Before she even opened her eyes, Piper knew that the room would be spinning. Her head pounded, every beat of every song from the previous night drilling into her eyes like a jackhammer as a migraine started to take over her senses.
"Morning, sunshine."
Piper's blue eyes snapped open, and she was faced with a pair of striking green eyes staring back at her. The alcohol had turned their meeting into a hazy fleeting glance, but Piper still remembered the way she'd made her feel. Last night, for the first time in a long time, she'd finally felt excited about life. But now...she looked around warily. How did she end up in a car? Her eyes immediately flickered to the dash, which showed it was almost ten AM.
"Shit," she breathed, throwing her stuff into her bag, which was nestled by her side. Alex watched with an amused smile, throwing on her glasses haphazardly. "My parents are going to fucking kill me!" Piper said harshly. She glared at Alex as if it were her fault. "How come you don't have the hangover from hell?"
Alex raised an eyebrow teasingly, smiling through her own headache. "Not everyone's a drama queen," she said softly.
Piper pushed her hair out of her face, narrowing her eyes at Alex. "Watch it," she said, and Alex fought another smile. If the blonde was trying to be threatening, she was failing; Alex was reminded of a little feral kitten - hissing and spitting despite the fact it was an adorable ball of fluff. She pulled up the sweater Alex had thrown over her for warmth. It smelled so much like the brunette, and Piper wondered what perfume she used. It was sweet and warm, and Piper resisted the urge to bury her face in it. Her bravado fell around her feet as she asked, "Why are we in a car?"
Alex chuckled softly. "Because you were completely shitfaced. I wasn't gonna be the one explaining to mommy dearest why you couldn't walk a straight line." Alex hesitated, but decided not to tell Piper that she had been the one who begged Alex to stay with her last night, and not to take her home.
"Alex?" Piper had slurred, stumbling even though she had long taken off her heels and was walking the gravel driveway in bare feet. "Please stay with me."
"You need to go home," Alex said softly. She steered Piper by the elbows to her car, her heart twisting when the blonde leaned her head on Alex's chest. "Your mom will wonder where you are." It was only a guess, of course, but she assumed a girl like Piper would have a family. A good one, where her mom wondered why she didn't come home, with a dad who would carry her upstairs if she couldn't. A family who would probably care if their daughter came home blind drunk, but still would love her in spite of it.
Piper looked up at Alex. "You look sad."
A small brief smile flickered onto Alex's face. "I'm not sad," she said, her voice breaking. "I'm just worried."
"Oh," Piper said, flippantly waving a hand. "Well, don't. My parents never worry about me," she said angrily. "Maybe this'll scare 'em a little." A tinkly laugh escaped, and Alex winced. It sounded so cruel. But then Piper fell into her arms a little more, having tripped over a rock, and stared up at Alex pleadingly. "Please don't take me home. Stay with me. You'll do that, won't you?"
And despite every fiber of her being screaming at her not to, Alex had nodded. She even dared to plant a kiss on Piper's forehead, and she didn't resist. "Of course I will. I'll look after you," she promised.
"I need to get home," Piper said suddenly. She slipped out of the back seat and slid into the driver's seat, and Alex followed suit, sitting in the front passenger side. She faced Alex. "Listen, it's been...interesting talking to you," Piper said, pressing her lips together. "But I really do have to get home."
"Really?" Alex asked doubtfully. Piper hadn't worried about getting home last night. In fact, she had no qualms about staying out all night. "You've changed your tune," Alex said defensively.
"I know." Piper offered no more explanation, but she did have one. Her grandmother would be visiting today, and although the woman was odd and had quirks just like every other member of her family, she adored her. She bit her lip and hoped she hadn't arrived yet; she would only worry about her youngest granddaughter, and it made Piper feel awful when she upset her grandmother.
She rubbed the back of her neck and sat up, shaking her hair out of the messy bun she didn't remember throwing it up into. She watched Alex for a moment, and then sighed. "You need a ride home?"
Alex nodded wordlessly. The morning light had made the truth abundantly clear - Piper didn't care about her, or at least, that was the thought swirling around Alex's head. On the inside, she laughed. Why should she? Piper barely knew her. But it didn't stop the sting of rejection.
Piper noticed the shift in attitude, and shifted in her own seat. She swallowed hard, finding it difficult to put aside every notion she had preconceived about Alex before she met her. "Do…" she paused, taking a deep breath. "Do you wanna meet up later, maybe?"
"I can't," Alex said reluctantly. She picked at a frayed edge on the seat belt behind her, and although Piper noticed, she didn't say anything. As much as she resisted it, she found the brunette fascinating. "I'm meeting Nicky later."
"Nichols?" Piper said, her nose wrinkled. She rolled her eyes, and the "I don't care" attitude was betrayed by her irritated expression. "Why are you friend with her?"
