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Disclaimer: Toothbrush, alarm clock, three pens and a small pencil, calendar, two lamps, stereo, copy of Catcher in the Rye, hairbrush, old pc, even older printer, hair gel, toothpaste, seven tank tops, acceptance letter from Hofstra University, a hell of a lot of socks, Matchbox Twenty poster, a copy of the Sims game (Not that’s addiction!), eleven scrap books, big box of nerds, a bunch of CDs, house key, snow globe, TV, VCR, underwear, copy of last weeks Entertainment Weekly, dandruff shampoo, fan, and an imagination. Nope no Pretender! I don’t own the rights or anything related to it, someone else dose. I also don’t own Hamlet or any of the other trademarked things I mentioned above!
Author’s note: The part in the club was inspired but a similar thing that happened to me, only I did pull my hand away and have regretted it ever since.
Whether ‘tis nobler
By: The Injury Princess
Broots picked up the skull, “Maybe Jarod’s taking up Shakespeare.” He offered as an explanation.
A box had been brought in a little over a half an hour ago. Inside they found what appeared to be a real human skull. There had been no note, no call from Jarod, just the skull and they were baffled.
Miss Parker looked over at Broots as he did what must be his best Hamlet impression. When he met her gaze she glared at him until he put the skull back on the table. She sighed, “It’s been a long day boys, and tomorrow’s going to be even longer if we don’t get any more to go on from Jarod.” With that she left hoping to go home, have a drink, and go to bed.
~Miss. Parker’s House~
Miss Parker dropped her keys on the table near the door. As she passed her answering machine on her way to the kitchen the solid red light told her she had no messages. ‘Note to self: get friends.’ She thought half jokingly and half seriously.
She walked into the kitchen and pulled out the half empty bottle of vodka. There had been days when she didn’t drink, days when she didn’t need to feel numb to make it through the day. But those days were gone now, she thought bitterly. Miss. Parker looked at the bottle but instead of pouring it she shoved it angrily into the trash. She wasn’t sure what had come over her but she decided to try other means of relaxing.
~~~~~~~~~
The steam rose out of the tub as Parker turned off the water and got into the bath. As she got comfortable her mind began to drift back to the night before.
They had been close; they had been right on Jarod’s tall until they chased his into a dance club. Once inside it took only moments for Miss. Parker to realize that they had no chance of finding him in the crowd. But she also knew that the Centre wouldn’t approve of them giving up so easily so she yelled for everyone to fan out and proceeded to make her way through the crowd.
As she searched the crowd a man, maybe three years her younger and very attractive, grabbed her by the hand as she tried to make her way through the sea of people. Her first reaction was to angrily pull her hand away but she didn’t. He was cute.
He smiled at her; she smiled back.
“Dance?” He had asked. ‘What could be the harm?’ She thought.
She nodded and let him pull her towards the dance floor but before they made it there Lyle stepped in their way. “Giving up the search so quickly Sis?” He asked
She just stared at Lyle leaving the other man very confused. “Come on Sis, it’s time to go.” Lyle almost ordered. It was at this point that the man piped in. “Look guy, your sister doesn’t have to go anywhere she doesn’t want to go so why don’t you run along and leave her to make her own decisions.” He said sticking up for her.
Lyle seamed to admire the man’s courage to stand up to him; he obviously had no idea who he was dealing with. Before Miss. Parker could speak for herself Lyle pulled back and punched the man in the face. He immediately let go of Parker’s hand and fell to the floor.
Lyle walked off leaving the man on the floor and Miss. Parker stunned. After regaining her composure she bent down to help him up but pushed her away mumbling that no woman was worth that.
Feeling angered by it Miss. Parker shook the image from her mind. It was then that Parker realized she had been in the tub long enough and started to get out.
After drying her hair and putting them in loose pigtails Parker went to her closet. She looked at all of her lacy, see-through, barely-there nightwear and pushed past them. Reaching in she pulled out a new pair of black cotton pants; she had bought them to wear to the gym but they just looked so comfortable at the moment, something completely different from Centre attire. She took the pants off their hanger along with a white cotton tank top and put them on. Then she reached for a box in the back of the closet and pulled out a flannel shirt.
