Guts And Glory

ACT II: CHAPTER SEVEN: LONG & LOST

"Ayden," she drawls, ignoring his sidekick entirely as she is a whole other matter who will be dealt with at a time where Piper won't be thrown in jail for murder. "That's so funny," she gushes, hand under her chin, "as I actually don't even remember inviting you to the fashion at all? If you'd failed to notice, if I'd known that you and that were even there, I'd have stopped you from getting a toe in at the beginning of the night."

"You wouldn't have kicked anyone out," Ayden protests, nose in the air, never been pressed to the grindstone-as though Piper could ever forget that this a silly pampered prince famous for having no family and thus not showered with the compassion and love that he seems to feel he is entitled to-adding on a haughty sniff just at the end of it, and Piper hopes he managed to get something stuck in that beak of his. "Everyone knows you would have been grateful if a tramp had even turned up."

"Actually, I did have to turn people away. I'm sure you'd be pleased to hear that Troy-you know him, right?-and his fiancée were told to take their company elsewhere. Honey," Piper simpers, face curled up in an obnoxious smile which causes her eyes to close briefly-makeup as flawless as to be expected, the act must not falter-eyes glittering dangerously for Ayden and Evie to see again, "this is my game to play, year away or not. Now run along and I won't tell anyone about the fact the two of you have been fucking for the past three years."

***

Finn keeps tight-lipped about his plans, whatever they may be, and Piper has accepted this-though she would much rather be included, especially when she'd stepped out of the taxi to Chase waiting for her downstairs, a whole other type of grin on his face. Chase Butterfield is slowly coming into his potential, Piper is aware, linking her arm through his as he takes on the role of an escort up to her room to ensure she returns home safely. Piper likes this new Troy.

New-Troy won't ever dream of disappointing Piper. He lives for her approval already.

As agreed upon, Chase has been keeping in contact with Harriet-unknowingly acting as a spy in result of Annie's insistence that no one could trust the ginger mutt, Piper will have to do something about this severe one-sided dislike, the idea of a girls day out is something she lingers on-providing Piper with details of what the two of them talk about through text messages and phone calls, most of which does revolve around Piper, which she is gratified about, but it's also worrying that even when off-the-clock, they are on-the-clock. Piper doesn't want to have to spell it out for either of them that they are allowed to have lives, to do things, to not feel as though Piper controls 100% of their lives-in reality, it's a good 70% at best-as the last thing she wants is people not knowing how to establish lines between how the actions they must commit to their outside lives.

"I've been helping Finn out all day," Chase tells her, pressing the button in the lift, lights flashing for the fourth floor, causing Piper to blink, pay attention and turn to face him. To her understanding, Finn had despised Chase, based mainly on the way he had this way of appearing really clingy and overtly overcompensated with his good manners to feel accepted. Piper doesn't want to have to tell him and Harriet how to act within the inner circle, they should have the initiative to figure out how best to form bonds with these people, fighting for a common goal-but as election day grows closer and closer, now a mere three months away, she can't afford for these rifts that will impact her effectiveness. This is encouraging news, though, Finn proving to have been particularly icy towards more newcomers. "We went through the information about . . . You-Know-Who," and Piper stands up straighter, proud that in the space of a day, Finn has also taken the time to educate Chase on how to keep such delicate matters under wraps. "Finn says a lot of it is really useful for what he's planning to do. But, um-Piper, I was wondering if there's anything I could do to contribute more? I really hate not feeling useful and ev-"