Piper June.

Okay, so it's not like Jude cares about Quinn, because she doesn't, but she's not going to sit here while some girl snuggles up to him like it's no big deal as he takes a hit off the bong that's being passed around. She just glares, passing the bong to the kid next to her blindly as the girl kisses him and he laughs, holding her face. They just broke up. Granted, it's been a few weeks, but Jude figured he might wait a little while. Just a little?

Jude watches Quinn and the nameless girl practically screw each other for a few minutes, steaming. She texts Piper impatiently, needing to vent and wondering why she's not at the party. She should be here, shouldn't she? She broke up with Ezra, which means she should be doing one of two things. She should be here looking for someone new, or she should be here with that guy she was hanging on earlier that afternoon. Ezra is brooding and ignoring Jenny, moving to different corners of the room as she trails after him.

It's starting to border on pathetic, and while Jude would really love nothing more than to pour more salt in the wound of Ezra's 'broken heart', but she has bigger concerns at the moment. Quinn stands shakily, throwing a glance back at the girl who's busy on her phone and ignores him as he leaves. He makes his way to the bathroom, and Jude really can't resist the urge to follow him.

"What the hell?" she whispers in his ear, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. He curses in surprise, jumping as he looks at her small frame. "What are you doing?" she asks before he can say anything.

"I'm... I'm gonna pee?" he half-asks, confused. "What are you doing? You can't just sneak up on me like that."

"Who is she?" Quinn scowls, frowning as he looks at her. "Quinn, really - "

"We broke up," he cuts in, looking at her. "You broke up with me, okay? You made me feel like the biggest asshole alive because I'm not Ryan Gosling and our life isn't like that shitty overrated movie!" He runs a hand down his face. "I - you were the first girl I ever actually seriously liked, Jude, and I just - " Jude looks away, feeling guilty. She did kind of break up with him, and okay, yeah, The Notebook is kind overrated, but she didn't think he'd care so much, or that he even cared at all. "I'm trying to forget how I feel about you and I can't."

"With her? She doesn't - she's not even pretty - "

"Yeah, but she's there when you're not. She doesn't care about stupid movies or dates or anything and she's not you and it sucks, okay? Is that what you want me to say?" Jude looks at him with wide eyes, gulping. "What? Do you want me to tell you how I can't get you out of my head, huh? How I can't sleep anymore? How I can't even listen to the radio anymore because everything reminds me of you? Do you really want to know about how I jerked off into your panties the other day because they were the only things I had left that smelled like you? What? I'm trying to get over you and I can't, Jude."

"I'm sorry," she says, feeling at a loss.

"I miss you. Do you know how fucked that is? Really? We're not even supposed to be together. I'm trying to help - " She cuts him off, pressing her lips to his harshly, hiccuping.

"I can't believe you did that to my underwear," she murmurs, laughing as she looks up at him. "You're so dumb." He smiles, heart slowing down for the first time in what feels like a long time, breathing.



Piper's blood is pounding in her ears, cheeks wet and burning as she stands in front of her father's desk. Her short rebellion was a mild respite, and to be honest, didn't she expect this? She should have. Her father looks at her blankly, fists clenched as she stands still, not daring to wipe the blood from her cheek. She stares at the piece of paper on her father's desk, the source for all his blind fury and rage.

She scored a 98 in history, two points away from not getting her teeth knocked down her throat. And as if to add insult to injury, Olivia just had to ask Piper when she was bring her friend over for dinner. Piper shot daggers at her step mother as her father looked up from his dry food, curious.

"What have we said about boys, Piper June?" her father asked calmly. Had he not been so violent, Piper might have been able to delude herself into believing that he was only asking to be conversational, not because he was trying to drill it into her head. She's silent, ribs aching as she struggles for her breath. "Young lady, I asked you a question and I expect an answer."

"I... boys are no good, Dad. Boys only get you into trouble." She met his glance for a second, quickly darting her eyes to the floor. He stood and sighed, walking over to her. She resisted the powerful urge to flinch as she gulped. He cupped her face and ran his thumb over the quickly forming bruise on her cheek.

