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 Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:24 pm
Parker glanced down at his cellphone, reading over the text message Dani had sent him earlier that day. He knew that he was supposed to wait there in front of the entrance to the subway for her to show up, and he had arrived fifteen minutes early, checking his cell for the time every few minutes. Dani was a good communicator, or at least thorough. Parker wasn't entirely certain of what they were doing, just that he was supposed to wear something other than his uniform, something not entirely casual. For Parker, that translated to a black button-up that he rolled neatly just below his elbows (slightly higher on the side with his cast), a pair of dark jeans, and a pair of scuffed red Converse. Under his shirt, he had a silver chain that split into two chains at its lowest point. Three gears were suspended between the two chains, and they were hooked so that they could be rolled back and forth. It had taken Parker two weeks to get it soldered correctly, to position the gears in a precise way so that they could roll. For all the work he put into it, it was hidden between his undershirt and the button-up. Oh well. It made him feel more polished.
Why did he care so much about how he looked?
It was a thought that Parker rolled around in his head, one he had been thinking about for a long time. When he thought of Dani, things didn't seem so bleak. After the terrible phone call with Rick, his father's lawyer, Parker wanted to call Dani -- but he didn't. He couldn't. Parker knew himself well enough to recognize that he had a crush on Dani. It was how deep that crush might go, the impending rejection, how it could poison what was the best friendship he had had in a long time that gave him pause.
A less critical person might push that thought away to focus on the positive, but Parker could not. He harped on it. He chewed his lip. He shifted his weight. The boy knew that he was happy to see Dani, but he was terrified of what that might mean. Standing by the subway entrance, Parker reached for his side to adjust his messenger bag, only to remember that he hadn't brought it. Right. He'd left it. It made him look young, diminutive, immature. Parker had done a lot of thinking before he came to meet Dani. Absentmindedly, he fingered the square in his back pocket where his wallet sat.
None of the fidgeting in the world could quiet the noise in his head. Glancing down the street, Parker adjusted his cast -- thank god he'd been able to get out of the awkward metal sling and just hold up the weight of the cast himself. He checked the time on his cellphone again and then waited for the familiar pale blue of a certain girl's hair to come bobbing into view.
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:06 pm
Dani was pleased with Parker. For one, Parker was someone she actually enjoyed hanging out with, and a male for that matter. Sure, it made her father's eye twitch from time to time when she said she was going out to see Parker, but that was really just a fringe benefit, if she thought about it. His own desire to never entangle himself in his daughter's romantic pursuits prompted him to ask only the most necessary of questions ("When will you be home?" "Does your mother know where you're going?" "Will you answer the phone if I call?") which suited her just fine. Without most of her normal activities, her days were long, torturous stretches of inactivity, and Parker filled that gap quite nicely.
When she had her cast off and she was back to her regular life, she didn't quite know how that was going to work out. Still, Parker seemed very obliging so far - imagine, she'd only had to text him, and he'd agreed to show up for who knew what! - so she thought it would be pretty easy to get him to agree to do things with her when she was back on her regular schedule. She'd introduce him to the activity center, see if he liked it. Running together was out of the question, unless he like, wanted a personal trainer, because there was no way he could keep up with her right off the bat, but rock climbing was a fun thing they could do together. Yeah, when the time came, she'd ask him about that.
Grinning, she reached up and fluffed her hair, catching her reflection in the window of a shop as she walked past. Due to the fact that it was a date (and the major test to determine whether or not Parker was, in fact, gay) she'd asked her mom for help on her hair. Parted down the middle, she'd pulled her hair over her shoulders, and her mother had carefully braided it so that it rested over her front, the ends spiraling down to nearly her hips. It was a cute look - definitely cuter because of the ribbons tied at the ends - and she was very happy with it.
Happy enough that she slowed, checking her watch. She had a couple minutes, and the subway was like, right there.
Turning to the mirror, she began to fuss with the collar of her blouse, a flattering shade of blue that she thought was particularly cute on her. Had she been able to, she would have worn a long-sleeved garment, but her cast made that a little difficult. Still, she had a sweater vest and a pair of really flattering jeans on, and she looked cute enough to make it apparent that yes, they were going on a date, but casual enough that it wasn't oh my god, we're really going on a date, I haven't even met her parents, what do I do.
