Oh my goodness, I feel so spoiled. Thank you all so much for the positive feedback; I feel really strongly about this story and I'm glad that people appreciate it. And thanks to the readers to, because, obviously, if there weren't any, I wouldn't even be writing :p On another note, I always seem to forget a disclaimer-it's probably my subconscious trying to keep from me the fact that, you guessed it, I own nothing. Without further ado, chapter three.
Trouble
"What made you change your mind?" Mila asked suspiciously on Friday, when I told her that I was, in fact, going to be joining her and Amber at the game.
"What do you mean?" I asked innocently, wide eyes and all.
Beside me, Amber snorted and Mila continued, "We've been asking you all week and every time you've been adamant, resolute in your decision to not go. So what happened? Have Amber and I finally piqued your curiosity about Mr. Tall, dark and sexy? Do you want to see for your own eyes how good he looks in his uniform?"
Mila refused to call Derek by his name. She always referred to him by plays on his name, and when she had first found out about the change of tutors, she practically went into cardiac arrest and called him Mr. Too-sexy-for-my-shirt for a week. Yes, Derek was attractive. Again, I'm not blind. He just wasn't attractive in the usual, All-American way. While he had strong features and a sharp jaw line, like Mila said, his look was darker, rugged. She said that he looked like the guy you'd want to run away on the back of motorcycle with. Regardless, her comments made me oddly uncomfortable and I always tried to deflect and change the subject, just like now.
Blushing, I said, "It has nothing to do with Derek," emphasis on his name, "it's about me. I mentioned to Aunt Lauren about how you guys were harassing me to go and, since she knew she was on-call Friday night and working the day Saturday, she said she thought it was a great idea. She strongly encouraged that I take you guys up on your offer."
By strongly encourage, I mean force. My aunt didn't think I had enough fun. I had friends, she knew, but what she couldn't understand was why I didn't want to go out, why I preferred to spend my time at home, fiddling with my programs and writing scripts. Personally, I thought it was odd. Shouldn't she want me to be spending time at home rather than out gallivanting, doing God knows what?
Apparently, my answer sufficed for Mila nodded. Amber, in turn, asked, "Do you want to come over after school?" I agreed and we arranged to meet up at the end of the day.
I was antsy. I was supposed to meet Amber and Mila fifteen minutes ago, but I also needed to ask Mrs. Dobbs, my English teacher, a quick question. She was, at the moment, however, occupied with another student and I was forced to wait. Spacing out and thinking about tonight, I hadn't realized that I was actually blocking the door until the person who had been talking to her, muttering angrily to themselves, bumped into me and I fell to the floor. Blinking and looking around confusedly for the source of sudden upheaval, I didn't notice him until he was crouching down in front of me. Simon Bae. Derek's brother.
"Oh God, I didn't see you standing there. I am so sorry. Are you ok?" All this was said very quickly and his eyes, I noticed were very earnest and held an apparent honesty.
"It's fine. I'm fine. I shouldn't have been standing in the middle of the door." I said, as he helped me up. Recognition suddenly flared in his eyes.
"Are you Chloe Saunders?"
"Y-Yes," I said nervously, wondering why this mattered.
"You're the girl Derek's tutoring. I thought it was you by the description." Mind reeling, I simply nodded. I probably wouldn't have been able to utter a single word for the life of me.
"This is going to sound odd," he continued. He still sounded friendly and casual, but his eyes were giving away an evident tenseness I couldn't understand. "But his Derek being nice to you?"
Huh?
Cautiously, I said, "Yes. Why wouldn't he be nice to me?" As soon as the words left my mouth, Simon visibly relaxed, an expression of relief overcoming his features.
He laughed lightly. "No reason. Derek's just not the most social of people and I wanted to make sure he wasn't being too mean."
I smiled back and we regarded each other for a few moments. I didn't know what it was, but something about Simon made you feel completely at ease.
"I guess I'll see you around, then," he said, finally.
Nodding, I turned around, ready to hurry outside to where Mila and Amber were sure to be waiting impatiently. As I was about to turn the corner, Simon called out to me.
