next update will be two weeks on wednesday. i have to miss a week due to personal commitments. please vote and comment in the meantime.
✧*̥˚ chapter five: all that you left behind *̥˚✧
The halls of Tree Hill High School was different to Parker on the following Monday morning. Though he was used to the occasional stare as he walked toward his locker, he seemed to have noticed that there were a lot more than there usually would be. He had his hands in his pockets, his backpack slung over his shoulders and a whole essay of confusion written all over his face.
"Parker," A familiar voice called from behind, and Parker turned to see Marcus smiling widely at him as he dramatically continued, "Guess who made headlines for... what is this, like the eighth time?" His grin grew wider when he captured the transition from confusion to surprise that lingered upon Parker's expression.
"We made headlines?" He asked, his smile widening as he genuinely felt joy knowing that their team had managed the front page news of Tree Hill. The last time a sports team from their school had made it to the front page was when the football team won the championships last year. Otherwise, it was at their own championships season.
"It's crazy, man," Marcus said, shaking his head in disbelief, "Can you believe it? We're only a month into the school year, and we're already making front page news. Just imagine the attention we'll have once the season kicks off." He leaned against the locker beside Parker's, the one that had still belonged to Jennifer for the moment. Parker's eyes glazed over with the thoughts of her as he noticed the locker before he tuned it all out.
He shrugged, "It's great, we just need to keep working hard and staying focused." Marcus furrowed his eyebrows, as Parker continued, "It is nice to know the whole team got on the front page though. That's an accomplishment all on its own." Both Marcus and him were aware of the individual players that managed to get the front cover after a game, but the whole team? It was rare. It is rare.
Which was why that actually wasn't the case, and why Marcus corrected Parker nonchalantly, "Think we're gonna have to wait till we win the championships for a whole team shoutout."
Parker furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Marcus pulled out a rolled up copy of the newspaper he picked up before he got to school from his backpack and opened it up, passing it over to Parker with a proud smile, "It wasn't just the whole team that got the front page, man. You were the main act of the show, the prodigy everyone forgot about until now."
Parker read through the first part of the newspaper before he rested his eyes on the image of him that they'd used. He'd been on the newspaper a couple times before though it's been a long while since he was the prime focus on the front page. The last couple of months, if they'd made it to the newspaper, his name would only be mentioned in acknowledgement of him being captain. They never usually even got his name right, though they did this time.
"Don't worry, I'll keep a copy for you to show your grandkids one day. Rising star shines in Raven's victory, and your face takes up half the page. Look, the team got a tiny picture in a column. I looked pretty good there, well, at least the back of my head did." Marcus had been so excited, so proud of the whole thing that he actually begun to softly take the newspaper away from Parker's hand to look at it again.
Parker smiled, just by seeing that Marcus was happy with that and that he was proud of him. He patted Marcus on the back and then shut his locker, making sure it was securely locked before he sighed and frowned.
At that, Marcus raised his eyebrows at him, "Wow, it must be nice to be so cool and collected about being a local celebrity. Personally, I'd be wearing sunglasses and a hat everywhere I go to avoid the paparazzi." He said sarcastically as he drifted off into his thoughts, as if he was contemplating it. Parker shook his head at him before taking a hold of Marcus' backpack which was still attached to him, and pulling him along to their homeroom.
Classes went by, one after another. First came AP Chem, then AP English, until it was finally lunchtime, and Parker found himself sitting outside at one of the lunch tables next to Marcus, scrolling through his phone. There wasn't anything particularly interesting on it. He was just tapping through stories on social media from the people he followed. One of them was Evelyn. She had posted a video of herself and her friends goofing around in one of the rooms designated for student body presidents and the student council.
Parker thought she looked really nice, rocking her usual stylish posh-like outfits, with her hair curled and her bright green eyes shining, subtly enhanced by eyeliner. She didn't seem unhappy or stressed or anything like that; in fact, she appeared to be genuinely enjoying herself. Parker lingered on her profile a little longer, scrolling through her recent posts, until he noticed Jamie's shadow falling over him.
With a huge smirk, Jamie said, "You've got to be kidding me. Are you seriously keeping an eye on two, no, three different girls this year? Is the newfound celebrity status getting to your head, Captain?"
Parker rolled his eyes at him, and then nudged Marcus when he heard him sniggering beside him, "I don't have time for relationships. You'd get it if you had finals coming up this year, but you don't because you're only a sophomore." He tilted his head at him with a sarcastic smile.
Jamie smiled back genuinely and sat beside him, taking out his lunch, "I get it, playing hard to get. It's a skill not everyone can master as easily as you."
"Not like you with Maddie?" Parker asked pointedly with a smirk, watching as Jamie blushed.
