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Chapter or Story
"Please continue, Jarod, cuz I really did not like the sound of that last sentence," Emily said.
"Its the only way, Em," he took a deep breath, "I have to go back. We have to get Broots and Angelo out of there. And I know that there are a lot of us in here who need some answers that only they can give us."
"Yea yea, we get that. The part that didn't exactly click is when you said we would just march in there and tell them this," Miss Parker spoke from the backseat.
Sydney cleared his throat, "it wouldn't be the first time that you've walked into The Centre to cut a deal."
"Exactly, and it was very effective."
"Only because I let you walk out of there, Wonderboy. The rest of them aren't going to be so leniant as I was. And don't forget that you had some hefty leverage then, too."
"So we get some more," Jarod persisted.
"Like what? I already killed anyone of any use!" she shouted, releasing her surpressed anger at herself.
"You were forced to do that! It wasn't your choice, Parker."
"I did not have to murder my brother in cold blood. And I could definitely have saved my father, but I didn't care. So don't pretend that you know how I feel, Jarod!"
"I'm not," he whispered, returning his head to his wound.
"Ugh!" Miss Parker shoved the door open and marched in an angry frenzy toward the woods, disappearing in the thick knot of trees.
*****
Broots sat at his desk in the dark nest of The Centre. The silence was like dead water, so quiet that there was a ringing in his ears distracting him from his work. Not that you could really call it work. In actuallity, he was searching for anything and everything on his friends' pasts. He knew the only way they could find peace was to satisfy their quench for the truth. The sudden opening of the door shook him a couple inches out of his chair.
"Hello, Mr Broots," said Briggite in her false sweet voice, "whatcha doin?"
"Uh," Broots closed his laptop discreatly as she perched herself on the arm of his chair, "j-just searching for J-Jarod. The usual, nothing unusual going on here."
"Mmm, is that so," Briggite popped out the lolli pop from her mouth.
"Uh yea, that's so," he replied cautiously. Then, of course, the phone began ringing.
"Aren't you going to answer that, Mr Broots?" she asked after three rings.
"Um, of course I am," nervously, he picked up the phone, "h-hello?"
After a pause he replied the caller, "No I'm not... of course I can... is she all right?... whatever you decide is fine... that'll be fine.... I will... thanks... good-bye."
"Who was that?" asked Briggite innocently, who had been eyeing him throughout the entire telephone conversation.
"That was Debbie's teacher. She uh just wanted me to come in for a parent/teacher conference sometime soon," he glanced up at her with his wide chalk-blue eyes.
"I see. Is that really who it was? Could it perhaps have been Miss Parker or Sydney even?"
"No, of course not."
"Well, then, if that's all. I should be on my way then. Ciao."
And with that, the blonde strolled out of his office. With a sigh of relief, Broots reopened his computer and began searching for what Sydney had requested.
*****
"Thanks for making a cripple hobble out here all by himself, Parker," Jarod joked as he limped toward Miss Parker, who sat on a tree stump, with her head in her hands.
"Nobody asked you to follow me," she bit back, turning away from the pretender.
"True, but I had to make sure that you were all right," he took a seat on the ground below her. She remained silent, choosing to ignore him, so he continued talking, "Couldn't let you pull a disappearing act on me like that."
"That's your specialty, not mine," she said bluntly.
He sighed, "you know, it seems that every time we even begin to connect, something always pulls us apart. Don't you agree?"
"Do I need to?"
"What do you mean?" Jarod looked up at her.
"I mean, don't our pasts speak for themselves. Its hopeless, Jarod. Our lives will never be perfect, so why do we lie to ourselves. Its just a fact. We are not meant to... to be happy," she wiped a wandering tear from her eyes, turning her face from him.
"There's always hope-"
"Cut the crap, Jarod! I'm sick of this. I'm sick of the same old same converstational banters we always have. I'm" her voice cracked into a higher pitch, "sick of me always giving in to the false illusion that I'm working for something-- that one day it's all going to pay off," she drifted away from the present to a time when things made sense.
