It's been two weeks since Lexie went to Miami and Piper has gotten closer to her new friend, Sean. Sean made a promise to Lexie that he would hang out with Piper after her shift on Fridays. "Sean, you really don't have to do this. I'm fine." Piper says as she gets into Sean's car. "We could always talk when I'm at home."
"No, I made a promise. Plus, it's fun getting to hang out with you. You always have funny stories." Sean chuckles.
Piper rolls her eyes and puts on her seatbelt. "It's not my fault that the kids that come to the pool are hilarious. The little kids are adorable, but they say crazy things." Piper exclaims. Suddenly, Sean's phone starts ringing.
"Can you get my phone for me? It's in the front pocket of my backpack." Piper then reaches into the backseat to receive Sean's phone and sees that it's Jayden calling.
"Hello, Sean's phone." Piper states.
"Are you always with him? Put Sean on the phone." Jayden orders.
"You should start being nicer to me since, oh I don't know, I'm going to be with him more often." Piper reluctantly puts Jayden on speaker where he starts talking to Sean about going to the arcade on Monday. The young girl looks out the window and watches the green trees pass by. Memories of her parents taking her to the park every weekend when she was younger flood her mind. Her father chasing her around while her mother lies on the same red blanket Piper kept in her room, under a willow tree. The smiles on their faces were as vibrant as the sun.
"Hey Pea, are you alright?" Sean clears his throat, "You zoned out there. I was asking if you want to go to the diner."
"Sorry," Piper rubs her face, "Yes, actually I've been wanting to go to the diner all week."
"Alright then, we'll go. My treat since you paid last week." Sean grins.
----
"And that was when the little boy jumped into the pool without his swimming vest. He was so convinced that he could swim like the older kids." Piper announces, shaking her head. Sean lets out a hearty laugh, nearly knocking over his chocolate milkshake. "Be careful, Sean. I'm off-duty so I'm not cleaning up your mess." Piper warns.
"Ok, mom." Sean leans back in his seat. "You are a great storyteller. My little cousins would love you."
"Why thank you. I've learned over the years while helping Lexie babysit." Piper takes a sip of her strawberry milkshake. The waitress soon brings them their burgers and fries and the two teens dig in. "I used to come here all the time growing up. Their burgers taste the same." Piper mentions as she adds some ketchup on her plate.
"My family never brought me here. We never ate out much." Sean takes a big gulp of his shake.
"Oh, how come?" Piper asks.
"My parents moved here from Colombia when I was 2 years old. They had a hard time finding a job because no one wanted to hire immigrants. Eventually, they became citizens, but we were depending on my aunt a lot." Sean reveals.
"Ugh, sometimes I hate America. We are known as the land of opportunity but it's hard for people from other countries to prosper here." Piper sighs before taking a bite into her burger. "It baffles me."
"I've never seen you so passionate about something. Have you ever thought about getting into politics?" Sean wonders.
"Oh no. Politics aren't for me; I just pay attention to the world. I have experience with the justice system and let's just say it isn't all about justice." Piper shakes her head leaving Sean bewildered. He saw Piper as a role model and to know that she was involved with other forms of heartache made him see her in a new light. "Can you take me home after this, please? My aunt would be upset if I'm not home before 7."
"Of course, Pea. I'm sorry if I ruined the mood." Sean gives Piper a reassuring smile.
"You didn't. But I do need to head home soon." Piper then picks up her phone. "Oh my gosh! Actually, I have to go. It's almost 8 o'clock!" Piper says anxiously. Sean quickly calls over the waitress, pays for the meal, and runs out with the nervous girl on his tail.
----
Upon reaching her house, Piper jumps out of Sean's black Chrysler and sprints up to her porch. Piper frantically searches her bag for her keys when she hears a voice. "Who was that?" The stern voice takes the poor girl by surprise. "I know you ain't come here at no 8:30."
"Aunt Patty, I'm so sorry, I was with one of my friends at the diner after work and I guess we lost track of time." Piper explains. Her innocent voice gradually getting higher in pitch as she senses the trouble she's in.
"You know that you are supposed to be home before them streetlights come on. Get your ass inside now!" Aunt Patty spoke with such authority that Piper trembles and draws a shaky breath. Her aunt Patricia was in the Marines and began taking care of her when she was 10.
Piper quickly walks into the house, "Aunt Patty, I'm sorry. This will never happen again. I-"
Aunt Patricia lifts up her hand, "That's what you said last time and you know how that turned out. I don't want to hear another word. You could've texted me or something. I needed to know that you were safe." Tears swell up in her eyes, "I can't afford to lose you."
"You won't lose me." Piper goes up to her aunt, embracing her tightly. "It's not my fault that I'm black. The system blamed Lexie and I because we looked like suspects. You can't blame yourself for that. I'm sorry that I didn't call. I know I should've."
"I love you, Pea. Please, just be careful. They already took my brother and my sister-in-law." Aunt Patricia exhales. "Get upstairs, you have work tomorrow."
----
Piper props herself on her bedroom floor looking at old photos when a certain song plays on her blue boombox. Old thoughts rush into Piper's head; they hit her like a brick. "God, I miss them. Why did they have to go?" She thought. When the young girl lifts her head, she sees a woman in a bright yellow shirt standing next to a man in a black shirt. Both wearing luminous smiles. The couple danced around with a little girl in a green shirt between them. Their laughter and happiness filled the room.
Drip
Drip
Piper looks down and notices tears falling onto the picture in her hand. It was a picture of the couple and the little girl. "I miss you, Mommy and Daddy. I promise to make you proud." She whispers, sniffling and wiping her eyes. "I will do everything in my power to make sure I do you justice." Taking a deep breath, Piper peers out the window and notices a monarch butterfly on her window. She smiles, her parents always said that butterflies mean new beginnings. "Maybe they can see me." Piper thought.
"Thank you for the sign." Piper mutters before receiving a text message...from Jayden? What a surprise.
From Jayden: Sup gorgeous!
To Jayden: Hi?
From Jayden: Miss me?
To Jayden: Jayden, it's Piper. Are you sure you're texting the right person?
From Jayden: Yes, idiot. Go on a date with me tomorrow.
Wait...did Piper read this right? Did Mr. Stark really just try to command her to go on a date with him? Something's not right here.
To Jayden: No
From Jayden: Excuse me?
To Jayden: I don't want to.
From Jayden: It's a date with me: Jayden Stark. You won't get another opportunity like this.
To Jayden: What's the catch?
To Jayden: No catch, just you and me.
To Jayden: I have work tomorrow.
From Jayden: Did you forget you work for me? Dress fancy, I'll pick you up at 3.
"Okay...what the fuck is going on?" Piper thought. Maybe her life really is about to change.
YOU ARE READING
Society Says...
Teen Fiction"It's always you have to fit in! Why can't I just be me?" Society is constantly telling people how to feel and how to live their lives. Since the day Piper Stein was born, she has beaten all odds. This time, she plans to be the first female in her...
