He's not in school today. I wander through the hallways, the shadows of people hustling and bustling towards their classes, dismissing me as another insignificant factor in this world.
He wasn't in the form class we shared and of course, I wasn't the only one who noticed.
"Where's Parker?" Janet stands with her arms crossed, waiting for me at the door. Her caramel coloured hair pulled up in a tight ponytail on her head, her blue eyes narrow at me inquisitively. The bubblegum swirling around in her overly glossed mouth was making me feel dizzy. "Don't you guys usually hang out?"
I'm speechless. Well, technically, I always am but this time it was as a result of surprise. Firstly, because this was the first time Janet Horsley had directly spoken to me and secondly because she noticed me. She noticed me and Parker. She noticed that Parker and I were friends.
I manage to shrug my shoulders and turn myself away, indicating the end of our very short-lived one-sided conversation.
But where was Parker? I don't think I'll be able to get through this day without him- as pathetic as it sounds. I've somehow become attached to his friendship and I know it is definitely not healthy at all but I can't help it.
This sudden urge to see him overcomes my entire body and I can feel it surging through me, filling every inch. I want to hear his laughter and feel his reassuring little hand squeezes. I want to give sarky comments to his terrible jokes. I want to tease him and ruffle his hair. I want to ask him about the world and how on earth it works. I want- I need to see him.
I pull out my phone, "Pantsuit girl is asking of you, where r u?" I typed quickly and within 5 minutes he texts back a quick "Something came up. I'm sorry but u can come over if you don't have a class?"
I assume he's still at home and that would mean skipping school.
I contemplate whether or not I should be truant. None of my upcoming classes was as important to me as Parker at this moment. I've already done my photography coursework for the day and I could care less for English literature and whatnot; the chemistry between me and Parker was more essential.
It's so simple to skip class in the Beaumont Hill Sixth Form. They trust the students too much and because we get good grades, either way, they don't care. I tell the school nurse that I've got really bad cramps and she gives me a release note to leave school and 'rest at home'.
I try and text him "OMW" which autocorrects to "On my way!"
So, great, now I look over-eager. Although I'm sure Parker doesn't see it that way.
He's not like that. He's not like that at all.
Thirty minutes later, I've arrived outside of his home. I leave my bike at his front gate and before I could even lock it, I feel his warm arms around my neck.
"You came," He hugs me tight and I can feel his bony chest pressed against my back. "Thanks, HB, I really appreciate it." He removes his arms from around my shoulder and stops hugging me.
The note of familiarity in his voice when he calls me by his little nickname fills me with joy, we were friends now. Real-life friends. A huge smile starts to spread on his face as I take in the sight of what he's wearing.
I kick the grass between us, biting back the sudden eruption of giggles that I can feel coming on.
"Just let it out!" he shrugs dramatically and I can't hold it in any longer. I'm giggling so much that he has to hold on to my arms to stop me from falling face-first into the ground. This is totally not what I was expecting.
"What on earth are you wearing, Parker?" The giggles envelop my entire body. This boy had on a large spider-man onesie that he had clearly outgrown. The way it clung to his lean calves instead of his ankles and the sleeves were nowhere near his wrists sent my head into spirals. "You look ridiculous, oh my!"
He pouts his lip out and creases his forehead, "What? You don't like it? Is it not chic enough for you?"
I giggle as he strikes poses for me, pulling silly faces just to make me smile. I fumble for my camera and take a few photos, capturing his goofy grin in the best angles possible. I clutch my belly until I can feel the giggles dissolve away, I was so swollen with happiness. No one has ever made me laugh as much as Parker does. He was so unintentionally funny.
"So what's going on?" I ask after we've recovered. I follow him into the house and straight through to the kitchen. I run my fingers along the walls as I walk. His house was so calming, it had a much better aura than mine. I feel so comfortable here.
I sit on one of his tall, green kitchen island stools as I watch him pour me a glass of apple juice from a pitcher. The juice looks deliciously fresh as he pours it into a hand-painted lilac and orange glass cup. Once he brings the glass towards me, I notice it has my name on it. 'HARLEY' written in bright orange letters with purple flowers surrounding it.
His eyes smile at me before he turns around again to pour himself a glass. "I made it a couple of days ago." He reveals, still with his back turned against me.
"Do you make all your friends special cups?" I quiz.
His kitchen was larger than mine and apart from the green stools the rest of the decor was white. The sink had a few dishes in it and the fridge had pictures of Parker and his sister from when they were kids magneted against the door.
Parker in a particular one had buzz-cut hair and was grinning wildly at an ice cone in front of a camera, he had lost most of his front teeth and was excited. He still looked the same now with the addition of two perfect front teeth, he has such a babyface.
"Nope, just you." He spins around and gives me that stupid little smile that turns my insides into a Popsicle on a summer day. It always has the same effect, no matter what. I roll my eyes at him aware of how hot my cheeks felt.
"It's beautiful," I say, taking a sip of the juice then turning the cup around in my hand to properly admire it. I trace my fingers over the bumpy letters as if to absorb the love he put in them into my skin. How thoughtful and wonderful of him to make something like this for me?
"Like you," he mentions quietly but loud enough for me to hear him. I'm pretty sure my face is the colour of spider-mans suit at that moment.
"Thanks," I blush. He chuckles slightly, covering his mouth with his hand. "What, why are you laughing?"
"You don't need to say thank you," He says downing the last of his juice in his own special personalised Parker glass. It had little painted spiders on it and had the colours of spider-mans suit all over it. He weirdly really has a thing for spider-man. And me it seems.
"Don't you get tired of all the Spider-Man memorabilia?" I stare at it.
"Memorabilia?!" He gasps loudly and clutches his chest in fake pain. "How dare you! Spider-Man is not dead."
