As Good As It Gets

Chapter 6

Parker took me to a little diner in Manhattan. New York had always been my home and I loved it but seriously I couldn't take all the tourists and the crowds in NYC. But somehow, Butt face had managed to get me through the crowds and get me to a little diner that served only fresh  and healthy food. It was delicious plus they were certified gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and a whole bunch of other stuff. See I'm gluten-free and not like the diet that you get on to lose weight. I was actually celiac and I couldn't eat wheat, barley, oats, rye, and malt. It was hard for me to eat places but it was even harder when people would come up to me asking if I wanted any and then they remembered I had an allergy and they said oh sorry. That hurt real bad. And telling people I had an allergy was really hard too. But I didn't have it as bad as kids who were allergic to nuts. They can't breathe sometimes and I find that scary. All I do is after 2 hours of consuming the food, I vomit until there is nothing left in my system and I'll keep vomiting acid and stuff for an hour. But sleeping helps after the hour. It helps the pain and stuff go away. I've only had this happen to me about 4 or 5 times. It's not really a lot compared to some people but it took a lot out of me at the time. And all the times I got sick were when I was on vacation which made everybody else on the vacation stressed and upset. But that didn't stop us from having fun on the vacation. My mother has celiac and so does my sister. My sister and I find it hard but we always stay strong. We are daddy's little girls.
"Do you like it?" Butt face asked me sitting across from me.
"I don't know butt face look at my plate." I said gesturing towards my plate that was empty.
He laughed. "You have a boy's appetite with a hot girl's body."
I blushed. "You are such a butt face."
"And you are such a beauty." He said starring at me.
"Is that the nickname you are sticking with?" I asked him.
"Maybe. Beauty and the Butt Face. It's gotta nice ring to it, don't cha think?" He asked me laughing.
"Yea it does actually." I said laughing.
"I'm totally the beauty though." He said flipping his imaginary long hair.
"No you aren't butt face I am. Duh I mean look at me." I said pointing a finger at my body.
"I am and I'm liking what I see." He said his eyes checking me out.
"Pervert."
"Goat."
"Butt face."
"Idiot."
"Jerk."
"Weirdo."
"Freak."
"Sexy."
"Pig."
"Beauty."
"Cow."
"Horse."
"Dirty-minded freak." I said looking at him disgusted.
"You already said that one I win." He said laughing.
"I totally won. I had the best ones." I said glaring at him.
"But I said sexy and beauty. Those were good ones." He said laughing.
"Stop laughing you pervert." I said hitting his leg under the table.
"Ow!" He screamed making the diner go silent, and drawing attention to us.
"You butt face," I whispered, "now everybody is looking at us like we are mental or something."
"Well darling we know you are." He said talking in a British accent, placing his hand over mine as if it was comforting.
"Why are you talking in a British accent?" I asked him.
"Because darling it attracts the opposite gender." He said pushing a piece of my hair away from my face. It's been like this all week. The cute handholding and romantic shit. It's kinda cute cause I've always been the romantic type but it's a different side of him I never saw. Some girl sitting at the table next to us kept twirling her hair and starring at Park biting her lip. Butt out bitch he's mine. Parker didn't notice she was starring at him so I went to the bathroom and watched what happened from the door. The girl started talking to him. She was trying to hit on him. That little- wait what was he doing? Was he trying to hit on her back? He was smiling and laughing. Park no. Please don't. He looked like he was flirting too. I walked back over to the table and sat down right down next to Parker. He starred at me in amazement when I pressed my lips to his. But he quickly kissed me back. I pulled away and said, "come on let's go."
"Okay." He said smirking.
"Bye Parker." The girl sitting at the table next to us said. Her new nickname was bitchy.
I didn't talk to Parker until we got into the car.
"What are you so upset about?" He asked him.
"Nothing I'm fine." I lied looking out the window.
"No your not. Come on beautiful tell me." He said putting his hand on my knee.
"No leave me alone." I said getting out of the non-moving car and pushing through the crowd to get to the subway across the street. I took what little money I had in my pocket and paid for a ticket. I wasn't going home. I was taking a trip to my Grandma. Where Park would never find me.
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I knocked on the door.
My Grandma opened the door.
"Layla?" She asked me.
"Grandma." I said hugging her.
"Oh Layla go take a shower you smell and I can tell you are upset. And hungry. Your father still gets hungry when he's upset. Go child." She said pushing me up the stairs as she closed the door. I ran into my bathroom and closed the door. I would go to my Grandma's during breaks sometimes it when I was upset. She would always give me good advice and she's really one of the only woman I would talk to besides Parker's mom. My grandma made the best lasagna I have ever tasted. And she made it so fast. I quickly took a shower and changed in the old room my mom had. Grandma was my mom's mom. She was still in touch with my mom and would update about Ariel and I but my mother never came to see us. Grandma knows why my mother left but she doesn't tell anyone. I'm the only one who knows that she knows about my mother and why she left.