“When I die I’ll leave you all my flannel shirts.” She heard Tommy’s voice echo in her ears. Parker held the shirt close to the chest breathing in the smell that still lingered on it even over the long period of time. There was a chance that perhaps the smell was just in her mind now; perhaps she just didn’t want to admit that she had lost that too. She sighed and put it on over the tank top.
~~~~~~~~~
With cup of coffee in hand Parker headed out to her much neglected back yard furniture. She pulled the backrest up on the lounge chair and tried to get comfortable in it. There was a cool breeze that chilled the air causing Parker to pull the flannel closed and the coffee cup near as she drew he knees close to her chest.
Miss Parker took this moment of semi-peace to reflect. She had learned a lot of the Centre’s secrets and was able to see through the most of the lies. She knew who had killed her love and why, she knew who killed her mother and although she could only assume why she had a pretty good idea. ‘There isn’t much left for me to find out,’ she thought, ‘besides even if I found out any more how long would they let me live with the information? Could I live with the information? Would I want to?’ As the thoughts swirled through her head a voice from within told her that she had company.
Jarod didn’t say anything at first, she seemed to be thinking hard about something and he didn’t want to disturb her.
“What do you want Jarod?” She asked wearily. He had been quietly standing behind her but he wasn’t surprised that she had sensed him. “What? I can’t just stop by to say hello?” He asked walking over where she could see him.
She gave him a look that said ‘I completely not in the mood for the games.’ ‘Wow,’ Jarod thought, ‘she seems to have become a completely different person.’ Jarod looked at the women who sat before him, she looked tired.
“I saw what happened in the club.” He continued sympathetically. “I know, a little voice told me so.” She seemed completely detached.
“I don’t think I need to say that Lyle didn’t have the right to do that.” Jarod said feeling awkward just standing there.
“You’re right, you don’t.” She snapped.
“I just thought…” He began. “You thought what?” She said quickly falling back into Ice Queen mode. “I just thought I’d stop in to make sure…” He was stumbling over his words and she was getting impatient.
“To make sure of what Jarod?” He was getting on her last nerve. “To make sure you weren’t tempted to jump.” He finished. She sighed and closed her eyes, ‘I don’t need this now Jarod. Not now, please.’ She thought holding back the tears. When she opened her eyes Jarod was gone.
She took another sip from her coffee and noticed the small piece of paper on her lap.
Get out. While you still can. -J
‘It all comes down to one thing,’ she decided, ‘whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take up arms against a sea of trouble, and by opposing end them?’ Miss. Parker closed her eyes and thought about her past and her future.
~~~~~~~~~
The next morning Miss. Parker did not arrive at the Centre on time as usual, when she didn’t come in by noon Mr. Parker sent sweepers to her house. They, of course, returned empty handed and Mr. Parker, of course, was furious. The next day came and went with no sign of Miss. Parker, a similar day followed that, followed by another, and another until no one had seen nor heard from her in two weeks.
With Miss. Parker gone the search for Jarod essentially stopped and all effort being used to find him was shifted into finding her. Jarod dropped a few hints to his own whereabouts but seemed completely unaware of Miss. Parker’s disappearance and anyone with contact with him was instructed to keep it that way.
It was unlike Sidney to keep information like this from Jarod but all the same he didn’t mention Miss Parker’s disappearance. Sidney had a feeling inside that Miss. Parker left because she wanted to, so who was he to stand in the way of what she wanted. After all it was what Catharine would have wanted and he felt he owed her that much. He knew Miss Parker was smart, almost pretender like. He knew that she wouldn’t be found if she didn’t want to be, just as he always secretly knew that they would never bring Jarod in unless he wanted to come back.
~One Week Later~
A woman sat alone in a small beach chair looking out over the beautiful ocean scene before her. Her fingertips lazily danced over a small bit of sand as she closed her eyes behind her sunglasses.
‘Peace at last.’ She though. Suddenly her inner sense went off like an alarm and her eyes shot open. ‘I know, I know. Not now, it can wait.’ She thought as she calmly tried to get comfortable again.
She closed her eyes again and if she imagined hard enough she could sense Tomas sitting next to her. She loved and missed him but soon she would let him go, soon she would move on just like she would move on from the Centre. They gave her that power, weather they knew it or not, they were the ones who gave her the strength to leave, to move on. Her determination to never let them take anyone from her again was stronger than her ties to that place.
Just a few feet away a man moved the sand beneath his feet. He saw her shift in her seat and knew she was aware of his presence. When she didn’t turn around he knew it was because she didn’t want to.
