Disclaimer: See chapter 9
Chapter 10: Hiding
"And so you keep it on the down-low
Hiding all the secrets that are down below"
Miss Parker turned from the door slowly. Had she just heard what she thought she had just heard? She looked over at Jarod who was lying on the couch. His eyes were open and it looked like he was trying to make the ceiling come into focus.
"Parker?" He whispered again. "Are you there?" Miss Parker wanted to jump for joy. Jarod was alive and he had come out of the coma. She walked over to him, smiling.
"Yes, I am here. How are you feeling?" She gently laid a hand on his arm. He smiled and looked up at her.
"I feel like I got run over by a dozen dump trunks. My head is killing me. What happened? Why am I at your house?" He looked up at her curiously.
"It's a long story, Jarod. But, first, what is the last thing you remember?" Jarod thought about it for a moment.
"I remember running toward you, praying you wouldn't shoot me. The last thing I remember is feeling pain go through my shoulder and screaming 'no'."
"You didn't scream 'no' out loud, because I didn't hear you. You must have thought it in your head." Jarod cocked his head as he thought about it.
"Perhaps you are right. My memory is really fuzzy. But, that is the last thing I remember. What happened after that? Why am I here instead of at the Centre?"
"Well, here's what happened." Miss Parker explained as briefly as she could all the events that had taken place during the past three weeks. Jarod was shocked and amazed at what his friends had done for him. He knew the risk they had all taken to rescue him, especially Miss Parker. If her father found out, he would kill her or worse.
"So, that is what happened." Miss Parker concluded. She paused and thought about something for a moment. "You know, I really should call Sydney and Broots. They would be so happy to hear that you are awake." Jarod nodded his head. He knew they both would be jumping for joy to hear about him waking up. As Miss Parker turned away, Jarod reached out and grabbed her hand.
"Parker, why? Why would you help me? You don't even like me. Why? Just tell me why."
"Because, Jarod, I do like you. I have to wear a mask for the Centre. They need to think I hate you. But, inside the mask, I do care about you." She smiled as she drew back. "Now, I really must call Sydney and Broots."
"Okay." Jarod said, sighing. He didn't know what he had wanted her to say. Maybe all he had really wanted was to know whether or not she thought about him the same way he thought about her. He turned over on to his side and closed his eyes. Miss Parker watched him for a second, before heading for the phone.
* * *
Two weeks later, Jarod was up and moving. He could do everything that he had been able to do before this whole incident started. He was living at Miss Parker's house. Sydney and Broots visited as often as they could. They had to be careful, though, because the Centre was still looking for Jarod. It had all its spies on the lookout for him. Miss Parker and the others didn't want the Centre's eyes drawn to her house.
Jarod was also getting restless. He hated putting his friends in danger. He knew he needed to go. There was no reason for him to stay. His shoulder was better and he was no longer in a coma. So, one night, two weeks after he woke up, he called a meeting of himself, Miss Parker, Sydney, and Broots.
"Good evening." He said once everyone had gotten settled down in Miss Parker's living room. He smiled at them all. "The reason why I have called this meeting is to discuss me." That brought some laughter from his friends. Jarod laughed, too, but then went back to being serious. "I am a danger to you all if I stay here. So, I am going to leave. I will go back to trying to find my family." Silence dominated the room. No one could believe their ears. Especially Miss Parker.
"Leave? Jarod, you can't." Broots said. "If you leave, the Centre might find you again."
"That is the risk I must take. What if the Centre finds me here? You all could loose your lives. I am not willing to allow that to happen. Tomorrow morning I leave. End of story."
"Jarod, if you leave, Miss Parker has to go back to the Centre." Sydney said quietly. A fight started inside Jarod's head. He couldn't allow Parker to go back. He couldn't! But, then, he couldn't stay. He was safer moving around than staying in one place all the time.
"Go." Miss Parker said. Everyone glanced at her in surprise. "Go, Jarod. You are right. It is safer for you to move around than for you to stay here. I will go back to the Centre."
"But." Jarod tried, but he was stopped by the look in Parker's eyes.
"You must go. There are no other options. Are we all in agreement?" Reluctantly, all four heads nodded. "Good. Tomorrow, Jarod leaves."
* * *
The day dawned bright and cheery. It was too cheery for Miss Parker. She did not want Jarod to leave. It felt so right to have him with her. She sighed as she watched Jarod pack a few things. Sydney and Broots had to work, so they had said their good-byes last night. Now, all that was left was for Miss Parker to say her good-bye.
In silence, both Miss Parker and Jarod walked to the front door. Jarod opened it and stepped outside. Miss Parker followed him. It was a gorgeous day. But, Miss Parker could not enjoy the beauty. Her heart was heavy. Tears fell down her face. Jarod looked at her, tears also coming down his face.
"Don't cry, Parker. I will be fine and you will see me again. I promise you that." He reached over and gave her a big hug. She laid her head on his shoulder. Oh, how right all this felt.
'I don't want you to go." She hesitated for one second, before throwing caution to the wind. "I love you." Jarod stepped back stunned. He didn't think Miss Parker could ever love him. A smile spread slowly across his face.
"I love you, too." He pulled her close. Tilting her chin up, he placed a kiss lightly on her lips. "I love you more than everything. Don't ever forget that."
"I won't." She whispered. Jarod took a step back, releasing his hold on her.
"Good-bye, Parker." With that, he walked down the steps and vanished into the distance. Miss Parker fell to the ground in tears.
