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Chapter 12: Slow Down

Paige POV

They tell us don't grow up too fast. We complain about how quickly each year went by, and how just yesterday we were ignorant little children without a care in the world. Time goes by fast and there is nothing we can do about it. But while we can't slow down the clock, we can slow down our lives. Every morning we get up, we go to school, we sit in first period and say 'I wish this period would end so we could get to second period'. Then the bell grants our wish, and we go to second period where we rush that away. We wish the morning would be over so we could go to lunch. We wish the day would be over so we could go home, we wish the week could be over so we can have the weekend. We wish the month would be over so we could go on break. We wish the year would be over so we could go on Summer break. We wish we would grow up so we didn't have to go to school, then we wish we could retire. Well we all have to go through all these things so why not slow down? Why not realize that the moment when you laughed during Social Studies is something worth savoring? Because right now is the oldest you've ever been, and the youngest you'll ever be.

Kylie: I'm sorry that I haven't been around lately but I think I just need a break. I know you guys have probably been confused and worried, but I'm ok as long as you are. Derek, I love you so much and I will miss you every single day.

"Shoot." I whispered.

"Wait, wait. slow down it's only 2:30 we still have a few hours until Derek will wake up." Pete said.

"And then what?" I whisper shouted.

"Paige just wait. Let him be in a happy dream land for at least a few more hours until he wakes up in a world of reality. Ignorance is bliss. And besides you came up with your built-to-fail plan in less than an hour, so like 7 hours should be enough for a built-to-succeed one."

"Well first of all the plan failed. Emphasis and 'built-to-fail'. And second, what do you mean 'plan'? We need to come up with a plan to slowly and carefully slice Derek's heart in half? He jut got dumped over a text message for no known reason."

"Yes."

"No!"

"His heart isn't gently sliced in half until he sees the message." He said as he picked up Derek's phone again.

"No Pete." I said as I snatched the phone out of his hand. "Hiding the truth will work until it doesn't. Then his heart will be brutally stabbed. By us."

"So what kind of plan do we come up with?" He asked as if I was being the most stupid friend ever.

"Maybe we don't come up with a plan? We shouldn't have been snooping anyway."

"So we just let him die inside. We watch him become someone he's not while he suffers in agony, and never sees daylight again?"

"Well when you put it that way..." I laughed.

"Paige!"

"Hey you said it yourself, slow down." He tried to stay angry but he laughed, and tried to cover it with milk, but that didn't really work, so then there was milk on the floor. And a bucket of soapy water which ended up on me. So I beat Pete up with a roll of paper towels and we, in the moment, forgot about the fragile hearts resting among us.

"What are you guys doing"? Derek groggily asked us. "And what time is it?" he reached for his phone.

Pete through the bucket of soapy water on the phone and the wet cloth on Derek.

"Shoot." I covered my mouth and tried not laugh.

"What the heck Pete?!" Derek yelled. I ran to get the rice out of the pantry, and Pete leaped for the phone. He came into the kitchen shortly after I did and stuck the phone in the bag of rice.

"Plans these days, am I right?" He joked. I glared at him and Derek came into the kitchen very tired and angry.

"Just go to bed Derek." I told him. He gave me a curious look and glanced at Pete who was digging through the fridge for milk. "He's just... drunk." I blurted out. "Go to sleep please." He shrugged and walked off to his bedroom.

"Drunk?" Pete snapped at me. "Seriously?"

"Oh my gosh Pete. You don't get question my thinking. Go clean up your stupid mess."

a/n omg lol. This was fun to write. Thanks so much.

•stay epic✌🏼️