The Broken Girl and The Golden Boy

Piper's Song

Chapter 35: Piper

I'd been keeping my little secret to myself for the past two weeks. I love Justin. It was hard to avoid it for the first few days while we were up at the cabin, but eventually Justin stopped asking when I made a weird face or started to say something before stopping suddenly. Of course, it got even worse when he stopped. I felt like a coward for not telling him and it's not like I could stop thinking about it.

I groaned, rolling off of my bed onto the carpet. Sadie was staying at her friend's house so I was alone with my thoughts even more so than usual. I think I was going to go crazy.

Who knew loving someone could be so annoying?

I reached out and grabbed my phone, staring at the screen for a moment before sitting up as I came to a decision. I was going to tell him. I could be hurt, but anything had to be better than not knowing at all. Right?

I called Justin's number, half of me silently praying he wouldn't pick up so I could put it off until later. But he did.

"Hey, Pipecasso, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing, just... studying for Chem," I answered, staring at my nervous face in the mirror on the wall opposite me. God, anticipation was making me even more nervous.

"So why'd you call me?" he chuckled, "You've made it pretty clear that you don't need my help in that class - you know, the three or four times I suggested we study together and you shot me down."

"I called because I..." I almost choked on the words, my nervous face turned panicked as I tried to come up with something to say that wasn't my secret, "I don't understand this chapter on the um, photoelectric effect."

"Huh?" he sounded confused - reasonably so, "I don't think we go over that until the end of the semester. Why are you studying it now?"

"Oh, well, you know how I like to prepare," I laughed awkwardly.

"Riiiiight... how about I come over and we can take a look at it, maybe hang out for a bit afterwards," he suggested.

"Th-That sounds good," I replied, "See you in a little while." I hung up the phone and let out a sigh. I can't believe I'd backed down again. But this is good, I reassured myself, this way you'll get to tell him in person - and isn't that better, anyway?

I picked myself up off the floor and pulled my chemistry textbook out of my bag, throwing it open to the chapter I'd mentioned to him and laying it on the bed. Then I quickly showered and got dressed, knowing he'd show up at any minute.

No sooner had I finished getting ready than there was a tap on my window that nearly made me jump out of my skin.

"Jeez, Justin!" I exclaimed as I went over to the window and opened it for him, "You know you could've just come to the front door, right?"

"Well, I just thought this'd be safer in case your dad was home," he replied, grinning and looking awfully pleased with himself.

"You know I wouldn't have called you over here if my dad was home," I snorted, "Admit it, you just wanted to scare me."

"I would never," he chuckled a bit, climbing through the window and pulling me into a hug, "I like keeping my girlfriend happy and unlikely to murder me."

"Smart boy," I kissed his cheek before adding, "But I don't believe that for a second."

Humming a bit, he hugged me tighter and murmured, "As well you shouldn't. So what's up with this chapter that's got you so confused?"

"Um... just... all of it, I guess."

"This is going to take forever," he groaned.

Laughing at his response, I plopped down on my bed and started to look over the contents of the chapter. It all clicked after a few minutes, but I kept asking questions until Justin eventually looked up at me with a raised brow, "You understood all of this from the start, didn't you?"