The Chemistry of Us

Chapter 9: I do like you

Evelyn's heart pounded in her chest, the noise of the crowd fading into a dull roar as she stood there, staring at Derek. Had she heard him correctly? Did he just ask her out? For a second, she thought maybe she was imagining things, but the look on Derek's face told her otherwise. He was serious, waiting for her response, his usual confident demeanor softened by what almost seemed like nerves.

"An actual date?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

Derek nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, I mean... if you're up for it. No pressure or anything."

Evelyn blinked, trying to gather her thoughts. Her mind was racing in a hundred different directions. She hadn't expected this—not tonight, not so soon after the kiss they'd shared. She still didn't know what to make of the rumors flying around school, the way everyone had been talking about them like they were already a couple. But now, here he was, standing in front of her, asking her on an actual date.

It felt like the world had shifted beneath her feet.

"I..." Evelyn started, but her words trailed off. She didn't know what to say. She liked Derek—of course she did—but everything was so complicated. Between the problems at home, the rumors at school, and her own confusion about her feelings, she wasn't sure she was ready for this.

But then Derek's face softened even more, and he took a small step closer to her, his eyes searching hers. "Look, Evelyn, I know things have been weird, and I don't want to make things more complicated for you. But I really like you. And I want to spend more time with you, just the two of us, without all the noise from everyone else."

Evelyn felt her breath catch in her throat. The sincerity in his voice, the way he was looking at her—it was all too much. And in that moment, the weight of everything she'd been carrying felt just a little bit lighter.

"I like you too," she said, her voice quiet but steady.

Derek's eyes lit up, and for the first time all night, Evelyn felt a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"So, that's a yes?" Derek asked, a hopeful grin spreading across his face.

Evelyn laughed softly, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement bubbling up inside her. "Yeah, that's a yes."

Derek's grin widened, and for a moment, everything else seemed to disappear. The noise of the crowd, the stress of her parents' fighting, the rumors at school—it all faded into the background. All that mattered was the way Derek was looking at her, like she was the only person in the world.

Britney, who had been hovering nearby during their conversation, suddenly let out a loud cheer, breaking the moment. "Finally!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Evelyn's shoulders. "I knew you two would figure it out!"

Evelyn blushed, but she couldn't help but laugh. Leave it to Britney to make a scene.

"Thanks, Brit," Derek said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "You really know how to ruin a moment, don't you?"

Britney shrugged, grinning from ear to ear. "What can I say? I'm just here to help things along."

Evelyn rolled her eyes playfully but couldn't stop smiling. She'd been so wrapped up in her own worries that she hadn't realized how much she needed this—needed something good, something that made her feel alive again.

"Well," Derek said, glancing over at his teammates who were gathering near the locker room. "I should probably get cleaned up, but I'll text you later, okay? Maybe we can figure out when to go on that date."

Evelyn nodded, still feeling a little dazed. "Yeah, sounds good."

Derek hesitated for a moment, like he wanted to say something else, but then he just smiled at her one last time before jogging off toward his team.