Hallmark Moments

The Mistake

So the next day, the feeling was back in full force. I showered dreading going to school. I ate dreading to wait for break. I waited for the bus dreading to see everyone and find out that last night was a dream and that in reality, Parker had said yes, he did like Phoebe, and when I arrived in school everybody would be laughing at me and Parker and Phoebe would materialise through the throng of people with a sinister smile on their faces. Phoebe would say something very glib but oh so sweet regarding the fact that she told me that she wouldn't be accounted for Parker being stolen.

Bloody hell...

However, when I arrived in school, all thoughts were quelled by seeing Parker waiting at my locker, looking a bit tired but other than that, very handsome and very Parker. I was calm for a few seconds. Then that few seconds stretched on til I was beside Parker.

A lot of thoughts then invaded my brain. Good ones, now, I sigh with relief. I found that the past two weeks had been hectic what with all the social gatherings and all the disbelief that needed to be put down and all that jazz. I completely forgot that it was also sugarcoated with sweet moments.

The people who used to hate me are now talking to me like they've known me my whole life. Of course, being in love is supposed to make everything all rosy so I was sweet to all of them even though inside, my brain was plotting against me to wring their necks.

It was surprisingly easy to act all lovey with Parker that it almost became second nature. Even when we're not in school, Parker would still hold on to my hand, slowly drawing circles on it with his thumb or I would nuzzle his neck sometimes without even noticing it.

I also realised that our friendship was growing. Parker was telling me things I never knew he felt, like how when I was suspended for getting into a huge fight once, he was so depressed that he failed his favourite subject. And also, I told him what really went on in my mind when Josephine spread the rumours about me.

There were even moments with Mrs. Rosdale that surfaced in my mind. She had pulled me aside one fine day while Parker was taking a shower, she asked me if I was in love with Parker and I couldn't answer that because I was over thinking the fact that it would jeopardise a lot. Like…maybe she wouldn't like it that I was in love with her only child or maybe I was using him for something or another. Mrs Rosdale took my silence as an acquiescence and squealed like a teenage girl and hugged me tightly and all of a sudden she was talking about marriage. Thank God Parker came down at the time and Mrs Rosdale gave me a conspiratorial wink before conveniently leaving us alone in the kitchen. I recounted what happened to Parker and we had a good laugh over it.

We really were becoming close. Not to say we weren't close before but the past years, it seemed to me that Parker had been drifting in and out of my life instead of just being there. There were times during Tyler's absence that he was always there and then there were patches of Parker's absence creating holes in those memories.

I killed all those thought as I realised he was talking to me.

'You never cease to amaze me how you manage to even go through the day being the b***h you are when I can't even hold your attention for a second in the morning.' Parker said all that in one breath with a huge grin on his face that told me he was joking.

'Good morning to you too, Mr Rosdale.'

'Dude, that's my father.'

I smacked him on the arm and looped mine through it. 'I was thinking maybe during break we could sit by ourselves like we used to. Two weeks at our outcast table really made me realise how valuable it has been-'

'Shut up, Delaine. One minute you're not there and the next you're garbling like a turkey.'

'Shut up Rosdale. You're one to talk. Get it? You're one to talk? Don't give me that look. You're my emphetamine in the mornings.'

'Honored m'lady.'

'Shut up.'

We ended up sitting with the popular crowd yet again during break after incessant begging on Parker's part.

Parker and I were laughing our bums off as we delved ourselves in Thomas Charles Henderson's life in 'King Dork' when one of them, Lucas Adrian, a shooter in the basketball team with Parker, called on me.

'So Delaine…what was your first kiss like?' he asked.

Okay, blame it on my momentary lapse of judgement but when I read, I disregard everything that is happening around me and will blurt the truth about something without even realising it. That was one thing Parker loved doing to me. He'd catch me reading and he'll ask as many questions as possible and actually write it down and then when I'm finished, he'd embarrass me with everything he had asked. So yeah, like I said. Blame it on my momentary lapse of judgement because this was what I answered. 'I've never kissed anyone before.'

The collective gasp I heard woke me up from my daydream and I realised what I had just said and I turned to Parker who was looking at me with disbelief etched on his face. I cringed inwardly and apologised to him through my eyes, hoping he'd get the message.

'Not even with Parker?' Lucas asked, leaning forward. Phoebe had a look of shock and Josephine had a Cheshire grin on her face that almost scared me as she twirled a finger in her wavy dark brown hair.

'We don't like to kiss and tell, unlike most of you here.' Parker answered hastily. I looked down to my shoes and released the breath I didn't know I was holding in. Scattered laughter was heard as some of them jokingly agreed to Parker's statement.

'But you have kissed each other right?' Lucas asked, directing the question to Parker this time. 'I mean…we've never seen you do it in school but you must do it at home at least? I mean you live next to each other.'

'Could we please stop talking about this? Camryn is very sensitive about these things.' Parker's arms snaked around my shoulder and I felt safer as I relaxed my tensed muscles against his body.

'Damn, Parker. How the hell did you manage to melt the Ice Queen?' someone asked.

Then, Parker whipped out the corniest and cheesiest line I ever heard him say. 'If I told you, I'd have to kill you.' And with that, both of us left the canteen.

Once outside, we doubled over with laughter, slapping each other’s backs and wiping away the tears that had fallen from our eyes.

'Oh my God…that was so close!' I gasped in between my laughter. Parker nodded and leaned against the wall, heaving in deep breaths. We tried to calm ourselves down as a teacher passed by.

'What possessed you to answer that?' he asked once we were really calm. 'You know how I am when I read.' I shrugged. 'True…' he nodded. 'But you know…they're right.' His statement surprised me and I looked up at him. 'What?' I asked, still shocked.

'I mean…in this school, 95 percent of the reason why people hook up with each other is for them to be able to kiss each other freely.'

'That's never stopped Phoebe from having intimate moments with almost all of the basketball players.' I countered. Parker chuckled and shrugged. 'I don't know, Camryn. We're close to pushing Phoebe off my back…we can't give up now. Kissing in public would seal the deal.'

'This has gone way farther than we planned, Parker.' I said softly. I couldn't afford being angry right now. 'You're asking me to do something that's preposterous.' I emphasized on the last word.

'But it's just acting, Delaine…no one is the wiser. All we have to do is press our lips together for a long time. Come on, Camryn…please?'

On one hand, he was right. This was just acting. It would still be Parker and me, best friends, in the end. But I had a niggling feeling that if we did it, we might jeopardise our friendship. I mean I almost did last night and I don't want that to happen ever again. Well, I also didn't want to be paranoid and now here we are, debating on giving away our first kisses to none other than our best friends. We've practically grown up together and we knew so much about each other and now we have to kiss?

I'm making too big a deal about this, that's way too obvious. But I can't help it. Just because I've been declared as a social pariah and an Ice Queen in school, doesn't mean I don't have a heart. I want romance too. I want my first kiss to be magical too. It sounds completely corny but I want it. Call me crazy or a romantic, all I know is that I didn't want to waste my first kiss on someone who does not have feelings for me.

'Camryn…come on.'

I shook my head to get rid of the cobwebs in it and looked at Parker who had an expectant look on his face. 'The things I do for you…' I said quoting a very clichéd teen movie. Parker smiled, recognising the line, and ruffled my hair. 'Thanks, Camryn.'