Whilst Alex froze, Piper couldn't stand the suspense anymore. Holding the phone to her ear with a pained expression painted over her features, she listened as it rang. Three rings was all it took for Mr Chapman to answer, and Piper winced as he did so.
"Daddy, slow down," she said, her brow creased. She listened for a moment whilst Alex watched, her face unreadable. "I am in school...oh, you sent Danny to pick me up? Well, it's a funny story…" Piper giggled nervously and trailed off.
Alex chewed her bottom lip. Through the phone she could hear Mr Chapman's booming voice barking instructions at Piper. To her surprise, she didn't argue back. Instead she nodded along with what he was saying, a worried expression clouding her features. When the call finally ended, Piper let her arm fall by her side and sneaked a glance at Alex.
Alex felt her pulse quicken. "What is it?" she asked, her voice strained. "What's wrong?"
Piper cleared her throat. "Don't freak out," she said, which did nothing to soothe Alex's fears. "It's your mom. She's back in the hospital."
"What? Why?" Alex demanded, stepping closer to Piper. "What did your Dad do to her?"
Piper took a step back, crossing her arms. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, she was fine this morning!"
"Well," Piper imitated, a deep crease forming between her eyebrows. "Maybe her gunshot wound is playing her up!"
Alex's face dropped, and Piper wished she could have taken back the words the moment they flew out of her mouth.
"I didn't mean that."
Alex shook her head. "I know," she said, the anger slipping from her features. "I shouldn't have said that about your dad either. Did he say anything else?"
"She's awake," she replied. "That's all I know. How was she this morning?"
"She was fine, like I said," Alex said, casting her mind back. "I mean, she was a little shaky...oh, God. I should have seen that something was wrong," she said, covering her face with her hands as her eyes misted. "I should have made sure she was alright."
Piper enveloped Alex into a hug. Burying her head into Piper's shoulder, she let out small sobs. With every little sniffle, Piper's heart broke a little more.
"This isn't your fault," she said. She lifted Alex's chin to meet her eyes. "You aren't responsible for her. She's an adult, Al. And she's going to be fine." She reached out to dry Alex's eyes with the back of her hand. "Come on. If we start driving now we'll be there in less than a half hour. Are you ready to go?"
Alex nodded.
"Mom!"
Alex rushed through a set of double doors as soon as she saw her mother's face through the glass. She flew through the room to be by her mother's side. She wrapped her arms around her and pressed her cheek against her mom's own pale cheek. Despite the blush she had brushed on this morning, she looked ashen.
Alex pulled away, surveying her mom's face. She studied it for a few seconds. "Mama, are you okay?"
Diane let out a soft chuckle. "I'm okay, sweetpea," she said, her breath husky. "The doctors just think it's a little infection. Maybe I wasn't as fighting fit as I thought."
"Are you going to be okay?"
Diane nodded. "Of course I am," she said, her hand coming up to caress Alex's cheek. "I'm not going anywhere any time soon, baby."
Alex looked up, glancing through to the little waiting room. Piper was craning her neck to look in through the window, and when Alex locked eyes with her, a smile on her face, relief flooded through her veins.
"Alex is really grateful you stayed with her mom," Piper said, turning back to her own parents. Mr and Mrs Chapman stared at their own daughter, wondering how she had got caught up with a girl like Alex. She hoped they wouldn't lecture her here and now.
"There wasn't much of an alternative," Mr Chapman said, straightening his tie. He crossed his arms and sighed, glancing at the clock. "I'm missing far too much work right now. There's a meeting going on right this second and I should be there, Piper, but-"
"Bill," Carol cut him off with a glare. "There's a fifteen year old in there who was terrified her mother was dying. There are more important things to be worried about right now."
"We were worried today," he continued, slipping his hand into his wife's. "We understand not all of your friends are going to be exactly like us, but you can't let them influence you." He shook his head. "School is important, Piper. Don't think you won't be punished for skipping today. Where were you?"
Piper said nothing but rolled her eyes. She turned back to the window to look at Alex again.
"You should count your blessings, Piper," Carol said. "Look at your friend there. She has to look after her mother, take care of herself and keep up her grades to keep her scholarship. I understand she probably needs a break now and then but you don't. Focus on yourself. Honestly, I thought you might throw yourself into your studies after breaking up with Larry. Not that he had much of an effect on you when you were dating."
