No Strings Attached (Sequel to Puppets)

Piper

"Let me know if you need to talk." Piper said shortly, kicking off her shoes and changing into her uniform. She checked the time. 6:59. Katie's alarm clock would go off in a minute. Piper flopped on her bed as the alarm clock started blaring and Katie and Thalia drowsily began to wake up.

"Hey, losers." She greeted them with a small wave as Katie grabbed her glasses and peered at Piper.

"Hey, bitch." Thalia said groggily, running a hand through her short, dark hair. Just months ago, Piper and Thalia had been in a huge competition. Now, they were... acquaintances with a tendency to insult each other constantly, to put it nicely.

"Do I need to sing the song?" Piper threatened.

"No! I'm up, I'm up!" Thalia exclaimed. While in England, the two girls and Annabeth, Reyna and Hazel has all shared two conjoined rooms. Piper had been bright up and early, whereas Thalia always slept in. Because of that, Piper and her really, really awful singing voice decided to sing to Thalia to get her up every morning.

"Are you sureee? I mean, it's only:" she cleared her throat "Wake up, Thalia, it's time to start your day. Wake up, Thalia, come outside and play. Make your bed, always with care, brush your teeth and comb you hair! Wake up, Thalia! It's time to start your dayyyyyyyyyy." She sang obnoxiously.

"Piper, please never do that again." Katie said, wincing, with her hands over her ears.

"I second that movement." Silena added.

"And I third it. That's it. No more singing for you, Piper." Thalia said with a tiny smirk.

"How could you do such a thing!" Piper cried out over-dramatically, falling to the ground on her knees with one hand on her heart. "Cruelty!" Thalia chuckled.

Ever since the death of Stephanie Jaminson, the girls had been closer than ever. Piper's right hand started to shake, something that had developed after Steph died, and happened when she thought about what had happened. On the floor, she leaned against the side of Thalia's bed, sinking from her knees into sitting position as her hand shook more violently, remembering what exactly had happened the night before Steph had died.

Piper, Annabeth, Reyna and Hazel had been plotting a sleepover because they all needed R&R time. Piper had just finished packing the makeup and nail polish the girls were going to use, when she had an idea. She whipped out her phone, sending a text to Steph.

To: Steph

Hey, I'm really sorry. I hope this doesn't end badly. If there's anything I can do, let me know.

To: Piper

There's one thing you can do. Please. Don't go backstage, no matter what you hear. Just sit and watch and don't go backstage. Please. Do it for me.

To: Steph

Sure. Be careful, okay?

To: Piper

No promises.

Piper had left it at that, hoping everything would be fine. But four days later, she had realized that it was all her fault. After watching the video of what had happened, Piper had beaten herself up over it.

"I had a chance. I didn't take it. That's another life, isn't it? Yet another person that I can't save! It's all my fault. It's always my fault. You guys- you can all move on, you can all go and live out your proper lives, but me? Me? I have to deal with it all now. You can all find some sort of way to carry on. But knowing that I couldn't even save her, that hell, I fucking refused to at first, what does that make me? I could've saved the both of them! But no. I made a wrong decision and it cost two people their lives. Two more people that I let die, two more people that I DIDN'T SAVE! And this is what I get. Now I can't move on, because it was my FAULT! This is your fairytale ending now, you go and find a method of moving on. But I- I can never move on from this. This is what I get."