Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Super sorry about the delay on this one…I've been with family for the last few days, and that means NO alone time. But hopefully you will like this one :) PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU CAN…I'd love to hear thoughts, suggestions, reviews, etc.

PS - For 2014 I have decided on a new crossover which I hope you will all check out when I publish the first chapter :) Happy New Year All!

Penelope pushed the door to her room open before her mother or father tried to stop her and proceeded to slam it shut. She was furious, hardly able to believe this was how her evening had ended up. How could Derek possibly think he didn't deserve more from his life? He shouldn't be content with a girl like Jordan, he should be striving for the best one he could find. Instead, he was going through life with…with pieces of ass! She dropped the soaked dress to the floor and grabbed new underwear that wasn't wet. Throwing on undergarments, sweatpants, and a tank top, she opened the door to her room and stormed out to the kitchen where she could make herself some hot cocoa with a ton of marshmallows.

Maybe I'll throw a gob of hot fudge on top of these marshmallows, she thought bitterly, pulling the door to one of the cabinets open.

"Penelope, what are you doing home so soon?" her mother, Renee asked as she found her daughter rifling through the kitchen cabinets looking for ingredients to make her cocoa. "I thought for sure you would end up spending the night at Em's." She paused a moment and observed her daughter more closely. "And why on earth is your hair dripping?"

Plastering a sarcastic smile on her face, Penelope put a mug and cocoa packet on the counter. Rising to her full height, she grumbled, "I decided to come home early. Long story about the hair. Not really in the mood for talking about it." She really was not in the mood to discuss Derek. Not with anyone, even her own mother. Usually she told Renee about everything from school to boys, but right then she had no desire to whatsoever.

Renee bit her lip and sat down at one of the counter stools. "Sweetheart, why don't you tell me about it. I know you don't want to, but talking to me will probably help. At the very least it'll get some stuff off your chest."

Penelope rolled her eyes and sighed, knowing it was pointless to try and hide anything. Her mother knew her so well that any other attempts at making something up or lying would be futile. As she opened the fridge to get out milk, she muttered, "It's just…have you ever known someone who always thought they didn't deserve something better? Like, they could be happy, but they end up — I don't know — not living up to their potential?"

"Sure," she said. "I've met loads of people like that."

"Yeah, but Mom, this is someone who's really, really special," she pressed. "He's got a brain that could easily take on the world and a heart bigger than the friggin' Atlantic Ocean, but he's got friends who are jerks and a girlfriend who doesn't realize how wonderful he is and treats him like a piece of garbage!" She huffed. "I just want to beat it into his head!"

Renee smiled in amusement and observed her fuming daughter more closely. "You wanna tell me more about this boy? Say…his name?"

"It's the boy I've been tutoring," she went on, finishing up making her cocoa. "His name is Derek Morgan."

"You mean the quarter back?" Renee asked in surprise. Her eyebrows shot upwards.

Penelope nodded. At first she had been hesitant to talk with her mom about this, but now the words were flowing from her mouth like it was the most natural conversation she could have. She had to get her thoughts about Derek and his stubbornness about staying in the place he was in. "Yeah, that Derek," she said. She put her mug to her lips and took a sip. "I keep trying to tell him this stuff, but he insists he's 'happy' where he is."

"Sweetie, why do you care so much about what this boy thinks about his life or how he lives it?"

"Because I care about him!" she exclaimed, putting her mug down a little too roughly. "I don't understand why he keeps doing this. He hangs out with those jackasses and dates girls who don't give two shits about him. But the thing about him is he's such a kind guy. He deserves the best in the world, but he just — he just…doesn't get it!" She shook her head and then sighed deeply. "I think he's hiding something, something that might have happened to him, and he runs from it by spending time with jerks who don't care about him." She sat next to her mother and sighed deeply. "I don't get him."

Renee shook her head. "It sounds like you get him pretty well," she said. "You may not know what he's hiding, but you seem to be the only one who's seen that he does have something he doesn't want the world to know."

Groaning in exasperation, Penelope put her forehead on the counter and muttered, "I really don't know why I care so much." She looked up at her mother and cocked a brow. "Any ideas on what the reason is behind it?"

"Well, do you really want to know what I think, or are you going to just deny whatever I say right off the bat?" An amused smile lit up her face. "And you have to promise to keep those lips zipped until I finish."

Glaring at Renee, Penelope scoffed. "I don't always ignore what you say right off the bat," she said in a pissed tone. Shaking her head, she added, "Continue on. I promise I'll listen."

