Cross Your Fingers

"If you could pick one woman celebrity to bang, who would it be?”

“Hmm,” Parker sighed, “That’s hard. Probably… nope, definitely Olivia Wilde.”

“That’s respectable,” he said, reaching over and digging his hand into the bowl of popcorn sitting in her lap.

“What guy would you do?”

“Brad Pitt.”

“Wow… you replied really quickly. Something you need to tell me, Austin?” she laughed.

He chuckled softly, “If I tell you I’m gay will you finally start to change in front of me?”

She rolled her eyes, “Nice try.”

“I’m just too straight to be gay,” he said, bringing a smile to her lips as he quoted her favorite movie.

“How is that girlfriend… what’s her name?” Parker asked.

“Casey,” Austin said, rolling his eyes, “We’ve known her since grade school, Parks.”

She shrugged, popping a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth, “I guess she must not be very memorable.”

“Wow, you are on fire,” he chuckled, “Good thing I invited her over.”

She narrowed her eyes, “That whore is not allowed in my house.”

“Parker,” he sighed, “I always accept the guys you date.”

“I’ve dated one guy and that was Chris Wagner in eighth grade, and you set me up with him! Doesn’t count,” she said.

“But if you did date anyone I would like him! Don’t you trust my judgment?”

“No,” she told him honestly, “Your girlfriends never last.”

“You know what couple would last?”

She pushed his shoulder lightly, rolling her eyes, “Don’t start.”

“Us. Just date me, already, Jesus Christ!” he laughed.

She stood from her bed to put in a new movie, “Well why would I want to ruin what you have with Casey?”

“She’s a whore, I admit it. She’s got nothing on you. I mean, just look at you,” he said, looking her body up and down before she sat back down next to him.

“I’m bloated and in sweats, don’t try to compliment me,” she said.

“Come on,” he said, putting his hand on her knee, “Let’s try.”

She exhaled slowly and looked into his eyes. He had a stupid smirk on his face but it soon fell serious, mimicking hers. They moved towards each other slowly, and when she could feel his breath on her lips she moved to her right and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Austin hung his head and she smiled, “That was a valiant effort. Good try.”

“I’ll never give up,” he said.

Parker rolled her eyes. He always joked about this. That she and him should just date, since everyone already thought they were already. But she could never date him, no matter their history and how easy their relationship would be.

“I bet you do give up by about the billionth time you ask me,” she said.

“Silly Parker, never realizing that you never, ever, win our bets,” he smiled, scrunching his face up and shaking his head.

She mocked him and rubbed her nose against his, “I’m willing to take this bet.”

“Fine,” he smiled, moving away from her, “I’ll bet you our entire friendship that you fall in love with me by the time we get out of high school.”

“So we’re not going to be friends anymore if I fall in love with you?”

“Nope, you’ll be my girlfriend,” he smiled a toothy grin.

“Okay, and when I do not fall in love with you, you have to streak naked at a baseball game,” Parker said.

Austin sighed, “Parks, if you just wanted to see me naked you could have asked.”

She stopped him from unbuttoning his pants, “So, it’s a bet.”

He stuck out his hand and she shook it, “It’s a bet.”

Austin Gibbs sat against a brick wall, a cigarette between his lips as he listened to the people around him talk about how much they loved Texas. The shows were always more energized here, and not so long ago he had been in the crowd, singing along to his favorite bands.

He wasn’t really paying attention though. He was already on his second smoke in the last fifteen minutes because he was so stressed out. He wondered what she would look like now-- probably the same. She would probably still have that smile that used to make him weak, but now it only made him angry.

Austin wouldn’t have come if Tim Kirch hadn’t have begged him to cover for the opening band that dropped out at the last second. Maybe she wouldn’t be here; maybe she had decided to take some summer classes.

But if she was anything like she used to be, she was probably following him around still.

“Gibbs, what’s up man?” Kennedy smiled, approaching him.

Austin embraced him, “Hey man, it’s been a while.”

“I’m stoked you’re here, you really saved this tour,” he said.

“My pleasure, it’s like a childhood reunion with all of us here,” he laughed.

Kennedy smiled, putting his hands in his pockets and swaying back and forth on his feet, “Have you seen her yet?”

“Nope,” he said, blowing the smoke out of the side of his mouth.

“She doesn’t know you’re here,” Kennedy said, “John is supposed to tell her.”

“How did you get out of that one?”

“Apparently boyfriend trumps cousin. I love Parker but I do not want to be there when she finds out,” Kennedy said.

