Diane stared at the door worriedly. She somehow figured that Piper wouldn't come to work today but the clock was already past noon and she had heard nothing about her. Diane was worried.
"You have her address, right? You can go and check her after work, she wouldn't probably be very upset if it was just you", Alex said, knowing what was going on.
"I don't think that would be wise. She's very strict about her privacy, going to her home could make it worse. I just need to know if she has somebody. No one should be alone... I'll just text her and we'll see what happens."
"Okay, I changed my mind. I'm going to check on her, would you mind closing the shop?" Diane said when the clock was almost four and still nothing about Piper.
"Sure, go ahead", Alex answered. "See you at home?"
"Yes, I'm going to call if something comes up", Diane said as she kissed gently Alex's hair. "Just leave at four and remember to lock the backdoor too!"
"Yeah, yeah. Bye!"
Diane left and Alex was alone. She sat behind the counter and hoped that her mom could get something out of Piper.
Piper woke up to the throbbing headache. She sat slowly up and noticed that she had passed out on the couch. Very slowly she walked to the kitchen and saw the half empty whiskey bottle. It leaves the way it has come, right?
Piper grabbed the bottle and took a swig. She checked the clock and noticed that it was already 4pm. Luckily it was Saturday, so she didn't need make any excuses why she wasn't at school. Though, she should have been at work. Well, she could just text Diane that she was sick.
Piper was sure that Diane wouldn't believe her but she didn't care. She just wanted to be alone and think things through.
Just when Piper was going to try and find her phone someone knocked her door. In her hangover state, she just walked to the door and opened it without thinking who it would be, she didn't have ever visitors.
"Oh Piper", Diane exclaimed as she saw Piper's state. She wore the clothes she had yesterday, her hair was a mess, obviously, she had just woke up and she smelled strongly alcohol.
Piper blinked a couple of times. "Diane? What are you doing here?"
"You didn't come to work, I came to check on you", Diane said.
"Oh, I was just going to text you actually... I feel a little sick, so that's why I didn't come."
"Sick? I think a massive hangover would fit better, don't you think?" Diane said furrowing her brows.
Piper rubbed her forehead. "Okay, yes. I'm sorry, I'll do next week for free or whatever..."
Diane's eyes softened. "Are you living alone?"
"Yeah", Piper said shortly.
"Can I come in? We should talk for a while."
Piper hesitated, there had been no one apart from her brother in her apartment. "I... I don't-"
"Please Piper?" Diane pleaded as she noticed Piper's hesitation.
Piper sighed but stepped aside to let Diane in.
Diane looked around curiously. It wasn't a big apartment, but it was nice and clean. Apart from the few alcohol bottles lying around. There was a living room where were two big book shelves against the wall and then a couch and an armchair. In the apartment was also a small kitchen and two other rooms that were probably the bedroom and the bathroom. She smiled, the apartment looked like Piper.
"It's nice", Diane commented as she turned to face Piper again.
"Bearable", Piper said as she moved to pick up the bottles. She was very uncomfortable with having someone in her home.
"Care to tell me how you got all the alcohol?" Diane asked curiously, after all, Piper was only 17 years.
Piper glanced at Diane. "You know, a little bit from everywhere."
Diane shook her head. "It's not good for you."
"There are many other things that aren't good for me either", Piper murmured quietly. "Okay, as you can see I just woke up and if we are going to discuss something, I need a shower", Piper announced and walked to the bathroom.
Diane looked after her but soon walked into the living room. She could as well study the apartment for a while. Of course, she wasn't going to rummage it, just look around. Diane was curious about why Piper didn't have TV or any pictures of her family or friends. It all makes Diane think that they were right about Piper's loneliness. She doesn't seem to have anybody important. Diane felt dislike towards Piper's parents, didn't they care how Piper was doing?
The door opened a couple of minutes later and Piper stepped out with new clothes and wet hair up in a messy bun.
"Can I get you a drink?" Piper smirked.
"I'm not taking alcohol from 17-year-old! And you are not drinking either when I'm here", Diane warned.
"It's my home", Piper said defensively.
"I could easily call the cops right now."
"I know you wouldn't do it", Piper said as she walked into the kitchen.
Diane sighed. "No, I wouldn't. But you're still not drinking while I'm here!"
"Anything else to drink then?"
"No thanks."
Piper shrugged and took herself a glass of water. "So, what did you want to talk about? I already said that I could do next week for free."
Diane came to sit at the kitchen table. "It's not about that you didn't come to work today. It's about you, I'm worried."
"Like I said, no need. I'll manage on my own", Piper said.
"I'm sure you do, this is not if you can manage or not. This is about that everyone deserves people that care about her."
"And why do you think that I don't already have one?" Piper asked as she sat down too.
"I don't know... It just looks like it. Do you have then?"
Piper was silent for a while. "I have my family", she said quietly. At least the one person that is left from it, she thought bitterly.
