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Piper kicks her feet onto Jason’s lap, laughing and leaning back against the foot of the couch. Abbey Road is spinning on his record player, because “this kind of music was made for vinyl,” the pretentious shit.
“Why are we on the floor?” Jason laughs. Piper lifts her half full glass of wine and shakes it, a few drops splashing on her legs, making them both laugh even harder.
A few moments and the laughter passes, and Piper sighs. “I should probably head out.”
“Stay,” Jason says, putting his hand on the legs still on top of him. “It’s late, just stay.”
“I’ve been here for three days,” Piper says. “My roommates probably think I’m dead.”
“Let them think it,” Jason scoots closer, dislodging Piper’s feet. He faces her, tucking a loose hair behind her ear. They're both silent for a moment. “I love seeing you everyday.”
Piper leans in.
She stays.
+
“Dance with me!’
“Pipes-”
“I won't take no for an answer, Grace, come on!” Piper grabs both of Jason’s hands and hauls him to his feet.
“I thought you wanted to dance!” Jason laughs as he’s pulled farther and farther from the living room.
“I do,” Piper smiles, a mischievous glint in her eyes that Jason knows means trouble. She continues to pull him towards the door, tutting when he tries to stop for shoes. “Barefoot, just like our ancestors intended!”
“Our ancestors didn't have access to tetanus shots.”
“And we do!” Piper laughs gleefully, finally managing to tug Jason outside into the pouring rain. She stares up at the sky in awe. “Isn’t modern medicine amazing?”
Jason, resigned to being soaked, fully steps out into the rain, shoeless and shaking his head. “You’re insane.”
“Yes,” Piper smiles. She bows and holds out a hand. “Will you have this dance?”
With another shake of his head, Jason takes Piper’s hand and guides her into a waltz, humming a song just loud enough for the two of them to hear. The thunder cracks, and the sky lights up with purples, pinks, and reds.
As the night grows and the dancing dwindles, they find themselves sitting on the curb, staring up at the sky, still being lit up in all different colours with lightning - indigo, violet, maroon.
+
Spilled wine. Slamming doors. Scratchy throats. Shattered glass. Silent sobs.
+
A knock sounds on Piper’s door. She rubs her red-rimmed eyes, reluctantly opening the door to-
“Jason.”
“Hey, Pipes.”
Piper moves to shut the door, but Jason shoots his foot out just in time, stopping it from closing fully. Piper has half a mind to crush his foot, but decides violence will probably result in a lawsuit, and she really doesn’t have the energy for that.
“What do you want?” She crosses her arms, a hardened glare on her face that isn't the least bit intimidating.
“I…” Jason shakes his head, almost in defeat. She finally gets a good look at him - his eyes are sunken in, his nose and lips red while the rest of his face is almost ghostly pale. His hair is a mess, like he’d been running his fingers through it for hours. He looks pathetic.
“I came to apologize,” he says. He holds out the bouquet Piper hadn’t noticed until now. “I brought you flowers. Roses. I know they’re your favourite.”
Piper hesitantly grabs the flowers, studying the red bouquet. She deadpans, “These are carnations.”
Jason laughs, humourlessly, almost cruel, shaking his head again. “I can never get anything right, can I?”
This, for some reason, flips a switch in Piper’s mind. She sees red. “You always do this,” she spits.
“What, mess up the flowers? Because I’m sure this is the first time.”
“Stop trying to be cute. You don’t pay
attention
,” Piper shoves the flowers back into Jason’s grip. “You fuck up, and then try to play it off, but it’s really because you don’t
care
, Jason. You think all is forgiven because you flash a charming smile, but it’s
not
.”
“I came here to apologize, not to get yelled at,” Jason scoffs.
“And it's a shitty apology! You couldn't even get my favourite flower right!”
“I did get it right!” Jason gestures wildly. “It’s a rose!”
“This is not about the flowers anymore!” Piper yells. Her neighbour, an elderly woman, pops her head out of her door to shush them.
“These carnations,” Piper says, volume lowered, but anger still present as ever. She grabs the flowers again, using them to gesture between the two of them. “They're not just flowers. They’re us. They’re your lack of attention to detail, they’re your disinterest in us, in me .”
“They’re flowers, Piper.” Jason says. He snatches the bouquet from her. “If you didn’t want them, that’s all you had to say.”
He storms away, and if Piper wasn’t so angry she would’ve compared him to an angry toddler.
“You know, dear,” Her neighbour pops her head out of her door again. Piper doesn’t bother to wipe the tears freely flowing down her cheeks. “Carnations are beautiful this time of year.”
Piper slams the door.
+
Piper lies awake now, her alarm clock blinking 2:48am in bright red letters. Her thoughts swirl in her mind, jumping from Jason in his apartment, to Jason dancing in the street with her. Jason spilling wine on her shirt, Jason leaving marks on her body, Jason’s flushed cheeks.
She thinks of Jason’s missed calls, Jason yelling. Jason slamming doors, smashing glasses.
She thinks of Jason’s legacy. To leave.