Chapter 3

Once we pulled into the Alameda Towne Center, I opened my door and a big sigh escaped from my lips. Going shopping with my mom? Fun? NO! Most people would think so, but yet again—I'm not like most people—obviously.

"Come on, Megan, it's time to go shopping!" my mother exclaimed. I could tell by the way her violet eyes lit up that she was as excited as could be. She raced to the door, and pulled it open with one big tug. I stared at her through the glass door as she looked at the directory and took off to find her store. I trudged my way to the door, careful to watch the road. I decided that since my mother already left me to go shopping, that this was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of; so I headed to the food court. I only had an apple as my lunch! Gasp! Oh no, I thought to myself. I didn't even bring any money, because mom was going to do all the shopping! I felt around in my back pocket to see if I happened to have any change by chance. Yes! My hand found a twenty dollar bill. Man, I got lucky!

I decided to eat at Moe's and then just walk around in the mall. Man, was this mall big! I was staring up at the tall detailed ceiling, when suddenly—I fell. "Aaaahhh!" I screamed. I'm pretty sure the whole mall heard me!

"Ugh," I moaned in pain. I lifted my head up from the hard, cold tile floor, and winced in pain. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my stomach and lift me up. Once I was stable enough to stand on my own two feet, I looked to see—Derrick. Derrick?

"Um," he started to say. I could tell he was trying to hide his laughter that was pushing its' way up his throat. "Are you okay? You need help or anything?" he asked me. "I'm fine." I said. He opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off. "No, really, I'm fine. I promise. Just kinda, lost my balance there for a moment." I said, hoping he would buy it instead of asking how I fell.

"Um, okay. So what brings you here?" he asked me.

At least he didn't ask why I fell in front of the whole freaking town of Alameda. "Um, just going school shopping with my mom," I said, hoping to end this conversation. It's not that I detested Derrick, it's just that, well, he made me get butterflies in my stomach. Can I possibly like Derrick? I've known him what? One day? Two days? Oh, who knows? I shook the thoughts from my mind.

"Oh, that's cool," Derrick said. I was hoping he wouldn't ask why I was going school shopping when I already told him I was homeschooled. But, to my dismay, he asked. "Wait," he said, "school shopping? I thought you were homeschooled?" He asked me with a confused look on his face.

"Uh," I started, "yeah, about that, my mom actually enrolled me at Alameda High without telling me." I stated. I simply started back into his large hazel eyes.

"Oh, wow, that's awesome!" he said. "We start in like a week. Hey have you got your schedule yet? What sports you gonna try out for? Hey, I can show you around Alameda High, if you want me to." He said hurriedly.

"Um, yeah, that'd be great. Thanks."I said kinda confused. He said it all so fast, it was like his mouth was going at 100 m.p.h.

"Awesome. So you play any sports?" He asked me. I'm not really the athletic type. I normally just mess everything up. Like this one time, at a family gathering. We decided to play volleyball. I am terrible at volleyball, let me tell you that much. Okay, so Kacie served it over the net, and I had no time to react, so I—

"Hello? You still there?" Derrick asked me, confused—again.

"What?" I said dazed. "Oh, yeah."

"You kinda spaced out there for a second. You probably hit your head really hard when you fell down those for steps over there," Derrick told me. I could tell he was replaying me falling down the steps, by the smile on his face.

"Yeah, my head does kinda hurt. Haha," I said, "But, uh, to answer your question. I don't really fit in the whole 'sporty chic' category."

"Sporty chic, huh?" he said with a laugh. "Interesting. Never heard it put in those terms." He said. "Yeah, well, I normally tend to mess things up," I told him. "Hey," he said to me, "everybody messes up sometimes. Even me," Derrick said with even a bigger smile on his face. "Well, it's good to known nobody's perfect." I said. "Hey, don't even get started on that Hannah Montana song," he said with a twinkle in his eye, "my sister watches that show all the time. I hate it." "Hahah. Funny, and no, I won't get started with Hannah Montana. I don't even watch the show. What' s the show for? Ten year olds? I'm sixteen, Derrick, not ten." I said with a smile of my own. Wow. Never thought I would smile since we moved here.

"Haha. I think I know you're not ten," he said with a laugh, that sounded tough, but gentle. "Good to know." I said back to Derrick.

