10/17

Episode 4, Chapter 14

"How did it go?" Parker texted Laney Friday afternoon at the exact moment he figured she would be walking out the school doors.

"So, so" she sent back. 

Laney's Nan had hit the roof as predicted when they filled her in Wednesday night. She was ready to pack up everything and head to her sister's farm in Missouri, but Ms. Dempson managed to calm her down. Laney and her mother had gone shopping Thursday morning, adopting the same game plan as Mrs. Carlisle. Unlike Parker, many of Laney's old clothes would still work with a little alteration. So, first thing that morning, they had taken everything salvageable to a seamstress friend of her mother's then mixed it up between stores and consignment shops for the rest of what was needed. Like Parker, Laney had been forced to use some of her own birthday stash of cash to finance her new wardrobe, but she had not been nearly as upset about the idea. A whole morning of shopping had a much brighter appeal for her than it had for Parker. With that chore done, Ms. Dempson had decided it was time for Laney to head back to school. While Nan was completely against it, Laney had been wishy-washy about the whole idea, until her mother's logic swayed her.

"People need to see you before they see Parker." It was true. Both families knew his reemergence at school was going to be far more chancy than hers. Laney's physical changes were far less dramatic and easier to down play. How Laney was received would go a long way to telling them if Parker could pull it off. Then there was the possibility that the two of them reappearing on the same day would link them together more in people's minds. It was safer to keep their names separate in the public eye.

That morning, Parker sent Laney a for leaf clover emoji, along with a reminder that his house was only a quick dash away if she needed to bolt for any reason. None of them but Nan really believed she would need the escape, it still made them all feel better to know it was there.

"A few people thought something was off about me, but only Chloe really pushed me about it, and she backed off, eventually," Laney's next text said. Parker rolled his eyes. Of course Bannah would notice. Not much got passed her. His phone buzzed again.

"So far, people are buying the stomach virus, dehydration story. But." Her text ended there. He waited for a moment but nothing came.

"But?" he prompted. Ten minutes later, his phone rang for a face time. It was Laney. He answered. "Hey."

"But, I don't know. It was weird," she said, "I want to say it was just me being paranoid, but I swear I heard whispers around me sometimes. At lunch, the table next to ours kept looking at me. Carlie Tram sits there and we went to the same after school program for years. So she could easily know it was my birthday this week."

"Did anyone say anything to you directly?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head, "It was just a feeling." Laney, collapsed back against a seat cushion and closed her eyes. "I feel like I'm turning into my Nan, I swear." Shaking her head, she looked at him and smiled. "At least it was Friday. I'll get the weekend to process and go back better prepared Monday."

"Yeah," he grimaced, "Don't remind me. I go back Monday, too. Bannah noticed your differences and you only grew two inches up, out and in. How am I supposed to play off half a foot?" Laney could not help her laugh at his succinct description of her changes, but she finally managed a sympathetic look.

"Hey, you know I'll be there, if you need anything."

"Yeah, I know, but we talked about that. You're the one that pointed out that we can't be seen acting like friends all of the sudden. You're right. We barely knew each other before this. People would definitely think it was suspicious. Bannah would notice, for sure," he reminded her.