As Good As It Gets

Chapter 1

PICTURE OF PARKER EVANS 👆🏻
PARKER'S POV

"Hey Parker!"

"Parker!"

"What's up man?"

"Bro what's hanging?"

"Parker! Ready for the big game?"

"Park ready to take that test in biology?"

Voices. People. Words. I don't hear them as I walk through the hallway. My eyes drifted to the side of me. Lola was next to me. Why you might ask? Why would I keep a cheating girl? Because people loved us as a couple. Notice how I said people. Did I mention me? No. You know why? Because I hated that slut. I didn't want her to be my girlfriend. Everybody wants us together. So why not go along with it? But I really didn't want to do this. I wanted to date a different girl. One that I actually liked and one that didn't cheat on me. A girl who has talent and an actual heart a-and is really beautiful. There is only one example of that. A girl that fits the role so well. Like Layla. Oh Layla Reynolds . How I wish that I could just be near her for the rest of my life. I wish I could just- stop doing this to yourself Parker. Your Parker Evans. Your the God of High School. Stop letting her get in the way. But- No. You have Lola. Lola is a- but it doesn't matter because you have everything even if it isn't Layla. But Layla is everything, I told myself. And all I thought was, I know.

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I was sitting down in biology taking that test everybody kept talking about. It was the easiest thing ever. Well for me. I could tell that people were struggling with it. I made it seem like I was cheating off of people but I knew that I never needed to do that because I was smart. I knew I was. But what really boosted my ego was when Layla told me I was. I remember that moment as if it happened yesterday. She pulled me aside after bio and she searched my eyes looking for lies. I put my poker face out there.
"Why are you pretending to cheat off of people?" She asked me still with a firm grip on my arm. I glanced down at my arm and that's when she took it off. Damn shouldn't have done that.
"I'm not pretending. Why would you think I was pretending?" I asked her my eyebrow raising just a bit.
"Because I've compared your test results to the person you have been cheating off of. And it makes your 'partner' look like he's cheating off you." She said pointing a finger at my chest.
"What do you want me to tell you?" I asked her.
"Admit that you don't need to cheat off people. That you are one of the smartest guys I know and should be proud of it. Just because your popular doesn't mean you have to be dumb as hell. You don't have to be like them Park." She said. She was the only one besides my mom who called me Park. It made me feel like I belonged. It was amazing. I loved it more than my real name.
"I have to do it or people will assume that I don't come to their parties cause I'm studying." I said scratching the back of my neck.
"Why don't you go to people's parties?" She questioned me again.
"Because either I am studying or I absolutely hate the person or I don't want to go cause I'm lazy and don't want to leave the house." I said feeling lazy right now.
"Park you are something else. You are so smart. Don't push it away anymore though," she said readjusting her back pack on her shoulder and then she started walking away.
"Oh and Park?" She stopped short.
"Yea Lay?" I said calling her by the nickname she hated.
Her jaw tightened as she said, "The reasons you stay home from parties is the reasons girls do." And she quickly ran to the next class she had. Oh Layla. Could she just realize how much I loved her? Maybe some day I could.....no I would never have a chance with her. She's too good for me. She'd never be into a guy like me.
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I walk out of the school doors. Finally school is over. I have been dying to go home today for some reason. Maybe because my mom is finally home. She has just returned from her job in New York. She stays in New York for some time because that's where the office is in her department of work. Only in spring does she come back and she stays her . It sucks that she isn't there 24/7 but I have my dad? You must wonder why I put a question mark after my dad. It's because he doesn't move. My dad hasn't moved from his room which is separated from my mom's in 2 years. My mother and I have had to bring him meals and things he needed. He hasn't even had a problem where he isn't able to move. The problem is him. He kissed another woman by accident thinking it was my mom and he hasn't forgiving himself since even though she forgave him. He never forgave himself. It's a bunch of bullshit but what am I supposed to do about it? I sit in his room sometimes and just rant on and on about Layla and how I could never have her because he's the only person who won't give me feedback and will just listen to me. Well I can't really tell if he's listening exactly but it helps that I can just talk my problems out with someone. I open my car and throw my backpack into the front seat. I've had a rough day. Everybody drooling over me of course. It takes so much energy out of me that I wish I wasn't popular. A knock on the window startles me.
"Let me in." Layla says.
It started raining right after I got in the car. Good luck hit me. I opened the car for Layla and she sat in the front seat.
"Thank you so much. My-" her voice cracked.
"Layla what happened? Even though it's raining I can tell you are crying." I said. I saw the tears after tears roll down her cheeks. She fell apart. I wrapped my arms around her.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." I said. She seemed really shaken up about something. "I can't tell you. She won't let me." She said sobbing silently into her hands.
"Who?" I asked her.
"Your girlfriend." She said so disgusted. "Lola?" I asked not believing her.
"She came up to me right after school and demanded that I ignore you for the rest of my life and leave you too alone to be together. And then-" her voiced cracked.
"What else did she do to you?" I said my arms tightening around her.
"She smacked me. Right across the face. I was too shocked and didn't want to do anything back because she is your girlfriend. I mean-" she stopped because she looked up at me and I know she saw my reaction. My fists were curling.
"Parker?" She asked me.
"Lola did that to you?" I said my teeth clenched.
"Parker don't do anything stupid because-"
I got out of the car in the rain and ran back into the school. I knew that Layla was going to come after me and try to stop me from saying something I would regret to Lola but I needed to do this today and now. It gave me a reason to break up with her.
