Basketball is Not Life

Chapter Fifteen

I stayed in my bedroom that night and locked the door. If Parker came to try to find me, I would not know, and I wasn't going to ask him either. The starters had stayed the night; this had happened on a few occasions before. This was the first time, however, that I had to make breakfast for females as well.

"Welcome to Renee's Kitchen," Marshall said to Denise; if she was embarrassed to be there, she didn't act like she was. I already had bacon going and a good amount of scrambled eggs on the stove. There was white and chocolate milk out along with orange juice. I had set the cups, plates, and silverware out. I had got up and started making breakfast like I usually did on the weekends. Marshall had; my breakfast plenty of times before.

I set the skillet out and started cooking pancakes.

"How many today Marshall?"

Parker just came down the steps, and he looked like crap. Did he even sleep at all? He nodded to Marshall but did not look my way once. My stomach drops when Megan follows him down the steps a few moments later. She could not have been in Parker's room, but then she walks over and tries to kiss him on the mouth, and he moves so she connects half with his mouth half with his cheek. I swallow; Parker's eyes meeting mine, and I want to throw up.

Marshall, who had been watching me, repeats his order of four.

"Four? Right." I said, getting them going. I pile up the skillet and four pancakes on his plate. Denise refuses the pancakes but takes some of the skillet and asks for toast, which I make for her.

Larry and Daisy walked upstairs, hand in hand; was I the only one who did not end up in someone else's bed? I felt dirty being around all of them. The whole time Larry and Daisy sit at the kitchen counter, Daisy cannot keep her hands off of Larry; and if he is annoyed by it, he doesn't show it. He seems to be loving it.

I made Larry his regular six pancakes; he never wanted any extras, just pancakes. Daisy asked if she could help me cook, and I shook her off. Parker and Megan are sitting there, not talking. Megan keeps looking around the kitchen; she opens her mouth, and then she stops.

"Megan," I look at her, "Would you like any pancakes?"

She shakes her head. "But if I could get a smoothie of some sort?"

Daisy looked at me as if she's saying, "Are you kidding me?"

"I" ll see what I can do in a bit." I turn around.

"Parker" My hair stands on the back of my neck. This was the boy who had just had his arms around me last night. "How many would you like?"

He doesn't talk for a bit; I do not turn around. He sighs. "I'll have four, please." I hurry and make them, and then I make him a plate similar to Marshalls; I'm turning to sit them in front of him; and he is there, my arm bumping into his body.

"Thanks," he said, grabbing the plate, his hands connecting to mine. I back up as quickly as I can. I don't look up at him, and I tell myself not to cry. Not with everyone in the kitchen. I walk over to the pantry and pull out Spartan's food and feed him.

Daisy had made herself her own food and sat down. I whip up a smoothie for Megan, and she smiles at me appreciatively. I shut everything down, leaving the leftover food sitting out. If Devon and Raymond were downstairs, they could eat the rest of it. I run upstairs and change into the first pair of yoga pants and running sweatshirt I can find. Throw my shoes on; grab my iPhone and armband, and walk downstairs. Everyone looks up at me as if they were in a heated debate about something. Megan and Parker are no longer sitting by each other; I do not look at Parker. I wave at Daisy and Larry and head out the door without a single word.I run and keep running. My mother would make me call her anytime I went for a run; she would have me turn on my GPS finder, and she could see where I was during my run. Today I have no one to call, no one close enough to care if I went missing like my mother was always so worried about. I run on campus, coming across a few runners who I nod at. My running app tells me I have hit six miles, and I keep running in a circle adding to my distance; not wanting to stop. Not wanting to have to go back to the house. It was stupid for me to start to develop feelings for Parker. But then I stop; I just stop running. Parker actually did me a favor. The line had been drawn; I no longer had to worry about what had been going on with the two of us. Everything that was there was wiped out by last night's activity. Part of me is relieved.

I arrive back at the house, and the regular gang is there, plus Daisy. Luckily Megan and Denise both had left.

"Dang girl," Daisy said when she saw me, I had stripped my sweatshirt off before stepping into the living room. By the time I had quit running, I had just crossed over the ten-mile mark. My shirt was drenched.

"And you said boys sweat," Larry joked at me. I flipped him off, which only made him laugh harder. His arm was around Daisy, who was sitting on the recliner with him. Why they were upstairs, and not downstairs was weird. Marshall and Devon took up the couch, and Parker was sitting on the other couch by himself watching the television. He looked over in my direction, but I head up to my room, stopping to pet Spartan's head on the way up.

And even though I came to terms that it was for the better that last night happened, I cry in the shower. And then I was done; got ready, and headed to the library, so I didn't have to be in the house.