Rules Of The Game: Book 1

34; Reading Between The Lines

𝙽𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟸𝚝𝚑, 𝚃𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚍𝚊𝚢
Parkers POV

Before my feet even cross the threshold at home, I'm texting Miles.

Hey are you around??
We need to talk, srsly this time.
Can you come over?
My parents are out of town until
Sunday so we won't be interrogated

I rub the back of my neck and click the garage door button, cutting off the creaking mechanics as I shut the foyer door. Throwing my backpack to the ground and kicking my shoes off to the side, I drop my shoulders to release the tension I've been holding all day long.

The deed is done. My entire school finally knows who the real Parker is, and soon the whole state will, too. And then the country. And then I'll be the poster child for Anti-LGBTQ groups. Then I'll be forced to go into hiding in an underground bunker.

At least I'll have Miles. Maybe. Not even that is promised anymore after the way I treated him.

Before I can fall into my brain's inner snake pit, the phone vibrates in my hand. I quickly raise it and read the message on the screen.

Miles (1): Yeah I'm in town rn. No football tn?

No. Greyson had some mandatory 
teacher meeting at the school so
it's canceled for the night

That's right, I forgot he mentioned
that in class. U really don't want to go the
extra mile and run laps and
shit around the school?

I tilt my lips at that and stop in the kitchen, resting my elbows on the counter as I type. I'm good, I deserve a break anyway. He's been running us ragged lately

Sometimes I wonder if he's psychotic cause
he doesn't know when to stop lol. B there in 15

Snorting, I reply to his text with a thumbs-up emoji and shut my phone off. Relief swells through me. After being ignored by him for a full day, this attention feels like a breath of fresh air above the water.

I pocket my phone and grab a granola bar from the cabinet, throwing away the wrapper on the way up to my room. My feet skip stairs on the climb, and I burst into my room, cringing at the mess.

Miles had me so worried this week that I slipped into a bit of a delusion and trashed my room. Clothes are scattered everywhere, the bed is a tangled mess of blankets and sheets, pages of homework lay on my floor from when I tried to distract myself (and failed, may I add), a bag of popcorn is spilled from when I was pacing the other night and tripped on it. I got so pissed off that I kicked the bag, and now a few kernels stick to my foot as I walk in.

"Good lord, I have issues," I grumble and get to work on picking up. It's easy enough to throw my homework in a pile on my gaming desk and toss my laundry in the hamper. I work fast to find the vacuum and clean up the rest of the mess before Miles gets here.

After a few minutes, I'm in the process of remaking my bed when the doorbell rings. My heart stops momentarily, and I rip my phone out, shooting Miles a text.

Door is unlocked, I'm up in my room

Anticipation makes my hands shake as I plop the pillows back down on my bed. I haven't seen nor truly heard from Miles since his rant at me earlier this morning. Sure, I saw him in history a few hours after that, but I don't count that interaction because he never looked in my direction. Now, there are no excuses.