"Parker!" Layla screamed after me.
I found Lola in the cafeteria where I figured she'd be. She wouldn't go out in the rain. And the rain here didn't last for long. It was short. So why would she get soaked for nothing? That was what one of her girls told me one afternoon after I couldn't find her in the parking lot. The bitch had to be taken down for once. And I definitely wanted to be the one to do it. She had been such a slut for years. And I never wanted to date her. My friends forced me to because they were dating her girlfriends and it wasn't right if I wasn't dating the main girl because I was the main guy. They even paid me to be her boyfriend because they knew that even if I owed them I wouldn't do it. I got $1,000 bucks out of it though but it still wasn't worth it. It wasn't worth all the heartache I got with being with her. Not because I liked her. It was because I loved Layla. Not Lola. And now was the time to break up with Lola. And try to make my move on Layla.
"Lola!" I screamed at her.
"Parker hey babe..." She said coming over to me and wrapping her arms around my neck.
"Don't you dare. I know what you did." I said unhooking her arms from my neck. Lola sends a glare to Layla who is standing behind me, watching everything go down.
"Because she was-"
"I don't want to hear you try to get me Lola. You never had me and you never will." I said.
"Because of her, isn't it? You love her, right? I'm better than her Parker. You are missing out on something so much better." She said screaming at me with that finger she would point at everybody.
"Better? Really?" I laughed I couldn't take how funny this was.
"I'm doing something I have been wanting to do since the day I met you. Break your heart. And it feels pretty damn good." I said smiling at her.
I saw tears welt up in her eyes. "Do you really hate me that much Parker?" She asked me.
"You've screwed up everything! I think all the chances I've had with Layla who is the actual girl I love are now ruined. I'll never get her because I'm not good enough and I'll never have her because she probably hates me because you hit her across the face. Why would you even do that to someone who has feelings just like you? Oh wait I know why because you are a back-stabbing bitch Lola. Cut the crap and be her best friend again. You two were best friends in middle school I know. I was in that school too. Go back to that. You two would do everything together and you would laugh and braid each other's hair and I remember Layla told me one formal you both did each other's makeup and hair. But then you turned against her for some reason and now you are on the bottom and she is on the top. Don't you realize when you are this way that you are in the crappy spot? She has two best friends now: me and Leah and that's enough for her. She has real friends. These girls that follow you, they aren't real friends. They aren't your friends at all. They only follow you around because you are head cheerleader and you are popular. If God forbid you die, who is gonna be there for you? You will have screwed everyone so bad that nobody will show up. Start making people want to show up. If God and heaven forbid Layla die, I would be there, Leah will be there and I'm sure that her family will be there. What about your family Lola? I bet you act like a bitch around them too. I just feel bad for your brother. Poor old Johnny has to put up with your ranting and your screaming and your crying for life. At least I don't. We are done Lola. Done." And I walk out feeling great about life for once. The rain has stopped. And when I'm about to pull out of the parking lot, I realize that Layla wasn't there when I had walked out. I got out of the car and searched the school for her. She wasn't there so I went home and the first place I checked was our old tree house. Layla and Lola and I would all go up to the tree house and talk about things together so that was the first place I checked. And I found her sitting in the corner starring at the wall.
"Hey." I said sitting down next to her. She didn't reply.
"Did you hear the whole conversation between me and Lola?" I asked her.
"Every last word." She said as a tear slipped her eye.
"Hey what's the matter Layla? I'm your best friend I'm here for you no matter what." I said putting my arm around her.
"I just needed time to think about things." She said getting up.
"I'm sorry for putting you on the spot and telling you I like-"
"I have a boyfriend." She cut me off before I could say anything else.
"Oh," I said as all these thoughts came into my head.
"Do I know him?" I asked her.
"He lives next door to me." She said.
"No.....no no no no no! Layla not River Simmons. Please no don't tell me it's him." I said begging her.
River Simmons was the biggest nerd but most romantic guy in the school. He lived next door to me since we were little kids. He was the biggest jerk in our town but the girls loved him because he was so romantic.
"I'm dating River Simmons." She said starring at my face. I didn't have the strength to put my poker face out there.
"Layla no.....ugh. He's the biggest douche-bag I have ever met. Plus he lives next door to you and me." I said rubbing my eyes.
"I started dating him in January. On New Years he held my hand on the countdown. I'm 17 Park. I'm not a little girl anymore! Im free to make my own decisions and date who ever I want. And you can't-"
"Im sorry but......since I saw you on that swing in 8th grade with your hair flowing in the wind and that pink lip gloss you used to wear with that blue bow in your hair, I j-just couldn't forget about you. And believe me I have tried countless of times. And I've liked people before but never like this. I've never said this to anyone because I have been saving it for you-"
"Please don't say that you-"
"Layla Reynolds since 8th grade I have been completely and foolishly in love with you. I love you Layla Reynolds and I know you don't love me back but I just had to put it out there and I know you have a boyfriend and I won't get in the way but if you could give me a chance after him which I know there is going to be an after cause he is a douche-bag but if he makes you happy that's all I want but I just want you to think about giving me a chance after you are finished with Mr.Douche-Bag. I love you Layla." I said as I kissed her cheek and went home. I had a lot of discussing I had to do with my dad.
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