Midnight Memories

n i n e t e e n

"I'm not giving up, i'm just starting over." - Anonymous

My heart heavy, I grabbed my bag and threw away my coffee cup, heading towards the exit of the coffee shop. There were so many thoughts running through my head, right now, it seemed impossible to organize them. I wished, for a split second, that I could disappear for a while, just to have time to figure everything out.

The rain had settled down into a soft drizzle, not even enough to warrant the use of an umbrella. Sighing, I stood on the curb, readying myself to hail a taxi. I wasn't really sure where I would ask it to take me, but anywhere was better than here, I suppose.

"Here you are, finally!" Said a posh sounding british accent. "I've been looking for you all night."

I tensed up, holding my bag into my chest like a shield. "Go away Derrick."

"C'mon Stella." Derrick, who was handsomely dressed in a navy blue peacoat, black corduroys, and boots. "You're not still mad about last night, are you?"

"You hit me!" I said bravely. "Of course i'm mad!"

"It was a honest misunderstanding, and i'm sorry if you got hurt. But no harm no foul, right? Now come let me buy you some breakfast."

I found his utter lack of remorse disgusting. "I'm not going anywhere with you. In fact, i'm going to the airport."

"The airport?" He asked, confused. "Why are you going there?"

"I need to get away for a little while. Louis and I are deciding whether or not we want to fix things, and I want to give him some space." I mumbled, looking down at the ground. I refused to make eye contact with Derrick; I didn't want him to know how scared I was.

"We get in one fight, and you go running back to that drugged up punk? Are you fucking with me?" He looked furious, and I thanked the Gods we were in public and he couldn't hit me again.

"He's not just some random, Derrick! It finally seems that we have a chance at mending things, obviously i'm going to do everything I can not to mess it up."

"I thought the whole point of you hanging out with me and the Hartleys and Sloane Rooney was because he did something terrible to piss you off? So you're just going to up and forgive him out of nowhere? Worst of all, you're walking out on our relationship with no explanation?"

"You hit me!" I yelled. "What the fuck do you mean there's no explanation?"

"Shhhhhhh!" He looked around, paranoid. "Do not talk about this out loud Stella, for God's sake, are you an idiot?"

I glared. "Oh, because the massive bruise on my cheek isn't a dead give away." I said sarcastically.

"You listen here." Derrick crossed his arms. "My parents are two of the most influential people in New England. You honestly think that anyone will believe you over me? As for your little boyfriend, he may be a townie, but he's not an idiot. Don't think for one second he doesn't know that Sloane is back, and that he would do anything to get back at him for what he did. Tomlinson knows getting back in your good graces is the only thing that will keep him safe until he can figure out how to get himself out of this."

I would not lose my composure, not right now. I raised my hand, and a yellow taxi screeched to a stop in front of me. "Goodbye Derrick. Perhaps if you can learn to control yourself, we'll speak when I get back."

I climbed into the back of the taxi, a feeling of relief rushing over me. "Can you please take me to the Delta terminal at JFK?"

"Sure thing, doll." Said the taxi driver. "Say, was that Derrick Vanderbilt you were talking too? My daughter loves him."