Tell All Your Friends
Summary: AU Dan/Piper/Leo, set when they were in high school. Basically it's a ten-part song fic, with each chapter based on a different track from Taking Back Sunday's "Tell All Your Friends" CD, which, by the by, is an awesome album that you should go out and buy as soon as you finish reading and reviewing this fic.
Disclaimer: The characters from Charmed belong to Spelling and co. All lyrics used in this fic are property of Taking Back Sunday and Victory Records.
A/N: Background information on the fic - As I said, it's AU. Dan and Leo are best friends, and both seniors in high school. Piper, a junior, is Dan's girlfriend at the start of this story. All are mortals, hence the AU.
Chapter 1: "You Know How I Do"
So sick, so sick of being tired
Sixteen-year-old Piper Halliwell stretched herself out lazily on the bleachers, watching her seventeen-year-old boyfriend, Dan Gordon, practicing football. It was a warm, beautiful day, and the afternoon sun was exhausting her. Tempted to go home and take a nap on the hammock in the backyard, Piper closed her eyes, scarcely noticing that her and Dan's mutual best friend, seventeen-year-old Leo Wyatt, was fast approaching.
And oh so tired of being sick
"Hey, Piper," Leo greeted, sitting down next to her. He smiled at her, his sandy hair falling into his eyes. Casually, he slipped his arm around her. She leaned against him, burying her face in his shirt and refusing to wake up. To anyone within view, they looked like the same two kids who, through Dan, had been good, platonic friends for most of their lives. However, appearances could be deceiving.
We're both such magnificent liars
Over the past month or so, something between them had changed. They'd always both been much closer to Dan than to each other. Leo had been his best friend since preschool, and Piper had lived next door to him all of her life. Other than Dan, there had never been anything to connect the two of them. Until recently, that is, when, with Dan suddenly throwing himself into sports, Piper and Leo found themselves spending a lot more time alone together than they ever had before. Dan was pleased to see his best friend and his girlfriend getting along so well. Of course, he had no idea just how well they were getting along, how much they were beginning to enjoy each other's company. They made sure of that. Hurting him was the last thing either of them wanted.
So crush me, baby, I'm all ears
"We need to talk," Leo said, trying to keep his voice light out of habit for the benefit of anyone who could be listening. At a school like Baker High, gossip spread like wildfire, especially in cases like this where the rumors that would most certainly develop if they weren't careful couldn't be denied. It was because of this that Piper, although she knew instinctively that this was about something serious, maintained her serene expression. She said nothing, but nodded to let him know she was listening.
So obviously desperate
"It's about Dan," he continued quietly. "It's pretty bad, Piper." She picked her head up, and looked at him questioningly, her eyes wide. He cleared his throat, and continued. "He's been acting, well, um, different lately. Have you noticed? Ever since he decided to get serious with the athletic stuff, it's like he's a whole new guy. He's been spending less time with both of us, and when he is around it's like his head is in a different place. He's moody, and he's never been moody. He never wants to do anything, except practice with the team, and you know, our school isn't as bad as some of the others around here, but it's not exactly clean, especially the jocks. Do you get where going with this?"
So desperately obvious
Piper nodded slowly. The truth was, she'd had a lot of the same suspicions for a while now. "Yeah," she said, her voice coming out a harsh whisper. "You think Dan's been doing drugs." Leo didn't reply, but just by the way he averted his eyes, Piper knew she'd guessed correctly. She looked away, training her attention to the players on the field. Now that their shared concern was out in the open, neither had a clue how to proceed. For a while, they sat in silence, watching the team practice. Finally, Piper gathered the courage to ask, "What do we do now?"
I'll give in one more time
"I think we should confront him," Leo said, somewhat hesitantly. "I mean, let him tell us his side. Maybe he thinks he's got it under control, or hell, maybe we're wrong and he's just gotten off to a bad start. Either way, we should probably talk to him." Piper shrugged, leaning forward on the bench. She was reluctant to go to Dan until they had absolute proof, to avoid making a scene and getting him mad. Leo quickly came up with some other options. "Or we could ask around, see if any of his teammates know something we don't. Or we could get the guidance counselor to intervene, I mean, that's what he'd there for, right?"
And feed you stupid lines
Piper shook her head. "No. We can't tell anyone else about this. He'd never forgive us, and besides, what if we're wrong?" She bit her lip, deep in thought. "We can't really go to him, either. Not now, at least, not until we know for sure, or at least have a much better idea of what's really going on. And right now, we really don't know anything for sure," she added, with a confidence she didn't feel.
All about cleaning up my act
Leo nodded half-heartedly. He didn't really like the idea of putting off a confrontation, of letting this go on any longer than it had to, but he had to admit that she had a point. If they went to him now, without any proof, Dan would only get angry and deny everything, and then where would they be? So it was settled. They'd wait.