"That's good, then. Do they know about your drinking?"
If you believe in heaven, Piper thought as tears started to well up in her eyes.
"Piper?" Diane asked worriedly.
Piper shook her head.
"I don't know what has happened to you, but you need to get it out. If not to me, go to talk with a therapist. And I seriously consider telling your parents about your drinking. I'm not trying to be a bitch, but you need to get yourself together."
The tears fell to Piper's cheek and she laughed drily. "You consider telling my parents? Good luck with that. I wouldn't care. I'm not going to see a fucking therapist because if you haven't noticed I feel dislike towards people. If I'm not good enough person, don't be with me! Fire me, whatever. Just let me be the way I am!"
"Piper, I know that you are a good person, it's not about that. This is about your happiness. Are you happy now? If you can prove me that you're happy, then I leave you alone, but I can't bear watching when you destroy your life with drinking and pushing everyone away from you!"
"I'm not a good person", Piper whispered as her tears kept falling.
"Yes, you are. You just hide it. Please Piper, what has happened to you?"
Piper was silent. Well, Diane wasn't going to leave her alone anyways. She got up and went to her room.
Diane looked after her confused, not sure if Piper wanted her to leave or if she went to get something.
She got her answer when Piper came back with something in her hand, it looked like some paper.
Piper looked at Diane in the eyes as she gave her the paper.
Diane looked and noticed that it was a newspaper article, she furrowed her eyebrows and started to read. It told about a family that has been in a car accident, Diane's eyes widened as she realized that it was probably about Piper's family. There wasn't mentioned if somebody died, all it said was that everybody had been injured and were transported to the hospital.
"Was this your family?" Diane asked quietly as she had read it.
Piper nodded. "Only my little brother and I made it."
Diane jumped up and went to hug Piper. "I'm so sorry."
"Shit happens."
"Uhmm, where's your brother then?" Diane asked carefully.
"He lives in Philadelphia with our aunt."
"Why don't you live with them?"
"Our aunt is a bitch", Piper answered.
"Piper, I get that this must be very hard for you, but drinking isn't the solution", Diane said.
"I know, I know. I'm not drinking regularly, they are just there for bad days... Uhmm, soon is the anniversary of their... death, so I'm a mess and then the yesterday's fight and all..." Piper trailed off.
Diane hugged Piper again. "Hey... it's okay. But I really think that you should go to talk to somebody about this."
"Like I said, I don't like people."
"You don't seem to hate me?"
Piper laughed a little. "Yeah, I don't hate you."
"Why am I different then?" Diane asked curiously.
Piper thought for a while if she should tell or not. She decided to talk with Diane since she had already shared so much. "I'm not sure... It probably started when you didn't fire me when I didn't show up at work in almost a month. I'm not sure if you remember, but you said then that I'm worth of keeping and just made me promise not to do that again."
"Yes, I remember. Now I understand why you were gone, it was because of the accident, right?"
Piper nodded.
"Yeah, you had been working for me only a couple of months but you had already shown your abilities and all the customers liked you", Diane smiled.
"Well anyways, it was the first time in a long time when someone had said something nice about me. I loved my family, but there weren't many compliments shared. At first, I think it was gratefulness but then later I realized that I really genuinely liked you as a person. You were the only person I talked voluntarily and you were- still are the closest person to friend for me..."
Diane smiled. "You're the strongest person I know. I'm sorry that all this has happened to you. I know I can't force you to talk to anybody but please even consider it. Or talk to me, you can always come to talk to me."
"I know I'm not going to talk to some stranger, but I might consider talking to you", Piper said.
"I'm fine with that", Diane said before continuing. "I really should be getting home soon, Alex is waiting for me. Would you like to come with me?" Diane proposed.
Piper shook her head. "Yeah, no thanks. I wouldn't be very comfortable with Alex right now..."
"Alex isn't mad at you, you know."
"She should be", Piper said. "I'm sorry about what I said to her, I know she isn't an asshole."
"I'll tell her that. Oh, and I'm taking the alcohol with me", Diane said.
Piper stared at Diane, trying to figure out if she was serious. When Diane just stared back and quirked her eyebrow Piper slowly walked to the cabinet and gave the rest three bottles of alcohol to Diane.
"These are better to be the last ones", Diane said.
"They are."
"Good. Oh... would you like a couple of days off of work? You know if you have time to..."
"No need."
"Okay... see you on Monday then?"
"Yeah, see you then", Piper said as she walked Diane to the door. "Oh... and Diane?"
Diane turned around to look at Piper. "Yes?"
"Thanks for... you know checking on me and listening", Piper said quietly.
Diane smiled softly. "No need to thank me. I care about you. But thank you for trusting me with all this, I know that it must have been hard for you."
Piper smiled at her before closed the door and sat down leaning against it. She started crying but wasn't sure if she was crying out of happiness this time.
