Our Fading Stars

17. Thieves

Parker's POV

Monday.

I would never, I mean ever, be excited for Mondays on regular terms. But it was Monday, and for some unknown reason I was sparking with ecstasy. It felt like the first day of elementary school. Excited, and eager.

Maybe it was the weather. The fluffy herd of clouds flocked among the sky that was painted evenly in a light shade of blue. I could see the sun rays pour down through the holes in the clouds. There was enough wind to lightly fan my face in a warm breeze. It definitely felt like May. My favorite month of the year.

I felt renewed whether it was from the rest at the hospital or because I had fixed everything with Tiana now. My mother had been at my aid on Friday night, but on Saturday she had to go out of town so it was just me. Oh, and Nate, because he lives alone.

I waited in front of Tiana's door, hoping it would open soon. Hoping I could see her soon. Hoping we could talk about what Pinocchio had meant. Hoping that she would not bottle it up anymore, but tell me every detail of what had happened. Hoping that she would find me as someone to lean on.

My watch ticked and I tapped my foot on the ground. I leaned on the wall, trying to look casual when she came out. But when she did, I jumped upright like a pet waiting for its owner. How had I become so passive? It was like she was the axis my earth was spinning on. Everything went along to her.

She was beautiful. Again. Her blonde hair flowed down her shoulders tangled in natural curls. Her eyes glistened with an enthusiasm that I couldn't understand. There was a bandage on her forehead for her gash to heal. I could tell that her lips were glossed slightly than other times I had seen her. Did she know I was waiting for her outside? Did she put that lipgloss on because of... me?

You're thinking too much again, Parker. Please just shut up and talk to the girl.

"Hey," I said a little too loudly.

"Hey." She tucked her hands inside the pockets of her jeans. Why was this so awkward?

"Ben?" I silently pleaded for him to have already gone to school early.

She shrugged. "He left early today. Don't know why." My wishes were coming true as I wanted. Tiana's eyes bored into mine, waiting for me to say something.

"Let's go to school together? Um, I mean," my voice came out as a croak that was very unmanly. I cleared my throat. "Let's go to school together." I declared.

The ends of her lips twerked into a lopsided smile. That smile I had seen on the photograph in her room. That genuinely happy smile. "Okay."

We walked in timid silence, except for the beat of my heart. It thudded in a irregular beat. Tiana Kings was definitely not good for your health.

"So," she spoke first. "I found something from Pinocchio."

My ears perked up. I'd been dying to know what that could've meant. And I was hoping it could be something that would help her out of her trauma. "What was it?"

She pulled the book out and showed the pages to me. "I don't know what these boxes are for. And this last part. Follow Pinocchio to Geppetto's house? Where the heck is Geppetto's house?" She rolled her eyes. "Such childish games from my brother. He loved riddles. Of course he had to leave me one as he left."

My eyes were glued onto her, making sure she didn't cry. She puffed out a sigh, and looked back at me.  "What?"

"What?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She pointed out my creepy look.

"I just..." My eyes automatically trailed to her lips but I snatched them back up. "I just thought that Pinocchio is a hard book. Like there's some kind of meaning." I wanted to smack myself for the sudden jibberish.