Starting from Scratch Ep. 004: TALKWARD!!

"Probably racist too. Forget I said that."

"They might not let you in the store dressed that way."

"Well, Sable, I have never been turned away in my life. Being beautiful and sexy opens doors. Piggly Wiggly does have automatic doors, right?"

"Yes." Sable snickers.

"I wish mom would let us wear clothes like that." Dakota frowned.

"If I'm not mistaken those halter tops you both are wearing reveal quite a lot too. Obviously, your mom isn't being too strict. Bikini's underneath is just like wearing a... slingshot." Piper realizes the bikini tops were micro. Nodding with a pucker she sighs, "You do know that your friend Travis watches my house like a hawk, right? Those bikinis might fry his brain."

"Travis is watching?" Sable turns in step as if attempting to look out the French doors a good fifteen feet away. While her sister lingered Dakota mouthed the words, "She likes Travis." Piper acknowledged her with a wink.

"Has Travis... seen either of you in bikinis before?"

"We were in our bikini's yesterday." Dakota spoke up, "Travis stood outside watching you and mom like we did."

"Ah! Well, then maybe you will be in luck, and he went blind."

"Why would he go blind?" Sable returned to their conversation.

"No reason. Were you wearing these bikinis?" Piper leaned forward and hooked their halters tugging them out to examine the thin narrow patches over their nipples.

"Not these." Dakota shivered, "The others were dirty these are clean."

"Gotcha!" Piper knew better, "So your mom doesn't know about these bikinis."

"They're hers. We just raided mom's closet." Sable confessed as Dakota grimaced being busted.

"Mom has taste. I need to go shopping for some of those." Piper sheepishly smiled, knowing she had two dozen similar packed away. "Our secret. Just be dressed before your dad gets back. I don't want him yelling at me."

"We can do that." They agreed.

"Alright! My fridge is bare. So, it's ice water if you get thirsty while I'm gone. Please..." She begins to say be careful but chooses a friendlier finish, "Have fun." She had no clue what Travis was truly like, nor was she aware Knox and his friend were home without blaring music to signify they were around. Sable had kept their appearance to herself, even from Dakota. Telling her sister of them might have changed her mind. She knew Knox had a thing for Dakota, one that Dakota did not share. He was just too thug for her tastes. So, she said. Maybe, just maybe, Sable needed the ego boost their whistles instilled upon her secretly. Of course, it did make her wonder if Knox might have thought her bedroom was actually Dakota's. It bothered her briefly, but there was always Travis, a well-hidden fondness for the young man was sometimes evident, sometimes not. Only Dakota read her mind on that one thankfully.

"Water's fine." Dakota admitted.

"That's what the swimming pool said." Sable found it amusing, even if Dakota winced at her jest.

"We'll work on your comedy routine." Piper patted Sable on the back lightly. Sable smirked and shrugged it off, it was funny, and she knew it. "Here's my cell number if you need me." Passing it off the girls put it quickly into their phones while Piper sat her cell down just long enough to go grab her purse from the bedroom. Once the girls had their numbers typed and saved, they sent her texts identifying each of their numbers. Swiping Piper's cell, it returned to her wallpaper. On it they found a photograph of Piper in her Atlanta Falcon's cheerleader uniform in a very contorted pose. Dropping their jaws, they looked at one another.

"She was a cheerleader." Dakota whispered.

Sable nodded, "Bigtime even."

After a fast tinkle Piper returned, purse in hand, "Digits in?"

"Yes. We sent you our numbers to confirm." Sable added, "You were a cheerleader?"

"Sorry, we swiped and noticed your picture."

"Ah! Yeah, I really need a new photo on here. Fun days, bad memories. Not the fault of the franchise mind you, but..." She ponders it a moment, "Y'know what? Huddle in Kitten's. Let's take a selfie." Giggling the girls moved to each side of her and they crowded cheek to cheek smiling vividly, in their pose the girls all looked topless, their halter straps falling from their shoulders and Piper's crushed cleavage took point her tank not even seen in the angled shot. "Say Sexy."

"SEXY!!" Came a three-way. Photo snapped they looked at it more closely.

"Oh my gosh. It looks like we're all nakie." Sable flared her eyes.

"My new wallpaper Ladies." Piper saved the pic and transplanted it to her cell screen. Showing it one last time she started to put it away. A call coming in halted Piper long enough to look at it. "There she is."

"Who?" Dakota grew curious, "Mom?"

"No. My big sister Mona. I'll call her back on the way to Piggly Wiggly."

"You have a sister too?"

"Two actually. One younger as well, her name is Breanna. She's 23. I'm 27, Mona is way older at 37. Here I'll show you a family pic real fast." She goes into her gallery and locates a family portrait. Quickly sharing, the photo switched unexpectedly, "See?"

