Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to review the first chapter, and;

Secondly, I'd like to appologise in advance for how bad this chapter is. But it is sort of an intro, and the next chapter will be better.

Anyway, here's the story ...

Chapter 2 - Always There

"So, how was your weekend?" Leo asked as they took their seats in the back of their formroom.

"It was nice." Piper replied. "The lake was beautiful as always, and the weather was great. What did you do?"

"Well since somebody couldn't make our usual saturday brunch and movie, I spent the day at home." He said pointedly.

"What, the fabulous Leo Wyatt all alone? Not hot date? No friends?" Piper joked.

"Nope." He said with mock sadness. "I have no friends."

"Hey Leo! Catch the game last night?"

"Yeah, no friends at all." Piper said, rolling her eyes as two of Leo's guy-friends sat in the seat in front of them and started to talk about whatever game had been on the night before. It was nice that he didn't ignore her - he included her in the conversation regularly, even though she didn't have a clue what they were talking about. It was nice too that he didn't make her sit on his own so he could sit with his friends.

In short, he was always there for her.

"OK class, settle down." Their form tutor said loudly, forcing conversations to end while she took the regester. "Ah - ah wait. I have an announcment to make. In three weeks time the school is holding a dance, to raise money for funds. I don't know how much tickets will cost, but they will be avalable from tomorrow."

Several people cheered and looked exited, but Piper just put her head down. A dance? She hated them. She couldn't dance, the food was always terrible and the punch made her want to throw up. Plus, the last dance they'd had, she'd ended up going with Leo. It was nice of him actually, to go with her rather than a date. She'd said she would stay at home, but he was determined to get her to go, and he'd won.

"Are you going to go?" He asked her quietly. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Like anyone's going to ask me." She muttered, making sure her hair was hiding most of her face.

"Pipe, come on." He pushed her hair away, behind her ears. "If you tried showing people the real you, they'd love you." She snorted, but didn't say anything else, until the bell had gone and they were sat in English class.

"Maybe if people didn't treat me like some kind of freak I wouldn't act like one." She said suddenly.

"What? No one treats you like a freak. People just assume you're shy or - uh, I ..."

"Or what?" She said instantly, looking at him carefully. "Or what?"

"Well ... ah ... I heard a few people say that you ... sort of ignore them when they try to talk to you -"

"Leo, if people stood in front of you asking why your only friend was a guy, you'd ignore them too." Piper snapped. She'd never asked to by shy. She couldn't help it.

"I'm not your only friend." He said quickly. He didn't look angry or upset, but Piper instantly felt guilty. She and Leo never argued, they never had. And she didn't plan on starting now.

"OK, I know. I'm sorry." Piper sighed.

"It's OK. Actually, I wanted to ask you something. How come I don't have a girlfriend?" Piper burst out laughing - then realised he wasn't joking.

"I'm serious! Joe and the guys all have girlfriends, or they had them, and I haven't for over a year -"

"Oh Leo, don't worry about it. Lots of girls like you, I guess they're just too shy to ask you out." Piper replied truthfully.

"How do you know?"

"It's wrote on the girls bathroom wall. I love Leo Wyatt. Jackie loves Leo Wyatt. Holly loves -"

"Really?" He had a huge grin on his face now, and she found herself smiling back. She prefered Leo to smile.

"Yep. So ask a few girls to the dance."

"What if they say no?" He said. "I'll be the only guy without a date -"

"I'll go with you." Piper found herself saying. Well, anything for a friend, right?

He looked almost like he was going to laugh, but nodded instead. "OK, now, who should I ask?"

----

"Hey, Prue, don't bother waiting for me tonight." Piper siad, catching up with her older sister at lunch time in the canteen. "I'm off to Leo's -"

"Really? Is it like a date?" Prue said hopfully. She was adamant that Piper and Leo were made for each other, and that they were secretly in love.

"No. It's like a he-needs-help-with-science-homework kinda thing." Piper replied. "Leo and I are not going to start going out, Prue. We're best friends, that's all."

"That's what I said about Andy." Prue replied. "And look where we are now."

"This is different." Piper said, starting to walk away. "It's never going to happen!"

----

"OK, so a plant cell has a cell wall and an animal cell doesn't?" Leo asked, looking down at the text book infront of them.

"Right."

"So ... an animal cell has a cell membrane but the other one doesn't?"

"No, they both have one." Piper replied. "See? It's this thing here." She pointed to the membrane, and brushed his hand, surprised at the feeling it sent casading up her arm. She jumped back, and looked at him.

"What?"

"Uh ... You gave me an electric shock." She said. Yeah that must have been it. Just a shock ...

Oh, and it'll probably be a few more days until I update again. It's been really hot this past week or so, and I'm way too hot to sit inside on the computer.

Until next time, Jess x