Parker had no idea what he was in for.
She liked it that way.
Turning, she began to hum as she made her way to the subway, purse tucked carefully against her side as she went. It was the middle of the day, but she knew better than anyone that crazy, scary things could happen in the middle of the day, and she completely did not want to get mugged right before she and Parker went out to dinner.
Rounding the corner, she saw him, and her face lit up. After all that she'd been through lately, it really was nice to get out and have a little fun.
Lifting her arm, she waved. "Parker!" A few heads turned, just because she didn't bother to curb her enthusiasm, and she strode over quickly. Giving him a quick appraisal, she decided she was happy with his idea of not-entirely-casual; he looked cute, and was just about the degree of dressed up that she was.
Without hesitating, she offered her arm, beaming at him. "Sorry you had to wait. Ready?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:19 pm
When Dani came in to view, Parker stood straight, silencing his fidgeting in a flash. She looked different. Good different. He had little time to enjoy the view before Dani was yelling. Parker watched as others glanced her way. A few seemed to search for whoever she was yelling for. Lifting his good arm, he half-heartedly waved back to claim her. "Hi, Dani," he said as soon as she was close enough. He had no intention of screaming too and earning more stares.
When Dani offered her arm, Parker just stared at it. She wanted him to... link arms with her? Like... a girlfriend? After a few awkward seconds of staring, he glanced back to her face. "Where are we going?" Wherever it was, no way was Parker going to link arms with Dani, especially if he was being offered the feminine position. It was awkward to him, but of course, nothing was awkward to Dani. Parker tapped his free hand on his cast and tried to look nonchalant.
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:40 pm
She pouted a little when he didn't take her arm, but couldn't decide if that was a point for or against his apparent homosexuality. Parker wasn't like most guys she'd met, who would all but leap at the chance to get their hands on a cute girl like herself, but that could have just been because he was shy. (Maybe antisocial was a better word?) At the same time, if Parker was indeed homosexual, he probably wouldn't want to encourage her in any way, thus no arm-linking. It puzzled her, and a frown marred her features for a moment while she tried to figure it out.
Failing, she gave up, expression clearing. She'd have plenty of time over dinner to decide whether or not Parker was gay, straight but not into her (What?), or shy. There was no sense in making the beginning of the evening awkward!
So, the move a little less smooth than she would have liked, she shifted her arm and instead stroked a hand down one of her braided pigtails, fingering the ribbon while she spoke. "Dinner. You're hungry, right? I figured we could go to dinner and spend some time together."
Though she watched him closely for a reaction, she kept her posture and expression as neutral as she could manage. The first rule of trying to determine someone's closet status was, of course, not letting them know that you were doing it.
She was so good at this.
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:54 pm
Parker didn't like to see Dani frown, but he also didn't like other people to see him gripping the arm of some girl like they were BFFE. A tiny prickle of relief washed over him when she did not insist he grip her arm. Knowing Dani, there was a 50/50 chance that she might. In a small part of him, Parker wanted to offer her his arm instead, or to maybe hold her hand, but since Parker was clueless that this was a date, he assumed that that kind of gesture would be unwelcome.
His fingers continued to fidget with the white cotton sticking out from the cast, pausing only when Dani mentioned dinner. "Dinner," he repeated. That was the surprise? That was what he needed to get dressed up for? Wait -- was this a date? Parker had a few female friends over the years (pre-Hillworth), and they never went to get dinner in non-casual clothes. "Dinner is... good. Simple. I was expecting something more complicated given your secrecy." Dani hadn't mentioned what they were doing when she first told him to meet up. Part of him expected that to mean rock climbing or car washing or something else active. Cast or no cast, Parker assumed Dani would insist on some kind of physical activity. He shrugged, ignoring the comments about spending time together. It sounded pleasant to him, but he had no desire to give that away.
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 4:04 pm
Dani just rolled her eyes, though she smiled while she did it. "You're so suspicious of me. Come on."
