Author's Note- Didn't quite get the turn out I wanted for chapter 8, but I'm glad to hear that you guys loved it. :) I'm driven to get this story done before Christmas AND, as a Christmas- Or whatever your holiday preference- present, I would love to update Beautifully Cursed. But, let's just get one thing done at a time. :)
Also, you guys got lucky. Even though I completely scrapped the first draft and re-wrote this chapter- which is why it's a week late, by the way- I was able to add something to this chapter so that it would be a lot longer than expected. alicelover520 stated in her review that she couldn't wait to see Tori using Chloe as her own, personal Barbie doll and, well, that gave me an idea that fit rather well with the plot. So, even though this story was originally dedicated to Madamemouse- who still has yet to update her amazing story, Rocky Road, that, if you haven't read it yet, you most definitely should- I want to give this chapter to alicelover520. Check out her Darkest Powers fic as well and tell her I sent you. It's pretty good. :)
Now, Let's start wrapping this story up. :)
Block Party
Waking up Saturday was almost as exciting as waking every day that Derek had to work. I didn't even get mad at my alarm clock for going off at seven in the morning. Instead, I thought of the look of disbelief on Mrs. Enright's face once I took her 'Best of the Best,' placard for the nicest yard in the community. That and the idea that I would get to spend the entire day with my closest friend was enough motivation to drag me out of bed.
Derek had been pretty busy all week, explaining that he had this project he was working on at home for his Dad and that he wanted it finished before this weekend. He came over to touch up the yard and prepare it for the contest at the block party, but usually only stayed until lunch. It was plenty of time to reorganize the shed, mow the lawn, and surround the patch of soil that used to be a garden with the rocks we had picked from the grass jungle back when we had first started.
When it came down to the finished product, where the yard only needed to remain cared for and groomed every now and then, I found myself feeling somewhat nostalgic. It was like I had stepped into a time machine and travelled back eleven years, watching my younger self squeal and run around the yard trying to escape this big, bad monster Dad was pretending to be as Mom picked the weeds out of her garden. I smiled at her memory, admiring how beautiful she was with her golden locks and dancing blue eyes. I even remembered the summer dress she wore occasionally. Spaghetti straps, forest green and simple. It was my favorite dress of hers because, no matter how messy I got it by playing with her in the yard, it always magically washed out and made Mommy look all the more pretty.
Just as I was thinking about how much I would love to wear a dress like that for this special occasion, my doorbell rang, sending my stomach into a fit of hysterics. Derek wasn't supposed to show up until nine, though. At least, that was our plan.
I wasn't really dressed appropriately, but Derek had seen worse. At least I was wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt. I simply ran my fingers through my hair as I made my way downstairs. As my foot touched the last step, the front door jumped as it was bombarded with a series of impatient, pounding knocks.
What was Derek's rush this morning anyways?
"Okay, okay, Mr. Irritable, I'm coming." I snapped and pulled the door open. I froze as it wasn't Derek I found at the door.
"T-Tori?"
Said girl stood there on my front porch, one hand on her hip, the other dangling at her side as her fingers drummed impatiently against her perfectly tanned, toned and exposed thigh. She was wearing ankle-high, silver gladiator sandals, short black shorts and a strapless red, empire waist blouse. Her hair was perfectly spiked in all directions, looking sassy and pixie-like and her complexion was evenly coated with a reasonable amount of nude make-up. Annoyed by my incoherent capabilities, her slender, dark brow rose a fraction of an inch in question.
"Is this how you greet all your guests, princess?"
"I-I thought you were-"
"Well, I'm not. So, are you going to let me in or not?" I had to remember that Tori had a pretty snarky-don't-waste-my-time-assuming-I-care-what-you-think, personality, which meant that, no matter what I did, she didn't give a rat's ass nor were her remarks personal. I remember Derek explaining to me once that, if Tori wanted it to be personal, I would know it immediately.
I stepped aside and allowed her entrance, still mostly confused as to why she was here in the first place.
As if she read my mind, Tori proclaimed, "I need to see your closet."
"Excuse me?" I asked, perplexed, watching her take in the sights of my small and adequate home. If she had been facing me, I'm sure I would have seen her eyes role in annoyance.
"Your closet. I need to see how you suburban folk dress for these kinds of things."
Suburban folk?
"Why don't you just wear what you have on?" I questioned.
"I plan to." Tori explained as she faced me once she finished looking around the entry and the adjacent guest room. "Doesn't mean I don't want to see the competition." Taking in my appearance, her nose did that disgusted wrinkle thing and she said, "God, I hope that's not what you're wearing."
I stole a quick glance at my- very comfortable, mind you- sweats and frowned.
"Of course not. I just woke up."
