Author's Note: Thanks SO much for the reviews everyone! Hope you like this chapter! :D Thanks to hazelbrie13 for editing it for me! This chapter is all Lizzie's POV The next chapter should switch back and forth a bit.
-Anneryn
I DO NOT OWN LIFE WITH DEREK OR THE CHARACTERS (I only play in their world.)
Music Credit: "I'm So Sick" – Flyleaf
Chapter 3:
Lizzie's POV
I never did find out what Derek meant by that wink. I tried not to think about it, even though it's been eating at me relentlessly. I tried to think about my date with Clay, instead. Casey was bouncing around the house excitedly all of last night. Thankfully, she didn't wake me up too early this morning. I woke up about an hour ago. I went downstairs to grab some breakfast, before everyone else woke up. It's only about 4:30 in the morning. I just couldn't go back to sleep. I stepped on one of Marti's toys on the stairwell, and cursed silently.
I continued on my way to the kitchen. I grabbed some milk out of the fridge, and grabbed a bowl and some cereal out of the kitchen cabinets. I poured Lucky Charms into the bowl, and added some milk. I put the milk back. It would be nice to be able to go for a run to clear my head. I'm not stupid enough to go running in the dark, alone. I know it isn't safe. So, I'll settle for cereal. I wasn't even going to bother with that, but my stomach startled growling. I grabbed a spoon from our silverware drawer, and sat on the counter, next to the sink. I ate my cereal in silence.
"Lizzie?" Someone asked uncertainly. I looked up and saw mom. I smiled at her. She smiled back, and yawned.
"Can't sleep?" She asked. I shrugged.
"I woke up about an hour ago, and couldn't get back to sleep." I told her. She nodded sympathetically.
"Is it because of the guy you met earlier?" She asked. I blushed.
"Casey told you." I guessed. She smiled and nodded.
Truthfully, that was part of it. I hadn't stopped thinking about him. No matter how hard I try, I can't understand why someone would want to go out with me. Clay's no eye sore, either. It makes things harder to understand. Maybe Clay is the cure for my Derek problem. If I have some sort of a foreseeable future with Clay… versus a life of pining after Derek. But, even considering all of this, it doesn't do anything. Casey's right. I've never really dated anyone. If nothing else, it will give me that at least.
"I'd like to meet him, if that's alright. I mean, he'll be your first real date, Lizard." She said, beaming. I rolled my eyes at her. She swatted my arm playfully. We both laughed.
"I'll call him later, and see what he says. I'm sure it'll be fine, Mom." I told her. She touched my hair gingerly.
"You're growing up so fast, Lizard." She said.
"I'll take your word for it." I told her. I have to give Mom a hard time. She understands.
"You've always been mature for your age. It's really starting to show." She said thoughtfully.
"Thanks, Mom." I told her. She smiled.
"How old is he?" She asked.
"He's 19, and his name is Clay." I told her. She nodded.
"That's only a two year difference, I suppose that's alright." She said. I nodded. That's always been the rule. Two years older, three at the most. But, then again, it has only applied to Casey and Derek.
"He's in college." I told her.
"Good," She said.
"I'll let him tell you the rest, since you're so keen on meeting him." I said, sounding a bit like a smartass. Mom chuckled. She went over to the freezer and pulled out a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. She grabbed two spoons.
"George is awake, too. He's been getting the oddest dreams about the Pillsbury Dough Boy chasing him with a giant paper cutter." She explained. I nodded. I tried not to laugh, honestly I did. I let out a small laugh. Mom joined me and controlled herself before going back to her bedroom in the basement. I resumed eating my cereal in silence. I heard something fall in the laundry room. I jumped. It scared me. I set my cereal on the counter, and eased myself down.
"Fuck," I heard someone mutter from the direction of the laundry room. I walked over to the laundry room. Who is it? I peered into the laundry room, and flipped on the light. I looked over at the door, and saw someone trying to get in.
Our laundry door leads outside. It has a bit of decorative glass in the top center. I walked over to the door, and looked outside. It's Derek. What's he doing out so late? He probably forgot his house key. I unlocked the door and opened it.
"Thanks, Z." He said, still frustrated at the door.
"Forget your key?" I asked genuinely curious.
"What? Yeah." He answered. He raked a hand through his hair. I nodded. I left the laundry room and went back to the kitchen. I put my hands on the counter and lifted myself up. I let my legs dangle off the edge of the counter as I finished eating my cereal. I wasn't in the mood for soggy Lucky Charms. Derek walked into the living room, and smirked as he saw me eating. "Lucky Charms, Z?" He asked. I nodded, still chewing. He shrugged. "Want some company?" He asked. I swallowed the bite that I had been working on.
