Innocence Lost On the Gamble of Love

Innocence Lost On the Gamble of Love: Chapter 16

"We broke up."

It was lunchtime, and Derrick had decided that it was time to get the full story on this whole Haley thing from before.

"What? Why? When?"

"Tuesday at lunch," Ritchie replied solemnly. He sounded like he didn't even care about what had happened. "She wanted to know why I was being so quiet, and I said it was because you were hanging out with Penelope. She got all defensive saying that if you guys could be happy together then why can't we, blah blah blah," he mumbled in irritation.

He always zoned out whenever he was being nagged at. He had only remembered the gist of the breakup.

He continued, "Then we started arguing about our relationship. I said I didn't see it going anywhere after high school because I don't plan on getting married for a long time. She didn't like that so I said we should end it."

Derrick's eyes widened in shock. He had never expected this to happen so soon. Ritchie and Haley had seemed happy enough... the way he had been with Alexa and Ivy now that he thought about it. All their feelings had been a joke, it was all for show. They had been kidding themselves.

"Wow, I'm sorry, man."

"Don't worry about it." Ritchie shrugged. "This is better. I'll be going into college single."

"I guess so," Derrick replied in doubt.

"What?" Ritchie asked suspiciously, eyeing his friend carefully. "Are you planning on staying with Penelope after you hit that?"

Derrick glared at his best friend's vulgarity. "Don't talk about her like that."

"Dude, you know what's at stake if you lose this bet."

"I don't care, she doesn't deserve to be screwed over," he retaliated harshly. "She's the only real girl I've ever been with."

"It's your car..." Ritchie reminded obnoxiously.

"Yeah, I know, okay?" Derrick snapped dismissively. 

"You can still win," Ritchie said. "You don't have to sleep with her, she just has to offer."

"I got it, Ritchie."

"I'm just saying," the other boy dignified in a condescending tone. "One of us should be getting laid."

It had been a while since Derrick's last hook up, but he didn't want to admit that out loud to anyone.

"Shut up, here she comes," Derrick muttered in advance as Penelope walked over to his lunch spot.

He felt something in his stomach as he watched his girlfriend slowly approach him like a model on her first time on the catwalk. He passed it off as hunger.

"Hey," he choked out in greeting, finding that his mouth had gone suddenly dry.

"Hey yourself," she answered with a shy smile.

She pulled out a piece of paper and held it up in front of Ritchie's face for him to read: Ritchie, I got your apology and deemed it quantifiable. Next time, don't insult me. Now, wasn't it worth reading more than two sentences to find out that I've forgiven you?

Ritchie and Derrick glanced at each other with equal Chesire grins of amusement before turning back to the brunette.

"Yes, thank you," Ritchie said, hunching forward to bow down.

Penelope smirked at his mockery, crumpled up the paper, and stuffed it into her pocket before taking a seat beside her boyfriend. 

"So how was your guys' weekend?" she asked in a calm voice.