Because he hadn't taken her arm, she rested her hand lightly on her purse and began to trek the way to the ticket counter. She had an idea in mind, a nice restaurant that her parents sometimes went to on "date night," that she thought would be appropriate. She'd been there before too, on one of their family date nights, so she knew the food was good without being hellishly expensive. She wanted to go on a date, sure, but she didn't want to completely drain her concert fund in the process.
There was a short line for tickets, so she turned to him while they waited, lips turned upward into a smile. She'd chosen a cute shade of lip gloss that day - it was called Fairy Tale or something like that - though she didn't expect Parker to notice. She didn't know if she wanted him to notice, come to think of it. Weren't gay guys like, really up in the know about fashion, beauty, and accessories? Yeah, maybe it was best if he didn't notice.
"It's a nice place to eat. My parents go there sometimes, and I've been once or twice." Maybe twice. She couldn't really remember. She shifted her weight from foot to foot and added, "We can do something more complicated next time. Consider this me breaking you in."
She winked, to show that she was teasing. But was she?
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Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 4:36 pm
Dani had an easy way of dealing with Parker, and the boy was aware of it. He even liked it, how she responded to him in a way that never bothered him or put him on edge or gave him the urge to launch in to some kind of debate. It made him feel... normal. When she rolled her eyes, it made him smirk, like they were compatriots in his own bullshit. "I have a subway pass," he said as they moved up in the line. Parker rode the subway system all the time and purchased a yearly pass. Without parents to shuttle him around or a car of his own, public transportation was the only option.
The people in front of them moved forward, and Parker followed suit, using his elbow to nudge Dani gently. After all the reeling that his mind had done before Dani arrived, Parker felt everything still to a drip. All of his focus was on the moment, and he found himself incapable of processing anything other than the movement of his feet and the scent wafting from Dani's hair. He lifted his arm to itch his neck, only to realize it was the arm with the cast. After an awkward switch, he used his good hand to itch at the opposite side of his neck. "Breaking me in? Are you going to try to fight me?" It was a joke -- sort of -- and Parker laughed awkwardly.
After a moment, he cleared his throat and asked, "What's it called?" How fancy was this place? Her parents went there, weird. That ruled out most of the cafes and corner spots where Parker spent most of his money. As Dani tried to figure out his sexual orientation, Parker was fast at work wondering if this was a date or not. Dani had asked him to hang out. She hadn't mentioned dinner, or a date. So... that meant it couldn't be, right? Parker glanced over to Dani, trying to read her face.
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Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 5:09 pm
Things weren't ever really awkward with Parker. To date, he hadn't made her angry, which was a feat in and of itself - most boys failed this particular obstacle within the first conversation - and the more she hung out with him, the more appealing she found him. Physically, even, and Parker wasn't the type she generally went for at all. Perhaps that was why it was so imperative she figure out whether or not he was actually gay; she would know how to progress from there if it was the case.
Either way, she'd keep Parker around, whether he really consented to the idea or not. If it turned out he wasn't into girls, she'd just make him be the filter for all boyfriend prospects. It was kind of like having a best female friend, except with the mind of a male, so it was like... even better.
"I usually walk," she supplied, flashing him another of her usual smiles. "But the subway is fun once in a while. As long as, you know, you don't get stuck next to a creep or anything."
Moving forward in the line with him, she made certain to stay close enough that she was clearly in his space bubble, but not so close that she'd send him running for the hills. Whatever his orientation, she got the feeling that Parker wasn't the kind of guy to move fast, which was a pretty good thing on most levels. It meant she would have to be the one when push came to shove, she supposed, if things turned out in her favor. She wasn't sure exactly when she'd decided that if Parker was straight he was totally going to date her, but she'd come to terms with it. She wasn't so attached to the idea that her heart would be broken if she was disappointed, but she thought they got along rather well, and it had been a while since she'd had a boyfriend.
Plus, Christmas was coming up! Who didn't want to have someone to snuggle with at Christmas? Okay, so knowing Parker, there would be no Christmas snuggling even if he was straight. But hey, there was Valentine's day. That was enough time for him to get used to the idea, wasn't it? Definitely.
