Chapter 5: I'll stay

Sunny's POV

I woke up early and prepared for school. I heard the horn outside the house so it means Parker was already outside.

"Gotta go, mom," I told mom and kissed her cheek.

"Take care, honey." Mom said so I smiled.

When I got out of the apartment, I saw Parker smiling at me.

"Good morning. Where's Cassandra?" I asked her when I noticed that Cassandra is not with him.

"Her class will start at 10. Good thing our class has the same time today. I forgot to ask you your time yesterday since we have different courses. My fault," He paused then chuckled. "Hop in. We should go."

I nodded and went inside the shotgun seat with him. He started to drive away.

"Is this yours?" I asked him. He looked at me confusingly. "I mean, the car."

"Yup. Dad gifted me this when I turned 21." He replied.

"I see. Tell me what is your age is?"

"I'm 23." He said, eyes on the road.

"Same," I uttered.

"Good. Anyways, where I can find you this lunch? Let's eat together." He offered.

"Let's meet at the cafeteria's entrance. It's much better than looking after me." I suggested which he agreed with.

He parked the car in the campus parking. We bid goodbyes as we both parted ways.

I don't know but a smile was playing on my lips. I couldn't throw it away.

The morning class ended that fast. Lunchtime came and I strode towards the cafeteria entrance to wait for Parker. Minutes later, I saw him with Cassandra. The girl was holding Parker's arm which giving him an uneasy look. He's uncomfortable with it. I could see it in his eyes.

"Hi, Sunny!" Cassandra greeted me with a smile.

"Hi, there! Shall we eat?" I asked them. They both agreed with me.

The three of us walked together. Cassandra stayed on our spot so that others would not occupy our space. I and Parker went to the line to grab us some food to eat.

"Man, Cassandra is a nice girl. She's pretty and all but why can't you like her?" I asked Parker since we were far from the counter.

He looked at Cassandra and smiled. "I like her but the idea of marrying that girl, I don't think its good. I don't want to make her life miserable as mine."

My eyebrows furrowed upon hearing those words to him. "What do you mean?"

Parker looked me in the eyes and plastered a weak and small smile. "She's not the right girl for me she deserves better."

"Huh? But you seem a good guy, man." I cheered him up because I knew he's a nice person.

"I am attracted to both genders. Being bi is not easy and if I allow Cassandra to enter in my life, it means allowing her to become miserable too."

I stopped for seconds. I didn't expect him to say that. Honestly, I thought he was straight. I couldn't sense any bi or gay thing to him. He walks, moves, and speaks so manly. Maybe he's fooling me?

"Go get your plate, man." Parker patted my shoulder.

I'm spacing out.

I took a plate and ordered the food that looks delicious. Parker did order food for Cassandra. I helped him handling the drinks.

We were walking side by side until a guy slightly bumped my shoulder, making the drinks fell on him.

"Fuck!" He cussed. He even looked like a drug addict or what.

"Sorry, you're not looking your way," I said sarcastically because I know it's not my fault, to begin with.

"What the hell, you asshole!" He said and was about to punch me but Parker made his way to protect me from that bastard.

"Try to lay your knuckle on any of us and lose your whole face, man. You will regret it." He said, making the guy startled.

"Fuck your faces!' The guy cussed once again before leaving.

Coward.

"You okay?" Parker checked up on me. I nodded.

"Thanks for defending me," I added while smiling.

We walked to Cassandra's and she asked us what happened.

"It was his fault! He wasn't looking his way!" I told them.

"Just ignore it. People like him are everywhere. You just need to defend yourself." Parker uttered.

"Yeah." I just replied but deep down inside, I am cheering because of Parker's braveness back there. I couldn't help but smile.

...

My class ended and it's 4 pm. I was walking down the school grounds when I saw Parker from afar, waving his hand to me so that I could notice him that easily.

I walked straight to him. He was leaning his back against the car's windows.

"Cassandra's last subject would end by 6 pm. I'll pick her up here but for now, let's go home together." He told me.

"Good thing our class ended the same time today. Tomorrow, my class would last until 6 pm. Don't wait for me or even fetch me at home. I can manage anyway. I don't want to cause you any hassle, man." I told him.

"Just show me your schedule so that I have an idea when to pick you up. It's not a hassle for me, though. We have the same place and same school so no worries." I uttered and went inside the car. "Get in. Let's buy some milk tea. I badly want to grab one. I'm starving of it."

I nodded and went inside the shotgun seat.

Parker told me some of the things that happened to him this day. He even encountered the guy I bumped into during the lunch break. I know that coward is afraid of Parker so nothing to worry about. As long as I am with Parker, I know I'm safe.

We stopped by a milk tea shop. It was just a small store and there were some customers at the counter so we have to wait until our turn.

"Let me treat you. What flavor do you want?" He asked me.

"I love chocolate," I answered him.

"Okay. Just wait for me here. I'll be right back." He said and walked towards the milk tea shop.

