Author's note: Hey! :D Thanks again to everyone reading my story! You guys are awesome! XXXX signifies the passing of time.
ENJOY!
*2 p.m. Saturday afternoon*
"You invited stranger danger to bowling?!" Elizabeth scolded from her seat on the couch in Aurora's living room.
Aurora had asked Elizabeth to come over early to watch a movie or at least that's what Elizabeth had thought. However, it was really to spring the news of Derek's attendance that evening. Elizabeth was taking it better than Aurora had originally thought she would.
"You have to stop calling him that!" Aurora said exasperated, looking over at her friend from her lounge chair.
"You are ridiculous!" Elizabeth said throwing her hands in the air. "First you go on a date with the guy and don't even bother to tell me, now you are inviting him to bowling without telling me!"
"Hey! The date was impromptu! And I just told you." Aurora defended.
"I hate you." Elizabeth huffed. "And your stranger danger boyfriend. Who has the uncanny ability to make you forget how to use your brain."
"I will give you that one. He really really does. But he's not my boyfriend and he is not stranger danger!" Aurora argued.
"Uh huh." Elizabeth said folding her arms.
"I want you to meet him Lizzie! He's nice! And I like him. Give him a chance, please!" Aurora said throwing a smile her best friend's way.
"It's not like I have a choice." Elizabeth joked sticking her tongue out at Aurora.
"That's my girl!" Aurora beamed.
*4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon*
Aurora and Elizabeth arrived at their friend Ethan's house to see that he was sitting on his porch swing waiting for them to show up.
"Are you sure you want to sit in the back?" Aurora asked Elizabeth from the driver's seat.
"Absolutely. Being back here makes it easier to observe." Elizabeth said as their friend Ethan joined her in the backseat.
"Observe what? Ethan, why didn't you take the front seat? Didn't you see that it was open?" Aurora asked suspiciously.
"Elizabeth text me. She said the front seat was for stranger danger. We are going to sit back here and judge. And why am I hearing about your new boyfriend from Liz and not you?" Ethan scolded.
"Do not call him stranger danger! Either of you!" Aurora warned. "And he's not my boyfriend E!"
"Uh huh." Ethan said sarcastically.
"Seriously? Not you too Ethan." Aurora whined.
"I figured you be happy that we are letting your new love bug ride shotgun." Elizabeth teased.
"That's enough from the peanut gallery." Aurora said. "It's probably for the best. Derek didn't seem too happy about Ethan's existence. I wouldn't want to put you two in close proximity."
"What the hell did I do?" Ethan asked extremely offended.
"You were born a male." Aurora laughed.
"He does know I'm gay, right?" Ethan asked.
"Nope. I don't need to explain my friendship with you to him. He can get over it. You are my friend and it doesn't matter if you like women are not we are gonna hangout either way." Aurora said defiantly.
"That's my girl! I would start a slow clap but I can't stand up." Elizabeth teased.
"I don't think he was so much offended as protective. Mountain Man strikes me as the possessive type." Aurora continued.
"Mountain Man?! And you got upset that I called him stranger danger?" Elizabeth mocked. "And you are telling me not only does he creep around in the woods but he's possessive too? Sounds like a charmer."
"Creep around in the woods?" Ethan asked raising an eyebrow.
"Don't ask." Aurora huffed. "Lizzie, he's sweet. You'll like him. Promise me you will have an open mind?" Aurora asked.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Elizabeth agreed.
"Well I think he sounds great." Ethan teased.
"Oh hush!" Aurora told him.
XXXX
Aurora was sure to get to the camp site at five o'clock on the dot. She didn't want to give Mr. Control Issues a reason to complain. He was leaning on the hood of his Camaro, his hands tucked firmly into the pockets of his leather jacket, when she pulled up.
"Damn girl. He's sexy." Ethan said as Derek walked over to the passenger's side of Aurora's car.
"He is easy on the eyes. I'll give you that." Elizabeth added quickly before Derek opened the door.
"Hey there, Mr. Forest Wandering Exercise Maniac!" Aurora taunted as soon as Derek was seated.
"Hi princess." Derek said sweetly leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.
Elizabeth made a gagging noise from the backseat, followed by Ethan snickering.
"Derek, these are my annoying, judgmental friends Elizabeth and Ethan." Aurora said snidely.
"Hello." Derek said in the direction of the backseat.
"Hey there stra-…Derek." Elizabeth laughed. Aurora could see Ethan convulsing in her rear view mirror.
"Ready to get your ass spanked at bowling?" Aurora asked Derek, ignoring Elizabeth and Ethan's whispers from the backseat.
"Isn't it my job to make the ass comments?" Derek teased making Aurora go a dark shade of red.
