Ellie:
Okay counting my blessings here, cough with a pinch of salt cough.
I got into my dream college but my father hates me for it. I am finally confident enough to wear what I want without letting others affect my choices, but people still ridicul...
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ELLIE
"And you'd think Austrian girls would have seen better men than us right?"
"Right"
"Wrong! They apparently haven't because I swear to God," Parker says animatedly, his hands flying around him, "The second I walked into that museum in Vienna, it was like I had a walking spotlight over my head."
Parker and I are on our first date.
He's telling me about his third vacation in Europe; his favourite place of all being Vienna, Austria. He went there last summer with all his school friends from his private school back in Manhattan, the location and the vibe giving me a less interesting and meaner Gossip Girl vibe.
"It was like they'd never seen a man before, the way their eyes were on me," He shakes his head annoyingly, "It gets too much sometimes you know. I mean I am out in a museum outside the city borders and you still can't have a moment of reprieve."
"Crazy, I'd be absolutely terrified," I take a sip of my now warm cherry cola, and push around the food on my plate.
We have been here for around an hour now and by now, I know that Parker went to a private catholic school in New York, he has a tight knit group of two friends, one of them is in Europe, his friends would be surprised to see him dating a girl like "me"; when asked he said it's because of loud and bright style and he usually goes for women who are older and dress in more neutral tones that bring out their bone structure.
I know all too well what's that supposed to mean but I don't bother pushing it. It can be hard for people to go out of their comfort zone when they are meeting new people and it might come off as an uncomfortable topic.
I also learned that Parker's family goes on vacation every year, this year being Argentina, because his father wanted him 'to see how less fortunate and poor people live and all that bullshit'. I don't think Argentina did anything to deserve this slander and from pictures it looks like an absolutely gorgeous place, but again, I am less fortunate and poor so what do I know.
"Anyway, enough about Austria," Parker says, cutting his burger in half. I feel like a neanderthal just shoving the whole thing inside.
"I have never been anywhere outside this country, not even India," I supple.
"Um do you like India?"
My laugh comes out strained, "Uh I am Indian, why would I not like India?"
Parker looks taken aback. His mushy brown eyes glazed over with shock for the first time in an hour. It's hard to be surprised when you all you are talking about is yourself I guess.
"I didn't know you were Indian."
"My last name is literally Patel, everyone knows I am my dad is Indian."
"Oh well, you look white to me," Parker flicks his wrist, eating the chopped up pieces of his burger with a fork.
That was...an interesting observation I wouldn't waste my time commenting on.
"So I went-"
"Oh by the way," Parker picks up, "You should really go to Jamaica, love that place to death, the people there are amazing
★-★
This is the shortest chapter I've ever written. I'm sorry for being MIA, I was suffering from 10 days of food poisoning and fever and college and now my college just announced we might have in person classes and I'm so fkn excited but I'm also scared.
