Beware of the Parker Boys *UNDER EDITING*

Chapter Nine

I am unsure how long I stand there, completely still as I hug myself beneath the cool droplets. My eyes were dry, unable to shed tears even if I had wanted to. The numb feeling had sped throughout my entire body, all the way down to my bones.

Thoughts of everything I could and should have done had hounded my brain, screaming at myself for all the things I hadn't done to save my mother.

Forcing my now shriveled hands to turn off the water, I grab myself with the fresh towel that had been hung on the hook beside the shower, courtesy of Wendy. I avoid the mirror, going directly to the dresser to retrieve a comfy pair of lounge shorts and loose t-shirt.

The early afternoon sun streamed ever so brightly into the room, bouncing off the wooden floors in beams. Drawing them closed, I climb underneath the plush blankets of my bed.

I was asleep almost as soon as my eyes closed.

*

When I wake, I notice through the blinds that the sun is lighter now, leading me to believe that it was getting ready for nightfall. Stretching underneath the blankets still, I splay myself over the mattress, blinking up to the ceiling for a moment.

The sound of multiple sets of feet can be heard from outside my door, quiet voices murmuring to one another until the steps trud down the stairs, and eventually followed by the front door shutting behind them.

Reaching for my phone that sat on the nightstand, I find that it was in fact 6:30am the following morning.

I slept for 15 hours.

My eyes blink at the time in awe a few seconds more before skimming through my notifications quickly, being slightly halted even then. A friend request sat on my homescreen with a familiar name.

Tanner Ridge.

Hitting accept, I returned the phone to the nightstand and bid my feet to bring myself to the bathroom across the room.

After doing a few essentials, I make my way downstairs, finding a note on the kitchen counter.

Coach wouldn't let us miss practice, see you after.

Pressing the start button on the coffee maker, it spurs to life as it drips the dark liquid into the pot, filling the room with its soothing smell.

The house was quiet, engulfing me in it's peaceful solitude.

Once the coffee is done, I grab a blue glazed mug that sat on the second shelf of the cabinet. The shape was short and round with a nice wide handle attached to the side that fit around my hand comfortably.

I make my way to the deck just off the kitchen, pressing my hips to lean against the railing that faced the lake. The sun was still rising, making the birds chirp and grass glow with dew. Crisp air filled my nostrils, making me shut my eyes to soak everything in.

After the sun was placed high in the sky, its rays began to get hotter and they streamed down onto my skin.

"Hey!"

The voice is faint from the distance but once my eyes have scanned the space around me, I find a figure close to the water waving a hand in my direction. Squinting, I find none other than Tanner himself jogging to close the distance between us.

"Hey," He says again, a smile turning the tips of his lips upward.

"Good morning." I reply, holding my hand over my eyes to shield the bright sun.

"I haven't seen you around in a while, was beginning to think the Parker's had you locked up in here." His words danced in his breathless chuckle and I forced a smile.
"Luckily no,"

My mom killed herself.

"I went back to California for a few days." I finish, deciding to keep the details to myself.

"A Cali girl, huh?"

He strides easily up the deck steps, taking a seat beside me in one of the lounge chairs. We chatter for a while, about little things. School, moving, what he has taken a liking to do here. Neither of us go into detail as to why we both had moved here, avoiding any talk of our families.

"I was going to go for a swim later, wanna go?" He asks me, his eyes moving from the body of water, to meet mine and I nod.

"Cool, meet you down there at noon?"

*

We swam for about an hour before both of us decided we were too hungry to continue. Agreeing to lunch, we depart to shower and change. Thirty minutes later, his white Camaro was waiting for me in the Parker's driveway. I am out the door when I remembered I had left my phone on the nightstand in my bedroom. I curse softly, quickly deciding to leave it since I was already to the vehicle.

"I like your car." I say once I am seated in the passenger seat.

"It was a gift from my father." His voice comes out flat, the energy within the vehicle shifted, allowing me to take the hint that wasn't a good subject.

"So, where did you want to eat?" He breaks away from that conversation and shoots a small smile my way.

Deciding on chinese, we order ahead for take out, and pick it up when we arrive. Tanner navigates the car smoothly through lite traffic, finally pulling into the parking lot of a small park. We set up a 'picnic' at a nearby table that was shaded under a large oak tree, making the perfect spot for us to devour our tasty lunch.

This was the first 'normal' day I had since everything happened. I allowed myself to laugh, to sing along with the music in the car, to enjoy the company of my new friend, appreciating the happy day he brought to me.

After lunch, we cruise around for a while. Windows down, music humming along as we watched the sun get lower in the sky. It's about 5:30pm when he returns to the Parker's driveway, putting the car in park behind the several cars that were already there, telling me the boys were home.

"Thanks for hanging out today, I had a good time." He tells me, taking the words from my mouth before I can say them myself.

"Yeah, me too. We will have to do it again." I nod, making his smile grow.

I wave goodbye from the front door before pushing it open, greeted by the loud sound of the TV and many voices.

Peering inside the living room, there are six pairs of eyes already looking to the doorway in which I now stand in. The screen is paused now, bringing a halt to whatever movie they had been watching, and also making the silence a bit piercing.

"Hey," I say, lifting my hand in a nervous wave.

"Who was that?" Dalton asks casually, cutting straight to the chase.

"Tanner, we went for a swim and lunch." I cross the room, taking a seat on the couch beside Thomas.

"Cool, glad you had some company."

My eyes moved to Rodger who sat across the room from me now. His eyes remained down, fingers clutching his phone as he looked through whatever was on the screen. He must have gotten a haircut today, his hair had been cut with a close shave on the sides, leaving the top a bit longer. The sharpness of his cheekbones were on fine display, his soft skin glowing without the effort of any kind of skin routine, making me slightly jealous.

"Already had a date and school hasn't even started yet." Dalton winks.

The comment makes Rodger eyes lift from the phone to meet mine, his fingers halting from their scroll. I quickly look away, feeling my cheeks burn from being caught in my gaze.

"Not a date, just a friend." I correct, making Dalton shrug.

"Whatever you say, B."