"Sure, but you're getting your own bowl, and your own cereal. That means your own spoon, too." I told him. He laughed.
"You do know me." He said, getting himself some cereal. "I wouldn't take food from you. It's much more enjoyable stealing food from the Space Case. After all, you don't whine about it, like she does. Where's the fun in that?" He asked. I shrugged. "Why are you up so late?" He asked.
"I woke up, and couldn't go back to sleep." I told him. He nodded and shoveled cereal into his mouth.
"Bad dreams or insomnia?" He teased.
"Neither really, my mind just won't shut up." I told him.
"Your mind won't 'shut up?'" He clarified. I nodded.
"Every time I try to clear my head, I always think about something. Then I get distracted, and can't sleep." I told him.
"What's on your mind?" He asked.
"Everything. Nothing. Random, sporadic, stupid stuff." I told him. He spit a little bit of cereal out, and started laughing. "I didn't think I was funny." I said, more thinking out loud, then talking to Derek.
"You're just so serious. Sorry, the facial expressions you were making, with what you said. I haven't actually gone to sleep yet, so right now, a lot of stuff is funny." Derek half apologized. I finished my cereal. I got off of the counter and rinsed my bowl out, and left it in the sink. He put a hand over his heart. "You're leaving me?" He asked in a mock hurt voice. I shrugged. "Even after I kept you company?" He asked, laying on the guilt trip. I rolled my eyes.
"You want me to stay, so the monsters won't get you?" I asked him. He nodded smiling. I sat back on the counter. I let out a small yawn.
"Is it passed someone's bedtime?" Derek teased. I shot him a small glare.
"Says someone who can't stay downstairs all by himself," I teased back. He smirked.
"I can stay by myself. I just like the company." He said. He looked at me, and our eyes met. I held his gaze for a few seconds before looking away. "Come on, you know you like spending time with me. I mean, who doesn't?" He said, trying to sound arrogant.
I laughed. I got off the counter, and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. I turned around, to go back to the counter I had been sitting on. I ran into Derek. He was going to put his bowl in the sink. Luckily, the bowl was empty. His hands gripped my arms to steady me.
"Sorry," I uttered a quick apology. His bowl had fallen to the floor, but it didn't break.
"I wasn't watching were I was going either." He said. I nodded. His didn't move his hands. I cleared my throat weakly.
"I think I can manage from here." I told him. He flashed a quick smile.
"Right," he said. He moved his arms. I bent down and picked up the bowl. I carried it over to the sink, and rinsed it out, and set it next to my bowl. I turned around and saw him watching me.
"What?" I asked. He shook his head.
"Nothing," he said. I nodded at him slowly. "Tired yet?" He asked. I am tired, but I don' think I could go to sleep now. I'd keep replaying what happened in my mind.
"Yeah, but I don't think I can sleep yet." I told him honestly. He nodded.
"Come on." He said.
"What?" I asked confused. He smirked at my confusion.
"Follow me; I'm not ready to sleep either." He said. I gave a quizzing look. He grabbed my hand, and led me to the living room. I half expected him to pull me over to the couch, and turn on some of the hockey games he keeps recorded. He kept going, and led me upstairs. He was halfway up, when he started to trip over one of Marti's toys. It's a different one than the one that I had tripped over. He hit the stairs, unable to catch himself, since he had my hand in one of his. I fell beside him. I didn't see it coming soon enough.
I tried not to laugh. A small laugh escaped my lips. He glared at me, but started laughing too. He let go of my hand, and stood up. I started to get up, but he held a hand out to help me. I took his hand, and let him help me up.
"Let's go twinkle toes." I told him. He glared at me, and walked down the hallway. He stopped outside of his room. He opened the door and pulled me inside. He flipped on his light, and motioned for me to sit on his bed. I did. It looks like he just cleaned it. Or better yet, he probably had Edwin do it. He flipped on his computer screen and sat at his desk. I moved closer to him, and sat back down on the bed. "
What are you in the mood for?" He asked me.
"I'm not sure. Something funny, I guess." I told him. He nodded. He pulled up some Jeff Dunham videos. I smiled. He moved his chair next to me, and we watched Jeff Dunham videos. The video was of Jeff and Achmed. Next, we watched Jeff and Peanut. He would say something every once in awhile. We've both seen these videos a lot.
