C.C. McKenna

Inexperienced Love

Chapter Three

Phoebe had been waiting in the Jeep, listening to Michelle Branch's CD, and reading her Psychology book; she'd been in and out of the jeep for about a dozen times. She was worried and her patience had completely run out. She turned off the stereo and closed her book. "Damn it Lexie, where the hell are you?" She took her eyeglasses off and placed them on the dashboard. Phoebe picked up her cell phone from the co-pilot's seat and called Lexie again; hoping that this time, she didn't have to leave another stupid message in her sister's voice mailbox. Once again, she rolled her eyes and tightened her teeth when she heard the same annoying voice asking to leave a message. She angrily threw her cell on the back seat, and hastily got out of the car, checking her wristwatch as she closed the door. It had been more than one hour since she spoke to her little sister, and that made her feel stupid. Phoebe swore to herself never to cover up for the youngest again.

Phoebe was suddenly pulled out of her own thoughts when she heard Lexie's motorcycle pulling over next to her car. Phoebe's jaw almost fell to the pavement when she saw her little sister wearing only a tiny bikini, a cool pair of designer's sunglasses, with no shoes, no helmet, and no shame whatsoever. Phoebe's eyes aimed quickly at Kevin's hands, which seemed to be advantageously spread all over her baby sister's naked waist.

"Alexia Halliwell" Phoebe shouted with obvious disappointment; as she hastily opened the back door of the co-pilot's side of the Jeep to shove her sister inside.

"Bennett" Lexie corrected her hysterical sister, while ducking her head before violently being pushed into her sister's car.

"Whatever! Phoebe shouted louder as she also threw Lexie's backpack inside. "Get dressed" She then turned her gaze to Kevin. "What do you think you're doing? Kevin, she's just 18, and you're...what?...30?!"

Kevin chuckled and slowly walked towards Phoebe. "No, Halliwell; I'm 28" He gently stroked Phoebe's cheek. "And you better get used to this, cause you'll be seeing a lot of me from now on; you promised, remember?"

"No, I did not do such a thing!; I said you could meet her, but I never meant for you to talk her over into skipping classes and running around half naked in the city"

"Oh, chill out Phoebe; I'm not going to have sex with her...not yet anyway" He chuckled again, with sarcasm this time; It was obvious that he was losing his patience.

"This is not funny Bud! Just stay away from my sister; Do you hear me? Just leave her alone" Phoebe turned her back on him and opened the car's door. "Are you ready yet?"

"Almost" Lexie answered softly.

"Well hurry up, we're in big trouble as it is already for being late" Phoebe closed the door and turned to Kevin again. "What? You're still here?"

"Listen Halliwell; I'm not leaving, I like your sister, and I have no intentions on leaving her alone, unless she wants me to; is that clear?"

Phoebe was about to give the proper retort to Kevin's threatening words when Lexie

suddenly stepped out of the car; She smiled and shyly gazed to her sister; immediately noticing Phoebe's irritability against her friend. "I'm ready, we can go home now" She sweetly said trying to soften things out.

"Get back in the car" Phoebe ordered, still glaring at Kevin.

"What?... I've just got out...what is it with you?...first you rush me to get out and now you're sending me back!"

"I said get back to the car!" Phoebe calmly emphasized each word.

"No, Lexie, don't go" Kevin grabbed her arm. "I need to know if you want to keep seeing me, I mean, if you still want to go out with me, 'as you suggested back at the beach'"

"Sure" Lexie's eyes sparkled at the mere thought of it. "Of course I want to go out with you"

Phoebe's stomach was about to turn inside out. "Get in the Jeep Lexie!" She shouted again.

"But..."

"No buts missy, I won't ask you again"

"It's ok, Lex, go ahead and obey your Hitler sister over here; we'll talk later" He smiled at Lexie and she smiled back at him as she obediently went back inside the Jeep. "Did you see this Halliwell?" Kevin smirked. "We haven't even been on a second date yet, and she's already doing what I want; so if I were you, I'd think very seriously about dropping that stupid attitude of yours" He chuckled with sarcasm as he walked to his car.

Lexie got out of the car and shouted Kevin's name, but he kept walking and never looked back.

"It's ok Lexie, lets go home" Phoebe grabbed her sister's arm.

"No its not ok, how can you say that?" Lexie wiggled her arm free. "What did you tell him?"

Phoebe saw the pain in her sister's eyes and that made her change her tough attitude. "Lexie, I'm doing this for you, I'm just trying to help" She softened her tone.

"Really?" Lexie's green eyes immediately went wide. "Well don't do it; I didn't ask for your help!...please, stay out of this"

"Ok, ok, calm down, take it easy; we'll talk about this at home, in our room, cause we don't want Prue and Piper finding out about this... incident, now do we?"

