Pete's favorites songlist
Track 3: Scorpions-Wind of Change

Tiana's POV

"Tiana! Wait up!" a voice that was beginning to become familiar called from behind me.

I twirled around to see Nate grinning widely and waving his hand high. Next to him, Parker nodded to me as Ben looked away to avoid eye contact. I couldn't believe I had endured a day at school without having to go home crying. And I had done it all alone, without Ben here to help me.

I was angry at Ben; he was my younger brother, but he still had the responsibility of taking care of me. He was the only one in the school other than Emma who knew about my breakdowns. And what did he do all day? Ignore me.

Nate ran up to me and put an arm around my shoulders. Nate was friendly and approachable, and I didn't feel any romantic emotion toward him. He was just like my young four-year-old cousin who liked to play with my hair. Annoyingly friendly.

The four of us walked out of the school, and debated on how we should go home.

"Wanna walk?" Nate grabbed my hand and tugged me down the sidewalk.

Being dragged I took a few steps forward but abruptly stopped in my tracks. Refusing to move, I only felt Nate tugging on my hand in confusion.

"What's wrong?" He dipped down his head to look at my face, which was curtained with my ugly hair.

I didn't dare lift my head because I knew that the ice cream shop was just there if I took a few steps forward. I let go of his hand and tried to turn away.

"Just look down," Ben whispered into my ear as he pulled me into his side, surprising me. "I'll lead you along the way."

"I know the way myself," I said as I pushed him away from me, mad that he was helping after all this time.

"How did you get here in the morning?"

By heart.

"Emma," I lied.

"Damn, don't lie, T. Your lies don't work on me." I could see him glaring from the corner of my eyes. He knew me too well, even though I had never told him anything.

"Why do you care?" I snapped.

"Because I DO, Tiana! I f*cking DO!" Ben yelled in my face. I jumped back in astonishment. It was the first time he had yelled in years, and I was definitely not expecting it in this situation.

"No need to yell, dude," Nate snapped.

"Or curse," Parker nodded in agreement.

"Tiana," Ben said, inching over to me and tried to hold my arm.

The anger shot through me in an instant. Why was I the one to be yelled at when he was the one who was responsible for my anger? I pushed him off of me. "Well I certainly don't need a yelling brother who doesn't help me out when I need him the most," I spat and stormed off.

It seemed that Ben was dazed because he didn't follow me as I stomped away.

I stopped in my tracks and sighed. I didn't have the right to be angry at him. Ben had given me a shot and tried to help me come to school numerous times before. He was tired of me giving up when he had tried his best. It was understandable that he didn't want to help me anymore. He had given up on me too.

I walked on, only looking forward. The walk home was long and boring, no one by my side. I desperately missed Nate's jokes and flirty attitude now. I should have just followed him when he had offered me his hand.

"Tiana?" A voice called from behind me. I twirled around to see Ben, panting hardly from running to catch up with me.

"I'm sorry." He scratched his head. "I didn't know you'd make it through the day. I was being a jerk, and I should have been by your side."

I cracked a wide smile. "Ben?"

"Yeah?"

"You're a jerk." I grinned.

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I just said that?"

"Never forget that you did." I turned around and walked off. I could picture Ben rolling his eyes.

"Everyone!" I yelled to the neighborhood. "Ben just admitted he is a jerk!" Ben bolted up from behind and clasped his hand over my mouth to prevent my mouth from causing more humiliation.

"You are so weird." He shook his head.

"I'm your weird sister." I slapped him on the back.

"Yes, you are." He smiled.

The dream was still there.

Waiting, as always.

Peter's thin and tired form appeared at my bedside. I lay there, unable to move as the sound of his footsteps neared me until he was directly above me. His blood shot eyes had no hint of blue-green in them at all in the dark. Only black, marble like pupils stared down at me, making me stifle a cry.

"Do you think you can be happy?" his voice rasped as he whispered into my ear, bending down to reach my eye level.

I wanted to reply, but my whole body was paralyzed. I could only feel the prickle of tears creeping up my eyes.

"Don't you dare think you can get away from me, Tiana. I will never let you go."

Scream. I told myself. Scream that you want to move on now.

"I loved you, Tiana. As family. I want you to love me back the same." he straddled on me and pressed his hands on my neck.

I squeezed out a high pitched scream, muffled by my cries. As his hands started to squeeze, I strained to breathe, feeling my face starting to become red.

"Do you feel it, Tiana. The darkness of death?" he laughed bitterly.

"Do you feel the beauty of the loss of light? I feel it every damned day."

