An: yay, another chapter! :D love y'all, love y'all(: disclaimed:)
Derrick Harrington's Elite House Party!
Where: Derrick's house, Maple Street, House Number 376
When: November 20, 7:33 PM
Who: Derrick Harrington and Kristen Gregory
Why: BECAUSE WE FUCKING CAN.
Massie reread the neon orange flyer that she found stuffed in her locker earlier that day. She didn't know why she went; maybe it was because she needed to get out. Or maybe because she always had a thing for parties. But it was mostly because under who was going to host it, it stated Derrick Harrington and Kristen Gregory. And that stuck to her for the rest of the day, until she went home, finished her homework—what else was there to do after you lost your best friends?—and changed into something else.
The party hadn't started until 7:33, so Massie decided to visit Connor at the hospital. She fed him and talked to him about her current situation, and she left feeling only a tiny bit of satisfaction. She liked Derrick. She knew that for a fact. And she assumed that Derrick felt the same. But, according to rumors, and her flyer, she was wrong.
She grabbed her keys out of the ignition and stepped out of her convertible. She locked her door and adjusted her cardigan. She walked around the corner towards Derrick's house. The exterior surprised her; tissue was thrown around the trees that scattered around his front yard, kids were rolling around in the grass, some throwing up in the bushes. She could hear the loud, Jason Derulo song playing from the inside. She ran a hand through her hair and took lackadaisical steps up the driveway. She walked up to the door and opened it.
She was greeted with a couple making out, the boy's hand groping the girl's thigh. Massie wrinkled her nose and pushed past them and deeper into the house. Boys and girls of every kind held red Dixie cups, filled to the rim with bubbling, amber liquid. The loud beat of the reverberating Nicki Minaj song flowed through the house, as if the music notes were floating around. She stuffed her hands in her jacket's pockets and she walked through the house again.
Where are you, Derrick?
_whereitallbegins_
Derrick stumbled upon Dana, who's face resembled shock and ooh-i'm-gonna-tell. His eyes widened and he grabbed her arm lightly, tugging her up to her room, all the while, she was yelling, "I'm telling Mom! I'm telling Mom!" He shoved her into her room and he locked the door behind him. He pivoted to her and lifted his palms. "Look, Dana, listen to me. You can't tell Mom. Please. I beg you. Don't tell her. She's going to flip and I'm going to get in trouble."
Dana rolled her eyes and crossed her legs. "I saw Massie down there," she stated quietly. "Why haven't you been talking to her?"
Derrick frowned. His eyes widened. He plopped down next to her and grabbed his knees. "What do you mean she's here?"
Dana cocked an eyebrow. She shook her head and stood up, standing in front of her bulletin board. She tugged on a picture of she and Massie. Her teeth clenched together and her eyes welled with tears. "I like Massie, Derrick. She's good for you. Not your current affair. Why is it that you can't be with Massie? I like her. She's perfect for you, Derrick!" She whipped around and scowled at him.
Derrick's eyebrows knitted together and he ran a hand through his hair. "You don't understand, Dana. Massie doesn't want to be with me. I need to be with Massie. I have to be with Massie. I want to be with Massie. She's just the best thing that could ever happen to me. But the thing is, she doesn't think the same way." He released a heavy sigh and buried his face into his hands. He peered up at her and said, "I really do like her, though. No, no, I love her."
Dana rolled her eyes and shouted, "Then ask her to be your girlfriend, Derrick! She's waiting for you to make the move!"
Derrick stood up and angrily yelled, "I already did that, Dana! Listen to me! No matter what you think of me, I will always love Massie!" His voice lowered and he sheepishly looked down at his feet. "But she doesn't feel the same way."
"How do you know?"
"Because I just do, okay? You'll learn when you get older. You'll see."
Dana stared at him, sympathy lost in her eyes. "You need to do something, Derrick. Things are getting creepy. And Massie... you stopped talking to her! You practically lived at her house for a week, and then all of a sudden, you're with Gregory?" she spat her name out as if it was a lemon-spinach milkshake.
