Derek, Chapter Thirty Six

It felt good. It felt so good. My body was floating in a deep ocean, where millions of little fish were swimming. I opened my mouth to speak, before abruptly closing it. I thought I would suffocate, that my lungs would drown in water, but nothing happened. I opened wide my mouth and breathed in. My throat didn't burn at all. On the contrary, I felt incredible. So I observed my body and noticed I didn't have any legs. A tail was replacing them. I put my hands in front of me and saw fins between my fingers. I wasn't wearing any clothes, only shells on my breasts. I looked like the little mermaid, but with black hair. I happily laughed and followed the fish. After a while, I felt a draft and a magnificent dolphin passed on my right, swimming away. I tried to catch it.

"Wait!"

He suddenly stopped and made his way back to me. He circled me a few times, then brushed my hand, telling me to follow him. I did so and he sped up ahead. I swam in happiness. And then…

Beep beep beep beep

The alarm clock yelled in my ears. I growled, and buried my face in a warm torso.

"Law.. Make this infernal devise shut up.." I grumbled out.

I felt Law stretching his arm and he pushed down hard on the machine, which finally made it stop beeping. I growled, happily this time, and rubbed my cheek on his skin. He put his hand on my hair and stroked it. If I could, I would've purred.

"Cerys, we have to get up. We'll be late…" He said in a sleepy voice.

"But I don't wanna get up…" I whined.

"Me neither, you see," he replied. "But you have classes, and I need to give mine. So, get up."

He sat down, which made me tumbled down his chest. I whined even more, my face stuck in my pillow. I heard him let out a sigh.

"If you don't want to get up…"

I felt him move and a shadow lingered on my body. The mattress creaked and his lips furtively ghosted my neck. He very gently bit down while his hands stroked my back, my hips, my butt, my thighs. I shivered.

"I'll have to punish you…" He murmured slyly in my ear before taking it between his teeth.

I whimpered under him while he took advantage of my sleepiness. I felt his lips form a grin against my skin. Oh how he loved teasing me… With difficulties, I got up with a pout and walked to his bedroom door. He followed close.

"Shame," he said, almost sad. "I would've liked to take out the handcuffs…"

I felt my skin burn and I heard him laugh behind me.

It had almost been three weeks since I came back to Law's place. To my sister's joy, actually. You should've heard the scream she uttered when she heard the news. It was enough to give a deaf person their hearing back.

And so I came back to live under his roof, and things were back to normal. Well, not entirely. We still had disputes and disagreement, but tender gestures were a plus. If you can call tender the way Law invites me to sit on his lap as we're watching TV for him to put on a horror movie to have the pleasure to see me jump up and throw myself at him. We were what we could call a couple, of some sort. Of course, our relationship was kept secret, only a handful of people knew.

And there was one person I wanted to tell, but he kept avoiding me every time I tried to talk to him… No, the situation with Derek hasn't been solved yet. And yeah, he was a moron.

Even if I texted him hundred times a day, call him just as much, wait for him at his locker or outside his classrooms, he always slipped through my fingers. Maybe because I was acting like a stalker.. If I was this stubborn, it was because I wanted to explain myself to him. If he didn't want to answer my questions, fine. I wasn't about to pressure him. However, I at least wanted to tell him the evolution regarding mine and Law's relationship. I believed he had the right to know. Why? No idea. Only, my conscience was telling me it was the right thing to do.

Alright, I've decided. Today, I would finally be able to talk to him!

xXxXxXxXxXx

Lost in the shadows, I was waiting, like a ninja, for Derek to show himself. Incognito, I looked with piercing eyes how to infiltrate the enemy's base.

...Well, I was actually at the end of the locker row, waiting for the redhead to make an appearance at his. I hid my body on the other side of the last locker, my head sticking out to observe my surroundings, and the students walking around gave me strange looks. No time to think about my image, I was on a mission! And anyway, I always doubted I was totally alright in the head.

Anyhow, I patiently stared at the locker, hoping to see him soon. The last bell had rung a few minutes ago, so he should be here soon. Unless he was gone already? Yet I'd run here after my class just to be certain I wouldn't miss him. So if he already came..

I was taken out of my thoughts when three guys posted themselves in front of the locker. I recognised one of them. I winced. It was Derek's lockermate... I had hoped I would never see him again. Last time, I wanted to throw him at the wall... I took a deep breath to try to calm me down.

The ape (he needed a name, right?) unlocked the padlock and opened the door. I waited for him to take his stuff and go away, but no, he stayed there, loudly talking to his friends. I sighed, frustrated. I knew Derek didn't like him very much, with the reaction he had last time, and I don't think his presence would be welcomed when the redhead would show his face. Aaaand of course, when I wanted something, the complete opposite happened instead. Derek walked aroung the corner, coming closer to us. I cursed.

As he was approaching, the three boys had the same reaction at the same time. They quickly got away from the young man, like he was contagious. Maybe he had the flu?

"Ah, don't get too close!", said friend #1. "I'll catch your disease!", laughed friend #2. They loudly bursted out laughing.

