed.
Danny was enjoying the view, waiting for his sister to talk.
"I… I need your help." Piper blurted out.
December 24, 9 p.m.
"… and so I'm glad to be with you girls." Professor Reznikov was finishing her speech and they were all gathered in the cafeteria, about to enjoy a decent dinner.
The whole Foster Home was decorated according to the day, but the cafeteria was the prettiest hall because it had candles and fake hoarfroast, mistletoe hanging secretly here and there by some girls because it wasn't clearly part of the original decoration. And of course they had a big Christmas tree in the front, adorned with bright flashing color lights and ornaments. The top was adorned with a plastic shooting star instead of the classic angel.
The cafeteria smelled like home. Nuances of scents mixing with each other, creating a really cozy environment. Everyone was happy, about to start dinner.
Everyone but Piper, because she was trying to catch Alex's eyes and she kept avoiding her, but most of all because Alex was sitting down on Stella's table and it was the weirdest thing on earth.
Piper was about to faint because, although she had noticed that Alex was purposefully ignoring her, she wasn't even close to prepared to what her eyes were seeing: Alex seemed uneasy but was trying hard to flirt with Stella.
And Stella was flirting back.
A/N: Big, giant apologies for the massive delay.