Page 3 of Accidentally Falling For My Best Friend
“No, it's just a pattern. I like patterns,” I explain.
He gives me a huge smile. “Cool. Can you teach me? Maybe show me again during recess?” he suggests.
Is this really happening? Or am I having a strange dream?Why would the popular kid want to hang out with me during recess?
“Yeah, sure,” I finally agree, glad that I managed to sound so chill and didn’t blurt out any other random thoughts.
He gives me that big smile again, and I wonder if this school might be different. Maybe my mom was right and one friend is all I’ll need.
2
OAKLEY
ELEVEN YEARS OLD
“You okay, man?” I ask, worried for my best friend. “You barely reacted when that guy shot you.”
School is finally done for summer break, and we’re hanging out at Parker’s house playing video games. He’s usually a lot better at them than he seems to be today, though.
“Huh? Oh yeah, I guess I’m a little tired or something,” he replies slowly.He does look like he could use some sleep.
“Want me to go so you can nap?” I offer reluctantly, not actually wanting to leave.
“Nah, just let me run to the bathroom again and grab another snack before the next round, I’m starving,” he says.
“Didn’t you just pee before we started that game?” I ask with a laugh, and he shrugs, heading toward the bathroom.
I go to the kitchen and grab a bag of his favorite chips and another sports drink for him to snack on. I’m full from what we ate earlier, but Parker has been growing a lot recently, and he looks way slimmer than he did a few months ago, despite how hungry he always seems to be.
I love hanging out at Parker’s house.
It’s so quiet. I have four brothers, and I can’t remember the last time I heard actual silence at home.
I know Parker thinks that my place is cooler because it’s fancy or whatever, but I like spending time here. He also wishes that he had siblings, but he has me, so heobviouslydoesn’t need anyone else.
We’ve been pretty much inseparable since we met on his first day of school. I’m so lucky he moved here and that I get to have him as my best friend. Parker’s really funny. I know a lot of people sayI’mfunny, but I don’t think they realize howhardI’mtryingto be funny, ya know? And when I am trying to get people to laugh at my jokes, I know they’re actually funny if Parker laughs. I always make sure to look at him when I say the punchline to gauge his reactions.
Parker, on the other hand, is just effortlessly funny. He has the worst filter sometimes, and some of the stuff he blurts out will have me snort laughing.
He’s also super smart, and for some reason, he doesn’t mind helping me if I don’t understand something in class. I’ve done way better in school since meeting him. I’m even getting higher grades than my older brother, Beckett, did in some classes, and he’s the golden child who set the standard way too high for the rest of us to live up to.
Parker and I are both pretty competitive, and we try to outscore each other on tests and assignments. It’s all for fun though, we don’t actually care who wins. We’re just as happy when the other succeeds in something as we are when we accomplish it ourselves.
Seriously, I must have won the best friend jackpot or something.
I bring the chips back to his living room where the video games are set up, and he thanks me, but doesn’t eat them yet, saying his stomach is feelingoff now.
We start another round, but Parker seems extra quiet today, slouched back on the couch like he’s falling asleep, breathing kind of heavy. Maybe he’s getting sick and Ishouldlet him nap.
Just as I have that thought, his character stops moving on the screen and out of the corner of my eye I see his controller fall to the floor.
“Parker?” I ask, turning toward him, where it looks like he fell asleep right next to me on the couch.But if he was asleep, my talking would have woken him up, right?
“Parker!” I say, a little more urgently. I shake his arm a bit, trying to make sure he’s okay.
He doesn’t respond.
“Parker! Come on man, this isn’t funny.” I think I’m shouting now, but my racing heart is beating way too loudly for me to hear anything else.