Nodding, Renee tilted her head and observed Penelope closely. "Based off what you've told me in just these few minutes, I've been able to figure a few things out: you care very deeply for this boy." Penelope opened her mouth to interrupt, but her mother shook her head and held up her hand. "Nuh uh…no interrupting. You promised." She nodded when her daughter resumed her quiet, listening stance and continued. "What I was saying is that you care very deeply for this boy. So does he care about you, too?"

Penelope bit her lip and thought back to what he had told her when they were sitting at the fountain.

You're a good person, Penelope. You wouldn't really hurt anyone.

"I…suppose so," she relented. "He told me I was a good person and he said he thought I looked beautiful in my dress."

"So why did you come home early then? And why is your hair wet?" Renee asked. "It sounds like your evening was going great."

"We were sitting outside by the fountain, and I got pissed because he told me he was failing his English quizzes and free writes so he could spend time with me, so I stood up rather…abruptly and slipped into the fountain."

Renee started to laugh hysterically. "Oh my goodness, Penelope!" she giggled. "He obviously cares about you! Why would you be pissed about him wanting to spend time with you?"

"Because he needs to play football to get a scholarship," she said. "And he's a smart guy. I don't want to see him lose that chance because he wants to spend time with me. And you know what, I suppose I should be offended by the fact that the only time he wants to spend with me is the tutoring sessions. I mean, am I only good enough to hang out with when heshould be doing his homework? Does he not want his friends to know he's hanging out with me?"

Renee took her daughter's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Oh, sweetie," she said. "I don't think that's what it is. I think he really likes you. And you know what else? I think you like him back. Like like, not just a friendship sort of like."

Penelope blew her wet bangs out of her face and shook her head. "Pfft. You have that wrong," she said in exasperation. "I do not like Derek like…well, like that! He's just my friend. At least I think he's my friend." She shook her head. "And anyway, if I did like him, there are a few little problems with a relationship. One, we hang out with totally different crowds. Two, our crowds essentially hate each other. Three — and the biggest problem of all — is he has a girlfriend. And a bitchy one at that."

"Who is it?"

"Jordan Todd."

Pursing her lips, Renee nodded in understanding. "Ah, the girl who bullied Emily and you mercilessly in grade school and middle school. She was always mean to everyone if I recall."

"Yup," she said. "But it's all beside the point. I, in no way whatsoever, like Derek Morgan."

Renee leaned forward and kissed her daughter's forehead. "Oh, honey," she said. "You may just need to face the fact that you really do like him."

She huffed and got off the stool. "I'm heading back to my room. And I don't like Derek!"

The only sound she heard on the way out was the twinkling of her mother's laughter as she headed out the door.

XXXXX

Penelope found herself standing in the middle of a field, the sky grey above her and a slight breeze in the air. What the hell was she doing here? This made no sense. She'd never seen this place in her life, yet here she stood. Striding forward through the grass to find out clues of where she might be, she felt the lengths of the grass tickle her ankles.

"Penelope?"

Looking behind her, she saw Derek standing there. He was grinning brilliantly and rubbing his hand over his hand over his curly hair. She was utterly confused now. What was Derek doing near her? He strode towards her and stopped right in front of her. She held her breath as he ran his hand through her hair and shivered with all the tingles running through her skin like small needles pricking her lightly. That wasn't the only place she was getting tingles, either. His touch was setting her blood on fire, and she grabbed his wrists impulsively. She wanted to feel his skin against hers and feel the warmth of his lips on hers.

Without another word, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled his face towards her's for a passionate kiss that set her whole body off like a firecracker. He kissed her back just as fiercely and as they were wrapped in each other's arms, a crack of thunder boomed through the sky. The next moment heavy droplets of rain started to fall on them, and their bodies slid down to the ground in unison where they hurriedly grasped at the other's clothes, ripping them off so they could complete their act of — what at that moment felt like — love.

XXXXX

Sitting up abruptly in her bed, Penelope found herself breathing heavily, the sheets tangled in her legs. She glanced over at the clock; it was three o'clock in the morning. Flopping her head back against the pillows, she shook her head and tried to calm her racing heart. Having such an erotic dream about Derek was somewhat shocking to her. But she also felt more alive than when she'd ever dreamed about anyone in her life.

She grabbed one of her pillows and held it to her chest. God, to dream about Derek like that had been…exhilarating. There was really no other way of describing it. It was one of the most intense dreams she'd ever had.

Okay, maybe she did like him. She liked him a lot.