"Jeff-fah-fah, am I pissing you off-fah-fah?" We mused with Peanut. "But he can't kill me, because that would be a form of suicide." Derek said. I laughed and threw a pillow at him.
He caught it lazily, and put it behind his head against the tall back of his computer chair. I stretched out, and laid on his bed, with my head facing his computer, and my feet towards the head of the bed. Eventually, he moved to the bed with me. I closed my eyes for a second. I don't remember falling asleep.
Light crept underneath my eyelids. I rolled onto my side, and put my head on my pillow. It doesn't feel like my pillow. It's warm and solid. I opened my eyes slowly. My head is laying on Derek's chest. I looked around. I don't think I'm dreaming. I'm in Derek's room. I tried to sit up, but found myself trapped. He has his arms around me. I smiled, and laid my head back down on his chest. He looks angelic when he's sleeping. He sighed in his sleep, and wrapped his arms around me tighter. He opened his eyes slowly, and peered down at me. He looked surprised. He smiled at me.
"You should go back to sleep, Z." He whispered. He closed his eyes.
"Night," I muttered, before returned to my dreamless bliss. I closed my eyes and felt something brush my cheek.
"Elizabeth, Derek, you should probably get up." I heard mom say. I'm still tired. I felt Derek stir, and remembered where I was. I smiled into his chest. I lifted my head and looked over toward his bedroom door. "Nora, honey, are they awake?" I heard George ask. I saw mom and blinked, still not fully awake yet.
"Hey Nora," Derek said simply. He yawned, and sat up. I felt myself sit up too. His arms are still around me.
"I got worried when you weren't in your room, Lizard." She said. I nodded.
"Sorry, I couldn't sleep. So we watched Jeff Dunham. I must have fallen asleep in here." I told her. She nodded.
"I'm glad you got some sleep. Well, George and I are going to be late. We're going to lunch together." She said.
"Have fun." Derek said. She smiled.
"There's food downstairs. See you both later." She said turning to leave. George poked his head in.
"Morning Liz, Derek. Nora, we're going to be late." He said. She nodded and they left. Derek laid back down, and rubbed his eyes with one of his hands. I yawned.
"I need to get dressed." I told him.
"What? Oh yeah. Why this early?" He asked. I peered at his clock next to his computer.
"It's noon, and Casey will probably want to go running, since we didn't go yesterday." I told him. He nodded. "You want your arm back?" I asked him. He shook his head.
"Not yet." He said. He rolled over and faced me. He wrapped his other arm around me and gave me hug. I hugged him back. He moved his arms, and I got up. He looked at me curiously.
"What?" I asked him.
"You have a belly ring. I didn't notice before." He said. I looked down.
"Yeah, Casey and I got them done together, when I turned 15." I told him. He nodded. My shirt had risen up, through my slumber, and was now pushed up just above my belly button. It had hurt when I got it done. But I like having a navel ring.
"It looks good." Derek said before rolling over and going back to sleep. I pulled my shirt down, and went to go shower.
After I showered, Casey asked me to go running with her. It was a little past 2 before we finally made it out. I skipped breakfast; I just wasn't hungry. We took the same route that we took the other day. Casey was a bit ahead of me. She's still in better shape than I am. She pulled her hair back, but I kept mine down. I have a hair tie around my wrist, just in case. I picked up the pace, and joined Casey. My phone rang.
'I will break into your thoughts, with what's written on my heart.
I will break.
Break!'
"Casey, stop." I panted. She slowed to a slow walk. I took deep breathes, trying to slow my breathing, so I could actually answer my cell. I hit the talk button, and pressed my phone to my ear. "Hello," I breathed.
"Liz, Marti is driving me crazy." I heard Edwin complain. I rolled my eyes.
"Suck it up, buttercup." I told him. He's old enough to handle Marti for an hour, until Casey and I get back. Derek is there, it's not like we left him alone with her.
"Derek is still asleep. She keeps asking if she dress me up like Princess Fiona." He said exasperated. I chuckled. "I'm glad you find my aggravation so amusing." He said haughtily.
"I do." I told him. He sighed. "Fine, Ed, we're turning around." I told him.
"Thanks Liz, I owe you." He said.
"Yeah, yeah." I told him before I hung up the phone. I turned to Casey. "Marti is driving Ed crazy. I told him we'd head back." I told her. She nodded. We started running back the way we came. We were about a block away, when I saw someone wave at us. I turned to Casey, with a questioning look. "Who?" I asked. She shrugged.
