Facing Love

Chapter 7

"You want to get to know me, so you take me to a place where we aren't supposed to talk?" Derek opened my door and helped me out taking my hand. As soon as I was out, he quickly let go of my hand and disappointment hit.

"I didn't think you wanted to talk much, hense me parking a distance enough for a.. chat." He's smart, so far surprised me twice. "Baby steps." Reading my thoughts, Derek reached out for my hand again this time intertwining our fingers. There was a moment of awkward silence which killed the point of talking as we approached the theatre. Breaking our silence and my thoughts, "I'm sorry for picking you up an hour early, but the film started at 7:20." I hadn't realized that I originally asked him to pick me up at 8. I heard him humming the melody of Night Changes and I laughed under my breath. "Now I get why you and my sister obsess over them. That song is stuck in my head!"

"Wait what? You have a sister?"

"Yea, but she's not important." I gave Derek a shocked look and shrunk down. I've always wanted a sibling, and here he was not knowing how lucky he was. "I'm joking, but yea I have a older sister. You would have known that if you used one of your 20 questions to find out instead of asking whether I would rather have a toe as a penis or a penis for a nose."

"Well I didn- ugh, whatever. Tell me about this sister." We were almost approaching the theatre when I noticed he slowed down his pace.

"She's in college, graduated from our school two years ago. She's weird, but I love her. I couldn't have survived freshman year without her."

"What's her name?"

"Cassidy, but she hates it. When you do meet her, just call her Cass." He squeezed my hand at the word 'when' and a bit of nervousness came over. Does he really think we'll be that close to introduce me to his sister? When he mentioned Cassidy, I immediately remembered of her. She was beautiful, like crazy beautiful. I remember her showing me around school freshman year talking about how amazing high school was going to be. Bullshit. Now that I remember it, she did mention having a brother in my grade but I never would have thought it was Derek. Not because I didn't acknowledge his existence, but because she's hot and he's... well he's Derek. This new bit of information made me realize how similar they are. Both are smart, blue eyed brunettes. Except she actually got around school. Cass was like me in that way, probably why I liked her. She slept around with a few guys before settling with guy a grade below her. The middle of her senior year was all about him, Danny. Ever since that I stopped paying attention to her. I wonder if they were still together?

Derek and I reached the ticket booth, and before I could take out my wallet, he paid the lady and pulled me away. "You're not paying for anything, I'm the one who asked you out, I'm the one who gets to pay." He shot me a comforting smile and once again grabbed a hold of my hand. I hated when people spent money on me. To me, it felt like I couldn't take care of myself. I felt like taking my money and shoving it down his pockets until I realized the sexual content to that.

The movie was really good. Derek picked the movie assuming that I'd like it. It was an action movie which once again suprised the hell out of me. He's so strange. I couldn't tell if he was doing this on purpose or he just doesn't have a romantic bone in his body. I guess I was relieved about it. Here I thought he was doing this to pull that cliche kiss during a romantic scene or during our 'romantic' dinner. Instead, we were here, at the movies, watching a sci-fi action film, barely even looking at eachother throughout the movie. The most interaction we had was hand holding which I enjoyed. Derek's hands are so big and warm. He also does that thing where he caresses your hand with his thumb. Everytime he stopped, I would jerk my hand to grab his attention as a plea for his caressing. I did catch him glance over to me a few times, probably to see if I was watching the movie and enjoying it. Derek must have done research or something because sci-fi action movies were my favorite. He seemed interested in my comments throughout the movie, even trying to start conversation. I was too into the movie to answer back. When the movie finished, I pouted. It was mostly because I really enjoyed the movie, but a little part of me just didn't want the night to end. Derek laughed at me as we took our half tub of popcorn and left the theater hand in hand.

"That movie was fucking amazing. I need to come back and see it again." The whole movie replayed in my head, and I was so ready to go home and beg my dad to come watch it with me.

"Yea, I thought you'd like that movie," Derek squeezed my hand and led us the opposite direction of his car.

"Wai- Where are we going? The cars that way."

"It's only 9:40 Jamie. I still have another 20 minutes with you. We're getting frozen yogurt." I loved the idea of frozen yogurt. Its like he knows everything about me. I could already smell the sweetness around me as Derek held open the door. I quickly ran to the cookies and cream yogurt and barely filled my cup. Derek was gunna pay regardless if I paid the cashier first so I decided to be cheap about it. I felt bad, I couldn't help it. Sensing that I barely filled my cup, Derek's arm toward over my shoulder and held the crank to fill my cup. "You don't have to feel bad, get as much as you want."

"You don't have to keep spending money on me, I can take care of myself."

"Maybe so, but this is a date. Get whatever you want, I'll be at the chocolate machine and if I come back and your cup isn't filled I will but three more cups filled with cookies and cream and make you eat them all." Having him saying this over my shoulder sent a chill down my spine. I felt his hand at the bottom of my back before he disappeared behind me. I wasn't up to picking a fight with him about frozen yogurt so I headed towards the candy and sprinkled gummy bears and cookie pieces. Derek appeared beside me filling his cup with sprinkles and cookie pieces. He grabbed my cup and headed to the cashier. The door besides me opened and behind me I hear Andy and a group of guys. Fuck. Not now.

"Jamie Miles. It's been.. awhile." I can feel his eyes scan up and down my body, and I could tell he hasn't told his 'boys' about today. I felt relieved and I thought he wasn't going to bring it up. I turned around to awkwardly say hi and right away I see Victor, one of the guys I slept with. Shit, I forgot they still hung around. "You look hot tonight." I could still see anger in his eyes and flashbacks of him forcing himself on me. The anger deepens as Derek appears behind me with both our cups. Andy's eyes dart back and forth between me and Derek before laughing. "You've got to be kidding me right?"

"Derek lets go." Luckily he doesn't fight it and follows me to the door. I'm hoping we could get out of there before Andy says anything.

"Dammit Jamie, don't lead the boy on! We all know you'll be back in my bed tomorrow!" I fought the urge to turn around and curse him off but that would only make things worse. I reach out for Derek's hand but I don't feel him grabbing on. No. Fuckkkk.

"Hey man, shut the fuck up. Don't talk about her like she's one of your puppets. Jamie has standards." I've never seen Derek so angry. I didn't think he could get angry. I quickly reached and grabbed his hand.

"Derek let's go, he isn't worth it. C'mon." I desperately try to pull him away but Andy doesn't shut up.

"The thing is, she is one of those 'puppets'." I could see he's taking this as a joke, trying to humiliate me like I did to him. And I was..

"Not anymore." Derek is strong. Physically I mean, he isn't moving as I try to pull him with me still holding his hand.

"Then tell me, where were you when we were fucking today?" There it was. I could see Victor shift uncomfortably but my focus was shifted to Derek and how I felt his hand, the one I've been holding onto all night, slip from my grip.