Chapter Nine : blanket?
Paige
Nora was in awe as Parker ran to the bleachers where we were sitting waiting for him to finish.
"Nora if you keep looking at him like that he might think you have a crush on him," I tapped her with my shoe as she sat in the row in front of me.
"I do though, he's a cutie, peanut," she smiled back at me, "you got him too."
I smiled at the nickname she gave me when she was little little, my parents always struggled with nicknames for me because everything didn't sound right, but when Nora was three she found my nickname.
"Hey guys," Parker lifted Nora up and then looked at me, and I knew he was wondering if I had cooled down. I did calm down when picking up Nora but doing homework on the bleachers, which are not the slightest bit comfortable and trying to figure out pre calc can get my anger kicked up.
"Parker that was so cool!" she looked at him amazed.
"You really think so baby Porter?" he looked at her and she blushed.
"I'm not a baby anymore," she smiled at him, "I'm grown now."
"You're grown?" Parker set her on the bleachers.
"I'm almost Paige's age," she crossed her arms like she had aged in the span of time he was practicing out there.
He looked at me like I should be laughing too but I was back to getting focused on pre calc, "Paige what have you taught her?"
"Everything I know apparently," I said, turning to the back of my homework.
Malcolm came up and took Nora's attention away from Parker so he came over and sat down before putting my bookbag in between the two of us and laid on it and just stared at me.
I set my homework down on the opposite side where he wasn't lounging and looked down at him, "am I boring you?"
He shook his head, "but I'm surprised you aren't pissed off about the fact that I'm drenched in sweat and laying on your bookbag."
"Hey I'm gonna take Nora home you coming?" Malcolm looked up at me and Parker answered for me.
"I'll bring her home, you guys go ahead," Parker waved Malcolm off and Malcolm didn't even look at me to get a 'is that okay with you'.
I picked up my homework again and Parker grabbed it from my hands before looking at it.
"Like you can do pre calc."
"How'd you get into the smarty pants classes? I don't take pre-calc until next year. There better not be hot seniors in that class catching your attention," he gave me a look like he was talking about Connor.
"Connor is in the class if that's what you're trying to get at," he sat up instantly and moved my bookbag on the floor before scooting closer to me.
"You know he threatened me when he talked to me in the hallway last, did I not tell you that?"
I looked at Parker shocked, "no you didn't, what did Connor say?"
"Told me to back off, that I was bad news and that if I hurt you he'll beat my ass. Does he not get we're the same age. He's just is a month older. I didn't hit the cut off date. Asshole," Parker grumbled under his breath, "I laughed in his face though because I couldn't take that shit seriously."
"Connor just doesn't want me getting hurt," I knew that it sounded like I was defending him.
"Bullshit," Parker shook his head, "he just wants you to be wrapped around his finger so he can fuck you until he stops hurting from Kayla leaving him. You'd be his rebound," he leaned back against the row behind us.
"Just like I'm yours," I muttered.
"But you aren't," he sat up and looked at me confused, "we are helping each other out."
"Well apparently everyone thinks that I am just your rebound for now."
"Everyone or Haylee? Why does it fucking matter what Haylee thinks?" Parker asked.
"It doesn't," I went over him to grab my bag before shoving my stuff in.
"Talk to me Paige," he waited for me to open up.
"No it's fine Parker, I have homework to get too." I got up about ready to leave but Parker grabbed my hand.
"What about what happened on the field, you aren't going to yell at me?" he looked up at me expecting me to make a big deal.
"You know what you did wrong right?" I looked at him not in the mood to be around him.
"Paige just tell me I fucked up, get that anger out because if you don't then I'll lose my fucking shit," Parker stared at me like this was going to bother him if I didn't lash out at him.
Good so he does feel guilty, I'll let him suffer in my silence. I kissed his cheek before walking down the bleachers.
"Bye," and I saw him get off the bleachers just to catch up with me.
"Let me drive you home at least, I mean I am your only ride home unless you wanna walk then I'll walk you home," Parker wanted me to lash out so bad, it was killing him I saw it when he kept looking at me like the longer we were together the more I'd burst.
"You can take me home," I nodded.
"Oh that test for history, we can go to my house and study for it," he looked at me expecting me to say yes.
"I take the test in two days, we can always do it tomorrow," I offered.
"I have work tomorrow after practice so lets do it today!" He needed some closure on what happened.