"No idea." She answered. The person got clearer, as we got closer. I turned to Casey.
"It's Clay." I told her. She smiled. We stopped when we were about to pass him. He smiled. I can feel my hair sticking to me.
"Hey Elle," he said.
"Hey," I said, trying to slow my breathing, yet again. God, I love his smile. He nodded at Casey, still smiling. She beamed at him.
"Hi, I'm Lizzie's sister, Casey." She said excitedly.
"Are you running away from something, or are you just running for the hell of it?" He teased.
"Casey's an avid runner." I said, matter-of-factly. He smirked.
"You're not?" He asked.
"In soccer season," I told him. He nodded understandingly.
"And yet you still run with your sister, that's touching." He said holding a hand to his heart. A hit his arm playfully.
"Be nice." I told him. He smiled.
"I'm sorry. I'll play nicely… for now." He said with a devious smirk. I shook my head.
'I will break into your thoughts, with what's written on my heart.
I will break.
Break!'
My phone went off. I checked the caller ID. It's Edwin, again. "Hello," I said answering the phone.
"Tell her that I'm not her Barbie that she can dress up." Edwin demanded. I laughed.
"Ed, you tell her that." I told him.
"When are you guys getting back? She's trying to tell me that because I am now Princess Fiona, I have to marry Shrek." He said. I held back my laughter.
"We'll be there soon." I promised. Ed hung up. I put my phone back on my arm band. I looked up at Clay. "Apparently Marti is terrorizing Edwin, by making him play dress up. We are supposed to go save him." I explained. Clay laughed.
"You're more than welcome to come." Casey suggested. He nodded.
"I was helping a buddy of mine move. But I'm finished now, so I'm all yours." He said. Casey started chatting happily. Clay took my hand, and walked with us, listening to Casey intently. I waited for Casey to stop talking. She paused, but I didn't think that I would have another opportunity, so I interjected.
"It's good that we ran into you." I said to Clay. He smiled.
"Why is that?" He asked.
"My mom would like to meet you." I told him. He nodded.
"Alright, just let me know when and where." He volunteered. I smiled. Mom will be happy about this.
"Thanks," I said. He nodded. We walked over to our house. We went around to the side of the house, to go through the laundry room entrance.
"Liz!" Edwin yelled from behind me. I turned around, and got covered with water. He sprayed me with the hose.
"Space Case!" Derek yelled. He soaked Casey with a Super Soaker. Marti popped up from behind Derek and threw water balloons at Clay. He ducked, but she hit him. I laughed as I looked for something to retaliate with. They planned this.
"It's on." I said. Ed was about to spray me with the hose again, but Clay pulled me to the ground with him. I fell on the top of him. We both laughed. He picked up a couple of unbroken water balloons that Marti dropped. He switched our positions, and handed me a couple. We stood up and threw them at Derek and Edwin.
Derek sprayed Casey in the face. She found a water gun that they had hidden as extra artillery. She got Derek in the face. Marti ran out of water balloons. I ran over to her, and picked her up. Clay and I ran to the backyard. I still had Marti in my arms. I couldn't leave her there without any ammunition. Edwin would have turned on her.
"Thanks Liza." She said. She took a water balloon that she had been hiding behind her back and threw it at Clay.
"I'm going to get you." He told her. I put her down and got in front of her.
"She's only a little girl. You don't really want to get her back, do you?" I asked him. He looked at me seriously.
"Yes, but not right now." He said. Marti came out from behind me and snickered.
"You can get me back." She said. Clay laughed.
"I'd rather get Elle." He said.
"What?" I asked, hoping he was kidding. He picked me up and carried me across his shoulder. This is beginning to become a habit of theirs. He walked back over to the side of the house, followed closely by Marti. "Traitors," I told them.
"It's all part of my plan." Clay whispered to me. Derek sprayed my legs with his Super Soaker. Casey stopped Edwin from spraying me in the face with the hose.
"Truce?" Clay asked unsurely. Derek looked at him suspiciously.
"And how would that benefit me?" He asked. Clay didn't say anything for a moment.
"You can spray Elle." He said, decisively. I scoffed.
"Okay, truce." Derek said. Clay set me down on my feet, and went to shake hands for Derek. Instead, he grabbed the hose from Edwin, and pointed it at them. I laughed. "Well played." Derek complimented. "I respect that." He added. Clay nodded.