Alex was reading the book that Piper had recommended when she heard the door open. She put the away and went to greet her mother. She saw that her mother had a couple of alcohol bottles and Alex was a little confused. They drank sometimes but it was rare to her bring that much.
"I took them from Piper", Diane explained when she saw Alex's questioning look.
"What?" Alex said confused.
"Yeah, she was having a hangover, actually she just woke up when I went there. Anyways, I took these from her, hoping that she isn't going to get more form wherever she has gotten these."
"What happened then?"
"Come sit with me, I'll tell you."
Piper paced around her apartment, she didn't know if she should contact Alex or not. She was ashamed what she had confessed to her and felt guilty about what she had said to her. She decided to ask her to meet her because she would probably see her anyways at the bookshop and she would rather apologize Alex without having Diane around.
Piper had thought about Alex for a long time. She didn't really know what kind of person she was, but she couldn't be a total asshole since Diane was so proud of her. Piper decided to get to know Alex better, maybe they could be friends.
Diane was right, Piper couldn't keep living like this. She needed friends. Unfortunately, most of the people she knew were assholes. But Alex seemed to be nice enough, it didn't mean that she needed suddenly be everyone's friend but just not to be so bitchy to everyone who tried to be nice.
Happy with her decision, Piper texted Alex.
Alex was lying in her bed when she got the text she didn't have Piper's number so she didn't know who it was.
[Unknown] -Are you free tomorrow?
[Alex] -Who's this?
[Unknown] -It's Piper, I need to talk to you.
[Alex] -Oh, okay. I'm free.
[Piper] -Meet me at Dunkin' Donuts at 11am?
[Alex] -Sure, see you then.
Diane had told Alex about Piper and what had happened to her. Alex wasn't sure if Piper would mind that Alex knew. Diane had said that they needed to be extra careful and not to push Piper to tell anything. She would come around when she was ready.
Alex wasn't sure if this meeting was a good or bad thing, she was kind of scared that she would say something again that would upset Piper again. She didn't even know why Piper wanted to meet her, to tell Alex to leave her alone? To tell Alex to keep her mouth shut? Talk about her tutoring? Alex didn't know at all.
She kept reading the book. She had only read the beginning, but like Piper said, it was interesting.
The next morning Piper was at the café before 11. She had ordered a Caramel Latte and was reading The Book Thief. She would finish it soon.
When Alex came in a little before 11 she spotted Piper immediately at the corner table, sipping her drink and reading a book. There weren't any signs of the angry person Alex had seen last time.
"Hey", she said as she walked to the table.
Piper didn't react in any way and Alex wondered if she was mad. "Piper?" Alex said, a little louder this time.
Piper looked up confused and stared at Alex for a while before smiled. "Ah, Alex. Hey. Sorry, I get sometimes a little drifted off when I'm reading."
Alex chuckled. "Yeah, I know the feeling. I'll go get something to drink."
"Sure", Piper said as she put the book in her bag.
Soon Alex was back with an Iced coffee and she sat opposite of Piper.
They were both silent until they blurted out at the same time. "I'm sorry."
Piper laughed a little. "No, I'm sorry. You didn't do anything wrong."
"No, I shouldn't have just asked about your personal life", Alex said back.
"Look Alex... I don't know how much Diane shared with you..."
"Pretty much everything... We're close", Alex said.
"Yeah, I figured. Well, I... after the accident, I haven't talked nicely to anyone apart from my brother and Diane and some random customers. I wasn't accustomed to having someone asking me questions, so that's why I was so... rude. And I'm pretty sensitive at the moment and I don't really even know what happened yesterday, but I'm sorry what I said to you. You aren't an asshole", Piper said smiling a little.
Alex looked at Piper smiling. When she was thinking about all the reasons why Piper wanted to talk with her, the apologize didn't cross her mind. "I get it. I'll forgive you. And I'm sorry that I didn't realize that you really didn't like to talk about your life."
"It's fine."
"So, I think that we started with a wrong foot. Want to try again?" Alex asked as she sipped her coffee.
Piper smiled. "I would like that."
"Oh, I wanted to ask you about one thing..." Alex said, hoping that she wouldn't cross the line again.
Piper narrowed her eyes a little. "Yeah?"
"When you said that you noticed when I was back in a high school, what did you mean?"
Piper blushed. "Yeah that... it was just something stupid thing..."
"When you said that I never noticed you, I started to think about it. Then I remembered that you were always watching our games. I kept it a little weird, you know because you never cheered, just sat there alone and watched the game... But still you were there, at every game."
Piper blushed more. Yes, she had been at every game, purely for Alex. She hadn't been interested in basketball, she just wanted to see Alex.
"Yeah... I liked basketball", Piper said unconvincingly.
Alex laughed. She kind of figured why Piper was there and found it pretty cute. "Right."
Thank you for reading, as always. Please let me know what you thought and ideas are always welcomed. I'll try to update soon again :)
-Iina