Sorry it's been so long since I last updated, but I have been really, really, really busy.
Bear with me. There is more to this story than there appears. There is a fairy tale twist, but that is later. And it isn't so much as a twist, as an adaptation of a favorite fairy tale into Charmed. I hope you'll stick with it. I mean this is the chapter where you can get the first hints of magic, and anything of what we know as Charmed (you know the magic part, and the present, rather than this past stuff) related.
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Reluctantly, Piper and Prue made their way to school. As usual, Prue drove her car over to school separately from Piper. She normally had cheerleading practice to do after school. But instead of driving her own car, Piper got a ride from Grams. Once there, Piper couldn't concentrate on her school work on Monday. It was the last place she wanted to be. She didn't want to be at school. She wanted to be at the hospital, sitting by Phoebe's side, hoping praying that she would wake up. The doctors said that Phoebe would wake up, but Piper was still scared, scared that Phoebe would have suffered too much damage, scared that Phoebe would need to start her life all over again, scared that Phoebe wouldn't wake up. She sat down silently at the table during lunch. "Hey." Ashley said from behind her book. Piper just grunted. Ashley put down her book. "Piper, I know that you and I haven't known each other long, but I was kinda wondering if you wanted to hang out today after school." Ashley quickly said. Her words were mushed together, but Piper was able to hear, and understand every word.
Piper smiled, it was her first invite to hang out with someone after school since she had started high school two years before. But then Phoebe's pale face with the tubes coming out of her throat flashed across her eyes. "I'd love to, but I have plans." Piper said, trying not to give away too much information. Word of Prue's accident quickly spread across the school. Just about everyone knew that Prue's sister was badly hurt. Few knew just how bad Phoebe really was.
"If you have plans, then what are you doing at this table?" Ashley joked at their own patheticness.
"Its plans I'd rather not have." Piper said. "But I would feel really bad not doing them."
"I understand. A family thing?"
"Yeah, kinda." Ashley opened her mouth to ask more, but then Amy came running over.
"Have you guys heard the good news?" She asked.
"No." Piper said. Hoping that good news would allow her to forget about the Phoebe thing for even a second.
"Well, I'm sure you've heard about the accident." Amy started.
"No." Ashley said.
"Prue's accident. Happened Friday. She was so buzzed that she rammed into some guy, and it was pretty bad." Amy explained. Piper winced at how untrue it was. Prue and Phoebe weren't buzzed. The doctors did tests for Grams, saying that they hadn't had a drink. And the accident wasn't Prue's fault. The other guys were so buzzed as Amy put it that they drove the wrong way on the street. Prue couldn't avoid hitting them.
"So what's the good news?" Piper coldly asked.
"Her sister's in a coma!"
"And how's that good news?"
"It serves her right, she is such a bitch, that she is finally paying. Yes!"
"That's cruel." Ashley said. "What do you think Piper?" Piper quickly packed up her bag, and began walking away. "Where are you going Piper?" Ashley asked.
"I-I-I need to go for a walk." Piper said, slinging her backpack over one shoulder; she could feel herself starting to cry. Don't cry Piper; don't let them think you're a bigger freak than you really are. She thought to herself. Ashley and Amy shrugged their shoulders, but let Piper walk away. Piper went to her locker, and threw her lunch and backpack into it, sparing only her book. She pulled her feet into a ball, and buried her head in her knees. She began to silently weep. And not just about Phoebe. This was an all time low for her. Her little sister was in a coma, and she had no real friends.
"Piper, your mascara is going to run." Prue said, pulling up next to her.
"Yours already has." Piper said.
"That is why I ran for the bathroom. Needed to clean it up."
"I want to leave now." Piper said, resting her head on her sister's shoulder.
"Me too. But I want to try and make it through the last three hours."
"I don't know if I can." Piper sobbed. "I've been this close to running out all morning, and now I have boring classes that make my mind wander."
"Piper, you'll be able to do it."
"Please, can I have the keys to your car; I still have twenty minutes left. I can get over to the hospital, check on her and still make it back before 5th period." Piper begged.
"She's fine. Besides, why can't you take your car?"
"Grams gave me a ride this morning. I just couldn't think enough to drive."
"Piper how are you getting to the hospital after school?"
"I'm walking home, then I'll drive over."
"No, meet me by my car in the lot after school, I'll drive you." Prue looked over at her sister, who was starting to cry. "Don't worry Pipe, Phoebe is strong. She'll be alright."
"Were you there this morning?" Piper shot, knowing very well that Prue was. "Did she look fine to you?"
"Piper, Phoebe will be ok, she's strong."
"She looked so helpless."
"Phoebe will be fine. And if she wont, I'll prove that there's magic out there and heal her myself."
Little did either sister know, but standing around the corner was Ashley and Amy. They had overheard every word of the conversation. Frustrated that Piper was talking to 'the enemy' Amy turned the corner. "Piper!" She said. Piper looked up.
"Hi." She weakly said.
"What are you doing?" Amy asked.
"Um, reading someplace else." Piper said.
"I think you know what I meant." Amy said.
Piper turned to Prue. "Prue, please." Piper begged again.
"No. I'll see you by my car." Prue quietly said, she got up and walked into the bathroom to fix her make-up.
"You never told us you knew her." Amy accused.
"Why, you never asked."
"Are you ok? Your mascara's running." Ashley asked, sitting down next to Piper.
"Yeah."
"She made you cry didn't she?" Amy asked.
"No, she didn't." Piper said, holding her ground.
"Hey freaks! You're blocking the hall!" One of Prue's friends yelled, as about ten girls came through the hall way. Piper and Ashley quickly moved to make room for them. Amy tried to stand her ground, but the girls just pushed her out of the way, causing her to be slammed into a wall.
"Prue's no bitch, they are." Piper said quietly enough that Ashley could hear, but Amy couldn't.
"How do you know Prue?" Amy asked. Piper said nothing.
"Please Piper?" Ashley asked.
"She's my sister." Piper quietly said.
Ashley looked at Piper, and double checked to see if she was really telling the truth. Piper nodded. Amy rolled her eyes in both disgust and disbelief. "See, the feeling you gave Friday was that you hated her too. I can not believe you and her are sisters. I only have one word to say to you. Traitor." She spat before walking away. "Ashley are you coming?"
"Sorry Piper. I have to agree with Amy on this one." Ashley said, following Amy around the corner. Piper sat against the wall feeling more alone than ever. Prue may have gone into the bathroom knowing that Piper was still there, but the minute that she and her friends had finished in the bathroom, she would be the invisible, nameless freak who liked to sit in the halls and read her book. Prue wouldn't notice her sitting there, ever once her friends surrounded her.
"I would give anything to be popular and beautiful." She said to herself right before she started to cry. She didn't happen see the little man who was in her locker, listening to her every word.
"What ever you want little witch." He crackled.
Piper stood up to grab her backpack from inside of her locker. The little man panicked, then quickly disappeared. "I don't care what Prue says. I am going to the hospital now. Grams should understand." She slammed the door shut with a bang. Prue poked her head out of the bathroom to see what had happened. She saw Piper's retreating back, and knew exactly where Piper was going.
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