Counting Down

Chapter 23: (sort of) skinny dipping

So I felt bad for forgetting to update on tuesday so I've written an extra long chapter today for you guys. Consider it as an Apology chapter. Enjoy :)

SUPERBOWL TODAY! What team are you going for? I'm going for the Sea Hawks!

"You beat those two hotties so hard!" Blake seems more excited than I am about me pounding those two girls in volleyball.

"Thanks for the ice-cream" Derek says holding his ice-cream cone up "To Sky's Victory" we all 'clink' our ice-cream cones as if they were wine glasses. We all end up laughing. We are now all fully clothed eating our free victory ice cream. The blonde girl and her possy keep giving me nasty looks

"You know, I'm happy you ended up coming to Miami." Blake says, actually giving me a genuine smile.

"So am I." Derek says, directly looking into my eyes. "Who else would keep us away from girls who can't play volleyball? I need a girl who can play volleyball! Sort of like you, Sky" he looks away after he realizes what he said. I feel my cheeks heating up

"Uh, yeah. I don't really play volleyball. This is probably my 3rd time or something" I say "The girls in my school's volleyball team are, uh... nice" Total lie. The girl's volleyball team is nearly as bad the the cheerleaders. They wear a crap load of make up, tight shirts and go partying every week coming home with a different guy each time. One of them actually got pregnant at one point but got an abortion because she wanted to keep playing volleyball. more like to keep sleeping with guys... "I could introduce one to you or something, you too Blake."

"I don't need that." he says flicking his hand up at me as if he were dismissing me. "I've already got my eyes set on a girl."

Well now I'm interested 

"Oooh!" I mock "Do tell!" Blake looks at Derek in hesitation 

"No." he finally says "It's a secret"

"Pleeeeeeeease!" I plead

"I said No, Skylar!" he raises his voice. Jeez, I didn't know it was a sensitive subject for him

"I'm sorry..." I trail off

"No I'm sorry." he says rubbnig his forehead and shuttting his eyes tightly as if he has a headache "I should go inside." I don't object. I let him go. I feel Derek's eyes on me.

"Jeez." I mutter "Someone's PMSing..." Derek chuckles. I look back up at him

"It's tough for him, you know." he says looking off into the sunset. Woah, since when was it a sunset? I must've played volleyball with those girls for a long time because here I am doing the most cliché thing in the world: watching a sunset with a dreamy guy.

Yes I think Derek is dreamy and cute and sweet, but that doesn't mean I like him... you know, in that way.

"The sunset is beautiful." I say lost in my thoughts. I freeze. This is the cue for the most cliché line in the book. Is he gonna say it? Will I be disapointed if he doesn't? Will I think of him differently? How do I think of him...?

"Yeah." he looks straight into my eyes once again. My brown eyes exploring his and vice versa. "It's not as beautiful as..." here it comes "this ice-cream"

"What?"

"Come on, Sky." he laughs "Please tell me you didn't think I was gonna be all cliché" I feel my cheeks burning red again. he tugs at his shirt reveiling the small patch of inked skin on his hip

"I noticed you have a tattoo." I say trying to change the subject. He looks down sat his hip but says nothing "A drunken mistake?" I ask

"No." he says "I was sober when I got it done." he looks back up at the sunset