Chapter 13 || The plot ||
2052 Words
The school had finally gone quiet.
Students had gone home. The campaign posters were still hanging proudly on the walls, showing Dorothy and Jessica smiling from opposite sides of the hallway.
But while most students were thinking about dinner, homework, games, or sleep…
Mark was thinking about something else.
He sat alone in his bedroom, staring at his phone.
Jessica’s words kept replaying inside his head.
“You want Dorothy. I want Parker. We can help each other.”
Mark dropped the phone on his bed.
“No.”
He stood up and walked around his room.
“No, no, no.”
He tried convincing himself that Jessica was wrong.
He didn’t want Dorothy.
She was just his best friend.
His closest friend.
The girl he had known for so long.
The girl who always made him laugh.
The girl whose political dreams he had supported before Parker suddenly started appearing everywhere.
But then memories started flashing through his mind.
Dorothy laughing at the fountain.
Dorothy hugging Elena.
Dorothy standing in her navy blazer.
Dorothy smiling when she saw her campaign poster.
Dorothy looking at Parker.
That last memory made Mark’s expression change.
His hands tightened.
Then another memory appeared.
Parker.
Parker standing beside Dorothy.
Parker making her laugh.
Parker’s paper airplane.
Parker writing that he believed she would become president, mayor, and governor.
Mark clenched his jaw.
“Why him?”
He sat down again.
He remembered the way Dorothy had looked at Parker near the fountain earlier.
That smile.
The same smile she used to give Mark.
Or at least…
He thought she used to.
Mark looked down.
For years, he had kept his feelings hidden.
He had written poems.
Lots of them.
Poems Dorothy had never seen.
He had saved little memories.
Pictures.
Messages.
Small things she had said.
And now Parker had entered her life and somehow, in a few months, was getting closer to her.
Mark hated that.
He hated even more that he couldn’t simply tell Dorothy how he felt.
He was scared.
Scared she would reject him.
Scared their friendship would change.
So when Jessica offered him a solution…
His mind kept returning to it.
Finally, Mark picked up his phone.
He stared at Jessica’s contact.
His thumb hovered over the call button.
Then he pressed it.
Ring.
Ring.
Jessica answered almost immediately.
“Hello?”
Mark was silent for a moment.
Jessica smiled on the other side of the phone.
“I knew you’d call.”
Mark frowned.
“Don’t make this weird.”
“I’m not making anything weird.”
“You said you wanted to help me.”
“I do.”
Mark took a deep breath.
“And you want Parker.”
“Yes.”
“And you want Dorothy to lose the election.”
Jessica paused.
“Yes.”
Mark looked toward his bedroom window.
“Fine.”
Jessica’s smile widened.
“Fine what?”
Mark’s voice became quieter.
“I’ll do it.”
Jessica leaned back in her chair.
“Do what?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
Jessica laughed softly.
“So we’re partners?”
Mark didn’t answer immediately.
Then he said:
“Partners.”
“Perfect.”
Jessica grabbed a notebook from her desk.
“We need to talk properly. Not over the phone.”
“When?”
“Tonight.”
Mark raised an eyebrow.
“Tonight?”
“There’s a café near my house. It’s usually quiet in the evening.”
Mark hesitated.
Jessica continued.
“Nobody will suspect anything. We’ll meet there, talk about the election, Parker, Dorothy, everything.”
Mark looked down at his hands.
“Okay.”
“Seven o’clock.”
“Fine.”
“Don’t be late.”
Jessica ended the call.
Mark stared at his phone.
For a few seconds, he didn’t move.
Then he whispered:
“Sorry, Dorothy.”
But he didn’t sound sorry.
Not anymore.
⸻
Meanwhile…
Across town, Dorothy was sitting on her bed.
Her campaign blazer was hanging neatly on the chair.
Her school bag was on the floor.
Her campaign notes were scattered across her desk.
But Dorothy wasn’t studying.
She was staring at her phone.
She had been staring at it for almost five minutes.
