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The characters of the Pretender television series are the property of MTM Entertainment and NBC Productions. I don’t own them, just borrowing! Enjoy :0)
The cool wind skipped playfully along the sturdy wooden porch, as it had done many times before. It ran along, wistfully picking up what lay in its path, last autumns aging leaves, the cobwebs draped across the roof, but not the dozen red roses carefully placed on the front door step.
It was almost noon and the morning sun was leaving. Miss Parker lay deep in her covers, shielding herself from the penetrating suns’ rays. There had been another in eventful run in with Jarod, she saw, he ran, she lost, again. She felt like giving up. Miss Parker sighed; it was so quiet, so alone. It was Sunday, Jarod had already taken up her weekend and forced her to cancel her date, her only one for a long time. Jarod was always messing her life up, why couldn’t he just come back and she could finally sever her ties from the centre.
“Oohm!” growled Miss Parker and she thrust the covers onto the floor, she saddened to the fact she could not stay there from the rest of the day. She then picked herself up and looked around, a clutter of her life long possessions. What did she have to show for herself? Stylish clothes and a liquor cabinet?? How did she turn out like this she wondered. She headed over to the closet; inside she spotted a pair of running shoes. Should I? She wondered.
“O, why not? I think I need some training anyway”, she mumbled and dressed in Levis 501’s and a tank top. She sported an eighties style head band and made her way towards the door.
“This is going to be fine, no Jarod, no nothing” she assured herself and unlocked the door. She was met with a bunch of 12 red roses and an envelope wedged in between them all.
“Not again!” she growled and snatched up the envelope and tore it open with the nail she nicknamed “Lyle”, since it was the one he was missing. Inside she discovered a bus ticket and a map of North Carolina, and note on the back, i>unlock a secret. Help a friend. Now I am calling you Mother Theresa. Jarod. Parker looked up to see a white mini-van turn into her driveway, and the driver seemed to be…Broots! He parked a few meters away from where she was standing, and opened the door cautiously. He looked up to see Miss Parkers glance; it wasn’t pretty, though he seemed confused to see her in running gear.
“Broots… what are you doing here?” she growled and continued with an icy stare.
“I…I, er.. need to ask you a favor” Broots began and tried not to look at her eyes, the chill down his spine had already clenched his muscles making it hard for him to move.
“What” she snapped.
“I really need for you to look after Debbie for a while...” He began “Oh, only for a little while” he corrected from the snarl forming in Miss Parker’s lips. “Debbie’s’ mother just dropped her off yesterday and I…” he rambled.
Miss Parker closed her eyes turned her head away pinching the top of her nose, there is a .38 just inside the door, no-one would know, you’re miles away from the nearest neighbour. A grin broadened across Parkers face.
Broots stopped mid sentence, “Is everything ok Miss Parker?”
“Great Broots, just great.” She replied.
“So can you please, I swear I will never ask of anything from you again, I swear!” Broots pleaded.
Parker placed her hands on her hips and signed, It was going to be a long day “Ok, fine… but if there is ANY trouble… you might want to expect little zip lock bags back instead,” she warned.
“Thank you, thank you, I owe you” Broots stammered as he slowly backed away. He turned around and opened the mini-vans sliding door; in a neat little pink lace dress popped Debbie. Ah so young and innocent, she thought, a little miss Barbie doll she shunned.
Miss Parker looked back down at the bus ticket, guess this will have wait she concluded until she read the passenger number, instead of one there was two.
“Jarod” she growled.
Help a friend, she read again on the map. Broots handed her his contact numbers and Debbies “playtime” backpack with a large blue starfish. Before leaving, he once again thanked her for looking after Debbie. She looked down at her; Debbie was all bright-eyed and cute as a button. I think I’m going to vomit she thought.
But she hadn’t had breakfast and it wasn’t worth trying, she looked at the ticket, the bus was set to leave a 1pm. That was only 10 minutes away.
She crouched down on her knees and summoned up a sweet, angelic voice that had not been breathed since she and Jarod were both children.
“Wanna go for a ride sweety?” she asked.
“Sure”, replied Debbie.
Miss Parker scooped up the flowers with the bus tickets still in the middle of the bunch and headed towards her car, the sporty black one that went fast. Why would anyone need to know anymore?
There wasn’t anytime to get changed and little Debbie struggled to keep up with Miss Parkers quickened pace.
Parker hoped into to drivers’ side, and little Debbie clambered into the front passenger. Wasting no time she slammed on the accelerator and let the loose gravel spray into the air as she raced down her driveway and onto the main road.