Tori shrugged before she lunged at me and grabbed my arm. I yelped at her suddenness and followed her, completely dumbfounded, as she dragged me up the stairs of my own house.
"Tori, what-"
"If we're going to be hanging around each other, I can't have you making me look bad." Tori stated. When we reached the top of the stairs, she turned left instead of right towards my bedroom.
"Hanging around-"
Tori interrupted me again with a frustrated huff.
"Keep with the program, princess. You're dating my brother. I have to make sure you're alright first."
"Derek and I aren't-"
"Oh, please." Tori stopped in her seemingly non-negotiable quest and gave me a pointed look. "You like him, don't you? Because, if you're just stringing him along-"
For the first time, I was the one to interrupt as I blurted in surprise, "I'm n-not- I mean, o-of course I like him."
"And he likes you," Tori said with a half-hearted shrug. "Which is astonishing, really. Derek doesn't normally like anyone."
"I figured as much."
"No, you don't know him that well yet, but Derek never trusts anyone. I'm sure he's told you, but he was bullied pretty bad when he wasn't such a Frankenstein. And, even now, considering he's not very open and is quite a big guy, there wasn't really an exception to the rule when everyone thought that there was something wrong with him or that he was shady. Until he met you."
"He never told me about-"
"The shit he has to go through now? Yeah, it's no walk in the park."
"But, wait," I muttered, something contrary to what Tori was telling me coming to mind. "What about Rae? She's completely infatuated with him."
Tori's face twisted in disgust. I had almost forgotten that she wasn't on great terms with Rae since they met the first day Tori had moved in. I didn't really know what had gone down between them, but something told me that I didn't want to get involved.
"Rachelle isn't any different than any other girl that's tailed my brother. They either think they can change him, you know, the whole cliché, bad-boy melting into putty for the, 'right girl,' or whatever, or they were just trying to get on good terms with Simon by being friendly with his outcast brother."
I felt my features set in dismay and experienced this odd, and possibly irrational, sense of anger boil in the pit of my stomach.
"He's not a toy," I whispered harshly, mostly to myself, but Tori heard and nodded.
"And if you turn out to be like the rest of them, Chloe, I'll personally make your life a living hell." She stated, her tone so threatening that it sent a wave of chills down my spine. She turned away from me to continue on her previous trek to find me something to wear, but stopped abruptly and faced me again, eyes still hard and serious. "Same goes for if you mention that I said any of this to either of my brothers."
At that, I laughed and agreed that this conversation was our secret. Funny enough, the idea of sharing a secret with Tori was pleasant. After all, I hadn't really talked like this with anyone- other than Derek- since Rae and I had stopped talking. It was nice to think that, even though Tori and I were complete opposites, maybe she and I could become friends.
When Tori finally seemed certain that I was going to keep my mouth shut, she trudged down the hall and opened the door to the storage room. When she realized that this wasn't the room she was looking for- I assumed she was looking for mine- she gave me an incredulous look and asked, "What is this?"
"The storage room?" It came out as more of a question than an answer. I mean, the room was full of old boxes and picture frames, and I wasn't exactly sure what she had expected in the first place.
"I fought tooth and nail for the second master bedroom in my house. Hello! My own bathroom. Why is yours full of boxes?" Tori questioned as if it were totally ridiculous that this wasn't, in fact, my bedroom.
"We needed the extra space for things we didn't need." I mumbled. "It doesn't matter, really. I like my room, and I have my own bathroom."
"Yeah, down the hall."
I shook my head in amusement and gestured for her to follow me to my actual room. Truth be told, the room used to be Mom and Dad's before she died. When she passed, Dad couldn't handle being in there alone. So, he moved his things into the other master and left Mom's stuff there in boxes. I just kept my nursery and painted it a different color. Neither my Dad nor I complained about our living quarters. We simply had a silent mutual agreement.
But, I wasn't quite friendly enough with Tori to explain all that.
When Tori discovered that I didn't have more to wear than my nicest skinny jeans or my Christmas sweater, she swore I was going to be her biggest and most complicated project to date. Whatever that meant, I wasn't sure I liked the sound of it. However, I still tagged along when she finalized- without much of my consent- that I would be wearing some of her clothes until she took me shopping.
Making our way over to her and Derek's house, she rambled on notes in an almost one-sided conversation that sounded mostly like, "We're lucky it's summer. You and I might be the same size, but I'm clearly taller, so jeans won't work. You wear shorts all the time, so we should go for something different seeing as how this is quite the social outing. A skirt? I have this navy blue that would go well with your boots- No. Too easy. But we do need to show off those legs and maybe even get them some sun. You're as pale as a ghost-" And so on.
