Getting Hooked (ON HOLD)

Chapter 6

My head bops down, and I wake up in time to save myself from 1)the extreme embarrassment of a loud thump from my head crossing paths with the desktop, or 2) the pain (and embarrassment too, I guess) from a big bruise that would have formed from my head and the desktop colliding; Take your pick, World.

Last night, Alyson ended up just spending the night, and just would not fall asleep. We went to bed at 9:30, but twenty minutes later, after I had already zoned off, she asked me a bunch of stupid questions about her appearance, my answers: "you look fine."

Then, we went back into a silence and I started to dream about the fishing competition, but then, the light flicked on and someone about 114 pounds, with long wavy brown hair and a small row of freckles across her petite nose landed on me and shook until I woke. Then Parker was the topic, whether or not he might have a crush on her. Answer: "You look fine. I bet he loves you."

She nodded to my response, and sat in silence a bit. If I asked to turn the light off, she would tell me she wasn't tired. Sooner or later, she explained that she never really sleeps much, that she goes home after school, plays Call of Duty for seven hours, and does her homework real quick, and then sleeps for an hour or two before she has to get ready for school again.

How did I not know this about my best friend before?

And after an hour of nodding off while she told me about her almost eye contacted scenarios she has had with Parker in the hall, Alyson decided that we paint our nails.

I glance at my white nail polish, already chipping and gooped from my many mess-ups/give-ups while painting my nails. I don't really care anyway; usually I keep my nails cleared because nail polish just draws attention to the many scars I've received from baiting hooks and fixing the boat motor or whatnot.

"Zoey? Are you listening?" My teacher asks.

I nod and pull out my notebook.

Parker Mitch

Hook-up: Alyson Gates

Best friends with some jerk who judges girls if they don't talk.

Yeah, I need to work on this case. My eyes search across the room until they land on Parker, taking notes intently. His hand is scribbling incredibly fast, I doubt he is going to be able to read that after...

Then, in my surprise, he tilts the paper in my direction and shows me the freshly drawn tornado on his sheet; I knew he wouldn't be able to read it. Then he flips to a page that says: This class is so boring

I laugh silently, but wait. Why is he showing this to me? I look around, and catch sight of my napping friend behind me. I nudge her so she awakens and point to Parker's direction, but he is back to taking notes and watching the teacher and all that school crap.

Alyson lays her head back down and I draw a this inked exclamation mark next to his name.

~~

Outside the school, I march across the school lawn to reach my pick-up. Only two more days until Saturday. I still have to get dad a present, plus make his cake...

But tomorrow night is the last night, and I'm not taking any chances, so I will go out tonight; maybe Alyson will come with.

Coming up to the rusty orange cab, I spot Parker next to his truck, parked nose-to-nose with mine. He watches me come up, and is chatting on his Galaxy Note Super XXL, or whatever it is called; more like a face board, from here, it looks almost big enough he could use it as a bench.

I go up to the door on my side, and look over at the boy talking, still keeping an eye on me. He holds a finger up to tell me to wait, so I hold my hand up to the side of my face, so it looks like a phone, "Hi mommy, I'm gay." I mock him.