"You'll see," she replied ominously, both to his joke, and the question about the restaurant. The closer they got to actually eating out the more excited she became; she'd never been on a real date before, not really, and she was quite enjoying the idea of arranging it all. Even if turned out to be a bust in the end, she could at least have the one date.
Unable to suppress it, she grinned at him, then quickly swallowed it in favor of a wide-eyed innocent look. "You trust me, right?"
She figured his range of answers was yes/yes, but as soon as she asked the question, she realized she really was a bit curious for exactly how he would respond. It was a joke, certainly, but Parker was the kind of bluntly honest person that wouldn't be able to resist answering in his own special way.
Now, how he answered dictated whether she scowled at him or smiled, possibly whether or not he got kicked. Really, it was up to him.
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 2:44 pm
It did not surprise Parker that Dani chose to walk to most locations. When they met, she was going on a run in the park for fun. He knew that she loved rock-climbing. Frankly, if Dani had told Parker that she typically rode a pogo-stick from place to place, he would not have been surprised. Parker glanced over to Dani as she spoke, eyes meeting hers for what felt like a painfully long time. He nodded and let the corner of his mouth crack into a smile. "Or a close talker," he said, responding to Dani's hopes of avoiding creeps. It made sense for a girl to fear some weird guy hitting on her, but Parker was more afraid of the over-sharers, the mouth-breathers, the close-talkers. They were the old ladies who smelled like moldy lavender and went on for hours about how their cat Mitzy had the runs and couldn't walk without squirting out a little something and how now she was on special medication and she was a beautiful little cat and a gift from her late husband and -- excuse me, boy, is this my stop? Yeah. Parker would take a creeper over a close-talker any day of the week.
The line moved, and Parker moved with it, casting a glance down the walkway. Ever since he was attacked outside the entrance of a subway station, the teen had started getting butterflies in his stomach at the sight of them, which was a bit of an issue when you rode the subway almost every day. Shaking away the feeling, he chose to focus on the much more pleasant fact that a pretty girl was standing next to him and that she was actually there with him. It had been a long time since Parker had had a girlfriend, if you could call the girls he'd seen that. He'd only had a handful of relationships, and the longest one had only lasted one month when he was 15. They met at an internet cafe, and Parker thought she seemed intelligent. Too bad it turned out to be an act. Terra was the kind of girl who brought a copy of The God Delusion to internet cafes just so people would ask her about the book, a book she had never read. It took Parker a month to unravel her false persona, but it was Terra who ended the relationship, claiming that Parker was "critical" and "cold" to her. He couldn't really argue with her; it was true. So they parted ways, and for the next three years, he stayed single -- until Dani.
Dani's coyness toward the restaurant made Parker smirk. She was effervescent, and to his own surprise, Parker liked it. He was about to make a comment about that very characteristic when Dani turned to him, eyes wide as saucers, and asked if he trusted her. The smirk dipped a little. Parker didn't trust Dani. Parker didn't trust anyone. To any other person, Parker would have answered the question bluntly -- joke or not. But Dani wasn't just any person. He actually cared about burning a bridge, and in his shot life, that very question had brought about the end to many of his relationships. So instead, he laughed a little and said, "Is this a trap? I will not be tricked into linking arms like a couple of Girl Scouts." He laughed again, a bit quieter. It was a stupid joke, but it was the first that came to his mind. He scolded himself for not being more clever, moving his eyes to the ticket counter that loomed ahead.
The line moved up again, and just in time, Parker stepped forward too, hoping that this would end the conversation. The ticket-seller glanced to Dani first, paying Parker hardly any mind, and then waited for the girl to order.
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 3:12 pm
Dani wasn't sure exactly what a close talker was, except that they probably fell into the "creep" category for her. Either way, she was glad that she would be taking the subway with someone for a change. While Parker wasn't exactly the kind of guy who instilled fear into the hearts of creeps with one well-aimed look, he did the job of being a companion, and if all else failed, she could cling to his arm and give people dirty looks until they left her alone. All in all, it was a failsafe plan.
