The Quiet Ones

8. Words Cut Deeper Than Knives

"Parker, why are you late?" Levi asked as I treaded into the house and slumped down onto one of the cushioned chairs.

It's Friday night and all I want to do is fall asleep right now. Most teenagers my age are looking forward to partying and hanging out with friends, but from the day I had I'd rather be at home and in bed.

"Sorry, I had a bad day."

"What happened?" He asked as he handed me a collection of face paints.

I sighed as I grabbed a tube of paint and unscrewed the top. I lathered the thick liquid onto my face until my skin was completely covered and hidden.

"I'm fighting with one of my best friends."

"Really? Why?"

"Because he doesn't think that going out at night and vandalizing is safe."

"Seems possessive. Is he your boyfriend?"

"No! That's a whole other problem. But anyway, I don't have a boyfriend."

"Huh. Interesting," he said while dragging out his words and painting whips of blue across his skin.

I put down my brush and screwed the tops back onto the paints. My mask is so simple and easy that I'm now able to finish it in record time. My look was finally complete, and I felt ready for what the rest of the night held for me.

"Levi I found out who the leader is," I whispered.

"Yeah, it's Finn," he said while focusing on the detailing of his design.

"How do you know that? And why does everyone know everything before me?"

"Because you're new. Don't worry, you'll catch on."

I nodded and looked down at my phone while Levi did the finishing touches on his mask. I hadn't felt my phone vibrate, but when I looked at the screen there was a message from Nathan.

Hey Parker, do you think we could meet up tonight and talk?

I groaned loudly and put the phone back into my pocket. Just seeing that he wants to apologize after what he had done to me makes me even more angry. I don't have the time or energy to deal with him, so I said the first thing that came to my mind.

"Hey Levi, do you have a girlfriend?"

He put down his brushes and smoothed out a section of paint before looking over at me.

"No, why?"

"Do you want to have some fun tonight?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

He squinted at me, as if trying to see why I would be asking him all of this. Small whisps of his black hair fell over his forehead as he tilted his head and studied my face with his blue eyes.

"Is this about your friend? Are you just using me as a substitute because you can't face your problems Parker?"

"What? No! I just wanted to have a bit of fun," I said while grabbing his arm, "you know?"

He looked concerned, but still had a glint of excitement in his eyes, which led me to believe that I lured him into the palm of my hand.

"I guess we can have some fun," he whispered while moving closer to me and touching my wrist.

This will show Nathan. He's not going to be rude and deny he likes me after tonight.