*A/N: Story idea was taken from the ABC Movie: "This Time Around."
Fourteen year old Piper Halliwell woke with a start as her alarm clock buzzed to life. Reaching over she jabbed a button and the radio started blaring as Piper fell to the floor with a thump. Kicking her legs in the air, her sheets finally came loose from their tangled position.
"You suck," she told her alarm clock, grumpily. Pushing back her snarly long brown hair, she got to her feet and grabbed her glasses.
Placing them on her nose she headed over to the mirror and peered at her reflection. Same brown hair, same brown eyes, same ugly braces. Frowing, she knew she didn't expect a major change on her fourteenth birthday, but disappointment still took its toll.
******
As Piper got on the bus, she immediately spotted her best friend Clarie. Heading over to the seat Claire saved, she paused a moment and looked at the most popular couple; Leo Wyatt and Missy Campbell. They always look so perfect, she thought to herself sadly, before she kept her eyes on Leo, her crush since she discovered what boys were.
"Can I help you, geek?" Missy sneered, getting a smirking response from the rest of the 'in crowd'.
"N-no..." Piper stammered, shaking her head, as her face flushed a pink-red color. She walked over to her saved seat and flopped down onto the hard leather.
"Happy Birthday," Claire said, with a hint of unsureness in her voice, having just witnessed her friend's mockery.
"What's so happy about it?" Piper questioned with a sigh, her eyes once again drifting over to where Leo sat, his blue eyes alight and a grin on his face as he talked about something with one of his buddies.
"You had that dream about him again, didn't you?" Claire asked with a soothing softness to her voice.
Nodding, Piper asked, "How could you tell?"
"You always look at him like that after you've had that dream," Claire replied.
Looking back at Claire, Piper smiled wanly. She was lucky to have such a good and understanding friend.
******
Talking amicably, Piper walked to her locker with Claire in between classes. As she opened the muddy green steel door a note drifted to the ground. Bending over she picked it up and unfolded it.
Dear Piper,
On the bus today, for maybe the first time,
I realized how beautiful you are. You're
smart and talented, and I'd like to take you
to the formal dance. Meet me in the cafeteria
at lunch so I can ask you out properly.
-Leo Wyatt
Piper's eyes widened as she read the note for the second time. "Oh my God," was all she could manage to say. Moving into position behind Piper's shoulder, Claire read the note as well, and squealed with excitement.
Later at lunch, Piper sat across from Claire, mentally preparing herself for her confrontation with the handsome Leo Wyatt.
"I can do this," she told Claire with excitement in her voice.
"Go for it."
"I'm going," Piper replied as she stood from the table and look at Claire, who gave her a reassuring smile, before making her way to the popular table. Smiling widely, she gathered her courage and spoke her first words to the boy who held her heart for all of junior high, "Hi Leo."
"Uh...hi?" He responded as the other kids at the table smirked loudly.
Not letting it bother her, or perhaps not even realizing his tone, she said, "I got your note, and yes I will go to the dance with you."
Laughing the loudest was Missy Campbell, sitting to Leo's left, who chimed in, "That note was a joke, Moron. Why would he got out with a dork like you, when he has me." The entire cafeteria, who was listening with interest, broke out into loud laughter.
As reality dawned on her, Piper's smile crumbled and tears filled her eyes as she ran out of the cafeteria and away from the sounds of laughter, finding refuge in the girl's bathroom. Claire bolted after her.
Sitting on one of the toilets in a stall, Piper wiped her eyes as she told Claire, "I'm going to catholic school."
From the next stall came Claire's voice, with firm determination, "Then I am, too."
Fourteen year old Piper Halliwell woke with a start as her alarm clock buzzed to life. Reaching over she jabbed a button and the radio started blaring as Piper fell to the floor with a thump. Kicking her legs in the air, her sheets finally came loose from their tangled position.
"You suck," she told her alarm clock, grumpily. Pushing back her snarly long brown hair, she got to her feet and grabbed her glasses.
Placing them on her nose she headed over to the mirror and peered at her reflection. Same brown hair, same brown eyes, same ugly braces. Frowing, she knew she didn't expect a major change on her fourteenth birthday, but disappointment still took its toll.
******
As Piper got on the bus, she immediately spotted her best friend Clarie. Heading over to the seat Claire saved, she paused a moment and looked at the most popular couple; Leo Wyatt and Missy Campbell. They always look so perfect, she thought to herself sadly, before she kept her eyes on Leo, her crush since she discovered what boys were.
"Can I help you, geek?" Missy sneered, getting a smirking response from the rest of the 'in crowd'.
"N-no..." Piper stammered, shaking her head, as her face flushed a pink-red color. She walked over to her saved seat and flopped down onto the hard leather.
"Happy Birthday," Claire said, with a hint of unsureness in her voice, having just witnessed her friend's mockery.
"What's so happy about it?" Piper questioned with a sigh, her eyes once again drifting over to where Leo sat, his blue eyes alight and a grin on his face as he talked about something with one of his buddies.
"You had that dream about him again, didn't you?" Claire asked with a soothing softness to her voice.
Nodding, Piper asked, "How could you tell?"
"You always look at him like that after you've had that dream," Claire replied.
Looking back at Claire, Piper smiled wanly. She was lucky to have such a good and understanding friend.
******
Talking amicably, Piper walked to her locker with Claire in between classes. As she opened the muddy green steel door a note drifted to the ground. Bending over she picked it up and unfolded it.
Dear Piper,
On the bus today, for maybe the first time,
I realized how beautiful you are. You're
smart and talented, and I'd like to take you
to the formal dance. Meet me in the cafeteria
at lunch so I can ask you out properly.
-Leo Wyatt
Piper's eyes widened as she read the note for the second time. "Oh my God," was all she could manage to say. Moving into position behind Piper's shoulder, Claire read the note as well, and squealed with excitement.
Later at lunch, Piper sat across from Claire, mentally preparing herself for her confrontation with the handsome Leo Wyatt.
"I can do this," she told Claire with excitement in her voice.
"Go for it."
"I'm going," Piper replied as she stood from the table and look at Claire, who gave her a reassuring smile, before making her way to the popular table. Smiling widely, she gathered her courage and spoke her first words to the boy who held her heart for all of junior high, "Hi Leo."
"Uh...hi?" He responded as the other kids at the table smirked loudly.
Not letting it bother her, or perhaps not even realizing his tone, she said, "I got your note, and yes I will go to the dance with you."
Laughing the loudest was Missy Campbell, sitting to Leo's left, who chimed in, "That note was a joke, Moron. Why would he got out with a dork like you, when he has me." The entire cafeteria, who was listening with interest, broke out into loud laughter.
As reality dawned on her, Piper's smile crumbled and tears filled her eyes as she ran out of the cafeteria and away from the sounds of laughter, finding refuge in the girl's bathroom. Claire bolted after her.
Sitting on one of the toilets in a stall, Piper wiped her eyes as she told Claire, "I'm going to catholic school."
From the next stall came Claire's voice, with firm determination, "Then I am, too."