Letters and Summer (Open to Friends)

((Sorry, I know I haven't been the most active, but over the summer time if any of Parker's friends want to write him letters, send them on here. It will mostly just be describing his summer, cause I'm planning a major personality shift here! It might make it more fun for me to play him again and prompt me to become more active again. ))

Parker was sitting quietly in the back of the taxi as he was on his way home. His head was leaned against the glass of the window, and the the soft murmuring of the talk radio in the front seat lulled him to sleep. A long while he opened his eyes, seeing he was down the street from home. The taxi came to a halt outside his house and he handed over the money his mother game him at the start of the year for the trip back. He stepped out of the car as the driver popped the trunk open. He walked to the back of the taxi, struggling slightly to pull his large school trunk out. He pulled it out, scuffing the bottom of it up on the asphalt. He closed the trunk then walked onto the sidewalk.

As the taxi pulled away, he saw the kids on the street. They just glanced at him as they continued their game. Just a glance? A tad confused, Parker walked up his driveway and went to the door, he unlocked it and looked back at the group who hadn't stopped playing their game. Weird, he though as he walked in and locked the door behind him.

The house was quite as his parents were still at work. He walked to his room, unpacking all his things in silence. Just pondering about things. After unpacking he laid on his bed for a while, then he wandered around the house, then watched telly until it was dark and he was tired enough to try to sleep. He kept thinking of the weird behavior of the boys on the street. Well, it shouldn't have been weird, but given that last summer they had gone way out of their way to beat him up and generally make his life hell, it was weird for them. He fell asleep, wondering if and when he'd be getting any letters from Pyxis or the rest of his friends.

Pyxis was tired but she couldn't sleep. She groaned and ran her hands through her hair, staring around her bedroom. Her life was a mess now, as her parents divorce was being finalised. Amazingly, they all still lived in the same house, though it was a manor. However, her parents seemed to bump into each other all the time and their screaming echoed off the walls. She ignored them now as they screamed and picked up her quill.

I'm still mad at you, but mum and dad are screaming so I need someone to talk to.

She didn't sign it, knowing he'd know who it was. She tied the letter to Feathers leg and sent it off, watching until Feathers had faded into the horizon before she curled up under her blankets and tried to sleep.

Parker woke up in the early morning to tapping at his window. He sat up blinking, his hair sticking up every which way. There was another tapping at the window when he realized it was an owl. He practically lept up and went to the window, letting Pyxis' owl in to perch on his bed post. He untied the letter and sat down, opening it. He frowned to just see one line. He grabbed his pen and wrote back:

I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to feel like you were being ignored. There was just so much going on. I'm sorry about that too, I thought things would have been finalized by now..? How was getting home?

He wanted to talk and ask more. But like she said, she was still mad at him. After staring at the short letter for a while he decided to just send the letter off. even though he wanted to say more, he didn't know quite what to say. He was just glad she wrote at all...

He sat at his desk for a while, the house still very silent. He sighed as he got up to make himself something to eat, wondering if his parents were even home. He sat there and ate slowly. It seemed as if his mother had already gone off to work, as the plate from her own quick breakfast was in the sink. He washed the dished and put them away before going back to his room to change. He sat down to watch the telly again, hoping to find something remotely interesting. Around lunch time, there was a knock at the door. He peeked out from the blinds to see two of the boys on the street there. He remembered what happened last time so he ignored the knocking and sat back down.

Pyxis yawned as she woke up and curled up into a tighter ball. Eventually, she managed to persuade herself to get out of bed and went downstairs to the kitchen, grabbing a box of cereal. She poured the cereal into a bowl, filled it with milk and went to the dining hall. She took a seat and could soon her the screaming of her parents. She rolled her eyes and sighed, wishing they would shut up for just a few hours. She finished off her cereal and decided to just leave the bowl there so they would yell at her instead of each other. She went back up to her bedroom and got dressed. Soon, an owl fluttered into her bedroom and she opened the letter from Parker.

Yes, well, that was a WHOLE SCHOOL YEAR, Parker, and you ignored me half of the time. Urgghhhh. I can't even express how annoyed I am at you. And them. They won't shut up. How is it that they're always screaming about something? Nah, it's finalised in a couple of weeks.

She attached the owl to Feathers leg and watched the owl swoop off into the horizon, head resting on her hand. She sighed heavily and felt her eyes water at the sound of glass smashing downstairs. For some reason, smashing glass brought her to thoughts of Parker and the bullies, and she wished she'd asked him more. She reminded herself she was mad at him.

The boys wouldn't leave. After knocking they had started calling out his name. He watched the door, wondering what the hell they were up to. They had to be up to something. But he was curious. He took a breath, deciding to try to tell them to go away. He could do it. He'd fared a lot worse. He slowly got off the couch and made his way to the door. He unlocked and opened it, about ready to tell them to bugger off when he stopped. The boys just stood there, silent. He only managed a "What?" as they looked between them and then back at Parker. 'We want you to hang out with us.' One said, though he sounded unsure. Parker just stood there in disbelief. This was a lure. Not even a good one. They seemed genuine though... Parker didn't know what to do or say, so the other one snapped at him, "Don' just stand there lookin' dumb, are ya going to come 'r not?" All Parker could do was nod. He fear what might happen if he didn't.

He glanced in the house as he stepped out, shutting the door behind him. The two boys had already gone off, making their way down the street. He hurried to follow after them so as not to lose them. He saw a few of the other boys make their ways over down the street as well. They had gone down to some ditch of an abandoned construction sight along one of the back roads. Parker stood at the top of the hill, looking down. He slowly made his way down, looking around cautiously. Sure he wasn't as small anymore and he could kinda defend himself, but he didn't feel very safe at all, and he wondered what was going on. the group of boys just seemed to be going on with their business. Riding their bikes, playing ball or cards, paying him no mind. It was all very bizarre.

The two boys that had led him came to a pile of cinder blocks and sat on the other side of them with the boy Parker sort of thought of as the leader of their group. A few of the other older boy came to the area as well. Most of them were Parker's age or older. They offered Parker a seat which he hesitantly took as the boys just talked away about their games or the girls on the street or what money they found. Parker didn't speak the whole time, and he felt on edge the whole time. Why was he here? As it got a bit later, Parker took the opportunity to get out of there as fast of possible, heading out with the few younger kids. He got back in his house and lockrf the door, letting out a sigh of relief. He stood at the door a short while, thinking over what happened when he heard tapping at his bedroom window. He went to his room, opening the window the owl, taking the letter and replying back:

I know, I know. And I'll keep saying sorry, because I really am. It was just hard and I don't like to talk when I'm upset. Even though I know I should come to you.
I imagine, it's always hard when my parents fight...though I honestly haven't even seen them. It's better then listening to them argue I suppose. I don't know if you want to hear about it, but If I don't say anything you might be upset...those guys from my street came and talked to me today. But it was weird, cause they didn't do anything. I don't know what to think of it. Any ideas?