I hope you like…rating will probably change after this chapter to M for much more mature content and explicit sex scenes. (I'm actually excited to write them). But don't worry; I still keep my stories cute, sensitive and SARCASTIC!

"Come on Casey we're going to be late!" Derek yelled.

"Why are you in such a hurry to get to school?" George asked.

"Derek's got a crush on Taylor," Casey teased.

"I don't not."

"You so do and it kills you because out of all the girls in school you fall for the one you can't have."

"Can you shut her up? Please?"

"Go to school." George got up with is coffee mug and walked into the living room.

Derek spotted Taylor by their locker the moment he walked into school.

"Hey Taylor."

"Hi," she said quietly.

"You ok?"

She nodded and put her books in the locker. She was extremely quiet and Derek knew something was up. She started taking her jacket off and Derek saw a cut on her right arm.

"What happened to you?" before he could reach for it she put her jacket back on.

"Nothing."

"Taylor what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"I have three sisters; I know when something is up."

She shook her head and walked away.

'This girl is the most complicated chick ever,' Derek thought. But he was intrigued and wasn't going to give up on her.

"See your love?" Casey asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Love? Who are you talking about?" Emily asked.

"Excuse us." Derek pulled Casey aside. "Taylor was acting really weird this morning. I knew something was up but when I asked he just walked away."

"I'll talk to her later."

"No you have to talk to her now."

"Derek why are you making this sound so serious?"

"She has… I saw a cut on her arm and it wasn't just any regular cut."

"You think…"

"Just talk to her will you?"

"Yeah, I'll go find her."

"Thanks." Casey quickly ran off.

"So who's the girl?" Emily asked.

"I have to get to class," he said completely ignoring her question.

Casey found Casey in Anatomy.

"Hi Mr. Wexler, Taylor is needed in the office."

"Go ahead Ms. Noelle." Taylor got up and walked out of the class.

"Hey," she said to Casey.

"Hi."

"The office really doesn't want to see me does it?"

"No, it doesn't, but I do. Come on." They walked out to the courtyard and sat at a bench.

"Derek told me you were acting kind of odd this morning and then he said he saw a cut on your arm."

"Did he?"

"Well, the cut, it's just a regular cut. Last night I was in the kitchen and my mom let a knife slip and well I have a tendency of being at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Yeah, I get you completely. But why were you acting so…"

"Look Casey you seem like a really great girl but I'm not sure I'm ready to have a conversation like this with you yet."

"I get it."

"I have to go so I'll see you later." She got up and walked away.

Derek was hoping to see Taylor in second but she wasn't there. She didn't show up to history or music either. As he was walking out of lunch he spotted Casey and called her over.

"Hey, did you talk to her?" he asked.

"Yeah. She told me the cut was an accident in the kitchen and she didn't really tell me why she was so broken up."

"Well she hasn't been in any of my classes."

"Something is up with her."

"Yeah, and I'm going to find out what."

He walked away from her and speedily walked into the school. He looked everywhere for Taylor but had no luck in finding her. He walked out to the parking lot and saw Taylor's car so he knew she was there.

After fifth period he went looking for her. He had checked every inch of the school when a though occurred to him. He started up to the roof where students were strictly prohibited from. He picked the lock and sitting by a corner was Taylor. He slowly walked over to her and sat down. They didn't speak a word to each other for at least ten minutes.

"A broken girl hidden behind a brick wall," she finally said, keeping her eyes focused on the blank space in front of her.

Derek looked at her with a confused look.

"That's what my therapist said about me…and she's right. I choose to put up this fake me, all tough and rough but the truth is that's not me."

"Sometimes being you isn't all that bad," Derek said, putting a comforting hand on her leg.

"But I have to be like this. If I'm not I'll break, he'll break me," she said the last part in a near whisper.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Another moment of silence.

Derek slowly slid his arm around her and she leaned in to him.

"Can I go over this afternoon?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Thanks." They stayed like that until the bell rang. They got into their respective cars, Derek taking Casey, and all headed to their house.

"Ok so am I the only one excited that we have two weeks off of school?" Derek asked when they walked into the house.

"That's right, sweet."

"So what are we going to do?"

"Well I have to go pick up Edwin and Lizzie again so why don't you guys brainstorm and we'll all do something when we get back."

"Ok." Casey left and Taylor and Derek sat in the living room.

