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“Are you knitting asock?”
I glance up, looking into blue eyes. “Yep.”
Parker lifts an eyebrow. “Okay, I’m not going to comment on how weird that is.”
I grin. “I’ve been knitting since I was six. My therapist suggested it. It gives me something to focus on other than the voices in my head. I have hundreds of socks.”
“Can you knit me a pair?”
My eyes widen. “Really? You’d let me?”
He laughs. “I can’t believe you’re this excited about knitting a sock.”
I shrug, not knowing what to say. I get that it’s weird, but I love it.
“Are you going to come eat?” he asks.
I lift up the sock. “I might just stay here and work on this.”
“Because you need more socks?” He looks at me, daring me to argue.
Okay, when he puts it likethat…
“I just don’t want to be overwhelmed.” I lower my head, letting my hair curtain my face.
“I’ll be with you,” he promises. “And you said you can’t hear me or my friends. So it won’t be so bad.”
It’s extremely difficult to say no to him.
I finally nod. “Fine, I will try.”
He rewards me with a huge grin, making saying ‘yes’ completely worth it.
We walk side by side toward the cafeteria. I hesitate right before we walk through the doors, my stomach filling with butterflies. I worry my bottom lip between my teeth, glancing over at Parker.
He surprises me by grabbing my hand. I’m hit with a calm and I don’t hesitate to walk through the doors as he tugs me through them.
When we walk in, there is no overload of thoughts. Just an overwhelming quiet that I could definitely get used to. I know it’s only because Parker is holding my hand and I hope he doesn’t let go.
It’s then that I realize, people’s thoughts aren’t the only silent thing. Everybody in the cafeteria is speechless. Almost at once, everybody starts talking at once. The roar is so loud that I can’t hear myself think, but it’s still quiet compared to the voices in my head. But thanks to Parker, I don’t have to worry about that. At least not right now.
We make our way toward a table, where his friends are sitting. I see Blaine and Will. People scoot down, making room for us as we sit across from the two boys.
“Are you okay?” Will’s brown eyes scan me over, like he’s looking for an injury.
I nod.
He raises an eyebrow. “The last time I saw you, you were having a seizure. The only reason you don’t have a concussion right now is because I caught your head. How are you okay?”
“Thank you,” I tell him. “I’ve hit my head before and it’s never fun. The seizures happen sometimes—a lot when I lived in New York, actually. I feel better now though.”
He lets out a breath. “Yeah, sure. That just isn’t… normal.”
I shrug. “The voices get loud sometimes.”
He narrows his eyes.
“It doesn’t matter.” Parker squeezes my hand beneath the table. “Henley is feeling better now. That’s all that matters.”
