Chapter 30: Time for exams
They replied to Smith as soon as they could and accepted their reserved spots. Still both were very excited to be able to experience this new part of their lives together.
They however did not have much time to dwell in that happiness as it was time for their final exams soon and they really needed to start studying. Alex and Piper had asked Polly if they wanted to study together and help each other out if someone had a problem somewhere. Polly quickly agreed and asked if she could bring a friend. Neither Alex nor Piper had any problem with that and soon they net in their group of four to study together. Polly and Vanessa had couple classes together and were both in the volleyball team.
"So, where do we start?" Polly asked after everyone introduced themselves.
"Well, our maths exam is the first. Why don't we start with that?" Piper suggested.
"Okay. If we have to." Polly gave back, maths obviously not being her favourite subject.
"Do you have a better suggestion?" Piper looked at her trying to figure out if her unwillingness was serious.
"No. It's okay, let's start with that. I'll be happy once we're done with maths." Polly said.
"Well, we'll all be happy once exams are through." Alex threw in.
"Oh definitely." everyone agreed.
They started with some exercises their teachers had given them to prepare. While everyone worked silently on finding the right solution and solution path Vanessa kept looking up and glanced at Alex quite regularly which of course didn't go unnoticed by Piper. Soon all four of them were done and started comparing what they had as answer to the exercise.
„Wow. Clever way to get there!" Vanessa said after Alex had explained her solution path, for Piper's liking in a way too flirty tone and she couldn't help but give Vanessa a warning glare which Vanessa unfortunately didn't even notice. They went on with more exercises and discussions about which was the right way to solve the task. Vanessa kept flirting with Alex and Piper got more and more annoyed but didn't say anything yet to not cause a scene and also because Alex didn't react to it at all.
Polly of course noticed what was going on and was curious how this would go on. Not that much later they decided to take a break.
"I'm gonna step out for a bit. Anyone wanna join?" Vanessa said with a bit too hopeful look towards Alex.
"Nah, I think I'm gonna stay here." Alex said and everyone noticed the slight disappointment on Vanessa's face that she tried to hide but failed.
"Me too." Piper said.
"I'll come outside with you." Polly said and got up.
Outside Polly eventually decided to ask Vanessa about what she was up to.
"Ness, what do you think you're doing in there?" Polly asked.
"What? Is it wrong to flirt a little when I meet someone I'm interested in?" she defended herself.
"Well, let me explain why this is a problem. Piper is one of my best friends. And I'm friends with Alex too. And I might have missed to explain that they are together, I guess. So if you keep those flirty comments up like that, I wouldn't be surprised if Piper freaked out at some point soon. I know she held it in so far, but I don't know how long her self-restraint is gonna stay like that. I'd like to ask you to not make this awkward and stop with the flirting. I can promise you, you won't have a chance with Alex." Polly explained to her.
"Ah, okay. I wondered why Piper gave me those mean stares." Vanessa giggled.
"And that didn't stop you already?" Polly asked surprised.
"I like a challenge." Vanessa just said and went back in. Polly was taken aback by her friends behaviour a little but hoped she could behave herself better now.
The group went back to their routine of doing exercises and comparing their solutions and against Polly's expectation Vanessa didn't stop with the flirting, if at all it got worse. Not long and Piper would probably explode and tell her off. Alex noticed the same and thought it was better if she put Vanessa in her place than having Piper lose her temper and be in a bad mood for the rest of the day.
"Listen, Vanessa. Before we go over to the next exercise. If you want to stay part of this study group you're going to have to stop flirting with me. If you haven't noticed, I'm not interested. So stop trying. I am happily committed in a relationship with Piper. If you can't accept that then don't come back to this study group." Alex told her emphatically.
"Okay. I'm sorry. No risk, no reward, right?" Vanessa played cool. Polly just looked at her unbelievingly.
"It's not like I told you." Polly mumbled but loud enough for Piper to hear.