"No, we don't" Lexie angrily grabbed her helmet and hopped on the bike. "You follow me"

She muttered under her helmet and speedily drove away. Phoebe barely had time to get in the Jeep to follow her.

As soon as they got home, Lexie made sure to leave her motorcycle very well guarded in the backyard; she entered the kitchen through the back door and headed straight to her room.

"Hey!" Piper shouted when she saw her little sister in the kitchen. "How was your day Lex? Where were you? Lex...Lexie!" Piper tried to stop her baby sister but the latter didn't even bother, she was too annoyed, in fact, she was fuming.

"What's the matter with that kid?" Piper turned to Phoebe as soon as she saw her walking into the kitchen. "Care to explain why is she having the Prue syndrome?" Piper had to laugh at her own joke.

"I don't know" Phoebe sloppily dropped her books and her bag on the table. "But don't worry, I'll go and find out as soon as I get me something cold to drink" She opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of Evian water ...my mouth is so freaking dry" Phoebe opened the bottle and quickly chugged down half of it. Piper stood in front of her sister, staring, cocking her right-scarred eyebrow; and both hands on her hips.

"Whaat?" Phoebe shook her head. "I said I didn't know" She gulped down some more water. "I'll go ask her, don't worry" She closed the bottle and placed it on the table.

"I'm going, I'm going" Phoebe mumbled when she saw Piper still holding a persisting gaze on her.

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"Lex, can I come in?" Phoebe knocked softly on the door and squinted her eyes, hoping to hear a positive response.

"Go away" Lexie's answer was filled with anger.

"Lex, I know you're very upset but I just want to talk"

"Get lost!"

"It's my room too you know" Phoebe insisted and slowly pushed the door open. "We have to talk" Phoebe slowly approached her baby sister, she was already in bed, in her sleeping boxers and reading a book.

"Lex, sweetheart" Phoebe tucked her hair behind her ear. "I know you are mad at me, but you've got to understand that I'm just doing what I think is best for you" Phoebe sat beside her sister and softly caressed her cheek. Lexie slowly put down the book on her bed.

"But how dare you say that?" Lexie violently pushed away her sister's hand with a sudden twist, fixing her dark green, shocked eyes on her sister's concerned ones. "You don't have the right to think for me, or...or feel for me".

"Lexie, just listen to me...."

"No Phoebe, you listen... this is the first time, since I got to the US, that I'm really interested in a boy..."

"Boy?...sweetie, he's anything but a boy...he's 28!"

"Let me bloody finish!" Lexie raised her voice and jumped out of bed. "I know he's not a lad, maybe that's why I like him even more, or...or I don't know; the fact is that I like him, I really do...please Phoebe, please, just...just give me a chance to find out by myself if he's really 'the one'"

"Lex, he's going to hurt you, I know him, I know his moves" Phoebe walked to her sister and hugged her from behind. "And I don't want to be banging my head on the wall in guilt when that happens"

Lexie swiftly spun around to face her sister; her eyes were flooded with tears. "But that's not going to happen Phoebe, please, trust me, he would never hurt me"

"I do trust you baby...it's him that I don't trust!" Phoebe wrapped her arms around her sister and rested her chin on her forehead.

"Please Phoebe, this will mean a lot to me" Lexie's sweet, soft words worked their way to phoebe's heart.

"Ok" Phoebe half-heartedly whispered. "We'll see how it turns out, but if I see something I don't like.."

"I'll immediately stop seeing him, I promise" Lexie finished her sister's sentence.

"Deal" Phoebe kissed her sister's temple. "Now, lets go to the kitchen, or Piper will suffer an aneurysm if we don't go there soon"

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"So...dinner ready yet?" Phoebe briskly asked as she pulled out one chair for her and one for Lexie, from the kitchen table. Piper turned to look at her sisters and smiled widely.

"So.... everything's ok now" Piper cocked an eyebrow. "What was that all about Lexie?"

"Maaaajor headache" Phoebe quickly responded. "I'm starving Piper; do you mind?" She added.

"Phoebe! Don't be rude; we're going to wait for Prue, right Piper?" Lexie smiled.

"Well...actually, Prue called earlier, 'as in when you were supposed to be here earlier', earlier" she grinned and slightly shook her head. "And guess what?...she's in L.A." She added before giving her sisters a chance to guess.

"Good!" Phoebe spoke. "Now lets eat" She was nervous, and Piper knew it, but 'mum' was the word.

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It was a little before six a.m. and a cab pulled out in front of the manor. Prue got off and handed a 20-dollar bill to the driver; she walked to the entrance door and dropped her bags on the floor. She grabbed her purse from her shoulder and started looking for the key.

