Penny set the little notebook down on the table with a sigh. How come she
never noticed how angry Piper was? How could she not have seen it? She knew
that they girls each had their own problems, and that was okay. Hell, it
was to be expected. But she had never in a million years imagined that
Piper was as angry as she was. And from reading what she had, she had no
idea how to even approach the subject without Piper taking it as an attack
on her budding independence.
"Grams, I know I shouldn't have read it," Prue said softly, bringing her grandmother back to reality, "but I was worried about her, and then when I read it, I knew I had to show you. I'm so sorry--"
"Darling, you did the right thing," Penny assured her, gently resting her hand over her granddaughter's. "I just need to figure out how I'm going to talk to her."
"Talk to who?" Piper asked from the doorway. She had already gotten dressed, but she hadn't brushed her hair yet. Her eyes darted from Penny to Prue and finally settled on the notebook. She drew in her breath, seemingly afraid. "What's my notebook doing down here?"
"Piper, sit down," Penny said sternly. Piper reluctantly did as she was told, moving out of the doorway and sitting down at the table across from her grandmother. She reached for her notebook, but Penny quickly slid it away from her. She covered it with her hands as she looked Piper over. "Is Phoebe still asleep?" When Piper nodded, Penny cleared her throat and opened the notebook. "Good, because we need to talk and I don't want her to hear this."
"Talk about what?" Piper asked softly.
"About this notebook." She glanced over at Prue, who dropped her gaze to her hands. Penny could tell that Prue was now wishing she had never said anything. She gripped Prue's hand comfortingly, then looked up at Piper. "What's going on with you?"
"Wh-what do you mean?" Piper asked, gulping.
"Don't play dumb with me, young lady. The stuff you wrote in here isn't healthy, and it definitely isn't like you. Remember what I told you about having to talk to each other?"
Piper looked down at the table, refusing to look her grandmother in the eyes. "That notebook is private," she mumbled, her voice barely audible. "You had no right to read it. Either of you."
"Piper, I'm your grandmother. I had every right to read it," she said, her voice even and controlled. "You sister only read it because she was worried about you, and I'm glad she did. You're angry, you're hurting, and I want to you help you, but you have to let me help you. You have to talk to me."
"Do you really want to help me?" Piper finally looked up, glared quickly at Prue, then turned her attention to her grandmother. "Leave me alone. That's how you can help me. I hate everyone treating me like I'm three years old! I can understand it from you, but from you?" She glared at Prue again. "There's no excuse. You had no right to read my notebook and you had no right to show it to Grams. I will never, ever forgive you for this."
Penny jumped out of her seat, rushed to Piper, and gripped her arms tightly. "Piper, that's enough! I want you to apologize to your sister right now."
Piper ripped her arms out of Penny's grasp and jumped out of her chair. "No, and you can't make me!" With one quick move, she pushed the chair backwards and ran out the back door.
"Piper!" Prue called. She stood up to follow her, but Penny held her back. "Oh, Grams, this is all my fault!"
"No, it's not," Penny said. She knelt down in front of Prue and held her at arm's length. "Listen to me. This is not your fault. You did the right thing, you understand me?" Prue nodded, blinking back a few tears. "Good. Come on, now. We have to wake Phoebe, get her dressed, then go try to find your sister. If the past couple of weeks is any indication, she's heading for the woods, and you know your way around there better than I do. I'm going to need your help."
Prue nodded again as Penny let her go. She followed her grandmother up the stairs in a daze. She couldn't believe any of this was happening. She didn't even understand how it happened. All she knew is that her little sister had run away, and no matter what her grandmother said, it was all her fault.
**********
Piper ran through the woods, tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't believe that Prue had betrayed her like that. She had thought they were friends as well as sisters, but now Piper even want to call Prue her sister. Sisters wouldn't invade each other's privacy like that. Piper wouldn't have read Prue's diary, so how dare Prue read Piper's? And then to show it to her grandmother? What Piper had said in the kitchen was true. She would never forgive Prue for what she had done.
I hate her, I hate her, I hate her, she thought angrily. The refrain kept running over and over in her head, going faster than angrier she got. "How could she do this to me?" she muttered. She practically tripped over a root as she ran, her vision blurred by her tears. She had no idea where she was going. She wanted to go to the rock, just to defy Prue, but the rock frightened her. It was strange how much the place had changed for her. It once made her feel safe, but now she was petrified of it. Prue ruined that for me, too, she thought.
Before she knew it, she found herself at the small wishing well. She was sobbing so hard that she couldn't stop. She needed to find some way to calm down. She ran up to the well and leaned her hands on the stone well. The sun was shining through the trees, and it was catching the water at the bottom of the well, making it sparkle. She leaned further forward, gazing down at the water. I wonder how far down that water is, she thought, starting to calm down.
"Piper? You've been crying! What's the matter?" Melody rushed over to Piper and gently pulled her away from the edge of the wall. "Come away from there before you fall."
