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Parker's POV

I remember every detail of the moment I changed. I was eight and was a happy elementary school student that loved soccer.

The fragrance of the diffuser was gone, only to be left by the stuffy smell of the air mixed with my sweat. The half-transparent curtains were closed, making the room seem dimmer and darker than it was supposed to be. Shadows played themselves on the walls and floor, giving the atmosphere an additional layer of darkness.

Having just came back from the kid's soccer team in our grade, I lay still on the bed, feeling a fever creeping up my neck.

The weather outside was beautiful, nothing should have made me catch a cold. But here I was, my temperature rising higher as seconds passed to become minutes. Everything was silent, and I could only hear my slight pant escaping my lips that made me even more nervous.

It was when I heard the front door open and close in a rush, that I realized something was wrong.

"Parker! We have to leave. We have to get out of here right now!" my mother yelled as she dashed up the stairs to my room. Her hair was a mess as were her clothes. Her eyes were wide and full of fear, frantic to look from here to there as if she was looking for something. She started grabbing random things and putting them into my backpack sitting on the desk.

"What is it, Mom?" It was then when she turned my way and looked at me straight in the eyes. There was nothing in them but pure anxiety. A streak of blood trickled down her forehead and I could see the stains on her left arm that she had already tried to wipe it off multiple times.

"Mom, you're bleeding," I said with the sincerest concern. My vision started to get a little blurry and I could feel the situation giving my fever too much pressure.

"I know that!" she snapped and grabbed my jacket. She thrust my arms in it by force and I was pulled along down the stairs. I could feel the world spinning around my feet as I got dizzier the second.

"Mom, I'm sick," I muttered under my breath. But by then she couldn't hear anything that was coming from my mouth, or from anywhere.

"We need to leave. We need to get away from here," was all she said as she gathered her belongings. She was completely unstable.

"Mom..." I muttered for the last time as I lost my consciousness and fell to the floor.

------

My eyes fluttered open. I was in my bed again, changed into more comfortable clothes. She was facing the wall, but I could easily see that she was weeping. Her body shook so badly that I thought she might be the one to pass out now.

"Mom," I managed to say.

She twirled around, and I could see that she was still in the same state. The panic unmistakably left the trail of tears from her eyes. Only now, some of the panic was exchanged with sadness, making deep black circles around her eyes.

"Oh, my Parker. I'm so, so sorry." She hugged me tightly against her chest and I felt much more relaxed.

"Mom, what did you do?" I asked.

A long silence pierced through the panicked movements and for a second, my mother was absolutely still. She let go of my arms to face me fully.

"I've done something horrible, Parker. I've done something horrible." She started crying again. "We need to leave the area," she said in a shaky, but cold voice.

"Mom, can you tell me what happened?" I touched her cheek which was damp from crying.

She shook her head vigorously. "No one must know. No one. Not even you." She kissed my forehead. "The only person I need is you, Parker. Only you," she muttered under her breath.

"Me too, mom." I took a deep sigh. "We should leave."

I brushed the dust off my hands. A small swirl of it rose into the air as I clasped them together.

"That should be it." I placed my hands on my hips as I looked around the room full of boxes.

"Parker, you're the best." Mother smooched me on the cheek. I couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh.

"No problem, Mom." I smiled. "I'm just glad that we're back. I missed this place."

My mother had finally suggested to move back to our old town, Frederick, since she had gotten over her trauma and wanted to make a fresh start here.

My mother was a famous lawyer, and for the past couple of years, she really dug herself into her work. We were getting richer every day, with my mom going on television shows as a star attorney.

It was me and my mother from the beginning. I didn't remember who my dad was, because he was just... not here. It was not that I missed him. I only needed my mom, and she was enough for me.

I stepped into my own room to admire my hard work. I painted the walls sky blue since it was my favorite color along with the color of my eyes. I had practically covered the whole furniture with soccerballs. I plopped myself on the bed and hugged a soccerball pillow.

"Parker, will you come down here and help me out with these books?" she hollered from downstairs.

"Be right there!" I shouted back. I was just about to stand up when something reflected the sunlight from the window into my eyes. I covered the light with the palm of my hand and reached out into the box to find out what it was.

It was just an old diary my mom used to write when she was busy with cases. I smiled and flickered through the pages, when a piece of paper fell out and drifted its way down to my feet. I groaned as my back ached from holding the heavy luggage when I bent down to reach the paper.

It was an old photograph of me, but it was ripped in half so I couldn't see what  was on the other side of the picture. I just smiled and tacked the picture onto my desk.

