The Broken Girl and The Golden Boy

Still Love Him

Piper: Chapter 39

The next few days passed by in a wash of misery and numbness. I couldn't believe how stupid I'd been to think letting someone in to my shitty life was a good idea. It had been so long since something had hurt me this deeply. But with this... I didn't know what to do. I could barely function knowing what I'd done to Justin, but I had to put Sadie first. There was no other way. And it only took me three days of repeating that over and over to convince myself that it was true.

"...Piper?" Sadie murmured, poking my shoulder gently, "We have to go soon or we'll be late."

I blinked, finally breaking my gaze away from the breakfast dish I'd been staring at for the past five minutes. "Oh, right, sorry. Just... let me get my shoes on."

"Um... you're still in your pajamas, though."

"Oh, right!" I shook my head. God, I needed to pull myself together. My little sister shouldn't have to tell me how to get ready for school. "Go unlock the car. You can sit out there and I'll meet you in five minutes. Promise."

Sadie looked at me worriedly before nodding reluctantly as she took the keys I offered her and headed outside. I quickly headed into my room and changed out of my pajamas. After a moment's consideration, I forewent brushing my hair, throwing it up in a sloppy bun instead and brushing my teeth before racing outside. As I headed out the door, I couldn't help but glare at the closed door to my father's room where he was sleeping off his most recent night of drinking. None of this would have happened if it weren't for him.

Of course, in the end, it was still your choice, the little voice in the back of my mind reminded me, making me wince slightly. Yes, as much as I hated my father for the things he'd done, this guilt had to fall on me. I heaved a sigh and went to join Sadie in my car as I pushed the thought out of my head. I had to focus on something else if I was going to make it through this day. I had to act... normal. Unaffected. Convincing. If not, all of this might end up being for nothing. I glanced at my sister sitting beside me and clenched my fists tighter around the steering wheel, to the point of pain. I couldn't let anything happen to her. Not again. We'd stay together no matter what it cost me.

"Bye, Piper," Sadie murmured, gaze still concerned as she slipped out of the car once we reached her school. I managed a wan smile in response, watching her walk up to her friends as I mentally repeated that I was doing the right thing. I had to be doing the right thing if it meant that she would be safe.

Once Sadie had headed inside, I pulled out of the parking lot and made my way to my own school, looking at the building with a sense of foreboding. Taking a deep breath, I mentally reassured myself for the hundredth time that day that I could do this. I couldn't afford to miss any more classes, no matter how I was feeling inside. If I failed out of school, it wouldn't look good when I tried to file for custody of Sadie, after all. I forced myself to pull my shoulders back and hold my head high, trying to pull off a confident demeanor that I didn't feel inside.

My facade lasted all of thirty seconds.

My friends spotted me the moment I walked through the door and they looked... pissed. Ian pushed off the wall and started stalking over to me and I couldn't help myself. My instincts kicked in and I ran like hell. I quickly realized that RUNNING from a six-foot-something athlete wasn't my smartest choice and ducked into the nearest classroom to hide, ignoring the sign on the door that said students weren't allowed in.

I froze in my tracks as I took in the sight in front of me. What... happened? The music room was... I felt tears gather in the corners of my eyes. Justin's guitar was smashed to pieces in the corner of the room, with a clear hole where it had been thrown against the wall. Scattered all around was what remained of Justin's music. The songs he had written, crumpled, torn and tossed away like garbage.