It's basic
They lapsed into silence, staring out onto the field. Wordlessly, they watched Dan play, each looking for ways to confirm their suspicions. Both of them wished that they could just make this go away, forget they'd ever noticed anything wrong. They each loved him in their own way - Piper had been going steady with him for over a year, and Leo thought of him as a brother. Neither of them wanted this to be real, but the more they watched him, the more convinced they became that it was.
We won't stand for hazy eyes anymore
It wasn't his performance that bothered them, although he'd shown a lot of improvement in a short amount of time. It was more the little things they noticed, like his interaction with the other guys on the team. Dan had never liked the jocks at school, and the feeling had always been mutual. That was what had kept him out of sports until his senior year, although he'd always liked to play.
We won't stand for hazy eyes anymore
This year, his last year in high school, he'd decided to try out. He'd made the team, just like Piper and Leo had known he would. They'd teased him about it a bit, and he took it, because he knew it was all in fun. The teasing of his teammates, however, was much more malicious. The animosity only grew, but Dan ignored it. He wasn't the type of person to give in to what other people think. That was why Leo and Piper were so surprised when suddenly Dan became "one of the guys", a member of the team in every sense of the word.
We won't stand for hazy eyes anymore
Still, this sudden changed hadn't worried them at first. He'd seemed really happy, and they were happy for him. The thought that he'd stoop this low to fit in just hadn't occured to them. Now that it had, everything was slowly starting to make sense, and they both hated it.
We won't stand for hazy eyes anymore
"I wish he'd never joined the damn team," Piper said suddenly. Leo looked over at her sharply, and was surprised to find tears in her eyes. For all her talk about giving him the benefit of the doubt, she was sure they were right. She shook her head, angry at the whole situation, and shrugged Leo off when he tried to comfort her with a touch. Propping her chin up on her fists, she stared out into space.
So sick, so sick of being tired
Leo tried to put his arms around her. She shrugged him off, continuing to look straight ahead. He sighed, and backed off, following her gaze. He knew better than to press the matter. When she wanted to elaborate, she would. Until then, if she wanted to keep silent, it was best if he complied.
And oh so tired of being sick
"When the hell has he ever been interested in joining the team, anyway?" came her second outburst. "He was always the one making fun of school sports, and now suddenly he's all gung-ho about playing football and hanging out with the guys, and it's like he's a completely different person. I just want things to go back to the way they used to be."
Willing and waiting to prove the worst
Leo shook his head. "They can't, honey. Look, I know Dan just as well as you do, and you know I have no idea what's behind his one-eighty. But I do know that we need to be able to prove we're right, so we'll be able to help him. I also know that he's not going to react well to whatever it is we finally say to him, and it's not going to help if we aren't united on this. You can't shut me out, Piper."
Of everything you had to say about me
"What if we're wrong?" she asked again. "I know, it's really not likely, but it's possible, isn't it? So what if we go to him with this serious an accusation, and we're wrong? He'll think we don't trust him, and who knows if he'll ever forgive us."
So obviously desperate
"We're not wrong, Piper, you know that," he asserted. "Don't you think that I wish we were? I hate this just as much as you do, but ignoring it can only make the problem worse. We just need to get him to talk to us."
So desperately obvious
"And what if that doesn't solve anything?" she demanded. "Let's say we're right. Let's say we go to him, and he admits everything. Talking isn't going to make this better. Something like this doesn't just go away. How are we supposed to fix it?"
So good at setting bad examples
"I don't know," Leo said. He shook his head, disgusted. "This whole thing seems so surreal, you know? Dan was always the one to follow the rules... well, the big ones, anyway. But you know what I mean. He was the last person either of us expected this from."
Listen, trick, I've had all I can handle
"I'm so sick of this," she said forcefully. "I'm sick of not knowing what to expect from him. I'm sick of not knowing who he is anymore. But mostly, I'm sick of being so scared that he's getting in over his head and I just can't help him."
We won't stand for hazy eyes anymore
Tears started to make their way to the brims of Piper's eyes, although she didn't let them fall. Leo put his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "It'll be okay," he assured her, although he had no idea how. "It'll all be okay."
Think of all the fun you've had
"I just keep thinking back, over the past couple of months, wondering if was something I missed, some sign I should have seen but didn't," she said. "Maybe there was a party we went to, where he was drinking just a little too much, and I didn't notice because I was too wrapped up in having a good time. Maybe he was unusually short with me a few times, when he's normally always been so patient. Maybe..."