*****
A bold black and pale yellow butterfly fluttered to land on the daffodil, striving to sweep the air and kiss the clouds. Naked feet danced across the stretch of damp grass, sweating dew. Little Miss Parker waltzed right into her mother's arms, releasing a giggle rivaling the birds' soft chirrups.
"Is there such thing as happily ever after, Mama?" she pondered with such an innocence in such a serious question.
Catherine Parker turned her head sharply, from her spot on the blanket beneath their favorite tree, allowing her hair to caress her shoulder, before falling back, "I know there is because I'm living it right now."
"Me, too," the young girl clasped her hands together.
"Believe me, my darling, the best is yet to come for you. I predict wonderful, magnificent joy in your future," she said sweetly, like the nearby honeysuckles, while brushing a rebellious lock of hair out of her daughter's face, "you have so much to look forward to."
"I'm looking forward to going to see Jarod tomorrow," was the child's response.
"I'm sure you are, but that's not what I mean. I mean, like, when you get to be my age."
"But that's real far away. I don't think I wanta wait that long, Mama," she creased her face as if she'd just tasted onion for the first time.
She laughed, "that's what makes what you're waiting for so special!"
"When did you know, I mean that there was such thing?" the girl inquired.
"I knew the day you were born and you looked up into my eyes with such a vibrant glow and happiness. That's one thing that will always bring me joy, to look into those gorgeous eyes of yours and see the happiness and energy reflecting in them."
Miss Parker closed her eyes and laughed, rolling over in the grass as her mother tickled her.
*****
Miss Parker opened her eyes, releasing a placid tear, and looked Jarod directly in the eyes.
"I can't stand to look into those eyes and not see the happiness that was once there," he grasped her hand. She eyed him curiously. Now, not only did he understand what she was saying better than anyone, but somehow, he was digging inside her mind. Jarod had always been the only one who could ever understand what she was thinking, no matter how she denied it.
"I'm sorry. As soon as we finish all of this once and for all, I'll... I'll be fine." Miss Parker stood to leave. Jarod followed suit, but blocked her way.
"You're not going to be fine if you don't let me help you. We've come too far to give up now, Parker."
Placing her fingertips to her lips, she blinked and allowed herself to tremble slightly. Slowly, Jarod wrapped his arms around her and they remained like that for a few moments until she kissed him. And they remained like that even longer.
*****
"Pick up the phone, Broots. Come on," Sydney mumbled.
Finally, he heard Broots answer, "Broots, are you alone?"
"No I'm not," he stuttered out.
"Well, just pretend its someone from the school calling for Debbie. Can you do that?" Sydney coaxed.
"Of course I can," Broots responded.
"We're waiting for Miss Parker to come back to the car. Mr Parker and Lyle are dead and she's having a hard time dealing with it."
"Is she all right?"
"Well, we don't know, but the reason we were calling was to tell you that we were coming to The Centre and we need to prepare for our entry."
"Whatever you decide is fine."
"I'm not exactly sure what Jarod's plan is, but we'll call again," Sydney reassured him.
Broots answered quickly, "That'll be fine."
"Take care. And be careful, Broots."
"I will. Thanks."
"Good-bye."
"Good-bye," Sydney heard Briggite ask who that had been before Broots even hung up. Sighing, Sydney realized that he had forgotten about her completely. Briggite would simply pose yet another threat. He explained the conversation to the two women in the van.
Emily responded, "Don't worry, Sydney. We're too close for things to not work out now. I'm sure of that."
"What will become of me? I don't even have a past to search for," Molly leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes.
"Your family is right here, and we'll figure it out together," Emily reassured her, who replied with a smile.
At that moment, Miss Parker appeared trudging out of the woods, supporting Jarod with her arm. The door to the van opened and they both slid into the back seat, everyone remaining silent. Miss Parker broke the ice, "What's everyone staring at? We've got a freak show to expose."
Molly grinned and started the car, but not before a yellow and black butterfly landed on the hood of the van. "Look," she said with an extended finger.
