Reliving Yesterday ✔

Chapter 11.

As I carried my bunch of orchids through the woods, I realized that I hadn't inherited my mother's love for the delicate little flower. I loved roses. Red ones. I sighed, wondering what everyone else in the senior class was doing after school on a Wednesday. They were all probably aimlessly wondering around some mall. The events that had gone down during the last two days came back to me, bringing a few tears with them, but there were also some laughs. I'd showed Dylan and Bryce that they couldn't mess with me, and due to it, make a few admirers, if Hanna and my intuition was right.

Two Days Ago

I had a feeling I was all cried out, when I heard the door open. I was all ready to tell Parker to leave, but Hanna's soft, reassuring voice reached me instead. "Alex, honey, are you alright?"

I slowly pushed open the door and went out, letting Hanna look at me. She gasped. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry," she said, grabbing some tissues and running them under the tap before dabbing my face and eyes with it, "It was so mean of them. I didn't hear the first part, but Blake told us."

"Blake," I groaned, remembering him and the shock his touch had given me, knowing that it was all over because of the cruel joke Dylan and Bryce made. Hanna put her arm on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I know," she said to me, sadly, "He was really upset about it all, too. He was mad actually, at Dylan and Bryce. Probably why he punched them both."

"He WHAT?!" I screamed at Hanna, my eyes widening. Hanna stared back at me, a little scared.

"Yeah, he beat the shit out of those two. It was fun to see, actually," Hanna laughed, suddenly, "It took both Parker and Jackson to haul him off of them. They were bruised pretty badly. They practically ran to the nurse's office, Parker behind them. Such sissies."

"How'd you know to find me here?" I asked.

"Parker told me."

"He actually told you to come and check on me?" I asked, more amazed by the second.

"Uh, no. He said if you're looking for Alex, she's in the third floor boys' room, crying her eyes out, without even looking at me," she said, disdain in her voice, towards Parker. I deflated. Parker didn't care. He had a girl - a pretty, slim cheerleader, who could probably bend like a pretzel - so why would he care about me?

"I'm so sorry, honey," she said, again, "Let's just go and get some food into your system. It'll be better for you than sitting in this dump."

She finally got me to agree to go down with her. People didn't stop staring, but they didn't say anything, either. Hanna got me my food and sat down next to me, Blake on my other side and Jackson in front of me. A little while later, I noticed that Parker, Dylan and Bryce hadn't come back and Eric was still missing. I didn't care. They were idiots who didn't care about anyone, but themselves.

I was still pushing around my food, five minutes before lunch was over, when Chanel and her Blonde Squad walked over to me. "Hey, Alex," she said in her smug voice, pressing her lips into a thin smile; lips that had not very long ago been hooked to Parker's like they were stuck with super glue.

"What?" I snapped, not even looking at her.

"Is it true? Did you take both of them?" she had the gaul to ask, "In one night? At the same time? How was it?"

"Get out, Chanel," Blake snapped, getting up.

"Jeez, calm down. I was just asking her a question," she said. She didn't budge. "We all just wanted to know."

"Oh, for the love of -"

"No, Blake," I intercepted, suddenly getting an idea, "They have the right to ask."

Chanel's heavily made up eyes bulged, her ears rotating like satellite dishes. She raised her thin eyebrows, excitedly. "So, dish," she said, like I was one of her posse, "What's the 411 on Dylan and Bryce?"

"Honestly?" I asked, turning in my chair to see them properly. All of their eyes were on me, waiting, like a hunter watching its prey. It was a little unnerving. "It was horrible. They didn't do anything right. There was nothing to it. I had to fake all of it because they were so insecure about it. And quite frankly, not a very big package. I was completely disappointed. That's all I'm going to say. And I'll be really sorry for whoever marries them."

Their eyes looked like they were going to fall out of their heads. "Seriously?" Chanel asked, disgusted, "Oh, God. Thanks for the heads up. Half of them were actually contemplating it. Thank God they didn't even go there. It's a blessing to know, really. I'm really sorry you had to go through that, Alex." She turned to go with her friends. "Wow. I guess not everyone can have it all, huh, ladies? They're not all like Parker." Her friends went off into fits of giggles. My heart felt like it had been stabbed all over again.

They're not all like Parker.

When I turned back to my table, they all looked so amused. Blake, Hanna and Jackson were all staring at me, with huge smiles plastered on their faces and when I asked them, "What?", they all broke down into huge fits of laughter.

"What's so funny?" I asked, them, pouting.

"God, Alex. You really are something," Blake told me, fondly, still laughing, "That was so smart of you."

"Yeah. I don't think I'd have ever come up with that," Hanna agreed.

I rolled my eyes. At least I had the upper hand here. And by the end of the day, people knew their joke was a crude lie, but still girls stayed the hell away from both of them, and I highly doubt it was only because of their black eyes, bruised skin and swollen lips. I was surprised to see even Eric sporting somewhat of an injured look. I stared at them.

Blake stopped next to me. "God, I never meant to and never thought I'd do so much damage," he said, genuinely surprised, "And I know I didn't hit Eric, but I hear he made some other dude angry, I think it was Brian."

"I can't believe you did that for me," I told me, not meeting his eye.

"Hey, I like playing the knight in shining armour," he chuckled, nudging my arm.

Before I knew it, I was at the path that lead to my mother's grave. When I got there, I saw that I wasn't the only one who had decided to visit my mother. Parker was there, his back to me, holding a bunch of orchids in his hand, and he was laying them down, softly at the foot of her stone. I watched him for a while, mesmerised by what I was seeing. I know that my mother was like a mother to Parker, too, but I never knew that he missed her so much. I gave him some time and then I cleared my throat. His head turned in one swift motion, his green eyes shining in the evening sun. My heart caught in my throat.

He lifted himself to his feet and with one last look at the grave, he left, leaving me all alone. Once he was gone, I broke down; something I seemed to be doing a lot and I needed to stop. I told my mom everything and she listened, absorbing my tears, like no one had done in a long time. I knew that I needed Parker.