Beware of the Parker Boys *UNDER EDITING*

Chapter Fifteen

The side of the bed next to me is empty when I wake, making me sit up slowly as I rub my eyes.

What was I doing?

Internally, I knew this wasn't a good idea. I shouldn't be getting emotionally involved with someone I would be living with, it could make for a very awkward situation if things didn't work out.

I rise out of the bed, my feet padding on the floorboard as I look among the sport trophies and photos that scattered the room. My eyes fall on one in particular, the same picture I had seen not long after I had arrived here.

Taking in the photo once more, I look at the happy blonde in the photo, wondering who she could be. Her smile was bright as she gleamed to whoever was behind the camera, frozen in a laugh. There was water behind her, sun setting just over her shoulder, making for a beautiful peachy background. There was only one photo of her, she wasn't in any others throughout the room.

Who was she?

Noises drift in through the opened door, jolting me away from my curious thinking, I quickly leave the room. Not only wanting to be caught gazing at the photo, but also not wanting the others to see me in here, if they hadn't known already.

I silently hope that they don't.

*

"You what?" Monica gasps after telling them about what happened on Saturday night, and about waking in Rodger's bed.

"Did you guys," Dalton's voice trails off quietly, almost as if he was regretting asking the question once it's out of his mouth.

"No!" I exclaim, my cheeks burning from the thought.

"I knew something was going to go down, I just knew it." Monica continues, a smile forming on her lips as she looks down the school hallway ahead of us. "You and Rodger Parker. I could see it."

We have reached our lockers, Monica's being straight across the hallway from our own. Once we have grabbed needed supplies, we shut the metal doors and meet up yet again to make our way to the first hour.

"How did you manage that, he has been emotionally unavailable since-.." She trails off, watching as my eyes meet hers, bidding her to continue.

"Since?" I ask her when she remains quiet.

"You don't know?" She looks away from me, mentally kicking herself for spilling the bit of information I knew nothing about. When I haven't said anything, implying that I in fact did not, she sighs softly.

"You're my best friend, but I feel like this is something Rodger should talk about with you himself." She concludes, only making my suspicions rise.

*

Monica came over after school that day for us to work on a project from last hour. The boys were at practice, and Dalton had some things of his own to do, allowing for some much needed girls time.

After finishing our homework, we gush about boys and laugh as we tell embarrassing stories no one else knew. We painted each other's toenails, and binge watched The Circle.

I hadn't had many friends back home, I had been so involved with my mother's mental health, and then her disappearance, I didn't have the time or ambition to carry out a friendship with another person. It was nice having people to share things with, to know that there are people close that you can count on.

"You've never told me why you moved here." She says, screwing the brush back into the polish bottle before looking to me. "What landed you this glorious spot here in the Parker house?"