Chapter 10: Hiding
"And so you keep it on the down-low
Hiding all the secrets that are down below"
Miss Parker turned from the door slowly. Had she just heard what she thought she had just heard? She looked over at Jarod who was lying on the couch. His eyes were open and it looked like he was trying to make the ceiling come into focus.
"Parker?" He whispered again. "Are you there?" Miss Parker wanted to jump for joy. Jarod was alive and he had come out of the coma. She walked over to him, smiling.
"Yes, I am here. How are you feeling?" She gently laid a hand on his arm. He smiled and looked up at her.
"I feel like I got run over by a dozen dump trunks. My head is killing me. What happened? Why am I at your house?" He looked up at her curiously.
"It's a long story, Jarod. But, first, what is the last thing you remember?" Jarod thought about it for a moment.
"I remember running toward you, praying you wouldn't shoot me. The last thing I remember is feeling pain go through my shoulder and screaming 'no'."
"You didn't scream 'no' out loud, because I didn't hear you. You must have thought it in your head." Jarod cocked his head as he thought about it.
"Perhaps you are right. My memory is really fuzzy. But, that is the last thing I remember. What happened after that? Why am I here instead of at the Centre?"
"Well, here's what happened." Miss Parker explained as briefly as she could all the events that had taken place during the past three weeks. Jarod was shocked and amazed at what his friends had done for him. He knew the risk they had all taken to rescue him, especially Miss Parker. If her father found out, he would kill her or worse.
"So, that is what happened." Miss Parker concluded. She paused and thought about something for a moment. "You know, I really should call Sydney and Broots. They would be so happy to hear that you are awake." Jarod nodded his head. He knew they both would be jumping for joy to hear about him waking up. As Miss Parker turned away, Jarod reached out and grabbed her hand.
"Parker, why? Why would you help me? You don't even like me. Why? Just tell me why."
"Because, Jarod, I do like you. I have to wear a mask for the Centre. They need to think I hate you. But, inside the mask, I do care about you." She smiled as she drew back. "Now, I really must call Sydney and Broots."
"Okay." Jarod said, sighing. He didn't know what he had wanted her to say. Maybe all he had really wanted was to know whether or not she thought about him the same way he thought about her. He turned over on to his side and closed his eyes. Miss Parker watched him for a second, before heading for the phone.
* * *
Two weeks later, Jarod was up and moving. He could do everything that he had been able to do before this whole incident started. He was living at Miss Parker's house. Sydney and Broots visited as often as they could. They had to be careful, though, because the Centre was still looking for Jarod. It had all its spies on the lookout for him. Miss Parker and the others didn't want the Centre's eyes drawn to her house.
Jarod was also getting restless. He hated putting his friends in danger. He knew he needed to go. There was no reason for him to stay. His shoulder was better and he was no longer in a coma. So, one night, two weeks after he woke up, he called a meeting of himself, Miss Parker, Sydney, and Broots.
"Good evening." He said once everyone had gotten settled down in Miss Parker's living room. He smiled at them all. "The reason why I have called this meeting is to discuss me." That brought some laughter from his friends. Jarod laughed, too, but then went back to being serious. "I am a danger to you all if I stay here. So, I am going to leave. I will go back to trying to find my family." Silence dominated the room. No one could believe their ears. Especially Miss Parker.
"Leave? Jarod, you can't." Broots said. "If you leave, the Centre might find you again."
"That is the risk I must take. What if the Centre finds me here? You all could loose your lives. I am not willing to allow that to happen. Tomorrow morning I leave. End of story."
"Jarod, if you leave, Miss Parker has to go back to the Centre." Sydney said quietly. A fight started inside Jarod's head. He couldn't allow Parker to go back. He couldn't! But, then, he couldn't stay. He was safer moving around than staying in one place all the time.
"Go." Miss Parker said. Everyone glanced at her in surprise. "Go, Jarod. You are right. It is safer for you to move around than for you to stay here. I will go back to the Centre."
"But." Jarod tried, but he was stopped by the look in Parker's eyes.
"You must go. There are no other options. Are we all in agreement?" Reluctantly, all four heads nodded. "Good. Tomorrow, Jarod leaves."
* * *
The day dawned bright and cheery. It was too cheery for Miss Parker. She did not want Jarod to leave. It felt so right to have him with her. She sighed as she watched Jarod pack a few things. Sydney and Broots had to work, so they had said their good-byes last night. Now, all that was left was for Miss Parker to say her good-bye.
In silence, both Miss Parker and Jarod walked to the front door. Jarod opened it and stepped outside. Miss Parker followed him. It was a gorgeous day. But, Miss Parker could not enjoy the beauty. Her heart was heavy. Tears fell down her face. Jarod looked at her, tears also coming down his face.
"Don't cry, Parker. I will be fine and you will see me again. I promise you that." He reached over and gave her a big hug. She laid her head on his shoulder. Oh, how right all this felt.
'I don't want you to go." She hesitated for one second, before throwing caution to the wind. "I love you." Jarod stepped back stunned. He didn't think Miss Parker could ever love him. A smile spread slowly across his face.
"I love you, too." He pulled her close. Tilting her chin up, he placed a kiss lightly on her lips. "I love you more than everything. Don't ever forget that."
"I won't." She whispered. Jarod took a step back, releasing his hold on her.
"Good-bye, Parker." With that, he walked down the steps and vanished into the distance. Miss Parker fell to the ground in tears.