should've been me | original story (1)

003 - tough love

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"Mom?" Parker called, opening the door to his apartment. He dropped his bag by the door, and placed his shoes right next to it, "Mom, are you here?"

"In the kitchen." His dad called back, and Parker turned the corner to where their small kitchen was. His dad had oven mitts secured on his hands, and was currently taking out a lasagna.

"Where's mom?" Parker asked, sitting down on the kitchen counter.

His dad set the lasagna down next to him on the counter and took off the mitts, sighing before answering, "Working late, again."

"Right." He hesitated before continuing, "I was actually going to go over to Kwa— Alex's, I'm just here to drop my stuff off."

His dad nodded, pulling a beer out of the fridge. Parker glanced over at the already empty beers next to the stove. "Alex. You talk about him a lot."

"I guess. After all, we're friends, and Valentina too!" Parker said, forcing a smile as his dad stepped closer.

"Friends." His dad repeated, "And that's all, right?"

Parker could feel his stomach churn with nausea, "Of course, dad, I'm not a fag." The words caused a lump to form in his own throat, but he made it through the sentence without stuttering.

Parker's dad raised an unimpressed eyebrow, "What about Alex?"

"What about Alex?" Parker asked hesitantly, "No, dad, he's not gay."

Parker's dad looked away at the word, as if Parker had insulted him, "Good."

Parker's fingers gripped the counter he was sitting on, "Can I go now?"

Parker's dad nodded and moved back, allowing Parker to slide off the counter. He quickly walked back to the door, halfway sliding his shoes on and turning the doorknob. "Wait," His dad called.

His hand stilled on the knob and he squeezed his eyes shut. "Yes?"

The sound of Parker's dad setting his beer bottle down on the counter made Parker flinch, and he prayed his dad wasn't walking around the corner, "You know, if you were gay, I'd find out."

Parker held his breath, tapping his foot repeatedly on the floor, "I know."

"It's good to be in a small town." He chuckled, and Parker couldn't help but shiver. He opened the door to his apartment before he could be stopped again, and shut it behind him.

He walked down the hallway, ignoring the sounds coming from the other apartments, and going straight to the elevator.

He pressed the button over and over until it opened, quickly getting inside, and pressing the 'Garage Floor' button.

The second the doors closed he relaxed, sighing and letting his head rest against the cool metal of the elevator.

The elevator dinged way too soon, and the doors slid open. A women with a barking dog walked into the elevator as he walked out, and when the elevator doors shut again he was enclosed in absolute silence.

Well, silence except for the soft patter of rain hitting the roof and walls of the parking garage. Parker let out a sigh, walking over to where his bike was resting against a wall, and wishing he had brought a rain jacket.

Charlie's Angel's 👼
3:15

You: Coming over now 👍

🍉 (Valentina): it's raining

You: No shit?

🍉 (Valentina): need a ride?