"What? Spanking not your thing?" Aurora asked boldly, her cheeks still pink.
"Not unless I'm the one doing the spanking." Derek said slyly.
"I think I'm gonna be sick." Elizabeth groaned.
"TMI! TMI!" Ethan cried covering his ears.
"You two have lost your speaking privileges." Elizabeth scolded.
Aurora laughed glancing sideways at Derek who gave her a wink. Aurora felt her heart rate pick up.
"You okay there princess?" Derek asked as if he knew how Aurora's body had reacted.
"Right at rain, Mr. Wilderness." Aurora said trying to play it cool.
XXXX
When they arrived at the bowling alley, they all paid for three games and got set up on their lane.
"I think it should be guys versus girls, best two out of three." Elizabeth said writing her name on the screen.
"That is the best idea you have ever had my wonderful best friend." Aurora smirked.
"Fine with me." Ethan said.
"You aren't gonna cry when we beat you, right?" Derek asked.
"Don't you even start shit talking. You both might as well just give up now and save yourselves the embarrassment." Aurora warned.
"Please. Ethan, let's try not to beat them too bad. Aurora whines enough." Derek said clapping Ethan on the back playfully.
"I can't make any promises." Ethan joked. "When you're good, you just have to let it be. I can't hold back all this skill."
"How about we make this interesting? Losers buys the winners ice cream." Elizabeth proposed.
"Deal." Derek agreed.
"Oh, by the way, I like rocky road." Aurora taunted picking up a bowling ball.
"Mint chocolate chip for me!" Elizabeth chimed in settling down in the nearest seat, Ethan taking the seat next to her.
"Now who's shit talking?" Derek asked sitting down in a chair on the other side of the lane.
"It's not bragging if you back it up." Elizabeth said with a cocky smile as Aurora got a strike.
With a high-five to her best friend as Elizabeth got up for her turn, Aurora went over to sit next to Derek.
"I see your initial dislike for Ethan has subsided." Aurora observed whispering in Derek's ear.
"I figured I'd better be nice or you would throw a fit." Derek joked.
"You are such an ass. Ethan is a sweetheart." Aurora said slapping Derek's knee.
"As long as he's a sweetheart that doesn't touch you, I'm copacetic."
"Derek. I swear. You need to get that in check. You can't just say things like that." Aurora said as she saw Ethan get up to bowl out of the corner of her eye.
"What? I can't say that I don't want another guy touching my girl?" Derek asked.
"Now I'm your girl, huh?" Aurora retorted raising her eyebrows.
"Don't you wanna be?" Derek replied smoothly.
"You son of a bitch. You better be glad I have a thing for that cocky alpha male bullshit." Aurora admitted begrudgingly.
"Really princess? I thought you wore the pants in the relationship?" Derek mocked getting up to bowl when Ethan was done.
"I do!" Aurora spat. "And they're designer."
Aurora saw Derek trying to hold back a smile as he picked up a bowling ball.
As it turned out, Derek was an amazing bowler.
"Excuse me sir, how long have you been a member of the PBA?" Aurora asked in frustration.
"I like Cookie Dough." Was all Derek responded with.
Aurora stuck her tongue out at him and got up to bowl again.
Instead of going back to his seat, Derek stood behind Aurora as she got set to throw the ball.
"I can feel your creepy gaze!" Aurora called back to him. "Sit down."
"I'm just admiring the view." Derek teased.
"You are trying to distract me, you cheater!" Aurora said finally throwing the bowling ball. She only picked up seven pins.
"I would never!" Derek said pretending to be offended.
"If you don't sit down, you are going to digging a bowling ball out of a place you don't want it." Elizabeth warned.
Derek laughed, gave Ethan a fist bump, and made his way back to his seat.
Aurora joined him a few seconds later when she failed to get a spare.
"That Elizabeth is feisty." Derek teased putting his arm around Aurora.
"Oh yeah. Why do you think we are best friends? Peas in a pod buddy." Aurora smiled.
There was a cheer from Elizabeth as she got a strike.
"You're up E. Don't choke." Elizabeth taunted sitting back down.
"I don't like playing sports with you." Ethan whined getting up to take his turn.
"So, do you think you are gonna get another strike?" Aurora asked Derek putting her hand on his thigh.
"Don't you dare." He said with a chuckle.
"What?" Aurora asked pretending to be oblivious. She leaned forward placing small kisses a long Derek's jawline.
"You think you can distract me with that pretty face of yours?" Derek asked in a hushed tone looking into Aurora's eyes.
Aurora grinned running her hand through Derek's hair.
"Most definitely." Aurora told him.
