Chapter One - Return

07:00 a.m. - BOCD Parking lot

The sun was shining, no clouds up in the sky.

After pulling op in the parking lot, cutting off the engine of his car, he took one last look around, carefully observating the people around him.

Leaning against his car, sunglasses covering his brown eyes, he knew he would have to wait for Cam, Chris and Kemp to get here.

Students of BOCD were running around, laughing without a care, joking with their friends, talking about their first lessons, teachers, how and where they'd spent their summer holidays.

He was early, he knew that was the reason why it was relatively quiet.

He enjoyed the silence a while longer, just observing, always observing.

A group of girls passed by, giggling and giving him flirty looks, suggestive smiles in place.

He didn't care.

Leaning against his black mustang, dark blond hair artfully ruffled, he threw them a lazy smirke, watching them practically drool over him. After all, he was Derrick Harrington - known for his bad boy persona, good looks and family money.

Derrick was known to be a notorious flirt, not bothering to date the same girl twice, deciding early on that they weren't worth his attention - not since ... her.

Suddenly images began to flash before his inner eyes, images he knew to be memories, a laugh so light and carefree rang in his ears and suddenly Derrick had trouble keeping his grip on reality.

This was what his mother and Sammy had been worried about, him spontaneously zooming out, retreating into his mind for a few minutes before being able to return into the present, missing out on full conversation topics more often than not until Derrick had to ask them to repeat what they were saying. It was worrying them, he knew it - they'd even suggested for him to see a therapist - his behaviour wasn't normal, they'd said.

Derrick scoffed.

A flash of brown hair crossed his line of vision, automatically attracting his attention. Drawing a deep breath he, he watched with unwavering eyes, diverting his eyes as soon as it was clear that again it wasn't her.

He felt pathetic and the bitter taste in his mouth returned with full force.

...

The Block estate was shining in bright lights, students of BOCD were running around, expensive liquor in hand, dancing to the loud music or lounging in the living room, takig a break.

He could see a game of flip coup going on in the kitchen, apparently someone had scored since screaming and cheering erupted and he watched Dune Baxter trying to drown his beer before trying to flip his cup over, finishing another round.

He had a fair amount of alcohol, too.

The boys had decided to meet at Josh's house a few hours earlier to get ready and have a few drinks among themselves.

Someone bumped into his side, on instinct Derrick's hands shot out to stady the small person and prevent him or her from falling.

''Hey'', a small smile appeared on her lips, eyes sparkling with mischief while she steadied herself again, looking up at him.

''Block'', he acknowleged her, not knowing what to say - they hadn't talked much these days. Not after their last break up.

Sure, they saw each other each day at school and they shared the same circle of friends, hanging around each other more often than was probably good for him.

Awkward silence engulfed them, him staring down at her and her staring up to him, no one knowing what to say. He saw her gnawing on her bottom lip, her eyes slightly glassed over and bloodshot from the alcohol she'd been drinking, the unique scent of her perfume infiltrating him - a smell that was so typically her, a smell he knew so well.

''Are you having a good time?'', her voice, small and somewhat shy reached his ears over the loud song from Blink 182.

''Sure'', he replied, mentally chiding himself for seemingly not beeing able to string whole sentences together.

He thought he saw her eyes darken for a moment, panik taking over him.

''It's a nice party. Good music and everyone seemes to have a good time - typical Massie Block party'', he added, getting a hold on himself.

The small smile reappeard, making his heart skip a beat, catching his attention and keeping it on her full, red lips. He wasn't able to look away.

Suddenly he everything he wanted to do was taste her lips, she being wraped up in his arms like way back then when they'd beein together - when they'd been happy - just him and her.

''Great'', her voice sounded breathy now, eyes still locked on him, not looking away, never never never looking away.

Tomorrow, when Cam would ask him what was wrong because Derrick was so obviously silent, keeping his distance from everyone, not paying the slightest bit of attention to what Chris had asked him for the third time already, Derrick would retell this event, saying he didn't know how this could have happend, before making the boys promise to never ever utter a single word about it.

He leaned in, closer, the sudden urge to have his lips on hers taking over everything else, there was just on thing on his mind, Massie Massie Massie Massie.

She didn't know how she got herself in this situation. Here she was, standing in a suddenly too short dress for her liking, a dress that had fitted her perfectly well just moments ago, feeling slightly intoxicated, talking to Derrick freaking Harrington, the boy she'd been dating six months ago, the one guy she'd been crushing on since forever, the one she'd seen herself with in the future (even thought they both still went to high school), the only boy that was able to make her feel a wide range of feelings, from frustations to the most adorable warm feeling in her stomach. The only boy that managed to crush her heart into a million tiny pieces after their break up, always catching her attention, seemingly making it impossible for her to move on.

Suddenly his lips were on hers, a feeling she'd so desperately missed. Massie moved like she was on autopilot, moving closer closer closer closer - it never seemed close enough - into his arms, her own arms sneeking around his neck like they did so many time, like they were supposed to be there.

A low whistle made them both spring apart, slightly out of breath, gaze still locked onto each other. God, his eyes were so deep, she feared she would get lost in them ... wait, her senses kicked back in and it took everything from her to not gasp out loudly - what did they do?

''Well, I hate to interrupt, but I need to steal Harrington away, I'm afraid'', Danny Robbins announced, not sounding sorry at all, ''Cam challenged my football team on a game of flip coup and your whole group of little friends is looking for you, Harrington. Surely, you don't mind, Massie.''

She needed a few seconds to gather her beerings, but saw the opportunity.

''No, of course not. I guess, I'll see you around'', she added torwards Derrick, refusing to let her voice betray her.

Without wainting for his response, she vanished into the croud of BOCD students, stutterig some incoherent sentences about needing to find Alicia before the latina got too drunk on all the good stuff without her anyway.

Derrick didn't respond, just watched her retreat before deciding he needed alcohol.

LOTS of alcohol.

...

Since that evening she was on his mind, constantly, relentlessly.

He noticed her everywehere, she never seemed to notice him - always keeping her distance.

It had him wondering if that was a testament of their old relationship. He, always moving, trying to reach her. She never aknowledging, always stagnant.

Well, he tried to forget over the summer, just to find out what he already knew - he freaking couldn't.