WEDNESDAY

DAY TEN

#

LIZZIE

Again, Parker's tarantula legs bobbed underneath her kitchen table. Starting in her hands, her head slowly slipped farther and farther down until she laid her cheek on her forearm. Her hair was in a mess as her messy bun slumped in defeat too. She just stared at her math homework like it was speaking Spanish and I stared at Parker because... well, I've just picked up a new hobby of staring at my girlfriend.

I had never realized how often Parker changed expression, how well she could manipulate her eyebrows and quirk her soft pink lips. I didn't want to miss a single second.

Her brother Hayden and I locked eyes for just a second and I jumped, dropping my attention back to my Chemistry homework (even though I wanted to work on a different kind of chemistry). We settled on doing homework at Parker's house because if Parker came to my house, I was worried that my parents would take one look at Parker and I and just see right through us and just know we've been making out every single day since we kissed the first time.

Apparently, I was getting good.

"Quit it." I bumped Parker's leg with my foot.

"I'm not doing anything," Parker insisted and kicked back.

My competitive nature flared up in me and I retaliated, shoving her knee. That finally perked Parker up, bursting with a new energy. A devilish glint sparkled in her eyes as she slapped my leg with her foot dressed in a fuzzy pink sock. I struck back and suddenly underneath the table, there were two challengers, two pairs of feet went in, but only one pair would come out. Parker's knee slammed the top of the table and she unleashed a scream of anguish. She crumbled, sliding off her chair and I couldn't stop laughing long enough to help her live.

Hayden muttered. "I'm not caffeinated enough for this."

He got up from the table and away from us as if being weird was as contagious as chickenpox. Starting a pot of coffee, Hayden became my favorite Parker in the family while Ashley Marie rolled across the floor moaning about unfair things from her knee to her homework and the price of Hamilton tickets. Jumping up, I walked over to kneel beside my wounded girlfriend.

I patted her head and said, "There, there."

"Life's just so unfair." Parker faked a sniffle.

"I know."

"Did you know if I just touch the smallest part of my face, I'll end up with an army of pimples?"

"I didn't, but now I do."

"I found a leather jacket once at Goodwill that was perfect for me, but when I went back for it the next day, it was gone."

"You can't walk away from anything in Goodwill."

My phone buzzed as Parker kept rambling. "I want a leather jacket. I don't want diamonds or flowers. I just wanna cool leather jacket."

"That's gay," I said.

"It'll become significantly less cool when you wear it," Hayden said.

On my phone, a text from Camille popped up:

CAMILLE: [Hey! We haven't hung out lately. What are you guys doing today?]

I started to text her, when Parker lifted her hand. "What are you doing?"

I lied, "I'm documenting how pathetic you look-"

Her arm straightened out, striking my hand like lightning and I dropped my phone. It did such a great summersault that it would've received tens across the board. Parker snatched it before me with her mutant long arms and dashed out of the room. I screamed after her, chasing her through the house.

"Sorry, Debbie!" I yelled as we ran by her office.

Hayden sighed. Loudly.

After lots of running and wrestling, which was kind of pathetic for a couple of theater girls. I managed to pin her to the ground by her hands and acted on the first idea that sprang to my head. Parker's usually pinkened face was extra rosy as she grappled with trying to breathe. The fading adrenaline caused my skin to buzz and I tilted my head as I continued to push back on Parker's hands. Leaning down, I kissed Parker's lips. She jumped and I liked that sometimes she could have such a cute reaction to me.

The tension in our arms relaxed and Parker stopped fighting me. She loosened her hands so she could wrap them around my neck. One hand held me up while the other hand tiptoed across the carpet to clutch my fallen cellphone. I whispered against her lips, "I win."

"Huh?" Parker asked, her face contorted into a question mark. She snapped a look over her head as I jumped up, running for the kitchen. I used Hayden as a shield, which he didn't love, but didn't hate enough to stop me either. Eventually, we settled down with our coffees and Parker's dad came home and made us all burgers and potato wedges. I finally remember Camille's text, realizing it had been well over an hour since I opened it.

She had a point. It's been a minute since the group was all together.