‘That’s OK Miss Parker, I’ll be around when you need me.’ Jarod thought as he walked off the California beach. He knew there would come a time when she would join his team; something inside told him that she would be the one to help him find out all the information and bring down the Centre. But there would be time for that later; first she had to start her transformation to become the real Miss. Parker again.
THE END
Author’s note: The part in the club was inspired but a similar thing that happened to me, only I did pull my hand away and have regretted it ever since.
By: The Injury Princess
Broots picked up the skull, “Maybe Jarod’s taking up Shakespeare.” He offered as an explanation.
A box had been brought in a little over a half an hour ago. Inside they found what appeared to be a real human skull. There had been no note, no call from Jarod, just the skull and they were baffled.
Miss Parker looked over at Broots as he did what must be his best Hamlet impression. When he met her gaze she glared at him until he put the skull back on the table. She sighed, “It’s been a long day boys, and tomorrow’s going to be even longer if we don’t get any more to go on from Jarod.” With that she left hoping to go home, have a drink, and go to bed.
~Miss. Parker’s House~
Miss Parker dropped her keys on the table near the door. As she passed her answering machine on her way to the kitchen the solid red light told her she had no messages. ‘Note to self: get friends.’ She thought half jokingly and half seriously.
She walked into the kitchen and pulled out the half empty bottle of vodka. There had been days when she didn’t drink, days when she didn’t need to feel numb to make it through the day. But those days were gone now, she thought bitterly. Miss. Parker looked at the bottle but instead of pouring it she shoved it angrily into the trash. She wasn’t sure what had come over her but she decided to try other means of relaxing.
~~~~~~~~~
The steam rose out of the tub as Parker turned off the water and got into the bath. As she got comfortable her mind began to drift back to the night before.
They had been close; they had been right on Jarod’s tall until they chased his into a dance club. Once inside it took only moments for Miss. Parker to realize that they had no chance of finding him in the crowd. But she also knew that the Centre wouldn’t approve of them giving up so easily so she yelled for everyone to fan out and proceeded to make her way through the crowd.
As she searched the crowd a man, maybe three years her younger and very attractive, grabbed her by the hand as she tried to make her way through the sea of people. Her first reaction was to angrily pull her hand away but she didn’t. He was cute.
He smiled at her; she smiled back.
“Dance?” He had asked. ‘What could be the harm?’ She thought.
She nodded and let him pull her towards the dance floor but before they made it there Lyle stepped in their way. “Giving up the search so quickly Sis?” He asked
She just stared at Lyle leaving the other man very confused. “Come on Sis, it’s time to go.” Lyle almost ordered. It was at this point that the man piped in. “Look guy, your sister doesn’t have to go anywhere she doesn’t want to go so why don’t you run along and leave her to make her own decisions.” He said sticking up for her.
Lyle seamed to admire the man’s courage to stand up to him; he obviously had no idea who he was dealing with. Before Miss. Parker could speak for herself Lyle pulled back and punched the man in the face. He immediately let go of Parker’s hand and fell to the floor.
Lyle walked off leaving the man on the floor and Miss. Parker stunned. After regaining her composure she bent down to help him up but pushed her away mumbling that no woman was worth that.
Feeling angered by it Miss. Parker shook the image from her mind. It was then that Parker realized she had been in the tub long enough and started to get out.
After drying her hair and putting them in loose pigtails Parker went to her closet. She looked at all of her lacy, see-through, barely-there nightwear and pushed past them. Reaching in she pulled out a new pair of black cotton pants; she had bought them to wear to the gym but they just looked so comfortable at the moment, something completely different from Centre attire. She took the pants off their hanger along with a white cotton tank top and put them on. Then she reached for a box in the back of the closet and pulled out a flannel shirt.
“When I die I’ll leave you all my flannel shirts.” She heard Tommy’s voice echo in her ears. Parker held the shirt close to the chest breathing in the smell that still lingered on it even over the long period of time. There was a chance that perhaps the smell was just in her mind now; perhaps she just didn’t want to admit that she had lost that too. She sighed and put it on over the tank top.
~~~~~~~~~
With cup of coffee in hand Parker headed out to her much neglected back yard furniture. She pulled the backrest up on the lounge chair and tried to get comfortable in it. There was a cool breeze that chilled the air causing Parker to pull the flannel closed and the coffee cup near as she drew he knees close to her chest.