"You're up Derek. And for the love of all that is holy, will you two stop?!" Elizabeth cried.
Derek gave Aurora a quick peck on the lips before jumping up to bowl.
Gutter ball.
Aurora knew she had gotten under his skin.
"Nice shot!" She taunted.
Derek tried to give her a dirty look but it ended up a look of frustration and affection when he saw the cocky smile on Aurora's face.
"I lied. Continue with your method Master Yoda." Elizabeth beamed over at Aurora.
XXXX
"I can NOT believe we lost by five points. FIVE POINTS!" Elizabeth complained as she and Aurora waited in line at Baskin & Robins. The girls had won the first game, the boys the second and it had come down to a third game tie breaker. Derek was the deciding factor of the boys victory when he picked up and seven-ten split in the tenth frame.
"Look at those two. I'd like to smack those smug looks of their faces." Aurora spat glancing over at Ethan and Derek who were sitting at a table waiting patiently for their ice cream.
Elizabeth let out a sigh and ordered Ethan two scoops of pistachio in a waffle cone.
"What if I "accidentally" dropped it?" Aurora joked smiling slyly at Elizabeth.
"Don't even think about it Aurora!" Derek shouted over.
"How the hell did he hear that?" Elizabeth wondered out loud. The girls paid and went over to sit with the boys.
"I have good hearing." Derek said taking a lick of his cookie dough ice cream.
"You have freaky Superman hearing." Aurora corrected.
When the boys were done with their ice cream, they all sat there making light conversation. Elizabeth seemed to have eased up on her judgment of Derek, laughing as he made some joke about him and Ethan being the kings of the bowling.
"More like the peasants of luck!" Aurora teased.
"Oh no. Ex-boyfriend alert." Ethan said with a disgusted look as he stared out the large window they were sitting in front of.
Aurora turned her head just in time to see Dylan and his new girlfriend, Aurora's ex friend Ashley, walking up the steps to the entrance of the ice cream parlor.
"Hey, come here." Derek said seeing Aurora's smile fade from her face.
Aurora let Derek pull her from the seat she was sitting in next to him on to his lap.
"Hi Aurora." Dylan said walking up to their table holding Ashley's hand. He was eyeing Derek irritably. Ashley fidgeted, careful not to take her eyes off the floor.
"Dylan." Aurora said putting her arms around Derek's neck.
"Who's this?" Dylan asked motioning to Derek.
"This is Derek. He's my…" Aurora started to say new friend but Derek cut her off.
"Boyfriend. I'm her boyfriend." He spat at Dylan whose face fell.
Elizabeth and Ethan shot Aurora a 'we told you so look' and Aurora deliberately ignored them.
"Oh." Dylan said flatly.
Aurora felt a slight pang of guilt for the joy she got from seeing Dylan squirm.
"Welp. That's enough awkward for me." Elizabeth said standing up. "We should get home."
"Yeah…" Ethan chimed in. "I've got plans with my boyfriend. He wants to take a break from this huge English paper he is writing." He continued.
"See you later Aurora." Dylan said as she stood up from her seat on Derek's lap.
"Like hell he will." Derek whispered as he stood next to her.
Aurora silently agreed but shot Derek a 'your being possessive again' out of instinct.
As they walked to Aurora's car Derek whispered in her ear "We need to talk."
XXXX
"It was good to meet you Elizabeth." Derek said as Aurora pulled in front of Elizabeth's house.
"Likewise." Elizabeth said with a smile. "Oh, and you can call me Liz."
"Hope to see you again Liz." Derek smiled looking back at her from the passenger's seat.
"Oh definitely. There is a rematch in our future." Elizabeth joked getting out of the car.
"Bye Lizzie! Call you later." Aurora said.
"Bye A! Love you!" Elizabeth called.
"Love you too bestie!" Aurora said before Elizabeth shut the door and walked up the path to her house.
When Elizabeth was safely inside Aurora put her car in drive and headed to the camp site. She had taken Ethan home first and decided to drop of Elizabeth so Derek and her could have that talk. But Derek didn't say anything the whole car ride back to the camp site. Aurora felt like she was going to explode from anticipation when she pulled up next to the Camaro and shut off her car. They both got out and Derek walked around to the driver's side to stand in front of Aurora who was leaning against the door.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Aurora asked nervously breaking the agonizing silence.
"I hope you didn't take what I said earlier about being your boyfriend that wrong way…" Derek began.
Aurora's heart thumped against her chest.
"Aurora? Are you all right?" Derek asked.
"That depends…Are you about to tell me that you don't want to be my boyfriend?" Aurora asked sadly looking into Derek's eyes.
Derek didn't respond.
TO BE CONTINUED