Be My Eyes

10: He likes Her

"What are you-? I didnt know you- Why are you-?" Iona stumbled on each one of her words, not sure what to say and Parker just smiled.

"See, not one with the words are you! You're face says it all. I got here late and just came out here for some fresh air, school parties arent really my scene!" He said quietly and Iona nodded like an idiot.

"Mine either..." was all Iona could think to say and Parker's eyes did not look away from her, he appeared almost breath taken and Iona wrapped her arms around herself feeling exposed in the cool wind.

"You certainly look the part, to say you look simply 'beautiful' would be an insult" he stated casually, as if he hadnt just said the single nicest thing anyone had ever said to Iona in all her life. She stood there, dumbstruck as Parker returned to looking out accross the car park.

"You clean up pretty well yourself!" Iona replied, noticing for the first time how brilliant he looked in his black suit.

"Having fun with Mike?" Parker said, looking at the floor, his words much harsher than Iona would have expected. He even sounded angry.

"I...i guess but-"

"Well it certainly looked like you were!" Parker snapped, as if Iona had just offended him.

"Is that such a bad thing?" Iona asked, slightly defensively because she couldnt understand why he was acting like this.

"Yes!" He answered quickly, turning around so he was stood right in front of her, his height suddenly making him seem very intimidating, even in her heels he seemed to tower over her.

Now Iona was just upset! Why didn't he want her to enjoy herself? She wanted to know what was wrong but he had a steely look in his eye that scared her.

"Why!" Iona snapped, tears welling up in her eyes and Parker faltered slightly, his eyes softening but Iona was furious.

"Because..." he stammered, the word barely escaping his lips and Iona's emotions boiled over.

"If you don't want to give me an explanation then fine! But if it is so terrible that i came with Mike then maybe you should have asked me instead!" Iona exclaimed, pushing him out of the way and running down the stairs and accross the car park until she was far away from the school, and far away from him.

Iona threw off her high heels which were hurting her feet at this point and carried them all the way home. She was confused and hurting all over, she just wanted to get away.

When she flung the front door open, her dad instantly jumped up from the sofa and met her at the doorway. She felt like she had just run a marathon and she hurt from head to toe, inside and out.

"Hey honey, why are you back so...?" He didnt get to finish his sentence because Iona burst into tears.

He pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair, shutting the door behind her. He sat her down on the sofa and, stroking her back he sat to her side. "What is it Iona?" He asked gently and Iona tried to wipe the tears away.

"Why are boys such idiots?" Iona cried, staring blankly at the coffee table.

"Well...they arent all idiots i can tell you that!" Her dad insisted but Iona rolled her eyes.

"Well this one is!"

"You know, your mother thought i was an idiot when we first met, i didnt ask her out until one of my friends told me to because it was apparently obvious she wanted me to...the thing is sometimes boys dont always open up, because they are afraid. I was afraid your mother would turn me down, but she didnt!" Her dad said as if he knew exactly what had happened at the party and just hearing him talk about her mum was enough to calm her down. Since she left them, Iona hadnt heard him speak a word about her.

"What if they dont have anyone to push them in the right direction? Do they stay clueless?" Iona sniffed, thinking about Parker and noticing the ache she felt in her chest at wishing he had asked her to prom, not anyone else. Him.

"Well we can only hope for the best, how about i make you some hot chocolate!"

Later that evening, as Iona was curling up in bed, she got a text. Her heart skipped a beat as she reached for it and she felt ashamed to admit her heart dropped when she saw Tatty's name come up.

Tatty had sent her a text saying "Parker said you left...he seemed pretty glum and Razor went home with him. Are you okay? Didnt think my date would be going home with a guy after prom instead of me...boys!"

Iona smiled to herself but she didnt particularly feel like explaining what had happened so replied with "I'm okay, went home early" and rolled over to go to sleep, her room seeming pitch black even with the bedside light on.

.....

"He said that?!" Tatty cried the next morning as Iona told her what Parker had said, "You said that?" She gasped as Iona told her what she had said, nodding as she finished.

"You wanted Parker to ask you... He is such an idiot! Don't worry Razor will sort him out i'm sure." Tatty exclaimed from her seat on Iona's bed.

"I can't force him to like me...i dont even know if I like him, that way"

"Of course you do! You guys are perfect for each other."

"If he felt the same, then why did he get so cross with me last night?" Iona cried, the entire situation baffling her.

"Isnt it Obvious!!" Tatty shrieked and Iona gave her a blank look and shook her head. "Because he likes you!"

Iona was still completely lost and now her head was hurting. "No he doesn't. He just pities me, thats the only reason we met in the first place." Iona grumbled, half her sentence muffled as she flopped face first onto her bed in dismay. She hadnt felt this miserable in a long time. "Why would anyone like me?"

"Hey dont say that! You are so beautiful! No one has a heart like your's and Parker would never have brought you with us that first day in the woods out of pity, he does things out of pure interest and excitement." Tatty said, shuffling over the bed so she was closer. "You excite him, and that scares him, more than caves and more than heights. He likes you, you dummy."