Derek clenched his fists, his jaw tightening, but said nothing. The people around didn't do anything. I was boiling. How could they say such things? Why did they hate him so? And why was no one stepping in? I couldn't take it anymore.

I got out of "hiding" and went towards the redhead. He didn't notice me, too occupied searching through his locker. The three others, on the contrary...

"Hey, isn't that the little girl from last time!" They laughed wickedly.

I ignored them and went on my way. It was no use reacting to their provocation. I stepped behind Derek and took a deep breath.

"Hey," I muttered.

I saw his body freeze just a sec. Then, he continued what he was doing, taking his books, shoving them in his bag and going away, without looking back. I ran after him and grabbed his wrist to stop him in his track. He violently pushed me off and threw me daggers with his eyes.

"What do you want?!" he spat out. His eyes were full of hatred, like the first time I met him.

His gaze was like a knife through my heart. I looked down, sad. "I just want to talk..." I mumbled with a small voice.

I saw his body language loosed up a bit. He was calming down. I looked up and was about to open my mouth, but heard laughs behind me.

"Ahhh, look at them, so cute!"

I turned halfway and saw the three idiots laughing in our faces. "The little girl is in love with the big boy!" the ape mocked. "Unfortunately for you, he's not interested." He slowly came closer and gave me a look full of untold words.

I winced. I wanted to puke...

"Come play with us instead..." he declared with a soft voice.

A horrible shiver ran down my spine and I turned around. "No, thank you" I spat out with a disgusted grunt.

I saw Derek walk away again. Irritated, I followed suit and extended my arm again to grab his. Only, as my hand touched him, the lights went out and we were in complete darkness. Silence was palpable for a few seconds, and then voices echoed around us, asking what was going on. It wasn't hard to guess. A snowstorm was raging outside since this morning. It wasn't rare in those circumstances for the power to go out. The only problem was to know when it would come back. It could last minutes, to hours. And since the school didn't have a whole lot of windows, we couldn't see anything.

I sighed, and noticed the ginger was frozen again. Or, should I say, trembling. Was he okay?

"Derek?" I asked, unsure.

He jumped at my voice and abruptly took my arm. He grabbed on so tightly I felt his nails get deeper into my skin, even with my coat on. However, I didn't account for my suffering. His breathing was ragged and irregular, his teeth were chattering, and he was trembling with all his being. Something wasn't right.

Before I could ask what was wrong, the lights came back on and I was able to see for myself. Only, it worried me even more. He was as pale as a ghost, his eyes reflecting the terror he was feeling. I frowned and gently put my hand on his, which was still on me.

"Hey, you okay?" I slowly asked.

He seemed lost for a couple of seconds, before suddenly realising where he was. He blinked, and finally looked at me.

"I..." He whispered, completely lost.

Behind us, the one I really wanted to hit if he continued interrupting us cleared his throat. "See, he's a total wuss!"

My body stopped moving.

"And that's not all! He's aggressive, stupid, and arrogant." I very slowly turned around. "And like I said before, he's not interested!"

I clenched my fists. My hair was hiding my face, and I hoped it gave me a menacing aura.

"Alright, ya done?" I dryly responded, annoyed.

He didn't seem to notice I was two seconds away from shoving my fist up his guts since he ignored me. His eyes instead doubled in size, like he just had a revelation.

"Oh! You must be like him then! That's why you said you were his friend!"

I looked up, a little less annoyed, a bit more confused. What was he on about? He talked in riddles from the start. I didn't understand jack poo! And he said I was like him? That I was what?

"Not that it's THAT bad, actually. It's less repulsive," he spat out, disdainfully. He had a perverted smirk that made me gag. "Two girls kissing is actually pretty hot..."

I froze. My brain just did the math. If he was that hateful towards Derek, if he got away as soon as he was a bit close, if he openly mocked him, it was because he was gay? THAT was the reason? He hated him simply on the fact he liked men? My face was changing because of rage. I hated people like him. Rejecting someone just because of their skin colour, their origins, their religion or sexuality was repulsing. And he even said he was sick, that he was contagious.

My anger took over my body. I couldn't control anything. It wasn't my head that was in charge, but instead my feelings. I came closer and when he was just close enough to touch, I latched out. I kicked his side. Surprised, he didn't have time to anticipate my hit. He bended in half and grunted out in pain.

I wasn't done with him. I came closer again. He pitifully looked up. I took his skull and lifted my knee. It violently came in contact with his nose and I heard a snap. I just broke it. He fell backwards and hit the ground. He whined, his hands on his face, and soon his fingers dripped with blood. I could've stopped there. I should have. I didn't. My body had a mind of its own. I straddled him and hit him as hard as I could, again and again. Blood was splashing around, staining my uniform. Screams resonated around me. His friends had fled. A confused echo resonated in my ears.

"You fucking bastard!" I yelled. "Apologise! Ask Derek for forgiveness!"

I wasn't seeing straight. If it continued, he was going to drown in his own blood. Fortunately, Derek intervened and pulled me away from my victim by putting his arms under my armpits and dragging me away. I tried to break free, mad as a demon.