Piper sighed. "Maybe we should go in and see if Alex is alright."
Her parents stood, nodding in agreement. "I doubt her mother will be home tonight," Carol said with a small sigh to match Piper's. "We'll have to pick up some of Alex's things on the way home."
"What?" Piper asked. "Why?"
"Well, she can stay with us whilst her mother is incapacitated."
"I think she'll want to go home," Piper said diplomatically. "She stayed there alone the first time her mom was in hospital."
The frown on Mrs Chapman's face deepened. "She wasn't with her father?"
Piper pushed on the double doors, regretting having said anything. Shaking her head, she said, "No, I don't think so."
Mrs Chapman pursed her lips. "Mm."
She strode on ahead of Piper and her husband, a saccharine smile plastered over her features. "Mrs Vause!" she said, raising her eyebrows. "How are you feeling now? I hope you've been told everything is okay?"
Diane nodded, her hand on Alex's arm. "Just a little infection," she said guardedly. "I'm sure I'll be fine to work in the morning, if that's what you're worried about."
Carol paused for a moment. "It wasn't," she said, exchanging a quick glance with Bill. "Take as much time as you need to recover. Alex needs you. Speaking of Alex, I was wondering if she would like to come stay with us for tonight. I'm sure you won't want her to be alone."
"Alex will be okay at home by herself for one night," Diane said. Her hand came up to rub at her throbbing temple as she fought the urge to throw the covers over her head and tell her audience to go away. The harsh hospital lighting felt blinding, and she was already feeling the effects as a migraine
Mrs Chapman's lips quirked downwards for just a second. "She can't go home by herself," she said, her brow furrowed. Her disapproval was evident. "She's had a shock. I don't think she should walk home alone in the dark, either."
Tugging on the hem of her dress and looking to the floor, Piper wished her mom had tried to hide the judgement in her voice even if just a little bit. Her lips pressed together, she wished the ground would just swallow her up.
Diane was simply looking at her, bemused. "She'll be fine," she said, shrugging. "She knows how to look after herself. She's alone a lot anyway."
Piper looked heavenward. Please don't say anything else, she thought, sneaking a glance to her mom. She looked suitably unimpressed, but said nothing as she folded her arms over her chest. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room until Diane finally spoke.
Diane looked to Alex. "You'll be fine, won't you?"
Alex nodded. "I'll be okay, Mrs Chapman," she said, a blush sweeping her pale cheeks. "You don't have to worry about me."
"Okay," Mrs Chapman said finally, her tone steeped in skepticism. Plastering on a smile, she gently patted Diane's leg over the cover. "Well, we'd better run," she said sweetly. "I hope you're out as soon as possible."
"Me too," Diane said with a sigh. "I hate hospitals."
Piper glanced at Alex. "Do you want a ride home?"
"I should stay with my mom," Alex said, leaning against the metal of her bed. "It must be lonely in here."
Diane shook her head. "No, it's fine. You go on home, okay? I need to catch up on some sleep anyway. My head is spinning."
Alex reluctantly hopped off the bed. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Alex planted a quick kiss on her mother's cheek. "Okay, if you're really sure," she said finally, tucking the blanket under her arms and making sure her pillows were straight. "I'll come and see you in the morning."
"Okay," she agreed easily, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. "I'll see you then."
"After school would be better," Carol interjected. "Don't you think, Mrs Vause?"
"Sure," Diane agreed. "Whatever you want, Alex. Goodbye, babe."
Alex dropped another kiss on her mother's forehead before reluctantly coming away with Piper and her parents. As they walked through the corridors out of the hospital and out into the parking lot, Piper turned to her mom.
"I know you're mad at me but Alex still needs a ride home. Can I meet you at home after I drop her off?"
"Go and pick up some of Alex's things and bring her back home," Carol said. "I know what your mom said, dear, but I'll just be worried if you stay at home, and I know Piper will too. As soon as your mom is back up and herself again you can go home."
"Oh, you don't need to do that, Mrs Chapman...I really will be okay by myself," Alex said, looking to Piper, who cringed at her mom's pushiness.
"Nonsense," Carol said. "You need a hot meal and a good rest."
"I don't want to be a burden."
