User blog:SodaCat/Diamonds Chap 5

yet to be named and also not done..

with every diamonds chapter i write i love parker just a little bit more q u q

The moonlight sparkled off of Piper’s dress delicately as she rearranged the vase of roses that sat on her desk for the umpteenth time.

Her dorm was dark, and the only light entering was from the moon via the window. Both her bed and Alexis’ were neatly made, courtesy of Mrs. Peabody. Though Piper liked Alexis—she wasn’t like the other grease monkeys—she rarely ever saw her. It seemed that Alexis was either sleeping over at the boys’ dorm, or just simply returning late in the night, when Piper was already asleep. She didn’t mind it either way—the silence was somewhat comforting, especially after having to deal with the news of her betrothal last month.

Parker had given her the roses in attempt to cheer her up, but it only disappointed her further. Her favorite flowers were peonies. Of course Parker wouldn’t know that—only Bif knew that.

Speaking of which, that was the other thing—she rarely ever saw Bif anymore. Ever since she’d slipped up and asked if he had wanted her to be betrothed to him, he seemed to be spending more and more time at the boxing gym, ‘training’.

Piper thought he was just avoiding her.

Now, where would she get that thought?

Because of this, she had had no other choice but to accept Parker’s invitation to, ugh, ‘hang out’ on Halloween—tonight. He’d promised to meet her at seven, and it was now 6:59.

“H-Hey… Piper?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">She turned around at the sound of Parker’s voice, not surprised to see him standing in her doorway. What caught her off guard, though, was the vampire costume. How tacky.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Piper glanced back at the clock on her nightstand, the red numbers glaring ‘7:00PM’ brightly in the darkness. Did he have to be so bloody punctual all the time? It was so irritating, as were most of the things Parker did.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Like give her the wrong flowers?

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Mrs. Peabody let me in,” he explained, stepping into the dorm hesitantly. Piper had to fight the urge to roll her eyes at the statement—of course Mrs. Peabody let him in. She’d only instructed her to do so an hour ago.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Parker, becoming more and more anxious at her silence, continued speaking. “You look beautiful in that… are you Alice in Wonderland?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Piper glanced down at her dress for a moment, admiring it. He was correct—she was Alice in Wonderland. Maybe she didn’t sport the blonde hair Alice had, but she figured she still looked nice in the baby blue silk dress and matching white apron that’d been embroidered with the smallest card decals.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Yes, I am. Thank you, Parker. You look…” she struggled for a moment, searching for a word, “erm, nice.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Parker smiled at her, oblivious to her slight sarcasm and hesitation. He stepped forward and offered her his arm for her to hook her own around. “Derby’s hosting a small cocktail party at Harrington House, I thought maybe we could go for a bit?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">He looked at her with a small smile, his brown eyes hopeful. Piper eyed him for a moment, unsure. He was so different from Bif… the white paint and dumb hairstyle didn’t help her at all to become even the least bit attracted to him. Honestly, she thought the whole ensemble with the vampire fangs and the cosmetic, fake blood and the silly white undershirt and violet button-up just made him look ridiculous, even if it was a costume.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Bif, surely, had chosen something just a tad bit classier for his costume—maybe James Bond, or Clark Kent. Maybe he would have dressed up in a couple’s costume with Piper, had he not been ‘busy with training’ tonight—last year they had gone as Cinderella and Prince Charming. It had been utterly chic.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Sighing, she hooked her arm around Parker’s. “I suppose so…” she mumbled, allowing him to more or less drag her out of the room and down the stairs.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Maybe not Cinderella and Prince Charming, but Alice and Dracula are a close second!

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif""> “Piper! I love your costume, is that silk?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Piper smiled blandly at Pinky, who sat beside her on the sofa in Harrington House, holding a glass of champagne.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">The Halloween cocktail looked more or less just like the beginning of the year party, only with a few Halloween decorations added in for a ‘spooky flair’. Someone, most likely a poorer student paid for menial labor, had hung orange and black streamers all around the perimeter of the common room, and the waiters sported small, orange bowties and Phantom of the Opera masks. The lights had been dimmed slightly, and there was a small bowl containing Lindor chocolates by the fireplace.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Yes, it is,” Piper replied wearily, holding out her dress so that Pinky could touch it. She’d never been so grateful to speak to Pinky—Parker hadn’t left her side all night, and she was getting sick of making idle chit-chat with him. Just because they’d be getting married in a couple of years didn’t mean she had to waste all of her time with him as an adolescent, and the sooner he understood that, the better.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Pinky stoked Piper’s dress gently, her face lighting up at the smooth texture. “Mine is silk too, see? But then this part is velvet, here, feel!”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Piper allowed Pinky to guide her hand onto the material of the dress, momentarily distracted until Parker decided it was time to speak up again.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Do you want some more uh… champagne?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Piper rolled her eyes, snatching her hand back from Pinky in a sudden burst of irritation. “I’m drinking white wine, Parker, and no, I would not like anymore. I plan on staying sober tonight.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">She watched as Pinky strutted away, becoming just a little bit more angry with Parker. There went her distraction, now she’d be stuck pretending to care about whatever he was blabbing about even longer.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“O-Oh!” Parker yelped, his face flushed, “I-I didn’t mean I wanted to get you drunk, I just… I thought you were thirsty… and… I could get you something to drink… Water… do you want some w-water?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Piper let out a long exhalation. Was he honestly this nervous? She wasn’t going to bite him. Tempted to roll her eyes once again, she placed one of her hands on his, surprised at how warm and dry it was. Almost comforting.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Parker, this will go much more pleasant and much more smoothly for both of us if you take a deep breath and relax just a little bit.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Parker nodded frantically, taking in a deep inhalation and exhaling slowly. He flashed a grateful, winning smile at Piper, his genuine relief pulling at her just a little bit. Almost as much as Bif’s smiles pulled at her.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">No, not almost, but maybe with a few more years it would get there.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Sorry, I just… well, I’ve never really been betrothed to anyone before.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Of course you haven’t, that’s not how it works,” Piper scoffed, pulling her hand away. It was so hard to try and get along with Parker when he was just so clueless about how the world worked. She never had to explain things as simple as how betrothal worked to Bif.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Parker noted her irritation almost immediately. He was trying so hard to get her to like him, but she just seemed so intent on disliking him. Maybe if he acted like Bif more, she’d like him… but Parker didn’t know how to be Bif. He only knew how to be Parker. If only he could change that, just for her, he’d do it in a minute.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“I’m sorry, Piper… I’m just new to this. I’ve never really had any luck with girls, and I know that you’re all about Bif, so…” he let out a sigh, looking for the right words to express his feelings to her. “I’m just trying to keep you happy. I’m sorry you’re stuck with me.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Piper frowned just a tiny bit at that, feeling guilty. She wasn’t trying to make Parker feel bad about himself… everything was just so frustrating lately. She was betrothed to the wrong man, and the one that she loved was avoiding her, and not even being upfront about it. It was all very difficult to take in.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Don’t apologize for that, Parker,