I was only half tuned to Tori's musings as I surveyed the neighborhood, observing as the community was abuzz with duties to get ready for the block party. It seemed as if most of my neighbors were doing some fine-tuning to their yards for the same contest I was entering while few were actually putting up the familiar, wooden announcement stage in the center of the cul-de-sac that lay adjacent to my house, as well as the regular, kiddy favorite, bounce house and snow cone machines. Mrs. Enright was so in tune with Buffalo that she acquired several venders to attend, bringing about their businesses ranging from state fair games to auctions and expensive lemonade to sugary kettle corn.
I knew the block party had always been a big event, but I had never attended enough to know that it was so over the top.
Tori lost me when she started to discuss accessories as she burst through the door of her own home, her mission seeming to be the only thing on her mind. Even as Derek came through the swinging kitchen door at the end of the hall and exclaimed, "Tori, what the-" Before his eyes flit to mine and widened in even more surprise, Tori simply cut him off and stated, "Back off, lover boy. She's mine for the morning."
Way to make me sound like the family's favorite toy.
"I was going to pick her up in an hour."
I'm standing right here.
"Whatever. For now, though, she doesn't need any distractions. She needs to focus on the task at hand. So don't get in my way. You're not the only who can make friends here, you know?"
Focus? How hard is it to put clothes on?
"What? Liz got tired of being your Barbie, so now you have to torture Chloe?"
Barbie?
"Why don't you just mind your own business? Besides, part of this is for you too."
Are they always like this?
"Chloe looks fine the way she is."
Ah, that's sweet, even if I just rolled out of bed a half an hour ago.
"You're so clueless, Derek."
"At least I'm not pointless."
Jeez, is this ever going to end? It's like watching a never-ending tennis match.
"Oh, I have a point. And I'm going to prove it- right after breakfast. Chloe, you hungry?"
I am kind of hungry. I didn't have my Captain Crunch this morning.
"You're not going into the kitchen, Tori."
"Like hell I'm not."
Why won't he let her in the kitchen? It's her house too.
"Simon's in there, taking care of business."
Business? What kind of private business could be done in a kitchen?
"Please, like I haven't seen it before?"
What? Maybe I don't want to know about this, 'business.'
"He doesn't want you in there."
"Seventeen years I've been living with him and he's just now sending big bro out to be his body guard. I'm pretty sure he doesn't give a fu-"
"Well I do, Tori!"
What is with Derek this morning?
I watched, mind swimming with questions and concern, as I went from annoyed that the two were talking about me as if I wasn't even there, then amused when they both took a defensive position, arms identically and stubbornly crossed as they threw back wave after wave of sibling banter, and then confused and worried as Derek's arms dropped to his sides, fists clenching and unclenching, body a literal wall that blocked Tori and I from seeing whatever it was Simon was doing in the kitchen.
"You're such a dick," Tori muttered angrily, then grabbed my wrist- once again- and pulled me towards the stairs. "If you're going to be like that, then bring us some damn pop tarts or something."
Before I could see Derek's reaction, which I was sure wasn't much, he disappeared as we ascended the staircase I hadn't touched since I nearly plummeted to my embarrassing doom almost two months ago. However, I was still perplexed by Derek's behavior. Judging by how Tori handled it, it was normal for them to fight and understandable for her to just walk away from the situation and leave Derek be. I had never seen Derek so set in his ways. Not even when we had shared our first words right on these very steps. I had been the one with the last word and it was evident that Derek had realized that he was in the wrong. But, based on what he had told me about his past, if something was up, he liked better to be left alone. So, Tori was smart enough to let it go. Only, what exactly was it that she was giving up a chance to fight on? Was what Simon was doing in the kitchen really that important that he needed a little privacy? Couldn't he have just taking care of his business in his room then? Or was there something else going on that Derek didn't want us knowing about?
"Is Derek okay?" I finally asked, sick of running through the millions of questions filtering through my head when Tori knew Derek better than I did and would have more reasonable answers than what I could come up with.
"He's fine," Tori rumbled in displeasure, still clearly peeved by her confrontation with her brother. "He's been like this all week, though. Grumpier than usual and not afraid to push Simon and I around. And, frankly, I'm too sick of it to care."
"What's he so frustrated about?" I wondered aloud, not really asking for Tori's input and, after she answered, I was sure I didn't even want it at all.
"Probably because your old chum, Rachelle won't leave him alone."
"W-what?" Her comment hit me like a brick wall. Hard and unexpected. What did she mean Rae wouldn't leave him alone?
"Yeah. Her little curls have been bouncing around here just about every other day this week, 'double checking,' on whether we were aware that we were invited to today's block party. More like making sure Derek finally emerges from his dark, mysterious cave to a social outing."
