She Loves Him. He Doesn't.

Chapter 3

Kieran James Anderson was the biggest jerk on the planet. Piper couldn't stop thinking about him.

She pushed open the front door to her house, perhaps a little too harshly, letting it jam into the wall behind it. She heard someone yell from down the hall.

Her father.

"Piper?" he called, walking into the hallway, "Where have you been?"

She stood in front of the door and dropped her backpack on the ground. "I went out with a friend," she answered quietly.

Her mother came into view, her raven black hair scraped into a messy bun, her apron paint-stained. "A friend?" she asked curiously; Piper didn't usually hang out with people from school very much. "And who might that be?"

Piper shrugged. "Don't really wanna talk about it."

Her parents looked concerned, but didn't push it. That's what she loved about them. They always knew when she was in a good mood or a bad mood, whether she was having a sad day or a happy day.

She followed them into the kitchen, which was a complete disaster. They were in the middle of remodeling the house and there were paint buckets everywhere, the ground strewn with pieces of plastic and countertop samples.

Her mother handed her a carton of Chinese food, and she gratefully took it, picking up a plastic spoon from the bare island in the middle of the room. She plopped down on a blue folding chair as her father walked out into the backyard to feed their dogs.

"Mom?" Piper said shyly.

Her mother turned away from a pale green streaked wall, the color of Kieran's eyes. "Yes, honey?"

"I, um, kissed someone today."

Her mother dropped her brush in astonishment, spraying flecks of mint green paint all over the walls. She was looking at Piper with an odd excitement in her eyes. "Really? That's great, sweetie! What's his name?"

Piper laughed. "Kieran Anderson. I don't think he's all that good of a guy, though."

Her mother frowned sadly, her face full of pity. "I'm sorry, honey. Don't tell your father about this, though. He will freak out."

Piper nodded with understanding just as the sliding glass door squeaked open, and she stuffed her mouth full with strings of chow mein.

💔💔💔

Sleeping was not easy for Piper that night; she was tossing and turning, trying to forget his face. She turned towards her clock at 11:11, silently making a wish.

That's when she heard the pebbles on her window.

She got up out of her small bed, rolling her eyes, and looked out the glass.

Kieran. He was smiling up at her , his slightly crooked teeth bright in the moonlight. She couldn't help it; she slowly pushed open the window...

And received a rock to the forehead.

"Ow!" she yelled and slammed the window closed.

Annoyed, Piper snuggled back into bed. She was laying down for only one minute before she heard the squeak of her window being opened again.

She sat straight up glaring at the shape hanging out of the opening of the window. "Get out," she demanded through gritted teeth.

She saw Kieran smile. "No way," he answered pushing the rest of his body into the room, "I climbed up two stories of completely gripless walls to get in here. I deserve a prize for my cardio."