Chapter 3
Thursday night was date night. Jack had started the tradition a few years ago, trying to create a better relationship with his daughter. Since then it had seemed to work, since the two of them were closer than Parker and her mother had ever been.
The girl was just clipping a pink flowered barrette into her haystack blonde hair when the doorbell rang. Knowing who it was, she called down the hall that it was open. Soon after she heard the front door swing open, and the sound of her father's feet entering the house.
"Hi Daddy!" she exclaimed emerging from her bedroom, and entering the living room. She leaned over the couch, where Jack had settled, and gave her father a kiss on the cheek. "I thought we could go to dinner, and a movie tonight. Sound good?" she told him, not really caring whether he agreed or not. She always picked the date.
'Of course it sounds great," Jack told his daughter, standing up from his place on the couch. He handed her her coat, and head out toward the car.
"Sam, why do you love me?" Laura asked her boyfriend staring up at him from her spot on his lap.
"Because you're perfect," he answered without thought. It was a question he knew the answer to better then he knew his own name. Laura smiled at him, and snuggled closer against his chest.
'"What if I got fat, and shaved my head?" she asked playfully, "Would you still love me then?"
"Of course I would, because then being fat, and bald would be the picture of perfection." Sam told the brunette, running his hands trough her long hair, watching it fan out on his leg.
'Do you think will be together forever?" she answered him more seriously this time. Sam didn't answer, just kissed her, and that was enough assurance for her.
Suddenly he pulled back with a huge smile breaking across his face.
"What's so funny, Sam Hall," She demanded.
Sam smiled at her, and with a devious look in his eye asked her, "Do you wanna go out back?"
The movie was fairly empty considering it was a Thursday night, and Parker found that her favorite spot, middle seat back row, was empty. She head down to her spot and flopped into her seat, pulling her legs up on the seat in front of her.
"These are my seats," she announced to no one in particular.
Jack looked over at his daughter, and rolled his eyes. Parker glanced over at him, and nudged his arm. "Go on Daddy, mark your seat."
Jack hesitated for a moment, then finally slide his shoes off, and placed them on the chair, praying on one would want to sit there.
Parker made herself comfortable in her seat, and retrieved a bottle of sour candy from her bag.
"You want some?" she asked her father, offering him the blue liquid. Jack shuddered, and waved his hand dismissively. Parker, who was oblivious to his gesture, continued to drop the candy down her throat.
Suddenly Parker's mouth dropped open, as a young man, settled into the seat in front of her. She stared in horror as he dismissed her feet, and made himself comfortable in the chair.
Parker leaned forward, and lightly tapped the man on the shoulder. "Excuse me, "she said as calmly as she was able.
"Yeah," he replied turning to face the blonde.
"You're in my seat," she informed him, unaware of how dumb she sounded.
Jack looked over from his seat, and gawked in disbelief at his daughter, and her newest conquest. Was her seat really worth starting a fight over?
The customer looked her in the eye, and more slowly then he needed to replied, "No, you're sitting in your seat."
Parker let out a laugh, and patted him on the shoulder, "No, you don't understand." She flashed him a bright smile. "I need to have two seats in order to be comfortable."
The man was won over by her smile. "Well," he said attempting to do more then keep her happy, "why don't you come sit by me, and we can both be very comfortable."
"No, I need to sit up here," she told him. "With my dad," she added the last part just to weird him out.
Right on cue, the man paled, and quickly turned away, desperately trying to end the conversation with the girl. Parker was not the kind of person to just drop things, especially when it was something she wanted. Parker carefully lifted her feet back up onto the seat, and shoved her toes into his hair, massaging his scalp. The man leaned back, enjoying the feeling.
Jack sat quietly, watching his daughter seduce the man. Trying to process what his little girl was doing. His daughter soon leaned forward, and whispered in the guy's ear," Hey, why don't you come sit back here with me." Within seconds, the stranger had jumped over the back of the seat, and snuggled into the chair next to Parker. She reached around his neck, and continued to massage the back of his head, blue eyes never leaving the screen.
The lights dimmed, and a trailer for a new movie began to run on the screen. The girl stared fascinated by the story of a plane crashing in the desert, when suddenly she let out a squeal.
"O my God!" she squeaked, to the annoyance of much of the audience, " Is that Dennis Quaid? I love Dennis Quaid! Daddy, don't you love Dennis Quaid."
Jack smiled over at his daughter, "Yeah, he is pretty cool."
Laura stared at her face in the mirror. It was raw from the constant scrubbing. It had been an hour since Sam had driven her home, and she was finally giving up, and going to bed. It had been around ten when Sam had dropped her off, and her mother was already in her room. Laura was thankful she didn't have to provide an explanation to her mother, because she didn't thinks he would have be able to come up with a story. Taking on last look in the mirror, she gave herself and awkward smile, the online of a moustache still around her mouth.
The memories of this afternoon were still a blur, and she doubt she would ever recall the entire day. It still seemed surreal that her friend had drugged her. Sam was furious with his sister for what she had done, but she wished he would just let it go. While now she felt miserable, for a little while at least she had felt so free, and lighthearted. It was a feeling that she hadn't felt in a while, and one that she was determined to get back. She knew that Sam was going to talk to Parker about what happened, and she prayed he wouldn't be to harsh. She knew she would never have hurt her, or at least not on purpose.