"Can we stop this? I don't want to stay in these clothes all day." I spoke up. Casey nodded.
"The battle is over, but the war has yet to begin." Derek declared. I laughed as I went inside the house. I grabbed a towel from on top of the dryer. I handed one to Clay. My clothes are sticking to me. It's not the most comfortable thing to be wearing. Everyone else came through the front door. It's quiet; I guess mom and George aren't back yet. I patted my clothes down, so I wouldn't drip all over the floor.
"Derek!" Clay yelled. He came into the laundry room.
"Yeah?" He asked.
"Do you have anything dry I can wear?" Clay asked him. Derek smiled. He looked over at me. I mouthed, 'Please' to him. He nodded.
"Hang on." He said. He came back a minute later with some clothes. He tossed them at Clay.
"Thanks, man." Clay said to Derek. He nodded.
"You should be okay to change in here, as long as you shut the door." I told him. He smiled.
"Thanks." He said. I nodded. "You're face got wet." He said. I nodded slowly.
"I know. Why…?" I started to ask. He shook his head.
"It's nothing. I just figured your makeup would run." He said. I nodded.
"Oh, that." I said.
"Your sister's was running a bit." He said talking about Casey. She put a little on this morning. I think she just used mascara and some eyeliner.
"I don't wear makeup." I told him.
"Really?" He asked. I nodded, again.
"Is it so unheard of that some females don't wear makeup?" I asked him. He smirked. "No, it's just you're really beautiful. I assumed that you did." He said.
"You know what they say about assuming." I told him, before leaving the laundry room. I squeezed some of my hair into the towel. I grabbed a water from the fridge. Casey walked into the kitchen.
"Hey, did I leave my…" She started to ask. I turned to see what she was staring at. I followed her gaze. Clay hadn't shut the door behind me. He took his shirt off and dropped it to the floor. He turned to face us, but was too preoccupied drying himself off, that he didn't notice us gawking. That man looks good in a shirt, but damn does he look good without one. His arms are nice, but his abs are nothing to frown about either. I'm talking - 6 pack. I sighed. I lead Casey out of the kitchen and upstairs. She followed me to my door. She stopped and pulled at my arm. I turned around to face her.
"Damn Liz, you sure know how to pick 'em." She said. I rolled my eyes, smiling. I nodded. "He is… wow." She finished, dreamily. Derek walked out of his room, in a dry pair of clothes.
"Jeez Case, put your eyes back in your head. That's Z's man you're drooling over." He said. She glared at him.
"Have you seen him?" She asked Derek. He nodded.
"Well, considering I'm not blind. Yeah, I've seen him." He said sarcastically. "You might want to put your tongue back in your mouth. You've got a bit of drool on your chin." Derek said, pointing to Casey's chin. She glared at him, again. She went into her room, fuming. Derek shook his head after Casey went into her room. "I don't understand women." He declared. I scoffed. "What?" He demanded, surprised at my reaction.
"If you saw a hot girl, you would have done basically the same thing." I told him. He thought about it for a second, but didn't say anything. I waited for him to say something, but he didn't. Finally, he shook his head in agreement.
"I would have been a lot cooler about it, than… that." He said gesturing to Casey's door. I nodded.
"Sure," I told him, before going into my room. What should I wear? I need Casey. I sighed. I opened my door, and I shivered. I'm getting a little cold, standing in my cold clothes.
"You know you can change your clothes, Liz?" Edwin asked. I gave him a quick glare.
"Yes, I know Captain Obvious. I just needed to talk to Casey." I told him. I knocked on her door. She opened it.
"You're not going to wear that, are you?" She asked.
"Um, no." I told her. She took my hand.
"Come on," she pulled me into her room. Edwin and Derek laughed.
"I'll save you!" Marti yelled from outside Casey's door. I laughed.
"I'll be alright, Smarti." I told her.
"Okay," She said.
"If she needs us, she'll let us know." I heard Derek assure Marti.
"Smerek, let's go get Clay!" Marti yelled. I heard laughter. I looked at Casey, and we laughed. Casey opened her closet, and started pulling out clothes.
"Am I supposed to wear all of that?" I asked her uncertainly. "Your clothes aren't going to fit." I told her. She looked at me like I was a child who had just said something really stupid.
"They'll fit, Liz." She said.
"I have clothes." I told her. She gave me the look again. She handed me a pair of dark, jean shorts. They're short.
"They were small on me. I didn't try them on at the store. They should fit you. They're yours now." She said proudly.
