(above is how I picture Piper, but with brown eyes)

Two

Nolan

"Come on, Piper, pick up." I press the end call button for the third time. I look out of my bedroom window, and see her bedroom light on full blast. Her silhouette is hovering over her bed, holding a thick square, most likely a text book.

I hid "Piper" on my phone again, and wait as it rings. The silhouette picks up her phone, and throws it back onto the bed.

Crap.

Should I just go over there?

Would she open the door? Of course she would, but then, I'd have to face her.

She's probably on her period.

Yeah, that's it.

My phone starts to ring and I flip it over, my heart rising with hope that it's Piper. But the word "Melissa", along with a fairly revealing picture pops up.

"Hey, Melissa." I say, holding the phone to my ear.

"Hey, Tiger." Her sultry voice leaks through my phone. I mentally kill myself over the fact that I allowed her to call me that. To be fair, I wasn't 100% sober at the time.

"What's up?" I ask, checking Piper's window again, to see her mouth moving, obviously talking to someone.

Who would she be talking to...probably Lawrence or Quinn.

"Nolan? Are you even listening?" I jump at Melissa's pissed off voice in my phone.

"Uh, yeah, sorry babe of course I'm listening." Totally not.

"Okay, so like I was saying, Vince and I were talking at lunch and Jennifer comes up and starts freaking accusing me of like, trying to steal her man or something, and it was totally out of bounds cause you know, I have you, and she has all of her idiots, and if I'm being honest, she totally doesn't look good in her eyeliner, even though I told her-"

The dull murmur of her voice turns into a sort of white noise, as I continue watching Piper's silhouette at the window. She's writing something, probably homework. I don't even think she's been to a party since 8th grade. She's definitely not ugly, and her eyes are so big and dark, kind of like a doll...

"Nolan!"

"Huh?" I grumble.

"What should I do about Jennifer? Cause like we've been like best friends for so long, but she's actually kind of a total bitch and- Well?!"

"Melissa, just do what you think is best." Classic generic response. Perfect.

"You know what, you're right, and I really don't think she had any place to talk to me like that. But I should call her, or maybe I should wait-"

Melissa's rant is cut off by a beep from my phone. Call waiting: Piper. I turn quickly to the window again, and see her with her arm to her ear again, but not talking.

Crap.

"Melissa?" I interrupt.

"What?"

"I got to-"

"Ok, but just hear me out, cause I don't exactly know-"

"Melissa." I start to panic slightly, because I can see Piper running a hand through her hair, she's frustrated. Don't hang up, Piper. Just wait a few more seconds.

"I got to go Melissa, bye."

"Bye baby, see you tomorrow." She slurs, and the dial tone comes through the phone. I hurry to accept Piper's call, but it has already disappears. Shit shit shit.

I hit redial, listening to the ringing. I look over, and Piper is looking down at her phone, waiting.

Come on, come on.

"Hello?" She asks, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey, Piper."

"Oh, look who remembered my name. I guess I should be honored."

"Come on, Piper, you know Melissa was kidding."

"She really wasn't, Nolan. But you know what, I'm used to it. This is how things are. It's like how the earth goes around the sun, or how Morgan Freeman's voice is that of god or something. It's fine."

It's not fine and you know it.

"I'm sorry-"

"We said we weren't going to say that anymore. Or else that would be all we were saying. You're the golden boy, and I'm the shy brainiac. It's okay."

Why is it, that every time she says it's okay, I just feel more and more apologetic.

"Right, okay." I sigh into the phone.

"Don't get so down, ducky, your face will stay like that." I grin at her joke. I lean back in my swivel chair, placing the phone down on my desk on speaker mode.

"So, how's Lawrence?" I ask, nervous.

"We're just friends, Dad."

"Maybe you are, but he's not." I gulp.

More than she knows.

"Oh come on, it's Lawrence. He's practically sexually attracted to protons and electrons, much less the female anatomy."

"Oh yeah, Piper, love it when you talk science to me."

"Hush, child!" I hear her angelic laugh come through the phone, loud and clear.

"Let me remind you, that I am four months your senior."

"Senior citizen is more like it, you old man. How's the brittle bones?"

"Hardy har, very funny."

"Ah, I know."

"Lawrence is literally one of my best guy friends."

"The top spot has already been taken."

"Oh by who? Mr. Evans?"

"You wound me, Reynolds."

"Have you read the beginning of Romeo and Juliet?"

"What do you think?"

"Of course, but it's actually kind of funny. Romeo starts out the play obsessed with this girl, Rosaline. He's literally crying over her, thinking he'll never get her back, but then his best friend Benvolio is like, 'come on man, go to a party, get over her.' It's pure irony."

"Thank you, now I might pass the daily reading quiz tomorrow."

"I'm not your homework monkey, Nolan." She quips in a serious tone.

"No, your just my girl next door."

She's quiet for a moment, and I think about my words. Shit.

"Not, my girl, just the girl next door."

Silence.

"Piper?"

"I'm here, just had to figure out how to rephrase Shakespeare's speech for my notes."

I let out a sigh of relief.

"How was Elaine today?"

"Terrible as always. She left a whole bunch of dried baby food on the counter, and I actually had to feed Jack, again, because she said he spit up most of it. Hence, the 'bird shit' on my sweater, that your girl so wonderfully and helpfully pointed out."

"Piper-"

"Don't interrupt, ducky, I'm on a roll."

"Go on, duchess."

"Thank you, well, I had to drive Jack to day care, so I was almost late to school, but with a little speeding and a lot of honking, I got to school on time."

"Like some sort of super hero."

"Exactly!"

I laugh, imagining Piper flying around in spandex and a cape. She wouldn't look half bad...

Snap out of it, Howard. She's Piper, just Piper. Piper.

"You pass out on me again?"

"No, sorry I'm here." I shake the image of Piper flying around in a skin tight costume, and turn to her window. She's flipping her hair into a messy bun, pushing her reading glasses up on her nose. She must have already taken out her contacts. Her glasses only served to make her eyes look bigger, which I never minded.

I used to tease her because of her glasses, but at school, in sophomore year, when my friends teased her about them, she got rid of them in favor of contacts. Why hadn't I said anything?

"Hey, Piper."

"Yeah?" Her voice is slightly muffled, and I see she has a pen in her mouth, something she does while thinking.

"There's an all-invited party tomorrow night, you should come."

"That joke's getting a little old, don't you think?"

"I'm serious! You need to get out, show that bod to the world, boo."

"Gross. But.." She pauses for a minute. Please come, please come. "I'll think about it."

Yes.

"Atta girl!" I shout, pumping my fist in the air.

"Calm down, ducky, don't give yourself a hernia."

I laugh, and we have a few moments of contented silence.

I see a car pull up in her driveway, her mom's new white BMW. Jerry's home.

"I got to go, Nolan." She says, and I see her peeking out from her window, a deep frown pressing down her brows.

"Bye, Piper, and be nice to Jerry."

"Alright, Dad, see you tomorrow...night."

"See you."

And I click 'end call'.

I throw myself down on my black sheets, rubbing my eyes with the back of my fists.

I really wish she didn't have to add "night" to that last sentence. But it's just how things are, like taxes and daydreams, it's inevitable. 

I hope you guys are enjoying so far! I've been trying to make this story have longer chapters!

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