The Elements Trilogy Specials

Birthday Special

The two characters in this birthday special are Skylar Hastings and Derek Fox. They were not commented, but they were inboxed to me, and I was going to elaborate on a back story for these two anyway in the story, so I choose these two and decided to do it here. This short takes place shortly after the first book.




Skylar Hastings was about as uncomfortable as you could get. It was her 18th birthday, and she was stuck at the homecoming dance, wearing an uncomfortable dress, standing in a corner while her friends danced with their dates.

Even Evalynn who was head over heels for Derek Fox, had gone to the dance with a trumpet player in the school band when he had asked her. But nobody had asked Skylar, except her ex, Harry, but there was no way she was going with him.

"Hey, um, Skylar?" A voice interrupted Skylar's pity party.

Skylar glanced over at the person. "Hi." He was short and scrawny, and Hispanic. She recognized him from Diamond's clique, but couldn't place him. Something Hernandez.

"Um, so." He glanced around. "Do you wanna dance?"

Skylar internally groaned. The last thing she wanted to do was dance with a vertically challenged geek, but she wasn't sure how to say no.

But she didn't have too. A tall, dark, thin figure swooped in front of Hernandez, and handed Skylar a cup of punch. "Sorry, Roy. She's with me."

Skylar blinked up in shock. Derek Fox was giving poor Roy a half-smirk, as Roy sulked away. "Uh, thanks."

"No problem." Derek gave her his half-smile. "I could tell you didn't want to dance with him. Skylar, right?"

"Yeah," Skylar felt herself returning his smile. His half-smile looked exactly like Jamie's had, and his eyes were almost the same blue.

"I'm Derek. And if I may say so, you look very nice."

Skylar grimaced, and looked down. "I hate wearing dresses. But you don't look so bad yourself." She grinned at his tux. "Nice bowtie."

"Thanks." Derek ruffled his hair. "Bow ties are cool. And look, I'm sorry."

Skylar frowned. "For what?"

"Well for starters, I know today is your birthday. And I know you used to have a twin brother who mysteriously died. And you're standing alone on your birthday, obviously uncomfortable in a dress, while your friends dance with their dates."

"Oh, right."

"I don't know what happened to make the leaders of different cliques become best friends, or why they aren't at least dancing near you, but a girl shouldn't be alone on her birthday." Derek continued.

"Get me anything?" Skylar asked, anxious to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"That depends." Derek smiled down at her. "Do you drink?"

**

Being buzzed was awesome. But Skylar couldn't wait to get completely wasted. She told her mom she was spending the night at Diamond's, and went home with Derek to drink.

She was now tripping around his house, trying to find the bathroom, while he went to change. She walked up to a random door and knocked. Nobody answered, so she swung it wide open, only to see Derek in nothing but his boxers.

Sober Skylar would've slammed the door shut, and acted like she hasn't seem anything. But Buzzed Skylar kept the door open, and leaned against the doorway, biting her lip. Because Buzzed Skylar liked what she saw.

Derek turned around and did a double take. "Are you okay, Skylar?"

Skylar didn't answer, just took in Derek's body. He was pale, but not unnaturally so. He was easily over 6 feet, taller than Troy was and even Harry. He wasn't very muscular, but you could see the outlines of muscles on his arms and stomach.

He was dark haired where Jamie was light. His eyes were the same blue. His cheekbones were clearly visible, and his shaggy, uncombed hair cast shadows on his face.

"You look like Hermes." Skylar said after a while.

"Hermes?" Derek repeated, confused. "The Greek god?"

"Mhm."

"Isn't he, I don't know, a bit lame?" Derek shrugged.

"It's okay." Skylar said. "Hermes is my favorite."

"Mm. Mine is Apollo." Derek sat on his bed, and picked up a beer.

Skylar wandered over and flopped down next to him. He twisted his body to get a good look at her. "You're really short."

"You're really tall."

"No, really. How tall are you?"

"5'3"."

Derek's face broke into a grin. "That's it? I'm 6'4". I'm even taller than that Anderson kid."

"You're freakishly tall, Fox." Skylar grabbed his beer and took a sip.

"Yeah, I suppose. Do you want out of that dress?"

Skylar nearly spilled the beer. "What?"

"I meant," Derek's face grew bright red. "I meant do you want to wear something else? I could lend you something."

"Oh! Oh, yeah, this dress isn't comfy." Skylar gestured to her outfit.

Derek handed her sweatpants and a t-shirt, and she headed for his bathroom. But when she got inside and started to take off the dress, she ran into a predicament; the zipper stuck, and there was no way she could simply yank it with out ripping the dress.

"Crap." She wanted to bang her head against the wall. "Derek?"

"You okay?" he called back.

"No. The zippers stuck."

The door creaked open, and Derek walked in, now in sweatpants. They hung loosely on his thin hips, and she could clearly see the V line on his waist.

"You're staring." Derek sounded amused.

Skylar's eyes snapped up to his face. "I can't help it. I've been drinking."

"And who's fault is that?" Derek walked closer, and she was forced to crane her head back to look at him.

"Yours. You made me drink." she rambled out, all the while thinking about how good he smelled.

"Yes, it's all my fault. Blame poor Hermes." Derek teased her, his breath tickling the top of her head.

"Well Hermes is the god of wine," Skylar said weakly.

"No, he's not." Derek laughed. "That's Dionysius. Hermes is the messenger god. Get your facts straight."

"Der."

"Yes?"

"Help me get my dress off."

"Never thought I'd hear those words from you," Derek fidgeted with the zipper for a few minutes, before managing to get it unstuck.

He turned to leave, but Skylar let the dress fall to the floor, standing there in just her bra and underwear.

Derek's eyesbrows rose, and his mouth formed an O. "How drunk are you, Skylar?"

"Drunk enough to know I want to do this. Not so drunk that you should feel bad about taking advantage."

"Well." Derek said after a while. "That's just the perfect amount." Then he swooped in to kiss her gently on the mouth.

**

As soon as Skylar woke, she knew she something was wrong. For starters, this bed was bigger. The comforter thicker, the pillow thinner. Not to mention the fact, that Derek Fox was inches away from her, snoring.

Something in her stomach churned, and she ran to the bathroom. After dry-heaving into the toilet, she took in the dress, discarded pajamas and the empty bottle of beer on the floor.

Derek appeared in the doorway. "Are you okay?" he was back in his sweatpants, careful not to meet her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She stared straight at the mirror.

"Do you need a ride home?" he asked.

"No, I can get a ride. Uh, listen." she finally looked over at him. "Just cause we slept together, doesn't mean-"

"Oh, yeah. Of course." he nodded.

"You just reminded me of someone that I loved once. And I think I was hoping..."

"Yeah. I get it. But you made me feel safe, Skylar. Last night. You didn't make me feel like I was the weird, dumb art freak that everyone makes fun of. You made me feel safe. So, thanks."

She nodded. "I don't think you're a freak, Der. You're sweet, and gentle." she shrugged. "You were my first, actually."

Derek smiled. "Yeah, mine too. And if you ever need anything."

"You too, Der. Anything at all."


**

"Derek Fox!" David exclaimed when she got in the car.

"Please don't say anything, David." Skylar sighed.

"Evalynn is going to kill you." He pulled away from the curb.

"Evalynn isn't going to find out." Skylar sighed. "Please, don't tell anyone."

"Yeah, alright. Not a peep from me."

"Thank you. And I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright." They drove in silence for a little, until; "So was he any good?"

"David!"