Miss Parker groaned, "My life is just one damn cliche."
"Its the only way, Em," he took a deep breath, "I have to go back. We have to get Broots and Angelo out of there. And I know that there are a lot of us in here who need some answers that only they can give us."
"Yea yea, we get that. The part that didn't exactly click is when you said we would just march in there and tell them this," Miss Parker spoke from the backseat.
Sydney cleared his throat, "it wouldn't be the first time that you've walked into The Centre to cut a deal."
"Exactly, and it was very effective."
"Only because I let you walk out of there, Wonderboy. The rest of them aren't going to be so leniant as I was. And don't forget that you had some hefty leverage then, too."
"So we get some more," Jarod persisted.
"Like what? I already killed anyone of any use!" she shouted, releasing her surpressed anger at herself.
"You were forced to do that! It wasn't your choice, Parker."
"I did not have to murder my brother in cold blood. And I could definitely have saved my father, but I didn't care. So don't pretend that you know how I feel, Jarod!"
"I'm not," he whispered, returning his head to his wound.
"Ugh!" Miss Parker shoved the door open and marched in an angry frenzy toward the woods, disappearing in the thick knot of trees.
*****
Broots sat at his desk in the dark nest of The Centre. The silence was like dead water, so quiet that there was a ringing in his ears distracting him from his work. Not that you could really call it work. In actuallity, he was searching for anything and everything on his friends' pasts. He knew the only way they could find peace was to satisfy their quench for the truth. The sudden opening of the door shook him a couple inches out of his chair.
"Hello, Mr Broots," said Briggite in her false sweet voice, "whatcha doin?"
"Uh," Broots closed his laptop discreatly as she perched herself on the arm of his chair, "j-just searching for J-Jarod. The usual, nothing unusual going on here."
"Mmm, is that so," Briggite popped out the lolli pop from her mouth.
"Uh yea, that's so," he replied cautiously. Then, of course, the phone began ringing.
"Aren't you going to answer that, Mr Broots?" she asked after three rings.
"Um, of course I am," nervously, he picked up the phone, "h-hello?"
After a pause he replied the caller, "No I'm not... of course I can... is she all right?... whatever you decide is fine... that'll be fine.... I will... thanks... good-bye."
"Who was that?" asked Briggite innocently, who had been eyeing him throughout the entire telephone conversation.
"That was Debbie's teacher. She uh just wanted me to come in for a parent/teacher conference sometime soon," he glanced up at her with his wide chalk-blue eyes.
"I see. Is that really who it was? Could it perhaps have been Miss Parker or Sydney even?"
"No, of course not."
"Well, then, if that's all. I should be on my way then. Ciao."
And with that, the blonde strolled out of his office. With a sigh of relief, Broots reopened his computer and began searching for what Sydney had requested.
*****
"Thanks for making a cripple hobble out here all by himself, Parker," Jarod joked as he limped toward Miss Parker, who sat on a tree stump, with her head in her hands.
"Nobody asked you to follow me," she bit back, turning away from the pretender.
"True, but I had to make sure that you were all right," he took a seat on the ground below her. She remained silent, choosing to ignore him, so he continued talking, "Couldn't let you pull a disappearing act on me like that."
"That's your specialty, not mine," she said bluntly.
He sighed, "you know, it seems that every time we even begin to connect, something always pulls us apart. Don't you agree?"
"Do I need to?"
"What do you mean?" Jarod looked up at her.
"I mean, don't our pasts speak for themselves. Its hopeless, Jarod. Our lives will never be perfect, so why do we lie to ourselves. Its just a fact. We are not meant to... to be happy," she wiped a wandering tear from her eyes, turning her face from him.
"There's always hope-"
"Cut the crap, Jarod! I'm sick of this. I'm sick of the same old same converstational banters we always have. I'm" her voice cracked into a higher pitch, "sick of me always giving in to the false illusion that I'm working for something-- that one day it's all going to pay off," she drifted away from the present to a time when things made sense.
