BY VERY DEFINITION

23. Pressing Interaction

Parker made her way to school a little slow the next day. As she approached the doors through the parking lot Kurt had already crawled out of the dumpster and was waiting for her, half perched on the opening. Without saying anything, Parker went to him and offered her hand, helping him down.

"Hey, Parker." He said as he jumped down next to her, slinging his bag back on over his shoulder, "How was the service?"

"Nice." Parker shrugged, "I didn't completely mess up the song, so I figure that's a good thing."

"What about Tate?"

"He didn't mess up either." Parker answered. Kurt raised his eyebrows and she realized that hadn't been what he meant. She slammed the palm of her hand against her forehead, "Oh! Sorry. Um...he drove me home and then he had to stay for dinner."

"How did that go?"

"Rhonda adores him, and James tolerates him because he's not in Glee Club."

"Did he get beat up by a bunch of Glee kids when he was younger?" Kurt asked in wonder. Parker did a palms-up don't know gesture. "Did he like getting to eat with Quinn?" Kurt continued. The corner of his friend's mouth tipped up the tiniest bit.

"He was okay with it." She said smugly, Kurt studied her for a moment, noting the victorious look in her eyes.

"What's with the look?" He demanded.

"I think he likes me." Parker bit her lip, afraid to be hopeful.

"Puh." Kurt snorted, "I could have told you that!"

"But you didn't." Parker narrowed her eyes and gave him a sidelong glance.

"Looking at this technically," Kurt started, stopping and grabbing Parker's shoulders. He turned her to face him as he explained, "First time you ever meet him is because you got nailed in the face with a basketball and he had to help you clean up. He accidentally blows it by showing interest in one of your best friends. Next, he sees you around a little more and watches you sing and Cheerios practice. Then, he invites you somewhere and you say you can't go due to some recent disaster. He, instead of going to have fun, decides to stay and help pick up your pieces. He helps you with your problems, goes to a memorial service with a sullen, depressed version of you and then stays around for dinner. He's been helping you out since day one."

"Your point is...?" Parker squinted.

"He likes you." Kurt concluded simply, "He wouldn't do all of that if he didn't."

"Oh, gosh." Parker pressed her hands to her cheeks suddenly, "We're not even dating and I'm already high maintenance!"

"And that's okay." Kurt laughed, trying to assure her, "Some guys like to be a hero, you know? They like having someone to take care of. And I know that you of all people really need that." His gaze rested on her gloves for several moments. Parker followed his gaze and became seriously.

"That's not something I want help with." She informed him soberly.

"For now." Kurt said, walking off before Parker could reply.

June Harrison warily eyed the Cheerio uniform that had been in the seat next to her for a couple of weeks now. Not so long ago Parker had been the nobody that Mr. Schuester had sent to sit next to her. Then she was the nobody that joined Glee club, then the girl that slushied Lemsky's face. All of her previous reputations (except for the slushy one) had been thrown into the wind of oblivion when she joined the Cheerios, effectively conquering the school. Every day Parker Evans seemed to become more popular, and every day the Glee Club statues seemed to rise. June didn't like it. And she was ready to declare war. With budgets getting cut left and right as it was, something was about to get a major pay slash, and it wouldn't be the Drama Club.

"What made you want to join the Cheerios?" She finally asked her deskmate as Mr. Schuester announced work time.

"A few things." Parker shrugged, "More time with friends, more time singing. Stuff like that."

"You haven't really said much lately." June pointed out.

"I know. Some things have been going on and I'm just trying to get through it." Parker tried to return to her work, but June made it difficult.

"I heard that Quinn had her baby."

"She came back to school yesterday." Parker confirmed.

"What'd she do with it?" June pressed.

"She's in a good home. I don't really feel like talking right now, okay?" The redhead replied more firmly.

"Whatever." Her companion snorted. Parker turned in her seat to look her in the eyes.

"What is with you?" She demanded.

"Me? Nothing. It's..." June trailed off. Parker crossed her arms and watched her expectantly, "It's your stupid club, okay? Celebrating teen pregnancy and freakishness."

