New Girl

Chapter 18

Over the next two months, Piper began getting more and more calls from Larry. It seemed as if he was always calling her. She went from getting one call per week, to two, to three. Sometimes Larry even called her four or five times in one week. Piper never answered though.

            At the beginning, she would listen to the voicemails that he left for her. They were all him apologizing and saying that he was just jealous of Alex... and that he loved her. Every one of them asked for her forgiveness. Piper never gave it to him.

            Piper never told Alex about what was happening with Larry. She thought that if she didn't reply to Larry, that maybe he would give up.

            She shouldn't have been so naive.

~~~

            Piper was laying on her bed, studying for a huge chemistry test. Suddenly she got a text from Alex.

            Pipes I think someone is in my apartment.

            Startled, Piper texted back right away. Wait, aren't you supposed to be with Nicky? Never mind, Al I'll be there in ten minutes. Be careful. Call the police.

            Within seconds, Alex answered. She had to go. Something happened. And I can't call the police. They'll hear me. I'm hiding. Hurry. Please.

            Piper read the text and rushed downstairs. "Mom I need to take the car. Alex is in trouble."

            "Piper, be caref-"

            Piper ran out the door and hopped into her mom's car before she could finish her sentence. She drove like a maniac towards Alex's house. She jumped out of the car and ran into the building.

            The elevator had an out of order sign on in. "Shit," Piper swore under her breath. She found the nearest staircase and raced up them, taking two stairs at a time. 5th floor. 6th floor. 7th floor. 8th!

            BANG! BANG! BANG! As Piper reached Alex's floor, gunshots sounded.

            "ALEX!" Piper screamed, running to the open door to Alex's apartment.

            She rushed through the door and at that exact moment, Piper's life fell apart.

            Laying on the ground was Alex. Through the dim light Piper could see three bullet wounds in her body. A pool of blood was underneath Alex, and was growing larger and larger by the second.

            Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the intruder. Clad in black and hiding in the shadows, Piper never would have seen him if he hadn't moved.  At first, Piper didn't know what he was doing. Then another gunshot sounded. The bullet hit Piper in the shoulder. Her shoulder erupted in pain, and her eyes began to water. Piper fell to her knees.

            "I'm sorry Pipes. If I couldn't be with you, no one could. Especially not her," the intruder said softly. Piper knew that voice. She had heard that voice in her nightmares.

             The intruder kicked the blonde in the stomach. She doubled over, both from  the pain of her shoulder and the pain that now erupted from her stomach.

            The intruder ran out of the apartment, and the two girls were alone. Through all of the pain, Piper thought, "Shit, Alex."

            She crawled over to the brunettes body. Alex looked terrible, her glasses completely shattered, her face white as a sheet, blood pooling on her chest. The silver half heart that Alex had given her just the other day was stained bright red. "Shit Alex. No. No no no no no no no no. This isn't happening. This can't be happened. Shit Alex no."

            Alex's eyes fluttered open and she winced as she looked up at Piper. "Pipes, it was Larry. It was fucking Larry. I knew that he was going to find me so I came out and tried to fight. I didn't know he had a fucking gun. Where the hell did he get a gun? Jesus Christ Pipes, I am so fucking stupid."

            The adrenaline that was pumping through her body  let her temporarily forget the pain in her shoulder, Piper took her phone out of her pocket. "Al, I need to call the police. An ambulance. Something. You're not going to die because of that asshole okay?"

            "No Pipes," Alex said softly, "I'm going to die. I know it. No one can save me. And if I am to die, I can't think of any better way to spend my last minutes than with you."

            Tears welled up in Piper's eyes. She knew Alex was right. Her wounds were too severe, the hospital too far away. "Okay Al."

            She leaned down and kissed Alex, just as she had done so many times before. Piper still felt the spark that she had felt since the very first time. As much as Piper didn't want to admit it to herself, this kiss was going to be their last.

            "I'm sorry Piper." Alex said.

            "Al, this isn't your fault." Piper responded.

            "Not about this. About hurting you. I can't stand to watch you get hurt."

            "Says the person that's dying." Piper joked weakly.

            "Alex Vause, I love you so fucking much."

            "I love you too Piper Chapman." Alex mumbled, her eyes closing as she did so.

            Her breaths got shallower. Her heart beat slower. Then everything stopped. She was gone. Just like that, Alex Vause was dead.