Alex peered at Diane from the doorway, watching as her mother shakily applied makeup. She crossed her arms and leaned against the frame of the door, her brows knitting together.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Mom?" Alex asked, her tone seeped in skepticism. She pressed her lips together. "You don't have to, you know. You can just focus on getting better right now. I have the rent covered. I mean, we might have to eat toast for dinner for a while, but still...we'd survive, we'd be okay."
Diane let out a sigh as she snapped the cap back onto the lipstick. "Allie…" she said, drawing out the word. "Paying the rent isn't your job. I'm supposed to look after you, not the other way around."
Alex nodded but it was food for thought because it sounded like she was parroting someone rather than actually believing the sentiment she was spouting - and she had a pretty good idea who. "Mm."
"Don't look so worried," Diane said, forcing brightness as she stood. "You know I've worked before? I know what I'm doing."
"You haven't worked for Mr Chapman before," Alex muttered. "I think that's a whole new ball game."
"Well, maybe I need a challenge," Diane said. "Chin up, hm? I'll be back before you're home from school. Mr Chapman says I can do half days until I'm totally healed from...well, you know." Diane's hand brushed down against her stomach which still flipped when anything came into contact with the gunshot wound, despite the fact that it was pretty much painless now, apart from the odd twinge.
"Phone me if anything goes wrong, won't you?" Alex insisted. She wondered if her mom had felt like this on her first day of school; all butterflies and knots in her stomach. "I'll be thinking about you today."
"Of course I will," Diane said with a nod. "Now scoot, will you? You'll be late for school."
Late for school? Alex inwardly scoffed. Diane probably didn't even know what school she went to. But nonetheless she nodded reluctantly and planted a kiss on her mother's cheek. She was proud of her for getting a job, even if she suspected it was more Piper's doing.
Diane smiled confidently. "Have a good day, sweetie."
Alex grabbed her backpack and swung it over her shoulder, her gaze lingering on her mother. "Yeah, you too."
"You will be nice, won't you, Dad?" Piper asked anxiously. "Diane has only just come out of hospital, and-"
"Piper," Mr Chapman said, a sigh escaping. He raised his eyebrows at her. "I'll treat her fairly, just like every other one of my employees. I've had employees longer than you've been alive."
"Yes but you don't know what she's like," Piper admitted. "Just promise me you'll be kind to her, please? Diane and Alex need this. They haven't had much luck lately, and..."
Mr Chapman frowned at the mirror on the wall, fiddling with his tie. "And you don't want to fall out with her," he finished for her. Truthfully, he could have done without the hassle of a new employee all together. But he never could say no to his little girl and so he found himself in a predicament, and with another secretary.
"Right," Piper said. She wished she could explain the extent of their relationship, but her father wouldn't understand and he certainly wouldn't approve, so for now, he would have to try and understand without knowing the full picture. To his credit, he'd agreed to take Diane on without much persuasion. Piper was grateful; she just hoped Diane felt the same way and took it seriously.
"Well," Mr Chapman said, picking up his briefcase. "That's why we don't hire friends and family, Piper. Business rule number one: don't mix business and pleasure." He turned round to look at his daughter. "Do you understand?"
"Yeah, I know," Piper murmured. A little smile crept on her face. "Thanks for doing this, Daddy. You know I appreciate it."
Mr Chapman ruffled Piper's hair, a habit he'd never managed to break from when his daughter was a gap-toothed little kid in a baseball cap rather than a young woman who had spent an hour and a half curling her hair before coming downstairs this morning. She dodged him but gave him a grin in return.
"At least we'll have something to talk about over dinner," he lamented, pulling a face. "I don't think I can take another story about your mother's country club friends."
Piper feigned shock. "You mean you don't want to find out if Dawn went for the Chanel or the Birkin purse?"
"You might as well accept my help, because I'm not leaving," Nicky said, a stubborn look crossing her features. She leant against the counter top, scowling. "I'll even sweep the floors…"
Red looked heavenward. When Nicky had burst through the door this morning, she had hoped it was only to pick up breakfast on the way to school. But no, she had insisted that school was for losers and that she wasn't going. It was one battle Red didn't need this morning.
"You're going to school," Red said as she wiped down the counter ready to start the day. "I'm not negotiating. School isn't optional for anyone, not even you."
