a character exits: parker

I debated giving Parker a post, then decided he actually was pretty important to the story line.

Parker is a student at UC Sunnydale, like Buffy. The two keep running into each other and flirting, which results in them going to a frat party together. After the party they have sex in Parker's dorm room and Buffy spends the night. When she wakes up the next morning Parker isn't there, causing Buffy to panic (most likely remembering how Angel wasn't there either). But then Parker arrives with coffee - and an excuse (his mom is in town) as to why he can't spend the day with Buffy. He promises to contact her later.

Only Parker never does. Instead Buffy finds him with another woman, using all the same lines that he used on her. Buffy comes to the realization that she has been played and she struggles with this, ultimately leading to Tara confronting Parker. Only Parker then tries the exact same lines on Willow, who sees through him. After Buffy saves Parker's life he does apologize to her but Buffy is under the spell of cursed beer and knocks him out. Later on Parker has a run in with Riley and his friends. Forrest is trying to get Riley to admit that he has feelings for Buffy so they seek out Parker. Forrest knows Parker will be crude when talking about Buffy, and he does not disappoint. This causes Riley to punch him and gives Forrest the satisfaction of proving to Riley that he does have feelings for Buffy.

Parker was Buffy's attempt to move on after Angel. Have a fresh start with a regular human. Only it backfired big time and she found herself in the exact same heartbreak as when Angel lost his soul. Granted, Parker was not terrorizing Buffy's family and friends with the ultimate goal of killing her. But Parker was cold and distant like Angel was. He did act soulless after a night of happiness. He got what he wanted, which was to seduce Buffy, and moved on. Angel did behave in a similar way. The boy who gets sex from the girl then dumps her so he can move on to his next conquest. At least Parker got punched by Riley.