[Flashback - December 21, 1993]

 

"Scarlett!" Piper yelled, walking into the dressing room at the Disney Studios that they shared together. "Justin's being an asshole again!"

"You better not cuss and let them hear you, Piper," Scarlett said, trying to crimp her hair in the mirror. "Britney's mad I'm crimping my hair, but I don't care."

"I can't wait until we're rich and grown and famous and don't have to listen to our parents anymore," Piper said, sitting in the chair next to Scarlett. "We can be married and live next door to one another."

"Who are you marrying?"

"I don't know, someone cute and hot and we can make movies together," Piper smiled, twirling her long blonde hair around her finger. "What about you?"

"I don't know, I'm almost 14, I'm too young to get married and so are you," Scarlett sighed. "I just know I can't wait until I'm 18 and can move out on my own. I guess I just have to wait on you to get 18."

"What's that?" Piper asked, pulling out an envelope from Scarlett's notebook. "Oh, is this from Nick?"

"Yeah, he wrote me a letter and mailed it because his Mom wouldn't let him talk on the phone the other night. There was a lot of yelling," Scarlett said. "He says his group is going to be big.. like New Kids big. It just sucks he didn't come on the show."

"Maybe it's for the best because look at the cheesy shit we do," Piper said as Scarlett took the letter away from her and put back in her notebook. "The only good thing about this is that we became best friends. I'll be glad when it's over so my Dad won't push me anymore. Our families suck."

[/Flashback]

December 21, 2009

[Piper]

"Piper Marsh, you're up!"

I sighed, clutching the script I'd been reading for the past week and stood up, walking into the room I'd seen countless amount of people walking in for the past half an hour. I was auditioning for a new movie, a love story about a girl who was troubled, and a guy who wanted to save her. Apparently it had started as a novel, and had been on the topsellers list for months. I knew I could get the part.

I breezed through the audition, being told I would hear from them soon, and left the room with a smile on my face.

"Wow, if that isn't the brightest smile I've seen..."

I glanced to my right, seeing a tall, dark haired guy smiling at me. He too was holding a script, so my guess was he too was going for a part in the movie. "Uh... thanks."

"Oh, don't thank me." He stepped forward. "Dylan. I'm going for the part of the guy who saves the girl." he held his hand out, so I reached forward and took it, shaking it gently.

"Piper. I went for the part of the girl who needs to be saved." I smiled as he squeezed my hand before letting go. "Weren't you in that Vampire movie?"

He chuckled. "Ah, you got me. So, no more soap operas?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I'm giving TV a miss for now. I want to get back into movies." My cell buzzed in my hand, making me glance at it. "Ah, sorry Dylan, I gotta go..." I gave him a small smile. "...but uh... good luck!"

"I'll be seeing you around, Piper." he grinned at me before walking back over to his chair and sitting down, leaving me to answer my cell.

"Nickolas..."

"Piper, where are you?"

I frowned, hearing urgency in Nick's voice. It made me quicken my steps towards the elevator in the building. "Just got done with an audition, why?"

"Come to my place?"

"Sure. Is everything ok?"

Nick sighed. "I'll explain when you get here."

He cut the call, leaving me to stare at my phone as the elevator arrived.

The drive to Nick's didn't take long, being that I was on the right side of town to get to his. I parked my car behind his and jumped out before letting myself into his house.

"You know you should really lock your front door!" I called out, but squealed when someone grabbed me from behind.

"You took your time!"

I spun around, seeing Nick grinning at me like a fool. "And you just damn near gave me a heart attack!" I pushed him back, and held my hand over my chest, feeling my heart beat out of it. "So what's going on?"

"I'm bored."

"What?" I watched Nick walk past me and down the hall into his living room. "You called me sounding all desperate cos you are bored?"

"YUP!" Nick called out. "Figured we could have Nick and Piper time."

I walked into the living room to see him lounged on the couch. "Nick..."

"Come on, Piper..." He leaned forward, pulling me down into his lap. I sighed as he brought his head closer and started kissing on my neck.

"Nick..."

"Shhh..." His hand pushed up my t-shirt, copping a feel over my bra as his mouth covered mine. I couldn't help it, I kissed him back as he fondled me until my t-shirt was pushed up to my neck and my bra was half off. It was only when he shifted me on his lap and I felt his erection that I was brought back to the present.

"Nick, I'm on my period." I muttered against his lips, and instantly he pulled his head back.

"You're shitting me?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Nope. Sorry. Happens every 28 days, out of my control. You should be happy, means you never knocked me up!"

He groaned, leaning his head back on the couch and covering his face. "Piper..." he whined, making me smile.

"Surely there's other stuff we can do to cure that boredom!" I covered myself back up before climbing off his lap. I kinda felt sorry for him sat there, hard as a rock obviously wanting to get off. I patted his thigh before walking over to the TV. "What about a game of Call of Duty?" I turned to look at him as he lifted his head up.

"Me against you?"

"Duh!" I tossed him his xbox controller before turning the console on. "I'll obviously beat you..."

"Nah. But you know what, lets make a bet. You win, you get me off. I win.... you get me off."

I snorted, sitting on the floor in front of the couch and shook my head. "In your dreams loverboy. Prepare to die, mother fucker!" I laughed as Nick muttered to himself.

I didn't have the heart to tell him I wasn't really on my period. I just had to make him realize that our relationship wasn't always about sex.

Plus, I'd called Scarlett on the way here thinking something was wrong, so I knew she'd be here soon.

Last thing she needed to see was me and Nick going at it on the couch.

[/Piper]

[Scarlett]

I pulled into Nick's driveway and I pretty much left skid marks. I wasn't the best driver anyway, but I made it to his place in record time. I jumped out of the car, running to the front door and locking the car as I ran with the keys. The door was unlocked and I ran into the kitchen, dropping my purse and keys on the floor and to the living room and froze.

There was Nick on the sofa and Piper on the floor on her knees... going down on him.

"SCARLETT!" Nick squealed as I backed up and headed back into the kitchen. I leaned over, grabbing my purse and keys when I felt someone come up behind me. I stood up and turned around and I expected to see Piper standing there but it was Nick, with problems in his sweatpants. "Dude, you should have knocked."

"When have I ever knocked?"

"It's not what it looked like..."

Nick, she knows we fuck around!

Nick groaned at Piper yelling from the living room.

"I guess this was the emergency," I said, waving my hand at his crotch. "I guess I'm not needed here after all."

I turned on my heel, wishing I had sneakers on but I had these damn stilettos on and started to hightail it back outside only I heard Nick moving behind me. Then I heard Piper's voice. They were both calling out for me. Not like it was a secret.

I just didn't need to see it with my own eyes.

"STOP!" I yelled in the middle of Nick's driveway with them both standing a few feet from me. I turned around and looked at them. "I feel like the third fucking wheel here lately and I don't like it because it's supposed to be just the three of us..."

"Well I suggested a..." Nick started to say as his voice trailed off. "I'm sorry."

"You two want to be all cuddly in and in a relationship or whatever, fine, whatever," I said as I turned around and started to head to my car. "I'll just go back home to my guitar and sit in the corner like I always do."

Piper wasn't saying anything. She just stood off to the side, slightly embarrassed that she had been walked in on, but as I started to get in my car I felt a hand on my arm and I was swung around, seeing Nick standing in front of me.

"Hey, you aren't a third wheel," Nick said, staring down at me. I just looked away, then over at Piper who was staring down at the ground. "We still on for tomorrow?"

We were set to work in Nick's studio the next day, still working on his next solo album. He had supposedly started writing a song that he wanted me to help tweak, but I didn't know if I could now.

"Please?"

"Sure, yeah," I said, nodding as I turned around and got into my car. I cranked it up and backed out without even looking and thankfully nothing was coming, because I really wanted to get out of there.

It's one thing to know that your two best friends are fucking one another just for kicks, but it's a whole other thing when you walk in on them. Plus, if you add in the fact that I've loved Nick for the better part of 17 years, then it made it worse.

I really just needed to go out and get laid or something.

[/Scarlett]

[Piper]

As soon as I saw Scarlett drive away I turned around and headed inside. I wanted to cry out of humiliation. Sure, Scar knew about me and Nick, but she wasn't supposed to see any of it.

Plus, now she felt left out, and that wasn't the case at all.

"Why does she think we're in a relationship?"

I turned to look at Nick as he walked in behind me, almost glaring. "What? I don't know..."

"You said you told her..."

"Nick..." I sighed. "...she already knew. I just confirmed what she's suspected all these years. I told her nothing."

Nick shuffled from one foot to the other. "So... why does she think we're together. You tell her that?"

"What! No..."

He shook his head at me. "So why does she think it."

"I.DON'T.KNOW! Ugh, I'm leaving, you're being impossible." I grabbed my bag, and slipped my feet back into my flip flops as he stood there watching me.

"I'm not the one making up stories."

I stood up straight and glared at him. "Nick Carter, you KNOW me, and you know what you are saying is bullshit. I wouldn't date you if you were the last man on earth. I'm a woman with needs, and you're a guy with needs. That is it!" I shoved my bag on my shoulder. "Call me when you've stopped throwing a tantrum. I'm going to find Scar and fix this shit." I walked out the room, ignoring him as he called my name.

As if I would even be in a relationship with him. Yea, we fucked... but he was like my fucked up brother or some shit.

Ok, that was a bad description, but who cared.

It didn't take me long to find Scarlett. I loved her, but she had no imagination about where to hide when pissed off with people. Her car was in her driveway, so I knew she was home. I parked up behind it and climbed out before walking up to the house. The door was locked, as I expected, so I found her key on my set and unlocked the door before stepping inside.

"Scarlett!"

"Go away, Piper!"

I followed her voice to the kitchen, where she was sat at the small table set she had in there. "I'm sorry, Scar. You weren't meant to see that."

"Then why call me?" She looked up at me, looking completely disgusted with me. I felt awful.

"Because when he called I genuinely thought there was something wrong, thats why I called you. I didn't expect for that to happen..."

"Oh what? You fell over and his dick landed in your mouth?"

I felt my face flush red. "Scar..."

"No, just leave. I don't wanna hear it. It's like.... you two just go off and fuck each other any chance you get and I'm left here like an idiot!" She glared at me before looking away.

"No, we really don't." I walked in further, sitting at the table despite her asking me to leave. "I point blank refused to fuck him today. He tried it and I said no. told him I was on my period, but... he's a douche and I'm a whore... what can I say? I'm sorry you had to see that, I really am. And anyways, we probably won't hook up again now anyways." I looked at her as she slowly looked at me.

"Why?"

"You said something about us being in a relationship and he freaked. He thinks I've been telling you thats how it is. Dude, I don't do relationships, you both know that. He thinks I'm in love with him or something. Hell fucking no. I love him, but as a friend, thats it. And anyways, you said like me and Nick see each other all the time, but thats clearly you two! Last time I saw Nick was like two weeks ago! Scar... please don't stay mad at me!" I gave her a pleading look, hoping she believed me. I really didn't want to fight over this.

[/Piper]

[Scarlett]

I just sat in my room, not saying anything. Piper walked away for a bit, but I knew she'd be back soon enough. I just couldn't really deal with it right now. It's Christmas. Everything is supposed to be happy, except it wasn't. I was fighting with my parents, as usual, Piper didn't really get along with hers because they were asking for money all the time, and let's not even get to talking about Nick's. Nick's family was worse than all of ours together. That's pretty much how it had been since we were teenagers and why we just always stuck together.

Knock knock

"Go away, Piper."

Not Piper... I don't see her car outside right now.

I froze as the door opened and I saw Nick peek in and smiled. "Just me, is that okay?" he asked as I nodded and sat in my chair by the window. They both had the security code to come into my house and I had theirs.

My bedroom was decorated with several different guitars hanging on the wall and some photos, but for the most part it looked like something out of a fairytale with a canopy bed and fluffy white bed.

I kept what few plaques I had downstairs, scattered about, plus my two CMA Awards that I won for song of the year two years in a row.

"Shouldn't you go see Piper?" I asked as he shook his head and walked over, sitting on the edge of the other chair next to the big window.

"Piper said you're acting like we're a thing, me and her," he said as I shrugged. "We're not."

"Yeah, I know."

"Do you?"

"Sure."

"Or are you wondering why it's not me and you?" he asked as I rolled my eyes and he cracked up laughing. "I feel it's just better than going out and find some random girl who uses me, you know? Do you want me to stop? Me and Piper? We'll stop. Like never again." I looked back at him not saying anything. "It can go back like it's always been."

"Okay," I nodded. "Stop doing that because.... it's just weird and I didn't want to walk in seeing that," I said as the bedroom door flung open and Piper stood there staring at us.

"See, you do see each other more than I see Nick," Piper said as I sighed. "What are you doing here?"

"Talking with Scarlett and... we made a decision. No more sex. Go buy a vibrator, Piper," Nick said as Piper rolled her eyes. "Seriously."

"Seriously?" Piper asked, looking at me as I looked away. "Scarlett..."

"I just want things back like they were. I don't want to feel like the outcast or anything... I know I'm about to be 30 and I don't act like you to do or anything and I'm quiet and soft spoken, but I can get pissed off. I was pissed off seeing that today. That's not who we are," I said, taking a deep breath. "Nick asked me if I wanted it to stop and I said yes. So there."

"Okay," Piper nodded. "Back to the normal."

"Here's some lotion," I said, reaching over to my table and handing it to Nick. "Have fun with yourself from now on."

[/Scarlett]

[Piper]

The drive back to my house was quiet. I had no radio on, the only sound filling the car was the sound of my AC on full blast.

I'd left after me and Scarlett had spoke and walked around some before going for a drive, only to find when I got back that Nick was there .

I didn't really get what her problem was all of a sudden, though. Me and Nick hooking up hadn't been an issue. If anything, it was a good thing that we sought each other out, rather than went off with random people. Because, lets face it, we would... hell we did when it came to times we couldn't see each other. Of course we'd give each other the prep talk about being safe and not going with a crazy, but thats what friends do... look out for each other.

So, the only reason I could think of as to why Scarlett was throwing a fit over all this was because she was jealous. Jealous that she didn't have someone to hook up with or whatever. Then again, I don't think I'd ever seen her hook up with anyone.

She must be hella frustrated.

And then Nick had to ask her if she wanted me and him to stop hooking up and when she said yes he just put and end to it. Just like that.

Like, what the fuck?

I parked my car up my drive and let myself in my house before throwing myself down on the couch. Normally I'd catch up on some stupid reality show, or be reading a script, but I honestly felt like doing nothing. I wasn't in the mood, plus I had no script to lose myself in.

I must of dozed off, for the sound of my front door opening and shutting made me sit up fast and look around. The room was in darkness, and there were footsteps getting closer...

"Piper?"

I sighed, sitting up as Nick walked into the living room. "Why are you in the dark?"

"Why are you here?" I groaned as he turned the main light on, making me wince.

"To see you. You rushed off pretty quick."

I didn't say anything. Instead I tucked my legs up under myself and sighed.

"You pissed off?" He sat beside me, propping his feet up on the coffee table in front of me.

"Yea, I am." I looked at him. "Why the hell did you guilt trip me into blowing you off?? I was quite content just sat there playing Call of Duty!" I glared at him as he chuckled.

"Woah, Piper! I didn't force you!"

I shook my head. "No, but you wouldn't shut up whining! And now... now... UGH!"

He looked at me before smirking. "You're gonna miss this, aren't you?" He signaled to his crotch, making me groan.

"Fuck off, Nick! It's not that. It's.... everything! It was safe with us. I was happy having this kind of thing, that... by the way we've had for years with NO problem at all! And then Scarlett clicks her fingers and suddenly it's no more. What's the deal?" I looked at him as he shrugged.

"She don't feel comfortable with it. And man, I'd feel the same if I walked in on you two... actually, no..." He smirked. "...no I totally wouldn't feel like that for that... OW!" Nick winced as I punched him in the arm.

"You're an ass." I folded my arms and looked away from him. He didn't get it, and if he didn't, then no one would.

"I'm sorry, Piper. I value you both more as friends than this... Don't think I won't miss us hooking up though. I will... but... we're still friends, right? We're still ok..." He trailed off, reaching over to unfold my arms.

"I suppose so..." I looked at him. "...but don't think I'm gonna be happy with Miss I-have-regrown-my-virginity-from-not-having-sex-in-forever. She just opened up my world to whore-ism."

Nick laughed. "Piper, you don't need to sleep around to get off. Find yourself a boyfriend."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't want a boyfriend. I can't stand all that drama and shit. You know what i'ts like. Plus, a boyfriend means my parents begging me to get married and give them grandbabies. Boyfriends are no bueno in my eyes. Men are assholes."

He shook his head, pulling me closer and wrapping his arm around my shoulder as he hugged me. "It'll be fine, Piper." he kissed the top off my head as I pretty much rested there pouting.

Goodbye sex life.

[/Piper]