Nicky tilted her head. "If it's not optional," she said, her tone accusatory. "Why can you get kicked out?"
Red stopped cleaning and sighed, wringing her cloth. She knew Nicky had been kicked out of her first high school, but that had been different; Nicky hadn't liked that school, she hadn't liked the people and she hadn't liked the atmosphere. But she liked her new school, as much as a teenager liked any school, anyway.
"Is that what you're trying to do?" Red asked, just as accusingly as Nicky. She dropped her rag, placing her hands on her hips. "Get kicked out of school?"
Nicky stood up a little straighter, losing a little face. "I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
Nicky pressed her lips together. She hated that look in Red's eye; the disappointed, worn out stare that she saw in everyone else's eyes, but had never seen in Red's before. Through relapses and drug binges, Red had always been angry, but she hadn't ever been disappointed. Or more aptly, she had never voiced that she had been. On the contrary, she had always said how proud she was of Nicky for trying. An uneasy silence fell over the both of them.
"You're going to school," Red said finally. She glanced at the watch on her wrist. "You can still make it if you hurry."
Nicky opened her mouth, but Red held a finger up.
"You're more than welcome to come sweep the floors at three o'clock," she said, a twinkle in her eye. "I might even have a pastry ready for you then too."
A small smile lifted the corner of Nicky's mouth upwards. She'd had the same argument with Marka this morning with a much darker outcome, but somehow Red always got round her. Always convinced her to at least try to do the right thing.
"Fine," Nicky said after a beat, picking up her school bag. "But I'm not happy about it."
Red hid a smile. "To be fair, I never asked you to be happy about it."
Nicky pushed on the door, jangling the little bell above the door. "See you later, Red."
The older woman watched through the shop front window as Nicky got into her car and drove away. Of course she had no idea if she would actually make it to school, but she was hopeful. She let out a little sigh of relief and sat heavily onto one of the stools. She would have been lying if she'd said she wasn't looking forward to three o'clock.
Piper pulled up to the corner where she usually picked up Alex to drive her to school. In the last few weeks they had settled into a routine, lulled into a sense of security by familiarity. It made getting up early just that little bit more bearable, and when it was hot out, driving with the windows open and music blasting felt like something out of a film scene. It was something magical. Something beautiful that reminded Piper that even if things weren't perfect, there was beauty in it nonetheless. Despite her anxiety about how her father would behave on Diane's first day, she couldn't help but tap her foot to the beat of a pop song coming through the radio.
She rifled in the glove box whilst she waited for Alex. After a moment or so she pulled out a pair of heart shaped sunglasses and slipped them on, resting her head back against the restraint. The sun glinted from the golden strands in her hair and warmed her neck as she stretched towards the light. She'd always loved the feeling of sunshine on her skin. She sighed contentedly as she basked. A day like today was no day for school, she thought.
As Alex trailed over to where Piper's car was parked, she stared at the blonde in the driver's seat. With her hair fanned out behind her dancing in the gentle breeze and her arms stretched up beside her head, she looked like a magazine spread came to life. She took a moment to appreciate the view and was struck by just how peaceful Piper looked. It was one of the things Alex appreciated most in her. Even when things were going south, Piper remained calm. She found solutions for things. Now just looking at her, counting the tiny freckles painted on her arms by the new summer sun and watching as her fingers drummed absently to the beat drifting from the open windows of the car, it gave Alex a renewed sense of tranquility.
The sound of the door being yanked open jolted Piper upright. She let the sunglasses slide down her nose to make eye contact with Alex and offered her a smile brighter than the cloudless sky.
"Morning, sunshine!"
Alex chuckled as she slid into the seat next to Piper's. "Morning to you too."
"Isn't it a beautiful day?" Piper remarked as she started the engine up. She pushed the sunglasses to rest on the top of her head. "Way too pretty for-" she stopped short, cutting herself off.
Alex leant forward. "Way too pretty for what?"
"Nothing," Piper said, waving her off. She grabbed Alex's hand, squealing a little as she struggled to control the wheel with only one hand. "But I hope we play volleyball on the court today in gym. Can you imagine being stuck inside all day?" Piper said it as if she could imagine nothing worse.
Alex smiled. "It's hardly all day," she reminded Piper. "We're only there till three. We could hit the beach after school."
"I know," Piper said with a shrug. "I just think days like today are too pretty to waste."
"You wanna ditch," Alex said after a beat. She looked up at Piper, who shook her head. Her earrings swung wildly as she did so, the tiny dangly crescent moons turned on their axis.
"No," Piper said. "I never said that."
Alex leant back in her seat with a laugh. "You didn't have to."
"I didn't want to say anything because of your scholarship," she admitted after a moment. "I know how important it is for you to stay on top of things. And it's okay. I'd rather be in math with you than lounging on a beach without you."
"It is important," Alex agreed. She swiped Piper's sunglasses from the top of her head and rested them on her own nose. "Buuut….one day isn't going to hurt, is it?"
There was no way she'd be able to concentrate in class anyway, not without thinking of Diane. And she couldn't remember the last time she'd been to the beach. Certainly not in the last five years at the very least.
"I haven't been to the beach in years," Alex continued, stretching her fingertips to the sky. "I've forgotten what sand feels like between my toes." She looked over at Piper hopefully. "But we shouldn't, right? Because of school?"
Piper hesitated for a moment. The turning for school was coming up and she had to think fast. With a quick flick of her wrist she turned on the left indicator. "Fuck it. The beach it is."
Turns out, sand between your toes was little more than an annoyance. Piper didn't seem to mind it as she took off down the deserted beach front, but Alex tiptoed across it behind her. A sea breeze whipped their hair into a messy frenzy and Alex laughed as Piper threw herself into the waves.
"How is it?" Alex called, jogging down to join her by the water. She plopped herself down just short of the waves.
"Refreshing," Piper laughed as she splashed a little at Alex. "Guess I should have enjoyed the beautiful day on the shore."
"Like I'll be doing," Alex said with a raise of her eyebrows. "Come on. Come sit with me." She patted the sand next to her. As Piper emerged from the sea, shaking her hair off like a wet dog, Alex drew patterns in the sand.
Piper sat down next to Alex, dripping wet but smiling, and leant against her. "I wish we had more time like this," the blonde admitted. "It hardly ever happens."
"Like what?" Alex asked, resting her cheek against Piper's head.
"Like this," Piper repeated. "Like sitting together. Being together. Even…" she stopped for a moment and then locked lips with Alex quickly. She pulled away as quickly as she had leant in. "Like that."
It shouldn't have been anything particularly remarkable. It was a tiny act of affection, a bashful little peck like those between kids playing kiss chase. Yet Piper's heart fluttered as she pulled away and Alex felt her stomach flip. Because it was the first time Piper had kissed her in public, in daylight, in full view of anyone. Of course, they were miles away from anyone they knew and the beach was practically a ghost town on a weekday, but it was a milestone nonetheless.
Alex smiled easily and tucked a straggly strand of Piper's hair behind her ear. "It could be like that all the time," she said a little reproachfully. "You just…" she shook her head. "Never mind. Let's just enjoy the sunshine here together."
"No," Piper said, lacing her fingers in Alex's. "I know what you were going to say and you're right. We could be like that all the time. And I'm sorry that I'm not. I just...I'm not ready."
Alex looked away. She watched as seagulls circled clouds and wished she could be that free. "Mhm."
Piper loosened her grip on Alex's hand. "You understand, don't you? You've met my parents. Can you imagine my mom? My grandmother?" The panic was evident in Piper's voice. "They wouldn't understand. And then I might not be able to see you at all. I couldn't do that, Al."
Alex sighed but softened. "Of course I understand. I just wish it could be different too."
"We have today, don't we?" Piper said, her voice rising hopefully. She suddenly brightened. "And if you could do anything, what would you do?"
"Build a sandcastle," Alex replied without thinking. Her cheeks tinged pink and she let out a little embarrassed laugh. "Sorry, that was stupid."
"No it wasn't," Piper reassured her. She hopped up, brushing the sand from her legs. "I was the queen of building sandcastles when I was younger. It sounds fun, actually."
"Really?" Alex asked, though she wasn't surprised; Piper was the self-professed queen of most things. She scrunched up her nose to push her glasses up. "From what I can remember mine looked like shit."
