"So this is goodbye, hunh?"
They stood in the middle of Alex's classroom and suddenly, the nostalgia kicked in for Piper.
This is goodbye. Her days as a high school student is officially over and in this very room, she's had some of the best days of her life in these last few months.
"This is goodbye." Alex nodded.
She should feel relief, shouldn't she? Now there's no way she's going to do something she shouldn't do. There's no scenario in which she'll sleep with Piper and someone finds out and she loses her job and goes to prison. She should be smiling, jumping over the moon, and throwing a part. But she isn't. It doesn't feel as good as it should.
All she can literally think about is that for the next four weeks, she's not going to see Piper Chapman anymore. As annoying and frustrating as she can be sometimes, she enjoyed the blonde's company. She grew to tolerate her tireless and ever-consistent teasing.
She's gonna miss Piper and admitting that to herself was even worse.
This is goodbye.
"You're not much of a huger but I don't care." Piper said. "I'm not gonna kiss you or tease you about anything. For just one minute though, I'm gonna put my arms around your waist and hug you. Don't fight me. Just let me."
Alex said nothing.
"Let me say goodbye."
When Piper walked into her arms, Alex didn't know what to do with herself. She doesn't do this. This isn't her. But somehow, something as simple as Piper hugging her was so good.
It took her a minute but eventually, she wrapped her arms around the blonde's petite back. Her head dropped against the blonde's shoulders and her lips pressed against her hair and just like that, they held each other tightly in the warmest, longest, farewell hug.
Piper buried her face in Alex's chest and inhaled the sweet smell of spice, honey and fresh daisies. She forgot time and the space in which they were standing. In that moment, it's like the outside world ceased to exist for a second and it's just them. It's perfect and she can't help but get misty eyes.
When they pulled away, their lips came whispers apart from touching. The intensity in their gaze couldn't be mistaken for nothing other than deep desirable lust.
But they weren't doing that. This was goodbye. It had to be fair. There couldn't be unfinished business between them.
Expect there was. They were just trying to put it aside and pretend for the next five minutes that they could do this.
"You're always going to be the hottest woman I've ever known." Piper marveled.
Those eyes. God, those goddamn turquoise sea-green eyes. She could remember the day that she looked into them and fell in deep lust with them like it was yesterday. They were so wild and captivating and mysterious. But gentle, warm and loving also.
"You smell that?" Piper asked.
"What?" Alex raised a questioning eyebrow.
Piper sniffed the air in the room and smiled. "That my friend is nostalgia." She said.
Alex laughed.
She's really going to miss this. Not just seeing the blonde but just interacting with her on a daily basis.
"So I'm not going to bombard you with text messages anymore."
Alex felt like someone sucker punched her in the stomach. But she didn't let that feeling reflect in her expression.
"So my prayers have been answered."
Piper feigned insultance and poked Alex at the ribs.
"Ouch!" Alex squealed.
"You deserve it." Piper said. "I won't text you because I want you to miss me enough to take the bait."
"That remains to be seen." Alex smirked.
Piper couldn't help but shake her head.
"What?" Alex asked.
Piper shook her head again. "That smirk..." She replied.
She said nothing beyond that. If she got into the details of how that smirk makes her feel, then this wouldn't be fair anymore.
They were threading on thin water and so far they hadn't sink into the deep end yet. They were keeping it casual and friendly. They were keeping it fair. It had to end fairly.
It just had to.
"See you soon?" Alex questioned.
Piper nodded. In three weeks she had to come back for graduation rehearsal. It usually takes a fuckload of time to get the sitting arrangement at the football stadium ready. They had to coordinate students alphabetically and by order of honors.
And come to think of it, she doesn't even have a clue about what speech she's going to give as the valedictorian.
That piece of information she kept to herself. She thought she'd surprise Alex at graduation. She had plenty of time to come up with a speech.
"Soon." Piper replied.
The prospect of seeing her soon gave her hope.
"Bye Chapman."
Piper smiled. "Goodbye, Ms. Vause."
888
The week that followed the end of her academic career, Piper spent her days in hibernation. If she didn't have to make any drops, she stayed home and painted her soul out.
