August 3, 2020

The house was empty.

I had walked all of the way home. I hated to abandon my sister, but I didn't want to be in the same place as my parents.

Ever.

Now was the perfect time to leave. To escape. I didn't want the attention and expectations.

Nobody loved me anymore.

I loved my mom, but she obviously agreed with my dad on these things.

I wondered if she had been lying when she told me that she loved me.

I slammed the door shut.

Michael wasn't here either, I had only wondered where he wandered off to.

Michael and I used to get along better when we were younger, and in fact, he was probably my only friend.

I stood up for him when he needed help, even when he insisted that I didn't. He'd always deal with my attitude wherever he took us, and wouldn't leave me at K-Mart by myself (like a babysitter had done).

He had grown colder, and we didn't really hang out anymore.

He didn't need my help with anything anymore, because he was older now, and could 'take care of himself', even though I doubted it.

The only thing that made me mad, was that he had left me and my sister there.

And then, didn't even come to the hospital when Eva died.

I was furious.

I knew that he loved her too, and in fact, they would sometimes hang out as well, when Eva needed etiquette lessons.

If he leaving it all behind me though, because tonight, I was leaving.

I couldn't leave in the middle of the day, and it was now noon, so I would have to wait until Mom and Dad got home, and that's when I'd leave.

I'd be packing my bags now, and when they got home, I would try to be as invisible as possible, which would be hard when I'm the only child in the house.

I grabbed my grey backpack, and stuffed my clothes, phone, and shoes in the bag.

I briskly, shoved as many personal items that I could into the bag, and grabbed food and water from the freezer.

Then I considered something I never should have considered.

I grabbed the kitchen knife.

I held it close to my wrists.

No, I wouldn't.

Only if I was caught.

I shoved the knife into the bag, just in case I needed it in more ways than one.

I was sitting on my bed with the backpack, when I heard the knock at my door.

I quickly shoved the bag under my bed, and said, "Come in."

"Hey." Michael said.

Michael combed his dark brown hair with his fingers, and walked over to me.

"What do you want?" I said harshly.

"To talk. I heard what happened." Michael said, closing his golden eyes.

"What is there to say?" I said, turning away from him.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry." Michael.

"IT'S YOUR FAULT SHE'S DEAD! YOU'D BETTER BE SORRY!" I yelled.

After a moment of silence, I briskly turned my back to him, and covered my amber eyes with my hands.

"Parker, I-"

"I'm glad you're sorry." I said, "Is that what you wanted?"

"I just- I just- I just know that she meant the world to you." Michael said, sitting next to me.

I felt tears stream down my cheeks.

"Yeah, she did, because no one else cares about me." I said, flicking my shaggy hair off my forehead.

"Parker, I care." Michael said.

"Then why did you leave us at the soccer game? You didn't even care that I won the game for my team. And didn't even come to the hospital." I spat at him.

"Faith told me that she was hosting a party, and she kind of-"

"Forced you to come?" I said knowingly, "You can't even stand up for yourself, 'Perfect Boy'. If I were you, I would have that chick with another boy within a second of knowing her. She's toxic."

"Is that really what's wrong here?" Michael said, wiping his eyes, "You know that I loved Eva too!"

"Yes. So if you want to trace back to who's fault it is, it's yours! If you had the spine to stand up for yourself, she wouldn't be dead, and I wouldn't be doing what I'm about to do!" I yelled, the last words leaving him silent.

"Parker what are you going to-"

"If you tell anyone, I'm telling Mom and Dad about that girlfriend of yours, and you'll be the most hated boy in school." I said, threateningly.

"Alright." Michael said, dejectedly.

I heaved my breaths, and struggled not to burst into tears.

"Why do you care now? You've never cared before?" I said, wiping my eyes, and turning towards him.

"I've always cared." Michael said, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I swatted it away, and looked at him fiercely, "If that's the case, then you would've been there for Eva."

Michael gave me an ashamed look, and I pointed to the doorway, motioning for him to leave.

He walked out of the room, leaving me by myself.

I let out a sigh.

_______________________________

"Parker." my mother's muffled voice from outside the door, "Time for dinner."

"I'm eating it in here." I said, crossing my legs.

My mom opened the door, and replied, "Parker, we need to talk."

I rolled my eyes, "What is there to talk about? I feel like I've already said everything I need to say."

"I need to tell you that I'm-"

"Sorry?" I said, knowingly, "This is the second time I've heard this conversation."

"Well I'm sorry that I made you-"

"Feel like you don't care?" I said again, "I already told you that I've heard this conversation. Why do you keep going?"

"Your father wanted to talk to you." my mother said sternly, "You have a right to be mad, but that doesn't mean you get to be mad at us for forever. What would you like us to do about it?"

"I feel like several hours isn't forever." I said sarcastically, "And like I said, there isn't anything to say. There's nothing you can do to change it."

