Two Weeks of Freaking Out About You

Stone Ages

25

Piper

Present

Music is blasting through my ears as Rose hit the highway to head back to the city. Maddie is sleeping soundly next to me strapped in her car seat and I squeeze her cute chubby ankles because it's too hard to resist. I look down at my phone and scowl—I've called Delilah over hundred times, left at least thirty messages, and even sent several snaps. I check her location again and it's completely turned off. I chew on my bottom lip worried but also hurt that she's also shutting me out. My phone beeps and my heart skip a beat hoping it's Delilah but it's Lily and she cannot get in touch with her either.

The music skips to another song and I can barely hear the conversation that is being whispered in hush tones ahead of me. I choose to pause my music and Rose is squeezing the steering wheel like she wants to drive faster but, Nathalie, Maddie, and I are the only reason she is choosing to drive safely.

"Sam is always making excuses for her—" Rose sneers. "—and I have let things slide in the past, Nathalie. But I refuse to let your mother talk to Delilah like that. It takes two to rumble."

Nathalie chooses to not say anything.

"Are you not going to say anything?" Rose takes a second to glance at Nathalie who is currently staring out the window. "And what the fuck—" Rose makes sure to drop her voice to a harsh whisper. "—is Piper talking about? You and Sam?" Nathalie still continues to stay quiet. "—that Miranda stole Sam from you?"

Nathalie still continues to stay silent.

"Are you seriously not going to say anything?" Rose snarls.

"—you will fix your tone." Nathalie finally explodes. "The kids are in the back." She glances in the rearview mirror and I look down at my phone and pretend as if I'm still listening to music and completely unaware of the conversation. "You're upset with my mother and you're taking it out on me."

"I upset with all of you." Rose hisses but—her tone is fixed. I smirk proudly of my sister. The car is silent again and I almost press play on my music because I think the conversation is over but Rose is relentless. "So?" She pushes.

"Can we not talk about this now?" Nathalie almost pleads.

"No. I want to know." Rose squeeze the steering wheel. "Tell me? Were you in love with Sam?"

"No." Nathalie replies and god—she's never been a good liar. You can see it all over her face and Rose can see it too. She looks away from Rose's eyes. "It was only a crush—"

Rose looks like all she wants to do is beat on the steering wheel but she's probably thinking about Maddie. "So, I was right all along. You and your stupid friends wanted me to seem like I was going crazy when it came to you and Sam and I was fucking right." She pauses and chuckles humorlessly. "I knew it."

"—you're being dramatic." Nathalie replies. "It wasn't like that. We didn't date or anything."

Rose continues to laugh and it's almost scary. "You must really think I'm an idiot—if it wasn't for your succubus mother you and Sam would be off married and having babies. I knew a friendship couldn't be that close without history."

Nathalie chooses to not say anything. After a few minutes Rose breaks the awkward silence, "Did you two fuck—did you kiss?"

"Yes." Nathalie answers and my eyes widen at the news. "We kissed at a party—" She pauses. "—during a game of spin-the-bottle."