"Hey, by the way, what time does school start? My mom never told me all the information. She just told me that she was sending me to Alameda, when I've been homeschooled all my life." I said. I kinda hoped he would show me around, and hang out with me once school started—I didn't want to be a nobody.

"Really? Huh, that's interesting. Yeah, it starts at eight o'clock in the morning. I'll show you around too. Hey you have your schedule with you?" He asked me. "Yeah, hold on a sec," I said as I fished around in the pockets of my blue jeans. Aha! "Here ya go," I said as I handed the folded up paper over to him. I watched him as he studied the paper. "Wow," was all he said. "What?" I asked. "Is there something wrong with my schedule?" I asked peering over top of the paper. "What? No, it's just that we have every single class together. How cool is that?" Derrick said, while his hazel eyes lit up. "Pretty cool," I responded as he handed the paper back to me.

"Yeah, so where you live?" Derrick asked me. "I live on Billings Drive. It's like five minutes from the beach and school… I think. Well, at least that's what my mom told me." I told him. "You live on Billings?" he said, with a shocked expression, and his mouth wide open. "Uh, yeah. Why? Is that place creepy or something?" I wondered. "No, it's just that—" he never finished his sentence, he just stared at me. "Um, hello? You still there? You never told me what's wrong with Billings Drive," I said as I put my hands on my hips. "Nothing's wrong with it, it's just that, that's where all the rich people live. You never told me you were rich." He stated, still staring. "Yeah, guess you could say that. My mom owns People and People Stylewatch. She's about to buy Lucky and InStyle too." I said, hoping to get off this topic. I didn't want him to be all, 'You don't look rich by the way dress' or anything. "Wow. Sounds like a pretty cool mom," he said smiling, "you must have a really big family if you live in those ginormous houses." "Haha," I said without a trace of humor, "sure. And no, it's just me and my mom; that's it.""Really? That's cool too." He said. I could tell he was wondering about my dad. But the confused look on his face, suddenly disappeared. "Yeah, I guess." I said staring at the ground, letting my blonde beachy waves cover my flawless face. "What's wrong? Did I say—"

"Honey!" my mother yelled across the whole mall, making me jerk my head up. "Megan, dear, I've been looking all over for—" she stopped as soon as she saw some guy about my age, and looked back from me to Derrick. "Well, who's this, Megan?" she said with a smile.

I opened my mouth, but Derrick cut me off. "I'm Derrick." He said extending his arm, to shake my mother's hand. "Well, hello, Derrick. I've heard so much about you," she said with a bigger smile growing on her face by the second. "Really?" he asked looking at me. "Um, no, not like that,haha," I said, glaring at my mother, "I told her how we ran into each other at the beach. That's it." I said still glaring at my mother. Great. Now he's gonna think I like him!

I think my mother could sense that I was embarrassed, because I started blushing. "Well, sorry to interrupt your conversation, Derrick, but we really must be going. She hasn't even gone shopping for clothes yet. Maybe you two could talk again?" she offered. "Yeah, that'd be great," he said looking at me with a big smile, "See ya soon." He told me as he embraced me in a hug. I could feel my face heating up. I mean, plenty of guys hit on me all the time wherever I went, even if it was running in the neighborhood. I never blushed when a guy hit on me—until now. And frankly, I don't even know why I'm blushing. I don't like him or anything—right? After he hugged me he turned around to leave, and then looked over his shoulder to give a final wave.

"Well, he is cute, Megs! Go for him! I'm sure he likes you! Every guy likes you!" she said with such enthusiasm. "Mom," I said, my tone rising, "just drop it, and let's get this shopping done with."I said, taking off in a random direction. "Megan," my mother said in a stern but compassionate voice, "I was just tyring to help you out. I really think you two could get somewhere. I approve, if you want to know. Also, I think that he really likes you. As in a lot! Megan, I don't know why you think that people don't like you. All you have to do is look in the mirror! You're beautiful, for crying out loud! Any guy—" I'd heard enough. I spun around so I stared directly into my mother's eyes. "Listen," my tone a lot more meaner than before, "I said to drop it. Got it? And you know what? I want you to just shut it! I'm willing to let you buy and I'll wear Pucci—"

"Gucci?" my mother asked. "Whatever. I don't care what you call it. I'll wear all those "designer" clothes if you just leave me alone about Derrick. I don't like him. AT ALL!"

"Okay, fine. Now let's go shopping!" she said as she dragged me to Neiman Marcus. Here we go. What'd I get myself into?

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