"Layla! The lasagna is ready!" She yelled upstairs.
"Coming Grams." I yelled down the stairs. I ran down the stairs in my mom's fluffy pjs because it was kinda cold in here but I didn't mind. I would wear everything she would when I came here. I didn't bring any clothes.
"Grams thanks so-"
"Layla come sit down with us." She said gesturing toward her and Parker.
"How did you get here?" I asked him a tear slipping from my cheek.
"Your father told me where you were. Your Grandma called your dad. I came after you." He said running a hand through his hair.
"You didn't have to. I'm perfectly fine. So I would suggest you going back home." I said grabbing a plate of lasagna. I was super hungry.
"You are my home. When your upset, I'm upset. Layla I love you would you just talk to me for Christ's sake?" He asked. My grandma went upstairs because she had to make a phone call.
"Why should I? Seems like Bitchy would rather drool all over you." I said crying.
"Who's Bitchy?" He asked.
"That girl at the diner. She was drooling all over you and you were flirting back with her. I can't.....believe.....you.." I said gasping for air.
"Layla focus.....breathe...in....out....in....out..." He ran upstairs to my mother's room and I heard him digging around for something. He came running down the stairs with my inhaler. I took it and shook it. I pressed the top and sucked in. As soon as I sucked in my chest ached for a bit and then I could breathe again.
"Oh thank God." Park said running a hair through his hair again.
"Whatever." I said looking the other way, trying not to look at him.
"Hey Layla......I was talking to her about you babe. I was talking to her about my beauty." He said sitting beside me, facing me.
"What?," I asked him,"then why were you laughing?"
"It's true. It's because you didn't go to the bathroom. I saw you through the corner of my eyes waiting out the bathroom door meanwhile there was no line for the bathroom. I love you Beauty. And it's never gonna change just cause some Bitchy tried to hit on me." He said kissing my forehead.
"So you dissed her?" I asked him.
"Of course. She wasn't as hot as you anyways." He said kissing my cheek.
"Ugh you are so annoying butt face." I said grabbing his leather jacket by the front with two hands and pulled his lips to mine. I missed the sensation that ran through my veins. It was amazing. Park had grabbed me by my waist and put me right on his lap. My legs were around his waist and my hands in his hair. Park let out a moan as I tugged on his hair a little bit. Park kissed my neck, up and down. I may have let out a moan too by accident. I couldn't help it. Parker let me down for a second and then picked me up bridal style and carried me up into my mom's bedroom. I was laughing the entire way there. He closed the door softly so that my grandma wouldn't hear the door was closed. Parker ran over to where I was on the bed and climbed on top of me. I was laughing my head off. He kissed me even more passionately. I put my finger under his shirt feeling that six pack. Oh how I missed that six pack. I peeled off his shirt. I stopped the kissed and looked down at his six pack.
"Oh my God." I said breathless.
"Layla you can breathe right? Oh wait no you can't cause this body is breathtaking." He said gesturing to himself.
"Butt face." I said
"Beauty." He said.
"I-"
Parker cut me off by kissing me again. But I kissed him right back. Warm hands put themselves on my waist and worked their way up my shirt until it was off. Parker stopped the kiss and looked at my boobs.
"Oh my god." He said his eyes sparkling. I was laughing my head off.
"What....What are?" He tried to ask
"30 D." I said smirking at him.
He just kept starring at them. Until I closed his mouth with a kiss. Parker tried to put his tongue in my mouth. Why not? I asked myself. Parker then took of his pants and I took off mine. Should I do this? I asked myself. I had to decide here and now. I could but what would happen after? I wasn't on birth control. And I sure as heck didn't want to get pregnant because I've seen those teen mom shows and I do not want to be one of those girls. I stopped the kiss breathing heavily.
"Do you have a con-"
"Yea I have one." He said grabbing his wallet on the coffee table next to the bed and pulling out a condom.
"Are you sure?" He asked me.
"Yes. I love you butt face." I said trying to smile.
"If your not okay with this then we don't have to-"
"No....I want to...." I said pulling Parker unto me. The deal was done. No turning back now.
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I woke up the next morning under the sheets with arms wrapped around me. Parker was laying next to me. I had lost my virginity last night. Oh God. What have I done? But it wasn't that bad actually. Anyways I hopped in the shower and I put on a towel. When I came out of the bathroom, Park was sitting upright in the bed fully clothed.
"Hey Park you can take a shower if you want." I said pointing to the shower.
He looked upset or something.
"Park are you okay? Butt face talk to me." I said sitting down next to him.
"I just got a call from my mom. She lost her job." He said crying into my shoulder.
"It's okay....it's okay....we will fix it...everything's gonna be okay." I said stroking his hair.
What I didn't understand is why she lost the job. She was great at her job. I remember visiting her at work one time and she was the only one actually doing work. That was weird. I had to talk to Barb right away. I don't think that her getting fired is something that necessarily had to do with her doing her job.