Chapter 2

"Parker! Are you home?" Laura called from the doorway, glancing around the home.

"Yeah, in the kitchen!" Parker hollered back.

Laura made her way across the living room to the tiny kitchen in the back of the house. Parker looked up from where she was attempting to make a smoothie, and smiled at her brother's girlfriend. As much as her brother annoyed her with his obsession of this girl, she was genuinely pleased whenever Laura stopped by.

"Hey," Parker greeted her, turning off the blender, "You want some smoothie?" Without waiting for a response, she took two cups down from the cabinet and poured the pink mixture into them. Sliding the cup across the counter to the teen, she pulled up a stool, and took her seat.

"What's up?" she asked giving Laura a huge smile.

"Nothing much, what's new with you?" Laura asked giving Parker a grin, and raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," the blonde replied stirring her drink with her straw.

"Are you sure?" Laura prodded, "Nothing in the relationship department?"

"O yeah, that," Parker told, now aware of she was hunting for.

"Yeah, that!" Laura exclaimed, swatting at Parker, "I can't believe you didn't tell me! I'm like your best friend." Laura had a point. Every since the storm, Parker and Laura had become close, due to the fact that there were no other girls they knew around. "So come on, tell me what happened."

Parker sighed, "Where did you even hear about that?" she asked, knowing that she hadn't told anyone.

"Sam told me," Laura informed her, "Jason told him. I think it was more to freak him out. I believe his direct quote was 'Hey, I hit it with your sister."

Parker shook her head, "Men," she mumbled and Laura nodded in agreement. Laura still looked at her with wide eyes, waiting for more information. Finally after several minutes, Parker spilled what had happened.

"So did you, you know?" the brunette asked, eager for more gossip.

"No!" Parker exclaimed, "I had just met the guy. I'm not that big of a whore."

"So what you done it yet?" Laura asked, still prying for details.

"It's only been three days, kiddo," Parker told her, smiling but still shaking her head.

"When are you going to tell Jack and Lucy?" Laura quizzed her, obviously not letting up on the details.

"I don't know, when is Sam going to meet your mom?" Parker retorted.

Instantly Laura's face fell. "I don't know, my mom hasn't really been interested in my life, since well you know." Laura stared down at her cup, and tried not to meet Parker's eyes. Every time she thought of her family life, she began to cry; she couldn't help it. Laura knew she needed to move on, but the pain was still too fresh in her mind.

"It still hurts, doesn't it?" Parker asked, reaching over, and taking her hand. "I know it does, I still miss my mom, and it's been three years since she ran off."

"I just still can't believe she is gone forever," Laura wept, burying her face in her hands. "I mean my entire life was turned upside down that day. My mom is so distant, and I have no idea where my dad is. He could be dead to for all I know." Parker tired to comfort her friend, but she was beside herself. "I mean I was so mean to her," Laura continued, "I can't remember the last time I told Tessa I loved her. I was so hateful of her, but I never thought that she was acting out, because she was as lost as I was." Tears continued to flow from Laura's huge brown eyes, the whites turning red.

Parker got up from her spot, and crossed over to Laura engulfing her into a hug. "Shh!" Parker cooed, stoking her friend's hair, and trying to calm her the Parker's mom used to soothe her. "Sweetie, I know, you don't believe me now, but it will get easier. Just remember you have me, and you have Sam. He would do anything for you, and you know that. I have never seen him love anybody as much as he loves you. Not even that weird girl with the uni-brow, which he swore he was going to marry. Please don't tell him I told you that, I don't think he knows I know."

A smile broke across Laura's face, and she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I just don't know how this will ever get better," she told Parker.

Suddenly Parker stood up, and began to rummage around one of the cabinets in the kitchen. After a moment, she retrieved a small bottle, and dumped a few pills from it. "Here, "she said, handing the pills to Laura, "Take these, and they will help you relax, at least for a little while."

Laura studied the pills that lay in her hand, "Are you giving me drugs?" Laura asked in shock.

Parker shock her head rapidly, "No of course not," she assured her, "Its an herbal supplement, it has chamomile in it." Laura's blank look lead Parker to continue, "It will help you relax, I swear, I use it all the time."

Laura looked from her friend to the pill, and back to her friend. Finally after deciding that a relief wouldn't hurt, she swallowed the pills, along with the glass of water that Parker had set in front of her.

A half an hour later, Laura lay sleeping on the couch, and Parker wandered around wishing she would wake up. Eventually deciding that Laura was passed out for a while, she flopped down on the couch beside her unconscious friend, and turn on the T.V. No sooner had she decided on Jerry Springer, the phone rang. Parker jumped for it hoping it was someone fun.

"Hello," she said into the receiver.

"Parker?" a voice came from the other end, "Its Lucy."

"Hey mom," she grumbled falling back on to the couch, not even disturbing Laura.

"Honey, I need to run to the hospital, "Lucy informed her stepdaughter, "Could you please watch Peter."

Parker sighed, "I guess, I mean I'm not doing anything."

"O thank you sweetie, I will drop him off in a second," Lucy said.

"Alright, see you then," Parker replied trying to figure out what to do with the almost blind kid for a few hours. Within ten seconds of hanging up the phone, the doorbell rang. Parker, puzzled, when to open it, and was shocked to find Peter standing on her front step.

"How'd you get here so quick," she asked the bald child.

"We were sitting in front of your house when we called," he informed her, and Parker rolled her eyes. Parker turned and head into the house, and returned to her program. Peter followed her, and stood in front of the T.V.

'What can I do?" Peter asked, tugging on her arm.

