This is to get all of our minds off the fact that Dan and I have yet to update any of our stories. Dan is kind've been in a rough path and I've been going through a funk, so maybe we can pull out of it by writing this. Hope this works and I hope you like it.

P.S.- to all of you have been patiently waiting for us to update the next chapter of 'Let's Play A Game', Thank You so much for waiting. We have Chapter six and seven already typed, we're just struggling with five. We hope to have it up very soon.

Summary: Derek was an idiot, nd now he's paying the price for having gotten himself caught up in his brother's insane world. But what is he supposed to do when the soon-to-be-voted valedictorian and his crush is way more enticing than what he'd thought?

And She Said Yes

I straightened my shirt hem again and ran a hand through my hair. Three minutes until the bell rang and this would be the only time I would get to see her that wasn't a fleeting glance through the crowded hall. I had to do this, or the stupid knawing feeling in my stomach wouldn't go away- nor would my brother's endless teasing.

It rang, shrilly and everyone stood. I got up as well and rushed to the door, hoping to beat her there and ask right there, with a million witnesses, so Simon would hear it before I had to tell him.

I lost, miserably. She was already half down the hall, towards her locker. I hefted my backpack higher on my shoulder and raced quickly after her, hoping that she would stop at her locker this day. It was an A-day, so there was a likely chance.

She did, quickly twisting the combo and opening it up to put away about five notebooks. I sighed, and walked over.

"Hey." I said, leaning in. She jumped, big blue eyes jumping up to meet mine, high ponytail flinging to hit her cheek.

"H-hi." she said, glancing away to put her math book on a shelf. "The homework was just a one sheet with the first chapter typed by Wednesday."

"What?" I asked, wondering why she was giving me the homework assignment.

"Well, the last time you said 'hey' to me, you needed the class assignment. So, there."

"I didn't want the assignment." I said, wondering how I was supposed to go from here.

"Well then," she closed her locker, shoving her fat history book in her bag. "What do you want?"

I sighed, and leaned against the locker besides her, trying for casual.

"Would you go to dinner with me?"

She dropped her backpack. "W-what?"

"Would you go to dinner with me?" I repeated the question, unsure of what to do.

"You're joking right?" she pulled her backpack off her floor and hefted it on her shoulder, looking anywhere but me.

"No." I said.

"So, you're serious?" her blue eyes looked up at me, blonde bangs hiding her left one.

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"So, what?"

She pulled at her bangs before nodding. "Yeah, I would love to go out with you."

"So, I'll pick you up tonight at five?"

"I'll be ready. Anything special?"

"Nope." She nodded, eyes downcast.

"Well-"

"You now have sixty seconds to get to your next class."

"I'll talk to you later!" she raced away and I turned to room 362, right next to her locker. I sat down in the back and hoped this would go okay.

"I heard. You did it, bro." Simon patted me on the back as we headed to the car.

"Yeah, which was seriously confusing." Simon looked up at me in question.

"What about it was confusing?"

"The fact that she remembered that the last time I talked to her."

"She remembered?" I nodded as I tossed my pack in the back seat and closed the door. Simon whistled, grinning.

"What?" I asked, getting in the driver's seat and starting the car.

"Dude, she remembered. She remembered the last time you talked to her. She likes you." I shot him a glare, knowing full well that she didn't. "Don't look at me like that. What did she was her exact response when you asked."

"Well," I thought back to third period and tried to remember what she had said when I asked her out. "She said, 'I'd love to go out with you'."

Simon laughed and shook his head. "Oh yeah, she definitely has something for you."

I ignored him, knowing full well that Chloe Saunders, the girl that everyone knew would get the valedictorian spot, did not have a "thing" for me.

I scowled at myself in the mirror and hoped I somewhat looked okay. I walked out of my room to see Tori and Simon there. Simon shook his head and Tori scowled, looking me up and down.

"No, just- just no." Tori said angrily before dragging me inside. Simon followed behind us, closing the door in our wake.

Tori was going through every article of clothing I had, muttering to herself. Simon was right beside her, helping her. I was just stunned, not believing the sight before me. They could not be working together. It just wasn't possible.

A pair of black jeans that I never wore because they actually fit me were thrown at me, along with a dark green tee and black jacket. Both were actually my size and I couldn't believe they had found them.

They both shoved me inside my joining bathroom and shouted at me to change. I did, quickly and walked back out to find them disagreeing over what shoes I should wear. Simon was holding a pair of black converse while Tori held a pair of black and white Docs. I had never seen either in my life.

Finally, Tori scowled and snatched the converse from Simon, shoving them my way as she tossed the Docs in my closet. I sat and stuffed my feet in them, hoping they would leave me now that I'd been dressed like a barbie doll.

"Hair." Tori announced. She glared at me, and folded her arms, her right forefinger tapping out a steady and rather annoying beat. Right as I was about to pull her finger, she snapped, "Run your fingers through it."

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Run your hands through your hair." I did as I was told, not wanting to be yelled at by Tori. Yes, that sounds really weak and pathetic but you should've seen what happened to Simon the first week Tori had arrived after dad got custody of her. While she had definitely mellowed out since those first few months, she was still scary when she got mad.

"Good, now be nice to Chloe or you will be sorry you ever existed." she clicked out of the room.

I followed her shortly after when I saw it was a quarter to five.

"Hey." Chloe said. She was dressed simply, a pair of slightly ripped skinny jeans, a loose blue shirt and green hoodie. I smiled and nodded my head in acknowledgment.

