Another Life, JenniferNewman [short story to read .TXT] 📗

that a good idea? What was a good idea after all? Standing here in Parkers arms while I go crazy? You know sounds great but answering and getting g this very awkward moment over with. I am still trying to work out whether I was happy that he was asking me or that I finally believed him since all my emotions seemed to have done a disappearing act again.
Before I k new it I had my head back on his shoulder as the full realization of not being able to live without a legal adult sank in. my breathing was starting to come in sharp gasps and Parkers hands smoothed out my fears and shed away my doubts. Parker was not legally allowed to take care of me but nothing could be done if I moved in with him before people noticed this.
I was really starting to think about this when Parker once again whispered into my ear, “I really do mean it Rose. I wouldn’t lie to you.” He leaned away slowly and slowly kissed my forehead and looked down at my eyes where were round with confusion and my brow was furrowed with concentration.
“Rose it’s a simple yes or no don’t over think it.” I laughed at his words as he used one finger to smooth out the wrinkles in my forehead and leaded his head down on mine. Humming a tune that I once again didn’t have a clue of the name.
I bit my lip making Parkers face take on its old amused structure I had come to k now and love. Well there’s that word again am I ever going to get I back out of my vocabulary after using it once? Well confusion is still a saint right now. it let me think about a number of things instead of just one. The one thing I was supposed to be thinking of at the moment. You know what I'm starting to get used to this confused phase I'm going threw it could help a lot.
“Parker you have no idea how much trouble I would be.....” I trained off as he made a full sounding laugh again.
“I have a feeling I do. You know growing up with a younger sister kind of prepares you for what to expect.” He laughed again at some far off memory I did not know.
“still. You already warned me about Cody and saved me.... I have lost count of how many times. It is way too much to ask that I invade your space as well. Parker its way too much to ask” when I finished he pulled up my face and looked right into my eyes as I squirmed under his touch.
“You are impossible. I'm asking because I want you to. Not because I think there is no other result because I know for a fact that you have a load of friends who could take you in without a second glance. Trust me I want you with me. and as from the fact that I told you about Cody you really think I won’t? that’s crazy talk Rose! Saving your life countless times. It was about two maybe three but anyone would have done it.” He paused to look down before collecting himself and continuing, “I couldn’t bare if anything happened to you Rose. I have said that to you before I know but before I had no idea what It felt like to be properly in love. To have your heart belong to someone else and only hope that they return it. Now I understand. Rose Hun I love you please believe me.” I looked up at his eyes and smiled laughing while closing my eyes again and ducking me head while Parkers hand strokes my hair back down my shoulders.
“Okay.” I whisper looking back up at him in time to catch the grin that spread across his face as he pulled me once again into the air and swung me round.
“Ummm sorry you two....” I turned still grinning to see Sophie standing in the door way to the hall. Parker put me down with a laugh keeping his arms firmly around my waist as I continued to look at Sophie and raised my eyebrow.
“Sorry Brendon is driving me crazy. He’s still calling up asking for you please can you tell him to fuck off.” She sounded exasperated and I groaned at the mention of Brendon’s name leaning my head against Parkers chest and hiding my face from the begging Sophie.
“Here.” I heard Parker say as he took one hand away from my back and held it out for the phone. I looked up then and raised my eyebrow at him now. what was eh playing at?
“Hello? Brendon? No this is not Rose you dummy. Parker. Right not happening. Would appreciate it if you would stop harassing my girlfriend and her friends.” There was a load of yelling from the other end of the phone and then parker held the phone away from his ear as I tried not to laugh at his expression before he said, “ good bye to you too” under his breath and handing the ‘cell’ as he called it back to Sophie who was doing the opposite to me and just letting her laughter fall across the room as she pressed the end call button and rolled her eyes at me before strutting back out of the room still full of laughter.
I laughed to and leaned my head against Parkers chest letting him stock my hair and pretty much send me off to sleep. Why was I always so tired lately? I opened my eyes and moved my head away from his chest in the hope that the kitchen would stop making me feel like I had just gotten off a rolla costa. Wow well no luck there. I swayed on my feet and had to lean against Parkers for support. His arms came more firmly around my waist again keeping me straight.