The finest line divides a night well spent
"Stop doing this to yourself, Piper," Leo implored. "You couldn't have prevented this, okay? Neither of us could have. I've been asking myself the same questions you have, but it's not going to do any good. Even if there had been signs, there's no way we could have picked up on them. It was just too subtle, whatever it was that happened."
From a waste of time
"Yeah, it was subtle, until it creeped in and took over his life," Piper snapped. "It's really subtle now, too, only now we know it's there. We were so oblivious to it before... What the hell have we been doing, anyway? How could we not have noticed this?"
And think of all the days you spent
Leo shook his head, sighing. "I don't know. Just by knowing Dan as well as we do, and with the fact that the three of us are nearly inseperable... I don't know how we missed it. I just don't know."
Alone with just your T.V. set and I
Piper sighed, putting her feet up on the bench in front of her and bringing her head down to her knees. Leo started gently playing with her hair as they looked out onto the field, paying the closest attention, as if they were trying to make up for whatever signs they thought they might have missed.
Well I can barely smile
Neither of them spoke for the rest of the practice. They were so intent in staring out at the team that Dan looked up and waved. They waved back, trying to look cheerful and nonchalant, but neither Piper nor Leo could manage to force a smile.
We won't stand for hazy eyes anymore, we won't stand for
Finally, the football team's practice ended. Piper and Leo waited for the team to get off of the field before standing up to leave themselves. "Maybe we should wait," Leo said. "You know, give him a minute to change and everything."
We won't stand for hazy eyes anymore, we won't stand for
"I don't like leaving him in there with them," Piper argued. She sighed, interpreting the look that Leo was giving her. "I know what you're thinking," she said. "He's not a baby, and we can't follow him everywhere or control everyone he talks to, and you're right, we can't, but we can at least try to keep an eye on him, for his own sake."
We won't stand for hazy eyes anymore, we won't stand for
Leo grinned. Piper had a stubborn, overprotective streak. That and her ability to tell what others were thinking or feeling were two of the things that made him so crazy about her. He shook his head, reminding himself that this wasn't a good time, and simply said, "Okay. Let's go. But at least we should take the long way around, and give him some time to get assembled. I mean, it's not like he'd be doing anything now, with the coaches and everyone around, right?"
We won't stand for hazy eyes anymore, we won't stand for
"Right," Piper agreed somewhat reluctantly. Truthfully, she wasn't so sure. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but she really had no idea what Dan would or wouldn't do anymore. Still, she tried to believe Leo when he said that things would be all right for now. With a heavy sigh, she climbed down off of the bleachers.
He's smoked out in the back of the van
They took their time going from the field in the back of the school to the parking lot on the other side. By the time they got there, they thought that Dan should already be outside, but he was nowhere to be seen. They did, however, spot a van belonging to one of Dan's teammates, and heard loud music coming from inside, so they went over to look for him there.
Says he's held up with holding on
Not wanting to talk to the football players unless they really had to, Piper and Leo peered in through the window. They were both shocked by what they saw: Dan, sharing a joint with a few other guys from the team. This sudden confirmation of their fear caught them off guard; the scene rendered them both paralyzed, sickened but unable to look away.
And on and on and on and on
Only a few minutes passed, but to Piper they seemed like hours. Finally, she and Leo tore themselves away from the window. They both knew instinctively that the time to confront him was now. Without stopping to think or formulate a plan, the normally cautious Leo tore open the van door, ready to demand some answers. However, it was Dan who first did the demanding.
He's smoked out in the back of the van
"What the hell?" Dan exclaimed. "Leo, what are doing, man?" His eyes were red and bloodshot, and he made no effort to hide the joint that was still in his hand. His teammates, most of them already higher than he was, looked to Dan to see what was going on. Confused and somewhat stupified, Dan looked from Piper to Leo waiting for an explanation.
Says he's held up with holding on
"Dan, how could you be so stupid?" Piper asked. The tears in her eyes finally started spilling down to her face, and she made no effort to control him. Her gaze, focused soley on Dan, never wavered. "I never thought that you would go this far to fit in. What happened to you?" She was shaking slightly, and Leo put his arms around her, knowing that she wouldn't get a satisfactory answer. He too looked at Dan, although Leo's stare was much more accusing. At that moment, Leo hated Dan for what he was doing to Piper, and it showed.
And on and on and on and on
Even in his half-aware state, Dan could tell what Piper and Leo were thinking. "You're just jealous," he shouted. "That's what this is about. I'm making new friends, friends that know how to have fun and live once in a while, and you can't handle it. Well forget you. Forget both of you!" Shoving the joint into the hands of one of his teammates, Dan got up and ran across the parking lot, disappearing behind the school. Piper and Leo were left standing there, staring after him, wondering what he would do next...