fighting boredom || Parker and Elier
After changing into a pair of athletic shorts, a loose-fitting t-shirt and his workout sneakers, Parker grabbed a basketball and managed to sneak into the backyard without Cassie or his mother seeing him. He thought the whole "best friend's little sister having a crush on him" was cute, but of course, it would be too weird to even consider dating her. She was Elier's sister, after all. Besides, he'd known her since they were toddlers playing in their pull-ups. Cassie was practically another sister to him, but would he ever remind her of that fact and hurt her feelings? Of course not.
Parker dribbled around the small built-in court aimlessly for a minute or so before he began practicing his free throws. He missed the first two, but on the third try, the ball went sailing right into the net. Perfect. Smiling confidently to himself, he turned around and checked the gate behind him just in case Elier had managed to show up. Alas, his friend hadn't arrived yet. The Danforths didn't live too far away, but knowing his cheeky friend, he would probably spruce up a bit. Parker, however, didn't care too much about his outer appearance - not when he was in his own backyard about to work up a sweat, that is.
As the eldest Bolton jumped up to slam the ball in the net, he felt a strike of pain in his abdomen, causing him to lose his balance when he landed on his feet again. "What the hell," he murmed to himself, holding his hand over the problem spot, panting slightly. That was weird, he thought. Shaking his head, Parker slowly got to his feet and retrieved the basketball from where it had rolled into a bush and resumed his free throws. He considered texting Elier to tell him their plans were off and then take a nap, but his friend was probably already on his way. Plus, he wanted to see his best friend. Elier was one of the only guys on the team who actually cared about him. The rest mainly just saw him as a way to meet cute girls, get access to parties, and their captain. They admired him. There was a difference. Not to mention he needed the practice. A college scout was coming to their next game, after all. You're fine, it's probably nothing, Parker told himself. Don't be a wimp.