His response to her joke-but-not-actually-completely-a-joke was a bit disappointing, and she showed it with a faint frown, but didn't comment. Well, they were just getting to know each other, so that could be accepted. If anything, the fact that he joked back instead of flat-out telling her no was some kind of encouragement. He clearly didn't want to make her mad, which she appreciated, but it wasn't quite the response she'd been looking for.
Well, she wouldn't hit him. She simply gave him a slightly sad look, and then turned to the ticket counter and purchased hers. Though Dani hadn't forgotten the incident, it really was a small one in the grand scheme of things, so when she turned to him again, she was once more all smiles.
"You're going to love this restaurant. It's not like, super fancy so you have to call ahead to get reservations, but it's still nice." Grinning at him, she clutched her ticket in hand and rested it atop her purse once more. "The ride shouldn't be too long, either."
So, it was behind them for now, but she would remember to bring it up later. Much later, she decided, but she would get to the bottom of it some day. After all, she was a totally trustworthy person. Parker would learn that if he hung around her long enough.
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Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 11:01 am
Dani's reaction to his brushing off of her question was fine by Parker. He really didn't want to talk about it. Discussing his trust issues always seemed to open up the can of worms that was his history. Despite the very public nature of his father's trial, Parker did his best to keep it under wraps, and lucky for him, most of the kids his age were too young at the time to care about that sort of thing anyway. Parents on the other hand... not so much. Marcus Damhnait was all over the papers for weeks. It was widely considered that he abused the system and set back the anti-drug movement by a couple of years. After his trial, numerous other junkies caught trafficking fought to use the very same defense -- and it worked for a handful of them. Too bad some of those thugs went on to kill, or rape, or otherwise do things that they would have been unable to do if they had served their full terms in prison instead of getting out early with rehab. Parker shuddered away the thought, following Dani down the familiar path to the subway.
It was evening, and many commuters seemed to be heading home, some carrying briefcases, others having obviously stripped from high heels into tennis shoes. Parker gave the assorted group a passing glance before focusing his attention back on Dani and their trip to the restaurant. "Sounds nice," he said, tucking his hands into his pockets. He wasn't sure what to do with them otherwise.
Down the tunnel, the familiar rattle of the train thrummed to life. Parker took a chance, raising his voice a bit over the roar of the arriving subway, and asked, "What's the occasion for a nice dinner? I don't usually... I usually eat at cafes when I go out. Like the one by the park." Where we met, he finished in his head. It wasn't like he was asking if it was a date directly, but Parker did not remember much about his chat with Dani in the hospital, only bits and pieces. He remembered her presence mostly and the comfort that she brought, how she seemed almost ethereal cast in the glow of sunlight from the window opposite his bed. Any promise of taking him out to dinner was not something that he recalled. So, in his head, there had to be a reason for this. It was a lot different from dragging him to Tallulah's party, or showing up at Hillworth. There was planning. Did that mean something? It had been a long time since Parker had a girl as a friend. Going to Hillworth restricted most of his interactions to same-sex chats. If only he knew what this was, then maybe he wouldn't feel so weird.
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:59 am
Dani disliked the noise of the subway, but there was really no getting around it. She was prepared to remain quiet until they were actually boarded and able to sit by one another, where she was sure she'd think of something to make it so the ride wasn't full of awkward silence. So, it surprised her when Parker spoke up over the top of it, and it showed in her eyes getting a little wide before her expression settled into its usual lines.
He was trying to get to the bottom of it. That wasn't going to work at all. She was supposed to be the one who was gauging his responses to everything, trying to observe if he figured out it was a date (on his own) and what he thought of it (if he did). If she just up and told him it was a date, it would ruin everything. She'd never know if he was gay.
Well. Unless he looked right at her and said, "I'm sorry, Daniela, but I'm gay."
It was strange to picture him saying that, both because she could very clearly imagine the words - God, was he already gay in her head? - and because she suddenly realized she'd never told him her full name. At least that particular sentence could never be uttered, she consoled herself.
Until he found out her name. Oops.
