A Lifetime's Worth

Chapter 5

An hour and a half after school, Ariana found herself panting up to the fifth floor of Parker's building. She had received a message from Parker asking her to visit him then. She had called Martha up to accompany her but Martha said that her had asked her to come around half an hour after school got over and that she was actually heading over to Parker's place at that time. She hadn't been able to contact Martha ever since. 

Ariana waited for a minute to catch her breath. Again. Just as she was about to knock on the door, it opened and Lana headed out. She didn't look very happy, but then, Ariana thought, when was she ever satisfied with anything. 

"Hey! You're exactly on time!" Parker exclaimed. Ariana thought for a second why he was so surprised by that, but then something else caught her attention. Lana was wearing make up. Or at least, she had tried to. She sniggered to herself and made a mental note to tell Natasha and Shannon about it and have a good laugh about it. Wait. She couldn't tell Shannon. Not after what had happened in school..

"Hey!" Parker snapped his fingers in front of my face. "You still here?"

"Yes! Yes, I am. May I come in?" Ariana replied hurriedly. "Hey why did you call us at different times?" Ariana asked as she stepped inside the apartment.

"I'll explain. Don't worry."

Parker shut the door behind her and gestured her to take a seat.

"Did you collect your syllabus sheet from school today?" He asked. It was so hard for Ariana to maintain eye contact. His eyes were so piercing, it seemed to Ariana that he could read her mind. That he could read every dark secret, every dirty thought that crossed Her mind.  Also her eyes kept slipping to his mouth. She couldn't help but stare at his perfectly shaped lips. And his jaw structure. She just wanted to jump on top of him and kiss him.

"Ariana?" Parker asked again. "ARIANA!"

"OH! Fu... I mean, I am so sorry! I just..."

"Are you okay? Or do you want to do this tomorrow? Or any other day?"

"No no! I am fine. Just.. school stuff..nothing important." Ariana replied. "So..?"

"Syllabus sheet. Did you collect yours?" Parker replied in a half amused voice.

"Yes, yes. Hold on.." Ariana fished inside her handbag and handed the syllabus sheet over to Parker.

"Oh no, I have seen it already. I just needed to know if you had collected it." Parker replied.

"Oh. So why did you call us at different times?" Ariana asked.

"I noticed the last time that you guys came here, that some of you weren't getting a chance to speak. So I just thought I'd call all of you separately so that you could all talk. And talk freely, because I also need to know where you stand when it comes to subject knowledge."

Ariana stared at Parker in wonder. How could someone look so ravishing when he was so serious. And talking about something as revolting as Math.

"Where I stand? I stand so far away from the line, the line is a dot to me." Ariana replied.

"F.R.I.E.N.D.S?" Parker grinned.

"Yeah." Ariana smiled.

"So... nothing? You must know the basics!"

"I know the basic formulae. But applications trump me." Ariana replied. She waited for Parker to say something but he was just looking at her with n expression that she could not read. "Look I just need to pass. I don't want the Ivy Leagues like Martha or that Lana. I just need better grades. So please don't think that you will need to waste a lot of time and energy on me." Ariana waited for him to answer but he kept looking at her with the some unreadable expression on his face. "Say something? Am I that hopeless a case?"

"No, no. I've had worse." he said with a laugh that suggested a personal joke.

"Somehow I find that hard to believe."

"Can I ask you something? If you don't mind.. it is kinda personal." Parker asked all of a sudden.

"Err..ok." Ariana replied uncertainly. No, I don't have a boyfriend and I will totally get dirty with you, she thought.

"What happened in school that has gotten you so disturbed?"

Ariana was surprised by the question. She hadn't expected that he would notice, let alone care and then ask her about it. "Just a little tiff with my friends."

"A little tiff?" He said skeptically. "You spaced out for like three minutes."

"Ok. It was more like a showdown at school." Ariana confessed in an embarrassed voice. "With my best friend.. well.. ex best friend. I won't bore you with the details. It's stupid high school stuff."

"As you wish."

"May I ask you something?" Ariana asked.

"Sure." Parker replied in an amused tone.

"Who is worse at Math than me?" 
Parker gave her a really-this-is-what-you-wanted-to-ask look and then it was his turn to look slightly embarrassed.

"My..ex.."He said.

"Is that why she became your ex?"

Parker laughed. Ariana could swear it was the most beautiful laugh ever. "Yes, maybe." He stuttered out amidst his guffaws.

"Do.." just as Ariana began to ask him if he was dating someone presently, her cellphone rang. Peyton's name flashed on the screen. She probably was calling to discuss the thing that happened at school. Dammit Peyton!, Ariana thought. Peyton was the queen of bad timing. This was a generally established fact. Ariana declined the call. It was time to leave. "If that's all, I'll go now. My friend is calling. I need to go."

"No, we're done here. But you can always say that I kept you...and stay here. I promise I won't teach today." He said with a smile.

"You have no idea how much I'd love to. But I really have to go. Peyton..my friend... probably needs me." Ariana confessed. It was true. Ariana could spend the whole day at Parker's place. And she didn't want to talk  about the school thing. To anyone. At all.

"You really are way to loyal towards your friends." Ariana didn't know what to say to that. After everything that happened earlier she didn't even want to think about friends and loyalty for a very, very long time. "You're different." He added after a pause.

"Different? How? You don't even know me!" Ariana said in surprise.

"Just things about you that I have noticed...and heard." Parker said slowly. Ariana wanted to know what he meant by heard but Peyton began calling again.

"Ok. One last thing. Is it a good different or a bad different?" Ariana asked as she rushed out.

"Its refreshing." Parker smiled.