"You won't be," she confirmed. Then, looking to Piper, she said, "You can pick up dinner on the way home too. How does Chinese takeout sound? Miss Claudette has taken the day off and I don't feel like leaving dirty dishes all over the kitchen till tomorrow."
Alex fought the urge to ask if there was something wrong with their sink, or why Miss Claudette had to be the one to do the dishes.
"Sounds great," Piper said, surprised by the turn of events she hadn't been expecting. "I'll drive straight home afterwards."
Pulling up outside of Alex's house, Piper turned to Alex. "Sorry my mom is so bossy," she said, shaking her head. "I tried to tell her, but she doesn't listen…"
"It's fine," Alex confirmed as she climbed out. "It's kind of nice, actually. You're lucky. Your mom might be a little overbearing but she cares."
"Yours does too," Piper said. "I just don't think she knows how to show it."
"Maybe," Alex said, as she opened the door to her house. "I'm glad she's okay though. I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier. I was just worried."
Going through to her bedroom, she pulled a holdall from the closet and sat down on the bed. Piper sat beside her. As Alex slid her pajamas out from under her pillow, Piper grabbed the comforter from the bed.
"To make you feel more at home at mine," she explained, as Alex gave her a funny look. "What else do you need? We can pick things up if you stay longer than you think you will, but grab a few changes of clothes just in case."
"So organized," Alex said, rolling her eyes as she stood to pick a few things out of her drawers. "Were you a Girl Scout?"
"Of course," Piper said. "Don't forget to pack your toothbrush. Maybe leave the drug paraphernalia behind though."
Alex paused mid fold. "Duly noted."
"Maybe whilst you're at mine," Piper said, her voice rising hopefully. "We could discuss other business ideas? You know, more...legal...ones?"
Alex set the folded up t-shirt into the bag and turned to face Piper. "I don't want another argument, Piper. I'm too tired."
Piper sighed. "Fine. I just think it's too risky. Hasn't this whole thing with your mom given you a new perspective?"
"It has," she admitted. "But I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, okay? Now I'm going to grab my toothbrush and wash bag. Could you take my holdall to the car, please?"
Piper stood up. Alex might as well have come right out and said it; end of discussion. "I'll start the air-con," she said after a beat. "It's pretty hot out there even now."
Alex, Piper, her brothers, alongside her mother and father all sat at the dining room table, with empty and mostly discarded takeout boxes sitting in front of them. Outside, the sky had changed from a dusky pink to pitch black.
Alex unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn as she felt her eyelids growing heavy.
"Are we keeping you up, Alex?" Carol asked with a small smile as she sipped on her wine. "I suppose it has been quite a long day."
"Sorry," Alex said with a sheepish smile. "It feels like it's been a long month."
"Don't be," Carol replied. She set her wine glass down. "We'll get the guest bedroom ready in a little bit. Bill, do you remember where the linen for the guest bedroom is?"
"In the attic," he replied in an instant, taking a large swi from his own glass. "I'm not climbing in the attic to get linen. It won't hurt the girls to share for a night or two."
A look of faint annoyance crossed Carol's features. "But-"
"Carol, come on. It's late. I'm stuffed with Chinese food. All I want to do is put my feet up and watch TV. You girls don't mind sharing, do you?"
"No," Piper said almost instantly. Her cheeks tinged pink as her parents looked at her, bemused by her almost immediate response. "You don't mind, do you, Alex?" She hid a smile.
"Not at all," Alex replied. She let out a little embarrassed laugh. "I expected to sleep on the couch, to be honest."
Piper giggled. "Come on," she said, grabbing Alex's hand. "We can grab you some pillows from the linen closet and get ready for bed if you're tired."
"No homework tonight?" Bill asked.
Piper rolled her eyes. "Already done," she confirmed. "And we'll catch up from playing hooky."
"Good," he said, leaning back in his chair. He had no more inclination to give a lecture than Piper had to listen to one, so he let the matter rest, for now at least.
"Goodnight, Dad," Piper said, planting a kiss on his cheek as she sashayed past him. She blew a kiss to her mom too. "Night, mom!"
"Goodnight," Alex said quietly, scurrying after Piper. "And thanks again for letting me stay!"
