The Untitled Piper Watson Project

Lipstick Lesbians & Handcuffs

Piper's POV~three months later

Well, me and Mack managed to not fall apart in the last few months. Everything was perfect. He was living with me and insisted that he found a job to help me pay for the house. Of course being an author means that money shouldn't ever be an issue, but that's what Mack wanted. And I accepted. Mr. Anderson still hasn't gotten back to me about the new book. I tried so hard not to worry, but I couldn't stop all the horrible thoughts swirling through my head. What if he hated it? I mean, I'd never written non-fiction before, so that style of writing is completely new to me. Plus, Anderson's Publishing has been my publisher for years. Ever since I began writing books. I couldn't imagine having to use another publisher, or not having any publishers who want to publish my story..."Piper, are you okay?" Mack asked me. I snapped out of my daze. We were sitting at the kitchen table, having coffee together as usual. It was morning, and the sun was shining so bright for a crisp spring day. "I'm fine." I said, staring into my mug. I wasn't fine. My anxiety was getting the better of me as I waited for the one call that would decide the rest of my life.

"Is this about the book?" Mack pressed. I nodded. "It's been three months, Mackenzie, he should have called already--" "Maybe he's just getting around to it." Mack suggested. I shrugged. "I guess." I sipped my coffee. All this drama with Mack's family and my book, I couldn't deal with it. The only good thing that's happened is I finally got the sling off my arm, and the wrappings off my ankle. I could move freely again. The bruise under my eye faded to a light blue, barely visible. All traces of the terrifying accident that occurred those short months ago were gone. "Weren't you going to see your sister today?" Mack asked, standing to put the cups in the dishwasher. I stood up as well. "Yeah, we're going into town to shop at Lucy's." Lucy's was this cute little store in Boston that had just about everything that you would see in the vintage section of Tumblr. Fresh produce, clothes, you name it. Jennifer and I would go every week with our grandmother, who would buy us anything we wanted, just like our mom. That's clearly where she gets that from. I frowned. Mack looked at me. "What's wrong?" I shook my head, and proceeded to go upstairs to get dressed. "Nothing. Just remind me I need to call my grandmother."

***

"How is everything?" Jen asked as we roamed around Lucy's. I shrugged. "Okay. How are you?" She smiled. "I'm seeing someone." I gasped, my eyes lighting up. "Who?" "Just someone we went to high school with." she replied, casually inspecting an item of clothing. I wiggled my eyebrows at her. "Does this person have a name?" Jen laughed lightly. "Her name's Rose. You remember her, right? Rose Callahan?" I nodded. "Yeah, I remember. She was homecoming queen junior year." "Junior year for you." Jen corrected. "I was a senior." She sighed happily. "Oh, those were the days when I thought I was straight." Jennifer realized she was a lesbian a little bit of her way into college. She experimented of course, but after hooking up with a girl once, she thought boys weren't even a question, and she liked girls. Our parents were 100% supportive, our grandparents however, on both sides, were skeptical. But we don't talk about it with them. And this frustrates me. "Speaking of significant others, how's Mack doing?" Jen asked. "He's okay. He has plans today, actually." "With whom?" I picked up a dress off the rack, examining it." "Some friends from high school, I think." Jen held the dress to me and nodded in approval. "I think you should get this one."

We paid for our things and made our way back to my car. A bunch of guys out on the street were whistling at us like pigs, and one of them gasped when he realized who I was. "Guys, that's Piper Watson!" One of the guys took a swig of his beer and narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Dude, who the fuck is Piper Watson?" I glared at them. "I am. And you're blocking my car." The guys roared in laughter at the sight of my little car. "This piece of shit is your car?" the guy with the beer laughed. "Write about me on your blog, baby!" Another one piped up. The first guy went right up to us. "You ladies looking for a good time tonight?" Jen put her hand on my shoulder protectively and led me towards the car. "I'm gay, and she's taken." she spat. We piled into the car, swerved around the perverted guys and sped back to the highway. Jen rubbed her eyes. "You know, it's at times like these when I'm grateful I'm a flaming homosexual." I chuckled nervously, my heart still pounding from the encounter. "I'm not. Mack's sweet. I like him." Jen groaned and leaned against the window. "What is Mack even doing right now?"

Mack's POV~

A few minutes after Piper left, I went to meet my friends at a bar in Boston, a block from the store where Piper was shopping. I walked in and my friends, Isaac and Eddie, were already there. At the sight of me, they jumped out their seats and ran up to me to engulf me in a bone-crushing hug. "Mackenzie Gibbons, you sweet son of a bitch!" said Isaac. Eddie patted me on the back. "Isaac here has been complaining nonstop about hanging out with you, Mack." Eddie put his arms around me and Isaac and sighed in relief. "The Golden Trio, together again." Isaac dragged me to their seats and handed me a drink. "My brother, it's been too damn long. I. need. to. know. Are you still a crazy bastard?" Eddie slapped him. "Not cool, dude." I laughed. "No, it's okay. And to answer your question, no. That's all behind me now." Eddie leaned across the table and stared at me. "You got a girl?" I blushed. Isaac slapped his hand down on the table. "Hold the fuck up. Mack's got a girlfriend and I don't? What the fuck?" Eddie patted him on the back. "It's okay, buddy. Tell us about your girl, Mack." I cleared my throat. "Well, her name's Piper Watson." Eddie's eyes widened. "The author/blogger Piper Watson?" I nodded. "That would be the one." Isaac groaned. "She's famous, too? Not fair."

I smiled. "I'm glad I got to see you guys." "Of course." Eddie said. "Relocating to Boston from New York was no trouble. Friends stick together, right?" I embraced Eddie and Isaac in a hug and made my way out of the bar. I saw a bunch of guys on the sidewalk, falling over drunk. I was about to walk back to my car and go about my business, when I saw one of them pull out a gun. He went berserk, and shot wildly at the group around him. He shot them all to the ground and ran, not before chucking his gun across the street...to me. A cop burst out of a nearby restaurant, his gun raised. He examined the bodies and the street, and his eyes met mine and the gun at my feet. I stood in shock, unable to comprehend what was happening. My brain was numb as I was handcuffed and shoved into a police car. My luck is just the worst. I was dragged into the police station and shoved into a cell with a payphone in it. The cop who arrested me glared at me and poured a handful of coins into my palm. "You have one phone call." he said and he walked off. I eyed the phone and the coins. Who else could I call besides Piper? I sighed and inserted the coins into the slot. I dialed her home phone number that I knew by heart, praying she was home already.

She picked up on the third ring. "Hello?" I sighed. "Piper." "Mack?" Her voice raised in alarm. "What's wrong?" Great. This is just great. Another reason for my parents not to approve of my life. The fact that I hurt everyone I get close to. That I'm too screwed up to be happy, and no matter how much I try to convince myself that I'm fine, I know I never will be. "Listen," I began. "I need your help, Ace of Spades."