Parker Fitzgerald
May 22, 2018 2:49 PM
You can hurt me, by disappearing again by Parker Fitzgerald
As Parker let go of Cleo, even though hugging her had made him feel better, he saw how stiff and tense she looked. He didn't know if he had done something wrong, and upon seeing her, had immediately regretted giving her the hug.Cleo began responding to Parker's question about Veela's and he immediately regretted something else. Her mom was one, and though Parker didn't know anything about Veela's it seemed that the news was fresh and raw for Cleo. It seemed to cut right into her and he could tell that she was trying to finish without crying. Parker wanted to go and hug her again, but after her tense response last time he didn't know how that would go, and decided against it.
Parker looked up at Cleo. He wanted to comfort her in some way. He wanted to tell her that she'd never hurt him, but he knew that wasn't true. Not having her around at the beginning of the term had hurt, and he knew she could hurt him in ways he did not fully understand, the news about her mother not withstanding. He wanted to reassure her, but he didn't know how. Surely she wasn't a monster, the teachers...
Parker stopped mid-stride. A lot of things started clicking into place. Conversations he'd had with a few of the professors. Cleo not being at meals, running away from him at the start of the first term. The lack of a gardening club. He'd assumed that maybe she had been sick with whatever he got, but now...
Parker turned to look around him. He saw, perhaps for the first time, an elf near them. He racked his brain trying to figure out if they had always been close by, or just when the two of them were around.
Parker wanted to comfort Cleo in someway, but for the first time in a long time he was at a loss for words. In a selfish way, he just wanted his friend.
"I..." Parker stopped himself. He wasn't sorry for her, and was sure Cleo didn't want pity. In all of their friendship, she didn't seem like the sort who wanted it.
"You don't seem like a monster to me. And though I can't guarantee you won't hurt me I... realize the school has put in precautions to help prevent that." Parker nodded towards the elf, "If you still want to be my friend,” Parker took a deep breath not knowing if she still wanted to be friends, “I'd love to have a friend with super powers," Parker said and reached into his pocket.
He pulled out the dream catcher he had made at school from the materials his mom had sent. It had different plants the two of them had worked with in the gardens, a stone from near the wishing well, as well as a crow's feather hanging down. He no longer had an eagle feather, and thought a crow's feather might work as well. It was wrapped in a red and white bandanna he had brought with him to school since he didn't have any wrapping paper.
"Happy New Year Cleo," Parker said with a smile and his right hand out holding a gift, hoping, "I hope this year is better than the last for you."
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Parker Fitzgerald
You can hurt me, by disappearing again
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Parker Fitzgerald
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