Chapter 9
Piper was woken by the harsh blare of sunlight streaming into her room. She reluctantly turned over to find the source of her sudden discomfort.
"Good morning Miss Piper, your mother said you are not to sleep in past 10am- I am sorry to wake you like this".
Stood at the window of Piper's room was Miss Claudette- the family housekeeper. She was a plumb dark lady who had been working for the Chapman family for as long as Piper could remember. Piper was relieved to see that it was her and not her mother. She smiled up at Miss Claudette.
"Thank you Miss Claudette"
The house keeper nodded kindly at Piper before retreating out of the room and gently shutting the door behind her.
Piper looked around her old room, it felt cold and bare without any of her possessions in it. The previous evening she had faced a barrage of questions from her mother about why it was she had decided to return home all of a sudden. Piper had tried to play it down and pretend that she had been feeling homesick but she knew her mother saw through her lies. Piper also knew that she needed to get her head straight fast, there was no way Carol would let her miss more than a days' worth of classes.
Clambering out of her bed, Piper grabbed her phone and realised that it was already 11 o'clock- she smiled fondly realising that Miss Claudette had let her sleep in. She stretched before pulling off her pyjamas and reaching for the ripped jeans and university tee shirt she had stuffed in her backpack the night before.
The house was strangely quiet when Piper walked down the stairs. She turned towards the large kitchen and braced herself for another onslaught of abuse from her mother. Instead she found Miss Claudette flipping pancakes at the stove. They smelt delicious.
"Ah, Miss Piper- just in time. Brunch is served." She smiled as she piled the pancakes onto a plate and placed them in front of Piper.
"My experience tells me that you could do with some pancakes."
Piper grinned and nodded up at Miss Claudette.
"Enjoy" she winked at Piper before returning to the stove to wipe down the surfaces.
Piper's appetite soon returned as she stared at the heap of pancakes in front of her- she grabbed her knife and fork and hungrily attacked the first lot of food she had eaten since her disastrous double date more than 24 hours ago. When Piper finished her pancakes she placed her knife and fork together on the plate- the sound of the clattering cutlery indicated to Miss Claudette that she was finished. Miss Claudette turned around and smiled at the empty plate.
"Your brother is in the garden, Miss Piper"
Piper smiled surprised; "He is?!"
Miss Claudette nodded.
Piper jumped up excitedly before making her way to the French doors at the back of the kitchen and out into the garden. She spotted her younger brother at the bottom of the garden surrounded by wood. Piper smiled before making her way over to him.
Cal lifted his head just before Piper reached him.
"Dude! You're actually back?! I thought Miss Claudette was having one of her funny turns again when she said she heard you last night!"
Piper laughed before hugging Cal.
"What are you doing out here?" Piper asked.
Cal looked at the wood surrounding him; "Isn't it obvious Pipes? I'm building a Hedgehog Hotel"
Piper shook her head laughing, not wanting to question her brother.
"I should really be asking what you're doing here" Cal said raising his eyebrow in a questioning fashion.
Piper sighed before staring down at her feet.
"Come on" Cal said, putting down the piece of wood in his hand.
Piper looked up at him. "Where are we going?"
"For ice cream" Cal said causally.
…
"So are you going to tell me what's really wrong?" Cal asked before putting a heaped spoon of chocolate ice cream into his mouth.
"It's nothing" Piper said.
"Pipes, you willingly left college to come home to our dysfunctional family. It doesn't seem like nothing to me. You don't have to tell me… but you can"
Piper sighed loudly; "Ok fine. I met someone at college."
"Wow Pipes, isn't that what college is for" Cal laughed.
"No," Piper said. "I met someone I like… someone I really like."
Cal scooped more ice cream onto his spoon and nodded. "So what's the problem?"
"I messed it up" Piper said sadly.
"So fix it?" Cal said shaking his head. "You know Pipes for a college student you're not very clever."
"It's not as simple as that Cal."
"Well, I guess it just comes down to whether this person is worth the fight? It's pretty clear that whilst you're here you're accepting that you've lost them- when actually you should be proving to them that you're not willing to just give up."