"That's different." Jamie muttered shyly and Parker simply nodded, accepting his answer. It was common knowledge that Jamie had feelings for Madison, and it was no secret that she felt the same way. But they always seemed cautious around each other, even when some of their friends would try to push them together. Yet, they managed to maintain their friendship no matter what.
Jamie started eating, taking out his phone to do the same thing that Parker did. After a few minutes, more of their friends gathered around the table, including some girls from their various social circles who they often saw during games or other events.
Madison, Hazel, and Lily were among them. They sat down, engaging in their own conversations. Occasionally, Lily would shoot Parker a glance and smile, and he would reciprocate. However, Jamie would notice and nudge him, warning him to keep his distance, "She's off-limits," he said protectively, still not looking directly at Parker, but rather glancing between his food and his phone nonchalantly.
"She's like a sister to me," Parker assured him.
Jamie gave Parker a nod before moving to talk to Madison, showing her something on his phone and engaging her in conversation.
As Parker looked around, he noticed that everyone was engrossed in their own conversations and that was when he spotted Jennifer sitting by herself on the grass, a sketch pad in her lap and a pencil in her hand as she leaned against a tree.
He thought about joining her.
Standing up from his spot, he let Marcus know that he was leaving before making his way over to her.
"Look who we have here," He announced with playful anticipation as he approached her. He saw her head lift, her eyes searching for the source of the voice. "The elusive artist, hidden away in her natural habitat," He continued, his tone dripping with melodramatic flair as his to-die-for smile lifted upon his face when she smiled up at him.
"Funny." She deadpanned, her smile still lingering.
Parker sat down in front of her on the grass, careful not to disturb her sketching materials. "Mind if I interrupt your creative genius for a moment?" He asked with mock seriousness, raising his eyebrows. Of course, he knew she wouldn't mind. "It's me, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man — Parker — here to bring some witty banter and questionable dance moves to your serene sketching session."
When she smiled so brightly at him and chuckled so perfectly, he had to stop and admire it.
"Heard you made the front page news, Spider-Man," she said, lifting up the folded newspaper that had been beside her sketching materials on the grass. Parker noticed that she had doodled on it, adding a mustache to his face and a couple of lines to emphasize the direction of the basketball toward the basket. He glanced back up at her with raised eyebrows and she blushed sheepishly. "Sorry, I got bored during Political Science, and your face was just at the right place at the wrong time."
Parker only chuckled and shook his head at her while taking the newspaper from her, "At least you made me look good," He countered with a small genuine smile. He caught her smiling back at him, looking into his eyes as though she wanted to see more than just what Parker was showing her, like she was trying to read him. He asked curiously, "So... what are you drawing?"
She glanced at her sketchbook and then handed it to him. Parker took it and gazed at the artwork, amazed by the meticulous level of detail she had put into it. It depicted the school and its students, capturing everything she could see around her. The drawing was so skillfully executed that Parker couldn't fathom how she managed to get it so perfect.
His eyes wandered up to the school building and the distant figures of his friends and the team, then back down to the book. "This is impressive. It looks like it belongs in an art gallery. How did you learn to draw like this?"
She blushed, looking down and fidgeting with her pencil before responding matter-of-factly, "YouTube." Parker gasped ever so lightly, his eyes slightly wide in disbelief.
"Have you ever considered publishing it?"
She raised her eyebrows and took the sketchbook back when Parker returned it to her. "They're not that good. It's just a hobby I do in my spare time."
Parker furrowed his brows immediately. "Not that good? It's beautiful," he stated. As he looked back at her, seeing her face filled with slight embarrassment at his compliment, he decided to change the subject to allow her some time to recover, understanding how it feels to be complimented but not knowing how to take it.
"What are you doing sitting here alone anyway? Has Finley annoyed you so much that you finally got rid of her?" He asked cheekily, watching as she laughed.
"She's stuck at the tutor centre," Jennifer explained softly before she fixated her gaze on him. She didn't want the conversation to end, or for there to be any chance of him leaving while she could talk to him so she asked, "So, how's it feel to be a celebrity? I have to know."
"Feels like cloud nine, if cloud nine had been the floor," Parker explained with a shy smile before he continued, "I'm disappointed that they didn't get my good side. I can't be a celebrity if they use a picture of me in freshman year looking like a literal stickman." Jennifer picked up the newspaper again, to look at the picture for reference before she let out a small laugh.
"I don't know, I think you look cute."
"You do?"
She paused for a moment, sensing that he was being playful when he smiled brightly at her, "You're letting it get to your head, aren't you?"
