The next day I walked over to Derek's house to try and smooth things over. Yeah, I hate Kansas but Derek and I are best friends; I have to deal.
I knocked on the door and a 16 year old Edwin answered.
"What up, Ed." I asked as I stepped inside the house. "Is Derek here?"
Edwin shut the door. "He's been getting busy in his room, if ya know what I mean." Edwin laughed as he winked and tapped my arm. I just rolled my eyes.
"Yeah." I sighed. "I know what you mean." I walked upstairs as Edwin giggled.
I knocked on Derek's bedroom door when I got there, I heard "Come In," it was muffled through the door. I opened the door and walked in.
"Hey, De-." I said as I realized Derek didn't tell me to come in. It was Kansas half naked on his bed. I averted my eyes but she seemed unfased.
"Oh. It's you." She stood up. "I thought you were Derek..." I saw her grab a shirt from the corner of my eye. "Or at least Edwin." I looked up.
"Edwin?" I was puzzled. "Why Edwin?"
"No reason." She smirked. "I'm just bored." I rolled my eyes yet again.
"Where's Derek?" I questioned angrily.
"I think the shower." She shrugged as she plopped down on Derek's bed with one of his car magazines just as Derek walked in.
"Hey," He said to me as he walked over to Kansas and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "What are you doing here?" He turned to me and questioned with a look of disapproval upon his face.
"I came to apoligize about yesterday." I said with my head down.
"It's ok." Derek reassured. "I still love you." He smiled and hugged me tightly. "I took your advice anyways, buddy."
I could see Kansas eyeing us with curiosity as Derek pulled away and fell into the chair next to his computer.
"I didn't do it." He said calmly.
"Do what?" Kansas sounded intrigued. Derek glanced at her then back at me.
"Nothing to worry about, sweet cheeks." He winked. I was confused and looked about the room.
"Whatever." Kansas said annoyed as she grabbed her things. "Bye." She hissed as she slammed the door.
"Charming girl." I said sarcastically. "Why do you seem so..." I trailed off thinking of good word usage. "un-emo?" I cringed.
"Un-emo?" Derek asked confused. "Loser." He said underneath his breath.
I gave him a look and continued on. "I couldn't think of anything, Derek." I said. "What? Do you want me to call you Dereka or something?"
Derek then gave me a dirty look that seemed like it lasted forever. "Whatever," He moved on. "I don't know. That Casey news got me kinda nuts, I guess."
"Derek, you gotta get over that," I started to say, "But I thought you were over that." I paused for a moment. "At least, that's what you said yesterday."
He again gave me a dirty look. "Again with the looks!" I said loudly.
"I am over her," He leaned forward in his chair. "I just can't believe that she would get married and not tell me first."
"Well, technically, she's not married yet and for two, why would you think that?" I questioned. "I mean the whole thing with Kevin-"
Derek stopped me mid-sentence with outraging words, SNAP! I thought to myself as the words fall from his lips. "Don't ever say that name to me, again!" He pointed at me angrily as he jumped from his chair. "I thought everyone knew never to mention what happened that night." He trailed off and started pacing around his room. "Especially you. I thought you, of all people, were my friend."
I shrugged and looked confused. "What? I am." I said. "You got this all wrong, Der-"
He interupted me again, "No, you're not. You're just a lying piece of crap!" He yelled. "I want you to go." His voice was now quieter than before but still loud. "Just go." Before I could say anything, Derek yelled once again. "Go!"
So, I slowly turned back around, not before looking at him really, really, really hard. As I went to the door, I moved my head slightly to the right and said, "You know, you weren't the only one that Kevin played like the drumset he practiced on every single night." I wiped away the single tear falling from my eye. "Baby." I said before walking out and shutting the door very lightly. Unlike Kansas, I don't wanna destroy things.
After the door had shut I could hear Derek slamming things and cursing as he broke down into tears. As I made my way to the stairs I heard The White Tie Affair's "Candle" blast through the speakers of Derek's room.
I got to the end of the stairs but I didn't make it to the door before I remembered my argyle sweater in the kitchen I had left a few days earlier. I walked into the kitchen to see Kansas on the counter with her legs wrapped around Edwin's waist and his arms around her waist.
I backed away slowly as to not interupt. I finally had something on Kansas but could I tell Derek without ruining the relationship he has with Edwin. I walked out the front with the image of Edwin unbuttoning, Derek's T-shirt that Kansas had been wearing when she left his room, with his teeth. I couldn't get the sound of them moaning out of my mind. How could I ever enjoy "Candle" again...
