the donut dialer [ongoing]

18: ❝why so many giggles, peaches?❞

❝why so many giggles, peaches?❞

lorelei┃james┃parker

❁ ❁ ❁

now calling ✆ : spanish spider-man :)

diing. d—
✆ call accepted ✆ at 1:14 p.m.

"parker?"

"hey, peaches."

lorelei glanced at vanessa, who simply winked at her and urged her to speak with beckoning hand gestures. lorelei gulped, her voice hoarse.

"hi."

"hi."

"we just said that twice."

"i know."

"why did you try calling me so many times?"

"because i didn't want to waste a moment not being able to say sorry."

"then don't waste another moment."

"right. listen, lorelei, i'm sorry for pushing you to say something you weren't comfortable saying. i understand why you are angry—"

"you know what, parker? everyone says they understand. everyone thinks they know how it feels to have your dad die in front of your eyes, to watch him slowly wither away each day. to know that there's absolutely nothing you can do to save him, but to just watch the inevitable happen. cancer killed my dad. did it kill your's?"

"lorelei, i'm so sorry. i don't know how it feels like, and i can only imagine the pain you've gone through. i don't understand what it's like to watch the people you love suffer. but you don't think i've got my own demons, too? i'm not saying that what i said wasn't wrong, and that i don't completely regret it. i was being an asshole to you, and i'm sorry."

"before my dad died, he signed off the bakery to me."

"what? really?"

"technically, it's mine when i turn 18. i don't know if i'll be able to handle it, though. working there is hard enough when i always think about my dad, and what he would be doing if he was by my side."

"how do you do it?"

"do what?"

"how do you be so strong all the time?"

"i have the people that i love to give me strength. when dad passed away, i began distancing myself from my friends and family. i didn't talk to anyone for months, and even when i did, it was just 'i love you'. luckily, vanessa and some other friends got me out of that habit by bringing me the one thing that i never thought i could ever have again."

"and what was that?"

"happiness."

"jesus. i'm sorry you had to go through that. they're amazing for doing that, and now i know why you're so close with vanessa."