Room 234/236: Thursday evening, late
After wandering around the dorm, talking to Angela and Stark and a few other people... Parker returned to her room. And stared at the phone.
Couldn't put it off any longer.
"Hello, Daddy."
"Hi ya, Angel. Got my reservations set up?"
"Of course. Rooms for you, and Sydney, and Sam."
"Good girl. And have you heard about being Valedictorian yet?"
Parker's hand tightened on the phone. "No, Daddy. I told you, I'd let you know when they made the announcement. And I seriously doubt that I--"
"I have faith in you, sweetheart. Don't be so negative! I'll have a little word with the Board, if necessary."
"Please don't." She let out a breath and caught herself wishing for a cigarette for the first time in a month. "Truly. If someone else gets it, it'll be fine, Daddy. I'm already accepted into college. It doesn't make a difference at this point."
"Magnanimous of you," growled her father. "But keep in mind that--"
(Parker made a bet with herself that he'd say "you're a Parker", over "You have a standard to uphold.")
"--you have an example to set. You are the best, angel. Everyone else should know it."
Damn. Close, though.
"We'll be arriving on Saturday morning, darlin'. And leaving Sunday morning. Although Sydney said he might show up earlier, or leave later... Sometimes I don't think he has enough to do."
"That's fine, Daddy. I have my passport and tickets ready for Moscow. So a short visit this time is--"
"Have to go, angel. Remember to call when you know about the class standing! Salutatorian would be... acceptable."
"Thanks, Daddy--"
"Bye Angel." *click*
Parker hung up, staring at the phone. No, I'm not worried, no, I'm not scared about this, of course I'm thrilled about everything, no, I'm not dating anyone any more....
Then she made another call. "Hey Sydney."
"Miss Parker! I simply wanted to confirm that arriving tomorrow afternoon would be acceptable, and that I could hope to see you tomorrow evening."
She smiled, relaxing as she sat down. "That's fine, Sydney. There's a party tomorrow. You could meet a few more of my friends, if you wanted."
"It would be my pleasure. And would a post-graduation dinner on Sunday be too great an inconvenience?"
"Oh, I think I can force myself," Parker said lightly. "And I won't force you to eat at Luke's this time."
Amusement came through clearly over the phone. "Your consideration is touching. It goes without saying, of course, that I'm very proud of you. Though I can take no credit for your accomplishments."
"Thanks, Sydney." She smiled out the window in the direction of Blue Cove. "That's... I appreciate it."
"Simply the truth. I shall see you tomorrow, around four?"
"See you then, Syd."
Parker hung up, looking thoughtful.
Then made one more call.
"Hello, Ben. It's Parker."
"Parker! Well, isn't this a surprise. How are you doing?"
"Good. I just wanted to let you know that I'm graduating on Saturday. And I'll be leaving for Moscow in two weeks." She curled up a little on the window seat, and stared out at the view. "So I'll probably call or e-mail you from there, or send you a postcard."
"Moscow! Hunh, isn't that something?" Ben sounded so pleased for her, that a little bit of her excitement came back. "Are you going to see the Kremlin and Red Square, and Lenin's Tomb while you're there?"
"Oh, probably. When I'm not working for my dad," Parker said lightly. "I wish you could be here on Saturday, but... well."
"Not the best idea, no. Not with your family there... But it's real nice that you thought of me, Parker." A pause, then he said, "Your mom would have been so thrilled for you, seeing you all grown up and graduated."
She swallowed, and took a breath. "I wish she were going to be here. I'd like to think..." She bit her lip. "Can I visit you, sometime this summer? I have all these things to tell you, that I can't really explain over the phone." Hastily, she added, "I understand if you're all booked up--"
"For you, we're never booked up. You'll get your mom's room, just like last time. Any time you want to visit, it's yours."
Parker smiled, feeling steadier at that promise. "Thanks. Then I definitely will before October, and Oxford." She sighed. "I'm really going to miss this place. The people here. This is the longest I've been in one place since I was fourteen. I hate leaving."
"You'll make new friends in the next place," Ben predicted. "And you'll love Oxford just as much after four years. I know it. Don't you doubt it, Parker. Your friends from there will visit, too."
"I know. I just..." Hate change. It always meant losing something. "Wish I could have it both ways, I guess." She cleared her throat, then more briskly said, "Anyway. Just thought I'd let you know. So you're not surprised when you get a postcard from Russia in a couple weeks. I'll be all over the place this summer, you'll have a collection by the time I see you."
"That's real fine, honey." Ben coughed. "Parker. You just do that, and tell me all about it, you hear?
Parker grinned. "I will. No worries. Talk to you from Russia, in a couple weeks!"
"Bye, Parker. And remember: you've done real good. And I'm thinking about you on Saturday."
"Night, Ben."
Parker hung up the phone, and made herself some cocoa, no longer needing a cigarette.