My face was about to blow up.

"Follow me to death, Tiana." He knew that this last press would make me unconscious instantly.

I sputtered out my last words before I would pass out.

"I..."

"What is it, Tiana? Will you come with me?" I could feel his hands loosen in the very slightest way.

"I... won't..." I let out.

His face turned red, and with the last look at his enraged expression, my world went black.

-----

I slammed the window open and coughed until I could almost feel my throat bleeding. Peter's angered face full of hatred flashed continuously in my head, making me shriek in a small shrill voice, grabbing my throbbing head.

I swallowed my tears and coughs back and closed the window, sinking down to the floor. I rested my head against the wall that seemed to be colder than usual. The dreams were always so vivid, so terrifying, but they never got tired of getting worse. I curled my legs into my body and sobbed.

Thunk.

I twirled around as the sound pierced through the silence that was only being disturbed by my quiet muffled crying.

Thunk.

I shot up from where I was sitting, and opened the window.

I caught my breath as I recognized who was throwing the pebbles at it.

"Parker?" I gasped.

Yes, like in Romeo and Juliet, Parker was under my window throwing pebbles for me to open it. My heart skipped a beat. It wasn't like he was my prince charming. He wasn't wearing one of those white fluffy blouses that made all the men from the movie like ballerinos. I didn't have breasts as near as big as Olivia Hassett.

But here he stood, under the glowing moonlight, actually glowing in it himself. With his wispy hair and bright blue eyes making me fall into them, I had to cough several times to come back to reality and check if my runny nose was being mirrored in the moonlight. I was drowning, in those ocean-like eyes that were so similar to Peters.

"Do you want to go for a drive?" He pointed to his garage.

I tightened my lips into a straight line, ready to say no. It was a school night and I didn't want to mess up tomorrow after everything I had endured today.

Do you think you can be happy? Peter's voice echoed through my head.

Scream that you want to move on. I had thought.

I gulped. "Yes."

A smile spread on his lips, his blue eyes glistening even in the dim lamp post lighting in the night.

"I'll give you ten minutes. Get ready." He grinned at me and disappeared into his front door.

I flew into the bathroom, washed my face, and brushed my teeth. Then, threw some clothes on.

Wait, threw some clothes on?

I realized with horror that I had been in my underwear in front of Parker.

Jesus.

I rumpled my hair and whined. Why was I so careless?

I puffed a sigh and tiptoed down the hall, grabbing my phone and bag with Pete on the island table. Wincing as the front door creaked when I opened it, I stepped out and shivered because of the unexpected cold air. It was late April, and it was still cold at night. I hugged myself and tried to warm myself with the friction of my arms and hands.

The car headlights flashed with the roar of it coming alive. I looked both ways before I crossed the street.

Parker opened the door for me, the sweet scent of the car refresher flooding over me. I relaxed against the seat, inhaling a deep breath.

"Buckle up," he said, getting in the car himself.

His presence was strong. The car warmed up as soon as he got in, and the refresher smell died down, replaced by the smell of his skin. He locked eyes with me and smiled. I couldn't help but think he was handsome.

I strapped the seat belt across my body and smiled back at him. It had been so long since I was going on a drive after last time in December which had ended with a fragmented arm.

For some reason, I was much calmer than before. My breathing was steady, and my heart pulsed in a regular beat. And the most surprising thing of all was that I wasn't queasy or nervous to get on a car.

"How do you feel?" Parker asked. The car pulled out of the garage and rolled down to the road.

"A lot better, thanks to you," I said.

"That's good to hear."

The awkwardness from the afternoon when we were on the rooftop was long gone, and the comfortable silence lied between us.

"Where are we going?" I asked, breaking the quiet.

He shrugged. "Somewhere I like to go alone."

"Then why go with me?"

His lips tugged into an amused smile as he glanced at me. "I just have the feeling you'll like it."

I nodded and leaned back into the car seat again.

In ten minutes he announced we were here, and I jolted up from dozing off.

"Are we allowed to be here this late? We're trespassing!" I whispered as we tiptoed through the grass.

"That's the point. We can be alone," he smiled. "If we don't get caught," he added.

My cheek burned at that. He wants to be alone with me?

Don't get your hopes up Tiana. He's trying to comfort you. I mentally slapped myself.

We spread out a blanket and took a seat on the bridge of the wetlands. The water was still and all life was peaceful as if every organism was sleeping. The harmonious croaking of frogs and crickets added a hint of beauty into the view. There were fireflies everywhere, flying about near the grasses. I felt like all my worries and faults were gone, and it was only me inside. Pure me. Everything was just right.