Piper wrenched out of Melody's grasp, the tears building in her eyes again. She sank to the ground, leaning back against the well. Melody wordlessly sat down next to her and gently wrapped her arm around Piper's shoulders. Piper tensed up at first, but she didn't pull away. "I hate my sister," she mumbled through her sobs. "I hate her."
"What happened?"
She just shook her head. Somehow voicing what had happened would only hurt her more. It still felt like a dream, like it hadn't really happened. If she told Melody about it, it would make it real.
"Piper, tell me what happened," Melody pleaded. "Maybe I can help."
Piper sighed and bit her lip. After taking a minute or two to calm down, she explained everything that had happened that morning. "She had absolutely no right to do that," she said once she had finished. "No right at all."
"No, she didn't," Melody agreed. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Melody spoke up again. "You know I'd never do that to you, right?"
"I know," Piper said with a nod. "You're so lucky."
Melody looked over at Piper sharply. "How do you figure?"
"You don't have anyone asking you all the time where you're going or what you're doing. You don't have sisters that invade your privacy or that try to keep you away from your friends." She shrugged, sniffling. "You have complete freedom to do whatever you want whenever you want. You don't have to answer to anyone."
"Oh, Piper, it's not all it's cracked up to me, believe me." She let Piper go and turned around slightly so that she was facing her. "At least you know they care about you."
"Your mom cares about you," Piper said with a small gasp. This was something Melody had never mentioned before.
"I know," she sighed. "I just wish she would have shown it." Piper's brow's furrowed at Melody's use of the past tense, but Melody started speaking before Piper could ask her what she meant. "But this isn't about me right now. It's about you. Is there anything I can do?"
"Not unless you know some way to get me away from them forever," Piper muttered bitterly. She sighed, looking up at Melody. "I'm sorry, I just--" She stopped short when she noticed that a look of realization had settled onto Melody's face. Her eyes were bright and a sly smile was spreading across her lips. "What?"
"What if I told you I could get you away from them forever?" she asked. "And what if I could do it in a way that no one could ever try to keep us away from each other?"
"What, like run away?" Piper asked.
"Something like that."
"Where would we go?"
"The farmhouse," Melody answered. Piper could practically see the wheels turning in her head. "We could stay there."
Piper shook her head. "That's the first place they'd look."
Melody grinned. "The beauty of my plan is that they won't be able to find us. I know a way to . . . hide, I guess is the word for it."
She knew she shouldn't say yes. She didn't really hate her family. She was just very angry with them at the moment. But the prospect of a life like Melody's, a life of absolute independence, was seriously weighing on her rationality. In all senses, it was a bad idea. But it was also a very attractive idea. She took a deep breath and smiled. "I'd say what do I have to do?"
"Grams, I know I shouldn't have read it," Prue said softly, bringing her grandmother back to reality, "but I was worried about her, and then when I read it, I knew I had to show you. I'm so sorry--"
"Darling, you did the right thing," Penny assured her, gently resting her hand over her granddaughter's. "I just need to figure out how I'm going to talk to her."
"Talk to who?" Piper asked from the doorway. She had already gotten dressed, but she hadn't brushed her hair yet. Her eyes darted from Penny to Prue and finally settled on the notebook. She drew in her breath, seemingly afraid. "What's my notebook doing down here?"
"Piper, sit down," Penny said sternly. Piper reluctantly did as she was told, moving out of the doorway and sitting down at the table across from her grandmother. She reached for her notebook, but Penny quickly slid it away from her. She covered it with her hands as she looked Piper over. "Is Phoebe still asleep?" When Piper nodded, Penny cleared her throat and opened the notebook. "Good, because we need to talk and I don't want her to hear this."
"Talk about what?" Piper asked softly.
"About this notebook." She glanced over at Prue, who dropped her gaze to her hands. Penny could tell that Prue was now wishing she had never said anything. She gripped Prue's hand comfortingly, then looked up at Piper. "What's going on with you?"
"Wh-what do you mean?" Piper asked, gulping.
"Don't play dumb with me, young lady. The stuff you wrote in here isn't healthy, and it definitely isn't like you. Remember what I told you about having to talk to each other?"
Piper looked down at the table, refusing to look her grandmother in the eyes. "That notebook is private," she mumbled, her voice barely audible. "You had no right to read it. Either of you."
"Piper, I'm your grandmother. I had every right to read it," she said, her voice even and controlled. "You sister only read it because she was worried about you, and I'm glad she did. You're angry, you're hurting, and I want to you help you, but you have to let me help you. You have to talk to me."
"Do you really want to help me?" Piper finally looked up, glared quickly at Prue, then turned her attention to her grandmother. "Leave me alone. That's how you can help me. I hate everyone treating me like I'm three years old! I can understand it from you, but from you?" She glared at Prue again. "There's no excuse. You had no right to read my notebook and you had no right to show it to Grams. I will never, ever forgive you for this."
Penny jumped out of her seat, rushed to Piper, and gripped her arms tightly. "Piper, that's enough! I want you to apologize to your sister right now."