"D-Derek said no, r-right?" I knew the answer. I knew. I had seen the way Derek had blown Rae off. Even stated that he wasn't interested- more than once! But, something about the entire situation bothered me. Not that Rae was badgering him. That was expected. Not that I thought Derek would agree to do anything with or within a ten feet vicinity of her.
It was that he hadn't told me.
"I'm sure if he had even graced her with his presence he would have just slammed the door in her face. However, Simon's more polite and I like making her squirm. So, we informed her appropriately that Derek was going with someone else. Well- Simon did."
I nodded, following her into her room- which was the twin of my storage room- and hiding my attempt to calm my racing heart and unnecessary nerves. So Derek hadn't told me. He didn't even see her when she came to pester him about the Committee's upcoming event. So, it was more than likely that he didn't care enough to think that it was a big deal to make a complaint about it. Sure, it annoyed the hell out of him and made him grouchy, but that didn't mean that he had to relay this information to me.
And who was I to demand to know about his life outside of him and I. Yes, I would very much like to know a lot more about Derek, but I wasn't his girlfriend. He was still working with the idea of trusting me over everyone else he's pushed away.
So, if he could go against his very nature and have a remarkable faith in me, then I would trust him as well.
Finally, nine o'clock rolled around and Tori was finished having her way with me. In a fashion sense. She told me I could wait up for Derek in his room and that she would tell him that I was ready to head out for the block party. It was easy maneuvering myself through a house that was replica of my own, and I knew from back when Derek caught me spying on him that he had the same room that I did. I wasn't in any hurry to get down the hall, though and the plethora of family pictures lining the walls made cause of a reasonable distraction.
There were a few recent pictures. Simon and Derek holding up soccer trophies and Tori in extravagant gowns for what I assumed to be her previous school's formal dances. But, the ones that really caught my eye were the time sake photos of them as kids. There was one of Tori and Simon fighting over a pale in an old sandbox, in which, Simon looked to be losing, judging by the small crocodile tears welling in his almond shaped eyes. They couldn't have been more than three. Then there was the obvious, generic school photos, one of Tori missing a tooth and one of Simon sticking his tongue out at the camera.
But, I think my favorite was a picture just outside Derek's bedroom of him and Simon, where Simon was grinning from ear to ear, his arm thrown around a small boy with a mop of black locks and green, annoyed eyes that glanced over at his new brother as if he really wanted to punch the strange blonde in the face for touching him. It couldn't have been much longer after Derek had been adopted.
The sight of Derek in an annoyed pout caused giggles to bubble up and escape my lips. Just as I laughed, a deep voice confirmed my previous theories at what age the two boys had to be in the photo.
"That's Simon's birthday. He had just turned six. I wasn't quite used to his- rambunctious personality yet."
I hadn't expected Derek and the sound of his voice caused me to jump and squeak incoherently. I tossed him a look over my shoulder and muttered, "You snuck up on me."
"That's what you get for laughing at me."
"I-I wasn't-"
Derek smirked as I stuttered through an explanation as to why I was laughing at the picture. However, he saved himself and I from the blabbering mess spilling from my mouth and ducked his head, capturing my lips in a sweet, quick and ginger kiss. I sighed and smiled as he shifted closer, shivering as his fingers grazed my waist and nodding slowly when he murmured, "I see you survived Tori's torture chamber."
"It wasn't so bad." I whispered. I wasn't lying either. Based on the impression they had left me with their argument downstairs, I had been afraid that Tori might actually dress me like a Barbie doll. I had to interrupt her when she bounced back into her ramblings on what I could wear and tell her that I liked to keep things simple. Reluctantly, she agreed, but she had been able to work with our compromise. She found a mid-thigh length, baby blue summer dress she hadn't worn since the previous year- which was possible a good thing, seeing as how I wasn't as developed as she currently was- and it fit rather snug and comfortably. I denied all her ideas for accessories, but allowed her to experiment with my make-up. She kept it clean, using similar nude eye shadow to what she was wearing, a light layer of mascara and clear lip gloss. She even pinched my cheeks to make them naturally rosy.
Finally, she fiddled with my hair, but settled on simply braiding the bangs I had been growing out since I had mistakenly cut them back when I had been a freshman and pulled it back into a clip, creating a small halo around my temple.
"You look very nice." Derek said and my smile grew.
About an hour later, Derek and I were making our way through the animated crowd of attendees that astonishingly enjoyed the Committee's most overrated event. After a few minutes of being pushed, cut off and shoved around, I heard Derek's low chuckle beside me as he grabbed my hand.
"Are you trying to get lost?" He questioned.
"It's not my fault everyone here is rude and pushy," I mumbled, pulling myself closer to him so I wouldn't, in fact, be lost among the ruckus.
