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Disclaim: I do not own Pretender. NBC does…used without permission, you know the drill.
First Impressions
Andrea
"Sydney, I’m done." I handed my latest SIM to Sydney, who took it.
"Very good job, Jarod. Since you finished so early, you may go for a walk before dinner." I didn’t wait for him to finish, I ran from the SIM lab. Maybe I could find Angelo…
But instead, I saw somebody else…
Walking down the hallways, my heart stopped.
Wait, that isn’t logical…I was feeling excited! Excitement…hmm…I haven’t felt that for a long time.
The cause of my new feelings was the sight of my childhood friend. I hadn’t seen Parker for 11 long years…
I slipped quickly into the ever present shadows of the Centre. Parker was talking to her father…I overheard snatches of the conversation…"Daddy, I don’t want to work here…" "Angel, its for the best. You’ll get used to it…" What I heard horrified me…my innocent friend would be forced to work here! I had to do something!
But my brain told me there was nothing I could do…I just stood, unobserved, listening. A few minutes later, Mr. Parker walked away, and I followed Parker to the elevator.
My hand caught the door just before it closed. I didn’t say a word, just stood there, drinking in the sight of Parker…
She was so different.
Years ago, she had worn the skirts and sweaters her father insisted on…they were traded for short skirts and long blazers…
Her hair, which had been darker and short, was now reddish and just below should length…instead of being pulled back, tendrils framed her face…
Her skin was flawless, I followed the line of her cheekbones t her eyes…eyes lined with shimmering eyeshadow…her eyes intimidating, yet inviting…her lips so soft and sweet…
I longed to talk to her…to say anything…but I was held by her spell…unable to move…
Parker broke the fixation first. "What the hell…Jarod."
"Nice to see you too, Parker," I replied sarcastically. But on the inside I was hoping that she still liked me…it sure didn’t seem like it.
Both of us stood there, silently, until the elevator reached the next floor. Unconsciously, I had moved in front of the door, when I didn’t move, Parker tried to push me out of the way.
I was surprised at her strength…she wasn’t intimated by me…but who would be? I was nothing…except a Pretender…a prisoner of the Centre.
Parker didn’t manage to push me out of the way, because I grabbed her, pushed her against the elevator. Cornered her with my arms. I had to know…know something. "Why?" I asked.
"Why what? Jarod, what do you think you’re doing?"
I didn’t hear her…I just repeated my plea…
"Jarod! Either let me go or…"
"Or what?" I challenged her.
"You wouldn’t want to know…don’t forget your place," Parker told me.
I didn’t understand, at first. "My place?"
"Yes. Your place. You, Jarod, are nothing but a Pretender, confined to the Centre, and I’ll be head of this place one day." As she started to explain, her words clicked into clarity inside me. " I’ve done things you’ve never heard of, much less have the chance to see. You’ll be here for the rest of your life, doing SIMs…while Ill be running this place. Don’t forget: I am everything. You are nothing."
Shocked by her words, I moved out of the way, my eyes full of unshed tears. Parker moved toward the door, and I stared at her again, once again held by her spell.
She had lost her innocent look…now I realized what she really was…certainly not my childhood friend any longer. Now she was her father’s Angel…his Angel. Not mine, as she’d once been.
My eyes once again traveled up her face, to her own eyes…still inviting…still intimidating. Her look towards me was aloof…haughty…distant…indifferent…I watched her walk away from me…then the tears fell.
First Impressions
Andrea
"Sydney, I’m done." I handed my latest SIM to Sydney, who took it.
"Very good job, Jarod. Since you finished so early, you may go for a walk before dinner." I didn’t wait for him to finish, I ran from the SIM lab. Maybe I could find Angelo…
But instead, I saw somebody else…
Walking down the hallways, my heart stopped.
Wait, that isn’t logical…I was feeling excited! Excitement…hmm…I haven’t felt that for a long time.
The cause of my new feelings was the sight of my childhood friend. I hadn’t seen Parker for 11 long years…
I slipped quickly into the ever present shadows of the Centre. Parker was talking to her father…I overheard snatches of the conversation…"Daddy, I don’t want to work here…" "Angel, its for the best. You’ll get used to it…" What I heard horrified me…my innocent friend would be forced to work here! I had to do something!
But my brain told me there was nothing I could do…I just stood, unobserved, listening. A few minutes later, Mr. Parker walked away, and I followed Parker to the elevator.
My hand caught the door just before it closed. I didn’t say a word, just stood there, drinking in the sight of Parker…
She was so different.
Years ago, she had worn the skirts and sweaters her father insisted on…they were traded for short skirts and long blazers…
Her hair, which had been darker and short, was now reddish and just below should length…instead of being pulled back, tendrils framed her face…
Her skin was flawless, I followed the line of her cheekbones t her eyes…eyes lined with shimmering eyeshadow…her eyes intimidating, yet inviting…her lips so soft and sweet…
I longed to talk to her…to say anything…but I was held by her spell…unable to move…
Parker broke the fixation first. "What the hell…Jarod."
"Nice to see you too, Parker," I replied sarcastically. But on the inside I was hoping that she still liked me…it sure didn’t seem like it.
Both of us stood there, silently, until the elevator reached the next floor. Unconsciously, I had moved in front of the door, when I didn’t move, Parker tried to push me out of the way.
I was surprised at her strength…she wasn’t intimated by me…but who would be? I was nothing…except a Pretender…a prisoner of the Centre.
Parker didn’t manage to push me out of the way, because I grabbed her, pushed her against the elevator. Cornered her with my arms. I had to know…know something. "Why?" I asked.
"Why what? Jarod, what do you think you’re doing?"
I didn’t hear her…I just repeated my plea…
"Jarod! Either let me go or…"
"Or what?" I challenged her.
"You wouldn’t want to know…don’t forget your place," Parker told me.
I didn’t understand, at first. "My place?"
"Yes. Your place. You, Jarod, are nothing but a Pretender, confined to the Centre, and I’ll be head of this place one day." As she started to explain, her words clicked into clarity inside me. " I’ve done things you’ve never heard of, much less have the chance to see. You’ll be here for the rest of your life, doing SIMs…while Ill be running this place. Don’t forget: I am everything. You are nothing."
Shocked by her words, I moved out of the way, my eyes full of unshed tears. Parker moved toward the door, and I stared at her again, once again held by her spell.
She had lost her innocent look…now I realized what she really was…certainly not my childhood friend any longer. Now she was her father’s Angel…his Angel. Not mine, as she’d once been.
My eyes once again traveled up her face, to her own eyes…still inviting…still intimidating. Her look towards me was aloof…haughty…distant…indifferent…I watched her walk away from me…then the tears fell.