I finally replied:

LIZZIE: [Hey! Sorry!]

LIZZIE: [I got held up. We're busy tonight. What about Friday?]

It wasn't long before Camille texted back:

CAMILLE: [You know you guys are becoming that couple doesn't hang out with their friends 🙄]

My stomach tightened. I glanced at Parker, wondering if she caught the guilty look on my face. She was too busy trying to steal potato slices while her father tried to tell her about his day. I quickly typed this reply.

LIZZIE: [Oh. Sorry. I didn't realize. It's all so different with Parker. I didn't notice. Sorry]

CAMILLE: [Yeah okay.]

CAMILLE: [Can I be honest with you?]

My gut's intention was to text "No."

But instead, I said:

LIZZIE: [I guess]

CAMILLE: [I'm worried about you. I know you and I know you get your heart wrapped up into things pretty easily. I just don't want to see you get hurt by the end of the trial]

LIZZIE: [I'll be fine]

I thought about it more and erased that, trying something else.

LIZZIE: [We're just having fun]

That wasn't a lie. We were having fun. I didn't really have any friends. Not the kind of close friends you see on TV or in movies, where a group of girls would die for each other. I had Camille, who was my cousin. I had Andrea, but we really didn't hang out outside of school, unless you counted band competitions or football games during marching band. Parker. Parker didn't start off as a friend. She belonged to Camille, but so far, I've never felt closer to anyone outside of my family, except for Parker.

At this point, I feel like I could tell Parker about the worst part of myself.

And she'd still like me for me.

CAMILLE: [Well...]

CAMILLE: [If you guys still loved me you'd remember I'm putting together a party on Friday]

LIZZIE: [Right! No! I remember now. We'll totally be there 💗💗]

I looked up from my phone and told Parker, "Hey! We're going to Camille's house on Friday."

"Sweet," she said, finally kicked out of her father's cooking space. "How come?"

"She's having a scary movie marathon. Do you remember her talking about it?"

"No?" she questioned back, probably wondering if she was supposed to remember.

We were dicks.

One more buzz from my phone surprised me.

CAMILLE: [Just remember it's not real]

I glanced up in time to catch Parker looking at me. She smiled and I couldn't help it, I mirrored the happy expression. Every inch of my body tingled, eager to grab her arm, yank her down and smash another kiss on her lips.

Just remember. It's not real.

After dinner, Parker walked me to my car, but before I could get in, I had to asked her, "Can I ask you something?"

"No," she said with a smug grin.

The grimace I wore said it all as we waited through this impossible lull of silence. Parker finally laughed, shoving her hands in her jacket. Parker nodded. "Yeah, of course. What's up?"

"After the trial..." Just saying it made me sick to my stomach. "After the trial, what are you going to do? Is there someone you still have your eye on?"

Please, don't say Emily.

Please, don't say Emily.

Please, don't say-

"I haven't thought about it." Parker shrugged. She shrugged her shoulders high and her neck disappeared. We both stood under the light of the lamplight on her street, watching our breaths disappear into the chilly air. Her family spun some cobwebs into their bushes, where plastic purple and orange spiders lived. I wondered if after all this, if I could still come over. Parker said, "We still have a long way to go."

I forced a tight smile. "You're right. Twenty more days."

"Twenty more days," she agreed.

I got into my car, watching her walk back into her house. The tightness in my chest didn't relax. If she asked me the same question, maybe I wouldn't have asked for an extension. Maybe, I would have said I wanted to break the trial altogether and just see what really dating her could mean. Maybe I would've admitted that my hate turned to like, which was dangerously turning into something real. Maybe this. Maybe that. Maybe was becoming my least favorite word.

I drove home in silence.  

Author's Note

This one is kind of a ROUGH one. Lol. Just try to keep in mind that Camille was with them almost every single chapter in the beginning of the book. Now I'm off to write day eleven, which is the ONE day I haven't already outlined soooo let's see what happens! Lol. 

Don't forget to comment and vote on the chapter. Have you ever lost your chance at buying something at a thrift store? What's the gayest item of clothing you own (a question for my fellow gays)? Which scary movies should they watch at Camille's party? 

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