"It's not their fault that no one can see you." Derek teased, tone light. Way different from that of this morning when he had yelled at Tori. I voiced this fact to him and he shrugged, smirk tugging at his lips.
"Tori and I are always like that. There's always an argument. With Simon, it's more of trying to get the best burn against each other. With me, it's mostly about trying to prove she's right, even when she isn't."
"You and Tori might not be related, but you're both just as stubborn," I stated, taking my turn to poke fun at him. That statement made him scowl and I laughed.
"And, with me, there's always an argument unless you know I'm right."
"You're not right. Tori and I are polar opposites." Derek replied weakly, knowing full well that he had no chance in winning this one.
"Not according to your unresponsiveness a minute ago. You ad Tori are more alike than you care to face."
"Whatever," Derek mumbled half-heartedly. I relished in a silent victory and surveyed the area around us. Everyone seemed so elated and happy. Parents guiding their children to game or food stations, kids running around with balloon animals and face paint, couples young and old observing the different vendors as they remained close with various forms of physical contact. The environment just felt so friendly and welcome.
It reminded me of when Mom had used to be in charge of the annual block party.
Back then, nothing could break the aura of content that surrounded the people of our small community.
Now, however-
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I please have your attention?" Mrs. Enright's sturdy voice rang over the bustle of the neighborhood. I glanced towards the center of the cul-de-sac and found her standing atop the wooden, make-shift stage with a blow horn and a clip board in her hands. Resisting the urge to roll my eyes and ditch the inevitable of Diane and the Committee ruining this supposed, 'carefree,' occasion and gestured for Derek to listen, knowing that this is what we were doing here in the first place.
"I have here," Mrs. Enright began, raising her primped and manicured hand that held the clipboard up in the air for everyone to see. "- The sign-up sheet for this year's Best of the Best curb appeal contest." The sound of a mild and polite clap purred through the crowd as an acknowledgement for one of the Committee's biggest events. Mrs. Enright smiled her sickly, fake sweet smile, ruby red and unnaturally young lips quirking in a confidence that I only hoped to shake once I took the award she was only assuming she would win.
"The rules are simple. You will open your gates to the community and allow your fellow neighbors to vote on whose yard is more appealing and welcoming. I'm sure everyone who wishes to enter has brushed up on the additional requirement and is prepared for judging immediately. I'll leave the list here and the names listed will be observed in no more than a half an hour. A call for luck is in order, for, whoever participates will be competing against a six year winning streak of yours truly." Diane laughed as if she had told a joke at a wine tasting party then stepped down from the stage, allowing a few daring souls to approach and relieve her of the sign- up sheet. She passed them a dishonestly encouraging smile and made her way to whatever it was that evil-head-of-Committee-bitches did until the contest was ready to start.
"What do you think she meant by additional requirements?" I questioned, bringing my attention back to the green-eyed boy beside me. He shrugged, eyes on the stage still as if watching for an opening to go and sign us up.
"Don't know. Probably something stupid, like a freshly mown lawn. Which we have." He looked at me then and gave me a surprisingly triumphant smirk. "You shouldn't have to worry about it. If this contest is up to a vote by the community, the sheer shock everyone will receive just seeing you sign up will give you some major bonus points."
Derek's confidence in me was an extra push just to get my name on that list. I wanted to beat Mrs. Enright. I really, really wanted to beat her. But I wanted to show off Derek's hard work too. Living in an appearance crazed neighborhood like this could give Derek some great business and help him out in his dream to get into an Ivy League school. I knew that, after today, everyone would want Derek's talents.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" I beamed. "Let's go kick some Committee ass."
Derek chuckled and pulled me back as I started for the stage. I gave him a perplexed look and he explained, "Let me. I'll go sign us up, you grab us some hotdogs or something."
"Didn't you just have breakfast an hour ago?"
Derek tossed me a, 'Come on, Chloe, you know better than that,' look and I laughed. Derek could eat breakfast three times and still be hungry.
"I have to run back to my house to do something really quick anyways. I figure, by the time I'm done, you'll almost be at the front of one of these crazy lines." Derek said. I wrinkled my nose in displeasure.
"You make it sound like I'm doing all the hard work." Derek rolled his eyes and squeezed my hand before he let me go.
"I'll be back in a bit."
Derek disappeared into the crowd and I sighed.
Damn. Looks like I'm going to have to find a line now.
Just as I found a decent sized wait for overpriced burgers and cotton candy, I was rudely bumped from the side. I quickly turned to see the jerk that had barreled into me but, when I met almond shaped eyes and a brilliant, apologetic smile, I relaxed, allowing my tense shoulders to slack and my own smile to tug at my lips.
"Hey, Simon."
