going to the fair with parker wasn’t the brightest idea he ever had. not because he didn’t like parker or anything, they got along fine, but he was never sure what to say to him. he always felt like he was going to say the wrong thing, totally ruining any chance he had at friendship.
friendship. the word was laughable. they only hung out with cherry, and because of cherry. he doubted parker saw him as anything other than cherry’s friend. when cherry left them alone, he felt like he was choking on his dread. they talked fine when she was there, but without her, he was worried about the conversation being awkward.
he watched her retreating back until she was lost in the crowd, but kept his eyes where she had last been seen. looking at parker was intense, he often felt like the older’s gaze went right through him.
he looked like a hero to miles. a valiant knight, maybe. someone who would rescue a princess from a dragon and whisk her off to the sunset. and he hated it. he wished he didn’t think so highly of parker, or occasionally dream of him.
he snapped out of thought when it was too late, parker no longer at his side. he looked around for him, only able to spot him after hearing his voice. “holy shit.” he mumbled, noticing the elephant. He walked up to his friend to stand beside him yet again. he paused before he stuck out a hand to pet the elephant, looking up at parker for approval. “it looks like me.”
his brows furrowed, as much as they possibly could given his scarred condition, and glanced at miles. “he looks like you?” he inquired of him, confused and befuddled as all shit. “how?” and then he realized that maybe miles was trying to be funny, to which parker laughed stoically and with little effort. in other words, a that-wasn’t-funny-at-all kind of laugh.
he pushed to the other side of miles, and pressed his whole body against the elephant. “don’t do that.” said the rider, and parker immediately released. but as if just now noticing him, the rider leaned in close, jumped off the elephant and made his way over to parker and miles, but more so parker. he held out his hand, which parker hesitantly took as he looked as miles with confusion. confusion that, too, seemed to be written on miles’ face, understandably.
“how do you do?” he asked. “peachy fucking keen.” he said in a deadpan of a voice. “you know, we have a circus just north of here. you’d be a great attraction with all that...” he motioned to the side of his face that parker had scars. “excuse me?” he asked, bemused. “yeah. with all that pretty and not-so-pretty face of yours, you’re bound to attract tons. you could really make a livin’, kid!”