Piper stopped swirling her ice cream and looked up at her brother. Cal was right, she was sulking and feeling sorry for herself when she should be fighting for Alex. Suddenly Piper had no question about what she wanted. She jumped up.
"Cal you're so right! I should be fighting for her."
Piper's face dropped slightly as she realised that she had just confessed that a girl was the subject of her affection. She scanned her brother's face for a reaction.
Cal just looked back at Piper and smiled.
"Let me finish my ice cream and I'll give you a ride back to college?"
…
Alex was the last to enter the changing room following the pre match warm up. The girls didn't say anything as she approached. Instead of speaking out she made her way over to the docking station that was located in the middle of the changing room. She fiddled around for a few minutes before putting a song on and turning it up loud to block out the noise of the awaiting crowd.
"I don't need to do a big speech today, just listen to the lyrics"
Alex took a seat on one of the benches around the edge of the changing room as Fall Out Boys 'Centuries' started to blare out around the room. As the girls listened their faces grew from questioning to focused.
We'll go down in history, remember me for centuries
When the song came to an end the girls jumped up and starting shouting encouragement to each other.
"Let's do this!" Nicky shouted before patting Alex on the back and leading the way out of the changing rooms.
Alex followed, adrenaline ran through her body as she left the changing rooms and turned left into the tunnel and out into the heart of the stadium. As the team ran out, cheerleaders lined the edge of the pitch, as Alex lifted her hand to wave at the crowd she turned around and saw Polly who glared back at her- this only further ignited the fire in Alex's chest. Alex bellowed at her team mates to gather around, they obliged and created a huddle in the middle of the pitch.
"This is our year okay? We're better, fitter and stronger. Let's leave this pitch knowing that we couldn't have done anymore. Let the show begin!"
The girls put their hands in the middle of the huddle and pulled back yelling "LITCH".
The crowd exploded with sound as the teams set up for the start of the match. Alex put her hands on her hips and shut her eyes as she tilted her head up towards the sky. Nicky looked over and recognised Alex's pre match ritual, when Alex opened her eyes Nicky was still looking at her.
"You good Vause?" she shouted.
Alex put her thumb up to Nicky in return, "Let's do this".
…
"When you chipped the keeper, man that was so fucking sick" Watson said swatting Alex on the arm with every syllable as she followed her into the changing rooms.
"Vause you fucking legend" Nicky yelled as she ran and jumped on Alex's back.
The rest of the team noisily filed into the changing room shouting out praise at each other.
"Ladies!" Bennett yelled as he walked into the centre of the room. He took his cap off his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't think I actually have the words for how awesome this team is anymore" he said shaking his head. "I hope to God that there was a scout out there today- that national team is not going to know what hit it."
The girls cheered, unused to such praise from their coach.
"Party at ours this evening!" Nicky yelled.
"No drinking though please" Bennett yelled over the cheers before shaking his head once more and leaving the changing room.
"Even that couldn't dampen my mood right now!" Nicky smiled at Alex.
…
"Lorna?"
"Piper? Hello?" Lorna shouted.
"Lorna, where are you? You don't sound very clear" Piper pressed the phone harder against her ear trying to figure out what Lorna was saying.
"I'm just walking back from the stadium, it's mayhem here"
"Oh shit, the game," Piper said throwing a hand to her forehead in frustration. Cal looked across at his sister uncertainly before returning his eyes to the road. "Fuck, I completely forgot. How did they do?"
"Oh Piper it was amazing!" Lorna gushed, "They all played so well."
"And Alex?" Piper asked quietly. "How was she?"
"She was played phenomenal Pipes"
Piper smiled proudly down the phone.
"Are you in a car?" Lorna asked inquisitively.
"Oh, yeah! That's why I called Lorn- I'm on my way back. Will you be in when I get back? I wanted to talk to you."
"Yes, of course- I'll wait in for you! See you soon".
Piper hung up the phone and smiled to herself before looking over at her younger brother. "Thanks for this Cal."