She realized that she'd been standing there staring at him in silence for what might have been an uncomfortable amount of time, and her cheeks tinged a bit for it. Ugh, embarrassing. She looked like a fish, probably.
"Do we have to have an occasion?" She asked suddenly, instead of answering. Hah, good job, Dani! Turn it back around on him!
She was jostled by someone walking past, and swayed into him, muttering a "sorry" as she straightened back out again.
Geez, everything was combining to make this moment awkward, wasn't it?
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 2:03 pm
Why was Dani staring at him like that?
Was there something on his face?
Was she regretting asking him to go to dinner in the first place?
Could she read his subtext so clearly that she was shocked he would even for a SECOND think that this was a date?
Had he accidentally farted?
Did she suddenly find everything about him unappealing?
Was this one of those terrible moments where he said something that totally offended someone else and he couldn't even remember what it was?
HUFF PUFF HUFF PUFF
And most importantly -- was this a date?
Of course, this only registered on Parker's face in a slight narrowing of the eyes, almost as if he was annoyed. Parker wasn't the best at making positive facial expressions, and even though his inner thoughts were mostly self-deprecating, it might not appear as such to the outside observer. Parker was oblivious to this. A part of him was even starting to get annoyed. He liked Dani, he really did, but he had been jerked around by girls in the past. He had no intention of walking down that road again.
For the first time since she had stepped toward him on the sidewalk, Parker felt himself slip out of the warm glow of her presence and back into the gray melancholy that pervaded his own life. Was she really just screwing around with him? Over the rumble of the screeching subway, Parker wanted to say something, but the words escaped him -- a rarity. It almost made him embarrassed. He was 18 years old. He should be above this kind of prepubescent girl worrying. And yet, here he was. Worrying. (But not prepubescent.) (...or a girl.)
When she spoke, Parker didn't look at her. Despite all of the positivity he felt about Dani, that moment of doubt was already clouding his vision, making him feel more and more vulnerable. What if he did allow himself to care about her and she turned on him? It would be worse than if she had never entered his life at all. Of course, she might not even see him that way. She probably didn't see him that way. And even if she did, why was he troubling himself with all these thoughts on what would be a first date?
Oh, right. Because he's Parker.
The thought made the corners of his mouth dip downward, hand fidgeting in his pocket. Then the person jostled past Dani, and he felt her draw near. Without thinking, he extended his good arm, touching lightly at her elbow and drawing her toward his side. It was featherlight, barely a touch. It was not that he moved her, more that he altered his body language to welcome her close proximity. Parker did so without thinking, and the moment his mind caught up with his body, he let his hand slip away.
Awkward.
The doors of the subway popped open with a metallic lurch, and Parker took that moment to slip away from what he assumed would be his unwelcome closeness. "I'm glad to be out of Hillworth. The cafeteria food is pretty terrible." Was he talking about school lunch? Ohgod. Parker manuevered his way on to the subway, peeking for open seats. There weren't any and so he grabbed the nearest pole and waited for Dani to choose her own spot. There was an empty pole across the opening of the door. She could either share his, take the empty one, or search for a seat in another car. In his head, Parker thought this was a pretty good way of figuring out how she might be feeling.
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 4:51 pm
How everything had gone from playfully fun to absolutely awkward in such a short amount of time was completely beyond Dani. She felt a little out of her element, which irritated her, and made the blush linger on her face. Normally, she was totally cool with guys; if she wasn't giving them a hell, no and making sure they stayed as far away from her as possible, she was friendly and easygoing. As a girlfriend (not that she was anyone's girlfriend at the moment) she was demanding but not mean, and she liked to think she was easy to get along with then, too. As long as the rules were followed and no one was grabbing anything she wasn't ready for them to grab.
So why was it so awkward suddenly with Parker? She hadn't ever felt awkward about him before.
Oh, God, she realized with a widening of her eyes, watching the subway doors open in something like horrifying slow motion. She really did like Parker. Not just like, but she must like... like-like him. It was the only explanation. She like-liked him and the thought of him not like-liking her back was making her irritated and awkward. She was so not against making the first move, and technically, that was what she was doing -- but what if the first move wasn't well received? Or even recognized?
