The Parker Boys

Chapter 15

A/N

Picture of Julie Sanders

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Chapter 15

**Cole's POV**

The party just started and I am walking around checking if everyone is enjoying themselves. I stop and talk to a few people from school. After awhile I get bored and start looking for Kat. The party's been going on for a good while she should be around here somewhere. As promised by Caden the entire property in covered in security.

I know Caden has a soft spot for her. I mean who wouldn't, the first time she showed up she looked like a kitten trapped in a corner. Funny how her name fit so well when I first thought that. That's before I started noticing things about her. Like the way she always has a fake smile plastered on or how she slightly flinches if you were to raise a hand near her.

All these little things she does got me curious but upset at the same time. I want to know what happened to her to make her this way. I want to know what happened to make her move in with us. Mom just said that we are having a family friend coming to live with us because she has nowhere else to go. None of us question our mother, she's the full authority in the house.

None of my brothers dare to ask Kat about it. Neither do I because of the way she acts I'm afraid if I do she'll shut everyone out again. I find myself rounding the corner and I spot Kat, she's with Caden and it looks like their conversation is serious. Right as I thought that though a bright smile lights up her face, but this time it's a real smile.

I feel a stab of jealousy towards my brother. Why can't I make her smile like that? Everytime I see her she's either glaring or keeping a straight face. I decide to leave them alone due to my building anger. I don't even know why I'm this mad.

As I'm stalking out of the house I run into our cousin Julie. Julie doesn't go to our school, her parents put her in a private school because 'there's no distractions'. As her parents say, I give her a bright smile. Before she has time to respond an idea forms in my head and I throw her over my shoulder and walk towards the dock.

She's screaming for me to put her down but noone can hear her over the music. I laugh as I get closer to the water. I throw her in and jump back before the water hits me. I fall to the ground laughing hard enough for tears. "You asshole!!" she yells at me but not even she can hold in her laughter.

"Aww, I'm sorry Julie. Did I get you wet." I calm down and sit up watching her.

Julie slightly glares at me then giggles, "I'm only saying this because your my cousin and I can talk to you this way. But I'm probably the only girl who you can get wet.”

I laugh hard because to anyone else this may sound pretty bad but to us Julie is close to us. We can joke around with her without it seeming wierd. “Oh yeah?” I stand up and strip off my shirt and jump over her, she let’s out a squeal of surprise.

The water splashes on her and she glares at me. I swim towards her when I notice a shadowed figure walking away from the dock towards the house. I shake it off thinking it’s just some drunk teenager from the party wandering.

After awhile of swimming Julie says she has to go. I give her a hug and tell her to stop by soon. She agrees and leaves. I make my way inside and I run into Cody, “Why are you wet?” he stares at me confused.

I laugh, “I found Julie and threw her into the water.” he gives me a look of understanding. I decide to ask the one thing that’s been bothering me all night, “Where’s Kat?”

Cody gives me a sad look and I instantly tense. What happened? Did Adam show up while I was gone? That was all pushed aside when he answered me, “She didn’t feel like a party. She went to bed.”

I nod and walk off. For the remaider of the party I just wandered around. When the party finally ended around four I decided to go see if Kat was still up. I quietly walked into the room. I sat next to her, she looked so peaceful when she was sleeping like she had no problems in the world. "Kat? Are you awake?"

She didn’t even stir, I watch her for a few moments. "Kat, I'm sorry” I’m not sure why I apologized but it felt like I needed to. After that I decided to head back to my room for the night.

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That morning my brothers and I woke up to go play some basketball. After a few hours down at the court we came home to find Kat down in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal. Caden walks over and plops himself on the seat next to hers. "Morning Kat. Did you have a good time last night?"

My attitude instantly changes at how friendly he is with her. I stare with a blank look at them, I notice Kat glance at me. Why did she look at me? "Uhm...fine. I guess"  she answers not sounding like she wants to talk about it.

Cody seems to think otherwise,  "Really? because it seemed to me that you were in a rush to escape to your room before the party really even started." Once again she glances at me. I’’m confused as to why.

"I was just tired. I wasn't really in the mood to party." she says softly. I can’t take the interrogation anymore so I find myself walking upstairs to shower.A few moments later my brothers followed suit.

Later that night I’m sitting in my room staring at the ceiling thinking about Kat. Why was she looking at me? Did I do something? That’s when I remember the figure on the beach. Was that her?

I heard Kat scream from her room and it was filled with nothing but fear and panic. I am out my door and in her room in record timing. She’s cowering in the corner of the room, I know she’s having a panic attack. I walk over to her and gently grab her arms. “Kat...Kat it’s okay. Talk to me.”

I try to calm her down talking to her softly. I barely notice my brothers standing in the doorway of her room.  "I'm s-sorry. P-please don't." she whimpers out. That sound breaks my heart. I never want to hear that amount of pain in her voice ever again.

I keep softly talking to her as tears flow down her cheeks. She looks so vunerable and scared at the moment that it’s paonful to see. Finally, she realizes it’s me. Instead of pulling away from me she collapses into my arms. I wrap my arms around her tightly, I pick her up and lay her on the bed. I turn to my brothers who nod and leave.

I crawl in next to her and wrap my arms around her. I don’t plan on leaving her side till she tells me to. I hold her all night while she cries into my chest. Eventually sometime through the night she ends up falling asleep.