When I See You

When I See You - Chapter 4

Chapter FOUR

When my cell phone started ringing, I was already tucked into my bed. It was about fifteen minutes later, after I'd called down goodnight to my parents. I pulled my blanket up to my neck, my heart racing.

   "Hello?" I answered, trying to sound cool.

   The other end of the line was silent, but I knew he was there.

   "Parker?"

   "Hi," he finally said. "Becca, right?"

   "Yep."

   "It's not too late, is it?" he asked, his voice quiet.

   "Oh, no. I mean, I'm in bed, but..."

   "Oh."

   "It's fine."

   "So..." He let his voice trail off.

   I really liked hearing his voice in my ear as I laid in bed. Somehow in a matter in an hour I felt like we went from strangers to somethings completely different.

   "So, how old are you?" I asked, knowing I had to ask him something.

   "I'm seventeen."

   "Me too. What school do you go to? Is it the private school downtown-" I began.

   He hesitated. "I don't go to school. I'm home schooled."

   "Oh. Wow."

   "Yeah."

   "So... where are you from? I mean, before you moved next door to me?"

   "You have a lot of question," he told me.

   "Well, you wanted to talk. So I'm talking," I answered, smiling.

   "True. Well, I'm from a lot of places," he told me.

   "What does that mean?"

   "We've moved a lot. That's why I'm home schooled," he admitted.

   "Oh. I've always lived here," I told him.

   He sighed. "Lucky."

   I shut my eyes, then opened them again. "So, you need a friend? Why's that?"

   "I've... never really had one," he told me, sounding embarrassed.

   I swallowed hard. Parker was cute. Like, he was tall and blonde and attractive. He dressed well. He didn't seem like the type of kid who had no friends.

   "Because you moved around a lot?" I asked carefully.

   "Partly. And because... my brother..."

   I knew he had a brother, but I hadn't seen him since the day he was taken away in the ambulance. That was months ago.

   "Your brother?" I repeated, now whispering.

   "Aidan. He's sick. I mean, he's always been sick." I didn't know what to say so I stayed quiet. "He's twelve. I think his first year was the only time he was healthy. He has a rare disease that has no cure. He's in hospital a lot. And... we moved here because there's a specialist here. But he's still been really sick... when I came to your door that day... I needed a ride to the hospital."

   "Oh my god," I whispered, shocked. "I'm so sorry, Parker."

   I heard him take a deep breath. "Your mom didn't think it was a good idea for us to be friends. My mom, either, actually."

   "Why?" I wanted to know.

   "Partly because my mom's boyfriend is... unpredictable. He moved here with us, but he hates it here and he drinks a lot and they fight all the time... I wish he would just leave, honestly, but my mom can't work, because of Aidan. Everything's just a mess."

   My heart was beating so fast. I had wondered about him for so long and now he was finally talking to me, telling me about himself, his family.

   "Parker... why today? Why did you toss something at my window? You've been ignoring me for weeks..." I asked him, needing the answer.

   He sighed, again. "I'm sorry. I wanted to keep you away... but I've been thinking about you so much since that day I cleaned up your elbow... and when I see you, I just keep feeling like you would make my life a little better... and I need that."

   "I would like that," I told him, smiling again. "Really."

   "Really..." he repeated. "Okay."

   

   It was still a few more weeks before things really changed between us, but he called me often after that night. It was usually late at night and we talked for hours sometimes. I usually had a hard time waking up for school the next morning, but it was worth it. Then, suddenly, we would wave if we saw each other outside of our bedrooms. And I could feel things changing.

   My mom still didn't know that I was talking to him, but I figured it was just a matter of time. I wasn't even concerned about her finding out. I knew he hadn't told his mother, either.

   "My mom is talking about going back to Nevada," Parker told me quietly one Friday evening, at the end of May.

   I'd spent the day at school, and two hours after school with Maddie and Teah, at the mall. We were looking for dresses for the upcoming dance. There was only two weeks of school left until summer break. I really didn't know how much things would change once it was summer.

   "Oh. Really?" I asked back, realizing quickly that I didn't like the idea of Parker leaving.

   "Aidan isn't any better here... and we have more family there..."

   "I'm sorry," I said, without even thinking.

   "I want to tell my mom that I want to stay. But I feel like that is selfish," he admitted.

   "You deserve to have an opinion on where you live, though," I told him.

   "Everything is about Aidan. It's always been that way."

   "Sorry," I said again.

   He was quiet for a minute, so I just listened to him breathing. When he spoke, the words surprised me.

   "I'm going to tell my mom about you."

   "Oh, you are?" I asked back, trying not to sound too shocked.

   "Yeah. That we are friends. Is that okay?" he asked.

   "Yeah, of course."

   "I know that she never wanted me to make friends, because we could leave at any time... but..." He sounded so sad all of a sudden.

   "That's not really fair to you," I told him.

   "Nothings really fair. But... I want you to meet my brother. If you want to," he went on.

   "I would love to," I said, without waiting for a second to pass.

   "Okay," he said, and I could hear him smiling.

   "Okay," I repeated.