I almost spit out my juice. "You think memorabilia is only for dead people?"
He looks at me with a confused expression on his face.
"Is it not?" He scratches his head. "People have rooms dedicated to Michael Jackson and he's dead."
I roll my eyes. "People have rooms dedicated to Minecraft." He laughs. "Memorabilia is for memorable people not 'in memory of' people, Parker."
"I don't believe you," He shrugs, still smiling. He was clearly just trying to wind me up.
"Go argue with Google then." I down the last of the apple juice and hold out my cup to him for a refill. "This is really good, who made it?"
"My mum," He pours me another glass and hands it to me. The tart, sweet taste of the apple mingles with my tongue providing a ridiculously amazing sensation. "We have a whole tree of these in the back garden, so she makes some on her day off."
"It's addictive," I squint my eyes at him. "Your mum could make some money out of this, you know."
"You bet?" He uses his head to gesture towards the back door connected to his kitchen and holds his hand out to me. "Come with me, milady."
His hands were soft yet calloused. Gentle yet sturdy. Warm and comforting.
He leads me out through the sliding doors and into the vast garden.
"Well, what do you think?" He looks at me eagerly anticipating my reaction.
The garden was more like a mini-park than a garden. In the centre was an enormous bloomed apple tree, with its emerald green leaves bearing red juicy apples that looked like it was the kind that poisoned snow white. Its branches sheltered over the grass like a huge green umbrella. It looks like something out of a cartoon or a movie.
"I think you're full of surprises," I smirk at him. He pulls me under the branched hood and we sit cross-legged at the base of the tree.
We sit in silence for a few minutes, just taking in our surroundings and sipping our juice.
"Me and Zacchias used to spend every weekend in summer out here," He looks out into the distance, playing with a blade of grass between his fingertips. It's hard to read his expression. "Just playing with our Pokemon cards and reading comics."
"Zacchias reads comics?" The Zacchias I see in school never seemed like the type of person to be interested in that stuff. He was practically a jock.
Parker looks down and sighs. "Used to."
"Did something happen between you two again?" I question quietly. "Is that why you didn't come to school today?"
He peers at me and laughs a little, shielding his eyes from the sun. "No, not at all." He shrugs. "Just reminiscing that's all, haven't been out here in a while."
"You don't have to worry about me, you know." He grabs my hand and squeezes it gently. "That's my job."
"I know," I shrug. I couldn't help it. I was starting to care about him so much.
If I had a garden like this I'd be out here every day, even if it was just to take pictures. The sight of the moon at night would be extraordinary from here,
I pick up a clover from the grass and smooth it out with my fingers. A little disappointed it didn't have four leaves on it.
"If you found a four-leaf clover," I wonder aloud, handing him the leaf. "What would you wish for?"
Parker tilts his head and looks at the leaf-like he's inspecting it and then crushes it in his palm. His long dark eyelashes brushing ever so slightly against his cheek then he smiles at me. "I don't need to wish for anything, my wish has already been answered."
I look at him and he's watching me with such admiration in his eyes. I wonder what I look like to him. A scared little girl or a normal teenager who was used to all of this. I wonder...
I smile back shyly but don't say anything. What do girls normally do in this situation? Is this flirting? I don't want to get the wrong impression.
"Why weren't you at school today, Parker?" I play with my hair, twirling it around my fingers which usually makes it all knotty and hard to comb out later.
He drew his bottom lip between his teeth then looks away. "Rose had a seizure this morning and mum couldn't stay at home with her so I volunteered, that's why I didn't come in today." He furrows his brows briefly before studying my face carefully with steel-grey eyes. "You really skipped school for me, Pencils?" He smiles and nudges me playfully.
I couldn't help but blush."Well, you know... I was worried."
"My job, remember?" He reminds me, shaking his hair out of his eyes. It was starting to get long.
"How is she?" I ask, sincerely.
"She's doing better, she's sleeping in her room at the moment." He fiddles with the grass. "It sucks seeing her suffer and not being able to do much about it."
"I know what you mean," I mutter.
He looks at me interested. "You do?"
"Another day." I had no intention of labouring him with my problems so I decided to not tell him about Papas death or Pops' depression or my therapy or anything at all. Today, he needs me to comfort him not burden him so that's what I'll do. I'll tell him another day. Maybe.
He looks as if he's about to say something then doesn't. Instead, he turns and looks out at the sky. "Thank you for being here, Harley."
My heart warms. Parker could tell me to climb a mountain with him and I would.
"I can't believe you skipped school for me," he chuckles lightly, shaking his head in pleasant disbelief. "I feel like I'm turning you into a little rebel."
"To be honest, I can't believe it either but I guess you do that for your friends, right?" I look at his sharp jawline and wish I could trace the tips of my fingers across it. "I'm happy to be here."
"Friends..." Parker repeats his voice trailing off slightly.
"Whenever you need me, I'll be there, I promise," I tell him and I mean it. Oh God, I mean it with all my heart.
The serious moment doesn't last too long before he pushes his bottom lip out, pouting and holds out his little finger. "Pinky promise?" He asks in a small whiny voice.
I join my little finger with his, rolling my eyes in endearment at his tendency to be so childish. "Pinky promise."
We chill there, watching the setting sun for a while until his mum comes home. I listen to music whilst he gets his sketchbook and doodles. I tell him about my favourite songs and what embarrassing bands I use to like when I was 14. He tells me about all the times he's broken his bones which happens to be a ridiculous amount of times. We never touch on serious topics and I don't tell him about my disorder. I think it's better that way for now.
On the surface, it seems like we're just friends but somewhere inside me, I knew I was in so deep for something that's barely started.
A/N- Keep voting guys!!