A/N: this was kind of really painful to write. i don't know why. i think claire complains too much and derrick doesn't have enough of a personality. /facepalm

dh;

"I think we should go," Claire announces, snapping shut my science textbook and sliding it across the desk to me.

"Why?"

"Because you've done nothing in the past four hours besides stare at the clock and that girl's chest," Claire says, flicking a glance at the girl a few tables away. Which is partially true.

"I only have eyes for you, Claire Lyons," I reply, winking at her.

She characteristically rolls her eyes and stands, putting her bag over her shoulder. "If I fail science this year because of you, I will kill you," she says, giving me an angelic smile.

We walk outside. "Don't you have a license?" I ask her. Because, you know, for someone who allegedly hated me so much, she seems to need a lot of rides from me (innuendos aside.) Well, she's had two, but still. Isn't that a lot?

"Yeah," Claire answers. "I do."

"Then why don't you ever use it?"

"When they took my photo, I had a huge zit, in like, the middle of the my forehead," she says. "Plus, this is greener for the environment."

I nod. "Sure." She gets in the car. When we pull up in front of her house, she freezes. I look out the car window. There's a white Porsche sitting in the driveway. "Are you okay?"

She looks back at me. "Let's get lunch. I'm hungry. Aren't you hungry? I'm hungry."

"Are you joking?" I ask her, looking at her incredulously.

"Do I look like I'm joking? I'm totally starving," she claims. "I feel like I haven't eaten in three weeks. Hey, there's that new diner that's in the completely opposite direction. Let's go there."

Claire Lyons is weird.

cl;

I try to get the image of the car out of my head. I try not to think about what's going on inside my house. I try to concentrate on acting hungry.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Derrick asks.

I probably seem bipolar to him. Because I've just been talked about killing him. And now I want to have lunch with him. I take a deep breath. "Um, I'm hungry, didn't I already tell you?"

"Claire," he says, without adding anything else on. My stomach tightens when he says it. Maybe I really am hungry.

"Rick is at my house right now," I mutter, vaguely remembering something about not letting Derrick play therapist again. What if it became routine? That would suck.

He stops at a red light and drums his fingers on the steering wheel. "And Rick is who?"

"The most pretentious egotistical pig in all of Westchester, maybe in all of New York, possibly in all of America, probably of the world," I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Shit, I thought I held that spot," Derrick grumbled.

"You don't matter that much to me," I quip.

He smiles. "But back to Rick."

I examine the ends of my blonde hair. "He's my mother's current contractor." Derrick waits. I don't want to say anything else, but the silence is almost egging me to go on. "I think my mother might be..." I swallow. "You know." I sink into the leather seat a bit. "Having an affair," I almost whisper.

We get to the diner and Derrick doesn't say anything as he gets out and I get out and walk to the diner. He seems to be thinking, an expression I don't see a lot on him. It looks good. His brown eyes look even deeper, and –

My eyes widen as I see who's sitting at the first booth. Instinctively, I duck down behind a table, bringing Derrick with me.

"What the hell, Claire?" He cries out. I put a finger to my lips and point to the booth. He follows my finger and a surprised expression crosses his face. "Oh my god."

"I can't be seen in public with you! Especially with them right there," I groan, leaning back against the table we're hiding under and looking back at the table where Massie and Cam are seated.

"Thanks."

A face pops in front of us. My eyes widen as I try not to scream. "Um, hi," the face says. "I'm the manager here. If you'd like to dine here, please, do not do so under the table." The face smiles.

"Right, sorry, sorry," I apologize, as I get out from under the table.

Massie catches my eye and rises one eyebrow when she sees me, confused. Then, the other eyebrow goes up when Derrick pops up next to me. Then a knowing grin spreads out across her face. I shake my head desperately, but then Cam turns around too, and his jaw drops a little.

"What was that about being seen in public with me?" Derrick murmurs. I step on his foot. The diner's doors open again, and out of all the people who could've walked in, Alicia Rivera sauntered in, her big lips practically reflective, the cut of her Ralph Lauren sweater low.

"Did you like, kick a puppy or something?" I ask, because only seriously bad karma could make this happen. Josh Hotz walks in after her, grinning and wearing sunglasses.

"Oh, it's Josh," Derrick says brightly, waving.

"Is there like a fifty percent discount if you're on the soccer team or something?" I ask Derrick.

He shrugs. "You're the one who wanted to come here."

"Claire, come sit," Massie calls. She seems happy and upbeat. Her skirt has flowers on it. She pats the pleather seat next to her. "What are you doing here?" She asks, smiling.

"I was hungry," I answer, even though that's barely an answer.

"We just spent four hours at the library," Derrick elaborates.

Massie frowns. "Oh, I haven't started my project yet," she says.

"But it's already November," I say. "The semester is over in a month. And the semester means half the year is gone and-"

Massie rolls her amber eyes. "Yeah, but it's such a drag working with Kemp, I mean, everytime I go to my seat in science, he just says, 'Yes', and laughs to himself. He needs like a fucking therapist or something."

Cam is looking at Derrick and both look like they're sharing an inside joke.

Massie and Cam's food arrive, surprisingly, Massie's ordered a burger. I look at Cam's dish. He's ordered the same thing. But unlike Cam, Massie doesn't touch hers, just starts drowning a french fry in ketchup.

"Do you want some?" She offers, pushing the plate towards me and taking the french fry out of the ketchup and laying it down on her napkin. It occurs to me I haven't seen Massie eat in a while. Like, since eighth grade, a while. I shake my head.

"We should go," I say, looking over at where Alicia and Josh are situated. Alicia is looking at us. "Right, Derrick? We should go. Let's go."

"But we just got here-"

"Wait, you guys came here... Together?" Cam asks, the eyebrow of his blue eye raised.

"It's greener for the environment," I say, repeating my line from earlier.

"Yeah, I'm sure it is," Cam mutters.

dh;

"You know, I know what it's like," I say. Claire doesn't say anything. "I mean, thinking a parent is having an affair. Trying to protect your brothers and sister from it. I know what it's like."

She still doesn't say anything.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," I try again. Nothing. "So, you're not alone, is all I'm saying."

"Thanks," she mumbles, getting out of the car.

"darling, please believe me

i'll never do you no harm"

A/N: not one of my better chapters. i don't know what to say now except i imagine derrick to look like a younger, less pointy version of bradley james - look him up, darls - without um, the chest hair? /gah that sounds bad/ no, bradley james is cute. no, shut up. he is. and mark salling isn't gay and um, lyrics don't fit at all i know and are from the beatles (nowhere boy with aaron johnson in october, omg!)

thank you emmie, PaulaBooo, clairingtonlover and SportxxGirlxx: hey, would it be a spoiler if i said yes? because we all know how derrick and claire are going end up, you know? unless i decide to be a bitch, and have claire elope to alaska with plovert, and have derrick commit suicide. i'm sorry. i'm hungry.

i'll quit rambling.

oh! one more thing, i swear: i'm starting a new story when i'm close to finishing this. it's going to be called 'tonight's the night', so i guess you can tell what it's going to be about, kind of?