Chapter 31

Summer Sun

…first day of summer

There used to be a time when Drake Parker anticipated summer. It meant no school

for three months. No worries about being sent to remedial English by Teacher 'nazi'

Mrs. Hafer, no comparing his answers to what his more academic minded brother

was writing in his notebook, and no having to get up at seven in the morning.

Rock stars did not stop until they were done rockin' the town inside out and they

never did their homework assignments.

It was a win-win. But that was pre-cancer, as most everything seemed to be in Drake

Parker's life these days.

He did the assignments that Josh brought home and despite some teacher's giving

him sympathy grades. Would Drake have ever received a B in history? Drake liked

to text message on his cell phone in Mr. Calvert's class. Despite the

good-naturedness of some of the Belleview High faculty, Drake in a rare state (it had

to be the drugs) almost wanted to go to Mrs. Hafer's house and thank in her person

for the C on his report card. Drake Parker actually made it to the twelfth grade and

really didn't care one way or the other about it. He felt like he had been on summer

vacation for the past few months.

A bad what could go wrong, would go wrong summer vacation, where Dad wouldn't

ask for directions and Mom would get angry at him wanting to stop every five miles to

use the rest room in a properly cleaned and sanitized rest area. Where Megan would

be pulling pranks on them in the family Honda. Where Josh would want to play

license plate bingo with the couldn't be bothered Drake. Then there was Emme

Jessica Watson the bright spot. (Well not in the beginning) The person you meet on

your vacation that suddenly makes it alive and interesting. The person that fate blows

its cruel whistle to signal that you have to part company with because they were from

Nebraska and they had to leave to go back home.

Thankfully, Emme's home and his were in the same city. They didn't have to worry

about saying their goodbye's promising to be pen pals or e-pals only to get a few

bits of correspondence before they become a "Whatever happened to?" memory.

Emme was here and apart from their bodies playing mean tricks on them and her

mother's alcoholism life was giving them a pretty good turn. She was spending the

afternoon at his house playing board games.

"Drake!" Emme snatched the dice out of his hand

"Hey!"

"No fair, you cheated. You rolled a five not a six. Just because I have cancer doesn't

mean I'm blind too."

She stuck out her tongue at him. It made him smile.

"I just wanted to see if you were paying attention, Miss Priss."

Drake would have been where he was last year, at the beach. Flirting it up with all the

bikini clad girls and leaving the place with more phone numbers and email

addresses than his brother had magic tricks. Looking into Emme's blue eyes the

only thing that could've made this day perfect would be if they were on the beach,

holding hands for a midnight stroll until they found a private place to make out in.

He didn't see why they couldn't go. If there was one thing Drake hated about cancer

was that it was so hit and miss. One day you felt good enough to eat all the food on

your plate and as long you didn't wear yourself out you could pretty much do what you

always did. Then there were days where you thought you wouldn't stop puking or

wishing the diarrhea would stop or you couldn't make it up a simple flight of stairs

because your legs wouldn't cooperate. The reason they were here playing board

games was because Emme had a slight bit of the sniffles but thankfully showed no

signs of a fever and Audrey thought it'd be best if they stayed inside. Had she known

this she'd have suggested that Drake go to her house instead. Audrey asked about

her mother and all Emme could say was the truth, "She won't stop drinking."

Audrey thought about going over there and to kick some sense into her new and now

pushed away (not by her choice) friend.

Her daughter needed her, but Drake in his unspoken not-wanting-to-be-

acknowledged-for-it way tried to not only be Emme's boyfriend, but tried to take the

place of her mother as well.

Drake told not one soul this he just kept it as his private thought.

If there was a God and only one of them could be spared. He wanted Emme to be

saved. He didn't care if it was the "right" thought to have or the gentlemanly thing.

Miss Priss deserved that chance to beat this disease and have her life back.

"Hmm, let me pick a card."

"You didn't land on a pick a card space."

Drake picked up a purple card and stuck out his tongue.

"What's the best way to shut your girlfriend up?"

The only way Drake Parker knew how.

"That's not what it says on the card," Emme laughed, "But have I told you that you are

an excellent kisser, Mr. Parker?"

Hundreds of girls did, but only one opinion mattered.

"I know. I have a way about me."

"Drake?"

"Yeah?"

"May I have a refill on the cranberry juice?"

"Of course. I don't know how you can drink it without 7-Up or Sprite mixed in. It's too

tart," Drake took the glass from her, "But you know I'm tangy."

"My gosh, you even wink sexy."

"I know, my dear, like I said I have that way about me."

Emme felt so good when she was around Drake that she literally wanted to kick

herself for putting that wall up with him. She didn't care, as mean as it was, about the

friends she let slip away—but if she never had the opportunity to know and love

Drake that would have been such a waste. Sometimes at night when she couldn't

sleep she made a bargain with the angels. If only one of them could survive their

cancer, she wanted it to be Drake.

Don Juanoma deserved that chance to beat this disease and have his life back.

"I'm back. Did you miss me?" Drake came back with one refill of cranberry juice for

Emme and a bottle of apple juice for himself. His Mother was in the kitchen cutting

out coupons and he didn't want to piss her off if he dare grabbed a can of Mocha

Cola out of the fridge.

"I did." Another kiss, this one a quick one on the cheek.

"Drake, would you be mad if I said I don't want to play this game anymore?"

"Not at all. What do you want to do?"

"I'd like to just cuddle up on the sofa and watch TV until Mrs. Martinez picks me up. If

that's okay?"

Damn Mom.

Drake stood up and extended his hand to help her up.

"It most certainly is."

Thank you, Emme, for making me realize

that I could love.

Author's Note: I finally did a written timeline and realized that give or take only 98

days passed in 30 chapters. I'm sure there are some topics that I'm spending too

much on and some not enough. But I do have a clear vision for where I want this

story to go.

Thanks to everyone especially to the girls on the list Allie, Midie, and Jillie. I

certainly don't want this story to end, but I do have a clear point to when that is

going to happen.

I'm sure others could've told this tale in four long chapters (one for each season),

but with the way I do long multi chaptered stories. I didn't want to insult the serious

subject matter by not treating this topic with care. I hope the storyline regarding

Mrs. Watson does not seem like a tacky soap opera device there is a reason for it

and not just an excuse to write unnecessary drama. All will be revealed in the

ending.

Which I have to admit, I don't think many will like, but it will be my opinion on how

this cancer and relationship with Emme affected Drake Parker. Thanks to

everyone who is reading this story and leaving your honest reviews it means a lot

to me.

P.S. I didn't realize there was a celebrity named Emma Watson. Had I known that

I'd have picked a different character name.