Chapter Text
The first time Piper McLean fell in love, she was 13 years old.
Angelina was 14 and SUPER pretty.
She had long box braids that fell below her waist that girls always stared at Jealousy. People loved to tug at Angelina's hair and call her mean names, sometimes it made Angelina cry but Piper was always there with a box of tissues and a good joke. Angelina was always there whenever her dad wasn't, and the nannies, butlers, maids were too busy and annoyed to deal with her. Not Angelina. She let Piper spend the night whenever her older sister, with who she shared a room, was out, they even slept in the same bed! She brushed Piper's hair, and believe it or not, she thought Piper was super pretty.
Not in the way others did, the way she resembled her dad so much.
But Angelina only saw Piper and Pier, she saw Angelina.
Until the incident.
The first time Angelina’s mom Mrs Sullivan allowed Piper and Angelina to hang out on their own at the mall, Angelia had an idea. and Piper just couldn’t say no, not when Angelia looked at Piper with her wide brown eyes and practically pleaded, “Pretty please Pipes? We won’t get caught I swear it, but Mom won’t let me buy it, she always checks the receipts.”
So yeah, Piper was a goner. Their first score was a ruby red lipstick, Mrs. Sullivan thought the color was too adult for Angelina but all the other girls at school were wearing it, and she didn’t want to stand out.
Two weeks later, Piper saw this shirt that she just KNEW Angelina would love, and she did, the yellow top complimenting Angelina’s skin perfectly. The girl was so happy Piper had gotten the longest hug ever! (24 and a half seconds!)
A month later, Piper got caught for the first time. Angelina and Piper had quickly figured out that Piper was way more convincing when almost getting caught, turns out she had a way with words. Occasionally a salesperson would stare at them suspiciously and they’d actually have to put the stuff back, or worse, buy it only for Mrs Sullivan to return it!
Tristan McLean actually came out of his office when he got a call from his assistant that Piper had been caught shoplifting. Piper was too happy just seeing her dad, she didn’t even remember the stern talking she had gotten when she was escorted out of his office.
After that, Piper got a lot sloppier, Bad attention was still attention. Piper had stopped stealing just for the benefit of seeing Angelina smile but also for the benefit of seeing her dad. Of course, Seeing Angelina smile was just as amazing.
So she just kept going, as she got bolder, messier, Angelina got more annoyed and distant. That was until Angelina had the greatest idea ever!
“Listen Pipes,” said Angelina, fresh off the high of her sixteenth birthday party, her wild curly hair was out, and on top sat her birthday crown, Piper was sitting on Angelina’s bed, (her older sister was away for college, so Angelina had much more space!) The older girl looked at her through the mirror as she applied her lip gloss. “You really wanna test that magic voice of yours? I bet you can convince him, Please? For my birthday?”
She turned around and fluttered her eyelashes, and how could Piper have said no when she asked so nicely?
Two days later, Piper had stolen a BMW. Well, she didn’t exactly steal it. She asked for it, and the dealer just gave her the keys without even asking for a payment! Turns out, that was the last straw.
On one of the only weekends Piper got with her Dad, she was informed she’f be sent to a boarding school..for troubled kids.
Piper didn;t blame Angelina, she really loved her! But she expected a little more Sympathy, after all, she (didn’t) steal the car for her. But instead of Sad eyes, I’ll miss you’s, and I’ll call you every days, Piper got:
“Seriously Piper? You didn't actually think you’d get away with it?” Her friend scoffed over the phone, “Honestly, everyone told me that you were going to end up in jail or worse, but I guess boarding school is better. It’s better than Juvie.” Then two seconds later, Angelina had hung up. Three minutes after, Piper got a notification from the girl’s instagram, Angelina’s arms wrapped around some new girl, both of them sitting under a tree as the sun shined down on their face.
Three minutes was how long it took for every trace of Piper McLean to be wiped out of Angelina’s life. Fun.
In the two weeks Piper McLean was given to say her goodbyes, Piper had learned a lot. Angelina Sullivan didn’t love her. and Piper? She wasn’t sure she loved the girl either.
Her attention was great, having someone there? Having someone to confide in, to cry too? She missed it but Angelina disappearing from Piper’s life hurt far less than anticipated.
For an entire week, Piper McLean waited, to feel, to hurt, to miss. But the most she felt was, ‘Damn.’ and that’s when Piper knew she was incapable of loving.
For the next week, Piper McLean explored every aspect of herself. Her hair, her clothes, her smile. She was uncomfortable.
It all seemed so foriegn, the way she stood so strange. She wasn’t insecure, she never tried to be pretty, attempted to stand out, Angelina and her Father doing that enough for the both of them but…She wasn’t happy. Something was simply wrong.
So Piper Changed a few things. She cut her hair with a pair of dull scissors, and it looked…absolutely terrible. She loved it. She weaved beads into the uneven strands, she pretended to be stopped on the street, a random woman asking for her stylist and she’d just flip her hair and say in a french accent, “Moi”
She raided her dad’s closet for old clothes he hadn't worn in years, had them taken in. She also went shopping, it turned out, she really liked shopping. She bought things like hello Kitty T-shirts, and ugly mom jeans with flower prints on the side. When paired together she looked like a monstrosity.
But when Piper looked in the mirror, she felt...Not complete, but content. When she looked at herself, instead of a familiar stranger, she saw someone she could, maybe grow to love.
Piper didn’t need Angelina’s affirmations, and while she wanted her dad’s attention she didn’t need his barely attentful words to feel something. She just needed her faith. She felt alright. Enchanted,