d e r e k
☼
Dallas, my best friend, is currently talking about something, going a million miles a minute, with the new girl. We were paired into groups for a project with one other person.
Although we're not starting anything today since it's Friday, we were told to get in our groups and get to know one another if we didn't already; All I know about her is that her name is Payton.
"Anyways, that's Derek, and I'm Dallas. My parents named me after the city I was born in because apparently they're not very creative." Dallas rambles, finally stopping to breathe. "Oh! I have to go ask Mr. Wesley about something!" And then he's off.
"Is he always like this?" Payton asks me, raising an eyebrow.
I laugh. "Pretty much,"
She smiles. "He's cute,"
Jealousy strikes a match inside of me. "Yeah? Well he's mine."
I walk after Dallas, leaving Payton to her own thoughts. Yeah, that was probably kind of rude, but she needs to keep her claws off my best friend.
"What are you doing tonight?" Dallas asks me as I approach him.
I shrug. "I don't know. Did you have something in mind?"
"Thought maybe we could have a sleepover? After football?"
I nod. "That's fine. We can do it at my house."
He nods. "Okay, I'll be over probably around 5:30,"
☼
"Mom?" I ask, pausing in the kitchen.
She looks up from her computer. "What's up, kiddo?"
"Dallas is coming over to spend the night, but..."
"But what?"
"I don't know— I like him, Mom,"
And to my surprise she bursts out laughing. "Oh honey, I already knew that. Why don't you tell me about it?"
"Well, Mr. Wesley is having us do a group project, and he paired us— Dallas and I— with a new girl named Payton. Anyway, you know how hyper Dallas can be. He was rambling on and on and on, and then he went to ask Mr. Wesley a question. She was like 'he's cute' and without even thinking, I just said 'he's mine' and walked away."
"I know it's going to be hard, but honestly, it's not good to keep secrets from people, especially your best friend. I think you need to tell him."
"I can't do that! He'll hate me!" I say.
"Would you rather him hate you because you told the truth, or because you liked him and didn't tell him for twenty years? Honey, I know Dallas, I've known him since he was four years old and you were in preschool together, he is not going to hate you."
I sigh, turning around and going to my bedroom.
☼
It's 5:35 and I just saw Dallas's car pull into my driveway. My heartbeat kicks in to overdrive and my palms start sweating. Here's hoping this won't go down in flames.
Dallas comes up the stairs with his stuff, putting his bag by my desk.
"Wanna go for a walk?" I ask him. "It's a nice evening..."
"Payton seems nice..." Dallas says as we start off on our walk.
I shrug. "Yeah, I mean, I guess she seems nice enough ."
"Her little brother is on the football team. His name is Preston."
"Her family must have a thing for 'P' names," I say.
He laughs and shrugs. "Maybe, or it might've been a coincidence."
"Think it'll be a good season?"
"Yeah, we've got a pretty okay team this year. I wish you were cleared to play,"
"Me too..."
It's our senior year, and the first week of summer, I fell down three flights of stairs while we were on vacation and broke my leg; the doctor said I shouldn't play football this season. Which I think is kind of dumb, because I'm completely healed and feel fine now, but I digress.
"How's Kaitlyn doing?" I ask.
Kaitlyn, Dallas's sister, named after Katy, Texas, is in her first semester of college. If you couldn't tell, Dallas and his family used to live in Texas but moved here to Georgia when he was three, hence Mom knowing him since he was four; she taught our preschool class.
"She seems to be doing okay, although she called Dad hysterically crying five minutes after we left the parking lot because she couldn't find the bathroom and Mom wasn't answering her phone."
I stifle a laugh. "So she's doing great."
"Basically."
☼
Back at the house, we grab some snacks and drinks and return to my bedroom where we decide to watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
I lay back on my bed, stretching out. Dallas says he's going to go change and that he'll be right back.
But it's been five and a half minutes and he hasn't been "right back". I consider going to check on him, but when I make a move to get up he comes back in my room.
"Hey, you okay?" I ask him; He looks pale.
He nods, sitting beside me on the bed.
"I need to talk to you." He says, swallowing hard. "I should've said something earlier, but I didn't want to ruin anything, and anyways, Derek, I like you. I like you a lot, and you can hit me or run away or kick me out of your house or-"
But I cut him off.
I kiss him softly.
When I pull back, he's looking at me.
"I told you he wouldn't hate you." Mom yells from upstairs.
"How did you even—?!" I shout, looking around.
Dallas looks at me, laughing, and then kisses me again.
2/9/2021
I— meh?
