P A R K E R

12 | not crazy

TREY LINDEN HOLT, my twenty two year old brother is an undergraduate from MIT. Yeah, I know its surprising but the doofus is really intelligent, practically genius. He doesn't show it though, only on paper. He has just one more year to go and he'd be through with schooling. He could be working in the big city and making lots and lots of cash but no he's here at Payne.

He quit school. He just suddenly left Boston one year and came back home after mum got sick for the second time because of her Blood Pressure. And he refused to go back after. He decided to start working and take over, Holt's auto repair shop. It was my dad's but after dad permanently moved to Brazil with his new family, the shop has been under his friend, a kinda uncle to me, Jimmy. But then he got married and moved too.

Since then, the shop closed down. It's our property, under mom's name but mum had absolutely no care for it. I don't think she has ever stepped her foot in there. But I cared. When my dad was still my dad and he controlled his auto business and the shop, I use to spend most of time here watching him work. He'd teach me as he worked, showing me all the steps and telling me the dos and don'ts. I learnt and dreamt of working there one day. I boosted about it to anyone who had ears to listen.

That dream died after Jimmy left but was resurrected as Trey opened the shop up again. Although I want bigger and better things for him, like New York things, I'm still happy that he's around. Because of him our auto shop is back and its not just me and mom anymore. Plus he came back home from school with incredible cooking abilities. Trey has proven himself to be a true business man because the shop was back in business and earning more money, he'd even hired someone to help out and I did what I could with my few weekends.

I didn't know just how much I missed this place and it's scent until I stepped into it again after six months of being away.

"Hi Declan," I greeted the hired guy, my sorta friend as I followed Trey into the store.

"Morning, boss." Declan greeted Trey even though Trey was just two years older than him. Trey rolled his eyes at him, tossing the car keys at his face as he walked in. Declan smiled, turning to me. "Parker?"

"In the flesh." I say spreading my arms open and shaking my body a little. As expected Declan rushes to me and lifts me up in a hug.

"It's so nice to see you again little." Declan says spinning me around.

I smack his arm, "I'm not little. Do I look little?"

"Yes, very." He says and I shake my head.

"You're blind then."

"How was Peru? Its Peru, right?" He asks as I walk past the shop, stopping at the opened garage door.

"Yup, Peru. It was fun. Mingled with a lot of Peruvian's." Peruvian doctors.

"Lucky. It's nice to have you back, I've missed my favourite employee."

I smile, "you mean your only employee?"

He sighs, "don't rub it in."

I laughed entering into the garage and being attacked by the familiar scent of grease, fuel and cars. There were lots of car around, some abandoned for life and waiting to be torn apart and some needing attention. Trey was already walking on a shiny Mercedes. He wastes no time. I shouldn't too. I walk into his small office by the side, once it was dad's office. There was a desk and a black leather chair with one drawer set at the side of the wall and another wooden chair at the other side of the desk. Up on the ceiling was air conditioner and that was everything there was in the small office. On the desk was an apple laptop and various scattered sheets of paper.

I walked to the drawer set and opened the first one. As expected, there were grey blue jumpsuits folded and arranged neatly in there. I carried one out and shut the drawer close. After pulling off my shirt, leaving me in only my bra and my denim shorts, I wore the jumpsuit, ignoring the laundry and grease scent mixed together. I pulled my hair into a high bun and ran out to meet Trey.

"Need a hand?" I asked jogging over to him and the Mercedes.

He looked up from the battery of the car to me. "No thanks. I'm almost done." He accessed my clothing and smirked. "How come you manage to make this look like prison wear?"

I gawped at him. "Shut up. It looks okay on me."

"Yeah right. A body bag." I smacked him.

"Stop teasing me and put me to work will ya."

He pulls up to his full height and squeezes his lip together looking over the garage. He snaps his finger and points. "That farmers truck," I follow his eyes to see a red old beat down pick up. "See if you can detect what's wrong and revive it."

"Fine. But why do I get to work on beat down pick up while you on a Mercedes?" I ask picking a rag and tool box.

"Because am cooler and I'm - not to brag - the boss."

I stick my tongue out to him. "Yeah right." I say but he's right, without him this place wouldn't be what it is now.

"I don't pay you to talk. Scram."

"Yes, Boss." I say and he smiles like a douche. My next action wipes the smile out though. I swipe the rag at his butt. Trey glares and I laugh walking over to the pick up. There's was a key at the ignition and I wasted no time hopping into it.

"Now what's wrong, old Picky."

O_o

"Lil Parker?" I groaned but made no attempt to come out from under the truck. I'd just found this comfortable position and I didn't plan on ruining it now. "Lil Parker? Parker?"

"Yes? I'm under here Declan!"

"Someone is looking for you." He yells back.

"Me? You're mistaken." I yell out again then shift just in time to avoid black grease pouring on my face.

"I'm sending him in!" I hear Declan yell but I'm too distracted to think about it. Any little slip and I might be having black dirty oil for lunch.

I don't hear any footsteps and no more sounds, the next thing I know someone's grabbing hold of my legs and pulling me out from under the truck. "What the fuck Dec--"

The rest of my words disappear into thin air as my heart jumps into my mouth. I blink and he's still here. He waves three fingers at me and smirk at my dumbfounded state. "Hey."

"H-hi." I tell him and he stands up from the squatting position he was in and stretches his hand down to me. I ignore his hand and stand up on my own, slapping some sense back to me. His presence here caught me off guard and in contrast to the garage smell, his Cologne is really strong and inviting. I so wasn't expecting this. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking up on you."

