Chapter Six

Turn Off The Lights, and Turn Off The Shyness

Derek lay in bed early on a Saturday morning. It was two, maybe three, the sun not yet creeping over the treeline. Fe felt like he had lain there for days, though he knew that it has only been hours. It seemed like no matter how many sheep he counted, how many tracks of music he listened to, sleep would not come.

He jumped out of bed, pulling a purple T-shirt over his head, and slipping a pair of jeans over his boxers, adding white belt to his too big jeans, putting on white shoes as he jumped out of his window, and walked to his car. Only she was on his mind. It was a good twenty minute drive until he reached a quiet subdivision that was carefully blanketed under four inches of snow. He pulled to the house addressed 11229, and pulled into the drive way, releived to see that he was the only person there. Laine had once told him that her parents were buisness people, and often went on long trips. Her mother sold smart school technology for some company that her father was the CEO for.

Derek got out of his car quietly, as he stood, looking up. Despite the hour of the night a tiny bedroom at the corner of the house was carefully illuminated as he saw the silloette of the person who plagued his mind. She looked so beautiful, her blonde hair let down as she approached the window, looking out longingly. She didn't see Derek, which he was gratefull for because he feared that if she did, it would spoil the moment. Her bedroom was like a little peice of heaven in the darkness of the night. It took him a moment to relise how cold it actually was as he shivered. He pulled out his cellphone as he scanned his phone book, looking for Laine's number.

After three rings, he heard her voice, angelic though weary. "Hello?" She asked.

"Hey-" Derek said. "Did I wake you?"

"Oh- no." Laine spoke as he say a smile spread across her face from below. "My parents went to Michigan. I kind of have trouble sleeping when they're not here. Want a minute. Why are you calling so late? Is everything alright? Are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine" Derek said certaintly, but then said "Actually, I sort of have a lot of things on my mind-"

"Well, I am not going to bed for a while if you want to come over and talk-"

"Look out your window-"

"I sort of am-"

"No-" Derek laughed. "I mean, look down."

She looked down for only a minute, a look of such innocence on her face. Most girls would of been screaming and called the police, but not her. She was so trusting. "Oh, hun." She sighed on the phone. "The doors unlocked, and there's a blanket on the couch, make sure to grab one before you come up. It's like, fifteen degrees you. Your going to catch pneumonia."

Normally, if Casey would of gone on a rant like that about his health he would of gotton angry, but when Laine did it, it was because she genuinely cared. She made him feel like he wasn't sick, like he didn't have an illness. He felt like his old self when he was with her.

He walked into her home, overcome with a feeling of warmth, not just on the outside, but on the inside as well. Laine ran down the stairs. Derek scanned her up and down and she said "Gosh, you look almost frooze-"

She prepared him a cup of hot chocolate as she sat down across from him on the barstools. She stared at him blandly, exaustion in her eyes. She ate a grape from the fruitbow in the corner. Her knees were pressed to her body, peanut shaped toes curling over the edge of the red valour seat. She looked so sexy in her black tank top and vintage jeans that looked as if they had been run over by a car on more than one occasion. She bangs blocked her right eye, which were carefully lined with makeup. She looked so wonderfull, but in such a different way than Casey did. Casey tried to hard, and Laine. She just had this natural, relaxed beauty about her. She just radiated, glowed.

He must of beem stating because she put her hand to her face self conciously. "What?" She asked. "So I have something on my face?"

"No" Derek said as he blinked his eyes a few times. "You look amazing-"

Laine smiled, a light blush comming to her cheeks. The phone rang. "I have to get that-" She smiled. Come up to my room when you are done."

Just as Derek walked into Laine's room, the phone clicked as she put her head down on her desk. "Is everything alright?" Derek asked.

"Yeah. Everything's fine-" Laine said as she quickly picked her head up, whipeing a tear from her cheek.

"Are you sure?" Derek asked. "You look upset."

"No. I am fine. She said as she tried to change the subject. "So. You said that you had something on your mind? What is it? Not Casey trouble, I hope?"

"I dunno. I think me and Casey are dunzo."

"Why such a wuick change of heart?"

"I think that there is a new girl in the picture?" Derek stared.

"Do I know her?"

"You might?" Derek smied. "She's just the sweetest, most intelegent person I've ever met-" Derek seemed to get lost in his words. "She says what she feels, not what she is soposed to say. She's beautiful, not just on the outside but on the inside as well. She carries herself with such grace that I almost feel like I am not good enough for her."

"You seem really caught up in this girl-" Laine smiled.

"Yeah. I guess I am." Derek said as he stood up from off her bed where he had made himself comfortable.

"So...Who is she?" Laine asked as she sat down on the edge of her desk.

Derek looked at her, only for a second as he hesitated. He just had to grit his teeth and do it. He moved closer to her as he tucked her hair away from her face, and then leaned in, looking at her eyes, pausing for only a second before their lips met. He was suprised when she didn't pull away or resist, but instead placed her hand on his neck, and waited for him to pull away.

"Derek, I can't" Laine said as he stood there, embarased.

"Why not?" Derek said as he stayed close to her, running a hand through his hair which had grown back, though a little lighter since he had the radiation treatment.

"Because there is sort of this guy thaI like- only he doesn't know it. I met him at the hospital- I've known him for a while, and we just sort of hit it off-" She said as she looked into his eyes.

Derek felt like sitting down, like he was going to faint. He had just spilled his heart out to this girl- the gril of his dreams, and she had just turned him down. It kind of hurt his ego, too. He couldn't ever remember being rejected before.

"Do I know him?" He cracked.

Lean looked at him for a moment, before pushing her hands against his chest, toppeling him against her bed. She got on top of him. "You might. His name is Derek Venturi. He's kind of a hot shot-" as she kissed him roughly. Normally, Derek was the one to take comtrol of relationsips, but he wasn't really complaning.

He breathed heavilly as they kissed again. He almost shivered from how much feeling was behind that little kiss. They rolled over, Derek on top of her, but he stopped as she ripped off her shirt, reveiling a black bra.

"What's the matter?" She asked as she saw his face which was a mixture of awe and embarasment.

"Nothing" Derek said as he felt his face heat up. "It's just that I- uh..." He looked down.

"What?" She asked

"I've never really done this before" Derek said.

Laine smiled sweetly, making Derek's heart beat faster. He wanted her so badly. She looked at him with those big blue eyes making him want to explode. "Then I guess we will have to make this something that you will remember-"

"-Just take it slow, alright?"

"Whatever you want-" Laine wispered into his ear as she slowly sat him up, taking off his shirt, and turning off the lights.

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Derek's eyes popped open as he felt the warmpth of Laine's breath oh his cheast. His mind was working hard, though his body was tired. His thoughts were running through his head as he tried to find the words, the exact words to explain how he felt. Everything was so different when he was with Laine. The cars looked smaller from her window, the sky looked bigger and more beautiful- everything was just so much more intense. There was so much beauty in life. Sometimes he got lost with all the distractions. He focussed on the sound of his heart beating in the dark. He didn't want to admit it, but he was a hostage to his heart, and that he had fallen in love with Laine Bishop- and he wan't just saying that because they had had sex.

He loved everything about her- the way her hair always fell into her face, and he way she picked at her nail polish when she was nervous. She was so unselfish and full of lide. It was hard to imagine life with out her.

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Derek left in the early hours of the day, at about nine in the morning and drove home, creeping up th stairs of his house. He walked into his bedroom door, and went to sleep.

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All I can say is...