| “You don’t know Piper. She doesn’t pull silly pranks.” Scully said. * * * * “Oh freezer.” Piper said to Max on the phone. “What?” Max asked. “A robber just came and stole my Sim’s TV.” Piper whined. “Oh, you poor thing.” Max nagged. “You need to get a life and stop playing that game.” “Well, I really want to have a huge snowball fight but I can’t have anyone over until my parents come home. Besides, it wouldn’t be the same without Hannah.” “Donde esta Hannah?” Piper smiled as Max spoke Spanish. She knew it came almost as a second immediate language to her. Piper just wished the language came to her as well. “Didn’t you get her e-mail?” Piper wondered. “No. What did it say?” “She got snowed in.” Piper and Max began to laugh hysterically. “After the first time it snowed, no one in her house shoveled and then it snowed again last night really hard so now she can’t open her front door and even thought her back door opens her car won’t start. Her aunt had to come and pick them up and then bring them all back to her house.” “Why do I find that totally hilarious?” Max wondered as she continued to laugh. “I suppose she could walk or someone could pick her up but it’s funny just the same.” “She must be going insane.” “Why’s that?” “Because she’s probably having to spend quality time with her brother.” Piper and Max laughed. Piper heard a noise in the background of Maxine’s laugh. “Hang on a second.” “Okay.” Piper said. She continued to play as she waited for Max to get back on the phone. “Sorry, that was my mom. I have to go but I’ll call you tomorrow morning.” Max said. “Okay, bye.” Piper clicked the phone off and then put it down. She fixated her eyes on the screen again and continued to play the Sims. Chapter 2 2:37 AM Piper rolled over, pulling the afghan that she had over her closer to her chin. She glanced over at the television, which was still on, but she ignored the voices and the low hum of the TV. She wiped a piece of hair away from her face and closed her eyes, ready to fall asleep again. She knew she should go to sleep in her own room but without her parents home there was no one to tell her where or when to sleep. Piper opened her eyes again as she heard a thumping from upstairs. She quickly sat up realizing that the thumping was actually footsteps. Someone’s walking upstairs, she thought. She held her breath and turned off the TV. She waited, holding her pillow as if it was saving her. She listened as she heard the noise more clearly. Something or someone was beginning to come down the stairs. Piper quickly sprang to her feet and scanned the room for a weapon. She eyed a high-heeled shoe and she grabbed it. She ran to the stairs and held the shoe with both hands, facing the heel outwards. Beads of sweat began to roll down her forehead. She clutched the shoe, unaware of how much damage a shoe could actually do. She waited as she heard the person walk down a small flight of stairs before they opened the door to the basement. Piper brought her hands down, hitting the person as they continued down the stairs. The person fell but then another walked right behind. Piper screeched as the second person pushed her out of the way. She landed hard on the ground but she quickly got up and ran to the light switch. She flicked them and the lights turned on. Piper sighed. “Agent Scully I’m so sorry.” Piper gasped. Scully was lying on the bottom of the stairs. Doggett stood next to her helping her up. Piper leaned against the wall and slid down. She clutched her arm where Doggett had pushed her. “Piper, are you okay?” Scully asked. “Yea, just a bruise.” She said looking at her arm. A small, purple, bluish bruise was beginning to form on her arm. “How about you?” Piper wondered. “Fine.” Scully said getting up. “Who’s this?” Piper asked, looking at Doggett. “My new partner, Special Agent John Doggett.” Scully responded. Doggett held out his hand as Piper shrugged him off. “Where’s Mulder?” Doggett opened his mouth to speak when Scully cut him off. “We’ll talk about it later.” Piper looked to Scully who gave off a weak smile. “How’d you guys get in?” “Your back door was unlocked.” Scully answered. Piper sighed and hit her hand to her head. “I knew I forgot to do something. Even still, what are you guys doing here?” Piper asked. She looked over at the clock. “And especially at 2:30 in the morning?” “We got your call. We came as soon as we could.” Scully said. “Call? What call?” Piper wondered. “Piper, you called us and told us to get here as fast as we could.” Scully responded. “I didn’t call you.” Piper insisted. Doggett and Scully sat down on the couch, more confused than ever. “Well then who did?” Doggett questioned. Piper shook her head. “I couldn’t tell you.” She paused for a second. “What time did you receive the call?” “About 2:15 in the afternoon.” Scully answered. “We drove down here as soon as we could.” Piper thought for a moment. “Well, you see I couldn’t have called you.” “Why is that?” Doggett asked confused. “Because at around that time I was talking to Maxine on the phone.” Piper responded. “You can even ask her if you want.” “It must have been someone else on the phone, then.” Doggett said. “Well then we’re sorry.” Scully apologized. She paused. “I guess if there’s nothing else to say or do we’ll be leaving.” Doggett and Scully got up to leave. Scully began to climb the stairs when Piper spoke. “Look, it’s late. You guys shouldn’t be traveling in the dark. My parents aren’t home so why don’t you stay here the night.” She offered. “Are you sure they wouldn’t mind?” Scully asked. Doggett looked at Scully who kept her eyes on Piper. He found it odd that Scully wouldn’t outright refuse the girl’s offer. “No, they wouldn’t care. I think they’d feel better that I have two FBI Agents staying with me.” Scully smiled. “Come on, why don’t we go upstairs and go to bed.” Piper walked over to the TV and turned it off. She walked back to the stairs and began to walk up them as Scully followed. “Wait a minute.” Doggett said. Piper and Scully stopped in their tracks. “We’re just going to stay here?” “Sounds like you have an problem with that.” Piper commented. “Geez, Scully! Why do you always end up with the losers?” Doggett first looked at Piper and then at Scully who was smiling. “I think you have a little attitude problem, young lady. It’s against bureau policy to stay in the home of a suspect.” “A suspect? And why am I under suspicion, Special Agent John ‘I’m a loser’ Doggett?” Piper asked. “I’m sure I could find something.” Doggett responded. “I think in a few minutes you’re going to have to find a new place to stay so I’d shut your mouth.” Piper responded as she walked up the stairs. “And you like this brat?” Doggett asked Scully. “She’s not a brat. You just have to get on her good side and in your case that might take a while.” Scully said. She walked up the stairs. Doggett sighed and followed her. The next morning, Piper woke up and rolled over. She looked at her clock and saw that it was almost noon. She sighed and got out of bed. She walked down the hall a little ways to where her sister’s rooms were. Both of the doors were still shut so Piper figured Doggett and Scully were still sleeping. Piper walked back down the hallway past her room and down the stairs. She went into her kitchen and opened a closet. She grabbed a granola bar and then continued to walk into the living room. Piper grabbed the remote control from her coffee table and then sat down on the couch. She pressed power and then looked to the TV but it was gone. Piper rubbed her eyes, concerned as to what was going on. She looked to the spot again and still did not see the TV. She dropped the remote on the ground and she ran through the house and up the stairs, yelling as she ran. |