In a Downward Spiral (Book One)

Chapter Eight

Parker's POV

Natalia has been staying at my house for four weeks. I didn't think it was good for her to be away from her mother for such a long time, but then again, the pig her mother called a stepson was there.

She was becoming more comfortable with Abby, but not my mother. She wouldn't stop with the questions.

"Hey, Parker, do you and Natalia want to play hide-and-seek?" Abby asked after we finished watching The Nightmare Before Christmas.

"I'm in, how about you?" Natalia asked me.

"Sure," I said, turning off the TV.

"You're it first because you're the boy and that's fair," Abby said, giving me the biggest smile I've seen on her face.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Okay, but I'm not going to be it for the entire game. You guys both have to be it at least once," I said, standing up.

"Deal. And no turning on the lights!"

Natalia's POV

Parker went in the bathroom to count. Abby ran into the kitchen to hide in the cupboards and I hid under the couch in his basement. It was really creepy in the basement especially in the dark, but if I didn't want to get found first, I'd have to deal with it.

"Ninety-eight... Ninety-nine...one hundred....... Ready or not, here I come!" Parker yelled throughout the house.

I heard doors open and close. He was close to the basement door, when I heard a giggle come from the opposite side of the house. Footsteps pounded on the floor, shaking the walls. I sighed and relaxed in the tight space.

I heard a squeal and burst of laughter. I didn't get found first.

"No," Abby yelled. "No fair!"

Parker chuckled and walked closer to stairs, creaking the door open. I tensed up. He quietly walked down the stairs and got closer to the couch. I moved closer to the wall behind me and the couch creaked a little.

He walked to the couch and plopped down on it. At first I thought he was going to just sit there, but her lifted up the couch skirt and reached under, pulling me out by my legs. "Parker, let me go!" I yelled, laughing so hard, my sides hurt.

He jumped on me and smiled. "I found you."

I rolled my eyes and pushed him off me. "Yeah, but I'm not it."

I ran up the stairs and into the living room. Waiting for the next round to start.

~.~.~.~

Living with Parker has been the best weeks of my life, aside from living with my father. I missed him. He was my whole world. In bed, I dreamt of memories with him.

"Spin me, daddy!" I yelled with excitement as I climbed on the tire swing.

He came up behind me and spun the swing, making me go faster as the seconds went by. I laughed like a maniac. He stopped me so I wouldn't get sick and picked me up, putting me on his shoulders.

He walked to the ice cream shop. "What would you like sweetie?" the lady behind the counter asked me.

"A large chocolate chip cookie dough in a cup please," I said professionally.

She smiled and got my delicious treat. We ate our ice cream and got in the car.

My father took me back to my mother's house to drop me off for good. "Please don't go! Don't leave me!" I cried, hugging his waist.

He pulled me off him and looked me sternly in the eyes. "I love you honey, I have to go."

Tears streamed down my cheeks. I never liked it when he left me with my mother.

"Natalia, are you okay?" Parker asked me, interrupting my dream.

I lifted my head. My hair and face were wet from crying. I wiped off my face with my sleeve.

"I'm fine. it was just a dream," I yawned.

He sighed and looked into my eyes. "Then why were you crying?"

I sighed. "I'm not allowed to see the most important person in the world to me because my mother is selfish and took me for child support. I was just dreaming of one of my good memories of him."

"I'm so sorry." He said, giving me a hug. I smiled and leaned into him, feeling at home.

Parker's POV

We just sat there, hugging. I felt different when she started staying with me. I think she's turned me into a softy. I didn't feel like the old Parker that always liked to do bad things. All I wanted was to be with her.

I broke our embrace and looked in her beautiful eyes. "We should get some breakfast," I said stupidly.

"Yeah."

I walked her down the stairs and into the kitchen. My mother smiled when she saw me, but it faded when she saw Natalia.

"What happened? Why is she crying?" she asked.

"Nothing," I said coldly.

She sighed and continued flipping the pancakes.

"I'm going to take a shower, okay?" Natalia stated walking out of the room.

When she was out of the room, my mother turned to me. "You really need to treat me better," she said, an angry expression on her face.

"I'll treat you better when you treat me and my friends better," I snapped. "I guess it'll be a couple of years."

She slammed the spatula down on the counter. "I'm so sick of this shit! You're my son and you'll treat me like a mother! I give you a home, and this is how you repay me?"

"You don't act like my mother! The only one you care about in this family is Abby! How do you think it makes me feel, when you always tell her that you love her? And what do I get? All I get is a big load of bullshit!" I yelled.

"I have to work twelve hours a day to feed you and pay the bills for the amount of water and electricity you kids use. So as I see it, it's not bullshit."

"Well, if its such a problem to feed me, then I guess I'll move out. I won't bother you anymore," I said, my eyes stinging with tears.

I walked away from the kitchen. "Parker," I heard her call down the hallway. I ignored her and walked in my room, packing my clothes in a bag.

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Author's note

Hey!!!! So I finally finished this chapter!! I couldn't figure out what to put in it, it all came out as I typed. So, more problems with his mom? Will Parker really move out? Keep on reading and you'll find out!

Sarah❤