A/W: All rights belong to Kelley Armstrong
So this chapter was actually really short and I finished most of it in a day. Though I did kind of bunch it up more than any of my other chapters, so it makes it seems shorter than it might me (because I'm not not a sentence from the book and than a sentence for the reading book so back and forth like). Anyways I'm really excited because I've almost reached the half-pint of the book (which is my goal for the time being) I have like . . . 6-10 more chapters to go more or less? And I just really hope I can make there. On to some other news I've been hearing some rumors of about a DP movie floating around. Anyone have anything to say to that? Hope you guys are enjoying your summer (what little summer you have left), and I hope y'all are excited for going back to school. I just put up the book chapters 16 and will be starting on 15 in a few day I hope that I'll have it up for you guys by September/October time, around the fall but before we start getting into the holidays.
DPOV
Empty take out boxes and drink bottles were spread around the table as we finished our evening meal. Simon picked up the writing pad and tossed it to me. "Alright guys lets do this. I want to get a few more chapters before we go to bed." Dad cleared his through. "Actually Simon I think maybe we should all sit down and have a little talk." Chloe glanced uneasily at me. "Can't it wait," Simon said with a sigh. "Well never get to read tonight if we don't start now." Dad opened his mouth to reply. "Honestly, Kit I don't see a problem. I've never actually seen the kids so excited about something." Lauren told Dad. He just sighed and nodded, "I guess it can wait."
We found Mrs. Talbot setting out the evening snack. Carrot sticks and dip. Yum.
"Are you being sarcastic or not; it's really hard to tale?" Tori said folding her arms as she glanced at Chloe who just frowns at her in response.
Whatever complaints I had about Annette, at least I could always count on brownies at home.
"Yum! I could go for a brownie right now." Simon said in a dreamy voice.
'Hungry, girls? I'm not surprised. No one ate very much at dinner." She held out the plate. We each took a stick and dipped it. "Chloe and I were thinking, Mrs. T," Rae said. "About Tori."
"Ow Chloe you can't possibly be thinking about Tori." Simon said holding his hand up to his for head oh so dramatically. "Oh the irony," Tori said bitterly.
She set the plate on the table, eyes downcast as she nodded. "I know, dear. She's taking Liz's leaving very hard. They were close. I'm sure she'll feel better once they can talk, but until then she may feel a little down while we get her . . . medication adjusted. We'll need you girls to be extra nice to her."
Tori scoffed. "Oh please, they had me so doped up on all those meds. on propose so that I wouldn't be able think straight."
"Sure." Rae licked dip off her finger. "We were wondering, though, whether it might be easier for her if she just had the room to herself. I could sleep in Chloe's." Mrs. Talbot handed Rae a napkin.
Tori sighed, "And to think that those few weeks of silence without Rachel were all wasted away."
"I don't want to isolate her too much but, yes, she'd probably be happier alone for now." "Just for now?" The nurse smiled. "No, you can move in with Chloe permanently, if that's what you'd both like.
"I don't get why you didn't just move in with Liz in the first place if you fought so much with Rae as she said you did." Chloe said as cute curious look appeared on her shrugged, "My Mom probably would have said something against and them I would be right back to sharing a room with Rachel."
Chloe caught sight me staring. "What?" I cleared my throat and mumbled "Nothing," quickly looking away to resuming the story.
While Tori was downstairs watching television, Rae started to move, as if afraid Miss Van Dop or Dr. Gill would veto the change. She handed me a stack of T-shirts. "It's Simon, isn't it?" "Hmm?" "You want to know what Simon is in for."
"Doesn't everybody?" My brother joked and we all rolled our eyes at him.
"I don't-" She draped her jeans over her arms and waved me out. "You two have been chatting every meal. At first, I thought maybe he was using you to throw Tori off his trail, but she wasn't paying any attention today, and he kept talking." "I'm not-" "Hey, you like him. That's fine." She opened Liz's bottom drawer. It was empty-every trace of her cleaned out while we'd been in class.
"They didn't waist any time did they." Tori muttered to herself while Chloe's Aunt shook her head in disappointment.
"I don't care for the guy, but that's just my opinion. Maybe he's just stuck up with me because I'm not in his league."
"League?" Simon stated. "League," Tori repeated. "Who knew she was so smart."
"League?" She held up a pair of jeans and pointed to the label. "You see anyone else in this place wearing jeans from Wal-Mart? It's a private home. You gotta pay for it, and I bet it costs more than Motel 6. I'm the designated charity case." "I-"
"Rae was never a charity case." Chloe said. Tori scoffed and she glared at her. "Uh, Tori if you haven't notice were just as much of charity case being on the run and all." "I never said anything. Besides it doesn't matter where you close come from but she could have a least bought the decent looking ones." Dad cleared his throat and I began to read hastily.
"It's cool. You treat me fine. So did Peter and-" a somber look around her new room "-Liz. Derek's a jerk to everyone, so I don't take it personally. If I'm only getting the cold shoulder from Simon and Tori, I can live with it. That's why I think those two are perfect for each other, but if you like him and he likes you? None of my business. But you're smart to run a background check."
"Like on C.S.I," Simon said and I had to roll my eyes.
She headed back to her old room, me at her heels. "My friend's mom did that with a guy she was supposed to marry. Found out that he had three kids he'd never mentioned." She grinned over her shoulder. "I'm pretty sure Simon doesn't have kid, but you never know."
Everyone glanced towards Simon. "Well do you?" Tori said. "What?" "Have any kids?" My brother made a face. "Of cores not, at least I don't have any that I know of." "You better not." Dad said sternly, a gleam of amusement in the corner of his eyes.
As we finished cleaning out her drawers, I considered letting it go on at that. But I didn't want her thinking I was the kind of girl who gets in a new place and immediately starts scooping out the guys.
Lauren muttered under her breath, probably only low enough for me to hear. "Not my Chloe, she would never."
If I wasn't ready to tell the nurses about Derek, I should tell someone. That way, I'd have a back up story if I needed it later. "It's not Simon," I said as we returned to her room, clothing finished. "It's Derek."
"Of cores it is." Tori said, "We already knew this."
She'd been in the middle of plucking a photo from the wall and fumble it, cursing as I rescued the fallen photograph. "Derek? You like-""God, no. I meant Derek's the one I'm checking out-and not in that way."
"Are you sure about that Chloe?" Simon asked, her raising his eyebrow. Chloe just blushed in response.
She exhaled and leaned against the wall. "Thank God. I know some girls go for the jerks, but that just nasty." She flushed as she took the picture from me and reached for another.
Everyone glanced at Chloe with curious eyes, including me. But she only lowered her head and refused to make eye contact. "I'm sure she didn't mean it like that." She mumbled, obviously ashamed.
"I shouldn't say that. It's not his fault, the whole . . ." She faltered for a word. "Puberty smackdown." A grin. "Exactly. I should feel sorry for the guy, but it's hard when his attitude is as ugly as his face."
I hung my head. True I had been a jerk, but for good reasons. It kept people away from me, at a safe distance were no one would have to get hurt. I felt a small body wiggle it's way onto my lap. "You weren't that bad." Chloe, murmured into my chest. I didn't reply, dad cleared his throat, so I kept reading.
She stopped, photo in hand, and glanced over her shoulder at me. "Is that it? Did he . . . do something?"
I tried not to wince, and felt Chloe giving my hand a squeeze. I squeezed her's back.
"Why? Does he have a history of that?" "Depends on what that is. Being rude, yes. A jerk, yes. He ignores us expect when he doesn't have a choice and, believe me, no one complains. So what did he do?" I considered my words. I didn't want her to insist I talk to the nurses, so I left out the throwing-me-across-the-room part and just said he'd been fallowing me, popping up when I was alone.
I winced again, just as Lauren yelled out. "He what?" "Aunt Lauren," Chloe said, in a calm voice. "It was an ascendent, Derek would never hurt me on purpose." Lauren didn't say anything else, but eyed the two of us with uncertainty.
"Ah, he likes you." She handed me a photo to hold. "No, it isn't like that." "Uh-huh. Well, you'd probably rather it wasn't like that, but it sure sounds like it. Maybe you're his type. At my school, there's this guy I like, on the basketball team. He's even taller than Derek, but he always goes for tiny girls like you."
Tori smirked, "Sounds like Rae's jealous." I rolled my eyes.
I took another photo from her. "That's not it. I'm absolutely certain of it." She opened her month and I felt a flash of annoyance. Why is it that every time a girl says a guy is bothering her, it's fluffed of with oh, he just likes you, as if that makes it okay?
"No, it never makes things okay." Chloe's aunt said, as if she was about to give a lecture.
Seeing my expression, Rae snapped her moth closed and took down another picture. I said, "He freaks me out and I want to see what his file says. Whether there's any reason to be spooked. Whether he has, you know, a problem. " "That's smart. And I'm sorry. If he scares you, that's serious. I don't mean to make jokes. We'll get the facts tonight."
"What are you guys gonna do? Break in to Gills office and still her files. yeah right." Tori said. Chloe looked embarrassed. "Well . . ." "Chloe," Lauren said in a sharp tone. "You didn't." "You'll just have to wait and see." She replied sheepishly. "Alright kids," Dad spoke up. He had been awfully quite through-out this last chapter. "Will read one more, then it's time for bed."
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