**Disclaimer: I do not own DP or TLS! If I did Derek and Will would never NOT have their shirts off!**

A/N: I would like to dedicate this chapter to my close friend Emma Jane (who will probably hit me for calling her that) who's been really sick lately. She's in the hospital right now where doctors are like running tests on her and I know that she reads a lot on her laptop when she's there. Her Pen name is Blonde Awesome M'Jane and she has some really good Mortal Instruments Fan Fictions so please check them out and leave nice comments!

I would also like to thank everyone who reviewed! I think I replied to each and every one except the ones who were anonymous. So thank you all so much!

P.S. I know that Chloe is very OOC or "corrupted" as I think someone commented (which totally made me LOL), she will be different…

Stay away – The Honor Title

Chapter 2

Derek

...

Do you ever feel like life sucks? And I don't mean that in the usual 'I'm depressed and lonely' kind of way. Definitely not. It's not that I don't like my life. I am very grateful for everything that the Bae's have given me. I've even grown to love them over the years… and that even includes Tori. Sure, she can be a bitch but she's also my sister.

Simon and I are opposites. He likes having friends and girlfriends; being that guy that everybody wants to know. I, on the other hand, don't need other people to live. I have my family and that is enough for me. I don't need anything else. Actually, I pretty much reject new things. If you expect the worst you're never disappointed. A hard rule to live by and a hell of a lie.

So no, even though maybe my life doesn't suck I just feel like I'm not really living it anymore. Like I'm just going through the motions. Like nothing has changed for so long and I'm just doing the same things over and over. I'm still the big ugly kid with attitude problems that everyone only puts up with because he's Simon's brother. I try to ignore it but I can see the looks that his friends give me filled with disgust, obvious distaste and sometimes even fear. I can see why you would be disgusted by the sight of me - people judge each other all the time – but something about that fear in their eyes just messes me up. It makes me feel like maybe there's really something to fear. And the sad part is that I know it's true.

Because even if I tried to expect the worst I was still shocked when the worst happened to me.

"Do I have to go?" I asked in what - to me - qualified as a pleading tone.

Simon rolled his eyes and bent over to tie the shoelaces of his Nike sneakers. "Come on man, there'll be lots of chicks down at the beach."

I gave him a doubtful look. I never cared about girls and girls sure as hell never cared about me. If they ever talked to me it was to get my brothers number or to tell me what a bitch my sister is, like I didn't already know that.

He groaned and straightened up. "You promised me you would be on my team for the Volleyball tournament, remember? And this is just practise anyways…"

"No I didn't." I replied. "You asked me if I would be your partner and I said no."

"Oh… well," he scratched the back of his head as he searched for some new excuse. "I will… stop stealing money from your safe if you do this for me?"

"What the hell?" I yelled. "You steal money from my safe?" It wouldn't be very surprising seeing how Simon always ran out of money buying new things or spending them on girls but, come on, there were limits to what he could do!

Simon's eyes widened with realization of what he had just said and he began blubbering like a fish. "U-um… N-no I'm n-not… that's not the point, okay?"

I rolled my eyes. "Fine."

"Fine?" Simon asked, stunned. "Like… you'll do it?"

I nodded. "Yeah, let me just go change and I'll be right out." I began walking towards my bedroom but stopped halfway out the door, looking back at Simon over my shoulder. "Oh… and Simon?"

"Yeah?" He asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

I smirked. "You will replace all the money you stole."

It was hot outside with a slight comfortable breeze in the wind. It was the perfect day for volleyball. I liked the game. Well, I liked most sports but this was the one that Simon and I had in common. I wasn't stupid, I knew that if Simon had any other friends that played as well as me he would have gladly played with one of them but I was probably the best junior player in the area. And Simon wanted to win. Whether he wanted to win to impress girls or for the price money I had no idea but I was guessing that it was a little bit of both.

Two of the guys in Simon's gang, Matt and Tommy, were already at the volleyball net down at the beach when we arrived. They were both nice guys, not really loud or obnoxious like most of the people in town.

Matt and Tommy went through the official rules that would be used in the tournament with Simon before we started the game.

We were up 20-15 when Simon decided to pull a dumb-ass move. He was diving after the ball when he lost his balance and instead went straight towards me. As a reflex I quickly moved away only to knock myself into someone else.

I fell onto the ground with however it was locked securely beneath me. I barely even had the time to put my hands on the ground to stop me from squishing the person.

"Get the hell off of me!"

I looked down to see a girl. She had long tangled strawberry blonde hair with red streaks in it, a small diamond stud in her nose and the bluest eyes I'd ever seen. Then my eyes widened as I realized that I might not be moving fast enough. I quickly regained my posture and stood up. She pushed herself off the ground, standing tall – so to speak she was actually very short, especially in comparison to me – and stared at me for a second.