"Whoa, I'm so sorry, Chloe. I didn't see you. This party must be a pretty big deal if it drives people to be this pushy." Simon's voice rose a little at the end and his attention was not directed towards me, but a retreating older man who threw him a glare before vanishing among the herd of excited people. I was assuming that the old grump was the reason why Simon had run into me.
"Anyways," Simon mumbled, returning to his cheerful self. "I don't know about, 'big deal,' but this block thing is crazy. I never would have imagined that the Committee would go this big." I nodded in agreement.
"It's all show, really. They just want to portray that we're a big, happy and connected community, when the neighborhood is far from. It's a power thing."
"For what exactly? I mean, why play government? Don't we already get enough from the one we're lawed to abide in order to live in this country?"
"The Committee gets sponsored and often the members join the chamber of commerce, which means they make decisions for Buffalo. From there-"
"They can work their way up to state. Like a political food chain." Simon concluded.
"Exactly."
"Why does this sound like a plot for world domination?"
I laughed and shook my head in amusement, knowing full well that something as silly as the Committee would never go that far. But, I wouldn't be surprised if Russell ever became a congressman or Diane the secretary of state.
Deciding that I didn't like that idea too much, I changed the subject and gestured to the stand I was currently standing in line for.
"I'm waiting to get Derek and I some cotton candy. Do you want some?" However, though Simon smiled thankfully, he declined my offer.
"Nah. I can't have any."
I cocked my head to the side, brows knitting together as I gave him a perplexed look.
"Can't?"
"It's not like I need permission or anything," Simon backtracked, tone slightly nervous as if he had said the wrong thing. "It's more like, my body doesn't need it."
This time, instead of being confused, I laughed a little nervously and subconsciously rubbed my arm. "Well, it's okay to have sweets sometimes."
His comment made me think about how much junk I ate and it was starting to leave me feeling a little discouraged. My expression must have shown it because Simon instantly threw his hands up, as if in surrender and exclaimed, "No, no, no! I-I didn't mean it like that!"
At this point, I was just lost as to what it was exactly he was trying to say and Simon sighed, knowing this fact.
"It's something I don't usually like telling people, because I don't want them to treat me differently."
"If it's personal, you don't have to-"
"No, it's alright," Simon interrupted. He gave me a gentle smile and said, "Look, Derek trusts you. Which, really, is like a sign of the apocalypse. And I like you, so I trust you too. Since I can tell you're going to be around a lot, you should know. I can't have things like cotton candy because I'm diabetic. It's not a big deal, I just have to watch my blood sugar."
I nodded simply and a realization dawned upon me. This must have been what Derek had been arguing with Tori over this morning. Simon was taking care of some business in the kitchen and Derek wanted him to be left alone. Simon must have been checking his blood pressure.
Just to confirm that I wasn't making assumptions, I asked him, so that I could fully understand how careful Simon had to be and wouldn't further embarrass myself by asking him if he wanted a sugar loaded lemonade next.
"Do you have to prick your finger or anything like that? Derek said you were doing something in the kitchen this morning and wanted to be left alone. Now that I know, I figure that's what you were doing?"
Simon gave me a confused look. "Yeah, I usually have to check up on that kind of stuff, but, Chloe, I wasn't in the kitchen this morning. Derek wouldn't let me in. Said something about the freezer defrosting and the floor was flooded so he was cleaning it up."
What?
I frowned, not really sure how I was feeling at the moment. Confused? Yes. But, there was something else akin to a mixture of concern and frustration. Why had Derek lied to Tori this morning? Why did he lie to Simon? If the freezer story was true, he would have just told Tori the same thing. Something about this entire thing just didn't seem right.
If Derek was so big on trust, then why was I catching him in these lies?
I knew one thing, for sure. I wasn't going to stop until I found out.
Roughly fifteen minutes later, I finally detached from the line with a burger and a small bag of cotton candy in hand. Derek had yet to return but I remembered him telling me that he had to stop by his house first.
I hated that I thought this, but had that been a lie as well?
I didn't want to think of Derek as dishonest. I wanted to keep that light of him where I knew he was gentle, smart, blunt, stubborn and just- him. I wanted to know that he was a trustworthy person and, until now, I always thought he was. I could depend on him to speak his mind, the truth. But now-
I rounded the corner of his street and made my way to cut through Derek's front yard to reach his porch. However, the sight I met left me frozen in my tracks and I could have sworn that, far away, I heard something shatter.
A glass? A window maybe?
I stared, mind checking out and unable to comprehend this image. There, in front of his opened door, stood Derek, Rae wrapped around his neck, her lips mashed firmly against his as his hands gripped her shoulders.
No, that was the sound of my heart.