Piper ripped her arms out of Penny's grasp and jumped out of her chair. "No, and you can't make me!" With one quick move, she pushed the chair backwards and ran out the back door.
"Piper!" Prue called. She stood up to follow her, but Penny held her back. "Oh, Grams, this is all my fault!"
"No, it's not," Penny said. She knelt down in front of Prue and held her at arm's length. "Listen to me. This is not your fault. You did the right thing, you understand me?" Prue nodded, blinking back a few tears. "Good. Come on, now. We have to wake Phoebe, get her dressed, then go try to find your sister. If the past couple of weeks is any indication, she's heading for the woods, and you know your way around there better than I do. I'm going to need your help."
Prue nodded again as Penny let her go. She followed her grandmother up the stairs in a daze. She couldn't believe any of this was happening. She didn't even understand how it happened. All she knew is that her little sister had run away, and no matter what her grandmother said, it was all her fault.
**********
Piper ran through the woods, tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't believe that Prue had betrayed her like that. She had thought they were friends as well as sisters, but now Piper even want to call Prue her sister. Sisters wouldn't invade each other's privacy like that. Piper wouldn't have read Prue's diary, so how dare Prue read Piper's? And then to show it to her grandmother? What Piper had said in the kitchen was true. She would never forgive Prue for what she had done.
I hate her, I hate her, I hate her, she thought angrily. The refrain kept running over and over in her head, going faster than angrier she got. "How could she do this to me?" she muttered. She practically tripped over a root as she ran, her vision blurred by her tears. She had no idea where she was going. She wanted to go to the rock, just to defy Prue, but the rock frightened her. It was strange how much the place had changed for her. It once made her feel safe, but now she was petrified of it. Prue ruined that for me, too, she thought.
Before she knew it, she found herself at the small wishing well. She was sobbing so hard that she couldn't stop. She needed to find some way to calm down. She ran up to the well and leaned her hands on the stone well. The sun was shining through the trees, and it was catching the water at the bottom of the well, making it sparkle. She leaned further forward, gazing down at the water. I wonder how far down that water is, she thought, starting to calm down.
"Piper? You've been crying! What's the matter?" Melody rushed over to Piper and gently pulled her away from the edge of the wall. "Come away from there before you fall."
Piper wrenched out of Melody's grasp, the tears building in her eyes again. She sank to the ground, leaning back against the well. Melody wordlessly sat down next to her and gently wrapped her arm around Piper's shoulders. Piper tensed up at first, but she didn't pull away. "I hate my sister," she mumbled through her sobs. "I hate her."
"What happened?"
She just shook her head. Somehow voicing what had happened would only hurt her more. It still felt like a dream, like it hadn't really happened. If she told Melody about it, it would make it real.
"Piper, tell me what happened," Melody pleaded. "Maybe I can help."
Piper sighed and bit her lip. After taking a minute or two to calm down, she explained everything that had happened that morning. "She had absolutely no right to do that," she said once she had finished. "No right at all."
"No, she didn't," Melody agreed. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Melody spoke up again. "You know I'd never do that to you, right?"
"I know," Piper said with a nod. "You're so lucky."
Melody looked over at Piper sharply. "How do you figure?"
"You don't have anyone asking you all the time where you're going or what you're doing. You don't have sisters that invade your privacy or that try to keep you away from your friends." She shrugged, sniffling. "You have complete freedom to do whatever you want whenever you want. You don't have to answer to anyone."
"Oh, Piper, it's not all it's cracked up to me, believe me." She let Piper go and turned around slightly so that she was facing her. "At least you know they care about you."
"Your mom cares about you," Piper said with a small gasp. This was something Melody had never mentioned before.
"I know," she sighed. "I just wish she would have shown it." Piper's brow's furrowed at Melody's use of the past tense, but Melody started speaking before Piper could ask her what she meant. "But this isn't about me right now. It's about you. Is there anything I can do?"
"Not unless you know some way to get me away from them forever," Piper muttered bitterly. She sighed, looking up at Melody. "I'm sorry, I just--" She stopped short when she noticed that a look of realization had settled onto Melody's face. Her eyes were bright and a sly smile was spreading across her lips. "What?"
"What if I told you I could get you away from them forever?" she asked. "And what if I could do it in a way that no one could ever try to keep us away from each other?"
"What, like run away?" Piper asked.
"Something like that."
"Where would we go?"
"The farmhouse," Melody answered. Piper could practically see the wheels turning in her head. "We could stay there."
Piper shook her head. "That's the first place they'd look."
Melody grinned. "The beauty of my plan is that they won't be able to find us. I know a way to . . . hide, I guess is the word for it."
She knew she shouldn't say yes. She didn't really hate her family. She was just very angry with them at the moment. But the prospect of a life like Melody's, a life of absolute independence, was seriously weighing on her rationality. In all senses, it was a bad idea. But it was also a very attractive idea. She took a deep breath and smiled. "I'd say what do I have to do?"