Alex held back a laugh - Nicky would have asked the same question about Piper, and Alex would have given the same, plain answer. "Because I like her."
"Well," Piper said, jutting her chin out, "I don't. She's a weirdo, you know - she totally hit on one of my friends and then got angry when she rejected her. She's straight, obviously." Piper rolled her eyes again, and even pissed off, she looked pretty. Alex could even see past the shit she was spouting from those beautiful rosebud lips.
"Oh, she hits on everyone," Alex said easily, running a hand over her aching neck. "Don't take it personally. You know, unless you want to."
"I wouldn't," Piper said scathingly, resting her cheek on her hand. "But she didn't hit on me, like I said."
"Oh," Alex said with a laugh. "Is that what you're upset about?" She patted Piper's hand and was secretly delighted when the blonde didn't pull it away. "Don't worry. It'll happen at some point. She can't help herself."
"Of course not," Piper said, her face flushing a rosy pink. Piper turned to face the front, and made the engine roar to life with a flick of her wrist. She glanced at Alex, ready to be home. "Just let me know where to turn."
Nicky clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Really, Alex?"
Nicky might not have known it, but she had that whole disappointed mother look down pat, and Alex squirmed under her everwatchful gaze. "Even Sylvie was better than her, and that bitch was absolutely crackers."
Alex rubbed her head and glared at Nicky. "You liked her at the time," Alex insisted. "You thought she was fun."
Although she had known Nicky hated Piper for everything she represented, and also for some little feud they'd had unbeknownst to her, she had truly though that Nicky would have been pleased for Alex when she told her.
Nicky licked the cheeto dust from her fingers and ignored Alex's look of disgust. She hated the toxic looking snack and wrinkled her nose in distaste when Nicky shook the packet in her direction. "I thought she was fun when she was high and laughing at clouds." Nicky gave Alex a pointed look. "I liked her less when she was high and waving a fucking gun around."
Alex glared. "Keep it down! My mom's downstairs. I don't want her hearing all of that shit." Alex pushed her glasses up her head and rubbed her eyes. "It was hard enough keeping it from her at the time."
"Don't I know it," Nicky said dramatically, throwing her head back. "That woman can smell trouble like a bloodhound. It's impressive, really."
"She's just worried Lee will stop paying my school fees if I get in anymore trouble. You know what the principal said - one more strike and you're out." Alex groaned. "He marries a white picket wife and suddenly it's all I have a reputation to uphold, Diane, control your daughter! And if she lived with us, this wouldn't be happening!" Alex laughed, but Nicky frowned. "If I lived with them, I'd fucking kill myself."
"Yeah…" Nicky said, resigned. "Nell's a bitch."
"Don't I know it," Alex echoed. She exhaled hard through her nose, and Nicky threw the cheeto packet on Alex's desk and flopped down on her bed.
"So…" Nicky said after a moment. "What are you gonna do now?"
"I'm gonna show them," Alex said determinedly. "I'm gonna make a shit ton of money and pay my own school fees."
Nicky couldn't help but laugh. Growing up around business people gave Nicky a little more insight than the average teen, and she saw a flaw in Alex's plan that she was blind to. "What, you're gonna launder your money through a lemonade stand? Or your Saturday job at the ice cream store?" Nicky offered Alex a sympathetic glance, but shrugged her shoulders. She sat with her legs up against the wall and her head dangling off of the bed, staring up at Alex. "Sorry, Al, but until you're eighteen, you're fucked. Stuff the money under your mattress and save it for a plane ticket. Or two. I'd come with you to the Bahamas." She considered for a moment. "Unless you're taking Blondie. I don't wanna be a third wheel."
Alex rolled her eyes. "Speaking of Blondie, I blew her off to spend time with you. You could at least be a little grateful," she said begrudgingly.
"What the fuck?" Nicky sat up. "I don't like her, but you do! I'm here all day, Vause. Trust me. I don't wanna go back to Marka anymore than you wanna spend time with Lee."
Alex raised her eyebrows. "Fair point."
"So go get her!" Nicky encouraged. She smirked. "I'm sure I can fill my time," she said, pulling out her phone. "Lorna's usually free on Saturdays, I'm sure we can find something to do."
Alex laughed and rolled her eyes. "Spare me the details!" Then she bit her lip, throwing a concerned glance to Nicky. "I don't even know her phone number."
"Yeah...that might be a problem." Nicky slammed her hand down on the bed and raised her eyebrows. "Do it the old fashioned way, go to her house." Alex looked unsure, but Nicky jumped up from the bed and gave her a little shove towards the door. "Go!"
Alex dissolved into laughter, and finally gave in. "Okay! Okay, I'll go to her house. I think I know where it is. We went to that party one time."