"I don't know," Parker told him irritated that he was coming between her and the love of her life, Steve. "Just watch T.V"

"But I can't see it," Peter whined, "I'm blind!"

"Peter, don't lie to me!" his sister to scolded him. "You know very well that you are not completely blind, I see you looking at those story books all the time."

"I can just barely see the pictures, I just remember the stories," he tried to explain. "I can't tell what's on the T.V. "

"Well read a book then," Parker snipped.

" I didn't bring any," he complained. Parker sighed, and studied the kid.

"What am I to do with a blind kid for three hours," Parker wondered aloud. Peter sighed, and began to beat his feet against the couch.

"Shhhhh!" Parker hissed, "You're gonna wake Laura." Suddenly the idea light bulb went of in her head. "Hey Peter, go get me a sharpie from the kitchen," she told him, and he opened his mouth to protest, but decided against it, and clumsily made his way to the kitchen. After a few minutes for painful searching, Peter stumbled across the pen.

"Found it," he proclaimed loudly, and handed her the pen.

"Excellent!" Parker giggled, "Now watch this." Peter watched as she began to draw a moustache across Laura's mouth. Next she colored in the space between her eyebrows, and finally after much thought scribbled the on her forehead, "For a goodtime take me out back."

Peter was chuckling to himself, carefully watching his sister draw on her friend. Finally Parker stood up, and looked at her work. "So, What do ya think?" she asked Peter. He leaned close the sleeping girl, and smiling told her he loved it. "Great," she said, capping the pen," What should we do now?"

"I don't know," Peter told her, "You think of something fun." Parker thought for a moment, and after a few minutes decided that she was hungry.

"You wanna go get something to eat?" she asked her brother.

"Sure, can we go to McDonalds?" Peter asked, and Parker desperate to get out of the house, agreed despite her health food kick.

"Ok, let me get some money, and we'll go, okay?" she told him. A few minutes later Parker returned and threw the car keys at Peter. "You wanna drive?" she asked.

"I'm only eight," he told her, "Not to mention, I'm blind."

Parker just rolled her eyes, "Stop making excuses, you'll get anywhere that way."

Peter looked at warily, and then replied, "Ok, I guess I'll drive."

Suddenly Laura sat up, looking dazed, "I want to go," she said, and headed out to the car. Parker gave a puzzled look to Peter, and followed her to the car. Once inside, Peter sat behind the wheel, and waited for some instruction from Parker.

"Ok, just turn the car on, and put in reverse," she instructed him, but he just sat there. "Well what are you waiting for?"

From the back seat Laura squealed, "Make it fast, blind man, real fast!"

Still Peter remained still, finally he admitted to Parker, "I can't see where reverse is."

"O boy," she sighed, "This is going to be an adventure."

Sam Hall almost had a heart attack, when his sister came flying into the driveway almost hitting him. His heart actually stopped when he saw that his older sister was not driving the car, but instead his blind younger brother. The car came to a halt in the driveway, inches away from hitting the wall, and Sam could feel his irritation growing. Before he could say anything, however, the back door flung open, and Laura jumped out of the car.

"Sam!" she cried running toward him, and jumping into his arms, sending him stumbling backward. "I love you!" she exclaimed kissing him. Sam was caught off guard by his girlfriend's behavior, but he then caught site of the writing across her face.

"Darling, what happened to you?" Sam asked looking past her toward his sister who innocently heading toward the house.

"I was sad," Laura slurred. "But Parker made me happy," added in a sing-song voice, with a huge smile on her face. "You know what else would make me happy Sam?" she whispered, "I think you do."

'"Laura, sweetie, why don't you head inside, and I'll be in in a minute," he told her, and she nodded heading towards the door.

Once Laura had started to head off, Sam turned and grabbed his sister's arm, whipping her around. "What the hell did you give her," he hissed.

Parker wriggled free from his grasp, "Just an herbal supplement," she lied.

Sam clearly saw through her, "Parker, don't screw with me now."

"Vicaden," she mumbled staring at the ground.

"Good Lord," he almost shouted, "What were you thinking? O that's right, you weren't. Just like you weren't when you decided to let Peter drive. I mean seriously, Parker, do you..." He was cut short when he saw Laura collapse on the sidewalk where she had been singing Ashlee Simpson, and dancing drunkenly. "I'm not finished with you," he told her, heading off to pick up his girlfriend.

"Whatever Dad," she mumbled, and watched him walk off.

"Sam, what happened?" Laura asked meekly from her spot on the Hall's couch.

"Shh!" Sam whispered, stroking her head, "You just got a little sick."

"O yeah," she replied, "Was I really gross?"

"No, of course not," Sam told her kissing her forehead. She smiled, and tried to sit. She barely lift her head off the pillow, when the swirling and pain came crashing back, and she had to lay back down. Laura could feel the nausea coming back, and struggled to keep her stomach from revolting. Her stomach had a mind of its own, and she bolted for the bathroom.

To Laura throwing up was one of the worst things imaginable. However it was ten times worse doing it in front of someone you love. Sam however made no show out of her being sick, and simply took her face in his hand, and wiped her mouth. She tried to smile again, but felt her stomach lurch. She leaned for the toilet, and Sam grabbed her long hair, holding it back. He left for only a second to get a damp rag to wipe her face. Finally her stomach settled, and she leaned back resting her head on his chest.

"I'm so sorry Sam," she mumbled.

He cradled her head against him. "You didn't do anything wrong," he told her and kissed her lightly on the mouth.

"Do I look horrible, Sam?" she asked quietly, trying hard to cry from exhaustion.

"You've never looked more beautiful," he told her, and Laura knew she had never loved him more.

Well, that's chapter two. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Please review, and let me know what you think. –L.B.