Three Days to Fall in Love

The Conversation

2 days

The only class I have with Parker happens to be the last class of the day.

I've just finished my final exam and I feel as if a weight has been lifted off of me as a rush of relief floods over me.

I get up to turn in my test. Parker stands from his seat at the same time. We walk to the box, but he reaches it before me because he sits two rows in front of me. When he turns to go back to his seat, he looks at me and flashes me a small smile. I try to smile back without dying.

Like Alexis intended, he noticed me. I just hope he will say something before the end of the day.

I walk back to my seat, purposefully avoiding Parker's line of vision.

I have to wait for the rest of the class to finish their tests before I can talk to anyone. Or make any noise. With nothing else to do, I stare at the back of Parker's head. His friend, Oliver, sits next to him and is whispering to him. That's against testing rules. Makes me wonder what's so important that they have to talk about it now.

Realizing that I am being super weird, I look down at a blank sheet of paper that sits on my desk. I grab my pencil and begin to draw random lines across the paper. Gray swirls cover the once pristine sheet.

"What are you drawing?" The girl next to me, Jenny, asks. I shrug my shoulders and she laughs. Well, it's more of a low chuckle.

Last time I checked, Jenny didn't have that low of a voice.

I turn in my seat to see Parker occupying Jenny's usual chair.

"Hey." He waves at me.

"Hi," I dumbly reply. I didn't notice that Mr. Smith gave us the go ahead to talk. "What's, um, up?"

"Nothing much," he smiles. "Just enjoying the last few minutes of high school I have left."

"Are you gonna miss it?" I ask.

"No," he scoffs. "Are you?"

Choose your words wisely, Quinn.

"No. Maybe. I mean . . . I'm going to miss, like, seeing some people everyday. Most people I never want to see again." The words tumble out of my mouth all at once.

"Oh, I see." Parker glances at the clock above the door.

"Not you," I mumble.

"What was that?" he asks, looking at me out of the corner of his eye.

I take a deep breath before responding. "You aren't a part of that second group of people."

"Oh." He turns to face me completely. "Does that mean I'm in the first group?"

"I don't know what group you are in, Parker. I haven't talked to you in years."

"Well, we can change that right now, Quinn." He smiles. He rakes a hand through his messy blonde hair. "So. What d'ya say?"

"Say to what?" I ask. But all I can think about is the fact that he hasn't forgot my name.

"Talking to each other again."

I look up at the clock. "We only have three minutes of school left," I whisper.

"Three minutes is better than none," he counters.

I look down at the sandals that I was told to wear. "What do we talk about?"

He puts a finger under my chin and tilts my head up. Bold move, Parker. Alexis would approve. My dull eyes meet his vibrant, blue ones.

"I don't know," he answers with a smirk plastered to his face. "But we only have about one and a half minutes now."

"Um . . ."

"Wanna go to a party with me tomorrow? Like, as an end of the year hoorah."

"A p-party?" I ask. I have never gone to a real high school party. This wasn't part of the plan Alexis had conjured up. But what would she say?

"Yeah. Henry is throwing one at his place. You don't have to go if you don't want to."

"Sure I'll go," I say just as the final bell of high school rings.

-

I recently read a book where the female protagonist was named Parker. It's weird typing that out as my protagonist's male love interest.
Thanks for reading.