Moonstruck ⟡ HS

02

♫
link: spoti.fi/3miHYbU
THINGS WE NEVER DID | SAD LOVERS & GIANTS
LOVE MY WAY | THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS
DON'T STOP THE DANCE | BRYAN FERRY
LITTLE DARK AGE | MGMT

Derek never showed up to school the following day.

It wasn't until Wednesday did her frustration with him summed down and subside, only to be replaced with a sense of worry, and as soon as she was dismissed from her last class, she dropped off Alice at her home before making her way to Derek's. She rarely ever went over to Derek's house, considering that his father was pretty strict and his mother was just as submissive, but she couldn't wait for another day to pass before seeing him. Especially when they were on such bad terms, and she hated being on bad terms with anyone.

So she parks along the curb and turns her car off, feeling a bit anxious to see him considering how they left off, but this wasn't some stranger. It was Derek, she knows him and she knows he can't stay mad at her for too long—as if he had a reason to be mad at her anyways. But her need to be right has never outweighed her need to dissolve any kind of conflict, because no matter how wrong Derek was in this situation, she would do almost anything to figure it out and out the issue to rest.

Even if that meant a break up of some sort.

She knocks on the door a couple of times before taking a step back, tapping the toe of her shoe against the ground until the door swings open and reveals his mother. The woman has always taken a strong liking towards her, she isn't sure if his mother ever disliked anyone really, but she was ushered inside the house quickly before his mother calls for Derek and makes him come downstairs.

His home always had an eerie feeling to it, which was a part of the reason they never went there, but as Derek treads down the stair case in nothing but a pair of pajama pants and a wild look to his hair, she can tell he isn't like his normal self.

    "Hi," She nearly whispers, unsure of what else to say as Derek sends his mother a look, silently asking her to leave, and as his mother excuses herself to the kitchen, they go to sit on the couch in the living room. "Are you sick? You look a little pale—"

"Got the flu Tuesday morning." Derek mumbles with a rasp to his voice, "I'm almost over it though, should be at school tomorrow." He tells her and she feverishly nods her head, glancing around with her hands folded in her lap.

"Look, I—"

"Can I—"

They both stop, nervously chuckling when they both go to speak at the same time, and with a small nod of his head, he lets her go first, despite her not really being sure of what to say to him in the first place. She knows that Harry's reaction towards Derek was only to protect her, she could just tell from his tone and the way he looked at her that night, but she also knows that Derek's secretive involvement with Kelley Laken can't go on any longer.

Not if Derek wants to keep her around as his girlfriend.

"I know you didn't come to my house looking to start anything," She begins, letting her gaze flicker to his own as he leans back against the couch, "I think you were just panicked and wanted to fix things, but . . . why were you even talking to Kelley to begin with?" She can't help but ask him, listening as a sigh flows from his lips before he answers.

    "She was just asking me about going to the party this weekend, it wasn't anything serious." Derek tells her, and while she wants to believe it, her gut tells her not to. "It's nothing, Jo. Honestly, I don't know why you always get so worked up about me talking to other girls when we've been together for so long—"