74- Special Stranger

                                    

                                          
I get off of the plane, I stand near the pick up lane, waiting for my dad to come pick me up at the airport so I can go home. I loved visiting in London, but I miss my family, since I only saw them for a week before going to London. I text my dad, asking where he is and protesting the cold. I finally see my dad's blue car pull up, and I open up the passenger's door. I pull open the door and there, in the driver's seat is Parker, grinning like a madman.
"WHY THE HECK ARE YOU IN HERE?!?" I yell.
"Shhh, I don't want you to accidently alert the security." 
"You do realize that you sound like you're kidnapping me." I throw my bags in the back and get in.
"The politically correct term is teen-almost-adult-napping. Besides, you know me, it's fine."
"More kidnappers know the child personally than in minority cases." I buckle in my seat belt as Parker starts to exit the airport to get to the highway.
"I'm glad you're happy to see me."
"Delighted. Can you explain?"
"I wanted to surprise you."
"You did a bit more than surprise."
"Well.... I'm here for a few days, I mean, it's the 16th, your birthday is the 18th, I'll spend four days here then go back to L.A."
"Not to home....." I say, the words not having any meaning but still having power. He says nothing as we are stopped at a long light. He let his fake smile cover slip after I said that.
He turns and looks into my eyes, then quickly turns back to face the road.
"I don't have one, there is none to go to."
"Your mom is in Texas, right?" He nods his head.
"Didn't you, at one point think St. Louis was your home? You lived here two years, I mean, this city is all my life has ever been, but there has probably been better things you have seen, could see, better things that could be seen if you try to hunt for them."
We have gotten to a restaurant parking lot near my house, the only one open around 10 o'clock at night. He looked at me in the low light of the street lights.
Slowly, using a weak smile, he says, "I never have had a physical location as a home, but I did find a home in St. Louis. I have never had to find better things in other cities cause I knew I had the best thing I could here. I never hunted for the best thing in my life, I stumbled upon it, and that was the best stumble I could ever have taken."
I knit my eyebrows, trying to figure out what he talking about.
"Carolyn Noel Steele, you are the best thing in St. Louis. A home I found nowhere but here. You still are the best thing in St. Louis. I didn't have to search for you, I just found you."
I look at him silent, absorbing in the scene to remember for a long time.
"Well, Parker Owen Coppins, you have rendered me speechless, and when one of us are speechless, we know something is up."
He smiles genuinely, moving closer towards me.
"Well Carolyn Noel, you have captivated me for a long time at this point, what, eleven years?"
"Parker Owen, I try." we are slowly getting closer together, we could hear the silence, it was an attractive one, one that would have been missed if not present.
"It wouldn't be fun unless there was a fight for it." He grins as I push my lips forwards, making our lips collide, closing the gap between us. 
"Let's go." I say, a few moments after we stop kissing.
"Where?" Parker asked, clearly forgetting what we were doing in the lamp lit, 24 hour fast food place, bare parking lot.
"To Narnia. No, to get some food, idiot."
"You're so mean, I'm not an idiot."
"You're my little idiot."
"What are you talking about, I'm like, five inches taller than you."
And that's when we went in the Wendy's. (Every story has a better ending with a frosty in it.)



                          
And this is when all of the Cill shippers hate me..... :)






                          
Srsly it will turn in your favor at the end of the book ;)

                          
also, thank you wiisegirl for getting me back into writing this. She commented something that asserted that, yes, people DO pay attention and have an opinion about a story.