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A/N: 29. 11.2020
Hey loves! I’ve decided to make an update schedule for Conan The Dandelion.
Wattpad update schedule: Saturday (once a week)
Patreon schedule: 2/3 updates a week
Patreon is currently at chapter 17. If you would like access to early chapters in December for only 4$/month, the link is in my bio. Enjoy ❤
🌻🌻🌻
It surprised Freddie to see Parker when we arrived at the mall. I explained everything and apologized to Freddie, but he shook his head, saying that he knew how persuasive Parker could be. Parker shrugged and asked, “So who’s the unlucky man?”
Freddie didn’t tell us his boyfriend’s name or occupation, but he told us they had met at a gay bar, and “hit it off right away” as Freddie said. They’ve been dating for over two months now, and Freddie wanted to buy him something special to celebrate their third month together. I thought it was adorable, but Parker made a face of disgust and called him a “sentimental fool.” We both thought Parker would make fun of Freddie – which he did – but he also listened to what Freddie said and took the gift shopping seriously.
We went to a perfume shop, and Parker helped Freddie pick out a cologne.
“Here, smell this. It’s probably the best one they have,” Parker said, spraying cologne onto a small piece of paper and waving it under Freddie’s nose. Freddie’s button nose wrinkled.
“It smells like you,” he grimaced.
“Because it’s the one I use,” Parker laughed, which explained what he said prior.
“No offense, but I don’t want to date someone who smells like you.”
“None taken, Chucky. You’re not my type either.” Parker turned towards me. “Dandelion, c’mere.”
I did, and Parker twirled his finger in a circular motion.
“Spin for me,” he said. I waddled in place like a penguin while turning around, and Parker sprayed the cologne over me. He leaned in and sniffed the air.
“Yup. Smell’s just like me,” he nodded in satisfaction, putting the tester back onto the shelf. “You are now officially Parker property.”
“You can’t claim Conan as yours,” Freddie frowned.
“Excuse you, he’s my friend date. You’re the one who’s butting in.” His eyes shifted towards me and he winked. “Ain’t that right, dandelion?”
He and Freddie continued to test the different scents, but the smell was so strong that my nose hurt. I told them I’d wait for them outside. I crouched down and rested my chin on my knees. My clothes smelled like Parker, and I liked that I did. My phone rang. It was Dr. George Philip.
“Hello, Dr. George Philip. How are you?” I said.
“I’m doing great, thank you. I hope you’re doing well, Conan.”
“Yes, I am. I’m shopping with my friends.”
“Shopping? With friends?”
I wondered if the connection was bad.
“Yes, doctor, shopping with friends,” I repeated.
“That’s fantastic! I’m glad you’re going out and meeting new people. Good for you, Conan, I’m so proud.”
I could hear him scribbling notes.
“Have you been taking your meds?” He asked, returning to his usual routine of questions.
“No, I haven’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because the dark thoughts haven’t been bothering me. I don’t think I’m sick anymore,” I said, hopefully.
“Conan, what you have doesn’t disappear in a day. I know you want to get better, but you never know when the thoughts will come back. Have you been eating?”
I frowned. “No, not much,” I admitted.
“You see? If you don’t take your meds, then your appetite will keep dropping, and you won’t eat at all, which is more than detrimental to your health, you know that.”
“Yes, doctor, I know,” I murmured, tracing a circle on my knee.
“Have you found a local doctor?”
“No, doctor, I haven’t.”
He sighed. “I’m going to contact a doctor that I know there, and I’m going to schedule a medical checkup for you. I’ll send you the day and time, and I want you to be there, alright?”
I didn’t answer.
“Alright?” He asked again.
“Yes, doctor, I will,” I replied quietly.
“Good boy. I’ll call you again in a few days to see how you’re doing. Don’t forget your meds, okay?”
“Goodbye, doctor Philip.”
I hung up before he answered and let out a quiet sigh.
“You’re going to deflate like a balloon if you sigh like that,” someone said. I looked up and sat Parker and Freddie walk towards me. Freddie was holding a fancy gift bag.
I stood up, but I must have stood up too quickly, because I became light-headed and black spots darkened my vision. I felt myself crouch back down, but Parker caught my arm.
“Hey, dandy, I didn’t literally mean deflate like a balloon,” he frowned.
“I’m tired,” I whispered, resting my forehead against his arm.
“You’re probably low on sugar. Did you eat anything before coming out?” Parker asked.
It upset me how everyone was constantly asking me if I ate. I didn’t want them to see me as a sick patient. I didn’t want them to pity me and see me as someone they constantly needed to keep an eye on and take care of. I wanted them to see me as their friend. I wanted them to see me as Conan; as Conan the Dandelion, Conan the neighbor, Conan the student, Conan the person, Conan the individual, and not as Conan the sick man. I didn’t answer, and Parker frowned.
“Alright, we’ll get you something to eat. Freddie, you mind getting Conan a sandwich? Something to fill up his stomach.”