"Thanks." I told her. I left her room, and returned to mine. I stripped out of my wet clothes, and dropped them into my now empty hamper. Mom must have washed my clothes. Normally I do them myself.
I towel dried the rest of my body. I grabbed some lotion off of my dresser, and lathered it on. I grabbed a dark blue pair of panties from my drawer, and slid them on. I grabbed a dry bra and put it on. I put on the shorts. Casey was right, they do fit me. I opened my own closet, and looked at my shirts. I pulled out a white, tight fitting, Sick Puppies, band tee. Someone knocked on my door as I put my shirt on. I hurriedly put on some deodorant.
I set it down, and opened the door. It's Casey, and Derek. Casey squealed excitedly. Sometimes I wonder if we really do share DNA. We're just so different.
"You know Lizard, you might want to put on a little bit of makeup." She suggested. I grimaced, and made a face. I made it more to myself than to anyone else. Derek chuckled. I shook my head.
"I'm not wearing makeup." I told her. She opened her mouth to protest, but Derek put a finger to her mouth.
"She looks fine, Space Case." He said. She looked slightly taken aback, but I could tell that she wasn't going to give up so easily.
"When do I ever wear makeup, Case?" I asked her. She didn't say anything, thinking about my question. She sighed.
"Fine, don't wear makeup. You still look beautiful, Lizard." She said. I blushed.
"Thanks." I told her. I walked down the stairs. Marti is chatting happily with Clay. I think she's happy to talk to someone who doesn't get annoyed easily. Someone who isn't Ed. He isn't a bad brother. Lately, Marti's just been driving him a little crazy. I was on the second to last step, when Mom and George walked in.
"We're home! The house better not be destroyed!" George called out as he came through the laundry room, into the kitchen. Mom followed behind him, her arms filled with groceries.
"George, I'm sure they didn't destroy the house. They know better than that, now. Besides, the girls were here. They wouldn't let them destroy the house." Mom pointed out.
"That's true. Casey and Lizzie wouldn't let Edwin and Derek destroy the house." George agreed with Mom.
"Need any help?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen.
"No, we grabbed all of the bags from the car already. Thanks, Lizard." Mom said. I nodded. She turned around and smiled at me. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. I normally wear shorts this short. They aren't too terribly short, but they are short, nonetheless. "You look different today, Lizard." She said. I gave a slight frown. "Not in a bad way, just different. You look lovely." Mom assured me. I rolled my eyes. She hit my shoulder playfully.
"Lizard?" Clay asked, amused. He and Marti had gotten up, and came into the kitchen.
"Nickname," I told him. He nodded. Mom smiled.
"Who is this?" She asked, looking at me pointedly. A blush crept onto my cheeks.
"Mom, George, this is Clay." I introduced them. Mom smiled.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." She said beaming. What she said might have been generic, but she actually meant it. George smiled. He shook Clay's hand.
"We're glad to have you." George said, mimicking Mom's smile. Clay smiled.
"It's nice to meet you both." He said. George can him a curious look.
"Isn't that Derek's shirt?" He asked. Clay smiled, again.
"We had a bit of a water war earlier. Derek lent me some things, while I waited for my clothes to dry." He told them. Mom and George laughed.
"I hope you'll stay for dinner." Mom said. Clay looked at me and gave a slow smile.
"I'd love to." He said, never moving his eyes from mine. I smiled, and nodded.
"It's settled, then. We can handle things in here. You two go have some fun." George said dismissively. Clay and I chuckled. "Not like that." George corrected himself, smiling.
"Come on," I told Clay. I led him upstairs. He followed me to my room. I pushed the door open and beckoned him inside. He looked around, as I shut the door. It's weird having him in my room. Apart from a few guy friends, Ed, and Derek, he's the first guy I've had in my looked at the posters on my wall. I've got a Dark Knight poster, of Heath Ledger as the Joker, a David Beckham poster and a Disturbed poster. I have more posters; I just haven't bothered to put them up. I've got small band logos stuck on one of my walls. They're wall stickers, and I like the collage there.
"You've got good taste in music." He said, reading the bands on my wall. He turned to face me. "So this is your room." He said. I nodded.
"Yeah, this is it." I told him.
"Not even the first date and I'm in your room." He said, giving me a playfully arrogant smile. I tossed a throw pillow at him, off of my armchair. He caught it, laughing.
"You can sit down." I told him. He nodded, and sat down on my window-seat.
