Defending Parker

[Chapter 6]

Chapter 6

Sunday passed by in the blink of an eye, as I was stuck inside for a majority of the day trying to catch up with school and finish my homework, however, I did make time for a quick run around lunch time to let loose and forget about all the work I had piled up in my bedroom.

As I woke up Monday morning to the blaring sound of my alarm clock, I dressed quickly for my morning jog and headed out on my usual morning path. After making my way through my usual streets and neighbourhoods, I came across the entrance to the pond, and unlike Saturday, I turned and headed down the trail.

It was still spectacular to see how at peace the whole environment seemed to be, tucked away from civilization, as if it was its own little piece of the town that only a select few had the privilege to see.

Approaching the pond, I looked to my side quickly, and as I suspected, Parker was seated in his usual spot with a sketch book in his lap, but he had headphones in his ears, blocking out the serenity of his surroundings.

Deciding not to slow down and say hi, as I would see him soon enough in school, I continued on with my jog, going with the wind and heading right back onto the streets.

Heading into school later that morning I felt just shy of confident. It was looking to be a good morning as the hours slowly started to pass, as I finally started to understand and catch up in Calculus and find my way around the school without any help from Saige or random passersby.

As biology started to dwindle to a close however, my mind started to go awry as it decided that I had had enough happiness for the day. It was though I could suddenly feel the confidence flowing out of me. Thoughts suddenly started to appear in my head about Parker and how today’s tutor session would go.

Would he be nice and explain everything to me? Would it be completely awkward and I’d immediately regret asking him for help? Would he act as though he wanted to be anywhere else than with me? Would I act like a complete idiot with a babbling mouth? What would happen?

It was though I was completely zoned out as a scenario started to play out in my head.

I envisioned Parker trying to explain the events that led up to World War I, and as he spoke, the names, dates, and events just got jumbled in my head. I kept trying to concentrate, but I just couldn’t, and I would be too afraid to speak up. Then he would call my name and I would look like a weirdo as I came out of my own little world.

“Jillian.”

And now I could hear his voice in my head. ‘This couldn’t be good,’ I thought.

Suddenly something poked me in the side and I snapped right out of the dazed state I was in, whipping my head in surprise towards Saige, whom I immediately noticed was holding a pencil in my direction.

Eyes wide, I silently asked her what the hell she thought she was doing, but when she nodded towards the front of the room, where the biology teacher stood looking at me with an unimpressed look on his face, I suddenly realized that she wasn’t the only one that realized I had been submersed into my own little world. In fact, as I looked around the classroom, most of the class had their eyes on me, smirking or laughing at me with their friends.