“Well, this should be a pretty eventful night then, I guess.”

“I can’t believe it’s really been almost five years. That’s crazy, you two used to be-”

“Yep,” Austin cut him off, not really caring to hear the rest.

“Maybe it’s been just enough time,” Kennedy suggested.

Austin dropped his cigarette on the ground, stomping it out, “Or maybe not enough.”

+

Parker Sommers walked slowly through the House of Blues in Dallas, Texas. She sipped on her smoothie, pretending like she didn’t notice the boys in bands looking her up and down as she walked past.

Her blue eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and her light brown hair tumbled in curls that bounced as she walked. She wore a floral sundress that she had just bought and only very light makeup; her boyfriend liked her that way and she didn’t complain.

She loved Texas. It was her home. This time of year the summer humidity was just kicking in and it was on the way to becoming completely miserable. Parker loved Dallas and Austin and every small town in between, but Houston-where they would be headed in three days-was a different story.

This was the first day of the tour, and there were so many people around she didn’t know how she would remember all of their names.

“Who is that foxy lady?”

Parker turned to the voice and her face fell into a smile when she saw him, “My, my, Eric Halvorsen how much you’ve grown.”

He hugged her, “That’s what she said.”

“Doubt it.”

He rolled his eyes, “Don’t you have merch to go sell or something?”

“Shouldn’t you go learn to play the bass?”

“Why does my best friend date such a bi-”

“Hey, baby,” John grinned, cutting Eric off as he put his hands around Parker’s hips.

“What were you saying, Eric?” she laughed.

“Just that you are a beautiful person and I am so happy that you two are together even after all these years of Parker’s selfishness,” he smiled.

“Hey, Halvo, this whole ‘bros over hoes’ thing doesn’t apply because John likes me better,” Parker smiled.

“How dare you,” he scoffed, “First day of tour and you’re already making enemies. Good going, Liv.”

“My name is Parker. Not Olivia, not Parks, not Liv,” she said for the millionth time.

“Whatever you say, Parker Olivia Sommers,” Eric smiled before beginning to walking away. He turned around again, “Hey, did you know your initials are P.O.S.? Like piece of sh-”

“Yeah, Eric. Go talk to my middle school classmates who figured that out about ten years ago,” she said.

He narrowed his eyes before walking away.

She rolled her eyes before turning to John, wrapping her arms around his neck, “How long until show time?”

“About two hours before the opener,” he said.

“What should we do until then?” she smiled.

He smiled against her lips as he kissed her, “You tell me.”

She giggled, moving his hands from her hips. “I feel like everyone is watching us.”

“That’s because they’re jealous that you are all mine,” he said, pulling her into him.

She kissed him softly, “Want to go sight see?”

He sighed, “Did you not understand what I was suggesting to you just now?”

“No, I did, and I’m pretty sure everyone else did, too. Come on, lover boy,” she said, taking his hand and pulling him to the door.

They walked the Texas streets hand in hand, and the smile never left Parker’s face. Everyone that pictured Texas thought it was all cowboys and farmers. But Dallas was a big city, and there were so many other types of people.

But as much as she loved Texas it held too many memories for her to ever enjoy it like she used to. Arizona had been her home for almost five years, and she hoped that it would always stay her home.

They passed a group of girls that were a few years younger than she was, and they shamelessly peered at John, giggling when he smirked at them.

Parker rolled her eyes, “Smooth, John.”

“I can’t help it! They were wearing bright colors… and distracting,” he tried to explain but when he realized it was futile he only stared at his feet.

“I played a show there once,” Parker said, pointing out a small café and thankful for the easy change of subject.

She smiled at the memory. She had been so nervous when the curtain opened and she saw everyone’s face. It was in front of a room full of strangers, sans Austin. She couldn’t even get her fingers to move.

She remembered finding Austin’s smile in the crowd. He gave her a thumbs up but it didn’t help her at all. Finally he shouted out, “Come on Parks! I looooove you!”

Everyone in the crowd laughed and she finally began to play and it all became okay again.

“Babe? You listening?” John brought her out of her memory by squeezing her hand.

“Sorry, what?”

“I need to tell you something…” he said, looking weak. Her heart fell slightly towards her stomach. Last time he said this he broke her heart. “It’s about the opening band.”

She looked at him strangely, but before she could begin to process it her cell phone rang. She looked at her text message from Kennedy and shook her head, grabbing John’s hand, “Dummy, there is a meet and greet today, everyone is waiting!”

