Stepping out of the 'Prince', Derek looked up the driveway to the house that lay before him. It was not just any house, but Ralph's house, and it was humongous. While Derek loved the kid, thought he was hilarious and a good drummer for 'D-Rock' he just never could understand how someone with parents that were so intelligent, one was a neurosurgeon for crying out loud, could be so dumb! But alas, Ralph was Ralph…and he was a good drummer in D-rock.
Why was he so full of energy? It was crazy, he honestly felt like he could run for twenty miles, take a ten minute break to scope out the ladies in the park, and run another twenty more. Now would he intend on testing his theory after he left Ralph's house? Probably not, but he might find time to squeeze in some girl watching, because what red-blooded, hormone-induced male wouldn't?
Advancing toward Ralph's house, he stopped when he reached the doorway, pondering whether to knock or just to go right in. Grasping the door knob, he turned it counter-clockwise until he heard a soft click, pushing the door open gingerly. Wiping his feet on the doormat, he slipped off his shoes and kicked them off to the side so they would not get in someone's way upon entering. Now to those of you who know Derek Venturi this may seem like a nice, respectable gesture which is characteristically uncommon for him, but take note. Although, he may seem the type to not possess any form of manners whatsoever, what few he does have in his arsenal are used toward his friends' parents. I mean, if it takes a little manners to get home-cooked meals (unlike the inedible ones Nora passes off as 'cuisine') than it is worth the effort.
"Honey, I'm home!" The blonde bellowed from the bottom of the stairwell, his signature smirk intact.
"Is that you, Derek?" A voice of the feminine persuasion inquired sweetly from the kitchen, which was situated just around the corner from the living room.
"Mama P!" He responded back enthusiastically, bounding into the kitchen with ease thanks to all of his extra energy.
Mama Papadopoulos, or Mama P for short, had always been like a second mom to Derek. For example, when his dad was going through the divorce a few years ago she had taken him under her wing or when one of his parents could not leave work to come to one his hockey games, Derek could count on Mama P to be smiling proudly down at him from the stands. He never was one to bring up past issues, especially those that dealt with emotions and feelings, but he knew and could only hope that she knew, that Derek would always be eternally grateful to the woman.
Now Derek loved Ralph in the most platonic way possible, like another brother, but boys will be boys and fights have and always will occur between friends. But come hell or high water, Derek has always been one to quickly amend the rifts because the longer it takes for the two to start talking and get over whatever the petty issue, the less of his absolute favorite Mama P snicker-doodles were in his stomach.
Derek swooped in for a hug, inhaling the sweet, sweet aroma that permeated the kitchen and his senses. "Just in time," he thought to himself, a sense of pride swelling in his belly. The cookies that lay on the baking sheet were still cooling off, but that had never stopped him before. Despite his stomach's protests, Derek swiped a cookie from the tray and took a hearty bite. "Ra-ugph upsfairs?" He asked her through a mouthful of chocolate chip cookie, giving her a sheepish smile once he swallowed the big bite.
Swatting him on the arm, her maternal instincts kicked into gear. "Don't chew with your mouth open, ya' brat. And yes, he's up in his room doing Lord only knows what, but that's Ralph, I guess. Bless his soul, he may not have his father's brain but at least he got his momma's personality and good looks." She laughed at her comment, winking cheekily at Derek, before giving him a little butt bump with her side to scoot him on along.
Derek could not help but laugh as well, "You're not lying, Mama P. You're not lying." At the bump, he rolled his eyes playfully, and started to head toward the stairs before stopping. Pumping his arms at his side, he started running backwards into the kitchen, reaching his hand out to swoop up about five more cookies. Before he had completely gotten up the stairs, he heard Mrs. Papadopoulos from the kitchen.
"Good seeing you, D. Say hello to the family for me and promise me just one thing, please…" She paused for added effect, cocking her head to the side slightly, her arms akimbo. "Make good choices."
For most teenagers, her motherly concern and sentiments may have caused them to stop in their tracks and fumble for words if in Derek's situation, being on prescription drugs that were actually his little sister's, but Derek kept up the façade that he was anything but phased. Poking his head around the railing, he held out his arm and sent Mama P a 'thumbs up' before replying smoothly, "Always, Mama P, always."
Throwing the door open to Ralph's room with ease, he tossed two of the five cookies to Ralph then proceeded to flop unceremoniously down onto his friend's bed. "God I love your mom's cookies, dude."
Ralph, who was sitting at his computer rocking out with his head phones on, had been shaken from his D-Rock fantasy (so Derek figured) by cookies hitting him in the chest. Deducing that the movement of Derek's lips most likely meant he was trying to tell him something, Ralph slid his head phones down so they rest around his neck. "Sorry man, I was listening to Enya. What did you say, dude?"
Stretching his arms out behind him, Derek attempted to get comfortable, but was having little luck. Turning on his side, then his other side, and then back to the other side again, the teen groaned out in frustration. "Your mom's cookies, I freaking love-" Suddenly the sixteen-year-old paused his train of thought, shooting straight up into a sitting position. Placing his hands on Ralph's bed as he leaned ever closer to his buddy, an expression of confusion sprinkled with shock and disgust graced his handsome features.