I wanted to protest and tell them I wasn’t hungry, but I didn’t want to start an argument.
“Yeah, of course.”
“We’ll wait for you on the benches outside.”
Freddie went to buy something to eat while Parker and I left the mall.
“How do you feel?” Parker asked when we sat down.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to worry.”
“It’s okay, it happens sometimes. It’s normal for your blood pressure to drop or that you feel a little woozy when you stand up. Orthostatic hypotension is common.”
“Orthostatic hippopotamus?”
Parker laughed, shaking his head.
“Orthostatic hypotension,” he repeated. “It’s when blood pools in your legs when you do, and it takes the body a moment to compensate by squeezing blood out of the large veins in your legs and revving up the heart a bit.”
“You’re very smart.”
“I’m a bio-chem major,” he winked. I nodded, closing my eyes, hoping it would chase away the dizziness. “Does this happen often?”
“I sometimes lose consciousness and it feels like someone is draining the life out of me,” I told him. “I once bumped by head when falling down and had to see Dr. Philip George. He was very upset.”
“You see a doctor?”
I realized that I had given a piece of information that I shouldn’t have. I hoped that if I remained silent, Parker would let it slide, but he didn’t.
“Do you have medical problems?” he asked carefully. “My dad is a doctor. I can him to give you a free medical check.”
“I get dizzy sometimes, that’s all.”
“I can go with you if you want,” he said, ignoring me. He sounded worried. I didn’t answer. I wasn’t used to this unusual warmth or empathy.
Parker pursed his lips. “Dandelion, you know you can tell me anything, right?”
If only I could speak as freely as I wrote, then perhaps life would be much easier. I rested my head on Parker’s shoulder and closed my eyes. I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up, I was in a moving vehicle. I opened my eyes and saw that I was sitting in the backseat of Freddie’s car. There was a sandwich and juice box beside me. Freddie was driving, and Parker sat in the passenger’s seat.
“You’ve been acting normal,” Freddie said to Parker. I closed my eyes and pretended I was still asleep.
“Is that your way of giving me a compliment?”
“You haven’t been sleeping around as much these past few days, and you don’t come home drunk anymore,” Freddie went on.
“I’m fulfilling my new year’s resolution to live a clean and sober life.”
“New year’s was ten months ago,” Freddie deadpanned.
“Better late than sorry.”
There was a pause and I began to drift into sleep. I wasn’t sure if I was awake or asleep anymore, but I heard their voices again.
“So it has nothing to do with Conan?”
There was a pause. “What do you mean?”
“You smoke less, you drink and party less, you’re seeing fewer girls,” Freddie said. “You’re becoming the Parker I knew before the anger management problems and your addictions, and all that after you met Conan.”
“He’s a good friend.”
“He is, so stop lashing out at him whenever you’re having another one of your outbursts.”
“You know, I rarely mean what I say when I get mad. It’s hard for me to control my emotions. I don’t mean what I say.”
“I know, but if you want to keep Conan as your friend, you’d do best not to call him names every time you’re annoyed.”
“He’s patient with me.” Parker cleared his voice.
“That doesn’t mean you should take advantage of that,” Freddie said, sounding upset. “He’s my friend too, you know. I care about him just as much as you do, and I don’t want you to hurt someone I care about.”
“I know, I know. I’m a fuck up, we all know that,” Parker muttered.
“That’s not what I said.”
“But it’s what you meant.” Another pause. “I did it again. I lashed out, didn’t I?”
“It’s fine,” Freddie said.
“I’ll try,” Parker murmured. “I’ll try to control myself. It’s just that…” He didn’t finish his sentence.
“I know,” Freddie said. “I know it’s hard for you.”
I was glad Freddie understood Parker in ways other people didn’t. Parker said I was patient with him, but I could tell that Freddie was also patient with Parker. Despite their constant bickering and name-calling, they understood each other and were there for each other. Bickering was their way of showing that they cared. I realized that friendship wasn’t about being perfect. It wasn’t about hanging out with people. It was about spending time with the people you loved, people of choice and not by blood, seeing them at their worst, and accepting their flaws. It was about seeing them for who they were, but most of all, it was about accepting the faults and loving them nonetheless.
And even though Freddie and Parker acted like they couldn’t stand each other, they stood by each other.
“Anyway, tell me about your secret boyfriend,” Parker said, changing the subject.
“Why do you want to know?”
“To make sure you’re not dating trash,” Parker snorted.
“He’s the son of a very famous entrepreneur.”
“So he’s rich trash.”
Freddie must have punched Parker, who yelped.
“Hey!” he snapped.
“He’s a decent guy,” Freddie sighed.
“I hope so,” Parker grumbled. “I’d still like to meet him. You should introduce him to me and Conan.”
“I will, when I’m ready.”
“You know I’m happy for you, right?” Parker said after a long moment of silence.
“Yeah, I know,” Freddie replied. He sounded happy.
🌻🌻🌻
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A/N: If you had a child, what would you name them?
(Totally not me lowkey trying to find some names 😇)
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