"Okay yeah we can do that then," I nodded knowing I wasn't going to break, seeing Parker like this, all out of sorts gave me satisfaction.
"Let me grab my stuff from the locker room, my truck should be unlocked but you can come with me in the locker room if you want," Parker said as if there wouldn't be naked hormonal teens in there.
"I'll wait out here," I smiled and he sprinted to the locker room as if he didn't just work his ass off during practice.
Once I got to Parker's truck I realized it was indeed locked and so I searched my bookbag for my phone to find Connor texted me not once but twice.
The first message said, you and Parker huh? and then he sent, I really wanna talk about that night, let me know when you're ready.
I stood there wondering what to say, when I could finally just do it. Okay yeah, how about after school tomorrow, my house.
Parker threw his stuff in the back and then unlocked his truck and got to the passenger side to open it for me when he didn't have too.
"Can I shower before I help you?" Parker looked at me hopeful.
"Yeah that's fine by me," I nodded.
"Sweet," he smiled before grabbing my hand when I didn't need it and I got in his truck.
He pulled out of the parking lot and it was quiet between the two of us, the only noise I heard was from him tapping against the wheel.
"Connor texted me," I mentioned.
"What did he want?" Parker asked.
"He wants to talk, and I told him we can talk tomorrow after school at my house."
"I can skip practice tomorrow."
"You don't have too, I got it handled," which I did, I was going to be capable of keeping my shit together unlike him with Haylee.
"Are you sure, Paige, he was pulling shit even when I was there, how can you trust him alone with you?" Parker was not comfortable with the idea of Connor coming over without him being there.
"He acted the way he did because you were there, Connor has boundaries. I trust him, he was once my best friend," I commented.
"The guys out of sorts, something is going to go south," Parker shook his head.
"No it won't," I shook my head.
Parker was done fighting because he didn't try again he drove the rest of the way to his house in silence.
"You wait in my room, I'll shower and be back in five minutes," Parker said, rushing to get his shower started.
"Why don't I just stay downstairs," I asked and he was quick to answer.
"No, hell to the fucking no. My room," and then he went off to go get his shower started.
I got out of his truck and went inside before taking off my shoes and going upstairs to Parkers room as he told me to.
I sat there and finished my pre calc before Parker came in with wet hair but luckily clothed.
"Okay you ready for the watergate scandal?" Parker laid down on his bed next to me who was more sitting up than he was.
I yawned and nodded, "yeah."
He grabbed his laptop and put on a movie.
"Parker how is that going to help me?" I looked at him confused.
"What teacher do you have?" he looked at me confused.
"Umm Mr.Smith, why?"
"His whole test was based on the film that's probably why you failed it," Parker looked at me and I shook my head.
"Parker I'm in AP history," I mentioned.
"I know I am too, I'm in your class."
I shook my head no and he went to his saved snapchat story and he was in fact in my class.
"But why would he do that?" I asked, wanting a solid answer.
"Because he's a fucking asshole, now watch the movie and you'll learn a thing or two, besides half the class failed. What grade did you even get?" he looked at me expecting me to say a D but I got a high C.
"79%" I said and he gave me a look.
"With or without the extra credit?" Parker looked at me like I was crazy for even asking to retake it.
"Without the extra credit, with it I got an 84% but I wanted to do better and he told me to go for it."
"Porter you are weird," he smiled and shook his head.
"What did you get?" I crossed my arms like he was going to give me some lame ass score.
"100%, I'm not shitting you either," he pulled up the score and he did in fact get 100%.
"Did you get the extra credit, Mr. Smith said that was 5 points!" I looked at me expecting him to have done it.
"Hell nah, that was from the actual watergate questions and not the movie," Parker shook his head.
"Parker how are you even in AP history?" I looked at him confused.
"Very carefully, I have a B in that class right now," he then looked at his phone and smiled, "hey it went up, I'm almost at an A."
"And I asked you for help," I felt worried.
"Hey trust, all the answers are from the movie, plus Mr.Smith says he changes his tests he doesn't. They are all the same," I looked at Parker trying to figure out how he knows that and then realized it's Parker.
"Okay, whatever, just play the movie," I laid down and got comfortable.
"Blanket?" he looked at me.
"No I'm fine," I shook my head knowing if I was handed a blanket I'd fall asleep.