“Rose?” I heard him say as I blinked several times and was firmly planted on a seat but the table which he must have pulled out with his foot. How the hell did he mange that. When I sat down with Parker kneeling in front of me the walls finally started to stop shaking like the end of an earthquake. Even though I had never myself been in one I had literally just seen pictures.
This brought back memories from when I was younger and dad used to watch the football on the TV in the living room at our old house. He had next to no patience with it but would watch it anyway. Leaving him something over than the soaps to talk about with the people who rode in the back of his shiny black cab. You could hear him yelling at the screen and the ‘idiotic’ football players who didn’t do what he told them to. He always used to say that if they simple did as he asked they would win more matches. Even when I was younger I would simple just roll my eyes at him and play along by every Saturday morning sitting with him on the settee watching the ‘sport’ and yelling along with him. One morning however the football was interrupted by a news show telling the ‘great losses of hundreds of people’ in an earthquake. My dad’s face transformed from its jokey angry face to one of surprise. He got up of the settee and kneeled on the ground to watch the crazy picture flash past the screen. I remember looking down at him kneeling on our carpeted floor searching for something on the screen.
Mum came home not more than a second later to find him in that precision and looked at me still smiling from her day out at the shops catching up with friends and buying ‘necessary’s’ in other words anything that court their eyes. Her smile faded as she court sight of the headline on the screen and came quickly in to join my dad on the floor. I remember asking what was wrong but only getting a quick be quite from mum who held up her finger. Both of them still staring at the screen. The phone must have rang five times before either of them pulled their eyes away from the screen and the unknown source for their curiosity and walked out of the room nearly pulling the phone of the hock in an attempt at answering quickly.
I only found out later what my parents had been so afraid of. It turns out my dad’s sister had been visiting her husbands relatives in the place where the quake had hit. The person on the phone was telling them that Alice (my dads sister) was in hospital with miner injuries. I breath my parents took then was probably the best thing they could have done. My dad still looked worried about his little sister and flew out there the next day to check on her. Everything was fine after that apart from the image of both my parents kneeling on the floor incredulous expressions on their shocked faces.
I came back to realty as the room finally stopped spinning and Parkers arms felt soft on my skin ads he once again pulled me to him as I buried my head under his arms and hide there until I heard the phone ring and groaned before hearing Sophie yell,
“I’ll get it” allowing me to breathe again normally. I could not stand explaining anything right now. explaining why my mum was not home. Explain to friends what had happened. It sounded like hell to me now and probable would later. Later sounded better to me now though.
“Shhh Rose you don’t have to handle any of that now. Me or Sophie will okay. You don’t have to think about explain yet. Leave that to us.” He used one of his fingers to stroke stray hairs out of my face and tucked them behind my ears. I closed my eyes as he did this and leaned back against his chest as his arms pulled me close. I was content.
The sound of hushed talking echoed from the other room as Sophie continued to talk to the person on the other end of the phone. I couldn’t make out the words to what she was saying but she sounded annoyed and getting more and more by the second. I groaned when I heard her voice raise to her high voice which happened ever time she got flustered. Even now I couldn’t stand to hear my best friend fight her battles along. None of my group of friends could bare to think of little Sophie yelling at those who annoyed her. Especially now. I pulled away from Parker regret plan on my face as I moved out of the room everything had changed in over the last couple of minutes. Sophie was standing at the hall table with the phone pressed to her ear as she continued to speak into the phone unaware of me and Parker approaching from the hall.
“No she can NOT talk right now. Yes I am sorry but- no sorry!” she was getting more and more flustered as we apache. As soon as I was in arms reach I held out my hand just as Sophie turned round to see me standing there. Before handing the phone over she looked up at Parker who simple shook his head not knowing what I was up to.
My hand was still held out asking for the phone. Finally Sophie handed it over with a regretful look playing about on her face.
“Hello?” I asked the other person on the phone