a/n: this chapter is kind of a "filler" but i feel like this is the missing piece of this story. or the "other untold half" please tell me after reading this if you're for MASSINGTON or KEMPSIE. please? and btw, this story is ending soon!
"Massie," Derrick called her name. Massie, who was just about to enter her house, turned around. "Hey, Derrick!"
He slowly walked up to where she stood, on the front porch of her grand house. It was only an hour since Massie saw him at her recital. But she was glad to see him.
"Mind if we talk?" he asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
Massie nodded and sat down on one of the steps. Derrick sat next to her. "You were great tonight."
Massie smiled slowly, "Thanks."
An awkward silence fell between the two, but it wasn't weird. They didn't really need to speak. So, the two sat there on Massie's front porch; staring at the sky and hiding from the world.
Until Derrick asked, "Can you tell me how you and Kemp met?"
Massie turned to him, suddenly on full alert. "Huh?"
"How you and Kemp got together," Derrick said. "I kind of… want to know."
Massie wanted to protest, thinking about Kemp was the last thing she wanted to do. She didn't want recap what happened when they were younger, when they were in love. But when Massie looked at Derrick, she just let loose. "We were in out freshmen year, I was the new kid and Kemp, well he was nice enough to show me around. He introduced me to his friends and let me sit with them at lunch. He was so nice, so sweet. It was hard not to fall for him, so I did. We hung out during the weekends."
Massie paused and let out a low chuckle, "every Saturday, we would go to the mall and we'd buy vanilla milkshakes and just talked. We were in love, and it worked out perfectly until-"
"Until, I came along?" Derrick suggested.
Massie thought for a moment then shook her head, "No. not really. Every Saturday, Kemp and I would drop everything, just to get a stupid vanilla milkshake. Even if it was just for ten minutes or an hour. We just loved being together…" Massie's voice dropped.
"And?" Derrick urged her to continue.
"And then, one day," Massie hugged her knees to her chest. "And one day, I waited for him at the mall and he didn't show up."
Derrick stared at Massie, not just a glance either, he really looked at her. "Then what?"
Strands of long auburn hair fell in front of Massie's face but she continued. "And then, I waited for almost an hour. It was so stupid, part of me wanted to scream at him and leave. But there was a part that- that just wished he'd be there. But he never showed up."
"Why didn't he make it?" Derrick asked.
Massie laughed, like it was funny in a twisted way, "he stayed home and filled out his Harvard application."
Massie sighed and looked at the ground. Derrick didn't know if it was because she was hurt or she was embarrassed. Either way, Derrick didn't want to push any farther. But Massie continued speaking, "I always knew he wanted to go to Harvard. He was ambitious and I admired him for it."
"But?"
"But, after being Kemp Hurley's, this big Harvard guy's girlfriend. It was kind of hard to stand on your own two feet." Massie whispered the end of the sentence, as if someone else would hear.
"Kemp's a great guy, Mass." Derrick suddenly felt obligated to defend his best friend.
"I know," Massie replied, "I know that."
"So what happened?" Derrick demanded, "don't ruin your relationship because of… I can't believe I'm saying this, but because of me." Derrick jumped to his feet and stood on the gravel road, not looking at Massie. Since Massie was sitting on the top, she was eye to eye level with Derrick.
"You don't get it," Massie shook her head, "no one does. No one understands. This has nothing to do with liking you, okay? This is about me and Kemp. Massie and Kemp. I didn't break up with him because I lost interest. I broke up with him because I don't want to be his puppy! I don't want a boyfriend who blows off dates, who doesn't call when he says he will, and who doesn't know me." Massie rose to her feet and started screaming, not necessarily at Derrick, but at the world.
Derrick could only look up at her, and let her scream her heart out.
"I don't want to go all the way to Massachusetts just to be near Kemp!" Massie screamed. "I don't want to stop playing the violin, because Kemp thinks it's unimportant! I don't want to stand in Kemp's way, but I need to lead my own paths!"
Derrick just watched her face turn red from the lack of oxygen that was allowed to go through her throat.
"But you don't understand! No one seems to!" Massie yelled. "I want to be a violinist! I want to study, teach, and create music! Kemp doesn't see that. No one does!" Massie panted heavily then continued, "But you came along, and then heard me! You weeded me out of my silent misery and told me to play, so I did. I don't expect anything from you. I don't expect you to love me. But that's the reason why I broke up with Kemp. Not for you, but for me." her shoulders were shaking, her breathing suddenly irregular.
She was breaking down, but she tried to say the words that made Derrick feel sorry for her. "And the worst part, isn't being single. It's not living in regret. It's that I do miss him and I'll miss him everyday he's gone."
Derrick felt tears form in his eyes, but he held the, back. He walked up to her and enveloped her into a tight hug.
Massie cried in his arms till the sun rose.
a/n: so, there WILL be a sequel, what's going to happen in that sequel is a mystery to me, as well. :) i kinda feel like if this goes; massington or kempsie. it'll work. if this is massington then i'm just filling the obvious whole with something new. but if i tie all the loose strings and make this a kempsie... it'll be reasonable. ...? :)
if you want to read more about the final pairing or want possible sneak peeks. check out my LiveJournal blog entry on "Simple Complications" (link on profile) and if you don't care at all, then hahaha, i salute you :D
thank you terribly for being a faithful reader and reviewer. :D