Derrick stared at her. "Fine, Dana. I'll try. But I won't make any promises."
_whereitallbegins_
Josh wandered around the gargantuan haven that Derrick secluded himself in. He had seen it all; the groping, the dancing, the drinking, the yelling. He saw Kristen practically taking her shirt off for Derrick. He sat down on a picnic table in Derrick's backyard. He looked up at the moon and gazed at the bright light that illuminated the whole of New York.
From behind him, he heard footsteps crushing against the plush, green grass. "Josh?" a tiny voice whispered.
He whirled around on the bench, coming face to face with Dana Harrington. Her light brown eyes sparkled and her usually wavy dark honey blond hair was straightened. She timidly stepped forward and her cheeks were flushed. "Joshua Hotz, I haven't seen you since elementary," she quickly recovered.
Josh laughed and stepped off the bench. "Hey you," he chuckled, pulling her in for a tight embrace.
They backed down onto the bench again and sat down together. Josh had forgotten how fun Dana actually was. They chatted for almost two hours, about life in Minnesota and in Westchester, about Derrick, about school, about past girlfriends and boyfriends and about life in general.
He chuckled at the necklace she had chained around her neck. It was of a pink cow with her tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth. He pressed his thumb into it and Dana jerked back. "Don't touch me there, Josh!" She smacked his arm and he winced. "Ouch," he responded, rubbing his arm. "Jeez, you slap really hard."
Dana giggled behind her palm and clapped her hands together. "Well, someone needs to protect me. What if I was walking down the street alone and some random creep came up to me and started inappropriately harassing me?" she asked him in a duh manner.
Josh rolled his eyes and casually wrapped an arm around her tiny shoulders. "Then my Dana's-in-trouble radar would start tingling and I'd come for you with tights outside of my skinny jeans," he simply replied.
Dana giggled again and subtly leaned into Josh. She always had the tiniest of crushes on him. She'd constantly flirt with him, hoping that he'd finally stop thinking her Derrick Harrington's younger sister and finally think of her as Dana Harrington, girl that's free to date. "Well, thank you," she smiled.
Josh softly smiled and leaned his cheek on the top of her head. "No. Thank you," he murmured.
She looked up and stared at his deep red lips. They seemed kissable. Full and so close to her mouth. Dana Harrington took a leap of faith and dove in, her lips landing perfectly on his.
_whereitallbegins_
Derrick didn't know why the hell he had to walk in on Josh and his little 14-year-old sister kissing. Under his circumstances of half-asleep and half-drunk? He yelled unintelligible words, all of them a string of possible profanities. He stumbled upon his own feet, but continued his way towards his younger sister and so-called friend.
;;
Massie heard the yelling from inside the large cave of a house. She quickly disabled the music and rushed her way outside, following the flock of kids who were curious about the goings-on. She pushed through and outside to find Dana screaming at Derrick who was on top of Josh, punching his already bloody face. Cam was there as well, pulling Derrick off of Josh, yelling something about everything being Derrick's fault or something or other. Invading her peripheral vision were the Pretty Committee, Claire standing there with a hand planted on her hip. But Massie could see deep into her eyes.
She felt horrible for Josh. Even if she apparently "liked" Derrick, Josh was still her friend and seeing that crushed her. Kristen was busy cackling away like an idiot on the side, chanting for Derrick to pants Josh.
Massie rolled her eyes angrily and stormed her way to Dana who was sobbing and yelling at Derrick to stop. Massie shoved her to the side lightly and then shoved Cam. She didn't know where her anger was coming from, but she was glad that it came to her now. Cam rolled off of Derrick and landed on his back with a thud. She grabbed Derrick's shoulder blades and wrestled his back until he came loose and fell onto his back.
;;
Derrick looked up at his opponent who had succeeded in tugging him off of his newfound enemy. The beauty that he stared at was Massie herself, her eyes wild and her chest going up and down, her breathing coming out loud. She leaned down and smacked Derrick right across his face. His hand flew up to his cheek in astonishment, and a round of gasps circulated.
