Don't Freak Out! I'll Win Her Back.

Epilogue

Piper

The car ride is silent and I'm grateful that Sam is letting me wear my headphones. Usually, headphones weren't allowed in the car or during dinner or whenever mom felt like annoying me. I lean my head on the cool window and watch all the trees pass by. I pull my earbuds out my ear and the car is not silent. Sam is singing at the top of her lungs. I twitch my lips, amused. I wanted to be mad but Sam has always been good at putting me in a good mood. "You sound awful."

Sam sneaks a glance at me, "Beyonce would be proud." She tells me before continuing to sing.

I snort, "She would be proud of your support." I pause. "Not your voice."

Sam roll her eyes but continue to sing and I can't help but sing along with her. It was old music but that didn't mean I didn't like it. We begin to pass familiar buildings and I know we're not far from the lake. I roll my eyes. The anger suddenly returning.

"Why is she forcing me to this summer retreat?" I question.

"She wants to spend time with you, Piper." Sam explains once again. "What's so wrong about that?"

"Oh, I don't know," I reply. "She's invited, everyone." I hiss. "How does she expect to spend time with me if everyone is here." I roll my eyes. "Zoey, June, and Jayden are the people I want to hang with for the summer, Sam. I'm too old for this."

"All of a sudden you're too old for the lake," Sam says. "I didn't know swimming and fun came with an age limit."

"You know what I meant." I hiss.

"You use to like the lake." Sam reminds me. "You would literally wake up every day to ask when we would go back."

"I was eight, Sam." I inhale before exhaling. "I'm not saying the lake isn't fun but I will rather be doing it with my friends. I don't wanna spend my last summer before college with you, mom, Nathalie, and Rose."

Sam is silent for a moment. I know for weeks this trip has been putting pressure on everyone in the house. Sam didn't think I should be forced to do something I didn't want to do. Sam has always been the peace-breaker between me and mom. However, this time mom wasn't letting up. She wanted everyone at the camp, especially me.

"Let's be real, Piper."

I huff. Here we go.

"Miranda doesn't want you home alone for two weeks." Sam explains. "You and I both know why."

I groan dramatically. "I mess up one time and she's just gonna punish me forever?"

"You invited high school kids to the house, let them drink illegally, smoke weed, break things in the house..." She pauses and I look away as she reminds me of something that happened months ago. "Jewelry was stolen, a teenager almost died from alcohol poisoning, and we were sued." She pauses and forces me to look at her. "If it wasn't for your mother you wouldn't be graduating high-school or even going to college."

I choose not to say anything.

"I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen, Piper. You have never once given us trouble, ever. But, let your mother have this one. She doesn't trust to leave you home alone." Sam explains to me. One of the things I loved about Sam is that she always speaks to me with a calm and understanding tone. Even when she picked me up from the station that night I was arrested after the party.