22-year old Addison walked down the aisle, looking closely at the books on the shelf of her college library, trying to find a good one she could refer to, to write her paper about reproductive physiology. She kept looking and looking amongst all the different sized books, when this guy in her class walked past her and stopped to look at books on the top shelf. Addison's body froze when she noticed the one and only, Derek Shepherd, standing a few steps away from her. She observed his actions, not letting him see her do that, of course, until she decided to pluck the courage and go talk to him.
"Is this what you're looking for?" Addison asked Derek as she approached him and took the book he was trying to reach, off the top shelf and handed it to him.
Derek looked at her and smiled, "yeah thanks… um did you just do that to show me how tall you are?"
Addison blushed a little, "can't a woman do a nice gesture to a man for once?"
Derek gave out a little giggle, as did Addison, "um… you're in Professor Brown's class, right?"
"Yeah, I am," Derek smiled and looked at his book.
Addison was starting to feel awkward, "Right… I am gonna go now, because I'm late for lunch with my friend… so uh… see you around," she said as she smiled awkwardly.
"See you around," Derek added, smiling.
Addison awkwardly turned to walk away as Derek observed her do that.
…
"Hey I thought you weren't coming," Naomi Bennet told Addison as she took a sip from her juice, while Addison sat her lunch tray down on the table next to her, in the cafeteria.
"Oh my god, I'm such a freak!" Addison said as she sat down and held her head between her hands.
"What did you do?" Naomi asked her as she swallowed her food.
"I just met Derek in the library and I finally found the courage to talk to him, except I grabbed the book he was looking for from the top shelf and he thought I was showing off how tall I am… I told you. I'm a freak," Addison ranted before she took a sip from her juice.
"You are not a freak. You're just a girl with a crush. Listen if you want to go out with him so badly, all you had to do was ask me and I could tell Sam to put it in a word for you," Naomi told her.
"No! He doesn't even know I exist," Addison said before she took a French fry of her plate.
"Of course he knows you exist! He's friends with Sam. He knows me as Sam's girlfriend, and he knows you're my friend. He might not know your name but he knows you exist," Naomi said with a little giggle.
Addison was about to indulge into having more French fries, until she saw Derek and Mark walk passed them and about to sit on the table across them.
"Oh my God, here they come!" Addison exclaimed as she turned her head around to face Naomi, avoiding being seen by Derek and Mark.
"Relax, avoid eye contact, and don't make it obvious that we were just talking about him," Naomi said looking at Addison.
Addison turned her head around a little to see Derek and Mark Sloan eating their burgers and chatting away, "oh my God, he's soo hot!" Addison exclaimed, as she faced Naomi again, "do you think it's his black hair? Or his eyes?"
"Who are you talking about? Mark Sloan?" Sophie, the other best friend in the group, said as she overheard Addison and joined them on the table.
"No! I'm talking about his friend Derek Shepherd," Addison said, as all the girls looked at the boys in question.
"Oh wow… that's a shame. Mark is such great fun in bed! You're missing out…" Sophie added with a smile as she drank her coffee.
"Ew! You slept with Mark Sloan?!" Addison exclaimed at Sophie.
"Everyone in our year slept with Mark Sloan! Except for you… but then again, who have you slept with?" Sophie said rudely.
"Excuse me? Of course there have been others!" Addison defended herself.
"Well you've been fantasizing about Derek all this time. When was the last time you got it on with someone?" Sophie asked her.
"Okay girls, calm down and eat your lunch," Naomi butted in.
…
"You see those girls on that table over there, with Naomi? Sam's girlfriend?" Derek asked Mark as they ate.
"You like one of them? So who is it? Sophie the hot blonde?" Mark said as he took a sip from his soda.
"No, the other one," Derek said, looking at the girls on the other table without making it too obvious.
"The red-head with the glasses and the pearl earrings?" Mark said, referring to Addison, making a face.
"Yeah… she's gorgeous right? I talked to her in the library earlier today," Derek explained.