"Damn it, where's the stupid key" she said to herself as she clumsily dropped her purse, and all her personal things were unavoidable scattered at her feet. Lexie opened the door and smiled at the funny scene in front of her but Prue just managed to shrug staring at the floor.

"Need any help?" Lexie smiled as she hastily knelt to gather up her sister's belongings.

"Oh yeah" Prue hissed; sounding a lot tired than she really looked. "What are you doing up so early?

"Try that again with 'why haven't you gone to bed yet'" Lexie smiled nervously and continued picking up Prue's things.

"Prue quickly knelt beside her sister and nervously held her hand, forcing Lexie to stop picking things up. "Are you ok?" She stared at the youngest straight in the eyes.

"I couldn't sleep... I needed to do some thinking" Lexie lowered her head to avoid her sister's gaze. "I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow" She took a deep breath and managed a weak smile.

"Ok, I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but I'm here now, let's talk" Prue finished picking up her things and slowly helped her sister to her feet. "Come on" Prue grabbed her bags and took them inside; Lexie slowly closed the door and locked it.

"I can't lie to you Prue" Lexie turned around and leaned back on the door.

"Ok, what you talking about?" Prue dropped the bags again and walked to Lexie. "Let's go to the living room, we'll be more comfortable there" She guided her sister to the sofa.

"What's his name?"

Lexie followed her sister and swallowed nervously before sitting down. "You see...I like this 'guy' and I am not going to hide it from you... I'm not saying he's my boyfriend or anything, I just want you to know that I really like him and that I want to go out with him if he asks me..."

"Lex, honey, it's ok, you don't have to worry, I mean, I'm not an ogre if that's what you think...why would I say no?" Prue smiled at her baby sister to make her feel relaxed.

"Because I'm talking about Kevin...and Phoebe says he's to old for me" She bit her lip and turned her back on her sister.

Prue took a deep breath and then released the air slowly. "Well...he IS old, and Phoebe should know best, after all he is a friend of hers"

"Prue, please, he's just my friend, nothing more, nothing less, just my FRIEND" Lexie emphasized the last word.

"I don't know honey, it doesn't seem right" Prue walked slowly towards the window and gazed outside; she was not sure about what her answer would be, so she stared at the floor, thinking about her sister's words. "It is kind of an awkward situation Lexie, and..."

"Prue" Lexie interrupted her sister's words. "I've hardly asked you for anything since I came to this house, but I'm asking you now; please, just let me be his friend, that's all I ask"

Prue shook her head after a little more thinking, and finally turned to see her sister's desperate eyes. "Ok; just friends, and I hope I don't regret this hasty decision later" Prue sighed. "He's just too old to be your friend"

Lexie smiled broadly and wrapped her arms around her sister. "I knew you were going to

say yes......I knew it......I just knew it!"

Prue rolled her eyes with amusement. "I said yes just because you were honest to me; I don't like lies" Prue whispered in her sister's ear; but deep down inside her, she was worried. She knew for a fact that Kevin was a jerk, he always had been ever since Prue was in College as well; in fact, he was the same age as her, and he had never changed, he still was the same reckless, irresponsible, party animal he had been since he was 20. Prue just hoped that her little sister would never even think about falling in love with that jerk. She just didn't want to hurt her sister, specially not now that she seemed well and happy, but she definitely was going to come out with the perfect plan to end that 'so called friendship'. And right now was absolutely not the right time.

"I'll go tell Piper you're home" Lexie held Prue's hands and gave them a small squeeze. "Why don't you stay here in the sofa and rest while we fix breakfast for you?" Lexie kissed her sister's head. "How about a cup of coffee first?"

Prue smiled and gave her sister a little smack on the butt. "Go get Piper" She softly pushed Lexie away from the sofa; "coffee sounds great, I'll wait for you in here"

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Lexie softly pushed the door open and shoved her head inside; she saw Piper still sleeping and smiled. She silently walked inside and kissed her sister's forehead.

"Piper...Piper" Lexie whispered in her sister's ear. "Wake up...Prue's here"

"Lexie?" Piper slowly opened her eyes and tried to focus on the figure in front of her.

"Yes, it is me" Lexie smiled and sat on the bed. "Come on, wake up...it's after six" She whispered softly.

"Lexie!" Piper opened her eyes widely and instinctively reached out to grab a hold of her sister, but unfortunately it was too late; Zinnlar had grabbed the youngest and had pulled her roughly against his chest; holding a shiny, sharp edged athame on her throat. Lexie screamed in horror but he muffled her cry with his hand. Piper gazed helplessly into her sister's terrified eyes as her breathing became faster.

"Move... and she dies"

TBC

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