The White Fence

33. Second Class

            Sometime during the morning, a light rain had started to fall. It came down sideways with just enough force to cover every seat in the carport, making sitting down impossible. Where was Derek? I huddled against the unexpected cold, leaning against one of the metal pillars, and tried to keep warm. As I waited for Derek’s car to show up, I realized how spoiled I’d gotten. Even though the studio was only a mile from Mason, and easily in walking distance, since the start of the semester I hadn’t had to wait on Derek to come pick me up. Not even once. I hoped something hadn’t happened to him.

            Five minutes later, his car came pulling onto the school grounds, and stopped in front of me. “Sorry, I’m late, babe,” he said, getting out. “You wanna drive? I’m beat.”

            “Sure.” Derek slid over on the seat, so I could get behind the wheel. “What happened?” I wondered. “Did your professor let you out late?”

            “No, I just lost track of time.”

            The rain started to pick up a little by the time we got to the studio, and I got a pretty nice soaking on the way inside. I borrowed a sweatshirt from Derek, and hung my sweater and shirt over the radiator to dry, before I got started on my homework. I managed to finish with the last of my Mason assignments before I realized I hadn’t seen Derek since I started doing homework. I climbed the stairs to check on him, only to find him stretched out halfway across his mattress, fast asleep. He hadn’t even made it all the way into the bed. I laughed softly, adjusting him so that he was actually lying in the bed. I started to leave, but a compulsion pulled me back to watch him.

            Even asleep his hair fell in his eyes. I moved to wipe a strand from his face. At the touch, I felt a fleeting moment of possession. He was mine. I leaned down to place a very gentle kiss on his lips, barely touching them with mine, but still his eyes fluttered opened. He looked up at me, still half-way asleep, smiling in recognition. 

            “Ah, babe,” he mumbled. “I’m not being much company, am I?” He moved as if to get up, but I pushed him back down.

            “It’s okay, Dare, get some sleep.”

            “I’m just tired,” he mumbled.

            “So sleep,” I directed.

            “But you’re here,” he protested.

            “I’m always here,” I returned. I sat down on the edge of the bed. Slowly his eyes closed, and his breathing became regular. With only the slightest misgivings, I took off my shoes and slid underneath the sheet to take up the empty space on the bed across from him. I leaned over to give him another kiss. “I love you,” I stated, softly. In response, his hands blindly reached out to pull me closer to him. I lay there with his arm around me, watching him until my own eyes closed, and I joined him in sleep.

            When I woke up, Derek’s chest had somehow become my pillow. He was already awake, and quietly watching me. The hand that idly stroked my hair paused when he saw that I’d opened my eyes. “Hey,” he greeted. “Sorry. I fell ‘sleep on you. Thanks for keepin’ me company.”

            “Anytime,” I responded.

            “I love you, too,” Derek assured me.

            “Do you?”

            He nodded. “I do. Do you know why?”

            I shook my head. “No, why?”

            It was like there wasn’t even a pause between my asking and his response. “I love you for your heart, your spirit. I love you because of tha way you smile when you say my name. I love you because you’re kind, gentle, and courageous, and because you keep me in line.” He pulled my hand up to his chest, to rest above the spot where his heart beat steadily. I watched my hand move up, and down, as he breathed in, and out. “I love you because you’re in tha beat of my heart, and when I’m near you, my heart changes its rhythm just to match yours.”