She was still kind of quiet but Derek didn't want to push her into talking about anything she didn't want to.

"Any ideas on what we can do?" Derek asked.

"Zilch."

It was weird really. Usually whenever Derek was sitting with a girl on this couch he was making out with her. This was a completely new experience for him.

"Ok the silence is killing me," he spoke out.

"Yeah I'm not too pumped on it either."

They let out awkward laughs and Derek started leaning in. she pulled back.

"Derek…"

"Yeah, sorry."

"Don't get me wrong. I think you're pretty cool and although we didn't start off too good, well you kind of made up for it today."

He smiled and pushed her hair behind her ear.

"I think you're pretty cool too."

Her cell phone started ringing.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Where are you?" Scott's angry voice yelled.

"At a friend's house."

"Well get your ass over here now!"

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"I don't… I don't want to go over there now."

"You either come over here now or I go pick you up wherever you're at."

Derek could hear the conversation and was getting kind of worried.

"Ok, fine." She hung up and looked at Derek. "I have to go."

"Who was that and why were they screaming at you like that?"

"Um, it was my stepdad and I better not keep him waiting." She stood up but then got a glorious idea. "Hey you want to come with me? We hung out here yesterday and I think it'd be cool if we did it at my place today."

"Yeah, sure. I'll leave a note for Casey." He scribbled a quick note and they left.

"Leave my car here, and let's take yours."

"What? Then how are you going to…"

"You think your parents would mind me spending the night?"

'What? Man I am so CONFUSED!' Derek thought.

"No, of course they wouldn't. I'll just tell them we're going to be up late working on the project, which I guess is somewhat the truth."

"Thanks." They got into his F250 and left.

"This is your house?" Derek asked when he pulled up to the ginormous house.

"It's embarrassing."

"Why?"

"Why would three people need something this big?"

He chuckled and got off the car.

"Wait there."

He came around and opened the door for her.

"Such a gentleman."

"I try." She smiled and they walked up the front steps of the house. When she opened the door the lavish foyer nearly pulled Derek in.

"Wow."

"Taylor is that you?" Scott called from the living room.

"Yeah."

No more than two seconds later he was in the foyer. When he saw Derek a less than pleased look took over his face.

"Who's this?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Derek. Derek this is Scott."

"Hi," Derek said.

"You didn't tell me you were bringing anybody over."

"Surprise, we'll be upstairs."

"I don't want you two up there alone."

"Awe Scott don't worry, you know I'm a little saint." She walked upstairs with Derek and shut her room door and locked it.

"A little paranoid are we?" Derek asked.

"I just like privacy." He looked around the giant room and other than the fact that it was three times bigger than his it looked like his room. The walls were dark red and adorned with posters of old school rock bands. She had a super sweet desk with a double screened MAC and a giant screen TV. He threw herself on the bed and patted the spot next to her.

"Oh man this feels just like my bed."

"Why do you think I liked yours so much?"

They had a few random-topic conversations and then started getting into more personal stuff.

"So, did you have a boyfriend back in California?"

"I'm not sure I could ever say I had a boyfriend."

"Shut up."

"Seriously. I've never really felt a connection with a guy and whenever they tried to get too close I pushed them away."

"Well why'd you do that?"

Her step father popped into her head.

"Just… things have happened in my past that have kind of messed me up, emotionally. It's… forget it."

"No, I want to know," he said grabbing her hand.

"I guess I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Giving my heart away. I've seen people go through heartbreak and I really don't want to."

"Well it's a chance you have to take if you want to find love."

"I guess." She sat up quickly.

"Come on, I want to show you something." She grabbed his hand and through a door in her room and ended up in a music room.

"Holy shit. This is so sick."

"You play anything?"

"I play the guitar."

"Well then pick one up. Let's have a little jam session." She picked up one of the guitars and he got another.

"'Woman' by 'Wolfmother' sound good?"

"Let's do it."

She started playing and he picked up on it.

Scott heard guitars start up upstairs and was starting to get really annoyed. What the hell was she thinking bringing a guy into his house? This was their time alone. He was supposed to be having his way with her at moment but instead she was upstairs flirting with a teenager. He'd get her back for this, no doubt he will.

"Man you're awesome," Taylor said to Derek.

"Me? I have never seen a girl play like that." she put the guitar down and sat in front of the drums.

"This one's for you."