It was always a stress reliever for her. A way to feel at ease. It was her safe haven. The extra bedroom at her loft is where she can spend endless hours painting or making sculpture and forgetting that the world exited.
But this time around, it wasn't stress that had her picking up her brushes. It was sadness and she was desperately trying to paint something happy.
She used acrylic painting and a few colorful mixtures to create that happiness.
She must've spent hours in the guest bedroom painting a bright orange sunrise behind a branch less tree. Green grass and multi-colored tulips brightened the picture more.
It usually takes her longer to finish up a new project but she was inspired by her sadness for some reason.
She also hoped that if she just painted, then she won't have to keep checking her phone every five seconds or wonder why Alex hadn't texted her since their goodbye.
There's only so much she can do to make Alex take the hint. She can only try to reach out a certain amount of time before she started to reek of desperation.
She thought that maybe Alex is just not that into her.
But then she recalled their kiss together and how their lips fit so perfectly together. She remembered the lust in Alex's eyes that night at the bar. And in her classroom and every day before and after that.
No. Alex is definitely into her and it was time she stopped wallowing in her own self-pity. She just has to make Alex take the leap.
No matter what it takes.
She was in the middle of clean up and storing up when her phone begin to vibrate on the wood board on top of her desk.
She glanced at it and saw Mendez's number repeatedly flashing at her screen.
Since the whole Larry thing, they've avoided close contact. Only hanging out when the others were around in order to avoid any awkwardness which is why she was surprised that Mendez was calling her.
She picked up.
"Remember there was a time when we used to talk? Like actually be friends?"
Piper chuckled. "Yeah. I remember. As far as I'm concerned, we still are."
"Buuuullshit!" Mendez sing-songed. "I used to be your partner in crime. I kissed you, I fucked up and since then you've been avoiding me like the fucking plague. Now I'm lucky if I even get a phone call from you. We're fixing that tonight."
"What's happening?" Piper questioned.
"Champagne or wine?" Mendez asked, ignoring Piper's question.
"Bitches drink champagne. Goddesses drink wine. Take your pick." Piper replied.
Mendez laughed. "Wine it is then." He said. "I'm coming over in fifteen minutes and we're gonna do what friends do and I promise to keep my lips to myself."
...
About twenty minutes later, Piper was opening the door to a happy Mendez. He looked better than the last time he was here.
He was clean shaven. With the mustache gone, he looked more radiant. When he smiled, his golden eyes actually glowed.
Piper couldn't help but feel happy for him. He was doing significantly better than a while.
"What's in the bag?" She asked.
"Only good stuff." Mendez pushed through the living room, into the kitchen and pulled out the bottle of wine. It was a 2009 Bourdeaux and it looked ready to drink.
He also took the liberty to order out some takeouts from the best Thai restaurant in town.
"I love you forever right now." Piper told him.
They moved deliberately in her kitchen grabbing wine glasses and napkins before they settled on a stool around the counter.
"No wine for you?" Piper asked when Mendez only filled her glass and took to drinking club soda instead.
"Not tonight." He said.
They dig into mountain of delicious fried rice, dipping dumplings in to die-for flavor sauce.
"Did I tell you that you're my favorite person?" Piper mumbled between sips of wine.
Mendez chuckled. "Glad to hear it." He said. "So what's up Chapman? Catch me up."
"Nothing really new." Piper replied. "Just trying to figure my shit out. Like this is it. We're adult now. We're actually accountable for our shit once we get that high school diploma."
"I know." Mendez agreed. "Are you going out of business?" He asked.
Piper shrugged. It'd be a lie if she said she hadn't thought about it. She doesn't want this to be her whole entire life. Sure the business pays the bills and it's been her way of making a living since she can remember and she's really fucking good at it. That didn't mean she didn't have other goals in life.
"I honestly don't know." Piper said. "I mean could you really picture me in a real job? Having bosses?"
"Fuck no." Mendez scoffed.
"Exactly." Piper smirked. "I like being my own boss. Nothing's complicated but there's that need for more. You know what I mean?"