*****
A bold black and pale yellow butterfly fluttered to land on the daffodil, striving to sweep the air and kiss the clouds. Naked feet danced across the stretch of damp grass, sweating dew. Little Miss Parker waltzed right into her mother's arms, releasing a giggle rivaling the birds' soft chirrups.
"Is there such thing as happily ever after, Mama?" she pondered with such an innocence in such a serious question.
Catherine Parker turned her head sharply, from her spot on the blanket beneath their favorite tree, allowing her hair to caress her shoulder, before falling back, "I know there is because I'm living it right now."
"Me, too," the young girl clasped her hands together.
"Believe me, my darling, the best is yet to come for you. I predict wonderful, magnificent joy in your future," she said sweetly, like the nearby honeysuckles, while brushing a rebellious lock of hair out of her daughter's face, "you have so much to look forward to."
"I'm looking forward to going to see Jarod tomorrow," was the child's response.
"I'm sure you are, but that's not what I mean. I mean, like, when you get to be my age."
"But that's real far away. I don't think I wanta wait that long, Mama," she creased her face as if she'd just tasted onion for the first time.
She laughed, "that's what makes what you're waiting for so special!"
"When did you know, I mean that there was such thing?" the girl inquired.
"I knew the day you were born and you looked up into my eyes with such a vibrant glow and happiness. That's one thing that will always bring me joy, to look into those gorgeous eyes of yours and see the happiness and energy reflecting in them."
Miss Parker closed her eyes and laughed, rolling over in the grass as her mother tickled her.
*****
Miss Parker opened her eyes, releasing a placid tear, and looked Jarod directly in the eyes.
"I can't stand to look into those eyes and not see the happiness that was once there," he grasped her hand. She eyed him curiously. Now, not only did he understand what she was saying better than anyone, but somehow, he was digging inside her mind. Jarod had always been the only one who could ever understand what she was thinking, no matter how she denied it.
"I'm sorry. As soon as we finish all of this once and for all, I'll... I'll be fine." Miss Parker stood to leave. Jarod followed suit, but blocked her way.
"You're not going to be fine if you don't let me help you. We've come too far to give up now, Parker."
Placing her fingertips to her lips, she blinked and allowed herself to tremble slightly. Slowly, Jarod wrapped his arms around her and they remained like that for a few moments until she kissed him. And they remained like that even longer.
*****
"Pick up the phone, Broots. Come on," Sydney mumbled.
Finally, he heard Broots answer, "Broots, are you alone?"
"No I'm not," he stuttered out.
"Well, just pretend its someone from the school calling for Debbie. Can you do that?" Sydney coaxed.
"Of course I can," Broots responded.
"We're waiting for Miss Parker to come back to the car. Mr Parker and Lyle are dead and she's having a hard time dealing with it."
"Is she all right?"
"Well, we don't know, but the reason we were calling was to tell you that we were coming to The Centre and we need to prepare for our entry."
"Whatever you decide is fine."
"I'm not exactly sure what Jarod's plan is, but we'll call again," Sydney reassured him.
Broots answered quickly, "That'll be fine."
"Take care. And be careful, Broots."
"I will. Thanks."
"Good-bye."
"Good-bye," Sydney heard Briggite ask who that had been before Broots even hung up. Sighing, Sydney realized that he had forgotten about her completely. Briggite would simply pose yet another threat. He explained the conversation to the two women in the van.
Emily responded, "Don't worry, Sydney. We're too close for things to not work out now. I'm sure of that."
"What will become of me? I don't even have a past to search for," Molly leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes.
"Your family is right here, and we'll figure it out together," Emily reassured her, who replied with a smile.
At that moment, Miss Parker appeared trudging out of the woods, supporting Jarod with her arm. The door to the van opened and they both slid into the back seat, everyone remaining silent. Miss Parker broke the ice, "What's everyone staring at? We've got a freak show to expose."
Molly grinned and started the car, but not before a yellow and black butterfly landed on the hood of the van. "Look," she said with an extended finger.
Miss Parker groaned, "My life is just one damn cliche."