"What was that? You told her?" Piper said incredulously. "So you knew we were together and still kept flirting like that?" she couldn't hold back anymore.
"What? Obstacles never stopped me from pursuing what I want." Vanessa said almost nonchalant.
"While I think that's a good attitude in most cases you might want to get your priorities between behaving yourself and going there no matter the cost straight. Now get out. I don't want you in this study group anymore!" Piper pushed out furiously. She tried not to loose her temper completely and stay within reason, but Vanessa made it pretty hard.
"You know what? This was bullshit anyway. I don't need this." Vanessa shouted as she collected her things and left.
"I can't believe this. How rude." Piper exclaimed after she was gone.
Polly and Alex both had anxiously watched the scene unfold and were quite entertained if they were honest.
"I have to agree. I didn't expect that." Polly was the first to speak. "I talked to her about it while we were outside. And told her to stop it and…"
"It's okay. And I mean I don't blame her, but she should have stopped after being told to stop the first time." Piper said.
"To judge from the looks you were giving her you weren't as relaxed about it even before Polly said something." Alex chuckled.
"Well, you're gorgeousness in person, so it would be a surprise if no one noticed that. I'd totally try my best if I wasn't your girlfriend already." Piper reasoned. "And especially as I am your girlfriend I don't have to like anyone else flirting with you."
"Oh wow. So what would you try if you weren't my girlfriend already?" Alex wanted to know.
"Well I'm gonna leave before I throw up. See you guys tomorrow." Polly threw in and left after collecting her stuff.
"Ups. For a second I forgot she was still here." Piper said giggling and blushed a little. "Well I'd definitely do something thought through, to make sure it'd impress you. I can't tell you anything specific right now."
„Oh, and I thought you had a plan already." Alex teased.
"Why should I have a plan of how to get you to be my girlfriend if you already are?" Piper gave back.
"True. Just hypothetically, if we weren't together and you'd want me to go out with you. What would you do?" Alex asked curiously.
"You won't let go, will you?" Piper looked at her amused. "Well, if we hadn't grown up together like we did and we'd met at school or somewhere else I'd probably look for something we could talk about, try to find out what you liked or so and maybe at some point try to gather all my courage and ask you if you wanted to go out with me."
"And I'd totally say yes to you asking me that." Alex replied and smiled at her.
"I'd be mad if you wouldn't." Piper replied, looked at Alex and pulled her closer to kiss her.
"By the way, the way you put her in her place was quite hot." Alex whispered in her ear and Piper was turned on immediately.
"Yeah, maybe I should lose my temper more often." she laughed.
"Mhm." Alex pulled her girlfriend in further so Piper now sat on her lap and kissed her again. Then she moved her head so that Pipers and her forehead rested against each other. "But you know you don't have anything to worry about, right? I don't want to be with anyone else but you. You're my person."
"I know. But obviously it was hot, so I don't have any regrets." Piper said.
"It totally was." Alex agreed.
Polly, Alex and Piper met again nearly each day until their final exams to practise and learn from each other. No one ever talked about that first time with Vanessa again. Now it was they day before their last exam and they were both relieved that this madness would be over soon and they were through with all the other exams already but also nervous because they didn't want to fail at their last one. After what felt like the longest two hours ever they were finally done.
"Time to celebrate!" Piper exclaimed as she met Alex and Polly in front of the school. "We are officially done with exams!"
"Unless we failed one or more and have to repeat it." Polly said.
"Oh, don't be such a mood-killer, Pol." Piper complained.
"Piper is right. Let's do something fun, now that we're finally done with all the studying." Alex agreed.
"Of course, you agree with your girlfriend." Polly said and chuckled.
"Well because she is right!" Alex repeated.
They decided to go to Polly's home for a change to celebrate.
„Hey. I might find some Tequila or so in one of the drawers. We could mix something." Polly suggested.
„And suddenly she's in party mood, too." Piper laughed.