She opened w******p.
There was one chat at the top.
Parker
Dorothy smiled.
She quickly looked around her room as though someone might catch her smiling.
Nobody was there.
She opened the conversation.
Their messages weren’t anything dramatic.
They hadn’t suddenly become a romantic couple.
They were just…
Talking.
Small conversations.
Simple conversations.
Dorothy: How was your day?
Parker: Good. Yours?
Dorothy: Busy.
Parker: Campaign stuff?
Dorothy: Obviously
Parker: Future governor problems.
Dorothy smiled.
She typed:
Dorothy: Don’t start
Parker replied:
Parker: I’m serious.
Dorothy stared at the message.
Her cheeks became warm.
She put the phone against her chest.
“What is wrong with me?”
She picked it up again.
Dorothy: Thank you though.
There was a pause.
Then:
Parker: For what?
Dorothy smiled.
Dorothy: You know.
Another pause.
Parker: I believe in you.
Dorothy stopped typing.
She stared at the screen.
Then she slowly smiled.
Meanwhile, in his own room, Parker was doing exactly the same thing.
He was sitting on his bed, phone in hand, smiling at the screen.
His dog was lying beside him.
Parker didn’t notice.
He was too busy thinking about Dorothy.
He typed:
Parker: You looked funny this morning.
Dorothy immediately replied:
Dorothy: Excuse me???
Parker: Your socks.
Dorothy covered her face.
Dorothy: Don’t remind me.
Parker: White and black.
Dorothy: I was late!
Parker: Future governor with mismatched socks.
Dorothy: Future governor doesn’t mean perfect.
Parker smiled.
Parker: That’s what I like about you.
He froze.
His eyes widened.
“Oh no.”
He quickly stared at the message.
He had sent it.
He had actually sent it.
Dorothy saw it.
Her heart jumped.
She read it twice.
Then three times.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.
Finally she typed:
Dorothy: What do you like about me?
Parker stared at the question.
His face turned red.
He typed something.
Deleted it.
Typed again.
Deleted it.
Finally:
Parker: You’re you.
Dorothy’s heart softened.
She smiled at the phone.
Dorothy: That’s a very Parker answer.
Parker laughed a bit
They continued talking.
Not for hours.
Not about anything huge.
Just school.
The election.
Basketball.
Florida.
Her campaign.
His Porsche.
And somehow, the conversation felt different.
Neither of them said it.
But both could feel it.
They were becoming closer.
⸻
Later that evening, Dorothy was pacing around the living room.
She had sent Parker a message.
He hadn’t replied yet.
She checked her phone.
Nothing.
She walked to the window.
Checked again.
Nothing.
She walked back.
Checked again.
Still nothing.
Francisca entered the room carrying a plate.
“Dorothy.”
“Yes, Mum?”
“Why are you walking around like you’re waiting for election results?”
Dorothy froze.
“I’m not.”
Francisca looked at her.
“You’re holding your phone upside down.”
Dorothy looked down.
She was.
“Oh.”
Francisca laughed.
“Who are you waiting for?”
“Nobody.”
“Nobody has a name?”
Dorothy’s face went red.
“Mum!”
Francisca smiled.
“Is it Parker?”
Dorothy immediately looked at her phone.
At that exact moment…
BZZZT.
A message.
Dorothy nearly jumped.
She opened it.
Parker: Sorry. I was eating.
Dorothy smiled.
Francisca watched her.
“Definitely Parker.”
“Mum!”
Before Dorothy could continue, another message appeared.
Parker: Want to call?
Dorothy’s eyes widened.
She looked at her mother.
Francisca raised an eyebrow.
“Go ahead.”
Dorothy quickly walked upstairs.
She closed her bedroom door.
Then she called.
Parker answered.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
There was silence.
Neither knew what to say.
Then both laughed.
“This is awkward,” Dorothy said.
“Very.”
“You asked me to call.”
“I know.”
“So talk.”
“You talk.”