They bounded up the stairs, and whilst Piper rooted in the linen closet for pillows, Alex brushed her teeth. When she emerged from the bathroom, Piper handed her the pillows, brushed her own teeth, and then slipped back into her bedroom. Alex was sat on the bed, her legs swinging. The faint light of the moon coming in through the window illuminated her face.
"So," Piper said, patting the pillows next to Alex. "Did you wanna top and tail, or?"
Alex burst into peals of laughter. "You wanna top and tail?" she asked, her eyebrows raising. "You mean you don't wanna stay up until midnight sharing secrets?"
Piper blushed, hugging herself. "I guess that's a no, then."
"No," Alex said, still chuckling a little. "We can if you want to. If that makes you feel more comfortable."
"No," Piper echoed. "We can sleep on the same end. I do want to."
She gestured for Alex to climb in the bed, and passed her the comforter they had brought from Alex's house. Alex balled it up by her head and rested against it whilst Piper climbed in beside her. She brushed her freezing cold feet up against Alex's legs.
"Hey," she laughed, gently kicking her away.
Piper sat up a little in bed, leaning away though her legs were tangled up with Alex's. With the lights down low, it felt more intimate, and she felt braver. She looked up at Alex.
"Does your mom really leave you alone often?"
Alex's lips twitched as she fought a smile. Not at the question, but at the incredulous tone seeping into Piper's voice. She shrugged. "Not...often," she hedged. She tucked the covers underneath her armpits and crossed her arms.
"Aren't you scared?"
Alex chuckled at the frank question. "Scared? Of what?"
"I don't know," Piper said defensively. "I just meant scared of being alone."
She did know what she meant. Ever since she was small, her imagination would run away from her at night. Once shadows fell over the town and everybody said goodnight, trees turned into axe-murderers creeping in her window and she convinced herself that the slightest noise would be the end of her. And that was with her parents home; she dreaded to think how jumpy she would be alone, all by herself.
Alex found Piper's fingers under the covers and entwined them with her own. "I didn't mean to laugh," she said, her voice quiet. "I guess it's not scary for me because it's normal."
Piper considered that for a moment. Her brow creased. "I don't want being alone to be your normal."
Alex swallowed hard. "Well, it's not anymore, is it? I'm here with you."
"And you'll stay the whole night?" Piper asked.
"How do you ever get to sleep?" Alex finally asked. "You must have asked me five questions already. Turn your brain off and sleep," she said, rolling her eyes in jest.
"I can't," Piper admitted. "I'm not usually here with a pretty girl."
"Me either," Alex said.
"Really?" Piper asked. "You've never had a pretty girl in your bed before?"
Alex's lips quirked up. "This is a trick question, right? I don't think there's a right answer here."
"I'm just wondering," she said, shrugging pseudo-casually. "You don't have to tell me."
"You've never had a guy in your bed?" Alex asked, trying to level the playing field. Her eyebrow arched. "Is that why you wanted to top and tail?" she asked with a giggle, not imagining she would be right.
To her surprise, Piper nodded her head. A soft giggle rose from her chest. "There are no boys allowed in my bedroom," she admitted. "I think I found a loophole. I should send it in as a tip to Teen Vogue."
"I think that's pretty niche," Alex said. "It might be better suited to Tumblr."
"Probably," Piper agreed. "Or it could be our little secret. I like that idea."
Alex chewed on her lip. "What if it wasn't our little secret?" Alex asked. "What if you told your parents about us?"
Piper let out a laugh.
"I wasn't joking," Alex said quietly.
"Oh," Piper replied. She paused for a moment. "No, that could never happen. I'm sorry, Alex, but we've been over this. They'd never-"
"Okay," Alex cut her off. "What if you just told them about you?"
"Me?" Piper wrinkled her nose. "What about me?"
Alex scrunched up her nose to hike her glasses up further. "You know, that you're gay."
Piper cheeks flooded with heat. "Shh!" she hissed. "I'm not...gay. My parents could have heard you saying that, you know!"
"Fine," Alex said. "Bi, whatever you wanna call it...why don't you tell them that?"
Piper hugged her legs underneath the covers. A breeze came through the open window and a little shiver shot through her body. "Why would I want to tell them that?"
Alex sighed. "I don't know. So you don't have to hide it? So that you get it over with?"
Piper's brow creased. "Get it over with? I could just never tell them. They would probably never notice anyways." A pause and then, "Don't roll your eyes at me."
"Sorry," Alex said without feeling. "I just think planning to hide this part of you forever is...well, stupid."
"That's your opinion," Piper shot back. "But my parents aren't like yours. Mom wouldn't just laugh it off and accept it. She would tell me I'm wrong, or something like that. And Dad…"
Alex let out a little snort of laughter, scoffing. "I never told you what my dad said, and Diane laughing it off wasn't exactly a good thing."
Piper's eyes flickered up to meet Alex's. "What did your dad say?"
Alex concentrated on the freckles scattered like constellations across Piper's cheeks. "He said it was a waste." She reached out to trace the freckles with a featherlike touch. Despite the heavy subject matter, when Piper's eyes crossed as she focused on Alex's fingers, the brunette let out a soft giggle. Then her voice grew more serious. "He mentioned something about my boobs...I know," she said, cringing at Piper's horrified expression. "I don't remember what he said exactly, but it was gross."
She did remember. She thought she always would.
"My step mom said it was a phase, but at least I couldn't get pregnant that way." Alex let out a little laugh through her nose. "I guess she took it best."
Piper swallowed hard. "I'm sorry," she said. "I...I didn't realize."
"You couldn't have," Alex said, brushing it off. "It's in the past now, anyway...I'm over it." Though she tried to sound confident, her voice was unusually small. "He hasn't mentioned it again, and Diane was nice enough to Sylvie...and you, obviously."
"How do you move on from something like that?" Piper asked quietly, as she burrowed further down into the comforter. Whilst she didn't relish the thought of telling her parents - indeed she had no intentions of ever telling them, despite Alex's thoughts on the matter - she knew they would still love her, even if they were angry or disappointed. Her father would never dream of making a comment like Alex's had.
Alex shrugged. "You don't, I guess...but the world doesn't stop for anyone, so you've gotta get up and brush yourself off sometime."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you can sit and wallow all you like but the world isn't going to stop because your world has," she said softly. "You can kick and scream till you can't breathe anymore but the sun is still coming out tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. You get it," she said with a small smile. "You don't wanna be left behind."
"No," Piper murmured. "I guess not."
A moment of silence passed between them before Piper tangled her hands in Alex's and gave them a hard squeeze.
"Thank you for sharing that with me."
"That's okay," Alex said. "It made me feel a little better. I never told anyone that."
"Not even Sylvie?"
Alex shook her head. "Nah...she would have found it funny."
"It wasn't," Piper said for good measure. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"
Alex nodded, finally slipping down under the covers and resting her head on the pillow.
The bedroom door eased open and light from the hallway flooded in. Mrs Chapman's head poked round the door. Her face free from makeup and her hair let down in soft waves, she looked much younger then than she had earlier. Both girls turned to look at her. Piper offered her mother a sheepish grin.
"You girls and your chats," Carol admonished lightly. "It's getting late. You two have school in the morning; for real this time, okay?"
Piper nodded. "Sorry mom. We'll try to go to sleep soon. It's just been a long day."
"Hasn't it just," Carol agreed all too readily. She leaned against the door frame, her silk dressing gown tied lazily at the waist. "How are you, Alex, dear?"
Alex shrugged. "I'm okay."
"Are you sure?" Mrs Chapman asked, doubt creeping into her tone. When Alex nodded again, she mirrored the action. "Okay," she said, her eyes lingering for a moment too long. "If you need anything, we're just across the hall. Sleep tight, both of you." She gently closed the door behind her as she left.
With the two alone in the dim light, Piper leant her forehead against Alex's. "I could stay here forever, you know," she whispered.
"Me too," Alex said. "It feels like everything is going to be okay when I'm with you."
"That's because it is," Piper said confidently. "I'll always fight for you, you know that, don't you?"
"I know. And I love you for it."
"Always?" Piper asked.
"I hope so."
"Yeah," Piper said, pressing her cheek against Alex's. "I hope so too."
A/N: Hi lovelies. Thank you for reading. I'm sorry this update took so long - I've had a lot of stress and stuff going on lately and it took a long time to write this. I'm sure you've all been stressed out too with everything going on but I hope you're well. Please let me know what you thought of the chapter and as always what you'd like to see in the future.
Stay safe.
- Star xo
