Innocence Lost On the Gamble of Love

Innocence Lost On the Gamble of Love: Chapter 15

Derrick ended up being the eighth wheel. Two of Penelope's other friends ended up tagging along at the last minute. It was awkward, to say the least since he had never conversed with any of these people aside from a few civil, correspondent phrases.

"How was the quiz?" Derrick asked Penelope while they ventured through the mall. 

The group had slowly drifted out and dispersed into pairs, leaving the couple in the back. Derrick wondered if had been a rouse to get him somewhat alone with Penelope, but even if it had been, it didn't matter- he was happy with the arrangement.

The two of them were holding hands again, and this time it didn't feel uncomfortable at all. It felt right.

"I hope I did okay," Penelope attributed sadly. "I always do bad with graphs."

"I'm sure you did great," Derrick reassured with a bright smile.

Penelope changed the subject with a, "How was your day?"

"It's a whole lot better now," he confided, swinging their arms back and forth.

Penelope smiled.

"You should smile more often," Derrick said.

"What?"

"You always seem so serious," Derrick contributed with a small laugh. "It's like you're mad at the world."

Penelope smirked at his comment. He was catching on.

"Well it's not every day that someone compliments me," she said with a shy, lowered voice.

"Then I'll start complimenting you all the time." He was eager for a challenge.

"I'll hold you to that."

Then they were quiet, and they could hear the other conversations roaming around them:

"Haha, yeah. I heard him present. His report sucked," Liz said to Adrian.

"There's this outfit at Forever 21, and I don't know if I should get it or not. The top is like, a dark purple with white lining..." Hannah said to Carina.

"Ah, last semester. Too bad you guys won't be coming over to SDSU," Vergil said to Lili.

Penelope instinctively hid away from the reminder that the school year was ending by cowering into Derrick's side. He reacted by placing a protective arm around her.

"Are you cold?"

"Just tired."

"Want me to carry you?"

"I'm a hundred pounds," Penelope objected.

"So?" Derrick asked as if he'd been insulted. "You don't think I can handle your weight?"

"You don't need to waste your energy," Penelope justified with a shrug.

Her boyfriend scoffed. "Oh, okay."

"You can use it for other things..." she endorsed impishly, a slight tinge of pink appearing on her cheeks.

"Like what?" Derrick asked, completely oblivious to Penelope's insinuation.

"Oh, never mind." Penelope waved off, shaking her head.

"No, tell me," Derrick said with a grin, squeezing her body closer to him, hoping the action would make her fess up.

"It's embarrassing," she protested.

"Why?" Derrick jeered, wondering what was so bad. "Is it another innuendo?"