My Pretty Secret

Chapter 5

Sunlight peeked through the curtains of Spencer's dorm room, causing him to stir upon his bed. The brunette sat up groggily, his eyes squinting as they attempted to adjust to the light. He was in a brief daze, all thoughts and memories foggy from sleep; it was hard to remember where he even was at the moment.

"Mm..." Spencer groaned, rolling onto his back. He stares up at his ceiling, rubbing the sleep away from the corners of his eyes. "The hell..."

Sitting up on the palms of his hands, he glances around. As if on cue, the happenings of last night come rushing back to him all at once, flooding his mind. His gaze quickly shifts over towards Brandon's bed, frowning when he realized Derek had already left. The sheets were thrown to one side, the pillow lying on the hardwood floor.

If it hadn't been for the disheveled look of the bed, Spencer may have wondered if last night had all been a dream. It was all a daze, and happened so fast. His cheeks grew red as he remembered the desperate touching, their lips colliding into warm kisses, butterflies swarming wildly around in his tummy as Derek's hands had felt all around his skin, and...and the small quarrel the two had. Why had it been such a big deal anyways? Was Derek seriously upset with him for trying to be a good person...?

"I mean, seriously..." Spencer muttered. "How am I the bad guy for not wanting to take advantage of someone who was clearly plastered...?"

Bzz.

Spencer looked over at his phone. It was a text from a number that had not yet been programmed into his contact list. Curiously, he lifted his phone into his hands and unlocked it, entering the chat.

804-555-2309: hey, it's danny. down for that coffee date? :)

Spencer rubbed his eyes to make sure he was reading it correctly. He hesitated before typing out a reply; he knew he needed to have a conversation with Derek soon, but at the same time, he wasn't sure he had the energy right now to deal with it.

Spencer: Yeah, sure. What time were you thinking? And where exactly is this coffee shop?

Once he was given directions and a time, Spencer sat down his phone on his bed. Changing into casual clothing, the boy set off towards the shop. As he walked, he pondered a multitude of things, his mind racing with a tsunami of unanswered questions, mixed feelings, and an abundance of anxiety. Nothing made sense, and everything seemed painstakingly out of place. His brain felt jumbled, as if all of his delicately placed knowledge was strewn about within the folds of his mind.

It made his head ache.

As he'd been walking, Spencer was looking down at his feet, watching his steps impact with the concrete ground below him. He hadn't even noticed the six foot one body coming towards him, his own frame practically slamming into the figure.

"Oh-!" Spencer exclaimed, backing away hastily. "I'm so sorry, I hadn't even seen-" He looked up at the other he'd run into. "Derek?" His eyes widened a bit, becoming a little nervous. "Hey, where'd you go this morning? How're you feeling?"

Derek smiled, though it seemed...off. Like it had been practiced in the mirror thousands of time before, albeit, it still came off as tight as a knot. "I'm swell. Just on my way to meet up with some friends."

Spence cocked a brow. "Err...Well, that's...good." He paused. "Listen, about last night-"

Derek's brows furrowed. "Last night?" He laughed a little. Again, it seemed forced. "Dude, I barely remember last night. Did we see each other?"

Spencer's heart sank in his stomach, and a flash of hurt crossed upon his features.

He doesn't remember...? Spencer thought to himself. The boy glanced at Derek and his forced smile. He's got to remember. He's acting way too casual. So maybe...maybe he thinks it was a mistake? Sure, he was drunk, but he didn't seem blackout drunk. Not drunk enough to forget their...interaction completely.