"You going to sit with me?" He asked. I walked over to him, and sat down. "Your parents seem nice." He said. I nodded.
"Mom and George are great." I told him. Every set of parents have their issues. Mom and George's are pretty minimal. He nodded. He put an arm around me. I leaned my head on his shoulder. It feels natural; it doesn't feel forced. "Tell me something." He said. Taking my left hand, in his right hand.
"What?" I asked him.
"Anything." He answered.
"I write poetry." I told him.
"Really? How long have you been writing?" He asked in surprise. I shrugged.
"I'm really not sure. Ever since I was in… fifth grade, maybe. When my Mom and Dad would go at it, it made it easier to deal with things." I told him. I nodded.
"Does Casey know that you write?" He asked.
"No, she doesn't. Why?" I asked.
"She seems like the type of person who would gloat about it, if she knew. Not in a bad way, of course, but she'd be proud of you." He said. He's only known her, for not even a day, and he has a handle on Casey.
"I haven't told anyone that I write." I told him.
"Except for me?" He asked. I nodded against his shoulder.
"Except for you." I told him. He smiled. "It's your turn." I told him.
"When I was 8, my Dad left me and my Mom. The day after he left, some guy started harassing my mom. She set him straight, but it scared me that I couldn't protect her. After that day, I started working out every day. It made me feel like if something did happen, she wouldn't have to be afraid, because I would be there to protect her." He said quietly. I turned my body to face him. I looked at him.
"She's lucky to have you." I told him. He gave me a sad smile. I surprised myself by putting my arms around his neck, and hugging him. His arms wrapped around my waist, and he hugged me back. "I'm sorry about your Dad." I whispered. He shook his head.
"Don't be. We're better off without him." He said. He didn't say anything further, and I didn't pry. I started to pull back. "What are you doing?" He asked, confused.
"What are you doing?" I asked back.
"I wasn't finished hugging." He said. I laughed, but leaned forward, and continued the hug. He kissed the top of my head, and let me go. I moved back to where I was sitting before. "Can I read one of your poems?" He asked. I've never shown them to anyone before.
"Maybe," I told him.
"Oh, maybe." He said. I nodded.
"I could always tickle you, until you let me." He said seriously. I shook my head.
"What if I'm not ticklish?" I challenged. He nodded. He started tickling my sides. I squealed and tried to push him away. My body shook with laughter. I'm very ticklish, and I hate being tickled.
"Stop," I told him in between laughs. He shook his head.
"You didn't say please." He said. I glared at him. He tickled behind my knees. I squealed again, and had a fit of laughter. He's smiling. I'm laying on the window seat, trashing around like a mad woman. He's on the opposite end of the window seat, leaning over me, tickling me relentlessly.
"Please… please stop." I choked out. He nodded and quit tickling me. I glared at him. I got up, and started walking across the room. My breath is coming out in breathless pants. I do not want to be tickled again. If I laugh too much, I get the hiccups. He picked me up and swung me into his arms. "Clay, put me down." I told him.
"Only if you promise to stop being mad at me." He said.
"No more tickling." I told him.
"No more tickling." He repeated.
"Okay." I said. He put me down. We are standing right next to my Beckham poster. He isn't in uniform in my poster. He has on a black wife beater, and a dark pair of jeans. His hands are wrapped with tape, and he looks so serious. It shows the tattoos on his arms. He looks drool-worthy.
"You like Beckham?" He asked. I nodded.
"How could you tell?" I asked sarcastically.
"It was just an inkling that I had." He said, playing along. I nodded.
"He's an amazing soccer player. And, it doesn't hurt that he's very nice to look at." I said. Clay smirked.
"I know, I mean, he rocks those jeans." He said. I doubled over with laughter. "I try." He said modestly. "But, how can a guy compete with that?" He asked, gesturing to the poster. "I mean, I aspire to be just like him. I've always wanted to be made out of paper." He said. I laughed even harder.
"I'm glad you're not made out of paper." I told him, still trying to regain my breath. He smirked.
"Really?" He asked.
"Really." I told him.
"Good, because, if I was made out of paper, I couldn't do this." He said.
"Do what?" I asked. He pulled me to him gently. He cupped my face and tilted my chin. He brought his lips to mine, softly. My lips tingled. Damn, can he kiss. He pulled away, keeping the kiss innocent. I blinked, and touched a hand to my lips. He gave a small chuckle. My bedroom door opened, and I gave a small jump.