"Ummm! The picture shows a big dog." Sable pointed out as Piper winced recalling her cell.

"Shit! It always does that to me. That's my puppy Rotten. He's at Mona's until next week. That's probably why she's calling, to decide on when to bring him up. When I left Atlanta, I needed time to myself. Long story so borey. You two can take Rotten for walks, I'll even pay you."

"Dibs on the leash." Dakota laughs, "You get to pick up his poop."

"Awwwww, maaaaan!" Sable clenched her fist playfully. "Our parents never allowed us to have pets."

"He's a big baby. Very protective of me though. Now this pic is my family." She shares it more cautiously this time to be certain it didn't spin off into some picture with her ex-Davon.

"Big family." Dakota smiles, "Who's the cute boy?"

"That would be my nephew Mace. He's 19 and quite the filthy rich slacker. This is his sister Monet, short for Monetary gain. Inside family joke. Anyways! Monet is in Seminary School. She wants to be a Minister. Thou shalt not lust and all that mumbo jumbo. Uh huh! I could never not lust." She chuckles.

"Really?" Sable grinned.

"NEVER!" Piper lightly pelted Sable on the forehead making her giggle. "My sister Mona is an art critic, so she named her after the painter Monet. She's 21. Pretty much a year apart. The blond over here is my baby sis Bree for Breanna."

"She's as pretty as you are." Dakota shared a compliment.

"Not even close." Another palm pelt to Dakota's forehead this time. "I could get a hundred more dates than she could."

"What does she do?"

"Lots and lots of college Professors."

"Whoa!" The girls looked shocked.

"Yep! She's a wild one like me. I could get more guys though. You know why I could get more guys? She's into the girl Professors."

"Ewww!" Dakota giggles then notes Sable wincing this time. Finally, Sable broke scowl and agreed, "Nope! We like boys."

"Have either of you even been on a date?"

"I went to prom last year with Dirk Mason, but he hooked up with Megan Love even before the night ended."

"That's tragic. I thought you were going to say Dirk Bentley. This being Nashville."

"No way! He hates country music. So do we."

"We like metal."

"Ah! Like that obKNOXious guy next door." Piper emphasized his name within what she thought of him.

"I know, right?" Dakota flared her eyes, "He's such a wannabe."

"Knox Hardecker is such a douche." Sable nodded with folded arms.

"At least he keeps it clean." Piper wagged her brows smirking. Her jest went right over their heads. "Wait a second, Hardecker? As in Hard Knox?" She rolled her eyes, "It just doesn't get any better."

Sable wanted to comment on his friend Dip also but that meant acknowledging that she had been whistled at earlier. Dip's real name was Dudley Poole. Middle name Nathan. She wanted to blurt out his name badly but just nervously held her tongue. Not for long..."His friend is Dip. It's Dudley Nathan Poole. I remember hearing it in school."

"So... Dip N. Poole?" Piper shook her head. "Sounds like a serial killer's name."

"Funny, isn't it?" Sable chuckled.

"Speaking of pool Ladies, go get wet. I'm off to Wiggles. Dickenson, right?" She confirmed the address again smirking at the irony. "I'll google GPS it." Turning away Piper headed to her front door, car keys in hand. Once the front door closed the girls found themselves alone in a strange house. Looking around to gather in Piper's atmosphere, the peace ended at the resounding vibrations of loud metal music. Thinking it to be Knox next door they realized it was coming from out front.

Opening the front door to see Piper driving off in her white Ford Edge windows down, she was blaring Slipknot's song Duality. The girls loved that song. It suited them, considering they were both pondering on a new identity, wearing the micro bikinis. They didn't want to be so wholesome anymore, yet, they weren't certain they could even go outside and swim, let alone sunbathe in the next to nothing outfits. Staring nervously at each other after closing the front door they walk together to the French doors onlooking the swimming pool.

"No Travis peeping." Dakota observed a lone telescope poised from a balcony.

"No Knox." Sable pouted but kept her acknowledgment to her thoughts. "Good! I don't want Travis seeing me almost nakie."

"Oh, come on Sable. You have a crush on Travis."

"No I don't." She whimpers, "Well, you really like Knox so don't deny it."

"No! I don't." She really didn't. The retaliation led to giggles. They both knew the truth; Sable just needed a comeback. "We doing this?"

"You first."

"We do it together or not at all." Dakota stood fast.

"On three?" Sable nervously teetered on her toes.

"ONE!" They took their halter tops off and shivered.

"TWO!" Jeans fell to their ankles, an easy step out once their shoes were off.

"Three!" French door slid open, a rush of air attacked their flesh, goosebumps terrorizing, nipples peaking high. The stimulation gave them giggles.

"OH MY GOD! Let's do this."

Awkward yes.

No more talk.

Action.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Okay, now they actually made it poolside.