10/17

Episode 1 Chapter 3

Parker dropped his backpack by the kitchen table and grabbed three apples from the bowl on the counter. He was exhausted and his stomach felt like it was trying to eat itself. Despite his huge breakfast and the even larger lunch that had made him late to Spanish his stomach had been growling all the way through his last period English III class.

As the hunger grew, his energy level plummeted. It was so bad, he even dozed off in class twice. The first time, Amy, the girl beside him nudged him awake before the teacher noticed. The second time, however, Mrs. Neely roused him from his stupor. Lucky for him, he must have looked really awful because, instead of her usual look of stern disapproval she reserved for troublemakers and miscreants, she put a hand to his forehead, then told him to go to the nurse. As Parker lumbered mechanically to the nurses office his only real coherent thought had been, since she thought he was sick, hopefully Mrs. Neely wouldn't give him the extra demerit homework she usually assigned for not paying attention in class.

"Hey, Mom." He mumbled between bites as he collapsed in one of the sectional recliners.

"Hey, sweetie," Mrs. Carlisle answered while folding clothes. "That basket is yours, grab it before you go to your room, please," she said, as she nudged a basket with her foot. He mumbled something that sounded like an assent but his whole focus was on the apple in his hand. He was so hungry he was worried he would bite off one of his own fingers if he was not careful. Mrs. Carlisle did not seem to mind his inattention, though. Her whole focus was on the TV. She was deep into the third season of her current Netflix series binge. His mom was funny that way. The garage door banged accompanied by the sound of loud conversation. A moment later, Penny plopped her backpack beside the couch while Peyton rummaged in the kitchen.

"Hey, Mom, can I have," Penny stopped as her eyes landed on Parker. "Wait, what are you doing home?" she asked, with genuine confusion. This got his mother's attention. They only lived a couple of streets from the high school, so he usually walked to school in the mornings. His ROTC group had after school drills until four p.m. everyday but Friday. Nothing but the most sever weather or a very unusual circumstance would warrant cancellation. Most afternoons Casey dropped him off or he walked. Either way he was always the last kid home. His mom paused her show, checking the time as she did and shot a glance outside at the beautifully clear sky.

"Why are you home so early?" she asked, "And chew your food, Son. You're going to choke," she admonished as she watched him finish the third apple in far less bites than was probably safe.

"I rode the bus," Parker replied, as he reluctantly sat the thin, well scoured apple core next to the other two in the cup holder. "The nurse excused me from drills. I don't feel great."

"What?" his mother said with mild alarm as she instantly went into "Doctor Mom" mode. She pushed off the couch and leaned over Parker, one hand going to his forehead, the other to the back of his neck. "Why, didn't she call me? What's wrong?"

Parker hated to admit it at his age, but he loved when his Mom went all caring and concerned like this, particularly when he didn't feel well. Trying not to be obvious, he leaned a little into her cool hands as he answered.

"She said I was pale and that I was running a low grade fever, but since the day was almost over anyway, she gave me a cheese cracker pack let me lay down in her office until the bell. She emailed Captain Riley, made me promise not to walk home and let me go," he explained.

"You do look sick," Penny said, concerned. She had moved up right beside their mother and put a hand on his cheek. Parker wanted to roll his eyes and tell her to go away but he wouldn't. Penny was the sensitive one in his family. She mothered them all more so than even their mom did if left unchecked. He couldn't be mad at her when he knew she was really worried about him.