It took the longest and most agonizing second of my life for everything to click and for me to react. I would love to say that, as soon as I realized why Derek had been so absent all week and why he had lied me and his siblings this morning, I threw the ketchup loaded hamburger and hit the two of them square in their lip-locked faces. However, shock was the first thing I felt and I lunged back across the yard and behind Derek's fence that faced the cul-de-sac instead. I bit back any emotional sound that fought to escape my lips. I was experiencing so many feelings that I wasn't sure if it would be a scream or a sob.
Just as I glued my back to the gate, hands gripping desperately at the flat surface, I heard Derek lowly mumble, "I don't have time for this, Rachelle."
"Why?" She snapped back, "Got to hurry and get back to babysitting your boss' little girl?"
"Don't," Derek replied, his voice so low I couldn't dissect the emotions in it.
"I really don't understand why you continue to entertain her and her little fantasies. Why bother when you have something ten times better? Smarter, prettier and way more experienced. Name one thing Chloe has that I don't."
If I didn't think that my heart could sink any lower, then I had been desperately hoping that Derek wouldn't miss a beat in answering to her request. Only, he didn't. He didn't say a word and I knew I wouldn't be able to handle any more of this. Frankly, I was surprised I was able to process this much. There was more going on with Rae's constant visits that Tori- unless she gained some sick enjoyment out of seeing me naively throwing myself at her brother- had been unaware of and there was no flood in Derek's kitchen this morning.
Just a conniving, backstabbing bitch that Derek was keeping a secret relationship with.
Finally, anger became the dominant emotion and all I wanted was to go home, scream until my heart didn't hurt anymore, then crawl into bed and remain dormant until school started. I pushed away from the fence and held back tears that were threatening to well.
Not before you're home, Chloe. Not out here.
I quickly walked along the gate that separated the street from Derek's and my yard, desperate to escape the party, Derek's lies and this day. I was about to pass the part in the fence that opened as the entrance to my lawn when the gate flew open, a tall, blonde woman stepping out onto the sidewalk and closing it behind her. I back peddled before I could run into her, then stared at her in question, my anger towards Derek leaking into my words as I demanded, "Mrs. Enright? What are you doing here?"
"Well, well. Chloe Saunders. It's been quite a while since we've talk, hasn't it?"
I really wasn't in the mood so I didn't care to acknowledge that she had just spoken due to the fact that her words weren't the ones I was looking for.
"What were you doing in my yard?"
Seeing that I was intent on getting strait to the point, Diane dropped her fake smile and smirked. It was one that expressed that she truly thought she was better than me if not most of the people in this neighborhood.
"I saw that you put your name on the list to be reviewed for the contest and the sight peeked my interest. You see, Chloe, I've been hearing rumors. Miss Rogers just loves to speak of the boy who's been helping you rehabilitate your Mother's old yard."
The mention of Rae and Derek made my gut twist in discomfort and a wave of disappointing sadness ran through me.
No. Not here. Not in front of her.
"Since I deem new comers to be qualified for this contest, I had to make sure that all the requirements were met for a valid entry."
"It doesn't matter. I don't-" I was going to explain that I didn't care about the contest anymore. She could have her stupid trophy, I didn't want it. But she held up her finger and her slim brows twitched in frustration.
"I wasn't finished talking, Chloe. Haven't you ever been taught that it's rude to interrupt."
My eyes narrowed. Half because I was daring her not to go where she was heading and half because I knew she would anyways and it was only going to make how I felt at the moment worse.
"Don't," I said through gritted teeth.
"I suppose you haven't. It must be hard, having to learn important life lessons all on your own."
"Mind your own business," I snapped. Mrs. Enright's eyes glowed. Brown, furious and relentless.
"Such a rude child. Jennifer would be so disappointed in you."
I bit back a gasp and struggled against the breath that dared to escape. The effort almost made me cough out the resistance, as if she had just punched me in the gut instead of slandered me with her insensitive words.
"You know what else would just break your mother's heart? That pathetic excuse for a yard," Diane stated coldly, gesturing behind her towards my lawn. I kept my mouth shut and stared angrily at the ground between us.
Don't let her win, Chloe.
"You may have given it a makeover, but the garden is a pile of rocks and dirt. It's a disgrace and a demerit against the requirements."
Don't give her the satisfaction.
"You're disqualified, Chloe."
Don't you dare cry.
"Maybe next year, you can show me and your Mother's memory in this Committee some more respect and take this competition a little more seriously."
I didn't look at her. I didn't speak. I didn't even dare to allow myself to feel as she walked away, heals clicking exceptionally loud on the asphalt as she did. I just kept still, telling myself over and over to remain emotionless, a neutral party, that her words would sting less.
But it wasn't working. And the next voice I heard only made it worse.