“You called!”
“I know!”
They both laughed again.
Soon the awkwardness disappeared.
They talked about their day.
Parker told her about the Porsche.
Dorothy told him how she almost missed the bus.
They laughed about their mismatched socks and his ridiculous morning.
Then Dorothy asked:
“Do you really think I can become governor?”
Parker’s voice became serious.
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t give up.”
Dorothy smiled.
“Even when my grandma says I can’t?”
“Especially then.”
Dorothy became quiet.
“Thank you.”
Parker smiled.
“You don’t have to thank me.”
Then suddenly…
CRASH!
“PARKER!”
There was a loud thump.
The phone shook.
“What was that?”
“Wait! My dog!”
Another crash.
Parker’s dog jumped onto him, knocking his phone from his hand.
The call disconnected.
Dorothy stared at her phone.
“Parker?”
No response.
She called again.
No answer.
She frowned.
“Is he okay?”
After a few minutes, she decided it was probably nothing serious.
She placed her phone down.
Then Francisca called from downstairs.
“Dinner!”
“I’m coming!”
Dorothy went downstairs.
At dinner, Francisca asked about school.
Dorothy talked about the election.
Then, without realizing it, she started talking about Parker.
“He actually helped me a lot today.”
Francisca smiled.
“Really?”
“Yeah. He believes in me.”
“That’s good.”
Dorothy smiled.
“He even said he’d vote for me.”
Francisca laughed.
“Sounds like someone is becoming important.”
Dorothy immediately shook her head.
“Mum!”
Francisca laughed.
“I’m just saying.”
Dorothy ate quietly, cheeks slightly pink.
After dinner, she went upstairs.
She checked her phone one more time.
Still nothing.
She smiled anyway.
“Goodnight, Parker.”
Then she went to sleep.
⸻
7:00 PM
At the café near Jessica’s house, Mark sat at a corner table.
The café was quiet.
Only a few people were there.
Jessica arrived five minutes later.
She sat opposite him.
“So,” she said, opening her notebook.
Mark looked at her.
“What’s the plan?”
Jessica smiled.
“First, we need to understand Dorothy.”
Mark frowned.
“I understand Dorothy.”
Jessica shook her head.
“No. You understand the Dorothy you know.”
She leaned forward.
“I understand the candidate.”
Mark listened.
Jessica continued.
“Her biggest strength is also her weakness.”
“What?”
“People like her because she cares.”
Mark nodded.
“And?”
“And if people stop seeing her as the caring candidate…”
Jessica smiled.
“They might stop voting for her.”
Mark’s expression became serious.
He knew Jessica was thinking deeply.
He didn’t know exactly where this would lead.
But he had already agreed.
The alliance had begun.
⸻
Later that night…
Mark was back in his bedroom.
The lights were dim.
He sat at his desk with a pen in his hand.
He opened his notebook.
At the top of the page, he wrote:
Dorothy.
Then he began writing.
A poem.
Another one.
One of many.
You walk into every room,
and somehow the room remembers you.
You dream beyond the sky,
while I stand here wondering why
I was never brave enough to say,
I wanted you to stay.
Mark stopped.
He stared at the poem.
Then he folded it carefully.
He stood up.
On his bedroom wall were several pieces of paper.
Poems.
Notes.
Small memories.
Pictures.
Things he had collected over time.
He added the new poem to the wall.
Then he looked at another part of the wall.
There was a picture of Dorothy.
She was smiling.
Beside it was a picture of Parker.
Mark stared at both.
His eyes hardened.
He picked up a black marker.
Slowly…
He drew a large X across Parker’s picture.
Mark stepped back.
He looked at Dorothy’s picture.
Then at Parker’s crossed-out picture.
A small smile appeared on his face.
“Sorry, Parker.”
He switched off the light.
The room became dark.
But the photographs remained visible in the faint light from the window.
Dorothy.
Parker.
Mark.
Jessica.
And a plan that had only just begun.
To be continued…
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD