Hey-O! Another random greeting from yours truly...Well, I had to revise my longest chapter. This is the Cassie/Clairington arc. I hope you guys enjoy it and the changes that have gone along with it. I hope to hear from y'all soon. :) My birthday's this Saturday! :D
SHOUTOUTs for Chap. 6 (Teenage Love Affair)
You guys all seriously make me smile and I'll be sure to personally reply to all your reviews. I'm sorry that I haven't gotten around to it but I shall this week! :D
-iheartme104, dreamer, if dreams could come alive, spygirlx, and artistic-logic
I LOVE ALL MY READERS :)
DISCLAIMER: THE CLIQUE _WRITTEN BY LISI HARRISON
Chapter 7: Don't Let Me Fall
MB
"Because I was scared." Massie whispered.
The minute her response to Cam had slipped from her lips, she immediately felt as if she let her defenses down…As if she were weak. She immediately wiped the tears away and took a few deep breaths.
"What?" Cam asked. "What are you talking about?" He was in complete disbelief.
"Don't look so surprised." Her voice was completely emotionless. "You were going to break up with me, weren't you?"
Cam let out a humorless laugh. "Who said that I was going to break up with you?"
She looked at him. Her blank stare was plastered on her face.
"Seriously?" He ran his hands through his dark brown hair. "Just because I was thinking about moving to England doesn't mean that I was going to just drop everything and leave. I wouldn't have dropped us."
Her face softened. "Really?"
"Yes. This whole misunderstanding could have been cleared up over a month ago…You had no idea how crazy you drove me since you ditched me at the game at Ridgeway and told me it was over before school started the next day. You got everyone to keep you away from facing me…"
Massie began to feel incredibly stupid. Of course she had considered that it was all a misunderstanding but she wasn't sure if a long distance relationship would have worked. She was afraid because she had fallen so hard for Cam. He was her first love and she was kind of hoping that he would be her last and only one for the rest of her life…
Kind of…Well, I don't know…I'm only seventeen!
She wasn't that melodramatic. She had set a balance between her heart and her mind so she tried to be as rational as she could in every situation. She thought about what she should say but found herself to be at a complete loss for words. She didn't deny the fact that she had been pining for him since the moment she told him by that stupid broken coke machine by the lockers that it was over. She wanted to kick at it repeatedly after that for the rest of the day because she felt like she made the biggest mistake of her life. And when she made sure at least one of her friends would be there to distract her from avoiding the urge to run back into his arms and beg for forgiveness after dumping him, he was gone.
"Uh," Claire said, awkwardly. You could always count on her to ease the tension.
It was Wednesday morning when Massie gave Claire a lift to school because Claire's car broke down on the way home yesterday. When they had parked and gotten out of the car, Massie wanted to know why Cam hadn't shown up for the past week to school. It was biting at her every single day, every single hour, every single minute…
Do you seriously want to know for how long it was getting to her?
She wondered if he ran away. Or if he was eloping with some girl from his past. Or if seriously left for England. Or if he got sick. Or if he was dying…
She was close to resorting to nail biting like Claire would when she got antsy.
She decided to confront Derrick and deal with the consequences of Cam's best friend spilling to Cam that Massie was asking for him. She would deal with Derrick's teasing. It wouldn't matter. She cared about Cam too much to let this opportunity to know something pass up. To know that he was okay.
"It's fine, Claire. I'll go up to Derrick and ask what's up with Cam. I can't have you and everyone doing everything Cam-related for me. I've gotta be strong, act like I'm over this whole dilemma."
"Which you're not," Claire stated bluntly, "Considering you've been harassing the rest of us to no end about Cam's whereabouts and whether he's alive…"
"You confuse me deeply." It amazed her how Claire went from all shy to straightforward in a matter of five seconds.
"Love you, too sweet cheeks," Claire laughed.
"Harrington!" Massie called out as she walked over to him who was leaning on his pickup truck.
"Hey, Mass. What can I do you for?" Derrick yawned slightly
"…What's up with Cam? He hasn't been at school for the past week…" She knew as the words came out that she sounded like a desperate ex-girlfriend. It was funny how she could be the desperate ex…Considering the fact that she was the one who ended the whole thing…
Derrick's cocky smile broke out on his face. Massie glared, daring him to go and taunt her about missing Cam. He sighed and his face sobered. "He's in England visiting his family and getting to know Oxford for two weeks."
Massie was crestfallen. "Oh." She choked slightly. "Thanks." She began making her way back to Claire when Derrick called out to her.
"He misses you, you know? He's been emailing me every single day since he left, mostly asking about you…Which annoys me deeply…Since he's emailing me…I would expect him to be asking about how I'm doing. If he wanted to know how you were doing, he would be emailing you…"
"He has." She sighed. "But he knows that I'm not going to write back."
"Why won't you?" Derrick demanded softly as he noticed her sad face.
"Because maybe ending this whole thing might have been for the best," she said ruefully.
"Have you even bothered to talk to Cam about it and see how he feels?" He asked.
Massie stared down at her converse. "Why should I bother?" She sounded as if she were in complete surrender. She ran back to Claire with Derrick's shouts of protest fading as the distance between them grew.
It felt like an analogy of her and Cam.
Life's full of irony. Did I really do the right thing?
Cam sighed as he gazed at her. "And then I went to England to visit some family and I checked out the school. And I looked into the scholarship. It's a great opportunity…But despite the fact that it was so amazing over there, I couldn't get one particular thing out of my mind…"
She stared up at him for he stood taller than her, even if both of them were sitting down on the bench. He only looked at her with expectant eyes.
Massie knew she was inclined to ask. "And what was that?"
"You. Our relationship. Us." His eyes never wandered. "I've sent you emails…I wasn't able to call you so much because my cousins broke the house phone…and because my phone bill would have sent my parents over the edge considering that I was in another country and how many times I would have attempted to reach you…" He let out a bittersweet grin.
"You knew that I never would've answered…" Massie felt more like an idiot with each sway of a branch from the trees that surrounded them.
"It didn't mean that I was going to give up. And then Derrick emailed me that one Wednesday when I came back from sightseeing…He said you asked for me, which was what I was pretty much dying to hear…" He smiled sincerely for the first time. It made Massie's heart rate speed up.
She spoke, "I honestly thought you just left forever and that I was right…But then Derrick told me that you missed me…But silly stubborn me just got scared…"
"Scared of what?" Cam asked, definitely wanting to hear what she would have to say next.
"I thought that even if you weren't going to break up with me…That our relationship would have never worked out if you moved to England. I was freaking out…I mean, I didn't think it was impossible for us to try and make it work. But then I thought to myself…Why should I hold him back? I mean, absence doesn't always make the heart grow fonder…"
"Massie." Cam took her hand and gripped it tightly. "Are you saying that you think you're not good enough for me?"
"Kind of." She bit her lip. "Well, maybe…"
He laughed. "You are the most incredible person I've ever met. Even if you frustrate me half the time…but that's what makes what we have so special to me…"
She turned red at his touch and at his extremely heartfelt words. "I'm the biggest idiot to have ever walked the planet."
Cam shook his head and laughed. "No, you're not."
She had to fight the urge to brush her hand through his hair like she used to. He used to tell her that he liked when she did that. But she realized that she broke his heart as much as he had hers, even if it was all because of one misunderstanding after another…
"I missed you…" She whispered, inching closer to him.
"I missed you, too." He leaned closer.
He never let go of her hand. He placed his hand into the pocket of his jeans and was trying to grab for something in it.
"What are you doing?" Massie asked, watching him curiously.
"Call me mushy as hell but I hoped that if we reconciled…that I could give this," he said as he lifted his hand from his pocket and revealed a ruby ring to her, "Back to you."
She fought the tears that wanted to spill from her amber eyes. They were tears from the joy and relief that were overflowing in her heart. She couldn't fight them anymore and let them fall. "My ring…"
"I take it we've reconciled?" He asked, hopeful.
She nodded as she smiled wide. Tears fell and she worried if snot would start falling out of her nose, which wouldn't be the most attractive thing at the moment. But by the look on Cam's face, it hadn't gotten to that extreme. She lifted her right hand for him to take to place the ring onto her finger. He took her hand so tenderly and when the deed was done, he kept a hold of her hand and kissed it.
"My lady." He said in a pretty good English accent.
She laughed, putting her arms around him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. She could feel his nose pressed onto her hair.
He inhaled her hair's scent. "Strawberries?"
"Your favorite," she admitted, blushing.
He broke the embrace to gaze directly at her. "You never cease to amaze me."
"Thank you for giving this back to me." She despised the moment she gave it back to him and told him that their relationship was over. She wanted to rewind and take it all back. She missed him so much but felt that this prolonged absence had made their hearts indeed grow fonder. She looked at her ring in complete awe. It felt like the first time he gave it to her. It was on her seventeenth birthday in July that he gave it to her and they almost…
The beaming brunette turned bright red at the memory. She fought the urge to shake her head because that would make Cam ask questions. And she did not want to give answers.
But Cam knew her. "What is it? I know that look on your face…"
She knew she had no choice but to explain. "I just remembered my seventeenth birthday…when you gave it to me and…everything else."
His eyes widened and he grew shy as he remembered. "Right…Good times, huh?"
She remembered it like it was yesterday. Even if it held some of her dearest memories, it did reveal some of her biggest insecurities and fears.
"This is the best day of my life." Massie said as the two walked hand in hand. He had given her the ring after the cake fiasco that Derrick and Cam started had ended. She was the happiest person in Westchester, a dream she never believed would come true.
After her birthday party had come to an end, Cam snuck Massie out to give her another birthday surprise. He took her out for a moonlit picnic in the park, one of their favorite places to go to. It was a spectacular night. Fog had lingered, making Massie think of the Princess Diaries 2 when Mia rode off with Nicholas to dance in the foggy yet utterly romantic evening. She blushed. She always dreamt that the fantasy would be made into reality for her…At least somewhat like that.
And that night seemed to be tonight.
After they ate Cam's legendary PB&J sandwiches, they sat on the blanket he laid out for them to sit on so they could gaze at the night sky. That's when the fireworks starting going up.
"Cam…" Massie gaped at the spectacle. "The Fourth of July was weeks ago…"
"I know." He grinned. "Since I was out of town that weekend, my parents managed to save those fireworks if I wanted to use them…That's when this idea came to mind." He put his arm around her and gazed at her, like he was truly seeing her for the first time and falling hard. She reciprocated his feelings. Cam's one blue eye and one green eye had always been two of her weaknesses. So much emotion had been revealed through them.
"I really like you, Mass," he said as he traced his fingers along her cheeks.
She smiled. "I really like you, too."
He took her in for a long, sweet kiss. Her cheeks grew warmer and warmer. The kiss was full of passion. Cam kissed her with such intensity and…hunger, she decided. Her heartbeat quickened because she felt that a lot would be happening before she knew it.
She followed his lead. He gently moved her to lie down on the blanket so he could proceed to kiss her neck up to her jaw line…And he had, followed by a kiss on the lips. He took off his shirt, revealing his soccer-toned abs. He went on to lean forward and rub his hands along her legs. He lightly squeezed her breasts. Her eyes were closed at that moment for she had grown unsure and then at that touch, she immediately gasped.
"Cam."
He stopped and stood on his knees because he saw the fear on her face.
"I'm sorry…I…can't." She felt humiliated.
His face turned from one of desire to absolute shame. "Mass, I'm so sorry…I just…You look so…And I…"
She giggled lightly. "You just got caught up in the moment. And for the record, you made this one of the best nights of my life. Thank you."
He let out a breath of relief as he put his shirt back on. She wouldn't have minded if he kept it off but she'd never tell him that. That would only make him confused about what it was that she wanted.
And what she didn't want was to have sex with Cam. At least not yet. Not until their relationship had gotten stronger, they were getting along well with their own lives, and…
When they both loved each other.
She laughed to ease the tension. "Definitely."
He smiled at her. She could tell that he was as happy and relieved as she felt. They were in sync once again.
She sighed contentedly. "I didn't know what I was going to expect…Coming tonight to see you…"
"Neither did I. But as you can see…" He nodded toward her right hand with her ring on it. "I hoped…That something good would happen."
She kissed his cheek. "Why did I ever let you go?"
"Why didn't I stop you?"
He then cupped her face in his hands and leaned down to kiss her. It reminded her of the kiss from her seventeenth. It was fiery and longing. He missed her so much and she was going to make sure he knew that she had missed him just as much as he had, if not more.
After what felt like an eternity, they let go to breathe.
Massie's iPhone vibrated from the pocket of her emerald green cardigan and she saw that Claire texted her.
Claire Lyons: Hey Mass, I hope it's not a problem but I've gotta get home now. Do you think you can get a ride with Cam or Derrick? Sorry! Call me tonight when you get home.
She frowned at the fact that her friend was ditching her but she had to understand Claire's mom was expecting company from out of town and a potentially hot guy for Claire would be there. So what kind of friend would she be to keep her from going?
She laughed to herself as she began to type a reply.
She felt rude for being on her phone. When she turned over to apologize to Cam, she saw that he never took his eyes off of her. She blushed. It had been too long since she'd seen Cam. She had to go back to learning how to control her blushing again…
"What?" She became self-conscious.
"Nothing." Cam chuckled. "Absolutely nothing."
"Uh huh. Sure," she replied coolly. But she realized she had no ride home so she had no choice but to ask Cam for one. "Hey, would it be all right if I got a ride home with you? Claire had to ditch."
Cam's eyes brightened. "Sure. It's fine with me."
Massie sighed exasperatedly at how warm she felt with just being with him. She missed feeling this way but felt so immature right now. It was like Cam had picked up where they left off and even if that's what they both had wanted, Massie still had to readjust to being so close to him. Not that she wouldn't be looking forward to it.
She finished her reply to Claire.
Massie Block: Damn it, Claire! Haha just kidding. Sure no problemo. Cam said I could get a ride home with him. Will do!
"Mass…" Cam said, his voice suddenly husky as she put her phone back into her pocket.
She looked up at him. "What's up?"
"You have no idea how hard it is for me to control the urge to kiss you all the time now…" He admitted as if it were painful for him to say it. Cam never had major macho pride issues but he didn't want to ever appear vulnerable. But tonight he had.
She kissed his nose. "So I'm not the only one who's going insane here?"
"Nope," he said, surprised that she made her insecurities known.
She laid her head on his shoulder. "So where does this take us?"
He sighed, "I guess we're back together…Right?" He looked down at her and he met her eyes.
She smiled shyly. "If it's okay with you, it's okay with me."
"It's more than okay." He chuckled.
"Then it's awesome with me." Massie nodded as she got up from the bench and stretched.
"How long have we been here?"
Cam checked his blackberry. "For a couple of hours. It's almost ten."
"Oh…Well, maybe we should probably get-"
"Wait."
"What is it?" Massie raised her eyebrows.
"Remember when you dragged me to watch Aquamarine a few years back?"
She laughed, completely taken by surprise at his random question. "How could I forget? What about it?"
"Well, do you remember that song you kept obsessing about after it finished?"
She frowned. "Wasn't it during a fireworks scene?"
He nodded. "Yeah. My cousin Lucy had the DVD so I fast forwarded through the end credits and found the name of it."
"What's it called?"
"One and Only by Teitur. It's a pretty good song. I won't lie."
"I can't remember how it goes…" She frowned.
That's when Cam smiled mischievously. "Maybe you'll remember it soon enough. Follow me." He took her hand as he ran with her to his classic black Mustang.
He got into the car and turned it on. He placed a CD into the stereo and a song started playing. He raised the volume and got back out of the car to return to Massie.
"This is it."
"I've been wishing on a star but I never could have imagined I would land just where you are after all this lonesome traveling. Took one look in your eye, reached out to hold your hand. This is when I realized what I could never understand…Do you want to be my one and only love? Do you want to be my one and only love?"
"Oh my God…This is…"
"Wanna dance?" He offered his arm to her.
She nodded, her eyes full of surprise but she managed to crack a smile.
One of the things she loved about her relationship with Cam was how they danced. Massie couldn't dance to save her life but when she danced with him, it was like she was a different person yet still herself. They spun in circles and smiled at each other.
"Do you want to be my one and only one?" Cam whispered into her ear, sending chills down her spine.
When the song ended, there was tranquil silence as the crickets sang. It felt a little colder but Massie was warm all over…Like she'd just drunk her favorite hot chocolate on the way to school on an early morning in December. But nothing could ever replace this feeling.
"You did this for me."
"I thought if all else failed to convince you that I want you to be with me, then this was my last resort." He placed his hands on her shoulders.
"You know, my mom actually called you a charmer today…" Massie rolled her eyes.
"Oh, really?" He asked, definitely curious.
"She asked me why did I ever let you go…" She continued.
"And what did you say?"
"I didn't say anything. I was so frustrated…but I have an answer now."
He looked at her, waiting patiently.
"I never wanted to let you go. And I probably made the biggest mistake by doing so…"
He sighed, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "It doesn't matter anymore. Everything's okay now."
"We've still got some stuff to sort out…Because you're leaving." It almost broke her heart all over by admitting that out loud.
"Right…" He avoided her eyes, thinking deeply. "But we have a fighting chance. And since you're one of the most stubborn people I know, you don't ever set out to lose."
She grinned. "Someone actually called me stubborn for the first time and I didn't hit him upside the head."
"I'll take pride in that." He stood triumphantly.
"You should." She laughed. "Hey, I really need to head home. My mom's going to think someone abducted me…Tonight of all nights…I'm being dragged against my will to go shopping with her tomorrow…Bright and early."
"Shopping?" Cam asked, faking his shock. "That's terrible!"
She shot him a look.
"Come on, Mass. You love shopping. Everyone in this entire state knows that!"
"Well, yeah I do, but I went on a spending fast since last week so I can't buy anything until mid-April…"
Cam gaped at her.
"Yeah…So you see why I'm setting myself up for heartbreak by going to Nordstrom with my mom tomorrow…?"
He looked at her as if she had lost her mind.
"Come on! Give me some credit…I can handle it." Her stubborn side kicked in.
He laughed to the point that he started rolling around on the grass.
She tackled him and grabbed his car keys from his pocket.
"I guess you won't be needing these…I'll drive myself home and you can use your soccer legs to get you home, can't you?" She laughed.
"Mass!" Cam was freaking out. His car was the second love of his life. She, barely, was the first. He usually joked that with her, resulting in Massie hitting him upside the head.
The lovebirds kept at it until they drove on home, picking things up where they left off.
CL
"Sweet Darling this is my confession to the crimes of wanting you badly. And Darlin' if you're wondering…here's your answer…Yes I like you…I don't love you…I can't love you…yet."
Between The Trees' "Darlin'" was playing on Derrick's iPod. He shared his headphones with Claire.
She stole occasional glances at him and boy, did he appear…pensive. He stared out at the night sky. They strolled across the park and any passerby could have easily mistaken that they were a couple since they were holding hands. She was nervous. That was a given. He had been so straightforward in the card. He didn't really discuss her physical beauty, which was a good sign because usually when a guy called you hot and beautiful, he didn't know much about you and he probably, no actually, didn't want to. He would just be into you for the sex. And Claire didn't want to swipe her V-card just yet. She had more class than that. She was like any other decent girl, who waited for someone special to come along down the road and love her for her. But she always made sure to be realistic about things. Fairytales were never made into reality. She knew Derrick wouldn't be able to change her mind about it.
Are you kidding me? Derrick Harrington? The notorious playboy of Westchester. Seriously…
"So in the card…You said you read my poetry…" Claire started.
"Yeah, actually…Pennington said they were rhyme scheme."
She nodded. "We were studying Emily Dickinson and he told us to make something up for the next day. I was really into it so I poured my soul out by writing the poem…"
Oh no, I said too much.
She saw that Derrick's eyes glimmered in fascination.
"It was called 'I'm Afraid of Me', right?" He asked carefully.
"Yeah…It was a little bit of a downer, didn't you think? I mean, that's what everyone else thought…" Claire hated being so self-conscious about particular things she did. She wished she didn't give a damn and even if most people believed she didn't, they weren't anywhere close to the truth.
Like every other human being in the universe, she cared about what people thought.
But it would take a lot to get that revelation out of her.
"But Pennington said it was one of the best in the class! I mean screw what other people think…As long as you're proud of what you do, then…everything else will fall into place."
"Wow…That was actually very insightful of you, Derrick," Claire flashed a sincere smile. She couldn't believe that her difficult teacher thought her poem was good. But she was even more impressed with Derrick's encouragement.
"You thought I was incapable of being so?" He joked.
"No…I'm not that judgmental…" Her stubborn side was starting to show itself.
"Is that so?" Derrick smirked.
"Yeah, I'm not." Claire stood her ground.
"Anyways," he said to ease the tension, "My sister Sammi was the one who gave me that advice. She's down south in Georgetown. She wants to get in good with the Obama family and get into politics someday."
"That's great. You must be really proud of her," she replied. She vaguely remembered Derrick's sister. She was always going to different places and trying out different extracurricular activities. She remembered that she attempted ballet once and that she backed out after three days because strict diets were involved.
"I just hope I can make my parents that proud someday." The pensive look on his face returned once again.
"You keep saying things that I've never expected to come out of your mouth in all these years that I've known you." She found herself speaking her mind for what felt like the first time. It was the first time, with Derrick that is.
"You'd be surprised about some of the things you could learn about me if you just gave me a chance to prove that to you." His eyes never left hers as he said that with a straight face.
Does this guy have anything he's afraid of?
"I never said that I wouldn't consider it. I'm just-" She began but was sidetracked when he stepped forward to stand directly in front of her.
He simply gazed at her with an intensity that probably made millions of beautiful yet completely naïve girls swoon. Claire wasn't going to qualify for that stereotype, not if she had anything to say about it.
"Just what?" He asked.
She stared at him as confidently as she could but felt defeated when she knew she looked like a nervous wreck.
He didn't use his typical Derrick snark when he caught her off guard. She expected that but he just looked at her with that sincerity.
That stupid sincerity.
"I'm just…unsure…Terrified, even." She threw caution to the wind and told him her thoughts.
Derrick's eyebrows narrowed. "Why would you feel that way? I'm not a monster." He powered off his iPod and put it along with his headphones back into his pocket.
Claire sighed as she tugged her Columbia University sweatshirt. "We've been friends since I came here from Orlando in the seventh grade."
"Feels like centuries ago, doesn't it?" He asked as they walked past the vacant playground.
"Totally…"
She didn't know what to say after that.
The awkward silence is so uncalled for.
Claire suppressed an eye roll. She was supposed to be making a point to Derrick and she was frozen like a self-conscious idiot.
He coughed to break the silence. "So what's your point, Claire?"
She was hoping to avoid even talking about her stupid and embarrassing feelings, especially in front of this wise guy who was notorious for everything she didn't find in her ideal guy. She looked directly into his eyes, trying to take a peek into his soul but all she was able to muster from her shameless gaze was the dark abyss of the unknown.
An attractive unknown was morel like it. She snapped herself out of the trance she'd gotten herself in. She had inched too close when she looked deeply into his eyes.
"Sorry…Just trying to make sure your intentions are as pure as snow," she mumbled.
Pure as snow? You are such an idiot.
Instead of laughing in her face at how much of a dork she was, he understood to her surprise. "Anything you say to me…I'll keep my lips sealed."
Did he have to mention his lips?
"Okay, I trust you." She felt a little unnerved.
"You don't sound too sure about that."
She sighed. "It's just so strange…"
She groaned when Derrick didn't say anything. "It's so weird that out of all the years you've known me that you start to like me now. Why?"
"Didn't I explain why in the note?" He said, "It started out with when I read your poem."
"It was a depressing poem about a girl under tons of pressure and hoping for someone to finally notice her," she said, "That doesn't exactly identify Claire Stacy Lyons as a person."
"No," he agreed, "But it does say a lot about you."
"So it made you curious about me?" Claire asked.
"Yeah…Pennington said I had the weirdest expression on my face after I read it. He says that it was new for him…"
"Really?" She slightly smiled, thinking about her 58-year-old English teacher. He was strict but when it came down to it, he was all right. "How? Did you look…horrified?"
He laughed and it…soothed her... "He said I looked…" He hid his face with his hands, completely embarrassed. That was completely new to Claire. It would have been new to everyone if they knew how Derrick was acting at this very moment.
He revealed his smile. "Like I was fascinated with learning something for the first time."
"And I was the one who was responsible for that?" She asked, laughing.
"Pretty much…Which takes us to the next reason I started liking you…"
Her laughter subsided. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear this. Would it be because of gym practice when they had swimming for a week? When he saw her in a swimsuit? That would be a total cliché come to life out of a cheesy chick flick.
Or was it when they dance together that night? That wouldn't come as a surprise to her, at all…
Claire was making her way out to the student parking lot after her photography club meeting had ended. Her Skull candy headphones were in her ears as she listened to her iPod. The latest song by The Script was playing.
"We're smiling but we're close to tears. Even after all these years, we just now got the feeling that we're meeting for the first time."She sang the lyrics out loud, assuming that no one would be around by now because either all the kids were on their way to the football game that started at 4 or on their way home, which is basically the first instinct that comes to mind once the final bell for class rings dismissing the kids.
But she thought wrong.
Little did she know that Derrick was coming back from getting his spare cleats from his locker that Cam needed because his own cleats were deteriorating as each day passed by that he played. And believe Cam when he says that soccer is his life…Well, aside from Massie, The Strokes, and his life here in Westchester.
As Claire danced her way to her Volvo, Derrick snuck a peak from the corner of the hallway that led to the parking lot.
"Huh," he said, smiling at her as the petite blonde enjoyed just being herself for once, "So she's a fan like I am…Awesome." He made his way back through the other side of the school to get back to practice.
"You like The Script." He hid his smile but his eyes definitely sparkled.
Sparkled…this is what he wants you to feel, Claire…
"How did you know?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because I may have accidentally saw you singing to 'For The First Time' on your way to your car after school a few months ago…"
She blushed. "No way."
So that's how he knew to put that song in the Valentine…
"Hey, I couldn't help it. It was just a coincidence. I wasn't stalking you." He started getting…antsy and flustered, even.
"You get so defensive about saying you're not a stalker…Why is that?" She laughed.
He sighed as he felt embarrassed enough that anything else he'd say to her wouldn't be as shocking. "Because I never had to try so hard to get a girl I liked to really notice me."
Claire was never prepared for any of the things Derrick said. That was clear for many years now but tonight was different. She felt this new warmth radiating from him. It was being transmitted to her…Was it revealed in her cheeks?
"I know you think that I'm just trying to make another conquest. Well, I'm not," he stated, keeping intense eye contact with the blonde.
Claire's heart was beating faster because even if she'd always deny it, it was true that she'd always felt a small attraction to Derrick. He had a certain charm about him that made him so likable and approachable. Why did people think her and her friends put up with him for so many years? He was a relatable person. He was easy to connect with. She never expected to get so close to him. She couldn't believe that this was the same guy she saw at school five days a week and when she hung out with her friends on the weekends…He's usually playful and cocky. He appeared to be a guy who went with the flow of things...Now that he was acting all straightforward and vulnerable and opening himself up to her…She felt something ignite in herself. And she couldn't figure out what it was. And she realized that she was finally considering giving Derrick a shot. So when were those pigs flying? "Well, it means a lot that you say that…I never thought I'd see the day that you'd find difficulty in getting a girl. What makes this even more twisted is that I never expected that girl to be me." She looked at him with complete honesty and a little smile appeared on her face. "I'm not asking you to give me a shot right away. If that helps any…" He still look like he would surrender but a gleam of hope still remained in his brown eyes.
"Right." Claire nodded as she played around with loose strands of her hair. Her ponytail was coming loose and she huffed. Her hair was so stubborn, just like her. "I think we should…hang out more like this and see where that takes us…What do you think?" Claire spoke out what she thought would be best. If Derrick thought she was going to surrender herself that easily for him to take, he was wrong. What would also be to her advantage is that she'd get to know Derrick and find out what makes him tick, what makes him laugh, what makes him smile, what makes him vulnerable…
Some things that she was able to discover by just hanging out with him at this moment.
It's the right thing to do.
Derrick smiled, making Claire's stomach flip…But in a good way. "Sounds good to me."
She checked her watch. "Damn it…My mom's going to annihilate me if I don't get home in half an hour…I wonder if Massie and Cam…"
Derrick checked his phone. "It's almost ten…Your parents give you a pretty crappy curfew…"
"It's not that..." She rolled her eyes. "My mom wants me to meet her childhood friend and his family…Apparently he has an eighteen year old kid…And she wants me to meet him, date him, and marry him. She wants to be a young grandma…" She sighed. "Why is she being so ridiculous?" Derrick laughed so hard when he heard that her mom wanted to have grandkids so quickly. He would later think about the potential rival in his quest to win Claire's heart. "Parents take being extremely harassing to a whole new level…"
"You've got that right." She laughed wholeheartedly again. "I hope Massie doesn't mind if Cam gives her a ride home."
"If things don't work out between those two…" Derrick began, "Which I seriously doubt will happen…I'll give Massie a ride home. She's in the neighborhood."
"Not sure if Cam would be too fond of the idea but it's Massie's choice," Claire agreed She texted Massie.
Claire Lyons: Hey Mass, I hope it's not a problem but I've gotta get home now. Do you think you can get a ride with Cam or Derrick? Sorry! Call me tonight when you get home.
As they waited for Massie's response, Derrick took out his phone. He rolled his eyes at a text message he just got.
"What is it?" Claire asked, her curiosity shamelessly shown.
"A text from Kemp and Plovert…asking me if I sealed the deal…" Derrick looked embarrassed and irritated at the same time.
"The Cupids were a nice touch by the way." Claire confessed.
"I thought they would be." He lost the tense feeling he had and smiled with relief.
Then, Massie's text was received and Claire read it.
Massie Block: Damn it, Claire! Haha just kidding. Sure no problemo. Cam said I could get a ride home with him. Will do!
She raised an eyebrow at the text. "Something tells me they're on speaking terms again!"
Derrick took a sneak peek at her phone. "Well, what do you know?"
She smiled. "They're so stupid…That it's cute, you know?"
"Yep...Who do you think puts up with Cam when he's trying to write Massie a song?"
She sighed, a smile on her face. "You, too?"
The two of them laughed as they looked back at Cam's past attempts to serenade Massie when they were still, and hopefully getting back, together.
"Claire! Do you think I should go with a happy love song with lyrics having to do with a flower in Massie's hair and flying unicorns…Or should I go with a 'I was so sad and in immense despair in this fucked up world until I found you'?"
"Derrick, come on…Should I give her the lyrics to the song if she can't understand some of the words if I choke?"
"You guys! Massie's going to hate it…She's going to hate it!"
"She's going to love this! She just has to…I busted my ass working on this song till 2 a.m. last night."
"It's hopeless!"
"He's such a baby..." Claire muttered in annoyance.
"I've never seen a guy that bitched that much in my entire life…" Derrick was amazed.