Mendez nodded. "I get it." He said. "I'm trying this thing where I'm being more responsible and I think its working."
Piper smiled.
"I like who you are. It's okay to want better but don't change too much." Mendez said.
"I won't. I promise."
"Okay. You got weed?"
Piper shook her head. "Of course." She rolled her eyes.
"Let's get loud, my friend."
...
Half a blunt and a whole bottle of wine later, Piper felt on cloud nine.
They were lying on the roof top of her loft looking up at the stars and enjoying the soft breeze of the wind.
She doesn't smoke often but when she does, it's always soothing in a way. It makes her forget that there's a world to give a fuck about.
It's almost as good as painting. Almost.
"Perfection." Mendez coughed.
He started examining the blunt in his hand in close proximity. That's how Piper knew he was gone.
Gone as in high as a fucking kite.
"Nobody rolls a blunt like you do. It's pretty fucking impressive." He gushed.
"Weirdo."
He took another puff before passing it to Piper.
"You wanna hear a joke?" Mendez asked.
Piper shrugged. "Sure." She said.
"Okay. Spell 'me'."
Piper raised a confused eyebrow. "M-E." She said.
"You forgot the D."
"What?"
"The D." Mendez said again.
"What D?" Piper questioned. "I don't get it."
"You're smart. You'll get it soon."
Minutes passed as they just stared at the sky, watching the northern star and enjoying the Los Angeles night breeze.
"Wait..." Piper said suddenly. "There's no D in me."
"You're smart. I knew you'd get it."
Piper let the joke sink in for a few minutes. When she repeated it in her head, she finally understood and she burst into a fit of laughter.
She nudged Mendez in the stomach and he joined in the contagious laughter too.
"You perv." Piper wiped tears from the corner of her eyes. "You should be shot."
"It was funny. Don't lie."
"You're still a perv."
"I missed you, Pipe."
"Me too."
Silence.
"There's this girl. And I really like her. Like a lot."
"Did you tell her?"
"No. I don't want it to get awkward." He replied.
"Go after what you want. Life's too short to worry about shit getting awkward. You like her, tell her. Make sure she knows and fight like hell to keep her happy. Also, don't be stupid. Girls hate that."
Mendez grabbed her hand and entwined their fingers together. He brought them to his lips and kissed the back of her hand.
They said nothing but this small gesture of affection said everything. Nothing was going to come between their friendship.
Not even a stupid kiss.
888
Two weeks later...
Piper woke up Friday morning feeling bigger than life. She could smell adulthood coming for her a mile away but she even though she's literally been an adult for as long as she could remember, she couldn't help but feel excited. And it was then that she also decided that she wasn't going to just sit and miss Alex anymore.
She wasn't going to wait around anymore. She feels a certain way about Alex and she was going to do something about it. It's not like she's Alex's student anymore.
She's tired of stewing. She's a woman of action and she always goes after what she wants.
What kind of coward would she be if she just sits around being Cupid, giving everyone else words of advice about relationships and not doing anything about her own problems.
Her problem is Alex. And she's also the solution.
She knew exactly how to fix it. Reverse psychology.
She grabbed her phone from the drawer and typed a quick message to Alex.
Piper: It's the last time I'm asking. Go out with me, Alex."
Alex: What happened to manners?
Piper: You don't text me... I don't have manners.
Go out with me. It's a yes or no question.
Alex: You know why that's not possible.
Piper: Do I really?
Alex: Ask me again when you're twenty-one. The answer might be different.
Piper: Like I said, last offering. You snooze. You lose.
On to Plan B now.
Alex: Plan B?
Piper: Later Vause.
And she really did mean later because if wooing Alex on a date wasn't going to do the trick then seducing her shall work.
It's was her last resort. It had to work.
888
This is it guys! it's all starting to come together and I promise this time not to keep you guys waiting too long for all the Vauseman goodness that's yet to come! I'd like to thank everyone for all the support you guys keep showing to this story. There's just no words to descride my gratitude! Thank you! And on that note, please feel free to leave me a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. Until next time...