A/N:

Okay, this was supposed to be a one long ass one-shot but I've just been losing interest in writing lately that I decided to just post this. I'm not sure when the next part is gonna be, or if I even have the energy to continue this but if you think I should, you can let me know.

And by the way, I'm sorry to those reading Shattered. I have not abandoned that, I just really have no idea when I can post the new chapter. For now, enjoy this little something. =)

-o-o-o-

Do you always wonder about the day when you'd wake up to your life flashing right in front of you and everything just totally changed? That day was today in Piper Chapman's life. Piper knew that change was always there. That's why she always embraced it, always welcomed it when it came. But today was not one of those days. Today was different.

-o-o-o-

Piper met Alex Vause when she was just eight years old. She was sitting at the back row of her classroom getting ready to be the attentive student that she was supposed to be, when Alex walked in and sat on the empty chair beside her. For a few seconds, Piper just looked at her... and she noticed three things:

Her black-rimmed glassed that made her look cute and intimidating both at the same time

Her long jet-black hair that made her stand out from everyone

The fact that she was kind of old to be in a room that was supposed to be filled only with 2nd graders

"Has no one ever told you that it's rude to stare?"

"What? No! I mean, I'm sorry that I was staring, I didn't mean to—why are you here?"

"Wow, and I though the rudeness already ended with the stare."

Piper was about to apologize again and explain her side and her foot-in-the-mouth disease, something she realized that she acquired very early in her life, when the girl beside her just laughed wholeheartedly before dismissing her with a slight arm wave. She didn't seem offended. In fact, she looked very amused that Piper found herself getting comfortable with her during the first five minutes of their interaction.

Until they started talking properly and Piper found out that her name was Alex. And that she had to stop going to school for three years before she could go back, hence the age difference. And then they talked some more until Piper realized that she could actually be really good friends with this person.

That was Piper's major change number one.

Change number two came a few years later in Piper's life.

One thing about Piper and Alex was the fact that they liked each other very much. Right after that first day they've met, they've been attached at their hips ever since. They've become the best friends that no one could have ever predicted because another thing about them? They couldn't have been more different from each other.

Piper was born to a family the society looked up to. They were important people, they mattered. She had a lifestyle that most people would be envious of, huge house that could probably fit five families, and a status so important no one would dare lay a finger on her.

Alex on the other hand, was just... well, Alex. She grew up with a single parent, a mother who worked four jobs just so she could send her to school, just so they could make rent on time and have enough food they could call a decent meal. Her father was a drummer of this infamous band Death Maiden, and Alex was led to believe that he was a rock god just as much as a decent father. She believed wrong.

So, to sum that all up, Piper grew up privileged, whileAlex grew up deprived.

But that didn't mean that Piper had a better life than Alex.

Alex only had her Mom in her life but not once had she felt as if there was something missing, or someone. Piper had a complete family but might as well have none at all because no one seemed to notice anything, or care for anyone in their household. But still, Piper did everything she could just so she could live up to her parents' (and everyone else's) expectations. Because that's what good daughters were supposed to do. So she followed every rule, obeyed everyone's instructions and ultimately became the good girl everyone she knew expected her to be.

Well, that was until Alex came to the picture.

Unlike Piper, Alex had the knack of bending the rules. Whatever she was told to do, she would almost always do otherwise. Not that she liked doing it just for the sake of doing it. She also had her own reasons (like finding some rules too pretentious especially when those people implementing them didn't follow those rules, too.)

But also, sometimes she just really wanted to live her life that way, finding the adrenaline in running away whenever she would intentionally ring the fire alarm cathartic, or realizing she would learn so much more whenever she would decide to miss class and spend the day reading at a public library instead.

Alex could barely eat three meals a day, only had one parent and disobeyed almost every rule out there but she was having the time of her life. Piper was rich, had a complete family, and followed all the rules but she was miserable. And she saw that. She realized that the more time she spent with Alex. And she wanted all of that to change. So major change number two happened.

Piper started letting loose more a little, stopped following rules not because she wanted to but because she needed it for herself. She was no longer the perfect daughter or the best student. But she's finally learned how to do things for her own sake and not just to please other people, and somehow, it made her happier than she's ever been. All thanks to Alex.

Major change number three happened gradually.