"Yeah she has nice legs, but seriously, who wears pearl earrings to class? Dude you should start going for the hotter chicks," Mark said as he leaned back, feeling comfortable in his leather jacket.
"Maybe she's a rich kid. I don't know her, all I know is that she's friends with Naomi and Sam," Derek added as Mark made a face.
"You know what? I'm gonna ask her to come to our party tonight," Derek said as he stood up, "in fact I'm gonna go there and ask her right now,"
"What?" Mark exclaimed "but the party's for the cool kids, not for the ones who wear pearl earrings to class,"
"Mark stop! and the party's at my house so I can invite who I want," Derek said as she left the table and approached the girls, while Mark rolled his eyes and followed him.
…
"Oh my God he's coming over here," Addison said as she turned her head again, "change the subject,"
"Oh yes that dress looks gorgeous on you!" Naomi played along as she saw Derek and Mark coming over to the table.
"Hey Naomi!" Derek smiled at Naomi.
"Hi Derek," Naomi smiled back.
"You're coming with Sam to our party tonight right?" Derek asked her.
"Yeah of course," Naomi replied.
"Great. I saw you guys from our table and I came to tell you, you girls could come too if you like," Derek said, addressing Sophie and Addison but mostly looking at Addison.
"Cool! Hi Mark!" Sophie said, as she looked at Mark.
"sorry I didn't catch your name this morning," Derek told Addison.
"Addison. Addison Forbes Montgomery," Addison said as she held out her hand to shake Derek's.
"Derek," he said with a smile.
"Right… see you tonight then… Derek," Addison said blushing, as she awkwardly pulled her hand back out of his.
Derek and Mark turned to leave.
"Oh my God what just happened?" Addison said with excitement.
"You just got invited to Derek's party!" Naomi added with a laugh, until all three of them burst out in squeals of laughter.
…
"Seriously? You're not even dressed yet?" Naomi followed Addison into her bedroom who was still in her underwear, while Naomi was all dressed up and ready to go.
"I can't decide what I'm gonna wear! I've never been to these types of parties before! And I know I'm 22, but as a kid I'm used to dinners with wine glasses and silverwear! Plus it's not just any party, it's Derek's party!" Addison ranted as she rummaged through her wardrobe.
Addison and Naomi were both in their third year of med school but Addison had had just moved out of her parents' house into her own place. Hence, while she lived under her parents' roof, spending the night out drinking and partying was off the agenda.
"Okay let's have a look," Naomi said as she stood up and was about to approach Addison's open wardrobe, when Addison took out an outfit off its hangers.
"I got it!" Addison exclaimed as she took the outfit and headed to the bathroom to try it on.
A few minutes later, she emerged all dressed up in a white satin shirt and formal pencil skirt which hits her knees. Naomi looked at her speechless.
"Addison, honey, if you want to fit in and get Derek to notice you, you have to show a bit more skin, without looking too trashy. I mean you're 22, not 50! Put some lenses in, and let your hair down!" Naomi told her friend.
Addison sighed, "okay… um I think I have a few pieces my mom didn't let me wear back home," she added with a smile.
…
"So… this turned out to be a great party, huh?" Mark said as he approached Derek in the hallway, holding a plastic red cup, while they were surrounded by college kids, drinking and having fun.
"Yeah… um have you seen Addison yet?" Derek asked him looking around.
"Nope… then again how could you notice her? In those clothes? And earrings?" Mark went on, when the doorbell rang.
"Mark just shut up, okay?" Derek snapped at him, when he left to answer the door.
Derek opened the door to see Naomi and let her in, while he was stunned with the image of Addison behind her. Mark looked up in astonishment as well.
There Addison stood, in a tight, short black skirt showing off her beautifully tanned legs in a pair of pointed black pumps, complemented by an off-shoulder black top, showing off enough cleavage to turn heads. Her red hair hanged over her shoulders, allowing her dangly earrings to shine a little bit in between, completing the typical 80s look.
"Hi Derek," Addison said as she smiled at Derek at the door.
To be continued...