"Please . . . don't cry. You had to have known I'd do this at some point."
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Parker Sims is the class clown but that doesn't mean he's easy to fool. And that's just what Nola B. is good at - fooling people. She's got the whole school believing th...
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Chapter 49:
3 weeks later:
"Parks ... you have got to get some sleep," said Mrs. Sims, reaching down and touching her son's shoulder. She felt him tense under her touch but relax after a second. Her heart ached at the pain that she knew her son was going through. There wasn't a fiber of her being that wished she could fix everything, not just for Parker's sake, but most certainly Nola's too.
Looking over his shoulder, Parker locked eyes with his mother and gave a weak smile. Evidence that he had not slept in a long time was apparent on his face, with bags under his eyes and bloodshot eyes. "I'm fine," He lied in a low tone, before facing forward again. His eyes felt heavy, but he fought the urge to go sleep.
Mrs. Sims took her hand off her son's shoulder and released a quiet sigh. "I can get you something to eat," She offered Parker for at least the fifth time that day.
He did not respond because he knew his mother was aware of his answer.
Unable to handle her son's stubborn ways to run himself into the ground, Mrs. Sims quickly turned and left the room. She made her way straight to the waiting room in which her husband was seated in. When she entered, Mr. Sims looked up, as if knowing instinctively knowing that his wife walked in. Upon looking at her, he could see a mixture of worry and anger planted across her face. In hopes of providing some instant relief to what she was feeling and greet her, Todd gave his wife a small smile. "Hey, Hun-" he began to say but Mrs. Sims cut him off.
"He refuses to eat," she said in a frustrated tone of voice, as she stood in front of her husband with her hands placed firmly on her hips. "He refuses to sleep ... He refuses to leave the room," She allowed her arms to drop to her side, defeated. "I don't know what to do, Todd, I wanna help but-" Mrs. Sims stopped talking because she felt tears swelling up in her eyes.
Mr. Sims stood up and gave his wife a bear hug, hoping to soothe her worries. "He misses her, Jen."
Mrs. Sims nuzzled her head into her husband's chest for a moment, finding comfort in his embrace and scent. She did not respond right off the bat, but when she did Mrs. Sims felt calmer. "I know," Jen looked up at her husband, "but it's not like she's dead."
Todd gave a low chuckle at his wife because she was neglecting to see why Parker was hurting so much. "True, she is alive but she's in a coma ... Parker loves her and this situation is destroying him because he is powerless. He can't heal Nola or help her - much like you can't heal or help him ... There are some things that are just out of people's hands."
"It's been three weeks, Todd. He has probably slept a collective several hours and only ate a handful. There is nothing he can do for Nola, they have no idea how she slipped into a coma and until they figure out what is causing her state there is nothing Parker can do. He is killing himself - that is all he is doing."