"Don't sweat it Pipes, this Alex chick better be worth it."
"Trust me, she is".
…
Piper and Lorna were making their way towards Alex and Nicky's house for the celebration party. Piper was wearing a pale pink lace dress that Lorna had meticulously picked out for her. When Piper had been stood in front of the mirror pinning up her hair Lorna had turned her back and fired a quick text to Nicky.
Lorna: Nick, I'll be there soon- Piper's back and she's coming with me- don't say anything but find Alex.
"Lorna are you sure about this? I'm so nervous."
Lorna spun around and grabbed onto Piper's hands; "Piper Chapman, you snap of it right now!"
Piper struggled to hold in a laugh as Lorna tried her hardest to be serious with her friend.
"There is no way I'm going to let you back out now, come on!" Lorna kept hold of Piper's hand as they continued to walk towards the house. When they reached the house Lorna entered first before smiling over her shoulder at Piper reassuringly.
Piper lifted her head to return Lorna's smile and was met by Polly striding towards her.
"Piper. I didn't know you were back? I think we need to talk, don't you?"
Piper opened her mouth to reply before she caught her first glimpse of Alex over Polly's shoulder. Piper felt her heart beating rapidly, the sound was filling her ears.
"Piper?" Polly asked.
Lorna looked from Polly to Piper questioningly before looking behind Polly and seeing the source of Piper's silence. Lorna was about to jump in and respond when Piper started to walk away. She walked straight past Polly not even looking to her direction- much to Polly's dismay. Piper was walking straight for Alex, who was now stood alongside Nicky watching the approaching blonde. Piper stopped in front of the pair.
"Evening Chapman" Nicky smiled.
"Nicky" Lorna hissed as she grabbed Nicky's arm and pulled her away.
"Hey" Piper said quietly.
"What are you doing here?" Alex asked.
"I came to see you" Piper said, slightly taken aback by Alex's tone. Silence enveloped the pair once again. "Congratulations on the game", Piper added.
"Thanks" Alex said followed by another awkward silence. Alex rolled her eyes, "Look, did you want to go somewhere to talk?"
Piper shook her head. "I can say what I need to say to you here."
Alex looked around warily as people began to notice the awkward encounter between the two girls.
"Ok…" Alex said uncertainly.
Piper sighed. "Okay, look… I'm sorry for the whole double date situation, I was a shitty coward".
Alex smirked slightly at Piper's description of herself before straightening her face again and looking at the floor.
"But then I'm also not sorry... because by being a shitty coward I've managed to figure out what I really want"
Alex looked up from the floor once more and met Piper eyes causing the blonde's heart to flip.
"Which is you… I want you Al"
"You do?" Alex asked, vulnerability evident in her voice.
Piper nodded; "More than I think I've ever wanted anything before".
Alex took a small step towards the blonde before raising her right hand and reaching up towards Piper's face. She softly held the blonde's face before pulling Piper towards her lips. Alex hesitated slightly, looking down into Piper's eyes- which smiled back at her. As their foreheads rested together Piper placed her hand over Alex's before gradually moving her face so that their lips met. People gasped slightly before wolf whistling and cheering at the girls kissing. Piper was no longer aware of anything other than Alex. Their kiss was soft and slow, both girls revelling in the taste of each other.
Lorna and Nicky looked across at each other and high fived.
"I feel like a proud parent" Nicky gushed as she put her arm around Lorna and planted a kiss on top of her head.
When Piper and Alex's lips separated Piper smiled shyly.
"I'm glad you stopped being a shitty coward", Alex said before pulling Piper back into a kiss.
A/N- Okay so I owe you guys an apology for how long this chapter took for me to publish and also for the drama! I promise that this will be all the drama for the while- I hope this chapter lives up to expectations. Any feedback is appreciated as always, I absolutely love hearing what you all think! Finally, thankyou thankyou thankyou for all of your support.. I am LOVING writing this story :D I think you guys are going to really love what I have in mind for the next chaper ;) Big love- C