"You should watch where you're going," I said in a dark tone. It wasn't like I was trying to be mean. I was like this with everyone. Clearly, I thought, that was not the way to go.

Her eyes darkened into a scowl. "What the hell man?You were the one who crashed into me! And, you made me spill my freaking milkshake all over my shirt." She shouted and I could hear some laughter coming from around us.

I glanced down on her shirt and she was right, there was a big stain of pink milkshake on it. "Well, you should have noticed that we were in the middle of a game." I flicked my wrist towards the net behind me.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Well, I would apologize but I'm afraid that I would be lying."

"Cool it, Derek." I heard Simon say as he walked up next to me. Then he turned to the girl with his womanizing smile on his face. "I'm Simon," he stretched his hand out for her to shake.

She stared at his hand for a minute in obvious distaste. "So?" She asked in a neutral voice.

I swear to God that I saw Simon blush before pulling his hand back and awkwardly pushing it into the pocket of his shorts. "I'm sorry about Derek. He's not good with, well – people."

I inwardly rolled his eyes at how Simon talked like I wasn't even there. I was used to it. Especially around girls.

"I'll pay for your shirt," he offered, throwing his hands out.

The girl didn't say anything for a moment.

"That's okay," she then said dismissively, still glaring. "You didn't do anything wrong." A pointed stare at me. "Just don't bother me again."

She didn't even glance back at us as she hastily made her way into the crowd leading towards the carnival.

"Wow," I heard Simon breath. "I mean… she just – wow. She must be new here 'cause I am positive that I've never seen her before."

I rolled my eyes. "I thought you were dating that Diana girl?" I asked not really caring but wondering why he was staring after that angry girl when he had a girlfriend already.

"Her name is Deena and it's not official." He murmured absent mindedly still not moving his gaze.

I shook my head. "I'm pretty sure it's Diana, you dated Deena last month."

Simon's head snapped up and met my eyes for a second. "Oh. You're right."

I didn't keep track of Simon's girlfriends for most of the time; they were usually only around for a week or two so there wasn't much to keep track of but still. The only reason I remembered Deena was because she walked right up to me – in the middle of a crowded street – and yelled that my brother was a jerk… this was after he dumped her for Diana of course.

"I don't see why you would be interested in her anyways." I grunted. "She didn't seem very into you."

Simon sighed and rolled his eyes like I was an immature five year old who could not comprehend what he was saying. I mean, come on, I was the one going to Stanford. Not him. "Dude, you crashed into her and made her spill milkshake all over her shirt. You don't think that could have gotten her upset by any chance?"

I frowned. He had a point there.

Simon patted my shoulder in what was meant to be a patronizing gesture but since I've got a good measure of length over him I'd say he failed. "Face it. You know nothing about girls."

"So sue me," I muttered under my breath.

"Say what?" Simon asked, not catching my facial expression.

I groaned. Simon had the attention span of a retarded puppy.

"Come on guys!" Matt called tossing the volleyball to Simon. "Are we playing or what?

After winning three times out of four we called it a night. We would have won all of them if Simon hadn't had his head in the clouds or should I say girl. Whoever that chick was I seriously hope that they can get together and break up by the time we're in the tournament. It wasn't my idea to enter the competition but now that I was in it… I would make sure to win.

Simon had ditched me for some party at a friend's house which left me to walk home alone. I didn't really mind, walks were good to clear your head. And when you're me; your head is pretty much a constant mess.

I was walking by the pier when I heard him. Liam. I'm pretty sure that I did a double take just by the sound of that creature's voice. I mechanically turned my head towards where the sound had come from.

They were sitting on the beach around a small camp fire. Liam. He had his arm around that dark-haired girl – Rachel, I think – and he was chuckling. There were no words for what I thought about him. I couldn't say that I was fond of the girl either. You had to be a special kind of stupid to hang out with that scumbag. That's when I saw her; she came out of the shadows and sat down next to Rachel. It was the girl from earlier. Her blonde hair with the red streaks in it stirred in the wind, much resembling the fire in front of her.

I really looked at her this time. Eve though her nose was pierced, her jeans ripped and her hair died she didn't fit in there. There was insecurity in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her knees, hugging them to her small body, almost as if she wished that she was somewhere else. It was a shame.

I told myself that it was a shame because Simon could never be with her now. He would never touch anyone from Liam's gang. He wasn't stupid. But a part of me – a very, very small part – said that maybe that wasn't the only reason.

A/N: I'll leave you to ponder that… Please R&R, give me some opinions! *Puppy dog eyes* Leave a review!

Lot's of love

/Annabel