"Just come out and talk to your father for a minute. Please." my mother said.

"I will after dinner." I said.

I had no intention of actually talking to my father. I intended to be out of the house before he even had the chance to.

He didn't deserve to be able to speak to me.

What else was he going to say except that he's sorry?

"Parker?" my mother said, holding the door open.

"Yeah?"

"I love you." my mother said as she walked out of the door.

I looked at her.

Maybe I would stay to hear what my father said.

________________________________

I still fully intended to leave after I had spoken to my father.

I just wanted to see what he had to say.

I walked out of my room for the first time in hours, and slowly walked over to the kitchen.

I stopped at the entranceway, and leaned against the wall.

"Parker." My father said, standing up from the table, "I didn't think you would come."

I gave him only the satisfaction of a nod, and walked over to the long table, and sat on the opposite end of him.

I avoided the gaze of his bright blue eyes, and decided to stare only at my plate.

"You may leave." my father said to my brother and mother.

They stood up from the table, and left the room.

"Parker, what do you think I think of you?" my father asked.

"I've already answered that question before." I said sternly, pushing the bowl of French Onion Soup away from me.

"I thought you might have wanted seconds." my father said, taking note of me pushing the bowl away.

I shook my head, and said, "Why did you want to talk to me?"

"I wanted to see if you wanted to talk to me about... today's circumstances." my father said slowly, making sure he placed every word right.

He placed his words like he placed his blonde over-gelled hair.

"What's there to say?" I said sarcastically, "I've already told you what I think. And it's going to be hard to persuade me otherwise."

"Parker, did you think I'm not proud of you?" my father asked.

I would never lie.

Just stray from the truth.

Tell half of what he needed.

"Yes." I answered calmly.

"Why would you think that?" my father asked.

"Do we need to justify what we think, when the answer is obvious?" I said snarky.

"That word precision would have been helpful when necessary. But, that is not what we are supposed to be discussing." my father said, "Parker, I will ask you this question again. Why do you think that I'm not proud of you?"

"You've never voiced that you are. That sort of thing needs verbal confirmation." I said, fiddling with the spoon in my left hand.

"Parker, how many time have I told you, you're supposed to eat with your right-"

"See, there it is. That's what always happens. The second you see a flaw, you feel obligated to correct it." I said, "Besides, I don't know what's so wrong about being left-handed."

"Parker, this is the sort of thing that I need to work on. But I am proud of you." my father said slowly, "You know that now?"

I placed my next words very carefully, "Just because you say something, doesn't mean it's automatically justified or true." I continued, "What's that saying again... Oh. Yeah, actions speak louder than words."

"Parker, it's more the actions that I'm not pursuing." my father said, "I have let you get away with more than enough things."

"Just because you do it once doesn't prove anything. You'd need to do a lot more for me to believe that actually care, other than saying that you do, only one time." I said, "You didn't even sound sincere."

"Parker, what more would you like me to do?" my father pleaded.

He sounded genuinely scared and helpless.

But I didn't have time for it.

"The damage is already done." I said, "Now. May I be excused?"

"Yes, Parker." my father said.

I stood up from my chair.

"I will see you tomorrow." I said, "Night."

"Parker Alexander Raymond Kennedy

Ecksen-Rodinland." my father said, making me turn at the doorway to look at him, "Even if you don't believe it, I am proud of you, and I love you."

I gave him a glance of sadness, and said, "Thank you. Good night."

_______________________________

The house was completely quiet.

The perfect time to get out without causing a huge problem.

I grabbed my bag from under the bed, and slid on a jacket that my brother had passed down to me.

It didn't mean anything.

They didn't mean anything.

If I stayed, they would forget all that they said and go back to treating me the way they did before.

I tied the laces of my favorite black converse, and stayed draped against the wall for moment thinking.

I heard a knock on the door, and quickly slid my bag under the bed, and took off my shoes and jacket.

"Parker." my mother said from outside the door.

"Come in." I said, she opened the door and walked in, and then I continued, "It's late, why did you want to see me?"

"I was reminded of something." my mother said, fiddling with a box in her left hand.

"What's that?" I asked her, pointing to her hand.

"Something that I wanted to give you." she said, sitting down on my bed next to me, "Here."

She gave me the box, and I looked and observed it carefully.

Every line and edge.

"It's not the box that's important, Park, it's what's inside." my mother said, putting her hand on my arm gently.

I carefully undid the latch, and lifted the top of the box up carefully, to see a beaded black bracelet that sat atop a leather cushion.

"Where did you get this?" I asked, in awe of the bracelet.

"It was my mother's. Of course it was meant for boys, but your grandma was quite the feminist." my mother said.

"Good for her." I said with a smile:

My mother smiled back at me, and carefully stroked my messy dirty blonde hair.

She kissed my cheek and said, "Parker, you should put it on."

I slid it onto my right wrist and said, "Thank you, Mom."

