TROUVAILLE | BROOKE DAVIS

ten.

"Where were you the other night?" her mother asked as Parker sat at the kitchen table.

"A friend of mine was in trouble, so Lucas and I went to help her," Parker explained. Jessica nodded her head and didn't push further on the subject.

"Lucas. Are you two dating?" Jessica asked. Parker's eyes grew wide and she shook her head.

"No, Lucas is like a brother to me," Parker told her mother and Jessica laughed softly, nodding as she took in the information.

"Sorry," Jessica said, "It's just so much has changed, and I wanted to make sure I didn't miss you and Lucas coupling up."

"Definitely not," Parker told her, "Lucas and I will never date."

"Never?" Jessica asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Nope. Lucas has other girls chasing him," Parker says.

"And Jesse tells me that you have boys chasing after you," Her mother states, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Not really," Parker tells her, "There's this guy and I guess I like him, and he likes me, but when he told me I didn't say anything."

"You guess that you like him?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah, I mean he's nice and handsome and he has a daughter," Parker shares to which Jessica raises an eyebrow.

"A daughter? How old is he?" her mother asked slightly alarmed.

Parker laughed, "Jake's seventeen. Also, the whole daughter thing is a secret, so I wasn't supposed to tell you."

"Well my lips are sealed," Jessica says, "Well dating someone with a daughter won't be easy."

"I know," Parker says, "Jenny's not the reason I'm cautious with Jake though."

"Then what is it?" Jessica asks.

Parker shrugs, "I'm not used to the attention. I feel like everyone likes me because of what I look like versus who I am."

"And have you talked to Jake about all of this?"

"Sort of," Parker replies, "He told me he liked the glasses."

Jessica smiles at her and Parker can't help but to smile back. It was nice talking to her mother especially about something she was so insecure about. Her mother had been understanding and Parker couldn't recall the last time they'd had a conversation like that.

"Well I should head to school," Parker said standing up from the kitchen table, "This was oddly nice."

"I found it nice as well," Jessica said, "Have a good day at school."

"I will," Parker told her before heading out the door.

When Parker arrived at school, she saw as Nathan dragged Haley away and kissing her. Parker smiled at the sight. Haley had called her after Nathan had kissed her with promises of wanting to be a better person. She had loved hearing Haley all excited and lovesick.

"Photographer girl," she hears Brooke say as she rushes toward her, "I need your help."

"Me?" Parker asks and Brooke grins and nods.

"Steiner, ever heard of him?"

"What?" she asked. Brooke let out a sigh and pulled out a book, holding it in Parker's face. She raised her eyebrow as she read the author's name, "John Steinbeck?"

"Yeah him," Brooke says dismissively, "If I read this book, then I can force Lucas to do something fun. But I don't like reading so that's where you come in."