As Good As It Gets

Chapter 4

It was Friday. I walked into school and put my books away in my locker and grabbed the ones I needed.
"What's your answer?" He asked me.
"No." I said walking out of the school leaving a pale Parker behind.
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I couldn't face him. I had one reason why we couldn't be together. It was because I was weak around him. What if I couldn't protect myself and I get my heart broken? I couldn't. I was sitting home eating ice-cream watching glee. My fresh makeup from this morning was all ruined my eyeliner and mascara running down my face. I made a vow to my father when I was little that I never would let a boy ruin my mascara. I'm sorry dad I broke your promise. And it hurts worse than anything ever has. Nobody can make this better. Not even Parker himself.
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It was Saturday and I was tired and dirty. I woke up to the sound of sweather weather by neighborhood pouring out of my phone.
I picked up the phone without looking at who was calling which was something I did regularly.
"Hello?" I asked the person on the other line.
"Layla?" A male deep voice asked me.
"Speaking who might this be?" I asked.
"It's Ryan. Parker's best friend. I'm at his house. He's not here. He's been missing since yesterday. Do you know where he could be?" Ryan asked me.
"I'm coming now. Just give me 5. I'll search on the way and text you if I find him. Bye." I said stuffing my phone in my bra and putting on pj pants. It was Winter. And I was running out of the house with a tank top and pj pants on. I hopped in my car since I was officially able to drive it now that I had gotten my license just last weekend. I drove down to where the school was. I had a feeling that he would be in the same place that I would be in if I ran away. If he wasn't here then I don't know where he could be. Maybe in the auditorium if he wasn't in here or on the field? I checked the field first. He wasn't there. I then checked where I would go which was the spot in the woods. I found a piece of paper that said Curtis Taylor Jr. Written in Parker's neat handwriting. He wanted to be found but he knew that I was the only one who could find him because I was the only one who knew about Curtis Taylor Jr. I ran as fast as my feet would take me to the school. I busted through the doors and walked to the auditorium which was rather close to the school doors. You could hear Parker Evans bolting out Grenade by Bruno Mars, from the school doors. He sounded incredible and hurt. And one of them was all my fault. When that song ended, he sang another one. One that he knew meant so much to me. I will always love you by Whitney Houston. It was my number one song because she was singing about breakup even when she is confessing an undying love. It's my favorite because even if you aren't going through breakup, the song can still be relatable. He sang the first verse and then I walked down the aisles of the auditorium and sang some too.
"Bittersweet memories
That is all I'm taking with me
So goodbye
Please don't cry
We both know I'm not what you need And I... will always love you
I... will always love you
You, ooh
I...hope life treats you kind
And I hope you have all you dreamed of
And I wish you joy and happiness
But above this
I'm wishing you love
And I... will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you

I will always love you
I, I will always love you.
Darling I love you
I'll always
I'll always love you
Ooh
Ooh" every part I sang was every part that some how touched me and make me sing the song more powerfully even if that isn't a word. I sang with such emotion that I even made my self cry. Crying while singing is the hardest thing to do. I've never had to do anything more difficult. Actually the most hardest thing to do ever was to tell Parker no. That was the hardest thing I ever did. The song ended.
"Why did you come for me?" He asked me sitting down on the stage. Well he sort of just fell so it wasn't really sitting.
"Because just like the song I will always love you." I said.
"Then why-why can't we be together?" He asked me looking at me with tear filled puffy bloodshot eyes. I've never seen him so upset. Even when his dad went into shock he wasn't this upset.
"Because-because you make me feel like this weak person and I hate feeling weak. I hate having nobody to protect me when I'm weak like this and I also hate that we only have a year if we ever did get together. Your mother told me to just forget about how much time we have so I forgot about it but I can't forget the fact that every time I see you or I smell that mix of Axe and Soap that my knees give out of that my stomach gets butterflies or that I get so wobbly that I can't even walk. It's not normal and I feel so useless." I said crying and scratching my face. My head was pounding and I felt like I couldn't breathe.
Breathe.....In.......Out
In......Out
In......Out
In......Out
In......Out
Okay focus.
"Layla I would protect you. I will always love you and I will protect you. I won't let anything hurt you so don't worry about feeling weak. I feel weak too. I feel like a helpless ant. But I know that as long as I have you.....I'll be a man and protect you and love you and care for you. That's all I ever wanted. To be the guy who gets to walk you to class who gets to sit in the crowd and listen to how amazing your voice is and say that's my girl. I want to be that guy. I want to be your guy." He said tears shooting out that you can't even see where they came from.
"I want to be the girl that you look down and tell your friends, 'Guys that's her.' And I want you to look at me in such amazement that even the dumbest person on Earth can tell that you love me." I said standing up and pulling him to his feet.
"I already look at you like that." He said giving me his famous smirk.
"Oh really?" I asked him.
"Definitely." He said wrapping his arms around my waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck knowing what would happen next and being perfectly okay with it.
"WOULD YOU TWO JUST KISS ALREADY?!" Mrs.Griffin screamed from over at the piano.
She cracked me up. I love her so-
I couldn't finish the thought because Parker Evans crashed his lips into mine bringing a sweet sensation back into my body. Like an adrenaline I can only get from this man in front of me. He deepened the kiss picking me up, my legs wrapped around his waist.
"GET A ROOM!!" Mrs.Griffin screamed clapping her hands.
Parker and I broke away for air, both of us heaving to get some oxygen into our systems after being blown away by that kiss.
"Oh we plan on." Parker said winking at me.
I punched him in the arm as Mrs.Griffin had all the blood drain from her face.
"Don't worry Mrs.G we won't until I feel like it. Don't worry about Butt Face over hear. I'll keep him in check." I said jumping down from Parker.
"You better Layla. This one needs a tight leash." And with that she left the auditorium. And we were alone.
"Am I really a Butt Face?" Parker asked me giving me his best sad face. And let me tell you it is the best sad face and it made me want to give in to him.
"You-You are definitely a Butt Face. Maybe that will be my new nickname for you." I said laughing.
"Fine then I get to pick out a nickname for you." He said kissing me on the cheek.
"And what might that be Butt Face?" I asked him.
"Give me a couple of hours to work on that." He said scratching the back of his neck.
"Sure thing butt face." I said winking at him.
"Oh God you are beautiful." He said grabbing my face and kissing both my cheeks.
"Your family probably wants you home now." I said as he kissed down to my jawline.
"Well I think they can wait a little longer." He said kissing my neck.
"Butt face stop come on we have to go." I said picking up his face from my neck.
"Fine. But only because you said so." He said taking my hand and walking with me down the aisles of the auditorium. It's funny. I came in single, and I came out taken by the one guy I would never have guessed to be taken by.