"So, where are we heading?" she asked as we walked out to the front of her house, where my car was parked.

"Dinner and a movie." I said vaguely.

"Okay," she said, a smile pulling at her lips. "but where are we getting dinner?"

"A restaurant." I said. Simon had stopped me as I had been leaving to tell me to keep all specifics to myself, that the less she knew the more fun she'd have. But I had to make it a game, make it a fun thing so she actually had fun.

Her growing smile told me I was doing it right.

"Okay fine. Leave it a secret. Can you at least tell me that I didn't dress too slacker-ish?" she asked, hands on hips with her eyebrows raised.

I looked over, tapping my fingers on the hood of my car as I honestly checked her out. Yeah, there was no reason to lie. She practically invited me to do so, I was taking it.

The skinny jeans hugged her legs, showing off extremely noticeable curves. Her loose shirt, tucked in at the belt hid most curves, meaning only I would know about them, but her bust line was given a slight showing, the collar placed a little low. The jacket, it complimented her and her hair pulled back in the high ponytail with her bangs in her face accented her angelic features- well mostly.

I leaned forward, brushing her bangs back behind her ear. She closed her eyes when my fingers grazed her cheek and she went a slight shade of pink. I was very close, close enough that her breath reached my lips. Hers parted and she was suddenly all the more inviting. I backed off, remembering the steps of what I had to do to complete the whole reason I had even asked her out. But her slight vanilla perfume and strawberry lip gloss were really distracting.

"You ready?" I asked, going around the car to the driver's side. Chloe blushed a bright red and played with her fingers as she nodded and got in the passenger side.

We drove in silence, the radio being the only real sound next to the nearly-silent heater. I hummed as one of the few songs I actually liked began playing and Chloe suddenly began singing. I joined her on the chorus and she looked over at me in wonder.

"You know Daydream Believer?" she asked, blue eyes full of amazement.

"Yeah. It's by the Monkees."

She nodded vigorously, her blue eyes looking off into the distance. "It was my mom's favorite song. She used to sing it to me every night, when I had nightmares."

I nodded, going silent as the chorus played.

Everyone knew about what had happened to Chloe's mother. She had been a teacher at our school for about seven years, until she died of breast cancer. Everyone had loved her, the perky, nice second grade teacher who got along with everyone, even the high schoolers. When she'd died, it had been on a hardship on the faculty and student body alike. Every year, on her birthday and death, there's a free dress down for everyone. We all wear blue to keep her memory. Chloe doesn't show up to school that day. No one bugs her about it, not even the principal or school board.

I guess that, if Daydream Believer was her favorite song, it must be why that's the only song played in between class periods on September 14.

We got to our dinner arrangements- a nice, well kept park that had trees surrounding. The sound of crickets and the wind rustling through the leaves as I lead her to the woods edge.

"Why are we here?" Chloe said, her blue eyes taking in the park before her.

"Shh." I said, and snatched her hand, pulling her through the maze of undergrowth. When I finally reached the small clearing, Chloe gasped, blue eyes tearing up.

"You remembered." Chloe said quietly, voice wobbling.

We were in the middle of the woods, in the one spot Chloe and I shared any memories- the spot I'd found her the day her mother died. She had said she came here to daydream, think and listen to the forest. The sunlight that was let through had an emerald tint, setting the beautiful clearing aglow.

In front of us was a picnic dinner, a small candle in the middle. "Of course I did," I murmured, sitting down on the forest floor that was covered by a blue checkered blanket. "You coming to eat?"

Chloe nodded and sat, a soft smile on her face as her sparkling eyes took in the forest around her, listening to the soothing sounds of the forest.

I didn't eat much; I watched Chloe eat instead. She was content as she sat there, eating the sandwiches, cookies and soda I'd had Tori prepare. Though she didn't appear or act it, Tori was a family girl; she would make an amazing housewife and any man she marries very lucky. Though, why anyone would marry the brat of a bipolar girl is beyond me.

"Thank you." Chloe said as she sat back, her hands playing with the tufts of grass and fallen leaves on the ground.

"Welcome." I said, beginning to put everything away. "You still wanna make that movie?"

Chloe nodded eagerly and we walked back to my truck.

Chloe smiled as we pulled into the drive way. "Thanks, for everything tonight." Chloe whispered. "I really appreciate it." Her blue eyes weren't meeting my face, looking out, instead, her perfect white garage door.

My mouth ran dry as the last piece of my mission came to my mind. "You can't thank me probably if you don't meet my eyes," I said, my tone playful.

Chloe giggled, a rosy color tinted her cheeks as she hesitantly met my gaze. I didn't hold it long.

Her mouth was warm, soft and tasted faintly if movie theater popcorn. A sound of surprise came, before a soft, gentle sound of submission and she leaned closer.

"You willing to go 'round again?" I mumbled against her lips.

"Of course. If my heart beats this fast now, I want to know fast it will beat next time." Her blue eyes were playful, deep and enticing. I could've stared in them all day.

"So, I'm dating a poet?" I said, grinning. Her simple flush deepened, bashful as I teased her.

"I'll see you at school?" I asked as she opened the car door.

"Yeah." I leaned in, kissing those sweet lips one last time before I shifted the gears. Chloe jumped to the ground and closed the car door, walking to her door as I pulled out.

My lips still tingled all the way home.

And done. Yes, no, maybe so? Review please! If you wish to know what will be updated next, look at our page- were going to start placing our next pieces up.

Love you all and Toodles!

-DJ