From the ground still, Alex gathered sand together, mashing it into a small mound. Piper watched quizzically from her standing position and giggled as the pile disintegrated as waves washed over it.
"What are you doing?" Piper asked, still chuckling. "You're too close to the shore and you have no tools."
"...tools?"
"Yeah!" Piper grabbed Alex's hand and yanked her up. "See that little beach hut? I bet they sell buckets and spades. Wait here, I'll be right back."
Alex watched as Piper ran over to the small vendor and pointed at a small bucket and spade which he handed over. Her mom would have never had the money to waste on plastic toys that would get used once a year. Piper bounded back over to her, running barefoot across the sand.
"Here," she said. "Pack the sand in there and we'll have our foundation. Make sure you get the sand a little wet first or it'll fall apart. Oh, and remember don't go too near the water."
Alex rolled her eyes as she took the little plastic bucket, but did as Piper said. She gave a little salute. "Yes, boss."
Piper grinned. "If you're gonna do something, do it well!"
"Is that the Chapman motto?" Alex asked, scooping sand into the bucket lazily. "I thought that might be: win or die trying."
"We have a lot of family mottoes," Piper said, settling down in the sand next to Alex. "But I don't wanna talk about my family right now."
It didn't take long before their sandcastle took shape. Piper let Alex take the lead despite the itching under her skin to intervene, and after a while, they had something that at least resembled a castle. After setting the last bucketful of sand down, Alex sat back and admired her creation. Piper studied her face carefully.
"Well," Piper said. "What do you think?"
Alex tilted her head. "I think it still kinda looks like shit," she laughed. She looked at Piper. "Do you wanna destroy it?"
Piper let out a wicked laugh. "I thought you would never ask."
Alex stuck out her leg and destroyed one turret whilst Piper swiped across the base with her arm. They jumped up, hands clasped together, and danced on the ruins of their castle. Hair flew wildly as they hopped around, Piper twirling on the spot and Alex pirouetting across the shore. As seagulls screeched above their heads, they collapsed together on the sand.
"Do you want an ice cream?" Piper asked, rolling over to lay on her tummy. She rested her chin on her elbows, kicking her legs so that she splashed the waves that barely reached them. "I think I want an ice cream."
"I always want ice cream," Alex said, mirroring Piper's pose on the sand. Their noses touched as they soaked up the sunlight. She let out a little giggle. "You have sand all over you.."
"I know." Piper kicked her legs up, causing her peach tennis skirt to fly up too. "Trust me, it is everywhere."
"That's why you wear jeans," Alex said, her nose wrinkling at the thought of sand in rather uncomfortable places.
"You'd rather I was wearing jeans?" Piper asked. She jumped up again, twirling so that her skirt fanned around her causing somewhat of a Marilyn moment. "I think I look cute."
Alex laughed at her confidence. "You do," she assured her, coming to a stand and grabbing Piper's hands in her own. "But you'd look cute in jeans too."
"Not as cute as you do," Piper said, pressing her cheek against Alex's. "Anyway. About that ice cream…"
"Is that all you've been thinking about this whole time?"
"Pretty much," Piper admitted. "You know me too well."
Alex grinned and let out another laugh. How long had it been since she'd laughed as much? How long since she'd felt as free as she did now? She hadn't even been thinking about anything but sand, sea, and ice cream. Was this what it felt like to be a kid?
"Let me get this one," Alex said, reaching down for her jacket on the sand. Her phone fell from where it had been nestled into the jacket. She had a couple of dollars in the pocket, she was sure…
"No, I can get it," Piper insisted, putting her hand over Alex's as she fished in her pocket. "I want vanilla ice cream with strawberry sauce, what do you want?"
"Huh," Alex said, picking up her phone from where she'd abandoned it along with her shoes and jacket. Suddenly the ice cream seemed less important. "I have three missed calls from Diane."
"Weird." Piper's brow wrinkled. She flipped over her own phone which had been sitting face down in the sand. Swallowing hard, she looked up at Alex. "And I've got two from my dad."
A/N:
Hi lovelies. I hope you're all safe and healthy at this challenging time. I'm sorry this took so long but I've already started on the next chapter so all going well I will update soon. I know sometimes a fic can be a little bit of escapism. Anyway, please let me know what you thought and what you'd like to see in a review.
Stay safe.
- Star xo
