The Untitled Piper Watson Project

Bath Bombs & Death

Piper's POV~

        I anxiously waited for Mack's arrival as the clock struck 6. The ravioli was already cooked and the sauce was amazing (thanks to my mom's recipe) and a new bottle of red wine had been opened (because we're both over 21 so it's okay). I tried to refrain from biting my fingernails off from the stress due to the fact that I just got a manicure and raggedy fingernails aren't exactly a turn on. Several minutes later with my heart beating out of my chest, the doorbell finally rang. I stood up and smoothed out my short black dress (but not too short). I went to the door with my black flats scratching the tiles underneath my feet. I opened the door and saw Mack, who was nicely dressed in a gray T-shirt and black pants. In his hand was a small wrapped box. "For me?" I asked. He smirked. "It was the least I could do for my lovely host." he said. "Plus, I read on your blog that you love Lush." Lush was a cosmetics store that I had yet to try. The more I see it on social media, the more obsessed with it I get. "That was very kind of you." I say. "Please, come in." Mack walked into the house and I closed the door behind him. Just then, the house phone rang. I excused myself and I went to see who it was. It was David again. He'd been calling me nonstop all day, and kept leaving me urgent messages that I never responded to. I have nothing to say to him, especially about Sam. Why can't he understand that this is my choice? 

        David left me the same message again and I made my way back to Mack, who was perusing the kitchen. "That sounded like a pretty important message." he said. I shrugged. "I can't imagine what he wants. I know his brother has cancer but there's no way he wants to see me." Mack scrunched his eyebrows together. "Who?" I bit my lip. "My cousin Sam." Mack spun around making his way to the table I had set for two, with the food already in place. "Well," he said. "I think Sam can wait until our date is over." 

***

After the delicious meal of ravioli that Mack told me he enjoyed very much, he asked me to open the Lush present. As I unwrapped it I said: "I still can't believe you got me a gift." I opened up the small bag the product was wrapped in and saw it was one of Lush's bath bombs. "Wow," I breathed in awe, examining every inch of the spherical bath bomb. "I've always wanted to try one of these." Mack smiled. "I guess I'm just a mind reader." Then I smiled because he smiled. I looked up at him gratefully. "Thank you." He looked at me and I looked at him and I looked into his eyes which were blue but also green with specks of yellow like the feathers of a parakeet. You know what they say. The eyes are the windows to the soul and I looked into those windows and it was almost as if I could see his soul and who he was and how much I wanted him and how much I wanted to look into those eyes for as long as possible. I remember seeing on Tumblr how if you look someone in the eyes for a long time you basically fall in love with them and I feel like that's what I'm doing with this boy. I am falling in love with him not just because of his eyes but because of his smile and his laugh and his cocky personality which I would hate if it was any other guy but not with him. Then my eyes moved from his eyes and to his lips, not just any kind of lips but kissable looking lips like lips that I wish were in one with my lips, I want to be acquainted with Mackenzie Gibbons' lips good lord what is happening to me? His eyes also moved from my eyes to my lips and my lips were red because of lipstick and I just hoped that he wasn't one of those guys who didn't want to kiss a girl who had lipstick on. I felt both of us slowly leaning in....

And the fucking phone rang again. 

        Mack sighed. "That phone is killing my vibe." "Yeah," I breathed, not realizing how fast all this was happening. "It's killing mine, too." And just like all the other times, David left me a message. But I wasn't expecting this one. "Hey Piper, it's David again. Look I might as well just tell you. Sam passed away, Pipes. He really wanted to see you to say goodbye, but you didn't return any of my calls. You haven't shown up at the hospital. Look, the funeral's on Thursday. I just...okay, bye." And then all the strings inside me broke. "Uh...I'm sorry." Mack said awkwardly. I shook my head, trying to keep the tears in my eyes. This is just a great ending to a first date. "Um," I started, unable to speak. "I think...I'm gonna try out this bath bomb now." Mack nodded, standing up with me. "Do you want me to leave?" I shrugged. "Well, it depends whether or not you wanna stick around while I bathe." He stared off in the distance, contemplating. "I don't mind waiting." 

***

        So there I was, sobbing in my bathtub full of bath bomb. Samuel Watson finally bit it. I don't know why this surprised me. I knew he was gonna die sooner or later, I just didn't think it would be now. But I'm a shitty person. I don't deserve to be upset. I could've went to see him. I could've said goodbye to him and I could've said I was sorry for not seeing him earlier instead of being such a selfish asshole and having too much pride. I don't know what I'm going to do now. I don't know why I was so terrible to him. He tried to help me. All he wanted was to help me. But I didn't want a second opinion. I don't even realize what I'm doing when my head is under the water. 

Mack's POV~

        I sat down on the soft white couch in Piper's house, waiting for her to be done with her bath. I thought our date went extremely well. You know, besides the fact that her cousin just died. The only thing I couldn't wrap my head around was why she didn't ask me to leave. Any other girl who had just received news like that would've politely asked her date to get the fuck out and let her grieve. But Piper wasn't like any other girl. I already knew that. At first I could hear her sobbing, quite loudly but somewhat muffled because of the closed door. Like she didn't want me to hear. Then all I heard was silence. But it was too much silence. "Piper?" I called for her. No answer. "Piper?" I called louder. Silence. I slowly moved up the stairs, not knowing what to expect on the other side of that bathroom door. Was she already gone? Did she kill herself? Was I too late? I knocked on the door. No answer. I listened with my ear against the door hinge, listening for any sign of life. I heard nothing. I backed up all the way to the back of the wall in the hallway and with all my might, kicked the door open. Piper was underneath the water, with the aura of a corpse. 

        I ran to the tub, ignoring the fact that this girl was naked in front of me. There were bigger things at hand. I lifted her by her arms and as if by magic she opened her eyes and started coughing up the access water. Then she continued to sob, realizing what she just tried to do and what I just witnessed. "I'm sorry." she cried, burying herself in my arms. "I didn't want you to see me like this. It wasn't something I wanted." "Shh," I try to comfort her, holding her in my arms and warming her cold skin with my warm flesh. She was using me as her tissue and her towel but I didn't mind. "It's okay." I say, even though I know it's kinda not. "I'm here." After I said that she stopped crying, and wiped away her tears. Embarrassed, she put her robe on and excused herself to go put clothes on. The beginning of this particular night was terribly confusing. The only thing I knew for sure was that this girl definitely liked me, because once she was reassured that I was actually there with her, and that it wasn't just a dream, she woke up from her nightmare.