Post by StoryGirl83 on Jan 5, 2009 0:56:09 GMT -5
Chapter Three - Darryl's Party
and DJ
That night, Michelle Branch was singing at P3. Phoebe bounced a little and smiled across the table at Piper, who grinned back as Michelle finished off “Goodbye to You”.
“Michelle Branch, everyone!” the DJ announced only slightly over the clamor of clapping.
The song over Piper and Phoebe turned their attention to their table where Darryl and his wife, Sheila, sat with them.
“Hi,” Phoebe said reaching out as Leo approached them with glasses and champagne.
“Glasses,” Leo announced.
“Okay,” Phoebe accepted the glasses from him and passed them around. “Here you go.”
As Leo sat down Piper held out her glass. “A toast to Lieutenant Morris. Congratulations.”
They all held up their glasses. The cups are almost touching when Darryl frowned, “Wait, should we wait for Paige?”
“Um,” Phoebe slowly put down her glass as she tried to come up with something. “I don’t think she’s gonna make it, because she has a really bad cold.”
Piper nodded in agreement.
A fake smile on her face, Phoebe held out her glass. “Cheers!”
This time they all clinked their glasses together.
“Long overdue,” Piper commented.
“Yes,” Darryl agreed.
It was then that Paige came down the stairs into the club, stripping off her coat as she walked. From her seat, Phoebe noticed her and worry covered her face. “Oh,” her voice wobbled. She turned to Piper. “Uh, we’ll be right back.”
“We will?” Confused, Piper turned to look behind her. Seeing Paige she quickly agreed, “We will.”
Darryl and Sheila looked at them surprised as both sisters stood. As Phoebe stood she added, “Uh, Leo, keep pouring.”
As they walked away Darryl waved a hand at them as he looked at his wife. “Don’t mind them, they do that a lot.” In response, Sheila smiled and shrugged.
Piper and Phoebe met Paige at the bottom of the stairs. Paige grinned at them. “Hi, Guys.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Phoebe asked worried. “What are you doing here?”
Paige looked at her confused. “Um, going to Darryl’s party?”
Piper gave her an are-you-crazy look. “The sneezing, Paige, the sneezing.”
“Oh, that, no,” Paige brushed off sounding relieved. “Eve’s little miracle cure worked great. I haven’t sneezed all day.” Looking around the room she spotted the table with Leo, Darryl, and Sheila. “Is that Darryl’s wife? She’s cute.”
When Paige tried to head toward the table Phoebe and Piper moved into her way. “Wait, wait, wait, wait,” Piper protested. “First we chat.”
“Come on,” Phoebe agreed, pulling Paige along.
“I told you,” Paige protested as they walked, “everything’s fine.”
“No, it’s not about that,” Piper informed her as they sat down.
“It’s about this morning when you left,” Phoebe added. “You seemed really upset.”
“Oh, that?” Paige waved her hand in easy dismissal. “No, I was just having a girlie mood, you know.”
“No,” Piper disagreed, a hand on her pregnant belly, “I think we all know it’s a little bit more than that. Something’s been bugging you so why don’t you just talk to us.”
Paige nodded slowly. “Okay. You really wanna know? I’ve just been feeling a little suppressed lately. It’s not your problem, it’s my problem. And I know you guys are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, I do.”
“But?” Piper looked at her, waiting. “There’s a but.”
“I just feel like,” Paige tried to figure out what to say, “you know, having been an only child for twenty-five years, I’m used to doing everything on my own. And it seems like lately I’ve had to do everything by committee and it just . . .”
As Paige trailed off, Phoebe finished for her, “You feel like you’ve lost yourself along the way?”
“Yeah,” Paige admitted with a sigh.
“Okay,” Piper looked a little unsure as she asked, “so what can we do?”
Paige shook her head. “It’s not you, it’s me. I just think maybe I need to start looking for my own place to live.”
At those words Piper and Phoebe looked at each other, neither sure how to respond.