Rise and Fall
Summary: We all know Piper was a geek in high school. So when one boy started paying attention to her, she did anything she could to keep him, even if it meant making the biggest mistake of her life.
A/N: This is the first in a three-part series. I've already finished this one (it's eight chapters long, by the way), and started on part two, so review and I'll update faster. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Charmed. If I did, I can guarantee that Phoebe wouldn't be so damb annoying.
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Sixteen-year-old Piper Halliwell looked around her, surveying the crowded nightclub from her place at the end of the bar. She'd snuck in, borrowing Prue's clothes and Phoebe's make-up, for the first time in her life. She'd wanted to have fun, to go out and party like all the other kids, except that she wasn't invited to any parties. She'd had to make do with a second-rate club and a fake ID she'd gotten from a boy in her science class. She still remembered the way he'd been struggling not to laugh as she traded an entire month's allowance for her new identity. Nobody expected her to have fun. She was too much of a geek, a bookworm, a good girl.
"I'll prove them wrong," she muttered under her breath, just as a cute guy, obviously underage but still older than Piper, sat down next to her.
"Can I buy you a drink?" the cute guy asked.
Piper looked around, startled. She wasn't used to people coming over to talk to her.
The cute guy laughed. "Yes, you."
Piper smiled nervously. "Uh... sure."
The cute guy ordered two martinis from the bartender, then turned back to Piper. "My name's Jared Vasquez. What's yours?"
"Piper Halliwell," she replied, suddenly concious of all the 'pied-piper' teasing she'd gotten over the years. She winced, suddenly wishing she could change it or at least come up with a nickname other than her classmates' customary "Hey, you, quiet one... Uh, what's her name again?"
"Piper..." he repeated slowly, smiling. "I like it. It's.. unique. That suits you."
Piper blushed, thankful that they were in reletively dim light.
"So, what school do you go to?" he asked.
"Baker High," she said. "You?"
He shrugged. "I'm taking a few classes at the community college. I didn't want to enroll in a four-year-school just yet, until I figure out what it is I want to do. What about you? What college are you going to next year?"
Piper laughed. "I'm only a junior. Unfortunately, I've got another year of this." She paused, hoping he didn't think she was a baby.
He didn't seem to mind. "I can't believe you're two years younger than me. You're so much prettier than the girls I know."
Piper giggled apprehensively. "Okay, one, it's kinda dark in here, and two, exactly how many sips of that martini have you had, mister?"
Jared laughed. "Beatiful, and funny. You definately aren't like any of the girls I know."
Piper looked down at her own drink, embarrassed but still pleased. "So this is what it feels like to be special," she murmured.
"What was that?" he asked. "I can't hear you above the music."
"It was nothing," she said, chastising herself for saying it out loud.
"Okay," he said, "Well if you're not going to talk, then let's dance."
She allowed him to take her hand and lead her out to the dance floor. That night, for the first time in her life, she felt wanted.
Summary: We all know Piper was a geek in high school. So when one boy started paying attention to her, she did anything she could to keep him, even if it meant making the biggest mistake of her life.
A/N: This is the first in a three-part series. I've already finished this one (it's eight chapters long, by the way), and started on part two, so review and I'll update faster. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Charmed. If I did, I can guarantee that Phoebe wouldn't be so damb annoying.
****************
Sixteen-year-old Piper Halliwell looked around her, surveying the crowded nightclub from her place at the end of the bar. She'd snuck in, borrowing Prue's clothes and Phoebe's make-up, for the first time in her life. She'd wanted to have fun, to go out and party like all the other kids, except that she wasn't invited to any parties. She'd had to make do with a second-rate club and a fake ID she'd gotten from a boy in her science class. She still remembered the way he'd been struggling not to laugh as she traded an entire month's allowance for her new identity. Nobody expected her to have fun. She was too much of a geek, a bookworm, a good girl.
"I'll prove them wrong," she muttered under her breath, just as a cute guy, obviously underage but still older than Piper, sat down next to her.
"Can I buy you a drink?" the cute guy asked.
Piper looked around, startled. She wasn't used to people coming over to talk to her.
The cute guy laughed. "Yes, you."
Piper smiled nervously. "Uh... sure."
The cute guy ordered two martinis from the bartender, then turned back to Piper. "My name's Jared Vasquez. What's yours?"
"Piper Halliwell," she replied, suddenly concious of all the 'pied-piper' teasing she'd gotten over the years. She winced, suddenly wishing she could change it or at least come up with a nickname other than her classmates' customary "Hey, you, quiet one... Uh, what's her name again?"
"Piper..." he repeated slowly, smiling. "I like it. It's.. unique. That suits you."
Piper blushed, thankful that they were in reletively dim light.
"So, what school do you go to?" he asked.
"Baker High," she said. "You?"
He shrugged. "I'm taking a few classes at the community college. I didn't want to enroll in a four-year-school just yet, until I figure out what it is I want to do. What about you? What college are you going to next year?"
Piper laughed. "I'm only a junior. Unfortunately, I've got another year of this." She paused, hoping he didn't think she was a baby.
He didn't seem to mind. "I can't believe you're two years younger than me. You're so much prettier than the girls I know."
Piper giggled apprehensively. "Okay, one, it's kinda dark in here, and two, exactly how many sips of that martini have you had, mister?"
Jared laughed. "Beatiful, and funny. You definately aren't like any of the girls I know."
Piper looked down at her own drink, embarrassed but still pleased. "So this is what it feels like to be special," she murmured.
"What was that?" he asked. "I can't hear you above the music."
"It was nothing," she said, chastising herself for saying it out loud.
"Okay," he said, "Well if you're not going to talk, then let's dance."
She allowed him to take her hand and lead her out to the dance floor. That night, for the first time in her life, she felt wanted.