Define Beauty

Let's meet Mr. McLean, shall we?

At one thirty seven in the morning the black Mercedes Benz came to pick them up.

Piper first made sure it was the same Mercedes and the same driver before going anywhere near it.

"First thing you learn when your dad's a celebrity. There are people out to hurt you" Piper said when Annabeth looked confused at all her caution.

They stepped into the Mercedes after Piper had shoved all the stuff in the trunk, except for the blanket. She came around the side of the car and then she and Annabeth spread the blanket over their legs and fell asleep, something they had been really close to doing only five minutes before the car got there.

As soon as Piper was sure that Annabeth was asleep she intertwined their legs and closed her eyes.

The ride to Piper's house was longer than the drive from the school to the beach. When they got there Piper woke up easily with a few shakes from her driver and she stepped out of the car.

She walked along the other side and opened Annabeth's door which was a mistake. Annabeth had been leaning against her door fast asleep and as soon as it opened she toppled out of the car. Piper barely had time to catch her and, unfortunately, Annabeth still got hit on the side of her head.

The driver looked worried for a moment and tried to help Piper support Annabeth back to the house. "I got her. Don't worry just open the front door for me, ok?"

She didn't actually have to ask. All of the staff, except the secretary, was instructed to do her bidding unless her father said otherwise. And even if her father said otherwise they usually still obeyed her and got in trouble for it.

Annabeth was still sleeping, God knows how, and Piper struggled to find a comfortable position to carry her to the house. Specially since she was covered in the blanket and it kept Piper from getting a strong grip on Annabeth's waist.

Eventually Piper separated the blanket from the sleeping girl and found it easier to let Annabeth lean on her side while she lifted her feet from the ground every time she took a step to keep them from getting scratched on the pavement of her driveway.

This was slow going but as best as Piper could do. When she got through the door her driver closed it behind himself as he left for his own house.

Piper continued this way and dragged Annabeth up the stairs to her room.

She tried to lay her down gently on her bed but it ended up being a bit rougher than she thought it would. She froze thinking Annabeth would wake up but the girl slept like a baby.

"Damn" she whispered. "Nothing wakes you huh?"

She settled Annabeth in more comfortably and pulled the covers over the girl. She truned on her ceiling fan and checked to see if there was anything she missed.

Then Annabeth's phone vibrated in her pocket and Piper frowned.

"This is extremely wrong" she told herself as she leaned forward and slid her hand into Annabeth's back pocket. She pulled out Annabeth's phone and put it on silent. Then she set it on the nightstand and plugged it to her own charger.

She looked around one more time and thought it was perfect. The whole scene was perfect, Annabeth sleeping so peacefully. She leaned forward one more time and gently pressed her lips to the girl's forehead.

She left a note on the giant post-it pad she had on her door.

"Hope you slept well. I'll take you to your house as soon as the driver gets here at 9:30. If you need me for anything just call me on your phone, 787-540-9776, it's a big house I wouldn't want you to get lost.

-Piper"'

She turned off the lights, left the room and set off for the couch.

★★☆★★☆★★

Piper didn't hear her father come in through the door. And her father didn't notice her passed out on the couch.

He went to Piper's room and opened the door quietly. He expected to see his daughter and to be able to fall asleep with the knowledge that she was ok. Instead he found a blonde girl curled up into his daughter's bed as if it were hers and no sign of his daughter anywhere.

He was about to storm in and kick the girl out of his house, but in a stroke of golden luck he looked back and saw the note from Piper.

He left the room thinking Piper must've invited this girl over and offered her bed. Which meant Piper had to be sleeping in the couch.

He went to the couch and took notice for the first time of the body laying fast asleep there cuddled up under the throw.

"Piper wake up a moment sweetie." He said. She remained sleeping. He shook her shoulder. "Piper" he called a bit louder.

"Hmm" Piper finally hummed opening her eyes and then squinting them. "Waz ong?" she said barely moving her mouth, and her father understood nothing.

"Speak clearer" he told her. "What's wrong?" She said yawning a bit toward the end. She focused her eyes on the figure over her and noticed it was her dad.

"What are you doing here I thought you had a shoot?"

"I did. It's over. You didn't tell me you were having friends over, Piper you know you always need to ask for permission for these kinds of things." He scolded.

"I did." Piper said sounding confused.

"I left you a voicemail on Monday saying I was going on a date today. Then I left Jane a note to give to you. Then I stayed awake waiting for you to tell you just incase you didn't get either on time. I talked to you face to face for a couple of minutes telling you about what I was planning on doing and at what time I thought I was getting back and the fact that I might have to bring them over becuase I wasn't sure if they'd be awake to tell me where to take them. Don't you remember?"

He stayed silent for a moment. "But there's a girl in your bed" Piper's eyes suddenly blazed.

"I came out to you there months ago, how come you can't even remember my preference in gender!?!" She shouted. He looked a bit taken aback.

"Pipes" he began softly. "Don't 'Pipes' me. I'm tired of you not giving a damn about me. I had a freaking party here to celebrate it for God's sake, how come you can't remember but a random girl at school who doesn't know anything about me does?"

"Piper" he said firmer. "I'm a very busy man. It must've slipped my mind-"

Piper gave a humorless chuckle. "Wow. Listen to yourself right now.

'Oh I must've been thinking too hard on tomorrow's interview, I'm sorry, it really is a mistake anyone can make, to forget their daughter's gay, my bad' 

If I've ever heard shallower words I don't recall them. But I guess it runs in the family no?" She said bitterly.

"Now let me sleep. I'm tired." With that Piper turned her back on her father and covered her entire body with her blanket.

He was about to say something before it hit him. She had come out to him, there had been a huge party, she brought all her friends over and they danced and sang karaoke and yelled late into the night. But he could've sworn she was still dating that Mason boy. No... His name was... Jason?

It suddenly struck him how little he knew of his daughter's life outside the house.

And then it struck him how little he knew about Piper's life inside the house.

He left the living room and locked himself in his room without a word