"Enya dude, really?" He asked incredulously, still in a state of disbelief.
"Amanda likes it and thought since were dating that we should like similar things. I know it sounds lame, man, but hey I kinda' like it. It's…it's soothing." He nodded with satisfaction, content with his appropriate word selection.
"Yeah, whatever dude." Hopping up off the bed, Derek started to pace, unable to sit still any longer and yearning for some sort of activity that would prove more distracting than sitting and talking to his oh-so whipped friend. "I mean Sally likes playing princess with Marti, but just because my girlfriend is into it, doesn't mean I have to dress up like one too."
"But wait, D, I thought you told me that you totally dressed up like a witch with a broom and everything at Marti's 8th birthday party," Ralph interjected quizzically, his eyes averting to his friend to watch his response.
"First off, I was not a witch, I was Merlin. And secondly, I had an awesome staff and…you know what, you made me lose my train of thought. Argh." Grabbing his head in his hands, his fingers snaked up into his hair and tugged. Looking back up at Ralph, he sighed and continued with exasperation, "My point is you're still lame- and possibly a little gay. Yes, yes, you are definitely a little more homo. I don't care how good her pizza bagels are- no girlfriend is worth suffering through listening to Enya." Cocking his head to the side, he looked pensive before he continued his babbling. "Unless she puts out. Maybe, I mean well…uhm. Yeah, if she puts out, and she's good. If she sucks then that's a negative Ghost Rider," He emphasized his last point with a fervent flourish of his hand.
"But Ralph, I need to talk to you about something other than your homo-ness." Walking toward the door, Derek poked his head out and looked up and down the hallway to see if anyone was nearby. Both of the doors to Ralph's little sisters' rooms were slightly ajar, but both seemed too preoccupied with what they were doing to be bothered by Derek and Ralph. Recoiling back into the room, he turned the knob in his hand and pushed the door closed careful to not make any noise. His grip still fastened to the handle, he stood up stock straight and peered across the room at his friend, anxiety, adrenaline and who knows what else pumping through his veins. "Is this normal?"
"Is what normal? You and me, hanging out while eating my mom's cookies? Ugh, yah, we've been doing the same thing almost everyday since kindergarten. Wait, I mean when I was in kindergarten and you were in first grade…" He trailed off puzzled and Derek could see the cogs in Ralph's brain working hard, poor guy.
Shaking his head, he grunted with annoyance. "No you idiot," He stopped, moving from the door and over to the edge of Ralph's bed, leaning forward to detract the possibility of being overheard by one of his little sisters in the other room. "What I mean is, is this normal behavior for taking Ritalin? I'm antsy and I'm a little anxious, I can't even look at food without my stomach lurching in unease. Not to mention I can't kick back and chill like I always do, you know act lazy? I actually feel like going for a seven mile run which I haven't done since pre-season and my thoughts are racing. And…" He drew this out for added dramatic effect, "I feel I could actually get work done right now for school instead of stealing Casey's while she is asleep and copying her answers. This can't be normal, right?" He averted his attention now to the floor, his elbows on his knees and his hands supporting his head. Running his fingers through his tousled hair in vexation, he moaned before sending Ralph a helpless look. "Did I mention I'm not hungry?"
Sitting back in his chair, Ralph was in awe of the copious amount of symptoms Derek was rambling off to him. Once the drummer assumed his friend was finished, he nodded sagely. "I see young Paduan, but you'll need to suck it up for now. You're gonna' be like this the first few times, but trust me, once you sit down and set yourself to a task you'll become completely absorbed by it and time will just fly by. You just have to force yourself to be motivated enough to commit to doing something, like that English paper due tomorrow, and you'll get it done- no prob, dude. Scout's honor." He added the last part with his hand, palm facing out, in the air and his other hand across his heart. "I swear, dude, this stuff works wonders."
Nodding repeatedly at Ralph's words of advice, Derek allowed himself to calm down a bit. Straightening back up on the bed, he gave one final nod, indicating he was sufficiently satisfied with all that Ralph had said and felt he knew what his next move needed to be. "So, I should probably head on home then and get my homework done and study. Thanks, bro." Standing up, he bent forward and stretched his arm out in Ralph's direction, giving him a pound. "See ya' later."
Heading out the door, Venturi couldn't help but second guess his earlier statement and decision about the whole 'do your homework and study thing'. It was definitely not his style, something that practically oozed from the sixteen-year-old (and don't you forget it either!) Turning on his heel, he poked his head in Ralph's room and a smirk toyed at the corner of his lips. "You down for some Baberaider?"
"Do bears crap in the woods, D?"
"Not if they live in the zoo," Derek contended poignantly.
"Oh," The other teen uttered, obviously now deep in thought. "I never thought about that."
"Pass over the controller and stop thinking so hard. Don't want to hurt yourself before I kick your ass in some Baberaider."
"I think I already did." Holding his head, fingers rubbing into his temples, he hissed in pain, "Ow, brain freeze."