"I never knew this elementary school could be so beautiful," I said.

"Neither did I." His smile was real. "I used to come here alone when I was little."

"You attended this school?" I didn't remember Ben talking about someone named Parker. And I remembered everyone's names that Ben had talked about. John, Katie, Courtney, Matthew, and so many more of them were part of me, but I wasn't a part of them. I memorized them because I wanted to go to school so badly, but knew I couldn't.

He nodded slightly. "I transferred when I was eight, because of my mom's business issues." There was a flash of depression in his eyes as he said the sentence, but it was soon gone as he looked into me. His eyes were soft and looked as if they wanted to whisper something into my ear without telling the brain.

"I dropped out too, when I was eight," I whispered.

His right eyebrow arched up. "Why?"

"I..." I fidgeted with my fingers.

"Don't want to talk about it?" he guessed.

I nodded.

"Well, that's okay." He cocked a smile. "How about we start with something happy?"

I looked back at him curiously.

"Well, I'll start then. I love soccer. Whenever I play, I feel free, free from people's expectations. It's like I can fly." He smiled at me genuinely. I felt butterflies in my stomach. "You know that feeling?"

No.

I nodded cautiously, trying my best to make him not notice what I'm actually thinking.

"Your turn." He leaned back on his hands.

"I..." I didn't remember any happy memories except for when Peter was here. Him always being there for me was when I could truly smile.

"I have a brother," I said, and just by saying that the tears were threatening to well up. "I love him," I finished quickly.

I innerly groaned at my lacking ability to continue a conversation.

Parker blinked. "You love Ben."

"Yes." I nodded anyway, knowing that wasn't my point.

"That's it."

"Uh-huh." I nodded again.

He laughed awkwardly. "Such happy thoughts." He raked his fingers through his tousled hair. "And to think I'd get to know something about you," he muttered under his breath.

I looked back to the water. The water was black with a shiny white moon glistening in the middle. A frog was looking at us with its bulging black pebble like eyes, it's chest huffing and puffing air.

I threw my head back, going to let out a long sigh in satisfaction but instead gasping, when the view of the sky hit me. The stars were like glitter poured onto the black canvas above us. They were about to spill over me, and soon I'd be covered with sparkly sprinkles.

"You like it?" He grinned. "One of my favorite sights."

"It's breathtaking," I mumbled in awe.

We stayed in silence for a while, doing nothing but looking at the jewels engraved in the sky.

"Why are you so kind to me, Parker?" I turned my head back to him to find him staring at me. I hoped my blush wasn't viewable in the darkness.

"Why would I not be?" His voice was low and mesmerizing. He was much closer to me than I had thought he was, his face only about three inches away from mine.

"Because you know I have something. Something bad."

"You have nothing bad, Tiana," he laughed. He kept calling my name like that. In that dreamy voice of his. Why did he not call me T like everyone else?

A chilly breeze blew and erupted shivers up my arms. Parker frowned and took off his checkered shirt he was wearing, settling it down onto my shoulders.

"You should have worn something warmer," he scolded. I broke out in a smile.

"Well, I figured you might have enjoyed my bra?"

Where the hell did that flirty comment come from?

Parker flushed red as he turned away from me. "I did not! I totally forgot you slept with only your underwear on! I was worried!"

My smile dropped. "How did you know I only sleep with my underwear on?"

He froze, realizing his mistake. "Dammit."

"Parker," I warned.

"I saw you the other day, having one of your nightmares." Parker rubbed his eyes in embarrassment. "I didn't see anything then, just your shadow."

"Oh," I said blankly. "Well, that's fine. I was starting to wonder if you had stalked me and was one of those crazy psychopath lovers."

He twirled around to me. "I am absolutely not like that!"

I smirked. "Whatever you say."

I pulled out Pete from my bag, offering Parker the right earphone as I put the left one into my own ear. He quizzically looked at me as I just motioned to put them on and pressed the play button.

A smile spread widely across his lips. I looked out to the distance, humming the song that made the finishing touch into the scene.

Everything was perfect.

A/N:

Hello my loves,

I'm back with this chapter! How did you like it? Do you feel their relationship deepening every second?

I do!!!! Yay!!
So, if you enjoyed this chapter please don't forget to vote, comment and show your love. I love to read your comments and see the stars on my chapters.

A reminder: I am a senior and crazy busy working on exams and stuff:) please understand with my slow updates. I try my best to edit and put in the spazzaz moments into each chapter.

Thanks for your understanding, and I hope I see you all in the next chapter!