"Hey, dinner's done…" Derek said. He looked from me to Clay, and back to me again. "Am I interrupting something?" He asked. I shook my head. Clay and I left my room, and went into the hallway with Derek. "Z, can I talk to you a minute?" He asked. I looked back at him.
"Sure," I told him.
"I'll meet you downstairs." Clay said. I nodded.
"'Kay," I told him. I looked back to Derek.
"Did you just get your first kiss, Z?" Derek asked in a hushed tone. I blushed furiously. I know that my face is giving me away. He smirked. "You did. You're growing up, Z." He said. I hit his arm, softly.
"Shut up," I told him. His smirk grew. I turned to go downstairs. He made kissing noises at me. "Derek, so help me, if you don't stop, I will pelt you with tampons." I threatened. He smirked, but stopped taunting me. I sat down at the dining room table, next to Clay and Casey.
Dinner went well enough. Everyone made small talk. By the end of the meal, everyone was cracking jokes. Clay fit in with us, better than anyone expected. Mom and George went to bed. Casey took Marti upstairs. Edwin and Derek decided to play video games in Derek's room. That left me and Clay alone downstairs. We are sprawled out of the couch. We finally found something decent on. We settled for a new miniseries on SyFy. We're watching Alice.
"Hatter can definitely pull off that hat." I said more to myself, than to Clay.
"You like his hat?" Clay asked, clearly amused.
"More like, I like the person wearing the hat." I told him. He chuckled.
"I'm not worried. He's got nothin' on me." He said. I laughed. Gradually, we shifted positions, as the show wore on. He stretched out on the couch, and I laid next to him. He wrapped his arms around me, and I used him like a pillow.
"What are you two doing?!" I heard someone yell. I opened my eyes. The show is still on. I looked over at Clay. He looks like he just woke up. We must have fallen asleep. I sat up, and looked over to see who was yelling. It's Derek.
"Relax Derek, we fell asleep." I told him, rubbing my temple. He looked at Clay suspiciously. Derek nodded, and walked back upstairs, clearly agitated. Clay sat up. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. It's 10:24. He sighed.
"I better go." He said. I nodded, then remembered that he didn't drive over here.
"How are you going to get home?" I asked him stifling a yawn.
"Oh shit, I forgot." He said. He hit some keys on his phone and held it up to his ear. "Hey, can you pick me up?" He asked into the phone. "See you in five, bye." He said. I looked at him questioningly. "My mom's going to pick me up." He said. I nodded. He put his arm around me, and I leaned into him, still tired. I yawned. I must have dozed off. "Elle, I gotta go." He said. I opened my eyes. He's smiling at me.
"Sorry," I said apologetically. He shook his head.
"Don't be sorry. You should get some sleep." He said. I nodded. I got up and walked him to the door. He turned to leave, and changed his mind. For the second time today, he cupped my face, and tilted my head. He brought his lips to mine. I put an arm around his waist, and brought a hand to his face. He deepened the kiss, just slightly. He ran his tongue along my bottom lip. I gasped. He smiled against my lips. He pulled away. "I'll see you Friday." He promised. I nodded. He gave me one final goodnight kiss, and left. I shut the door behind him.
I went upstairs, to get some sleep. I looked up, just before I ran into Derek. He still looks pissed. He took my hand and led me to his room. I went with him. He flipped on his light, and shut the door. Edwin must have decided to do something in his room.
"Why did you do it?" He asked.
"Do what?" I asked.
"Let him kiss you." He growled. I looked at Derek confused. Why is he acting this way.
"We're going out on Friday. We're dating, Derek." I told him.
"He isn't good enough for you." He said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because you deserve better than him." He said.
"There isn't anything wrong with Clay." I protested.
"You deserve better!" He half shouted. He grabbed me by the arms and looked at me.
"Who's better, Derek?" I asked him softly. He shook his head.
"Not him." He said quietly.
"You're not making any sense." I told him. He touched his forehead to mine.
"I'm sorry." He said. "I shouldn't have…" He whispered. He hugged me tightly, and let me go. He opened his bedroom door. "Have sweet dreams, Z." He said.
"Make sure the bed bugs bite?" I asked him. He shook his head.
"If they bite you, I'll kick their asses." He said with a small smirk. I walked back to my room. I took off my shorts, and let them drop to the floor. I took my shirt, and my bra. I grabbed a clean shirt, and a pair of basketball shorts. I fell onto my bed, and let sleep wash over me. This morning, I wasn't sure of anything. Right now, I'm even more confused.