Miss Parker took this moment of semi-peace to reflect. She had learned a lot of the Centre’s secrets and was able to see through the most of the lies. She knew who had killed her love and why, she knew who killed her mother and although she could only assume why she had a pretty good idea. ‘There isn’t much left for me to find out,’ she thought, ‘besides even if I found out any more how long would they let me live with the information? Could I live with the information? Would I want to?’ As the thoughts swirled through her head a voice from within told her that she had company.
Jarod didn’t say anything at first, she seemed to be thinking hard about something and he didn’t want to disturb her.
“What do you want Jarod?” She asked wearily. He had been quietly standing behind her but he wasn’t surprised that she had sensed him. “What? I can’t just stop by to say hello?” He asked walking over where she could see him.
She gave him a look that said ‘I completely not in the mood for the games.’ ‘Wow,’ Jarod thought, ‘she seems to have become a completely different person.’ Jarod looked at the women who sat before him, she looked tired.
“I saw what happened in the club.” He continued sympathetically. “I know, a little voice told me so.” She seemed completely detached.
“I don’t think I need to say that Lyle didn’t have the right to do that.” Jarod said feeling awkward just standing there.
“You’re right, you don’t.” She snapped.
“I just thought…” He began. “You thought what?” She said quickly falling back into Ice Queen mode. “I just thought I’d stop in to make sure…” He was stumbling over his words and she was getting impatient.
“To make sure of what Jarod?” He was getting on her last nerve. “To make sure you weren’t tempted to jump.” He finished. She sighed and closed her eyes, ‘I don’t need this now Jarod. Not now, please.’ She thought holding back the tears. When she opened her eyes Jarod was gone.
She took another sip from her coffee and noticed the small piece of paper on her lap.
Get out. While you still can. -J
‘It all comes down to one thing,’ she decided, ‘whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take up arms against a sea of trouble, and by opposing end them?’ Miss. Parker closed her eyes and thought about her past and her future.
~~~~~~~~~
The next morning Miss. Parker did not arrive at the Centre on time as usual, when she didn’t come in by noon Mr. Parker sent sweepers to her house. They, of course, returned empty handed and Mr. Parker, of course, was furious. The next day came and went with no sign of Miss. Parker, a similar day followed that, followed by another, and another until no one had seen nor heard from her in two weeks.
With Miss. Parker gone the search for Jarod essentially stopped and all effort being used to find him was shifted into finding her. Jarod dropped a few hints to his own whereabouts but seemed completely unaware of Miss. Parker’s disappearance and anyone with contact with him was instructed to keep it that way.
It was unlike Sidney to keep information like this from Jarod but all the same he didn’t mention Miss Parker’s disappearance. Sidney had a feeling inside that Miss. Parker left because she wanted to, so who was he to stand in the way of what she wanted. After all it was what Catharine would have wanted and he felt he owed her that much. He knew Miss Parker was smart, almost pretender like. He knew that she wouldn’t be found if she didn’t want to be, just as he always secretly knew that they would never bring Jarod in unless he wanted to come back.
~One Week Later~
A woman sat alone in a small beach chair looking out over the beautiful ocean scene before her. Her fingertips lazily danced over a small bit of sand as she closed her eyes behind her sunglasses.
‘Peace at last.’ She though. Suddenly her inner sense went off like an alarm and her eyes shot open. ‘I know, I know. Not now, it can wait.’ She thought as she calmly tried to get comfortable again.
She closed her eyes again and if she imagined hard enough she could sense Tomas sitting next to her. She loved and missed him but soon she would let him go, soon she would move on just like she would move on from the Centre. They gave her that power, weather they knew it or not, they were the ones who gave her the strength to leave, to move on. Her determination to never let them take anyone from her again was stronger than her ties to that place.
Just a few feet away a man moved the sand beneath his feet. He saw her shift in her seat and knew she was aware of his presence. When she didn’t turn around he knew it was because she didn’t want to.
‘That’s OK Miss Parker, I’ll be around when you need me.’ Jarod thought as he walked off the California beach. He knew there would come a time when she would join his team; something inside told him that she would be the one to help him find out all the information and bring down the Centre. But there would be time for that later; first she had to start her transformation to become the real Miss. Parker again.
THE END