"Well, I just don't want to, you know, celebrate right now that we're finally done and then find out that I have to do one of them again." Polly explained. "But whatever. Even if we should need to repeat one… Today is enough reason to celebrate."
"You're right. So let's mix it!" Alex exclaimed.
They mixed a few drinks and soon all three of them felt quite tipsy. When Polly got up to mix more both Piper and Alex stopped her.
"Please, Pol. We can't go home completely drunk. I gotta say I'm pretty tipsy already. I can't drink more." Piper said.
"Now who's the party-killer, huh?" Polly complained.
"You go ahead, but I'm going to pass." Piper repeated herself.
"I'll have one more and then I'm going to stop too." Alex said and Polly mixed two drinks for Alex and herself.
"I still can't really believe that this year is going to change everything. And how much has happened already. And it's just April." Piper said almost melancholically.
"Well… It's not gonna be the first time so much is about to change. Think about when we'll finish college or literally every time we start a new phase in our lives." Polly chuckled.
"I know. But this is the first time you really see that and acknowledge that you know? All the times before, like I don't know going from kindergarten to starting school wasn't a really big deal. Now I feel like this is." Piper explained.
"Pipes. You're getting really philosophic right now. I actually agree, but I don't know. Let's play something!" Alex said excitingly.
"And you're getting way too enthusiastic when you had something to drink…" Piper chuckled.
"You two are the best entertainment one could ask for, you know?" Polly said amused.
"Well, glad we can be of service." Piper tried to feign anger but couldn't help but laugh.
"Just telling it how it is. But sure. Let's play something. What did you have in mind?" Polly wanted to know.
"How about, never have I ever?" Alex proposed.
"Nah." Piper scrunched her face. "I don't like that game. Also… You kinda know most of that already."
"Then you suggest something." Alex gave back.
"Urgh. I don't know. It wasn't my idea to play something." Piper repelled.
"What do you want to do then?" Alex wanted to know.
"I don't know. We can play something, I didn't disagree with that. I just didn't like the game you suggested." Piper explained.
"Stop it. I'll get some cards or another game. How about Halli Galli? It'll be even more fun testing our reflexes after all those drinks…" Polly interfered.
"Now that's a good idea." Piper agreed.
They played several rounds and had a lot of fun. Mostly due to not adding the fruits up right so they constantly gave each other cards as punishment for ringing the bell at the wrong time. As it got later Piper and Alex let Polly convince them to have one last drink and a bit later they went home.
Diane was tidying up in the kitchen when she heard Alex come home and from the giggling and laughter she wasn't alone. She said hi to Alex and Piper and was quite amused when she noticed the girls demeanor change immediately as they noticed she was there. They both tried to keep a straight and serious face as best as they could but Diane surely didn't miss that they obviously were a bit more than tipsy.
"You girls okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, sure. Why wouldn't we?" Alex replied trying to sound as normal as possible.
"Just checking in. Last exam today, huh? How did it go?" Diane wanted to know.
"Well, I think. We'll see in two or three weeks how well or bad exactly." Alex replied.
"Where did you go after your exam?" Diane kept asking.
"Why? I never said I'd come home right after." Alex said.
"This isn't an interrogation, Alex. Just a normal conversation. I just want to know how your day went." Diane calmed her.
"We went to Polly. Celebrating that we are through with our exams and basically high school. We played a few games and then came back here." Alex told her.
"Cool. Are you two hungry? I was about to make dinner. We haven't eaten yet. I know it's a bit late." Diane offered.
"I could eat. How about you?" Alex replied and looked at Piper.
"I probably should go home. My parents are probably wondering where I am." she replied.
"Why don't you text them and stay over? It's not like we have school tomorrow!" Alex asked.
"Shouldn't be a problem, I guess." Piper replied and got her phone out and now noticed that her mom had tried to call her two times already. "Oh. I guess I better call. My mom tried two times already." Piper went into the hallway to call and returned about five minutes later.
"As much as I want to stay. Mom just told me tha grandma came by for a surprise visit so I have to go home." Piper explained.