"Hey Chloe! Derek was right. You are really pretty." The, without another word, he walked away.
Shocked, I stood frozen in the hallway. Derek thought I was pretty? Did that mean Derek talked about me? He didn't seem like one to do that, so what did that mean? Did Simon have to pull the information out of him? Had he mentioned it once in passing? And what about Simon's question about Derek being nice to me? We didn't braid each other's hair and he wasn't the most vocal person, but he wasn't mean. What was that about then? Shaking my head clear, I continued on my way, determined anew to figure out Derek Souza.
"Are you sure you don't want to sleep over?" Amber asked, her bottom lip jutting out slightly.
"Yeah, we're going to be staying up all night and watching chick flicks." Mila added in mockingly. I scrunched my nose up in disdain and they both laughed.
"I'm sure. I have a bunch of homework and I need to work on the script. And none of that will get done if I put an all-nighter with you guys and spend all day tomorrow napping."
They relented and let me go. I was almost out of the field, when someone called my name.
"Chloe! Chloe, wait up a sec!" Nate called, running towards me. I bit back a groan of frustration. Nate and I were pretty close and he was really sweet, but he didn't seem to be able to take a hint. Relentless and over-bearing were two words I though fit him well.
"Yes?" I asked politely has he caught his breath.
"What are you doing tonight?" he asked, smiling.
"Um, I'm ah, going out with my aunt." This last part came out in a rush and I was surprised I hadn't stuttered, which for sure would have given me away. Truth be told, I didn't want to go out, which is why I had declined Amber's offer and why I would certainly be declining Nate's.
"Too bad." I said nothing, because frankly, I really didn't think it wasn't.
"Where are you going?" he asked. What is this? Twenty questions?
"Just away for the weekend." I said instead.
"Have fun then. Maybe we can get together another time." The latter wasn't phrased as a question, rather as a statement. See what I mean about not taking a hint?
"See you Monday," I said smiling. He smiled broadly in return and I was finally free to go home to an empty house and be alone in peace. My dad was always away in business and while Aunt Lauren tried her best to make sure I wasn't alone, her schedule was still hectic. I had grown so accustomed to it that when I wasn't, it felt odd.
Walking through the parking lot, I noticed a group of rowdy senior boys gathered in a group, smoking. When I passed them, a couple cat called and whistled, but I kept my head bent against the wind and stared straight ahead, only quickening my pace slightly. I thought I was home free when I heard footsteps behind me. And not one set of footsteps. Multiple. I dared a quick glance behind me and sure enough, four of them were following me. I took a deep breath, trying in vein to calm my frantic heart. I tried reasoning with myself. Just because we were all heading in the same direction didn't mean they were following me. I gulped and held my arms more tightly against me. Reasoning, however sound, was not worth it. I had heard that when you felt something, or knew something, in your gut, you knew. And that feeling shouldn't be ignored. I was suddenly all too aware of the frigid night air, enveloping darkness and empty parking lot. I regretted intensely not going with Amber and Mila. The footsteps got louder. They were getting closer. My pace quickened again and I desperately tried to remain calm, tried to remember an inkling of self-defense I had seen in the movies and more importantly, I attempted to push away the thoughts of how this story unfolds in every movie.
"Chloe!"
Surprisingly, I didn't jump in the air, startled half out of my wits. Instead, I spun around, the sense of relief that came with hearing that voice so heavy I felt I could almost collapse. The boys eyed him warily as he jogged towards me before deciding it was in their best interest to walk away.
He had slowed to a purposeful walk, but I could still tell something was wrong. His broad shoulders were tense, making him look tightly wound. As he got closer, however, the expression in his eyes was clear as day.
And I had never seen anyone look so angry.
His anger was intense and directed solely at me. The closer he got, the smaller I felt. When he got within hearing range, he didn't waste time beating around the bush.
"What the fuck?" he asked, voice dangerously low.
Hehe.. was that a cliffy? R&R please :)