She started playing the drums for 'I miss you' by Blink-182 and did miss a beat.

"Woo!" she put the sticks down and gave him a high-five.

They walked back to her room and she put some clothes in a bag.

"Ok, I think I'm set to go." They started back downstairs.

Scott heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stair. He got up and walked into the foyer, noticing the bag in Taylor's hand.

"What's that?" he asked.

"I'm staying over Derek's tonight."

"What? No you're not."

"We have a major project to do and last time I checked I don't need your permission. My mother said I can do what I want as long as I think it's the right decision so I'm leaving. Bye." She walked out the door.

"Get back here Taylor!"

"Should you go back?" Derek asked.

"No, just hurry and go." He pulled out of the driveway and they left.

Taylor was relieved when they got to Derek's house.

"Hi Taylor," Nora said.

"Hello, Nora. What's up Smarti?"

"Taylor rocks."

"You know I do."

"Nora Taylor and I have a big project to work on and since we're probably going to be up late she's going to spend the night," Derek said.

"If that's all right with you of course."

"Yes, that's not problem."

"Thank you."

"Ok, we'll be upstairs."

"Derek I think down here would be a better place to work, don't you think?" Nora asked.

"She's right, you're room is cool and all but we need a table and art materials."

"I'll go get them," Casey said. On her way out of the kitchen she grabbed Derek's arm and pulled him up with her.

"So she's sleeping over?"

"Yeah, she asked me if she could and I really don't see w problem with it."

"Wait, she asked you?"

"Yeah."

"So what was her house like?"

"That place is unbelievable. Her stepdad is kind of weird though."

"In what way?"

"Well when he called her he was yelling at her like crazy and when we got to her house he wasn't to stoked to see me and he didn't want to let her leave the house."

"But she did anyways?"

"Yeah. Apparently her mom is the one that sets the rules for her so she left. But that guy looks nuts."

"Well maybe that's why she wants to spend so much time here. She doesn't want to be around him." Casey left him with that thought.

Twenty minutes later Derek and Taylor were well into the project with Marti next to them coloring on construction paper.

"Did you get that bio on Luciano?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah."

"Thanks." She grabbed the bio and started typing.

"So how does it look?" Derek asked, lifting up the poster.

"Wow, looks like your gifted in art too."

"Stop," he said jokingly.

"Well I think we should take a break," Derek said after two hours of working. He had already finished the visual and Taylor had already finished highlighting all the information she was going to use for the paper.

"Ok so what kind of pizza do you guys want?" George asked.

"Cheese!"

"Pepperoni!"

"Sausage!"

"Ham!"

Everyone yelled something different.

"Ok, meat lovers it is."

Taylor giggled.

"I love your family," she said to Derek.

"Yeah they can be nuts sometimes, ok all the time, but you have to love them."

Taylor spent the entire weekend and the Venturi-MacDonald house. The family treated her like a member and she was happy to get away from Scott for the weekend. She and Derek developed a closer relationship over the weekend seeing at though they spent every waking minute together.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Derek asked as he walked Taylor out to her car.

"You're not sick of me?" she asked.

"A little."

"Oh yeah?" she asked as he leaned in.

"Yeah." their lips met and chills ran down their spines.

"Tomorrow." She kissed his nose and got into her car.

"Call me when you get home," he said as she lowered her windows.

"Yes sir." She blasted the stereo and was soon down the street.

Derek floated into the house and everyone was quick to pick up on what had happened outside.

"Derek and Taylor sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G," Marti sang.

"You got it sis." He rubbed her head and headed upstairs, stopping by Casey's room before going into his.

"Oh, Taylor and I, yeah we just had some lip lock action outside."

"Derek no! She's my friend."

"And soon to be my girlfriend. Night sister." He glided to his room and closed the door.

As Taylor neared her house she turned her headlights off and turned her music off. She quietly turned into the driveway of the dark house.

All the lights inside were off and which meant her mother and dick were sleeping. She quietly walked up to her room and closed the door behind her, locking it.

She let out a sign of relief when she found her room empty.

"Probably thought I was sleeping over again," she said out loud.

She changed into her pajamas and slid between the sheets of her bed. The problem was that she could never get a good night's rest, not when she knew he was in the house. She would fall asleep for short periods of time and wake up abruptly. He was the source of her nightmares, he was the fear in her eyes, he was her own personal boogeyman.