I went out of the car and rested my back on the windows. As I am waiting for Parker, two motorcycles with two people riding in them stopped right in front of me. They all have a mask covering their faces but I have an idea who is the person behind one of those masks. I know it's the cowardly guy at the cafeteria. Now he brought three guys with him. What an asshole, huh? They also have bats and pieces of wood in their hands. What do they want? Kill me impromptu?

The guy stepped in my front and removed his mask. That confirms my speculation. It was the cowardly guy at the caf.

"I'm here for revenge." He said and gave me one big punch on the face. It quickly gave me dizziness, causing my whole body to fall on the floor. I just couldn't stand on my feet. All I heard was the sound of a hard thing hitting Parker's car. They must be crashing it and here I am, doing nothing but enduring the severe pain on my face. My nose must be bleeding. It hurts so bad!

"Hey! The fuck!" I heard Parker's voice.

I tried to pull myself and sat on my butt but I'm still dizzy. My sight is blurry and I couldn't see what's happening here.

"I just want to teach you a little lesson, man." I heard the cowardly guy as his friends held Parker's arms.

"No!" I shouted when I saw him punched Parker's face. He even hit him in the stomach and kicked him.

"Stopped!" I screamed and with all of my strength, I stood up and ran towards the asshole. I made him fell on the ground so I grabbed the chance to punch his face. After that, I heard the police siren.

The cowardly guy escaped from my grip. I promised they will be punished.

I stood up as I went straight to Parker. I was so startled upon seeing his face with so much blood. I panicked.

"The ambulance is coming. Stay calm." A policeman said as he approached us and helped me with Parker.

"I'm so sorry. It's my fault, man." I told Parker.

"It's no one's fault. How are you? Are you hurt?" He asked me as we put him in the passenger seat of the police car.

His voice made me teary of a sudden. My body just moved and my arms went around him. I hugged him so tight and uttered my sorry over and over again.

"Shh. I'm fine. Don't cry." He cheered me up.

"Your car was broken and it was because of me. I'm so sorry, Parker. I caused you a lot of trouble." I pleaded.

"Don't blame yourself. The police will help us with that asshole and they will be the ones to punish him according to what he did to us. Stay calm. I'm not going to die or what. I could still endure the pain, though." He said, patting my back and let out a soft chuckle.

The ambulance came and gave Parker his medical assistance. They also applied me first aid since my nose went bleeding from being hit. After I finished with the medical stuff, the policeman took some of my statements according to what happened. I also told them about the incident that happened in the cafeteria and they promised us that they would do action about it. I'm glad they responded to us.

Parker refused to go to the hospital so I told the medical staff that I'll be the one to take care of him. We can't ride in his car anymore so I called for a taxi and told the driver the address.

I kept on glancing at him from time to time. There was a bandage on his head because he got a big wound up right there on his head. One of his eyebrows got a wound too. Even his lips. I couldn't help but feel bad. My conscience is killing me because I knew it was my fault from the very start. If I didn't bump into that asshole in the cafeteria, none of these would happen.

We stopped at a big house and I guess it's Parker's home. Their house looked like a mansion and it amazed me.

I paid for the ride and hurriedly went out to help Parker. I guided him throughout until we reach their front door.

His mom was the one to welcome us but sooner went shocked upon seeing Parker's state.

"What happened to you my son." She said worriedly.

"We got into trouble mom. They even targeted my car and smashed it. They were a group of five people from the university. The cops are making their job of finding them. I'm glad they didn't kill us or what." Said Parker and her mom helped me to guide him reach the sofa on the terrace.

"Your dad would be so upset with this! How are you feeling, honey? Where does it hurt? Tell me?" Parker's mom said as we put him on the sofa.

"Mom, I'm fine. Anyways, he's my schoolmate, Sunny Feliciano. They live five blocks away from our home. They were just new to our place, mom." Parker introduced me to his mom. I vowed down to show some respect.

"Please to meet you, ma'am," I said.

"Stay here and eat dinner with us." She said while smiling.

"Okay." I just said and sat right next to Parker.

"I am Francia and his Dad's name is Mark. Just call us Auntie and Uncle. Anyway, let me prepare the two of you some food to eat. Good thing, I am baking some cupcakes at the kitchen." Auntie Francia excused herself and went away.

"Your mother is a kind and nice person. I love her." I complimented Parker's mom and he just smiled at me.

"Where is your Dad?" I asked.

"Probably in his office. He will come home soon. Maybe by 7 or 8 in the evening." He explained.

"Wait. Have you informed Cassandra about your car?" I asked him again.

He shook his head. "I'll text her to ride a taxi."

"Okay." I took my phone as well and informed my mom and Simon that I would have my dinner at my friend's house. They allowed me so I put back my phone and I stopped doing it when I felt a hand that held my hand.

I looked at Parker and he was looking at me straight to my eyes. He showed me a sweet small smile so I smiled at him too.

"I'm glad you're fine." He uttered.

Something about what he said made me feel so light. My heart is pumping so fast and I could feel the heat crossing my cheeks.

I took my hand from him and looked away. "T-thank you," I said, stuttering.