Should she go more obvious? Would that repulse him? Parker was different from other guys. She hadn't caught him staring at her chest, hadn't had to slap his hand away from her butt, didn't feel like she had to worry if she was wearing a short skirt and it was kind of windy. (No, she never believed it was an accident when a "sudden breeze" lifted her skirt and his hand just happened to be there to pat her skirt back down, okay.) Parker was more serious, more wary, more mature than the other boys she'd known. Than the only other boy she'd really dated.
If he thought she was too immature for him, she was going to kick his a**.
Following him into the subway, the only indication of her thoughts the faint frown on her face, she snuck a look at him. His expression didn't look inviting. Well, dang it. She liked him, and if he wasn't gay, he'd better get around to liking her too. Dani wasn't used to having feelings for someone, even mild feelings of attraction, and not having them returned. She didn't like it.
It wouldn't last, either. She could probably make just about anyone like her.
Unless they were gay.
As jumbled as her thoughts were, she was distracted, and so didn't even notice - or care to notice - the predicament with seating. She simply followed Parker, gripping the bar that he held with her good hand, and looked up at him in faint confusion.
What was going through his head, anyway? Was she like, not cute enough?
Impossible.
He was either gay or dense, that was all.
And wait -- was she just an escape from Hillworth cafeteria food? Oh, hell no. If he was gay, he'd better fess up quick, or she was going to kick him in the shins.
"This food is better, I promise." The train was filling up, and she scooted closer, shooting him sneaky glances as she did. If he recoiled from her presence, well, she would stomp on his foot. What kind of guy would recoil from her, anyway? She was adorable. And it wasn't like she smelled bad.
The perfume was called Love Spell, actually.
At the heart of things, though, Dani was a direct girl. So, after a beat, she asked without preamble, "Does it bother you to have me this close?"
Not subtle at all. Well, that was Dani.
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 12:31 pm
Parker watched Dani as she approached him, shifting his cast so that they formed an awkward broken arm circle around the pole. A tall man in a dark cap muttered to himself as he slid around them, the casts offering very little space to those in close proximity. It had the added bonus, Parker noticed, of creating a little bubble of isolation around the pair. Perhaps breaking his arm wasn't such a bad thing after all? "I suppose it's not hard to be better than processed meat patties," he said, raising his eyebrows in understated amusement.
When Dani scooted closer, Parker held his spot, not scooting back an inch to give her more room. He caught the scent of whatever she was wearing, and though he liked it, he actually preferred the way she had smelled when they first met. Sure, she had been running and was sweaty, but she smelled like her. Now she kind of smelled like the preteens who liked to try to flirt with him whenever he went to the internet cafe. They would spend their time surfing Neopets and attempting to make small talk with Older Boy. No, Dani sweat was better than the memory of preteen annoying girls. He thought about Dani sweating for a moment. Maybe two moments.
When she spoke again, Parker was off in his own little world. He felt her eyes on him, brain catching up with the words that had fallen out of her lips only a few seconds before, and nearly jumped. At the heart of things, Parker was a direct boy... about facts. Talking about emotions? That was another story. Emotion-talk was an elusive thing that had popped up in his life only in times of great embarrassment. Once in a relationship, he was happy to be physically affectionate to show his feelings, even if the words sometimes failed him. After all, he was a boy. Boys are animals. Animals are designed for one thing. This is the logic that he used, but it didn't explain why he wanted to learn more about Dani's hopes and fears and what she thought about things that no one else would talk to him about and whether or not she slept with her hair up or down.
It occurred to Parker that quite a bit of time had lapsed since Dani posed her question. This time, it was his fault. He glanced down at her, moving his head so that he could see her more clearly. Their faces bobbed in and out of each other's personal space with the steady rocking of the subway train. A smoother guy might have kissed her right then and there. It was certainly a nice moment to do it. Instead, Parker fought to hold her eye contact and said in a flat, standard, to-the-point Parker-tone, "No. It doesn't bother me." Totally veiling his emotions. That was Parker.
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