The Next Step - Wondering (A Pinn Story)

Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Goodbye...

Finn's POV:

I wash my face, trying to make it look like I wasn't just crying, when I hear my phone start ringing.

"Hello," I answer the unknown number.

"Finn, it's James Alfera. Piper's brother," he says I can hear a tinge of panic and fear in his voice.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Piper is having a panic attack. Riley told me you guys aren't on good terms right now, but you are the only person I know for a fact can calm her down. I've seen it before, when she had that panic attack last year before you guys went to Regionals. I remember, you were the only one that could calm her down and my entire family was there. It's like you're her safe place, or something. Anyways, we're at my parents place, get here quickly," he tells me.

"She's having a panic attack? I'll be right over," I tell him and end the call.

I grab a jacket from my open wardrobe and bolt out of my bedroom door.

I sprint down the stairs, almost falling due to missing a couple stairs.

"Finn, what's going on? You said you were getting changed?" I hear my dad say.

"Have you been crying?" my mom asks me.

"I'm really sorry, but I have to go," I tell them.

"Where are you going?" Amy yells as I run out the door, slamming it behind me.

"Finn Campbell," I hear my mother scream, "Get back here!"

In most cases I would go back, but not when Piper needs me.

I sprint to Piper's house, luckily it's only two streets away. When I get there I bash on the front door, hopefully her parents aren't home.

The door opens to reveal James. He tells me to follow him and we run up the familiar pathway to Piper's room.

As I make it to the room, I am taken back by the condition of it. There is glass all over the floor and broken frames. On top of the pile of broken glass, lay two pictures. The picture of Pipes and I that I gave her for Christmas and another picture of us with Amy.

I feel tears pooling in my eyes as I see the pictures. A single tear runs down my face as I see all the missing pictures of us on her collage wall and find them torn in half on the floor.

I see Piper sitting on the floor next to her bed staring at her collage wall. I fall down next to her and pull her into my arms.

"Pipes, breathe. I'm here, I'm right here. It's gonna be okay," I tell her and place a gentle kiss on her forehead.

I can feel her breathing slow down and become more controlled.

She wipes her eyes and then looks up at me with glistening eyes.

"Finn," she cries and falls onto my shoulder.

I tighten my grip on her, rubbing one hand up and down her back, the other, I use to move her hair out of her face.

When I can tell her breathing has become steady and returned back to normal, I look down at her and say, "Pipes, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault."

She pulls her head away from my shoulder, but remains in my arms.

"No Finn, we're equally to blame. I shouldn't have kissed you back, but I did, making me just as much to blame as you," she says, staring up at me.