She leaned down, her amber eyes drilling into his innocent brown ones. "You're an ass, Derrick Harrington. You're a big ass. So stop making such a big fool of yourself because you're just pitiful." Her back erected and she whirled off with Dana hidden under the crook of her arm.
Josh lay there, Cam with an ice pack on his face. His eyes widened at the sight of his mom next to Josh, taking aid to his wounded appearance, gently wiping the blood off. She looked up at him, anger and disappointment written on her face. She sighed and mumbled something incoherent.
To Derrick's buzzing ears, he thought he heard her say, "I agree."
_whereitallbegins_
Dana sniffled into Massie's shoulder. "I didn't think Derrick was going to be angry! Or see that I did that!"
Massie sighed and rubbed her arm. "I know, sweetie, I know," she consoled. She brought her to a corner in the street and they sat on the edge of the sidewalk.
Dana shook her head. "I feel so bad for Josh. The only reason why Derrick even decided on punching him is because he saw you and... Or... I..." She looked up at Massie, her eyes red and swollen. She shook her head again and ran both of her hands through her hair.
"I just... He likes you so much, Massie. He took his anger out in himself out on Josh, I think. No, I know. He... Or... I just... I just wish that you and Derrick would stop for just four seconds and see how perfect you guys are for each other. I mean, you need him and he needs you and you both want each other. It's just that there's always something there that stops it from happening! I mean, don't you think that breaking up with Chris Plovert the day you see Derrick again... Don't you think that that's fate? That there's a reason why on that particular day that you break up with him?"
Massie sighed and again rubbed her arm. "Dana, shhh, you don't know what you're talking about. Your brother doesn't need me. Now, again, tell me what was up with that? Why did Derrick punch Josh again?"
Dana threw her hands up in the air. "Because he saw Josh and I kissing! I mean, it's not like it was Josh himself who kissed me, it was me who initiated it! And Josh was trying to push me away anyway. And then Derrick came stomping over and gave a big whopping punch to him in the face and boom!" Her hands separated to show what she meant by the boom.
Massie smiled at that. Even if Dana was depressed, she could still keep her animated self. "Okay, and then what?"
"And then you came and did your thing, which by the way was amazing. I mean, did you see the way everyone was looking at you? They practically wanted to bow down to you!" She chuckled to herself and made a bowing motion towards Massie. "You are amazing, O Holy One."
Massie pushed her hands away and shook her head. "No, no, disagree. Don't do that. The only reason why I did that in the first place is because he was irritating me. It wasn't for anyone else but for me. And I guess for Josh, as well, but that was because it was unfair that Derrick hurt him like that. It's like, it was your choice to kiss Josh, not his. And I just wanted to show him that. Because..." She cleared her throat and shook her head. "Nothing, never mind. Uh," she stood up and hurriedly wiped the bottoms of her jeans, "let's go over there." She pointed to a lone street corner and Dana nodded, following suit.
They walked over to the street corner, the atmosphere turning colder and darker. Dana shivered under her jacket and anxiously glanced at Massie. "Mass, I don't like the feeling I'm getting here." She grimaced and ran a hand through her hair, shivering again.
Massie nodded, not paying attention. Her focus was pointed on a bush. What was peculiar were the familiar pair of legs that were sticking out of it. Her head buzzed with what she knew she was going to see. She had gotten paranoid after the Connor incident, thinking that everything around her, even the every day ordinances, could kill.
But those legs... They didn't seem like an every day coincidence.
Pushing the bushes apart, it only led her to the one thing she was afraid to witness.
Antoinette's body lay there like Massie had pictured it to be. Blood, there was blood again. And gurgling, she could hear it from countries away. And Dana yelled for something. Was it help? Was she asking who it was? There was a beer bottle, too. And her purse dragged open. But it wasn't easy for her to lay eyes upon her. Again, pitch dark black engulfed her, swallowing her whole. A faded, screaming voice was the last thing she heard.
an: read anything by the following authors: smilez014, picturebookgirl, and simplysparks. amazing shit right there.
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erycka(: