It Never Took a Lot to Make This Hard

Piper walked into the restaurant, looking around, trying to see if she saw anyone she knew. She saw Louie sitting at a booth, and she walked over to him, wondering why he was sitting by himself. “Daphne in the bathroom?” she inquired, remembering Louie telling her earlier that he was having dinner with Daphne tonight. Louie shook his head, and Piper slid into the booth across from him. “Where is she?” she asked.

“She called me two minutes ago to tell me she wasn’t going to make it tonight. She’s going somewhere with Katrina,” he muttered.

“What?” Piper exclaimed, her eyes going wide. “That bitch is brainwashing Daph, I swear!”

Louie laughed at Piper being overdramatic. “I’m starting to think the same thing,” he mumbled, and Piper could tell that Louie was disappointed that he wasn’t having dinner with Daphne right now.

“Listen, I can go if you want,” she began, but Louie instantly shook his head.

“No, stay,” he told her. “I’d rather not eat alone,” he added with a small laugh.

“Just so you know, I’m going to kick her ass next workout,” Piper smiled at him. “I don’t know what’s going on in that head of hers, but she needs to get over herself and stop hanging out with Kat,” she continued as the waiter came to their table, taking their orders. “Seriously, this is getting out of hand.”

“Piper, it’s been two days,” Louie laughed at how overdramatic she was being.

Piper rolled her eyes. “Whatever! You know it’s true,” she insisted. “So, tell me about your plans,” she said, deciding it was best to get off the topic of Daphne. “You got any competitions coming up? Or are you taking some time off?” she asked.

“I’m staying here for a little bit,” Louie answered. “I don’t know really know what’s coming up in the future,” he admitted with a small laugh. “My sponsors haven’t actually told me. What about you and Daphne?”

“She’s supposed to compete here next week, which is why I’ve been so hard on her lately about practices. After that, I’m not so sure. I guess it all depends on how she does there. If it turns out well, we’ll go to another one. If not, we might take some time off. But, with her winning the X Games, I think she might be on some sort of a roll,” she said with a smile, remembering her win just a few nights ago at the X Games and how excited Daphne had been.

They continued eating their dinner before they had to leave for the night, with Louie going out with some of his friends and Piper deciding to go back to her apartment for the night.

She had only been back home for little while before she heard a knock on the door and the sound of it opening. When she turned around, she saw Daphne walking in, and Piper stood up. “Well, look who it is. Where’s your new best friend?” Piper asked sarcastically.

“Stop it, Piper,” Daphne told her, making her way over to the chair and plopping down in it.

“What? It’s just, I didn’t think I was worthy of your presence anymore. You keep hanging out with Katrina, missing practices, even missing dinner with Louie,” Piper continued.

“Stop it, Piper,” Daphne repeated, gritting her teeth at her cousin.

“No,” Piper said, still annoyed with everything Daphne had done the past few days. “Just tell me why Katrina of all people.”

“Why Katrina?” Daphne questioned, and Piper nodded her head. “Because unlike you, Katrina doesn’t treat me like a little kid. Unlike you, Katrina sees me as a real competitor.”

“I don’t see you as a real competitor?” Piper yelled in disbelief. “I’m your freaking coach! Of course I see you as a competitor! I’ve supported you one hundred percent this whole time! I’ve always had your back. I’m telling you, Daph, Kat is up to something. She’s trying to get something out of this!”

“Kat was right,” Daphne spat.

“Kat was right about what?” Piper said slowly, wondering if Katrina really had brainwashed Daphne.

“You’re only angry because you know that as soon as I start getting famous and winning all these competitions, you’ll be left in the dust. You fucked yourself over when you blew out your knee, and you’re still trying to stay in the spotlight through me,” Daphne spoke lowly, and Piper could swear that she had just shot her in the chest.

“You know that’s not true,” Piper told her.

