Defending Parker

[Chapter 12]

Chapter 12

Needless to say, Parker ended up buying me ice cream that afternoon.

Even trying my hardest I was only able to knock down a couple of pins at most per round, and by the end of ten rounds, Parker was the winner by a long shot. And although I tried to pay for my own sundae when we got to the ice cream parlour, he was dead set on being adorable and cute as he shoved a ten dollar bill into the cashier’s hand before I could protest any further.

It was weird at first, being on a date with Parker, but truthfully, it just felt as though we were two friends having a good time together, with the added benefit of holding hands once and a while.

When we went our separate ways that day, there was no denying that I had a definite crush on him. The way he smiled at me sent waves of happiness coursing through my body, the way he looked at me made me constantly blush, and the way he just laughed with me and let himself go made my stomach rustle with butterflies.

Over the course of the week that followed, Parker and I had started to talk in the hallways before classes, text regularly, and just enjoy each others company on the days when we didn’t feel like being alone.

Every once and a while Saige would tease me or make jokes about how Parker and I were on the road to a relationship, but I would always just shrug it off, letting her have her fun.

After all, I didn’t know what Parker and I were.

It was obvious that we were friends, but anything beyond that was a blur of grey at the moment. Only time would be able to tell what the future had to hold.

As the days turned into weeks, it seemed as though the year was winding down to a cold ending. The temperature had started to drop significantly, resulting in bulkier sweaters, heavier mitts, and flushed cheeks all around.

December, and the Christmas season, seemed to be in full swing throughout Byrendale. On more than one occasion Parker, Saige and I had gone to a local coffee shop for their top-notch holiday flavoured drinks, as we just couldn’t get enough. We’d also been spending quite a bit of time just keeping warm inside, tucked away from the chilly winter air, listening to holiday music and watching the odd Christmas classic.

The one thing that I personally had been putting off was the decorating.

Ever since I was eleven or twelve years old and I realized that my dad had absolutely no eye for decorating the house for Christmas, I had been granted the task to make the house ooze festive cheer, but this year, I was falling a bit behind.

As the second week of December fell to a close and our house remained bare of decorations, I finally realized that it was time to stop procrastinating and just get the job done.

And it seemed as though my father felt the same way.

Coming downstairs for breakfast on Friday morning, I expected my dad to already have left for work. What I didn’t expect however, was for the old box of Christmas decorations to be sitting in the middle of the living room with a note taped onto the top.