"Parker?" she called again.

"Coming!" I dashed down the stairs to meet my mom who was waiting for me.

"What do you need?" I grinned.

-----

The only person I needed was my mom. I didn't need anyone else. Just her.

I didn't open my heart to anyone. I hid myself and always put on a fake smile to them, when the real me didn't want to have anything to do with them. I didn't trust people. People made my mom break down like that years ago.

She would always be my first, and when she was stressed out, I was stressed out. Today was just one of those days.

It had been two months since we moved back here, and things weren't going on as they had back in Annapolis. Coming back here, brought back her memories. She yelled at me sometimes for no reason, she would sometimes cry all day in her room, and sometimes she would just stare outside the window, mumbling things to herself.

But I put up with her hard days, for the sake of the good ones. She was like the sky, stormy at one point and beautifully bright in another. And I didn't turn down the sky for being grey.

These days, the cases were tough on her, giving her more pressure, and I was always thinking of things that would cheer her up.

I was sitting at my desk, studying for the next English exam coming the next Friday. I had aced all the exams since we moved back, but my mom was too deep into her work to give me compliments, much less any attention. I stared at the wall in thought.

I had been so curious why she broke down that day. What had made her so scared? Why was she bleeding? What had happened?

I sighed and I stared at the picture that was tacked to my wall. The smiling me looked so young and enthusiastic, holding a banana and pretending it was a mic. I was singing into it before I took a bite.

Suddenly, goosebumps erupted around my whole body. Something was off about this picture but I couldn't exactly put my finger on it. I took it off my wall and looked deeper into the younger me, digging for clues of my sudden astonishment.

And then I figured it out.

I stared into the photograph and my eyebrow twitched as I quickly rushed into the bathroom to see my reflection. My eyes, they were definitely the color of the sky.

But in the picture, my eyes were green.

"Crap," I said out loud.

-----

I couldn't sleep at all that night as I twisted and turned to find out the truth about that picture. Why in the world did I have green eyes when I was young? Can the color of someone's eyes change as they grow?

I positively had blue eyes from when I was born, I was sure of that. But then, who was that?

I sat up in my bed and got out onto the porch. The cool air refreshed my mind and made my tingling insides feel much better. I was going to vomit if I had stayed in there much longer. The smell of paint in my room didn't go away and it definitely didn't help either.

I cocked my head to the side as I noticed the lights in the house on the opposite side of the road were on. Well, to be exact, I could tell that one bedlight was on, glowing dimly through the window.

Funny. Ben doesn't stay up that late. I thought.

It was Ben's house that was across the street from ours, and I knew this because we sometimes walked home together. It didn't mean that he was my friend though. I didn't make friends, especially real ones. I didn't trust anyone. Neither did I have any feelings or emotions for them.

I sighed and was about to turn around, when I heard a shrill scream. I quickly looked around for the source, when I saw the room that had the bedlight on light up much more brightly. I saw the form of a girl raking her fingers through her hair and burying her face into her hands. Her shadow was vividly shown through the window like a tv screen. I could tell she was only wearing her underwear and bra. It was kind of awkward, but her shadow had me mesmerized as I watched in deep interest.

Her body line was beautiful, curved in and out just in the right places. Her hair was long and tangled as she pulled it up into a messy ponytail.

She stood up and her shadow became bigger. It took me a moment to process what she was doing and I quickly hid beneath the fence before the window slid open with a loud thunk.

I could hear her heavy breathing even if there was a road between our houses. She coughed loudly and it seemed like she was choking.

Do I have to go and help her? She might have had a heart attack or something!

No Parker, you don't interfere with other people's lives. You live alone.

'But what if she dies?'

Why do you care?

'She's a living organism!'

Why are you even hiding?

Good question. Why was I hiding? Because I didn't want her to think that I was staring at her shadow like a stalker? Because I knew she was only wearing her bra and panties?

And why is your heart beating so fast?

I recognized it then. My heart was racing so fast that I was afraid I'd have to call the ambulance for myself instead of her. I grabbed my chest as a throbbing pain bloomed through it. What was happening to me?

My inner dialogue stopped along with the beating of my heart when I heard the window shut with a click. I let out my breath, only to realize I was holding it. This was going to be the last time I was out on the porch this late in the night.

Oh, this was very interesting. Tiana Kings. Sister of Benjamin Kings. New student. Pretty with blonde hair. Quiet. Timid. Very avoidant of people.