"Differences." Parker corrected.

"Whatever." June repeated with the wave of her hand, "They're cutting my funding for you. None of you respect the other arts."

"That's not true." The Cheerio said defensively.

"What's Quinn doing now?"

"She's back on the Cheerios, she missed it." June looked at her without expression, "Stop looking at me like that." Parker narrowed her eyes.

"Why?" June challenged.

"You're bugging me." Parker muttered as she turned her face away.

"Everything okay over here?" Mr. Schuester asked, noticing Parker's expression from the front of the room and walking over.

"Of course." June answered, wide-eyed and innocent. Mr. Schue looked at her suspiciously, then looked at Parker.

"Parker?" He asked. Overhead, the ball rang, signaling the end of second hour.

"Fine." She grumbled as she collected her things and stood up. Mr. Schue watched her, unsatisfied with her obviously less-than-honest-answer. No sooner had Parker walked out of the classroom than she nearly ran into Tate Hanson.

"Hey." He said quickly, smiling widely.

"Hey." Parker answered, returning the smile halfheartedly, "Look, I'm still really sorry about them making you stay for dinner last night, you really didn't have to do that."

"I didn't have anything else to do." Tate broke off awkwardly as Parker raised an eyebrow. He hastily cleared his throat and tried again, "Anyway, I wanted to. And it was fun. And speaking of fun...I've thought about it."

"Thought about what?"

"About that thing I said yesterday. Tomorrow, we are going to lunch and a movie. No sadness, no death, no basketballs to the face."

"Do you think we can handle that?" Parker asked sarcastically.

"I'm sure it will be difficult." Tate answered, "But I think we can do it. So, if you want, I can pick you up around noon. And we can have the whole afternoon, just the two of us."

"What, like a..." Parker hesitated, "date?" The basketball player walking next to her did a double take.

"Well, sure. I mean, if you want. I was thinking that it would probably be...but, if you're not comfortable with that or maybe..." Tate looked in embarrassed as he rattled on.

"No." Parker cut him off, he looked at her nervously, "That's fine." He looked relieved.

"Great." He said, "I'll see you then." And he turned down a different hallway to get to class. Parker smirked to herself as she had to focus on not skipping down the hall to the auditorium, she had a few things she wanted to express.

"I think we're going somewhere.
We're on to something good here.
Out of mind, out of state.
Trying to keep my head on straight.
I think we're going somewhere.
We're on to something good here.
There's only one thing left to do.
Drop all I have and go with you.

Somewhere back there I left my worries all behind.
My problems fell out of the back of my mind.
We're going and I'm never knowing (never knowing) where we're going.
To go back to where I was would just be wrong.
I'm pressing on.
Pressing on, all my distress is going, going, gone. Pressing on, pressing on
And I won't sit back, and take this anymore.
'Cause I'm done with that, I've got one foot out the door.
And to go back where I was would just be wrong
I'm pressing on.

I think we're going somewhere.
We're on to something good here.
Out of mind, out of state.
Trying to keep my head on straight.
I think we're going somewhere.
We're on to something good here.
Adversity, we get around it.

Searched for joy, in you I found it.
Somewhere back there I left my worries all behind.
My problems fell out of the back of my mind.
We're going and I'm never knowing (never knowing) where we're going.
To go back to where I was would just be wrong.
I'm pressing on.
Pressing on, all my distress is going, going, gone. Pressing on, pressing on
And I won't sit back, and take this anymore.
'Cause I'm done with that, I've got one foot out the door.
And to go back where I was would just be wrong
I'm pressing on.

You look down on me, but you don't look down on me at all.
You smile and laugh, and I feel the love you have for me.
I think we're going somewhere.
We're on to something good here, and we're gonna make it after all."

Oh no! What's with another short chapter! I don't really know, I'm having a hard time getting the segments long enough to stand on their own because I don't want to put too many segments in one chapter. Working on it. Hopefully the next chapter will be better.

Song: "Pressing On" By Relient K. Parker seems to be becoming more upbeat.

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