"Let me go!" I raged. "No!" He screamed back. "If you continue, you're gonna kill him!"

His yelling calmed me down. I stopped struggling and became limp as a tissue. He slowly let me go, as if he was afraid the furious crazy woman would come back. But nothing of that sort happened. I stayed still, trapped in my own mind. I couldn't believe I just did that. Normally, I was violent at all. I wasn't able to control myself. I started to tremble. I was so scared. Of myself.

After that, all seemed to happen in a filter, like it was a dream. An adult came and brought me to the principal Shanks. He asked me a few questions, wanting to know why I did it. Only, the words were stuck in the back of my throat. He sighed after a while, discouraged by my lack of communication, and said he would call my parents. Law arrived shortly after and used his hand to tell me to follow him, without uttering a word. He only looked at me. He sent me back home. Once inside, he went to the kitchen. As for me, I locked myself in my room. Later that night, the phone rang. It was the principle. I was suspended for two weeks.

xXxXxXxXxXx

I was in my bed, staring at the sealing of my room, waiting for the hours to go by. Three days already since I got suspended. Law tried the first day to discover the reason why I did that, but I stayed as silent as the day before. So, he left me alone and only talked when necessary. My mother had called. She got angry at first, not understanding my fight, then she became sad, to finally burst out crying. My father had taken the phone, and spoken calmly. He asked me how I was doing and said that when I was ready to talk, he would listen. And at last, he wished me a good night and hang up. Tears came as I had put down the phone.

I sighed and hardly got up. My limbs were sore from sitting awkwardly all day long. I walked towards my desk and sat down on the chair. I had to write down an apology letter to the lockermate of Derek. Only, I had absolutely no idea what to write down. I regretted my act, immensely, but I couldn't forgive him for the way he acted towards my friend. I still had to do that letter before the end of the two weeks. So, I took a pencil, put the lid on top of a white sheet, and thought. I stayed like this for a good two hours. But nothing came. My sheet stayed completely untouched. I angrily put down my pencil and buried my face in my hands. If only I could go back in time...

Suddenly, I heard the bell ring in the apartment. I was surprised. It was too soon yet for Law to be home, and in any case, he didn't knock first before coming in. Maybe it was some seller of a useless trinket? Or a religious person trying to sell their god. I got up and walked out of my bedroom to go to the entrance. I opened the door and was taken back by who I saw.

"Derek? What in the..."

He nervously scratched his neck. "Can I come in?"

I nodded, still stupefied, and stepped aside to let him pass. He took off his things and put his bag at the entrance. Without really knowing what to do, I invited him to join me in the living room and proposed him to sit down on the sofa. He did.

"You want something to drink?" I asked.

He shook his head and scanned the room around him. I stayed up, balancing on one foot, then the next, before joining him on the furniture. Silence stayed for a solid minute. I was about to burst. I hated those kinds of silence.

"How did you find out where I live?" I asked to break the ice.

He avoided my gaze. "I have my sources..."

"Ah! Don't tell me you sneaked through my things to get it?!" "N-no! I just got it at the same time I got your phone number."

He pouted and crossed his arms. Even with my gloomy humour from the past few days, a small smile appeared on my face. "It's basically the same.."

His pout widened and he refused to answer me. I sighed.

"Never mind that, I wanted to speak with you regardless."

He finally dared to look at me, even if it was sideways.

"I'm sorry!" I exclaimed suddenly. My outburst made him jump. "W-why?"

I looked down at the ground. "Well... I'm going out with Law..."

He froze, but quickly return to his cool stature. "Why are you saying sorry to me?"

I nervously played with the end of my shirt. "Well, you like him, no?"

That was the conclusion I came to, imposing itself in my mind. He hated me, wanted to separate me from Law, and he liked men, so... And that would also explain why he took my hand in the cafeteria. He wanted to show Law that it was over.

I must've come to the right conclusion since he blushed, even his ears turning red. "S-so what!" he stuttered, on the defensive. I smiled. "What made you fall under his spell?"

He stared at me, surprised and confused. "You don't find it disgusting, for a man to love another?" I blinked. "No. Should I?"

He opened his mouth, closed it. I've shot him up.

"If the feelings are honest and sincere," I said, "Then what's the problem?"

"But the others..."

"The others are idiots!" I got mad. "For me, it doesn't change anything. You stay the same grumpy friend who doesn't love me."

He faintly smiled. "You're strange."

"Thanks!" I happily said. He shook his head.

"You didn't answer my question!" I reminded him. He blushed again, looking away.

"Don't laugh, okay? It was his eyes that caught my attention."

"His eyes?" He nodded.

"They have such a deepness in them. So mysterious, but at the same time, revealing. I get myself lost in them each time."

I thought for a second. "It's true that they give of this impression." He solemnly nodded in agreement with me. "And you?" I nervously laughed.

"Honestly? No idea."

He raised his eyebrow, suspicious.

"It's true!" I responded at his quiet question. "I've hated him for so long that I had trouble understanding why my feelings changed all of a sudden. But if I had to give out a reason..." I gently smiled. "Maybe it's because he takes such good care of me.