"Maybe." It was during their flirty exchange when Jennifer noticed something behind Parker's shoulder and he turned around to find Marcus who was trying to his attention - resorting to star jumps when the other students were looking at him weirdly, making them think he was exercising. Parker laughed as Jennifer muttered amusedly, "I think he wants you to join him, I can't tell."
"I don't know if I want to be associated with someone who struggles with doing star-jumps properly," Parker joked before he shook his head at him, preparing to get up before he glanced at Jennifer, "I'll see you in Biology later today? Maybe even the festival if you get chance?" Jennifer nodded, letting him go before her eyes returned to the sketchbook in her hand, ready to draw.
When Parker finally stood up, he headed toward Marcus who had stopped jumping and instead had been talking to Jamie, waiting for him. When he reached them, Parker greeted them both with a smile, "Hey, what's up?"
Marcus muttered, "Coach wants to talk to us before we start practice." He muttered, gesturing toward Coach who had been waiting for other students to go back inside so that he could also go in.
When Jamie found the chance to speak, he teasingly smirked, "Enjoy your little love picnic over there? Looked like you two were getting a little close, flirting perhaps?"
Parker pushed him away, knowing that he was only teasing him before Jamie pushed him back. The both of them had been annoying each other so much as they walked inside that Marcus physically pushed between them, "Easy, guys, save the team love for the game."
"Welcome to the 100th Annual Burning Boat Festival!" A familiar man spoke into the microphone, his words echoing through the speakers and reaching to the festival crowd. Parker slightly turned to find him at the sound of his voice, seeing that it was Mr. Smith, an enthusiastic middle school teacher who had joined Tree Hill Middle School in Parker's last year there.
When Parker finally looked back, it was at the boat full of things that him, Lily and Marcus had been standing in front of. It was just where they'd met up, each of them holding something in their hands. Parker was holding on to a Nike shoe box full of everything to do with him and his dad, Lily was strangely holding on to an old lamp and Marcus had been clutching a letter tightly in his hand.
"What are you burning today? Other than, you know, your calories?" Lily asked curiously as she leaned back onto the boat, eying the box that Parker was holding with both hands, Marcus absentmindedly leaning beside her as he rested his eyes upon the crowd in the distance.
Parker glanced down at the box and then back up at Lily, who had known just about enough - along with Marcus - about his family problems especially with his father, "My Dad, well, not him physically but this... it's every picture I have of him, every drawing I ever made for him, just... pretty much anything to do with him." He said it so solemnly that Marcus had to glance at him to make sure that he was okay and passed him a reassuring smile.
Lily only nodded and stated, "That's very psychopathic of you," before she smiled widely making her eyes twinkle in reflection of the fairy lights around them, "I like it."
"Thank you," Parker muttered before he asked, "What are you burning? Anything interesting?" He assumed the lamp was just something that Lily had bought from one of the stalls so he didn't think that it would be that, but Lily cleared the air.
"No, not interesting at all. Just this ugly lamp my mom doesn't know I've taken, I swear it's actually bad luck," Parker laughed as he took another look at the lamp which had an old fabric like cover adorned in green and cream and orange, "I'm hoping I'll find something better for next year. What about you, Marcus?" Lily asked, pulling Marcus out of his trance.
"It's nothing. Just a stupid letter."
"Oooh, like a love letter?" Lily inquired curiously, looking to Marcus' hand that was clutching the letter, "Or a... sad letter? Rejection from a crush, perhaps?" She asked when she noticed how Marcus' held an expression of despondency.
"I'm not telling you, it'll be all over town by tonight if I did."
"Jerk. I am a perfect secret-keeper. Just ask Parker."
Parker, who had only been semi-attentive to their conversation, muttered when he heard his name, "She is," before he asked what was taking up most of his mind at that moment, "You guys know if the Jagielski's are here?"
Lily was quick to respond, "Savannah's with Maddie at the jewelry stall, I don't think her sister's coming though. Might have to take a break on your lovestruck stalkery business, and actually talk to your friends for once. Seem possible?" She asked sarcastcally.
Parker pushed her lightly before he smiled and said, "You are jealous," He looked between the both of them before continuing, "You guys literally have me every day, except for the occasional weekend. I've only just met Jen, it's not my fault I can't help but want to get to know her."
Marcus smirked at him, "You mean you want to get to know her."
"That's literally what I just said," Parker rolled his eyes before he leaned back onto the wood of the big boat, "I just think she's cool."
"Well, it's not like she could say no to Tree Hill's hottest high school basketball captain," Lily interrupted, before she paused and widened her eyes in fake surprise, "Oh, wait, but that's not you."
Parker glared at her and frowned before asked, "Oh yeah, who would it be then?"
Lily feasted her eyes upon a group of the girls basketball team walking together before she cleverly muttered, "Veronica's pretty hot, you know?" Parker followed her gaze and rested his eyes on Veronica, reminded that she was in the middle of telling him what would've been the best play for the match against the Panthers and that he still wanted to hear the rest of it.