"I don't want to hurt you, Piper. You know I don't. You're just stubborn, like your mother, and this is the only way you're ever going to learn what's good for you." She nodded and he kissed her forehead, sighing. "How about you go rest and after, we do some algorithms? For old time's sake?"

She nods and does all she can to not run out of her father's study, tripping over her feet in the hallway as she shuts her bedroom door quietly. She sits on the floor and cries into her knees, pressing her mouth into her lap so as to not make so much noise.



Piper isn't in school on Tuesday. At first, Ezra thinks she's skipping school with that stupid annoying kid from god knows where. The thought angers him, but at least she's in safe hands. During lunch with the newly reunited couple, Jude and Quinn, it dawns on him that the last time Piper skipped school, it was because her dad went to town on her and she just couldn't go anywhere because she was in pain. He narrows his eyes, watching the snow fall outside as Jude kisses Quinn over the table and spills her water on Tess. That couldn't be it. Not again.

During study hall, he sneaks away into the bathroom to call her. When she doesn't answer, he worries, but he thinks that if she's with him, she probably won't answer anyway. He goes back, deflated as he struggles through his chemistry homework. Since she's not there, he assumes that she won't be tutoring him later, which means that he's now free for the first time in a long time. Ezra would ask Quinn to hang out, but ever since he got back with Jude, they've been attached at the hip and he's too revolted by the idea of his best friend being such a mushy mess to really put up with him, not when he's going through some pretty serious relationship problems.

On the subway home, alone - it's weird, being alone - he casually stalks Piper's social media feeds, just because he misses her and wants to talk to her again, even if it's to hear her say it's over. At least then he'll know. She still has pictures of them up, so it can't be over, right? Right. What was he thinking? With Jenny? Really? There's the bet, to think of, and he actually caught some feelings for Piper, so now he cares. Which kind of sucks, but that's what happens when you mess with feelings.

Is this karma?

He walks home, snow crunching underneath his boots. Eliza is coloring in her socks and pajamas. She spares him a sideways glance as he falls on the couch, tossing his books down. He sighs, melting into the couch with a groan.

This is going to be a very, very long week.



Piper rolls onto her back, staring at the ceiling. She's been avoiding everyone like the plague all week. She's managed to convince Olivia that her period cramps are just really bad, and so, she's written her a three day excuse from school. On Friday, there's no school, so Piper has planned out her week quite well. She told Maggie that she was going on holiday (an early present from her parents), Jude hasn't bothered to call or text since she apparently hooked back up with Quinn, and everyone else has pretty much left her be.

It's a double edged sword. While she enjoys being alone, she also can't stand being forgotten and alone. It's awful. She knows most people think she's on vacation instead of holed up in her small room with her stupid movies and empty tissue boxes, but still. She hates this, being so alone, having no one to talk to, but she has no choice. People can't find out about what her dad does when he doesn't get his way. Where will she go?

She stares blankly at her ceiling, her phone vibrating as her thoughts race through her head. She should tell someone. She really should, but she can't. She can't tell Pierre, and she feels bad, because he really likes her, but she feels like Pierre just wouldn't be able to handle that information. He couldn't do anything about it anyway. She answers her phone with a small sigh, keeping her voice steady.

"Hey, babe. How's the trip?" Pierre asks cheerfully. She sits up, body aching as she pulls her hair over her shoulder. "Having fun?"

"Yeah... I'm having a blast." She sits on the edge of her bed, sighing as she bites her lip. Piper didn't want to lie to him, but what other choice did she have? At least Pierre wasn't like Ezra in the sense that he couldn't see through her, couldn't tell what was true and what wasn't, couldn't see deep into the recesses of her soul. (Or something equally as pining and annoyingly pathetic.) "How's the city?"

"It's snowing. I wish you could see it. It's our last week of class and I got invited to dinner with some friends."

"I wish I could go," she says petulantly, and he laughs. Piper smiles weakly. "You should go, though. Have fun."