"Yeah, one and only. What a snoozefest."
"Oh, please. Not every party needs drugs."
"Says the drug pusher!"
"I'm not a drug pusher," Alex insisted, a grin lighting up her features. "I'm just a businesswoman."
"Mhm," she said, flashing Alex a grin of her own. "And I'm sober right now."
Alex circled the same street four times before she got the courage to walk up her driveway. She rubbed her hands together nervously, her clammy fingers clenching anxiously. It didn't help that the driveway was a short walk of its own. She cleared her throat as she walked it, practising what she would say.
"Hi, I'm Alex," she said, the words feeling so unnatural. "Hi, Mrs Chapman. I'm Alex." She shook her head. "No, that doesn't sound right," she said worriedly. "Oh, hi, Mr Chapman! I'm here for Piper." She groaned audibly at her own insecurities, and then finally knocked on the door.
When it hadn't opened after about a minute, Alex thought about turning around. Just as she was about to, the door flew open. Piper stood at the door, and her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before anything was said. When something was finally said, it wasn't either of them who said it.
"What's she doing here?"
Alex looked beyond Piper to see where the voice came from. Her stomach clenched when she saw her. Polly. She forced herself to smile. Piper didn't return the gesture. In fact, she did nothing except look terrified. Piper turned to Polly, and then turned back to Alex.
"Oh, um...she's here for a project!" Piper said. "We got paired for French."
The worried teen waited with baited breath to see if Alex would play along. Polly could not know they were friends. Alex felt her confidence and heart shattering into a thousand pieces at the thought of Piper being ashamed to be seen with her, and swallowed hard.
"Bonjour," Alex whispered.
Piper's face flooded with relief, and Polly groaned behind her. "Unlucky!"
Alex jutted her chin out at the insult, but couldn't find it in herself to say anything back. All words and insults that she could have hurled back seemed to stick in her throat, and she only really cared about what Piper said anyway. The aforementioned blonde simply shot Polly a warning look and gave a sympathetic smile to Alex when Polly turned her back.
Alex waited until Polly had got into her car and driven away until she turned away too. She didn't want Piper to see the tears welling in her eyes. Yes, she was used to being an outcast, especially at a school like the one they went to, but it didn't make it hurt any less. And she had been stupid enough to think Piper was different. Ha. How wrong could she be.
"Alex, wait," Piper said. "Please don't go."
Alex wiped her cheek roughly and then turned to face Piper again. "Why not?" Alex demanded. "You know what, fuck her! Excuse my French," she added sarcastically. "I thought you weren't even friends anymore."
"We weren't. She just turned up, I didn't know she would…"
"Well, you've got her. You don't need me."
"Please, Alex. Just stay for a bit. She's gone, isn't she?" Piper pleaded, even though she didn't know why. She never begged. She never needed anyone. And yet here she was, feeling like the world would stop if she didn't prove to this girl - by all accounts, a loser, someone who lived in a totally different world to Piper - that she did care.
"No!" Alex said. "I've had enough of people who just use me. If you don't want me around, then I'll go. It's no problem." Alex let her eyes close, feeling a headache pounding at her temples. Before she got the chance to open her eyes again, she felt a pair of lips crashing down on her own. She let her eyes flutter open to see Piper's closed eyes, her face pressed so close to hers that she could feel her hair tickling her collarbone.
It was cliche, but she felt sparks. Her heart thumped under her sweater, and she snaked her hands around Piper's back. She had dreamed about this for so long, and she let her hands wander over Piper's waist. The feeling of her cold hands seemed to snap Piper out of it. She pushed Alex back, stumbling over her own feet. Piper wiped her mouth, and looked at Alex, open mouthed.
"I, um...I…" Piper rambled, her blue eyes wider than Alex had ever seen. After a moment of Alex saying nothing and Piper trying desperately to find the words, any words, to say, Piper pushed Alex out of the door. "I'm sorry, that should have never happened," she stammered, slamming the door.
Alex stared at the closed door. Her hand went to her lips, which by now were covered in strawberry lip gloss. She could taste it, and it was the only thing making her believe that the kiss had really just happened. Even though the door had slammed in her face, she couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face. She was hurt, and pissed, but the kiss had been salved her pain somewhat.
Alex turned around and walked down the driveway, making her way home. She felt like she was in a weird bubble, the faint taste of strawberry the only thing reminding her that it was real, that it had happened.
Man, what a day!
A/N:
I hope you liked this chapter.
I know it's been a while like over a month, whoops but it's here now.
Please tell me what you thought in a review and what you'd like to see. As I said, this is my first Vauseman multichap and only second Vauseman fic ever so...not used to this ship!
Thank you so much for the reviews and follows/favorites. It means so much!
- Star xo