[ooc: open, la, even late as it is.]
Couldn't put it off any longer.
"Hello, Daddy."
"Hi ya, Angel. Got my reservations set up?"
"Of course. Rooms for you, and Sydney, and Sam."
"Good girl. And have you heard about being Valedictorian yet?"
Parker's hand tightened on the phone. "No, Daddy. I told you, I'd let you know when they made the announcement. And I seriously doubt that I--"
"I have faith in you, sweetheart. Don't be so negative! I'll have a little word with the Board, if necessary."
"Please don't." She let out a breath and caught herself wishing for a cigarette for the first time in a month. "Truly. If someone else gets it, it'll be fine, Daddy. I'm already accepted into college. It doesn't make a difference at this point."
"Magnanimous of you," growled her father. "But keep in mind that--"
(Parker made a bet with herself that he'd say "you're a Parker", over "You have a standard to uphold.")
"--you have an example to set. You are the best, angel. Everyone else should know it."
Damn. Close, though.
"We'll be arriving on Saturday morning, darlin'. And leaving Sunday morning. Although Sydney said he might show up earlier, or leave later... Sometimes I don't think he has enough to do."
"That's fine, Daddy. I have my passport and tickets ready for Moscow. So a short visit this time is--"
"Have to go, angel. Remember to call when you know about the class standing! Salutatorian would be... acceptable."
"Thanks, Daddy--"
"Bye Angel." *click*
Parker hung up, staring at the phone. No, I'm not worried, no, I'm not scared about this, of course I'm thrilled about everything, no, I'm not dating anyone any more....
Then she made another call. "Hey Sydney."
"Miss Parker! I simply wanted to confirm that arriving tomorrow afternoon would be acceptable, and that I could hope to see you tomorrow evening."
She smiled, relaxing as she sat down. "That's fine, Sydney. There's a party tomorrow. You could meet a few more of my friends, if you wanted."
"It would be my pleasure. And would a post-graduation dinner on Sunday be too great an inconvenience?"
"Oh, I think I can force myself," Parker said lightly. "And I won't force you to eat at Luke's this time."
Amusement came through clearly over the phone. "Your consideration is touching. It goes without saying, of course, that I'm very proud of you. Though I can take no credit for your accomplishments."
"Thanks, Sydney." She smiled out the window in the direction of Blue Cove. "That's... I appreciate it."
"Simply the truth. I shall see you tomorrow, around four?"
"See you then, Syd."
Parker hung up, looking thoughtful.
Then made one more call.
"Hello, Ben. It's Parker."
"Parker! Well, isn't this a surprise. How are you doing?"
"Good. I just wanted to let you know that I'm graduating on Saturday. And I'll be leaving for Moscow in two weeks." She curled up a little on the window seat, and stared out at the view. "So I'll probably call or e-mail you from there, or send you a postcard."
"Moscow! Hunh, isn't that something?" Ben sounded so pleased for her, that a little bit of her excitement came back. "Are you going to see the Kremlin and Red Square, and Lenin's Tomb while you're there?"
"Oh, probably. When I'm not working for my dad," Parker said lightly. "I wish you could be here on Saturday, but... well."
"Not the best idea, no. Not with your family there... But it's real nice that you thought of me, Parker." A pause, then he said, "Your mom would have been so thrilled for you, seeing you all grown up and graduated."
She swallowed, and took a breath. "I wish she were going to be here. I'd like to think..." She bit her lip. "Can I visit you, sometime this summer? I have all these things to tell you, that I can't really explain over the phone." Hastily, she added, "I understand if you're all booked up--"
"For you, we're never booked up. You'll get your mom's room, just like last time. Any time you want to visit, it's yours."
Parker smiled, feeling steadier at that promise. "Thanks. Then I definitely will before October, and Oxford." She sighed. "I'm really going to miss this place. The people here. This is the longest I've been in one place since I was fourteen. I hate leaving."
"You'll make new friends in the next place," Ben predicted. "And you'll love Oxford just as much after four years. I know it. Don't you doubt it, Parker. Your friends from there will visit, too."
"I know. I just..." Hate change. It always meant losing something. "Wish I could have it both ways, I guess." She cleared her throat, then more briskly said, "Anyway. Just thought I'd let you know. So you're not surprised when you get a postcard from Russia in a couple weeks. I'll be all over the place this summer, you'll have a collection by the time I see you."
"That's real fine, honey." Ben coughed. "Parker. You just do that, and tell me all about it, you hear?
Parker grinned. "I will. No worries. Talk to you from Russia, in a couple weeks!"
"Bye, Parker. And remember: you've done real good. And I'm thinking about you on Saturday."
"Night, Ben."
Parker hung up the phone, and made herself some cocoa, no longer needing a cigarette.
[ooc: open, la, even late as it is.]