These were the things that I had caught of her today. She was the mystery girl from last night, and also the reason I was late for school today. I hadn't been able to sleep at all because I was curious about the photo and her. I eventually ended up waking up late for school.

"Hey Parker! Have you checked out the new girl yet?" Nate asked me eagerly. He was my only real friend that I actually hung out with.

"Yes I have. She seems... Interesting." I nodded.

"Well, the whole school's talking about her. I don't know much about the rumors but she is definitely hot! Even in that hoodie! I wonder why she won't talk with me."

I took a look at his face which was full of disappointment. He was goodlooking, but I wanted to tease him a little. "Go look in the mirror. Maybe you'll find the reason." I shrugged at him.

He looked taken aback at first but soon sagged his shoulders. "I'm not ugly," he muttered.

Charlie who was next to him chuckled. "Yes you are, my man. Yes you are."

"I bet that she'll end up in bed with me tomorrow." said James, who was behind me. James and his bed pride always made me inner-tsk him.

"What the hell, that is gross man! You man whore!" Nate yelled.

"Hey, Parker. How many girls have you slept with yet?" James asked with a smirk on his face. I had a feeling he didn't like me starting when I first came here.

A flood of girls cut off our discussion and swarmed around us.

Standing right in front of me, batting her eyes crazily fast at me, was Chloe. She flicked her chocolate brown hair behind her. "Parker, you know about the party at my place on Friday night, right?"

"I don't attend parties, Chloe. I think I told you that for the... I don't know... fifth time now. Oh wait, that was counting only today." I tapped a finger on my chin.

"I'll take that as a yes!" she chirped. "I'll see you there." She eyed me with her vicious looking eyes.

"What is with her and her Parker obsessiveness?" Charlie asked quietly when she was gone like he was afraid she had ultra ears and would hear him.

"I have no clue, but please tell me that the last look wasn't meant to be sexy looking." Nate clapped his hands over his eyes.

"I think it was," James said with a frown. "That's what I thought."

"What? You thought that was sexy?" Nate almost screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Yeah. Super sexy if you ask me," James snickered.

I rolled my eyes. James and his disgusting ways of looking at everything.

"So, Parker as I was saying, how many girls have you slept with yet?" he had a determined look on his face that he was going to win this game. I didn't give a shit.

"None."

His jaw dropped. "None?" he asked again.

"Yup."

"Man, you're a virgin?" Charlie patted me on the back and shook his head. "There is a lot to teach you my friend."

"That is so cool! I wish I was one!" Nate hesitated. "Oh yeah, I am one. Why do I feel sad?" We turned the corner and went into the science lab.

I gave him a smile, and sat down in my seat. My partner was Charlie and he loved science that he always did most of the material alone. I had plenty of time to think about the photograph.

"May I use the bathroom please, sir. I have a horrible stomach ache," I lied to the teacher with one of my best sick faces.

"Sure, Parker. Holding it back is surely not good for your health." The teacher started laughing hysterically by himself which I didn't return. I turned around, eager to get out of the stuffy classroom.

I quickly ran up to the rooftop of the school building. It was the only place that I could think clearly and take a break from my acting. I took out the photo of green-eyed me and looked at it hardly.

There was a date on the bottom of the page, making it definitely a picture of when I was little. The theory I was thinking of was that the lighting had been yellowish, making my eyes look green. Or else there just had to be another... Me.

Another me. That could be one more possible explanation. Did I have a twin? Then why didn't my mom ever talk about him?

I was so confused that I almost didn't hear the click of the rooftop door opening. Nobody should be here at this time, at any time actually. That was the reason it was sort of my secret hide out. I slowly turned around to see who it was and it took a while for me to process the situation.

It was Tiana, and she was crying. She was looking directly at me, with her hands balled into fists and her body shaking wildly.

"Tiana?" I said as I took a step towards her. "Are you okay?"

Tears flooded from her eyes as she kept rubbing them off with the sleeve of her hoodie, leaving grey marks on it.

"No, I'm not. I'm not okay. I missed you, so much," she said.

And the next thing I knew was that she had slammed into me, her face buried in my chest and arms wrapped around me tightly.

And I could feel my heartbeat awaken.

A/N:

Hey guys!

Well this was the second chapter and I really hope all of you enjoyed reading this.

What do you think the feeling that Parker feels for Tiana is?

Well, it's supposed to be pure curiosity but I think I made him look like he was in love at first sight. Haha.

I love you guys and if you enjoyed the story I hope you press the star and write comments for me to read what you think about the book!

Thank you!