The One Who Watches by Jillian Cline (the rosie project txt) 📖

The air was crisp and with it brought the suns lips to me and warming my skin. "Do you understand the list they gave us?" I asked my twin sister who was looking at the paper so closely I thought her eyes were going to pop out. "I don't know, J.C., I haven't gone to a privet school ever. So how would I know?" That was true. We have been home schooled our whole lives. It was only two weeks ago that I got the message from Parker saying that he would like to see me after years and years of being apart. He told me about the school and my mom and dad looked it up thinking it was time for us to get out of the house and fined new friends. I'm not going to lie, the only friends I had in a long time was Parker and my sister Kayla. "I think we should go see the principles’ office and find out. Plus I, we, might see Parker there since his mother is the head of the school." The school was called Fish Net High. Now you may think that is weird for a name. Well it's not when you live by the bay. "You just want to see Parker your long lost love." She pressed her hands over her heart and stumbled as if she got shot in the heart.
"I do not! Kayla I haven't seen him since I was little. Of course I am going to be eager to see him. I want to know how he turned out." She raised her eyebrows. "You so love him." I stuck out my tongue out at her. "You don't know how I feel since I don't either. So there. You know nothing of my love life." "I know you dated Michel." She shrieked as she ran up the steps and into the building. Angry I chased after her. I was so mad at her I didn't notice her stopping in front of a room and I almost ran into her. "How in the world did you know that? Michel was just a person I once went out with and- How did you know that?" I blurted then when she didn't answer me I fallowed her gaze into the room to see a woman and a boy standing there looking at me. "Oh my. I didn't mean to interrupt anything I just..." My voice faded when I looked at the boy. I'm meaning really looked at him. He wore a black t-shirt and black pants and black shoes. Even his hair was died black. But his eyes were what caught me. I slowly tilted my head to the side and a smile played on my lips. "Parker?" His face was a question mark. "I told you he wouldn't remember you, J." My nick name seemed to trigger something in him but his expression didn't change.
"You know I think the twin thing got him mess-up in the head. What do you think, Kayla?" I said still looking Parker over who was now squirming under my gaze. I shook my head and tore my gaze from Parker to the lady behind him. Like the lady I am I bowed to her and said, "My lady we came here confused of this list you gave us. We know not of where we are to go or what to do since we have been home schooled for many years. And if you are busy, Madam, we can try to find our way through this beautiful school of yours." When I looked up I saw shock on her face at my old words. "Sorry again. I read a lot and plus I was taught to treat everyone as if they are worthy of something." I smiled at her when she smiled and replied, "Oh, no dear. I am just shocked at how you show manners and others don't. As for your schedule, which would be the list as you so call it, Parker here will show you around."
Parker smiled a fake smile at just at her words then as if he knew before she said anything began walking towards us hand all ready out for the paper. My eyes narrowed at him as he waited. He reached for the paper but I pulled it back. "Surly the boy does not what to help. His mind is still racing about something before we interrupted. If I," I glanced at my sister and corrected," I mean we, have manners we should be leaving so this boy, Parker, can get his mind strait. A pretty boy should use those brains to remember who we are since we used to be neighbors in the same apartment." His head shot up as he remembered who I was and I smiled. "J.C.? I do feel dumb for not knowing you sooner. Say what gave me away?" He straitened and opened his arms wide for a hug. I gladly stepped in them and hugged him back saying, "Your eyes are what gave you away, and your question rhymed." He laughed making his chest rumble like thunder. "We I guess I'm a poet and don't know. Until now." I pulled away to look him in the eyes. "So you can chose. Stay here and get what is on your mind off it or are you going to show us around?" "Well now that I know who you are I chose to go with you and Kayla and that is all I need to get my mind off of everything. You know, time to catch up and get to know your sister better." He smiled over my shoulder at Kayla. "Hi Kayla." "Hi." She replied shyly.
"Come on." Parker took me by my elbow, leading my sister and me out of the room and into the hall. When we were out of earshot we finally talked. "Your mother looks different than from when I saw you. Well you too are different, but you mother was actually nice to me once." I said as he let go of my arm and shoving his hands into his pockets. He was frowning at the ground as if it did something wrong to him. "That is not my mother but my sep-mother. My mother is on vacation with her boyfriend." He slurred the last word like he was talking about a slug crossing his path. "Nothing has changed for my mother. She is cold hearted and still hates you. If you go to this school and pay close attention to the people then you would know what I mean." My sister piped up and asked, "Then if your parents are split, why is your step-mother subbing for your mother." He glanced over his shoulder at her before turning his gaze back to the ground. "I don't know. She was closest to knowing everything about the school and the kids love her." There was silence for a few minutes then I spoke up. "How long has your mother been gone? And when does she get back?" He sighed and looked at me. "She has been gone for half a year and since the weather is getting bad she comes back next month." My gut twisted and I had to look away from him so he didn't see the hurt and hatred on my face. "Why doesn't she like me? I did nothing to her. I gave her son, you, a gift of friend ship. Why does she hate me?"
"I think that’s why. You gave something you could but couldn't take back. You gave me a life, J, and she wanted to be part of that friend ship we made. But no matter how hard she tried I couldn't stop the thoughts and feelings I had of you. The last straw was when she found out I was sneaking in your room and laying there with you. Then that stopped when Kayla came. I was just too scared of being caught I thought Kayla would kill that and I would never see you again. I pulled away till I was farther away, till I had gone away from your heart and mind." He stopped to look at me when he talked. "J, I made a big mistake at leaving you broken then kissing you at the end of it all. And trust me when I did that my mom found out and she freaked making me leave without saying good bye to you first." He looked away. "I think she hates you for taking her only child away from her too soon." He sighed and looked down again. I was speechless. I found the words when my sister came up to me and took my hand. "Parker, I think it was best that you left me when you did. Yes it hurt, but on the third day since Kayla came into the family things began getting weird. I didn't tell you because one: you wouldn't listen to me or barely look at me when we past in the halls." His head snapped up at my words but Kayla gave him a look that told him to keep quiet until I was finished. "Two: I didn't know what was going on: and three: because you hurt me so bad you made me think that you were one of those kids who would just pretend to be my friend just to play with my toys." A smile crept on his face at the dirty thought of 'playing with my toys' part. "And we were told not to tell anyone but ourselves." My sister chimed in like a bell. "And we were told not to tell." I repeated.
"Gosh you guys sound like a scary movie or book. Don't tell, don't tell. And if you aren’t allowed to tell why are you doing it now?" I sighed because my sister was right. He wouldn't understand anything we were talking about. It was just a joke to him. Men. "Okay, listen bucko. We didn't come here to be made fun of, we came here to see you and to learn. But mostly to see you. See my sister couldn't get you out of her head because of what you two had truly had together. Now we are trusting you to do the right thing or I will take my sister and my stuff and get our buts out of here in less than two minutes. What do you say?" I gapped at her. I looked at her to Parker who both had cold looks. "Fine tell me what you know." He looked at me and I saw something change in him when he looked at me. "Oh no." My sister said. "You don't get of that easy. We have to learn more before we tell you. And aren’t you supposed to be showing us the school? I would really love to learn to where I'm going to learn everything."
"Oh, yeah. Right. Sorry." He murmured and led us down the half dark half lit hall.