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Prompts October 22 - November 7: Prompt 9. "Stop it! You're embarrassing me!"

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Warning for a bit of fluff, and a slight bit out of character. Word count is 1,233 words. I hope you all enjoy the first in this series of one shots called The Young Piper Series.

Piper felt like hiding under one of the desks. Of all the times her mother could have picked to take an interest in her life, she chose now. On Piper's first day at a new school.

"It must get pretty lonely sitting at home grading papers all the time," Aphrodite said, sliding her hand up Piper's first period English teacher's arm.

Mr. Palmalmouse had the decency to look shocked and try to pull his arm away from her. Piper didn't know the man well but she could swear that her mother definitely wasn't his type. Not at all.

"Mrs. McLean, we are here to discuss Piper's education," Mr. Palmalmouse said, grey eyes widening in fear as her mother's hand brushed his. He had the decency to wait until her mother's back was turned to quickly squirt some hand sanitizer into his palm and rub them together. "I have to say that I'm surprised that your daughter is in a school for troubled children. Her grades are good. She seems to be very respectful. The sort of children that go here aren't as respectful as she is."

"I'm not Mrs. McLean," Aphrodite said, staring at the man stonily. "I don't understand what you are trying to say. Why would you think that I'm married to Tristan?"

"Mom," Piper hissed quietly, trying to get her mother's attention.

"I'm sorry, Miss…."

"Aphrodite," the goddess said, smiling in an overly friendly way. "I insist."

"Alright then, Aphrodite," Mr. Palmalmouse said, a lock of his sandy blond hair falling into his eyes. "Are there financial problems at home? Or some other reason that Piper can't afford to go to a school more suited to her intellect…."

Aphrodite stopped frozen in her tracks. She stared at Piper like a deer trapped in the headlights. One that couldn't believe that it wasn't cute enough not to be hit. She seemed to be pleading with Piper to help her.

"My father feels that it would be better for me to be around people who are…." She didn't know what to say either. If she told the truth about why she was here, she ruined yet another good first impression she'd made on a teacher. She could use her power of persuasion but that was what had gotten her in trouble, to begin with.

"Piper's father and I only thought that putting her into a school such as your fine institution here would be more helpful to Piper's learning," Aphrodite said, looking to Piper for approval of the lie that they were telling. "Your pamphlet said that you specialize in teaching children with learning disorders. Such as ADD and ADHD. Which might I point out that Piper does have."

"I was not aware that Piper had any learning disabilities, Miss….Aphrodite," Mr. Pamalmouse said, gulping as Aphrodite pushed the stray bit of hair that was still in his eyes out of the way. "It is true that Easton Edge has a wonderful reputation for helping children with learning disorders. Although we are well aware that this is not the extent of Piper's troubles. Although sometimes we find that children do tend to act out when they don't understand something."

Piper mentally facepalmed as the teacher said the same preamble that they all said. She knew the speech by heart by now. They'd start off with the sometimes we find that children do tend to act out when they don't understand something line. Then they'd go off on a tangent listing off things could possibly be causing the child to act out. Like the parent didn't know what was happening with the child at all. Which in this case would be accurate.

"Was Mr. McLean unable to attend this meeting?" Mr. Pamalmouse said, looking hopeful.

"Tristan was busy with work so he asked me to step in," Aphrodite said, smiling widely and trying to flirt with Mr. Pamalmouse who at this point Piper was pretty sure was gay. "Are claiming that our daughter is trying to act out because of something we did?"

"Do you and Mr. McLean spend a lot of time with Piper?"

"I don't see what business that is of yours," Aphrodite said, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at the man.

"My parents do spend time with me," Piper cut in, knowing that Aphrodite probably wouldn't let this go. "We do a lot of things together."

"Yeah," said Aphrodite, knowing full well that it was a lie either way. "Are you saying that I'm a bab mother, Mr. Pamalmouse?"

"Now, Miss…."

"I've been with my daughter every day since she was born," Aphrodite said, seeming to get taller and taller by the second. "Even if she didn't know I was with her. I have been with her through every scrape and jam that she has gotten into. You have no right to judge me or Tristan for our parenting skills. Who are you to judge anyone…"

Piper could see that several other students and their parents were looking at them as they milled around the classroom. She could feel a blush rising in her cheeks. Great, she thought. The first day of a new school and already I'm singled out as a freak.

Aphrodite was still tearing into Mr. Pamalmouse when Piper couldn't take it any longer. She needed to get her mother to stop yelling at the teacher. She didn't want to be considered the mama's girl that had to have her mommy fight her battles for her.

"Mom, stop it!" Piper said, cheeks now blazing red. "You're embarrassing me!"

Aphrodite stopped her rant and looked around at all the wide-eyed parents and students. She then looked at Piper whose face was redder than she'd ever felt it go before. She seemed to deflate upon seeing Piper's reaction.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking at Piper. "I think I'd better go before I mess anything else up."

Piper watched as her mother walked over to her desk and picked up the purse she'd left there. Then she headed towards the door without a backward glance.

"That lady's cool," said a short Latino boy with curly brown hair, standing next to her. "Is that your Mom?"

Piper had never heard her mother referred to as cool before. Then again, she rarely got to see her mother, and when she did it always ended with Piper embarrassed.

"You think so?" she asked, watching the boy out of the corner of her eye. Something felt familiar and safe about him. Like they were alike in a way.

"I do."

Piper excused herself from the boy, whose name was Leo as she found out later, and ran towards the hallway. Just as her mother was about to turn the corner, she called out for the goddess to wait for her.

"Piper, I'm sorry about embarrassing you in there…"

"Thank you, Mom," Piper said, hugging her mother.

"You're welcome." She looked behind Piper at someone standing in the doorway. "Keep that young man close. He's going to be very special to you one day. I can see it, you know?"

Piper nodded. "I know." She hugged her mother once before the woman disappeared like that. She knew she probably wasn't going to be seeing her anytime soon but it was nice that she cared enough to come to visit for Piper's first day of school. Even if Piper hadn't thought that earlier.

I hope you all enjoyed the first installment of the Young Piper Series as much as I enjoyed writing it.