Between 6x09 and 6x10

"Em told me you guys are having a prom. That's exciting!" Riley enthused to Piper.

They were sitting at the kitchen island of Aunt Kathy's new home as the kitchen and living room buzzed with activity all around them. It was a Friday evening, and some of James and Piper's family had gathered for family dinner, giving Riley the perfect chance to catch up with James' younger sister.

Piper simply shrugged and mumbled, "I guess so."

Riley frowned at her response. Piper couldn't appear less excited about prom if she tried. Usually, Piper loved going to big events like that. This seemed so unlike her.

"Wow, don't get so excited on me now," Riley said sarcastically before giving her a more serious look. "Is everything okay?"

"I just think prom is stupid," Piper answered, "We should be getting ready for Regionals, but all anyone wanted to talk about today was prom. We didn't even have a real rehearsal."

A sense of understanding crossed Riley's mind at Piper's words. James had mentioned that she was having a hard season, and Riley could certainly understand how the team's lack of drive to rehearse might irritate Piper. However, she also knew how important it was to take some time to rest every once in a while, especially during competition season.

Gently, Riley told Piper, "Sometimes it's good to take a break. You can't worry about Regionals constantly. You'll wear yourself out."

"I guess," Piper muttered. She was fidgeting with her ring, sliding it off and on her finger repeatedly.

Riley recognized the nervous habit that Piper had probably picked up from spending too much time around her and tried to think of a way to lighten up the conversation. Perhaps too enthusiastically, she said, "Prom's supposed to be really fun, you know? I mean, I didn't go to mine because of Nationals, but I've heard good things."

"Jules said hers was lamer than her middle school dance," Piper responded flatly.

"Jules overexaggerates."

At the mention of her name, Julia looked over her shoulder from where she was cutting tomatoes at the counter with James and said, "Don't flatter me, Riles."

Riley rolled her eyes at her good-naturedly before looking back to Piper. "Maybe you just need to find the right person to go with. Who you're with can make all the difference."

Piper looked at her skeptically and shook her head. "No, there's no one I would want to go with."

"Really? Not one guy at the studio? Even as just a friend?"

Piper sighed and stared contemplatively at a bowl of fruit that Aunt Kathy had set out earlier. She had pulled her ring off of her finger and was now rolling it around in her palm as she finally said, "Well, there is this guy who keeps asking me out."

"What?" Riley said loudly, and Piper quickly shushed her, glancing over to where James had moved on to chopping up green onions for dinner. In a quieter yet perhaps too enthusiastic voice, Riley asked, "Who is he? Do you like him?"

"It's Finn. He's one of the new dancers," Piper explained. "He's... I don't know. He's a nice guy, but he keeps asking me out, and I'm not interested in him like that."

"Oh, well you don't have to go with him if that's the case," Riley was quick to assure her.

"I just don't want to even think about boys right now. I've got enough on my plate as it is," Piper continued as if she felt like she had to justify herself.

Trying to affirm her, Riley said, "You don't have to have a date if you don't want to go with anyone. It was just a suggestion."

As Piper sighed and nodded, Riley promptly moved the conversation away from prom and told her all about the marketing classes she was taking at university instead. Piper seemed relieved to be talking about something else, so Riley didn't bring up the topic of prom again for the rest of the evening.

Later on, as she and James were driving home, he asked casually, "So what's the deal with this Finn guy?"

"You were listening to our conversation?"

"You were a foot away from me. What else was I supposed to do?"

Well, there was no arguing with that. Aunt Kathy's kitchen was big, but it wasn't that big. Reluctantly, she disclosed what Piper had told her about Finn asking her out a lot. James' jaw clenched as he gripped the steering wheel. "She's too young for dating," he retorted, and Riley rolled her eyes.

"She's 15. I think she's old enough to make that decision for herself. Besides, how many girls had you dated by the time you were 15? It had to be at least ten, right?"

James faked a smile and laughed dryly, and Riley reached out to wipe a piece of fuzz off of his t-shirt. "I don't think you need to worry about her. It doesn't sound like she's interested in this guy anyway."

"I know how a teenage boy's mind works, Riley," James told her seriously. "He won't stop until he gets what he wants. Trust me. I've been there. I'm not proud of it, but I've been there."

Riley rolled her eyes again, turning her gaze to stare out at the passing city as they merged onto the freeway. "Don't go into protective mode," she told him shortly.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't."

"Because Piper can take care of herself, and if she needs you to get involved for some reason, she can let you know that herself."

James grumbled but didn't argue with her. Changing the subject away from Piper, she said, "Oh hey, I've got a dinner party with my study group next week. Do you want to come with me?"

"Maybe. What day?"

"Tuesday."

"I gotta see what the band's schedule is, but I'll think about it."

Once they got home, Riley jumped in the shower and got ready to go to bed since she had an early class the next morning. When she entered their bedroom in her pajamas and a towel wrapped around her hair, it was to find James quickly ending a phone call and trying to look innocent. Her red flags going up, she paused and stared at him. "What did you just do?"

"Nothing," he said casually, tossing his phone in the air and catching it. "What did you just do?"

Ah yes, the age-old diversion tactic - turning her own question back on herself.

Casually, Riley strolled over to the laundry hamper and dropped her towel and dirty clothes inside. As she climbed onto the bed, she crawled to her side then reached out suddenly and snatched James' phone out of his hand.

"Hey!"

She held his phone out of his reach as she unlocked it (He never put a password on it.) to reveal his most recent calls. She frowned at him, handing his phone back as she asked flatly, "Why did you just call Eldon?"

"To catch up."

"Really?" James nodded as Riley stared him down, a knowing eyebrow raised. "Are you sure it has nothing to do with the fact that he's supposed to DJ the prom this weekend?"

James looked like he wanted to lie and say no, but then he sighed and slumped against the headboard. "Maybe," he mumbled.

"James."

"I just asked him to keep an eye out for this Finn guy and make sure he doesn't bother Piper. That's it."

Riley sighed and shook her head exasperatedly at him. She pulled the bed covers back and climbed underneath them as she said, "You've really got to learn to stay out of this stuff."

"It's my brotherly duty, Riley. She's already gotten her heart broken once. I'm not letting it happen again."

"Have you ever thought that maybe she should have say in whether or not her heart gets broken?" He didn't have a response for that, and Riley pushed herself up on her arm to directly meet his eye. "I know you care about her, but at some point, you have to let her make her own mistakes and learn from them. That's what's going to make her a stronger person in the end."

James narrowed his eyes at her. He was quiet for a moment then asked, "When'd you get so wise?"

Riley hummed and placed a sweet peck on his lips before lying back against her pillows. "I guess that Philosophy class I took last semester really opened up my mind."

He chuckled and got up to get ready for bed. Riley watched him go, shaking her head as she opened Facebook on her phone. She loved James to death, but he was really too overprotective for his own good sometimes.