"But I don't want to go without you." She fakes a laugh for his sake, standing up slowly. She walks to her dresser, taking in her pale face and dark eyes. She really needs to get some sun. "What are you guys doing?"

"I'm... I'm inside. It's raining and I don't really feel like doing much. My parents are going out to eat later."

They talk for a while until something calls Pierre away and he has to go, but he promises to call her before he goes to bed. She smiles as she hangs up, gnawing on her bottom lip. She pulls some soft sweats from her dresser and tosses them on her bed. Piper wanders into the bathroom and undresses slowly, avoiding the red, angry marks on her body as she steps into the shower.

Piper feels... empty. She hadn't ever felt that way before, especially not about a boy who apparently wanted nothing at all to do with her. She stands underneath the warm spray of water for a few minutes, starting to cry because it's all so horrible. Jude forgets she exists when Quinn promises to take her out to eat. Maggie is terribly oblivious. Pierre is stupid and adorable and it hurts to lie to him. And then there's the tangled mess with Ezra. She misses him, his kisses and hugs and the way he looked at her in crowded rooms. She shuts the water shakily, wiping the water from her eyes as she wraps a towel around herself.

She dresses slowly. Olivia calls her to let her know that her father is taking her out for dinner and they'll be home late. There's lasagna in the fridge if she wants some, though, but she's not hungry anyway. Piper lays in bed and stares at her ceiling again, squeezing her phone in her hand.



By Thursday afternoon, Piper's disappearance has left a sick, bitter feeling in the back of Ezra's throat. Maggie insists that Piper's on vacation with her parents, but he knows better. Piper couldn't stand her parents, and he knew that the feeling was, for the most part, mutual. There was no way she went away with her parents. Unless they dragged her away, which she doesn't at all doubt.

He wants to call her but holds himself back, because she's probably having a blast and he doesn't want to ruin it. Instead, he's taken to keeping up on her socially because he has no other choice, and makes an interesting discovery. If Piper really were in Miami, or LA, or wherever, wouldn't she be taking pictures? Wouldn't she have said something along the lines of being gone for a few days? One of his contacts in the office lets him know that she's been excused from school, which only confirms his sinking suspicions.



Ezra paces back and forth in the bathroom, eyeing his phone. He has about two, three minutes top to call Piper and get back to class without getting threatened with detention. To call or not call? He decides against it, that he'll when he has time, and washes his hands before going back to class. It's such a long day, but it ends eventually. Quinn's waiting for him at his locker, like always, talking off his ear about something stupid until Jude scampers by and he chases after her like a dog after a bone.

He lights a cigarette as he walks towards Piper's house. It would be much quicker to take the bus or train, but he needs time to think and breathe and not freak out. He dials her number from memory, gulping when her picture pops up on his screen, hair a curtain as she grins and winks. He presses the phone to his ear, breathing slowly.

It starts snowing as he flicks the cigarette, gnawing on his bottom lip as the line rings and rings and rings. Ezra runs a hand through his hair, readjusting his bag on his shoulder. She's probably busy or she's with Pierre or Peter or whatever the hell his name was. He tries not to let it get to him as he gets ready to leave her a message.

"Hello?" she answers quietly. Ezra stops short in the middle of the sidewalk, surprised. "Ezra?"

"Piper," he breathes, so surprised to hear her speak without a mean, bitter edge to her voice. "I - are - hi," he says, laughing. "Hi."

"Hey." She pauses, and he can hear the rustle of something in the background. "Are you calling because you want your stuff back?"

"What?"

"I just... I thought you might want your sweater back?" Ezra's face falls as he crosses the busy street, taking a drag of his cigarette. "Or not..."

"Keep it. I gave it to you for a reason," he laughs, feeling awkward. "I actually, uh... I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"What?"

"I haven't seen you lately, like at school and stuff? So I was just... I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm doing alright," she answered loftily. "Hanging in there."

"I - can - I just - I want to see you."

"Why?" Her voice is curious and she sneezes, sniffling. "What about Jenny?"

"What about her?" Ezra asks, heart starting to pound when he enters her neighborhood. "She's... I actually think she's doing yearbook now or something. I don't know. I don't keep up with her."

"Oh," Piper said loftily.

"So, can I see you?" he asks, pausing at a sidewalk flowerstand, poking and nosing around at the cold buds. He gets a small bouquet of white flowers - he's not trying to get in her pants (not tonight anyway) he just wants to say he's sorry. "I kind of miss you."

"I miss you too, but I'm... uh, I'm kind of on holiday." Ezra rolls his eyes, tossing the cigarette nub as he blows the smoke away. He scoffs. "What?"

"Are you sure?"

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"Are you lying?" he countered, and she sighed. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it..." she trails off, but there's that hint, that tell-tale crack in her voice that makes him want to vomit. Who keeps hurting her? And why? "It was kind of my fault anyway, so, don't worry about it."

"Leave the window open. I'm coming over."

"Ezra - "

"I'll be over in a little while, okay?"



Piper doesn't have to open the window to sneak him in because she's the only one home. Ezra walks in the empty house, looking around. It's oddly spotless and neat, organized, such a contrast to his own messy, but still oddly cozy, home.

"June?" he calls out, going up the stairs. His steps echo in the hallway as he walks down towards her room. He pushes her door open. She's watching a movie, her small face peeking out of a blanket. Her cheeks are wet as she eyes him, making no move to get up. "Piper?" She wipes her cheek, blanket slipping off. He can already feel the air shifting, turning tense as they eye each other. "Baby?"

"Hi," she says shakily. "Y-You can sit, if you want." Piper shifts as Ezra toes off his shoes, taking off his hat. He sets his things down on her desk as she struggles to keep her cool. He wants to ask what happened but settles instead for having her rest her head against his shoulder, body relaxing as she sighs. He rests his head on hers, carding his fingers through her hair as she cries.

"Why are you crying?"

"I don't know," she says.

She really doesn't know where to start, anyway.



So Piper's managed to calm down, but she's still hiding away in one of his sweaters and a pair of sweatpants, hair braided down her back. They're sitting on the floor of her bedroom, Piper sitting between his legs as she watches the film. They ordered pizza and have stuffed themselves quite silly, but Ezra's yet to come to a definitive answer on why she hasn't been in class lately. Obviously, the vacation story is totally bogus, but there still has to be a reason why.

Ezra presses a hand to her belly, head on her shoulder as she flinches and wriggles away from his touch.

"You okay?" Piper is gnawing on her lip, sighing. "I feel like there's something you're not telling me."

"I'm okay," she says with a nod, looking back at him. "Really. Just a little hungry." She reaches over for another slice of pizza, but stops short, nursing her rib with a small hand.

"What happened?"

"Nothing," she protests, gasping softly. "I'm fine."

"Piper, you're not fine. You're so far from fine. Just let me help - "

"You can't," she says, shaking her head. "I can't do anything and neither can you, so just drop it." Piper looks at him, shaking her head. "I know you're worried, but there's really nothing you can do."

"So there's something going on after all?"

"No." Her voice is soft and airy as she plays with his hand, locking their fingers together. "The real question is... what's going on with you and Jenny?" She turns and settles herself on his lap, blood thudding in her ears as she struggles to keep her composure. Ezra looks at her with surprise, blinking as she wriggles around.

"What?"

"You heard me," she asks, leaning closer. He's now leaning against her bed, watching her carefully. She's up to something, and he has to keep his wits about him. If he doesn't, he'll change the subject and he won't even realize it until it's much too late.

"There's nothing going on. We're just exes, that's all." Piper presses her forehead against his, eyelashes tickling his cheek as she sighs. "Where's all this coming from?"

"I saw how you kissed her," Piper murmurs, kissing him softly. "Don't act like you were secretive about it."

"I saw you kiss Pierre," he replies, hand on her waist. She's warm underneath the sweater that smells like him and cigarettes, and all she does is laugh as he kisses her, movie forgotten. "In front of the whole school, too."

"I was looking for you at the party," she says, ignoring his last comment as she winds her arms around his neck.

"You were busy dancing with your new best friend," Ezra says when Piper moves down to his neck, head lolling back when her fingers start tugging at his shirt.

"And you were practically getting fucked in front of everyone by Jenny," she says, sitting back and observing her handiwork. In any event, now Jenny should be able to tell that Ezra isn't hers and he isn't ever going to be. (Piper and Ezra, forever and ever. Or something.) Ezra grins, laughing as he kisses her and tugs her sweater off. If she won't tell her herself, he'll just figure it out on his own. Piper's kisses are different from his in that they're languid and soft and tender, slow and delicate and his head spins as he wonders what in the world he ever saw in Jenny in the first place.

"You were stoned out of your mind," he counters, hand running back underneath her baggy t-shirt, searching for warmth (and bruises, scrapes, cuts, something, anything). Piper laughs, breathy, when he starts pressing tiny, sloppy kisses to her collarbone.

"You were drunk." Piper lets out a sound that's trapped between a gasp and moan, almost boneless against him. "You had so much to drink." He smiles when Piper starts tugging at his shirt again. She finally gets it up and over his head, brushing her hands through his hair. Ezra's got tiny little freckles on his chest, little spots like constellations scattered all over. Piper traces a nervous finger, connecting the imaginary dots. "Did she feel good?" Piper asks, glancing up at him. He looks at her curiously, watching as she turns pink and embarrassed. "I mean, was - did she feel - was she good?"

"Are you asking about the sex?" Piper laughs and nods, pressing her face to his bare chest, embarrassed. "We didn't have sex, June. I haven't slept with Jenny in a long, long time."

"What?" Ezra cups her face, laughing. "You didn't?"

"No." He kisses her again, pressing his forehead against hers. "I was too busy trying to keep an eye on you."

"Yeah? Was that before or after you made out with her?"

"It was right around the time you were giving all the boys a striptease on the balcony," he murmurs, ready to come back with a witty, snappy reply when she starts to slowly but surely grind against his lap. "June," he says, but it's more whisper than anything else. "Y-You were - are - such a tease."

"No," she says with a giggle, sighing as she finds a nice rhythm. "Just giving you a taste of your own medicine."

"With Pierre?"

"Were you jealous?" Ezra holds on to her with a firm hand, the other starting to climb up. His head is hazy with thoughts of Piper and what could be underneath these clothes, but he's got to stay focused on his main goal, which is finding evidence of some sort of abuse. "Huh?"

"I'm gonna snap his neck next time I see him," Ezra promises, making Piper's breath catch in her throat when he kisses her neck, fingers toying with the skin underneath the soft fabric of the shirt. He doesn't know if she's gasping because of him or because he's come across a bruise, so he keeps on moving, not wanting to hurt her if the latter is the case. "He shouldn't even be thinking about you, much less touching you or kissing you."

Piper slows to a stop, breaths shallow as she flips her hair over her shoulder, braid coming undone. She's so distracted by Ezra - he's everywhere - that she doesn't notice what he's trying to do until he's already done it, her shirt climbing off her body and meeting the slowly growing pile on the floor.

Ezra sighs softly as Piper looks at him, eyes fond at first but slowly growing with concern as his expression grows sad. Her midsection is littered with bruises, big and small, and a nice-sized gash near her hipbone serves as the icing on the cake of his surprise. He looks at her questioningly as she reaches over for her shirt, hasty to cover herself.

"Piper - "

"I had an accident," she says, but it sounds too rehearsed and practiced to be true. "It was just - it was an accident." Piper hiccups as she starts to cry, looking away from him. Ezra hugs her, shushing her as she wets his shoulder and collarbone with her tears.

His victory is bittersweet, Ezra muses as he rubs his hand down her back. Now that he has concrete proof that this is happening to her, all he needs to do is pinpoint the culprit and do a little damage control, of sorts.