John and Parker walked back to the venue in a hurry, detaching their hands as they got closer. It had taken years of experience to know that fans of The Maine weren’t very happy when they saw the lead singer with his girlfriend.

Luckily, rumors didn’t swirl around about them among the circles of fans. Parker Sommers wasn’t a blip on anyone’s radar, not yet. She stayed away from their tours and the publicity that comes with being involved with a band.

John snuck in one last kiss before he walked into the room to meet his fans. Parker took out her cell phone, aimlessly staring at the screen like she was looking at something important. Finally she sighed and found her way to the merch table.

She had only done it a few times before for her cousin when she was in town as a teenager. Someone had showed her how to set it up and she had pretty much memorized the prices.

Parker smiled at Nick Santino and his girlfriend Lila as they spoke softly to each other behind the merch table.

“Hello, love birds,” she laughed.

“Hi, Parker!” she smiled. Lila was an adorable blonde that had the redhead in her back pocket, and she didn’t even realize it.

“I don’t know what to do right now…” she told them honestly.

“You could unpack those boxes. Eric said he would do it but obviously… he sucks,” Nick laughed, “It’s the merch for the opening band.”

Parker shrugged, “I might as well.”

She tore open the box and took out the pile of shirts. She unfolded them and she swore her breath caught in her throat.

Austin Gibbs and the States.

“You okay, Parks?” Nick asked. She ignored the unwanted nickname and slapped a smile on her face.

“Yeah. Um… yeah, I’m great. Can you guys finish this up? I have to go pee or... something,” Parker muttered before she walked off.

She couldn’t stop looking over her shoulder to see if he would be there. She didn’t know what to even say to him. Would he still be angry? Should she still be angry? It had been so long, so many nights not thinking about him.

Some people just weren’t meant to be friends for life like most assumed. Best friends meant nothing when the two were completely different and even less when neither was willing to change.

It wasn’t dramatic anymore, it didn’t break her heart like it used to. It was just life, and it happened so many years ago she liked to pretend she couldn’t even remember the reason for their falling out.

But that was just a lie she had almost perfected.

She collided with a body and let out a tight scream. He caught her in his arms and she looked up slowly, afraid of whom she might see.

“Parker? You okay?” Eric laughed.

She only looked at him and he frowned, “You found out about Austin?”

“Did anyone think it would possibly be a good idea to tell me?”

“John really wanted you to come, and they jumped on at the last minute. It will be fine, okay?” he said, rubbing her shoulders.

She took in a deep breath and repeated what he said, “It will be fine. I’m going to go get a smoke.”

“You don’t smoke, Parker,” Eric laughed.

She rolled her eyes, “Maybe I should start.”

Parker walked away from him and began walking down the street. Walking alone in Arizona sometimes worried her, and even though Dallas probably should have worried her still, she wasn’t thinking about that.

She found herself entering that old café she had been in years ago. It was practically dead, only a few washed up musicians strumming guitars and writing in notepads.

“Can I get you something, sweetie?” an older woman behind the counter asked.

Parker bit her lip, “Do you mind if I…?” she asked, pointing to the piano on the stage.

“Go ahead, darling,” she answered.

Parker gave her a polite smile before stepping up on the stage slowly. She sat down on the bench that creaked with even just her light weight resting on it.

She ran her fingers over the keys, a little bit of dust on the tips. It didn’t matter though; she still got goose bumps on her arms. She pressed down, one key at a time; slow at first, and eventually into a continuous rhythm.

Parker closed her eyes and played a song she had learned when she was younger. It had been so long since she had touched a piano, let alone thought of this song.

She didn’t even know she still knew how to play it.

She pretended not to hear the footsteps behind her and just continued to play. But eventually the song would come to an end that he was too familiar with.

The café fell silent and Parker turned to look at him.

He looked so different. His hair was longer but he was working on a beard and his moustache was perfectly sculpted. He was wearing a white wife beater covered with a plaid button up. His American Spirits were visible in his shirt pocket, just like they always had been.

“Hi,” she said simply, feeling slightly stupid but she really didn’t know what else to say.

He bit at the inside of his cheek and lifted his eyebrows, “How long has it been since you played?”

She faked a soft laugh, “You going to ask me about the weather next?”

“Well I could tell you I missed you but I’m all out of favors for today,” he said, his face straight.

“Favors or lies?” she asked.

“You tell me.”

She shook her head as she stood. When she walked past him she stopped as their shoulders lined up, “Well in that case, I missed you too.”