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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
A new Miss Parker stepped out of the hotel bathroom she had just occupied for the last 45 minutes. Her face was visible with no reminisce of make up to shield it. The white tank top matched her silk cranberry bottoms and the fluffy white towel clung to her dark hair protecting her from the droplets that promised to drip down her face. Flinging her old suit onto a nearby chair she began to talk over the news program that was playing in the background.
"Jarod, how long are we going to be staying here?" she said as she flipped the towel off of her hair and started the tedious task of combing through it. When there was no reply, she looked over to the couch and sighed as she stared at Jarod's sleeping form. His arms were crossed and his head leaned onto his right shoulder as he took deep steady breaths. "Well, that's just great," she said to herself, "At least he isn't on the bed."
She pulled back the tacky covers on her full size bed, fluffed her pillow, and flicked off the TV before she stretched and sank into the springy bed. It wasn't quite what she preferred, but it would have to do. She closed her eyes and for the first time since her mother died, she felt safe as she drifted off to sleep.
*****
Sydney woke in the morning after a rest of two hours. He couldn't sleep at all when he didn't know where Miss Parker was or if she was even alive. Jarod had never called him back so he was completely in the dark on this one. His telephone suddenly sprang to life.
"Jarod?!"
"Uh uh no. Broots."
"Oh, forgive me Broots. I've been expecting a call from Jarod for some time now. Have you heard anything about Miss Parker?"
"No, that's why I called you. Lyle was found in the parking garage with a bullet in his kneecap and he insists that Miss Parker did it. Mr. Parker told me to continue with the search because she would be back soon. I'm not so sure, Syd."
"I agree. She was dead serious, and that's a dangerous mode for Miss Parker."
"I'll call you if I hear anything new."
"Thank you Broots."
Sighing, he went to the kitchen to try and prepare some breakfast.
*****
Jarod strained his eyes as he felt the sunshine warm his face. Sitting up, he stretched and scanned the room. His eyes landed on the bed on his left; it was vacant. Adrenaline surged through his veins as he quickly paced to the bathroom. It was empty as well. He suddenly felt a chill as wind graced the back of his neck.
"Well, you're finally up, Sleeping Beauty."
"Parker, don't you ever do that again! You scared me half to death. Where were you?"
"Didn't know you cared."
"Of course I care, that's why I'm helping you," he replied in confusion.
"I was just being sarcastic, Jarod. And I was getting some food. I got sick of waiting for you. It's 10:30 you know."
"Really? I guess I just needed to catch up on my sleep. I slept really well for once."
"Yea, me too. When was the last time you slept?"
"Ummm," he paused to think, "about five days ago, wait I took an hour nap two days ago. Does that count?"
"No. Now help me eat some of this food."
"Any Pop-tarts?" Jarod asked hopefully. Miss Parker rolled her eyes.
"FYI, this is real food, not the junk that you've lived on," she answered as she pulled out muffins, bagels, and coffee from the take-out bag.
"FYI?"
"For your information."
"Oh," he said as he inspected the muffins, "and these are?"
"Banana nut muffins. And those are blueberry," she said as she indulged in her first sip of coffee, the only reason she got up in the mornings. Jarod nibbled on one of the blueberry ones before taking an enormous bite. "Good grief, Jarod! You act like you've eaten nothing for days but PEZ!" His eyes shifted to a picture of an old ship above the bed. "Jarod, you need to take care of yourself you know."
"Just like you? I didn't know you cared," he mimicked her with a sly grin.
"Well, I'll see you in a few hours. Don't run off on me again, Frankenboy," Parker replied as if she'd heard nothing.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Shopping."
"What?!"
"Shopping, you know when people go to a store, publicly run by about a dozen mindless monkeys who couldn't find you the correct size if their life depended on it, and purchase various items including articles of clothing and makeup-" she was cut off by Jarod as he interrupted her babbling.
"Yea, I know what shopping is, Parker. What I don't know is why you need to go."
"I didn't have time to grab everything I needed when the welcome wagon decided to crash our little party. I'll need some cash," she said, holding out her hand for collection. Jarod sighed and handed her what looked like a credit card from the inside of his brown leather wallet.
"Don't go crazy," Jarod informed her.
"Now why would I do that with your money?"
"Not my money. Its simply courtesy of The Centre. They owe us anyway," he replied with a cocky smile.
"Even better. See ya."
"Oh and by the way, Parker. You can refrain from buying the make up," he added with a grin, "you look much better without it." She rolled her eyes, so he guessed that that was out of the question. It was worth a shot. Watching her disappear through the door, he sat down on the ruffled bed and pulled out his cell phone. Pressing speed dial number two, he held the phone to his ear and waited patiently.
"This is Sydney."
"At the Centre already, Sydney?"
"Jarod! I've been waiting for you to call. Where is Miss Parker? Is she all right?"
"She's her usual Miss Parker self. What else could you expect?"
"You called her?"
"FYI, she is with me," Jarod replied matter-of-factly, "well, technically, she is not with me. She left to go buy some clothes and whatever else she buys."
"With you?!" Sydney started laughing, "I can only imagine what must be happening. How are you handling her?"
"Fine. She's not as tough and evil as people make her out to be. If you just a look a little deeper, she's simply another victim of The Centre."
"Does she plan to return?"
"I don't think so. I hope not. That place is destroying her, Sydney. I can protect her when she's here."
"She doesn't like to be protected, Jarod. You know that."
"Sometimes people have to do things they don't want to."
"I suppose so, Jarod. Good luck."
"Thanks, I just hope hope this will last, for both our sakes."