“Slow down!” Debbie shrieked.
“Sorry honey… but we’re late and we don’t have much time!” Parker said with painfully clenched teeth. It was 12:57. She was only minutes away when Miss Parker suddenly felt a cold splash on her thigh, she momentarily glanced down to she a spreading wet patch and little Debbie clutching and opened juice bottle. O please let that just be water she pleaded.
“Ooh, sorry Miss Parker, my daddy is going to be so upset. I wasn’t supposed open my Apple and tomato juice, but I was so thirsty” she cried.
Miss Parker cringed, the juice was starting to seep all down her leg, ruining her Levis, and onto to the seat, not to mention the smell starting to build up.
The car was silent all except for the revving engine and Debbie slugged back into her chair.
The car suddenly came to a halt and Miss Parker whisked Debbie out of the drivers seat and raced over to the bus depot.
“Number 602” she mumbled and holding onto Debbies coat ushered her up onto the bus. Making it just in time to see the doors close and Debbie plop into the seat next to her. She had brought the map and bunch of roses with her carefully untied them with Debbie watching closely.
“Who are they from?” she asked curiously.
“A wonder boy with lots of time on his hands.” She replied and gave a sarcastic grin. She handed Debbie a floor.
“Pick off the petals, tell me if he loves me” Parker gestured. Debbie took the rose eagerly, excited by the prospect. Parker began searching through the flowers to see if there were any more hidden surprises and sure enough, inside one of the rose buds was a small iron key. Miss Parker looked back to the map, a part of it was circled, but instead of the actual name of the town 16 miles was written. That’s strange Parker wondered.
They had only been going a short time when, the bus suddenly jerked to a halt and the bus driver stood up and headed to the back of the bus and stopped directly in front of Miss Parker and Debbie (who had become immersed with a tiny bug that had been hiding inside the rose).
“Time to get off” he barked.
“What do you mean, “get off”?” Parker questioned.
“I mean get off this bus, this is your stop,” he continued. Miss Parker looked up at him with an icy glare, not flinching a muscle.
“Look lady if you gonna cause trouble I’m will have to call the cops” he ordered.
“Well… fine” Parker grunted and stood up, making well sure that she was able to tower over the driver. These are the reasons I wish I had my 7-inch stiletto heals on she thought.
Debbie soon realized the change and closely followed Miss Parker down the bus and out onto the road. The bus then promptly closed the door and left not before receiving a threatening growl from Miss Parker. They were in the middle of nowhere, the road was barren and miles and miles of dusty brown fields surrounded them. To add to this, the spot from where the bus had left from a large number ‘16’ was painted onto the road.
“Great…Jarod, again” she screamed. To no avail but only to frighten little Debbie, who had began to play in some of the nearby shrubs. Parker thrust open the map from her pocket, and glanced to the circle 16 miles section. Written above was 15f and left was 4f. Would that mean feet she wondered. It was worth a shot and now the sun was starting to heat up on her back.
“…13, 14 and 15, now left 1, 2, 3 and 4” she counted. Miss Parker found herself standing a little way into the desert. She called for Debbie to come to meet her. With the rose still in her hand, she came bounding towards Miss Parker.
“Now Debbie, my friend has lost something around here, can you help me look for it?” She pleaded; this act was getting all too difficult.
So they both started searching, when Debbie suddenly yelled, “I found it! I found it!”
Miss Parker came sprinting over to see Debbie jumping on what seemed to be a wooden plank. She and Debbie crouched down to dust some of the dirt off and pull the overgrown shrubs out of the way. They uncovered an old brass lock; Miss Parker yanked out the key from her pocket and carefully placed the key in the lock, she turned it slowly.
Click, Click the plank opened up to reveal an old steel box; Parker picked up the box and opened it to reveal an old diary with a necklace with a small golden cross-fitted into the center. Miss Parker stood up and opened the diary; it was dated 15th of April 1965.
“Today my darling it is to take her first communion, after I have written this I will give her the gold cross that my mother gave to me for my first communion. I am so proud of her she is growing up to be such a wonderful girl, I hope she is never alone and finds love and happiness. I love my darling with all my heart. Catherine Parker.”
Miss Parker closed the diary and held the necklace in her palm, her mother never turned up to be communion, she had gotten very sick. Miss Parker turned away to stare out into the horizon, suddenly she diverted her attention back to Debbie who had begun to tug at her apple and tomato stained Levis.
“Miss Parker, Miss Parker” Debbie began, “he loves you,” she continued.
“What?” Parker questioned.
“The rose, he loves you,” she answered.
