A/N: Okay, a million apologies. This took really long. I promise I have a really good explanation in the bottom author's note. I hope you enjoy it in spite of its tardiness.
Chapter Nine
Piper's POV
I was sitting at my desk staring at the textbook that was open in front of me. I had a big test coming up in two days. I was barely halfway through the study guides. Between soccer practice and all of the drama with Christian, I was lucky to even be managing my schoolwork.
You understanding any of this? I looked down at my phone to see a text from Danny. I need help! :/
I sighed. I understood it, but I was so tired I couldn't even focus. I typed out a quick reply. Not really. LOL I think I'm broken :p I looked at my phone display. It was almost eleven at night, and if I knew anything I knew that I would get a parent checkup in three...two…
I looked over as my dad knocked on the open door. "You still studying?"
Nah, teacher's just a hardnose, doesn't think we have lives. Forget hitting the books, I'm hitting the sack. Beach tomorrow?
I rolled my eyes. I have practice.
And I repeat, are you an automaton? Night Pip, don't work too hard! :p
"Piper?" Dad walked over, leaning to inspect the textbooks. "What is this, elvish?"
I shook my head. "Calc."
"Same thing isn't it?" He perched himself on my bed. "It's late. You should get some sleep kiddo."
As if to mock me, a yawn rose up in my throat. "Can't… test is in two days. I still haven't finished the study guides."
He raised an eyebrow. "I'll talk to Mom. Maybe you should skip soccer practice tomorrow."
"No!" I shook my head. "No I can handle it Dad, I swear."
He shook his head as he began to walk towards the door. "You are your mother's daughter, did I ever tell you that?"
I rolled my eyes. "Night Dad."
"Try to get some sleep okay?" He turned off the hall light as he walked down the hall to their bedroom.
I continued to work, not even really focusing on the clock, but by the time one o'clock hit, I had fallen asleep on top of my textbooks.
My alarm was blaring and I blinked, realizing I still sat at my desk.
"Piper's awake!" I heard my sister shouting which of course caused me to bolt upright and hit my head.
"Damn it!"
Rory's face curled in sympathy. "Were you sleep workin'?
"Dunno." My voice came out slurred with exhaustion.
"Daddy's not gonna be happy."
I stood following her out of the bedroom. "Don't remind me."
The first thing I noticed when we got downstairs is that James and Dad were nowhere to be seen, and Mara and Mom sat at the table. I was almost relieved, almost, until Mom put her coffee cup down and looked right at me.
"Dad took James to school already. I kept your breakfast warm." There was nothing out of the ordinary in that sentence, but the look she gave me was enough to send my gaze to my feet.
"Thanks." I sat at the table poking at the food on my plate, taking occasional bites but tasting none of it. I was already five minutes late. Classes didn't actually start for another fifteen minutes, but I always tried to get to school early leaving with Dad, so that I could make sure I had everything in order.
"You alright?" I met Mara's gaze. She was looking at me curiously.
"Yeah." I nodded. "I'm fine."
"You didn't get any sleep did you?" Mara asked.
I shrugged, a yawn answering the question for me.
"Today's going to be interesting for you." She shook her head. "Good luck."
Raina's POV
I was sitting outside the classroom waiting for our teacher to arrive as I thumbed through the Robert Frost poem we had to read as part of our homework. I couldn't even focus on the words. My mind was still outside the Church. I had seen my sister Rachel. I hadn't seen or spoken to her in two years, not since I had gotten kicked out. I couldn't. I knew it would bring up nothing but trouble. I had made my choice. "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both…" Great, even my homework was mocking me.
"Raina!" I turned to see Anabella, Annie. Annie and I had met during my first week at Anchor Beach and we clicked pretty quickly. "You okay?"
I nodded giving a small smile. "Yeah,"
Annie didn't seem convinced. "You sure?"
I reached for her hand. "I'm fine I promise." I was still confused about what to do about Rachel, but I didn't want to worry her.
"You doing anything after school today?" Annie asked. "I don't really wanna go home."
"I'll ask Lena if you can come by for dinner."
"Did you talk to them yet?" Annie began worrying her bottom lip. "Do they know….? About us I mean?"
This was another concern. I still hadn't told Stef and Lena that I liked girls. I knew I was probably panicking over nothing, but I'd lived one horror story already. I didn't want to chance another. Theirs were the first place I'd felt safe in a long time.
"Did you tell Zack?" I fired back with another question.
Annie sighed. "Will you… please?"
"Yes." I gave a weak smile. There was no way around this. I couldn't keep it from them. I couldn't do that to Annie. I couldn't do that to Stef and Lena, and I couldn't keep lying to myself.
Gabby's POV
"You almost ready?" Dad tapped on my open bedroom door. After I had gotten ready, I had sat on my bed and continued staring at the photo trying to piece it together. It had kept my attention all night through dinner, and even through breakfast this morning. "What do you keep staring at, a love letter?"
I blinked looking up and shaking my head. "No!"
"I forgot, they don't do those anymore." Dad laughed. "Is it a love status?"
I screwed up my face. "Ugh, god! It's not a love anything."
"So Papa and I don't have to threaten any guys then?" Dad almost looked disappointed. "That's a shame. Alright, lets have it." Dad sat next to me on the bed.
"I found it outside the dance studio." I held out the photo. "Did Danny tell Papa?"
The photo showed a young boy with the same dusty brown hair as Uncle Danny. His hands were on the shoulders of a young girl, a few years younger. They stood in front of a house next to two men and a woman with the same green eyes as the children. The whole family was grinning. A sign on the lawn read SOLD.
"I…" Dad's eyes widened. "I'll let him know."
"Dad…" I looked at him. "Don't tell Danny. I want to ask him myself."
"I won't, but I can't make any promises for Papa." Dad nodded.
"Can't you make sure?"
"It's his job Gabby." Dad squeezed my shoulder. "School time. Hurry up."
A/N: Alright, so Piper was up late with homework and is going to school exhausted, Raina is considering coming out to Stef and Lena about her relationship with Annie, who was submitted by LovesMonster and Gabby told Connor about the photo she found which may provide a clue to Danny's past.
On an apology note: I'm so sorry my updating has been crazy. I actually received a few concerned reviews on other stories. I just started my second year of college and I'm going for an English degree which involves a lot of extra writing and reading so my full length fanfics have kind of been pushed to the side. I posted a tentative update schedule on my profile.
On a business/story note: I still need some recurring characters for later storylines. Stars by the ones I need asap. Just PM me and I'll send a form.
*1) Swim Coach
*2) Some wrestling team guys about 3. (14-17) At least one should be friends with Lucas, at least one should have a mean streak. At least one should be manipulative.
3)Two lawyers male or female that work in the foster system.
*4) Two social workers that work with Jude, at least one should be a bit crooked. male or female.
5) A judge that works in the foster system, male or female
*6) A young male police officer in his mid to late twenties could be straight or bi
*7) A priest in the Church Raina attends
On a fun note: I got a suggestion from AnaHalls to make a oneshot collection companion to this story with some additional background on characters, past or present situations and maybe even some future scenarios to give you all some extra tidbits and answer some lingering questions about characters you may be curious about, and to kind of help me orient their backgrounds a bit more. It will be called Family Album:With Arms Wide Open Oneshots. I will be taking requests, and who knows maybe it will be a nice bonus if I can't always update this as fast as I'd like. :)