"What did we just watch?" Parker asked her father, sliding into the booth at the ice cream parlor they had decided to stop at. "I mean, seriously, was that Independence Day?"
"I know," Jack Hall laughed, "I kept waiting for the giant green lizard to show up, and eat everybody."
"The Forgotten," Parker said, "That was a movie I would like to forget. The only good part was the music."
Jack laughed openly at his daughter. When she loved something; it was all she talked about for days. When she hated it; she ripped it to shreds. He watched her innocently licking her rainbow sherbet, and thought back to his favorite memories of his daughter. It was when she was four, and he had gone to California on a business trip. He had finally managed to convince her mother to let him take her to Disneyland. They spent to entire day collecting autographs from the various characters.
"So, how long have you know Jason," Parker said, drawing her father out of his trance.
"A few years," he told her, "He's like a son to me."
"Oh, so you like him a lot then?" she said sounded overeager.
"Yeah, of course," he answered skeptically, "Parker where are you going with this?"
"Well, you see, we had lunch together the other day, and I had a great time. I was thinking of asking him out sometime," she explained, neglecting to add that they were already seeing each other.
"What about that guy in the movies?" Jack asked quickly, "You seemed pretty into him." Jack attempted to get his daughter's mind of Jason. It wasn't that he didn't like Jason, it was just that he hated to the thought of his daughter dating his co-worker, especially one that was six years older than her.
"Oh, him," Parker relied hesitantly, slipping out of the booth, "I was just using sex to get what I wanted.
Jack stared blankly at his daughter. She had always been this way, bluntly honest. It amazed Jack that she could be so open, and not get embarrassed. It was a trait she always possessed and one that must have inherited from her mother.
"That's just what you father wants to here," he said with a half-joking tone in his voice.
Parker just smiled and let out a giggle. "You know Daddy, A lot of people want to get with this. But it has been awhile since anyone has."
Jack rolled his eyes, and wrapped his arm around his daughter. "You're my little princess," he told her, kissing her on the forehead, " No one is supposed to be getting with you."
Parker's house was completely dark when Sam arrived. He let himself in, and seated himself on the couch, waiting for his sister to return home. Never in his life had he been so upset, as he was now. He still could not believe that she had been so stupid. Sam had spent the better part of the evening trying to comfort Laura while she was recovering from this afternoon. Now that he knew she was home safe, he could finally confront his sister about her actions.
Sam stood up when he saw headlights sweep through the front window, and watched as Parker slide out of the car, and headed to the front door.
"Hey little brother, "she called into the house, dropping her purse on the table by the door. She made her way to the kitchen, Sam following. "What's up?"
"We need to talk," Sam said seriously. Parker continued her search for a midnight snack, and retrieved a package for organic popcorn from the cabinet.
"Is Laura pregnant?" she asked, placing the bag in the microwave, and pressing the button. Sam looked at her; she seemed unfazed by the question she had just asked her brother.
"No, of course not," he told the blonde, adding silently to himself, " Yeah, because we haven't done it yet."
"O that's good," she dismissed the subject entirely, and continued to stare at the microwave.
"Listen, Parker," Sam started again, "About this afternoon..."
"What about it?" she asked, "Are you mad I didn't invite you to McDonalds?"
"Parker," he said, more forcefully, "I was thinking more about how stupid you were acting."
"Me? Acting dumb? Did you see your girlfriend?" she replied, utterly confused.
"That's what I am talking about!" Sam shouted, "Do you have any clue how stupid what you did was!"
"Sam, What is your problem?" Parker asked, looking at her brother.
"My problem?" he said almost laughing, "Well lets see. Could it be the fact that you let our eight-year-old blind brother drive, or maybe it is the fact that you drugged my girlfriend? See Parker you just don't ...." Sam stopped. He could hear the popping getting louder in the background, and sensed Parker's attention drift toward her snack. Sam crossed the kitchen, and ripped the bag out of the microwave. He swore under his breath as the bag burned his hand, and flung it across the room.
'Sam!" Parker shrieked, horrified by the person he brother had become. It the years since they had met she had never seen him like this. He had almost been calm, and never lost his temper.
"Damn it, Parker!" he continued to yell at his sister. "You just don't understand. You are so caught up in your own little world you don't care about anyone else. Laura, or Peter, or even all three of you could have been seriously hurt today."
"I didn't think...' she tried to reply, but Sam cut her off.
"That the thing Parker, you never think. The only person you concern yourself with is you. Sometimes you are just that dumb." Sam could see his sister's eyes start to tear up, but he could stop himself. "You are just so dumb, and selfish, and I just don't get you, Parker. You never care about anyone but yourself. You float through life looking for people to take advantage of, never stopping to think who might get hurt in the process."
By now Parker was in tears, and Sam knew he had been too harsh.
"I can't believe you would say something like that," she cried trying to break down anymore, "You know I'm not like that."
Sam tried to say something to take back what he said, but it was to late. Parker had already headed out the door, and took off down the street into the night.
Sorry it took forever to post this Chapter, ans sorry if it sucks. My computer had a meltdown, and I lost everything I had written. We know all about that don't we Sparky! So anyway, check out The Great Hamster Massacre, by me and Sparky on our joint account. (PIMPSparkyL.B.)