“It is true,” Daphne insisted. “You’re pissed because I’m hanging out with Katrina, and she’s a damn good snowboarder, who’s making me better. And, you know that I’m better than you, and soon everyone’s going to forget who Piper Lawrence ever was. And, that pisses you off because you know that you’ll never be able to challenge me when I get to the level you were at. You’ll never be able to step on a snowboard again, and that’s all your fault,” she continued.

“What are you trying to say?” Piper asked.

“I’m better than you ever were, and you hate that. And, you hate that I really don’t even need you anymore. There’s nothing that you can teach me anymore since you can’t even get on a snowboard, let alone do tricks on it,” Daphne spoke.

“You don’t need me anymore?” Piper asked, raising her eyebrow, as if she were challenging Daphne’s statement.

“No one needs you anymore, Piper. You’re old news in snowboarding.”

“Fine,” Piper said, standing up off the couch. “Let’s see how far you get without me,” she said in a calm voice, grabbing her keys off the coffee table and walking out the door, not even caring that she had just walked out of her own apartment. She didn’t want to be around Daphne anymore. She thought she was too good for her. Well, now she was going to let her learn on her own that she wasn’t going to be able to do this by herself and Katrina wasn’t going to be there for her one bit.

She stormed off, not really sure where she was going. All she knew was that she wanted to get as far away from Daphne as possible. She felt the cold air against her skin, and she immediately regretted not grabbing her jacket before she left. She wandered around for a little while before finally deciding to go into a bar.

She walked inside, still shivering, and she immediately heard her name being called. She spun around, seeing Louie standing there, and she looked behind him to see Shaun and Mason, along with Shaun’s girlfriend, Joanna, watching them. “Piper, what are you doing here? I thought you were going home?” Louie asked her. “And, why are you shivering right now? What happened to your coat?” he asked her, guiding her over to where the others were standing. He ordered her a drink, but she refused it when he tried to give it to her. “Piper, what’s going on?” he asked.

“I’m leaving,” she stated.

“But, you just got here,” Shaun said, confused.

“No, I’m leaving,” she repeated. “I’m leaving Salt Lake City,” she clarified.

“Piper, what are you talking about?” Louie asked, showing off a rare serious side to himself.

“I can’t take it anymore, Louie. I can’t take Daphne anymore.”

“Listen, if this is about her hanging out with Kat lately,” Louie began.

“No, it’s not that. Well, I mean, it’s partly that, but there’s more to it,” she said, looking up at all the eyes staring at her. “Never mind, I’m just going to get out of here,” she said, standing up.

“Piper!” she heard Louie call after her, and she felt his hand wrap around her upper arm, and she spun around. “Piper, what the hell is going on?” he asked, a confused expression on his face.

“Daphne doesn’t want me here anymore.”

“That’s not true,” Louie shook his head.

“She came by my apartment just a little while ago. And, when I brought up how much time she’s been spending with Kat lately and how Kat’s using her, she went off on me. Louie, she told me she doesn’t need me, that I’m practically useless because I blew out my knee and can’t snowboard anymore. She says I’m using her as a way to get into the spotlight. Louie, I can’t do it anymore,” she told him, a desperate look on her face.

“Piper, why don’t you just let it die down for a couple of days? Daph’s going to learn that Kat’s always scheming, and she’s going to come apologize to you,” he told her.

“I don’t want her apology,” Piper shook her head. “She needs to learn her own life lessons. I’m through with it.”

“You’re just going to give up snowboarding altogether?” he questioned loudly, causing the others to stare at them.

“That’s just it, Louie, I’m not even in snowboarding! Maybe Daph’s right, maybe I’m living my own dreams through her,” she muttered.

“You know that’s not true. Daph was probably just being defensive. She wasn’t being honest.”

“I think she was being as honest as she’s ever been.”

“Piper, just think about this a little longer,” Louie begged.

“I’ve thought about it,” Piper told him. “I’m not staying in Salt Lake City anymore.”