"Oh. Too bad. But say Hi to her from me." Alex said.
"I will." Piper said, shortly collected her stuff she had put down and moved towards the door. "See you tomorrow?"
"Let's see how we feel tomorrow, but sure. Maybe we can nurse each other through the hangover." Alex whispered and chuckled.
"We didn't have that much!" Piper gave back.
"Enough for some headache probably. Let's see. I'll see you tomorrow." Alex pulled her in for a kiss. "I love you."
"I love you too." Piper replied and was on her way home.
Alex excused herself to her room, knowing she should probably help her mother make dinner. But in her current state of being a little drunk she didn't want to give herself away by being too clumsy while helping Diane. Soon her mother called everyone to dinner and they ate together. Alex still gave her best to not give anything away and thought she was doing a reasonably good job at that.
"So, I think I'm going to bed early today, well early isn't exactly what it is right now. So. Anyway. Goodnight everyone." Alex got up and cursed herself for her babbling.
"Night, honey." Louis said.
Alex was changed into her pyjamas already, done with brushing her teeth and was laying in her bed already when Diane came in.
"Hey. I just wanted to say good night and bring you this." she put a bottle of water and a painkiller on the little table next to Alex's bed. "In case you need it." she smiled.
"Oh." Alex didn't know what to say. Obviously she hadn't been that good at hiding it.
"Nice try. But you know, you can't fool me. Don't worry. Actually reminds me of when I was your age. I hope Piper did a bit better job though. But she had the walk home to sober up a little more. Sleep well honey." Diane gave her a kiss on the forehead just like when she was little. "I love you."
"I love you, too, mom." Alex repeated and smiled.
When she woke the next morning the headache was basically the first thing she could feel before anything else.
"Urgh. Well I saw it coming." she mumbled to herself. "And so did mom." she added with a look at her bedside table.
She didn't feel like getting up at all, but knew she needed to eat something eventually. Her phone vibrated on her table and caused too much noise which made Alex feel a sharp sting in her head. Immediately she turned off the vibration and set it on completely silent mode. Then she checked who texted her.
[Piper: Gosh. I hadn't thought it were that many! How do you feel today?]
[Alex: Not much better than you I guess.]
[Piper: Wanna be hungover together?]
[Alex: If it means I have to move no.]
[Piper: But I could need someone right now. I'm pretty sure if someone cuddled me, I'd feel better a lot faster.]
[Alex: That does sound tempting. Let's see if that painkiller also helps my dizziness and feeling sick.]
Alex quickly took the tablet and a big gulp of water and then slowly moved to get dressed. When she got to the kitchen the rest of the family sat at the kitchen table and had breakfast.
"Good morning." Diane greeted her. "I thought we'd let you sleep as long as you could."
"Thanks." Alex mumbled. Everything was too loud right now. She ate something and it helped a little but she still had a rather dull feeling in her stomach.
Fifteen minutes later she arrived at the Chapmans. Carol was surprised to see her.
"Hey. Piper is in her room. She's not feeling too well." she explained.
"That's why I'm here." Alex replied and went upstairs. Quietly she snuck inside Pipers room. She had obviously fallen asleep so Alex took off her shoes and layed down next to Piper as close as she could. After a while she felt Piper stirring.
"Hey. When did you get here?" Piper whispered hoarsely the sleep clearly audible in her voice.
"Not too long ago. I didn't want to wake you." Alex replied.
"Thank you." Piper mumbled and cuddled into her.
"How do you feel?" Alex asked her.
"Better. Since the painkillers worked and you are here." Piper smiled at her her eyes still closed. She looked like she was ready to go back to sleep.
"How did it go with your grandma yesterday?" Alex wanted to know.
"Well, I don't think my parents noticed anything, Nana though might have been a little suspicious, I guess." Piper replied.
"What do you say if we try to get a bit more sleep and see how we feel after that?" Alex suggested.
"Yes please." Piper mumbled already half asleep.