"Why'd you put it on your right wrist?" my mother asked.

I looked down at the scar that the bracelet covered.

"No reason." I responded.

"Alright, Park. Night." my mother said calmly as she walked out of the door.

I felt my heart breaking into two.

Maybe I would just be out for a little while, just to see what it's like?

I got myself ready again, and had to be extremely quiet as I jumped out of my window, and scaled the side of the house.

I landed safely on the ground, and looked at my window, 2 stories up.

My plan was to take a bus, then find a way out of Denver.

________________________________

I was in the middle of the city, waiting impatiently at the bus stop.

A large bus slowly rode to a stop, and was parked right in front of me, and a large crowd.

"Next stop, Federal Boulevard, Westminister." the automated voice said.

I hopped up onto the staircase, and carefully walked down the aisle of people in masks.

I had remembered to take mine, and placed it carefully on my ears and mouth.

I sat down close to the back, as to not take attention to the fact that I was alone on a bus at 2:40 AM.

I had been gone for a few hours, and was now wondering if my parents or anyone knew I was gone yet.

I wondered if they would try and find me.

I wondered if they would care.

The bus slowly began to move, and before I knew it, we slowly dragging on along the highway.

"Hey, what are you doing out here by yourself at this hour?" a woman in the row next to me asked.

"Oh, I'm just-" I struggled to come up with a lie, "You know, going to grandma's house."

"At 2:40?" the man next to the woman asked.

I assumed they were a couple, because they had been talking the minute before, and we're closely huddled together.

"Well, mom and dad said that I could take the morning bus if I wanted to." I said, "They're going to be with me in about an hour."

"An hour, you say?" the woman said, "I'm Sandy."

"And I'm Chris." the man said, waving friendly.

They seemed nice.

Like the kind of people who would pay more attention to their kids.

"What's your name?" Sandy asked me.

"Oh, I'm Parker..." I said shakily.

"That's a CUTE name!" Sandy said.

"Um, thank you." I said nervously, "What's your full name?"

"We're Sandy and Chris Bevins." Chris said cheerfully.

"What's your full name?" Sandy asked with a smile.

"I'm Parker Wallmont." I lied.

I didn't want them knowing who I was actually the son of. My parents were very well known in the city, and there was a chance that they'd ask me questions if I told them my real name.

"Wallmont?" Chris asked in awe, "I think I met a Galvin Wallmont before."

It was random, but I guess I kind of liked talking to them.

There were never any adults who understood me.

A while later, the bus stopped in Westminster.

"Alright, well Parker, it was nice meeting you." Sandy said, "This is our stop."

"Actually, it's my stop too." I said, standing up from my seat.

We all walked out of the bus, and stood by the bus stop.

"I'm going to walk to grandma's but I liked meeting you guys." I said kindly.

"Oh nonsense!" Chris said, "If you want to get to your grandma's faster, we can drive you there!"

"Oh no thanks." I said.

I had no intention of going to 'grandma's' especially considering that tonight wasn't the right night to be visiting a graveyard.

"No no no! It really isn't that big of a deal!" Sandy said sweetly, "We don't have anything planned for today, and we'd be happy to help!"

"No thanks." I said nervously.

"No, really it's fine! Just tell us the address and we'll drive you there!" Chris said, "Our car is over there!"

He pointed to a grey van in the parking lot next to us.

Maybe I could use these people to get farther, besides they said they didn't mind.

"Alright," I said, "here's the address."

I pointed to my phone, and Sandy and Chris gave me bright smiles.

_______________________________

"Hey, do you have any idea when we're getting there?" Sandy asked Chris.

"In about 5 minutes." Chris responded.

I fiddled with the seatbelt, as the only thing I had for entertainment at this point was either my phone, or conversation.

And Sandy and Chris seemed like they didn't want me to do either.

"So why are you headed to this hotel?" Chris asked.

"Grandma and I are meeting up there." I said, "Her birthday is tomorrow."

"Ah, is it?" Sandy asked.

"How old is she turning?" Chris asked.

"CHRIS! It's not polite to ask a lady's age." Sandy said in snobby sarcastic voice.

Chris and I laughed, and I said, "Well, she's turning 61."

"Ah that's pretty young." Chris said politely.

"Alrighty, we're here." Sandy said sweetly.

I looked out the window.

"You sure? This doesn't seem like the hotel I was looking foooooor..." I said, as my head was slammed into the car door, and I was knocked unconscious.

_______________________________

Sandy and Chris drove me all the way to Southern Colorado, and kept me captive for 4 years.

Then, one year, we moved to Scottsdale Arizona, and met everyone who was a part of the FOF.

Lauren, Isabel, Luke, Camden, Skye, Isla, and Houston all helped me escape, and we're now all living together in a HUGE house, with Captain.

We saved the world from Cassie and her abducted minions, and the FOF and everyone is now calmed down.

I guess I've found people who care.