"Please . . . don't cry. You had to have known I'd do this at some point."
***
Parker Sims is the class clown but that doesn't mean he's easy to fool. And that's just what Nola B. is good at - fooling people. She's got the whole school believing th...
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***
Chapter Thirty-Eight:
Nola woke up with a blaring headache that made her want to roll over and go back to sleep. But, she couldn't because someone was knocking on her door consistently. After a second of ignoring it, she froze and considered the worst. She sat up quickly in bed and held her breath in fear.
"Nola, Dear? Your father has made breakfast. We would like you to come down and talk to us ... when you're ready." Nola's mother, Katherine, said from the other side of her door.
Nola relaxed in knowing it was just her mother. However, her mother's words didn't appeal to Nola because she immediately considered not leaving her room for the day.
She didn't want to face her parents and, in all honesty, she wished they would just go back to Peru - or wherever they came from. She knew they were only there because they felt bad for what happened to her. She, also, thought her parents loved her but believed they loved traveling just as much - if not more. Hence her reasoning for being the only child and why she assumed they would back on a flight, out of this country, before the end of the week.
The idea to stay in her room was taking root, however, it suddenly hit her that she had agreed to go out with Parker.
Nola glanced at her clock to see that it was nine in the morning. Parker told her last night that he would be at her house at eleven, leaving her with two precious hours. Sighing, Nola figured she needed to face her parents, at one point in that time frame.
"I'll be down soon," Nola called out.
Nola heard her mother's footsteps retreating away from the door. Once she knew that her mother was far gone, Nola got off her bed and went to get ready for the day. She took as long as possible, part of it was to stall having to talk to her parents. Another part of Nola wanted to look her best for Parker. While she knew it was just two friends going out, she felt an urge to not just throw on an old shirt and jeans with absolutely no makeup.
Instead, Nola took her sweet time to curl her raven colored hair. When she was satisfied, all she applied mascara and some black eyeliner on her top eyelids. Nola checked herself over in the mirror before going into her room and picking out her outfit.
***
"Oh, I knew that would look so cute on you!" Aunt Suzanna stated when she saw her niece enter the dining room wearing the black shirt and jeans she purchased for her the day before. "I love the addition of the red jacket."
Nola nodded, not feeling like speaking to her aunt because she hoped her silence would indicate to her parents that she didn't want to talk.
Nola's mother, who sat next to Suzanna smiled at her daughter but it was clear in her eyes that she had nothing but pity for Nola. "Your dad made pancakes and sausage, your favorite."