She's always known that Alex was gay. It wasn't something that Alex had ever tried hiding from her. Of course, Alex didn't realize it at first but when she did, Piper was the first person she told it to. Piper knew it wasn't an easy decision for Alex especially when her best friend had started fidgeting with her shirt while she told her this. Alex never fidgeted. She never got nervous. And it was one of the many things that Piper truly admired about her, her confidence, the way she carried herself.

But that night when she admitted to her this life-changing discovery about herself, that confident Alex she's always known was nowhere to be found. The only person who was there was a scared Alex, someone who thought she could lose Piper by telling her the truth, someone who cried just at that thought. But the fact was, after that admission, she's only made Piper want to stay more.

Because then Piper realized, Alex needed protection, too. She wasn't invincible. She didn't always cry not because she was so damn strong, but because she was also scared. She didn't show how much she was affected by how shitty her life was not because she was tough, but because she didn't want to be perceived as weaker than she already felt.

Afterwards, everything just got better. Piper had learned how to stand up for herself, Alex had learned that it was okay t be vulnerable at times. Because any other way, they had each other's backs. And so they were okay.

Until they weren't.

Alex was supposed to come by Piper's room (yes, room, because she wasn't allowed anywhere in Piper's house except that place where she could sneak in) so they could hang out. But an hour had passed and she still hasn't showed up. No phone calls as to why she was running late, or if she would even show up at all, not even a single text message, and she was worried. But half an hour later, she heard the usual sound of pebbles hitting her window signalling the arrival of her sometimes irritating best friend.

"Where the hell have you been? I've been waiting for almost two hours!"

"Gee, Pipes. Tone down the temper. One would think you're my mom."

Alex plopped down on Piper's bed like she usually did, but unlike the previous times she's done this, Piper didn't do the same. She remained standing, feeling a mix of irritation and worry towards Alex.

"Seriously, Alex. I've been so worried. I don't mind you being late, at least you could have texted me or something."

In an instant, the smug look on Alex's face was gone and replaced by guilt. She stood up immediately and went towards her. "Okay, I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Alex rubbed her arms and Piper found her worry start to subside.

"Thank you." Alex tucked some strands of Piper's hair behind her ear and Piper leaned to her touch because it was one of those things that always calmed her down. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Why are you late?"

"Oh believe me, you don't wanna know."

Alex had gone back to lying on her back, putting both her arms behind her head. She looked at Piper with a goofy smile and Piper couldn't help but be curious as to why her best friend was late. "I asked, didn't I?"

"I was having sex."

"You were having s—you were having what?"

"Sex, Piper. You know, that thing you do with another person where you're both nake—"

"I know what sex means, thank you very much."

"Just trying to clear it up—"

"Shut up. You're fucking late, you don't get to be cocky."

Three days later, Piper lost her virginity. Now, that should have been major change number three in Piper's books had it not been ridiculously awful that all she just wanted was to forget it ever happened. It didn't help that whilst doing it, all she kept thinking about was if Alex's first was as awful as hers was being. She tried to convince herself that she was just being an annoying teenager by comparing her sex life to that of her best friend's but something was off and Piper knew it.

She spent the next few days avoiding Alex without any clear reason why. And Alex sure as hell noticed it.

"Pipes, why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you."

"Do you think I'm stupid? What's going on, Piper?"

"What's going on is that I've been having sex." Piper said it so softly that even she didn't know if she really said it out loud or was just thinking it.

"What?"

"Nothing. Look, I have to go, okay?"

"What the hell is going on?" Alex asked again, frustration clearly evident in her voice by then. "Did I do something wrong?"

And just like that, Alex's voice became so uncharacteristically soft, like she's already so sorry if she indeed did something wrong that Piper's chest tightened in an instant. She didn't know why but it felt like only she had the power of turning Alex into her most vulnerable state and now she had and Piper felt awful about it. Alex shouldn't be suffering just because of her.

"Alex, you did not do anything wrong. I just... I really have to go."

"Is this because of the guy you've been seeing?" That's when Piper felt like her legs had been locked on the floor because she suddenly couldn't move. She didn't even know Alex knew about that. "He told you to stop seeing me, didn't he?" Piper should have said anything by then. She didn't like the tone in Alex's voice because she sounded scared. And Piper hated it when Alex was scared because she's used to having her as the strong one between them. "Or is this your parents? You've finally listened to them?" By then, Alex's voice had cracked and Piper was sure she couldn't look at her anymore because then she would just lose it.

"No."

"Then what?!"