"He did it for love, Derrick. We've gotta give him some credit." They laughed as they walked past the lake. Some fog lingered but it didn't give it a scary movie atmosphere. It felt…kind of…like something out of a fairytale.
Oh, boy.
Then she remembered what she wanted to ask her secret admirer. "Hey."
"What's up?" He asked.
"So you liked me...even before the dance?"
"Well...I was curious about you, if that's what you wanted to know and well after that night…You could say that I fell hard."
"You? Fell hard?" She was surprised. "I know it's unheard of," he admitted, "But you just had to keep appearing everywhere and change everything."
"Imagine what it would be like if I actually tried to get your attention," she teased and then shut her lips when she realized what she said.
"Trust me, I'll make you fall head over heels for me."
It's not like it's hard to have a crush on you.
She shook her head, getting uncomfortable all of a sudden. She asked him about the Valentine card. "That reminds me…How did you get "For The First Time" onto that card?"
"You'd be surprised at what you can get done with 30 bucks and connections in New York City." His cocky side appeared again and Claire wasn't that annoyed by it anymore.
Without giving it a second thought, she hugged him. "Thank you. It's pretty much the best thing anyone has ever done for me." "I must be pretty damn amazing to have pulled that off." Derrick grinned as he hugged her back. They let go because they remembered the deal they made.
Claire said it forcefully with a smile on her face. "Uh huh…"
"What does that 'uh huh' mean?" Derrick imitated her "uh huh" with a high-pitched voice.
"Nothing!" She started running away from him.
"Hey!" Derrick shouted, using his soccer stealth and agility to catch up to her easily. He caught up to her, hugging her tightly from behind.
"Derrick, let go!" She found it difficult to breathe from her rush of laughter.
"No way," he chuckled as he was just about to tickle her. She spun around to make a clever counterattack. She smiled mischievously at that moment.
They were in hysterics all the while. They felt like they were little kids. Even if they hadn't known each other since their preschool days, it felt nice to share a moment like this with him.
When they both stopped laughing and their eyes met, they only just held each other in an embrace. Claire almost stopped breathing and little did she realize it but so had Derrick.
She had taken in his scent. He smelled so good, like an autumn breeze and a decent amount of Axe...She laughed in spite of herself.
"What now?" A smile broke through his nerve-wracked face.
"You're kind of cute when you're caught off-guard," Claire admitted.
Derrick's eyes widened at that little revelation of what she thought of him. There was a hint of both of hope and determination in his brown eyes. He took her hand and squeezed it. And with that, they both kept walking until they found the field completely deserted. Well, with the exception of Danny Robbins and Dempsey Solomon smoking a few cigarettes.
Enjoying their annual smoke, they both appeared to be talking about nonsense, considering the silly looks on their faces. When they noticed Dempsey coughing, Claire spoke.
"Enjoying that cigarette, Solomon?" She laughed.
"Not as much as Danny is," Derrick added, chuckling.
"Shut up," Danny said, "Well would you look at that, Dempsey? Claire Lyons and Derrick Harrington holding hands?"
Claire didn't realize that she was still holding Derrick's hand and she let go, freaking out. Derrick frowned. She mouthed an apology to him.
"You've got a problem, Robbins?" Derrick asked, clenching a fist.
Danny waved his hands in protest. Derrick and Danny have been friends since their sandbox days. He knew that Derrick wouldn't seriously hit him. "Not at all. Just observing, man. Just observing."
Dempsey laughed. "So what are you guys still doing here? Waiting for Fisher and Block to come back from his attempt to serenade her back into his arms?"
"Cute," Claire said, "Now why don't you use that idea and win Layne's heart?"
Dempsey's laughs had subsided. He looked completely sane. "Claire."
"Take a joke," she said, shaking her head, "But Layne's not going to be waiting on you forever. That's for sure."
Dempsey muttered to himself.
"I'm sorry?" Claire asked. "I couldn't hear you."
"We'll talk about this later, Lyons. You're not off the hook, yet," he said, waving goodbye to her, Derrick, and Danny.
"Well, I better be heading home. You kids don't stay out too late now…I'm kidding. Make me beautiful godchildren!" Danny laughed as he followed Dempsey to the parking lot.
"Who said you'd be the godfather?" Derrick joked back.
"Who said we were going to have sex?" Claire screeched.
"Claire, it was just a joke," Derrick said, chuckling nervously.
She laughed nervously as well but he didn't notice as he started leading her back to her car in the parking lot. Thinking it would help to ease the awkwardness she felt, she said, "I knew that…"
Chapter Title based on: Don't Let Me Fall by Lenka
Stay tuned for the next chappie! :)