"She's also top of the class, and probably valedictorian this year - if Evelyn doesn't get it first," Marcus shrugged before he noticed more people heading for the boat and realizing that they were all in the way, "Think we can dump all this in and go for a walk?" He asked, gesturing toward the stuff in their hands.
Lily and Parker nodded, both turning around and placing their things into the boat carefully, while Marcus softly placed his letter under a couple of other boxes in the boat so that it didn't fly away during the ceremony. When they were all done, they'd left the boat and decided to walk through the many stalls of arts and crafts as well as jewelry and other businesses.
"Hey, Parker! Congratulations!" Someone called out, a seller at a stall that he passed with Lily and Marcus. His wide smile and subtle blush as he looked back and nodded at them in thanks caused both Lily and Marcus to smirk at him.
"Hi, I'm Parker and I'm Tree Hill's newest hot shot, autographs will be signed only in the VIP area of my living room since the bedroom is reserved for the love of my life Miss Jennifer Jagielski," Lily muttered playfully as Parker pushed her lightly and rolled his eyes.
"Shut up, you should hear the way people talk about you, little miss Princess of the Ravens."
Lily gasped in surprise as she laughed, "Oh my god, you're kidding!"
"Not in the slightest," Parker chuckled, happy to add to her small ego, "You actually have a special admirer on the team who gave you that very nickname." He wanted to leave an air of mystery while being a good wingman to one of the guys on his team that had been too shy to say anything to her face but would talk about her like he liked her in the locker room.
Lily didn't take it serious and instead decided to drag Marcus back into the conversation, sensing that he was still unnaturally quiet and sad, "Was it Marcus? Aw, Mars, do you have a secret crush on me?" She asked, playfully nudging him as he immediately scrunched up his nose in disgust.
"Ew, no, it was Chuck," He defended, immediately outing their friend which only caused Lily to go quiet, unsure of what to say as she thought about it.
"Marcus!" Parker warned.
Marcus glared at him, "What? Come on, you know the guy would never admit it himself, we're just... doing the pushing." He said, emphasizing it with his hands.
Parker squinted his eyes at him, "I don't know what that means."
Meanwhile, Lily had just recovered from hearing for the first time that the person who gave her the nickname - the special admirer - had been someone she had grown up with along with Jamie, "Charlie said that?" She asked, her voice small but hopeful.
"You probably paid him or something," Marcus teased before he playfully glanced at her in suspicion, "Don't act coy with me, Little Scott."
Lily only pushed him away in defense before she tried to hit back at him when she noticed someone in the distance, "Oh look, it's Hazel, why don't you bother her instead?"
Marcus smirked, "You jealous?"
"Never," Lily muttered before she considered going to Hazel herself. She couldn't exactly talk about Charlie to the boys, they wouldn't understand, and Hazel had a lot more experience than her with crushes and all that so she'd probably know a lot more, "Actually, I think I might join her. Catch you later?" She muttered distractedly.
Parker nodded nonchalantly, "Yeah, see you later, Little Scott."
"Hey, remember us mere mortals when you're gracing the covers of magazines and attending red carpet events. I expect front-row tickets to all your games in the NBA, okay? And don't worry, I'll make sure your fan club meetings run smoothly." She teased as she walked backwards in the direction of where Hazel had been.
The both of them saw that Charlie had been walking behind her and since she didn't notice him yet. Marcus tried to warn her, "Hey! Wait, Lily -" But before he could continue, Lily had already fallen back into Charlie who luckily caught her, "Oh, my god. She's a klutz. That's - oh my god, that's so funny, record it right now. Parker, get your phone out." Marcus hurriedly looked toward Parker, trying to see where his phone was before he reached into his own pocket to find his instead.
Parker slapped the back of Marcus' head lightly, "Ouch, what was that for?"
"Look."
Marcus looked to see that, after she had recovered, Lily and Charlie had begun to talk, "So maybe, the push he needed was me and the big guy up there." Marcus smirked. The two were engaged in an animated conversation, so much so that Parker and Marcus both knew Lily would end up so invested - if not already - and probably wouldn't want to stop. Which was fine, but it meant that Hazel would still be by herself, "Should... should we go to Hazel instead?"
Parker nodded, "Yeah man, let's go," already making his way as Marcus snapped back to reality and followed.
hey guys, i hope you liked this chapter!
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i took the liberty of designing and creating the physical elements of this story like the tree hill newspaper and school newspaper too. it's a little hard to post on with these images, so if you want to see this story with graphics included, check out this book on websites like wattpad, or ao3. both under the username scxtts.
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