"Chloe?"
No. Please, no. I can't face him right now.
"What the hell was that all about?" Derek questioned behind me, anger filtering into his tone. He must have heard most of what Mrs. Enright had said.
I need to get away.
I needed to get inside, I couldn't handle anymore. I was near my breaking point and the feel of Derek's warm fingers brushing against my wrist only made my chest throb with hurt and discomfort.
It wasn't supposed to feel so good. So supportive and right. Not after all he's done. Not when he was half of the problem.
So, I finally reacted.
"Don't touch me!" I snapped, yanking my hand away from his touch before I returned to my brisk mission to get home and away from everything.
"Chloe, What're you-"
"Don't talk to me either."
"Why are you snapping at me? I didn't know Mrs. Enright was going to be so anal about the competition. It's not my fault that a perfectly decent yard isn't up to her standards or that she disrespected your Mother. If anything, you should be furious with her-"
"This has nothing to do with any of that. You lied to me."
"What?" Derek barked. Now he was following me, seeing as how I wasn't going to stop to have this argument and he was adamant on understanding what was going on with me. Funny, I didn't think he would care so much.
"What are you going on about," Derek questioned, annoyance and frustration evident in his tone. "I've never lied to you."
I snorted humorlessly, not even bothering to look at him. I just kept moving.
"I know I'm not your girlfriend. I don't own you and you don't owe me anything. But I thought you respected me enough to at least be honest with me."
Derek grabbed my upper arm and stopped me just before my porch. His grip was firm, which meant that I wasn't going to escape, but I still refused to look at him. If I did, I- I would more than likely break down, right there in front of him. And, just like with Mrs. Enright, I wasn't going to him that satisfaction.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Derek demanded, his aura similar to that of the time we first talked on his staircase, back when he was threatening me to leave him and his family alone. "I've always been honest with you, more than anyone else I've ever met."
He sounded pissed.
"So, I'm sure you're going to stick to the concept of you working on some project all week? The reason you weren't around so much unless you were working?"
"I don't have to spend every waking moment with you, Chloe. You had a point, you're not my girlfriend."
I winced, both because the comment stung and his fingers were starting to tighten around my forearm.
"And when were you going to tell me that Rae had been stopping by, paying you multiple visits? I thought you told me you weren't-"
"Chloe, I didn't think any of that mattered. She's nothing but an annoyance. Do you even hear yourself right now-"
He was throwing this all on me. Making me sound as if I were obsessed with how he spent his every second without me and that wasn't fair. How could he cover himself up and make me out as the bad guy? Was his relationship with Rae really that important to hide? If so, then what did I have to do with any of this? Rae had a valuable point. Why was he still feeding the idea that he liked me when it was so clear that he was about someone else?
Well, I was done. I wasn't going to let him push me around this situation anymore. And I wasn't about to let him continue to lie to me.
"I saw you kissing her." I spat, interrupting him and throwing him the angriest and disappointed glare I could muster among all the pain and sadness.
I finally met his green eyes and knew I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. They went wide in surprise and his grip loosened just enough for me to pull my arm free and back away from him.
"Chloe, I swear. It wasn't like that." He stated evenly, eyes refusing to release mine, earnest and begging for me to trust him. I wanted to. God, I wanted this all to be a horrible, awful dream.
But it wasn't.
"I don't believe you," I muttered in a small and exhausted voice.
Derek's brows knit together angrily and he stepped closer. "You really think that I would ever-"
"It doesn't matter what I think," I shouted, stepping away from his advance. He stopped and lowered his arms to his sides, fists clenching. "There's nothing I can do. I-I just wish you hadn't lead me on."
"Chloe, I didn't-"
"The yard looks great." I interrupted. I took in a deep, uneven breath. A pathetic attempt to control the sobs that wanted to break free and rein back the tears that had already shed, really, but I was tired. Tired of the party, of Diane and of Derek. I just wanted to go inside and work towards forgetting that this summer had ever happened. So, I put on my most professional and unemotional face and said, "I'm sure my Dad will be happy. I'll let him know of all the extra expenses you put into your work and he'll send you a check when he gets home in a few weeks."
"Chloe-" I didn't bother to hear what he had to say next. I simply turned away from him and ran up to my door. I shoved it open, lunged inside and slammed it closed behind me.
This time, I didn't shut Derek out because I was surprised to see him on my porch, but because I didn't want to see him there and wish I never had.
Wow. So, dramatic right? And 8,000+ words? This is an early Christmas present if I don't get a chance to update the last chapter before next Tuesday. If that's the case, Merry Christmas- or, again, whatever holiday preference- and I hope you guys liked this chapter!
Do I get presents too? I do love my reviews. ;)