Back at Blue Cove, Sydney silently agreed as the tone hummed in his ears. Miss Parker and Jarod working together? The hope of this new prosperity was enough to keep Sydney and Broots working in hopes that someday soon, the saga that they had all created long ago when Jarod and Miss Parker were born and when he had began working here. If anyone could put an end to The Centre, it was Jarod and Miss Parker. Together.
"Jarod, how long are we going to be staying here?" she said as she flipped the towel off of her hair and started the tedious task of combing through it. When there was no reply, she looked over to the couch and sighed as she stared at Jarod's sleeping form. His arms were crossed and his head leaned onto his right shoulder as he took deep steady breaths. "Well, that's just great," she said to herself, "At least he isn't on the bed."
She pulled back the tacky covers on her full size bed, fluffed her pillow, and flicked off the TV before she stretched and sank into the springy bed. It wasn't quite what she preferred, but it would have to do. She closed her eyes and for the first time since her mother died, she felt safe as she drifted off to sleep.
*****
Sydney woke in the morning after a rest of two hours. He couldn't sleep at all when he didn't know where Miss Parker was or if she was even alive. Jarod had never called him back so he was completely in the dark on this one. His telephone suddenly sprang to life.
"Jarod?!"
"Uh uh no. Broots."
"Oh, forgive me Broots. I've been expecting a call from Jarod for some time now. Have you heard anything about Miss Parker?"
"No, that's why I called you. Lyle was found in the parking garage with a bullet in his kneecap and he insists that Miss Parker did it. Mr. Parker told me to continue with the search because she would be back soon. I'm not so sure, Syd."
"I agree. She was dead serious, and that's a dangerous mode for Miss Parker."
"I'll call you if I hear anything new."
"Thank you Broots."
Sighing, he went to the kitchen to try and prepare some breakfast.
*****
Jarod strained his eyes as he felt the sunshine warm his face. Sitting up, he stretched and scanned the room. His eyes landed on the bed on his left; it was vacant. Adrenaline surged through his veins as he quickly paced to the bathroom. It was empty as well. He suddenly felt a chill as wind graced the back of his neck.
"Well, you're finally up, Sleeping Beauty."
"Parker, don't you ever do that again! You scared me half to death. Where were you?"
"Didn't know you cared."
"Of course I care, that's why I'm helping you," he replied in confusion.
"I was just being sarcastic, Jarod. And I was getting some food. I got sick of waiting for you. It's 10:30 you know."
"Really? I guess I just needed to catch up on my sleep. I slept really well for once."
"Yea, me too. When was the last time you slept?"
"Ummm," he paused to think, "about five days ago, wait I took an hour nap two days ago. Does that count?"
"No. Now help me eat some of this food."
"Any Pop-tarts?" Jarod asked hopefully. Miss Parker rolled her eyes.
"FYI, this is real food, not the junk that you've lived on," she answered as she pulled out muffins, bagels, and coffee from the take-out bag.
"FYI?"
"For your information."
"Oh," he said as he inspected the muffins, "and these are?"
"Banana nut muffins. And those are blueberry," she said as she indulged in her first sip of coffee, the only reason she got up in the mornings. Jarod nibbled on one of the blueberry ones before taking an enormous bite. "Good grief, Jarod! You act like you've eaten nothing for days but PEZ!" His eyes shifted to a picture of an old ship above the bed. "Jarod, you need to take care of yourself you know."
"Just like you? I didn't know you cared," he mimicked her with a sly grin.
"Well, I'll see you in a few hours. Don't run off on me again, Frankenboy," Parker replied as if she'd heard nothing.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Shopping."
"What?!"
"Shopping, you know when people go to a store, publicly run by about a dozen mindless monkeys who couldn't find you the correct size if their life depended on it, and purchase various items including articles of clothing and makeup-" she was cut off by Jarod as he interrupted her babbling.
"Yea, I know what shopping is, Parker. What I don't know is why you need to go."
"I didn't have time to grab everything I needed when the welcome wagon decided to crash our little party. I'll need some cash," she said, holding out her hand for collection. Jarod sighed and handed her what looked like a credit card from the inside of his brown leather wallet.
"Don't go crazy," Jarod informed her.
"Now why would I do that with your money?"
"Not my money. Its simply courtesy of The Centre. They owe us anyway," he replied with a cocky smile.
"Even better. See ya."
"Oh and by the way, Parker. You can refrain from buying the make up," he added with a grin, "you look much better without it." She rolled her eyes, so he guessed that that was out of the question. It was worth a shot. Watching her disappear through the door, he sat down on the ruffled bed and pulled out his cell phone. Pressing speed dial number two, he held the phone to his ear and waited patiently.
"This is Sydney."
"At the Centre already, Sydney?"
"Jarod! I've been waiting for you to call. Where is Miss Parker? Is she all right?"
"She's her usual Miss Parker self. What else could you expect?"
"You called her?"
"FYI, she is with me," Jarod replied matter-of-factly, "well, technically, she is not with me. She left to go buy some clothes and whatever else she buys."
"With you?!" Sydney started laughing, "I can only imagine what must be happening. How are you handling her?"
"Fine. She's not as tough and evil as people make her out to be. If you just a look a little deeper, she's simply another victim of The Centre."
"Does she plan to return?"
"I don't think so. I hope not. That place is destroying her, Sydney. I can protect her when she's here."
"She doesn't like to be protected, Jarod. You know that."
"Sometimes people have to do things they don't want to."
"I suppose so, Jarod. Good luck."
"Thanks, I just hope hope this will last, for both our sakes."
Back at Blue Cove, Sydney silently agreed as the tone hummed in his ears. Miss Parker and Jarod working together? The hope of this new prosperity was enough to keep Sydney and Broots working in hopes that someday soon, the saga that they had all created long ago when Jarod and Miss Parker were born and when he had began working here. If anyone could put an end to The Centre, it was Jarod and Miss Parker. Together.