"Why?" I turn to him and he has his back to me, his hands stuck into his pockets as he looks around the garage.

"Because you're avoiding me." He says matter of fact. "Why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you." I deny immediately and I feel my cheeks redden up with the lie. "I'm working."

"You didn't show up for our morning run."

"I-I didn't want to run. Hangover."

"You aren't picking my calls."

"I-I'm not with my phone." I fire back, proud of myself for actually having responses.

He starts walking until he is right in front of me. "You can't look me in the eye."

"Says who?" I challenged back and I look up at him to prove my point. Epic mistake.

Sean doesn't look away and neither do I. He narrows his eyes at me and I narrow mine back at him. Unfortunately for me, I'm not a pro at staring contests and Sean moves closer, one more step and he'll be bumping into me. The more I look, the more I see myself crumbling. My cheeks are getting hotter and there's something about his eyes and the way he's looking at me that makes me want to smile.

Who the hell smiles at a staring contest?

"You're blushing." Sean states and I immediately look away slapping my hands against my cheeks.

"I'm not."

He smiles and I glare. "Is this about last night, when you called my ass cute?"

"When did I ever do that?!" I practically yelled at his face and he burst out laughing. I blush, looking down at the body bag I had on. "I did not."

"You did. Stop lying Parker, I taught you better."

I scowl up at him, "I did not. I only said nice, there's a difference between nice and cute."

Sean smirks, "So you admit you think my ass is nice?"

I look away, doing a one shoulder shrug, "I guess. Don't you?"

My question wipes the smirk off Sean's face and I feel like smirking in triumph but I don't want to overdo it and unlike Sean, I don't have a PhD degree at smirking. My smirk would probably look like a constipated cat. Sean shakes his head, amusingly. "Fine, I give up with you."

"Better. Now leave me to work." I turn to leave but he spins me around, getting a surprised gasp out of me. "Sean!"

"Wait, you're forgetting something." He says raising a finger up. I raise my brow and he gestures behind him, bringing my attention to something I didn't even notice. My shoulder's slump as soon as I see it.

"Oh no."

"Oh yes. How could you forget my bike, Parker?" Sean places his hand on his hips like a scolding grandma. "Don't tell me you're running away from your responsibility? How--"

"Don't you dare." I cut him off before he could finish. Then shove past him, walking to the bike. "I totally forgot."

"I'm hurt."

Ignore comment. "Sean, can I work on this later, I'm like really busy right now."

He leans on the pick up I was working on. "No Parker, I need the bike for school remember?"

"I'll continue giving you rides. I'll even wait until after practice." I beg. I'm wailing on the inside though. How can I say that? I don't want to do that but I'm really into the pick up now and if I leave it, I'll probably never get back to it and Trey won't let me live it down. Plus, I have to get new parts for Sean's bike and I have no time for shopping now or even budgeted money.

Sean smiles, "That's an excellent idea but I'll agree to that on one condition."

I sigh in defeat. I should have known, even with such an offer, he'll still make it hard on me. "What?"

"You spend the day with me."

I don't say anything as I wait for Sean to burst out laughing saying it was a joke or a slip or his tongue. He doesn't and keeps looking at me, telling me that he's serious. My jaw drops.

"Are you okay in the head? I just said I'm busy and that's why I can't work on your bike. Busy - as in no time for plays and outings."

Sean rolls his eyes, "I know but when you're done with whatever you're working on." He glances at the pick up. "You'll come with me."

I shake my head, "No, I'm sorry. Another proposal please."

"Come on Parker, you can't seriously plan on spending your whole Saturday in here. That's not what young people do."

"Well then you should have kept the grandma nickname you gave me, a long summer ago." I deadpan.

He smiles, "Yeah, I should've. It rocked then, it would have rocked now."

This time, I roll my eyes. "Sean go away, I'm busy."

"Parker, come on." Sean starts whining just as Trey comes out of his little office.

"Sean?"

"Yea it's me." Sean says raising a hand. "Afternoon Trey."

"What are you doing here? Don't tell me you crashed something?"

Sean shakes his head, making his hair bounce. "No, actually Park--" I use all my strength to run up to him and clamp a hand over his mouth, to stop him from spilling.

If Trey finds out I crashed Sean's bike that's another thing I won't live down and he and my mum would over exaggerate the whole thing. I look at Trey and he's raising his brows at me. I let out an extremely short nervous laugh.

"What Sean was saying, is that--" I don't get to give up because Sean muffled voice cut me off. He was saying something but my hand over his mouth is holding it off.

"What's that Sean?" Trey asks, his curiosity piqued.

I give Sean some eye signal to shut up. "He's not saying anything."

"Iyam!" He muffled scream out. Guess eye signals mean nothing to him.

"Let go of him Parker." Trey says and with much reluctance, eye signals and glare later, I let go of him.

Sean loudly exhales, "Good Parker that was a strong grip." I roll my eyes, crossing my hands. Sean turns to Trey. "I was saying..."

Bye bye life as I know it.

"... Parker and I have a date."

Wait, what?

The room goes silent and Trey is eventually smiles. Hold it!

"No, no." I protest, waving my hands. "We did." I glare at Sean. "I'm no more going."

Trey still smiles, despite my protest. "Sorry Parker, you're going."

Shit.

I didn't mean it the first time but now I do; bye bye life as I know it.

• • •

I'm back to updating this novel. Sorry for the wait.

Look forward to the date and what's your take on this chapter?

*next update - Sunday*

Vote and comment.