"Does it really matter?!"

"Of course it fucking matters! You're my fucking best friend!"

"There! You've said it. That's the whole fucking problem, Al. I am just your fucking best friend!"

Piper tried avoiding Alex after that. Not that she hasn't been already doing it. And not that it was hard since Alex made it so easy. Piper hadn't seen her for the next few days, and the one time that she did, Alex didn't even bother looking her way. Piper felt like her heart, and probably her whole being, had been crushed.

It was another few days later when Piper heard the usual pebbles getting thrown against her window. At first she tried to ignore it. It couldn't be. Her mind was just playing some tricks on her because of how much she missed Alex. But Alex didn't want anything to do with her anymore. So there couldn't be anyone outside her room, throwing small rocks on her window.

But then it happened again. So Piper had to finally stand and see it for herself. Alex was right outside, looking up, looking so relieved when she saw Piper. And before Piper even realized what was happening, Alex was already coming inside her room through her window.

"Alex, what are you do—"

But Piper hadn't even finished her sentence when Alex flung her arms around her so forcefully it almost knocked Piper out. Before Piper could even say anything, Alex was hugging her so tightly, her face buried on Piper's hair, and she held on like she was holding on for dear life.

"Pipes... please. Please just let me... 30 seconds. I just miss you so fucking much."

So Piper let her. Because she missed her, too. And if she was being honest, this was the only place she's ever really felt like she was gonna be okay, something she's never felt ever since she's started avoiding Alex. In Alex's arms, Piper felt okay. Even though right now, this hurt just a little bit too much because it might just be something that she's never gonna have again.

So Piper held on tightly, inhaling the scent of Alex mixed with the smell of alcohol. That explained the slurring of her words and the wobbling of her feet. And when Piper realized this, she had to pull away. "Alex, you're drunk."

"Do you want me out of your life? Do you want me gone?" Alex sounded like a child and it hurt Piper even more because Alex genuinely sounded like she was afraid of the answer, like she was sure Piper was gonna say yes.

"What?" I want to hold you and never let go, you idiot, Piper instantly thought, not that she could really say that out loud. "Alex, that's ridiculous—"

"Stop calling me that."

"What?"

"Alex. I'm Alex to everyone else. But you're not everyone else. I'm Al to you, remember?"

Please don't make it harder than it already is, Piper thought again as Alex's words hit her right on the chest.

"So?" Piper tried to grasp for words but she came up with nothing. "Do you want me gone?"

Piper sighed tiredly, the conversation sucking the energy out of her. "No, I don't want you gone."

"Then why are you doing this?"

Because I love you so fucking much, why are you so blind to this? But instead of saying this, Piper found herself shaking her head. "Alex, you have to go."

"I love you."

And in an instant, Piper froze. She's heard Alex say this before, a lot. But for a split second, she wished that right now, Alex meant it like Piper wanted her to. For one second, Piper made herself believe that it meant more than what it really did. Because it was all she was ever going to get. Because she knew that Alex meant it like she's always have, like a best friend.

"I love you so fucking much. But I...it's just... I can't. I can't because you're Piper, and I'm just... Alex. And I know you've told me before that it doesn't really matter... but that's different. Because you meant that as friends."

What? What is she talking about?

"I love you." She said it again. "But now you're ignoring me. And it hurts. It hurts so bad." For a while, the room was filled with silence. But then Alex spoke again and Piper was almost sure it felt like she was hearing her say those words for the first time. "I love you." Alex sounded defeated now, and it took every ounce of Piper's energy not to throw herself at Alex and just wrap her arms around her until they were back to normal.

She should have said something else, something more sensible. But Piper was too wrapped up with her emotions that she just didn't care anymore whether she was still making sense. "I know. You've told me that a million times before, Al."

"No, you don't. Because right now, I'm saying it like how I really mean it."

"I don't understand."

"I love you, Piper. Don't you get it by now? I am so fucking in-love with you I just don't know what to do anymore."

And right then, Piper knew that this was worth making her books of major changes. Because this was the day the woman, person, she loved more than anyone else in her life told her that she was in love with her, too.

"Say it again," she whispered, afraid that if she spoke a little more loudly, she'd wake up from a dream, this beautiful dream.

"I love you. I love you. I love y—"

But Piper was kissing her. And it was the best goddamned feeling in the world.

And yes, major change number three may have just become Piper's favourite change.