Born and Died 2 Days Apart

Chapter 7: Derek

The rest of the day is a complete blur.

I eat dinner just staring out the window at her house, ignoring the concerned glances from my parents. I have to eat my food so I shove it in my mouth like some kind of zombie or something, never taking my eyes off of the house. After that I walk up the stairs and go straight to bed.

It takes me four and a half hours to fall asleep. I'm counting. Amy has no nightmares yet which is really unfortunate because I need something to get my mind off her so I can fall asleep. But Amy will not have a nightmare.

I sigh and let my mind do whatever it wants. I give up on trying to sleep. It will happen eventually. However hard I try I keep dreaming of Lyla. Those eyes looking back at me, her beautiful hair, her smile, she is just so, so...amazing. But I really hope she thinks the same of me. I sigh and flip onto my stomach and grab my phone off of my desk right near my bed. I have to talk to someone. I decide to text Josh. He'll understand. After all, he's the one who texts me at two in the morning to ask if the value of x is twenty-seven or whatever number he gets. Once my phone is turned on I text Josh right away.

---

Me: Dude wake up.

Josh: Derek come on it's 1:00 in the morning. U should sleep.

Me: I can't

Josh: Why not?

Me: I've...I have a lot on my mind

Josh: Is that why you're texting me?

Me: Yup

Josh: God Derek. Really? 1:00am. This is ridiculous.

Me: Oh yeah? Well look who's talking!

Josh: Ok ok u got me. So what's up?

Me: Well I can't stop thinking about this girl-

Josh: A girl? Listen, don't wake me up to say some jokes ok? I've got better things to do. Something called, I don't know.... SLEEP! >:(

Me: I'm not joking

Josh: C'mon man, don't mess around. U don't know any girls.

Me: I met one.

Josh: Really? Ok tell me!

Me: Well after you left I went and played basketball on the driveway and I was about to shoot and make a score when I missed.

Josh: Man! Epic fail! Uh, how does this have to do with a girl?

Me: I'm getting there! Just shut it and let me finish!

Josh: Yeesh ok dude.

Me: So when I missed then the ball bounced across the street and landed in a yard. Her yard. Anyway I walked over and put my hand on the ball and the girl grabbed the ball too. She looked up and smiled and said hi. Oh man, she is so pretty. So I was just like staring and then she was like "hey isn't ur name uh, umm, Derin?" And then I was stuttering and I was like its Derek. And then she said stupid and I said what and she said she was saying she was stupid for not knowing my name and then I said I didn't know her name and she said it was Lyla. Then we were just kinda staring and then she gave me my ball and said c u at school and I said yeah. But then I said sorry my ball landed in ur yard that was a mistake and she said she didn't think it was a mistake and she was glad the mistake happened and then she was embarrassed so I said I'm glad it happened too and the I left.

Josh: Woah dude.

Me: See why I texted u man?

Josh: Ya. So u like her?

Me: Ya. What should I do

Josh: umm dude i don't know. To tired to think. Goodnight man, go back to sleep.

Me: Fine. Bye.

---

I run a hand through my ruffled hair. I'm exhausted. I close my eyes and and let myself think about her. Then I drift off to sleep.

**
She chuckles. Her dimple flare out. She blushes in excitement. "Derek, come on!" She squeals. I get up off of the grass where I was laying down. Lyla jumps up and down. I follow her into the woods. "Uh, I don't think this is a good idea." I state. She looks back at me. Her smile threatening to turn into a frown. I smile. "What's the worse that could happen?" We continue on. "Or...... What's the best that could happen!" She exclaims. I look at what's ahead of me ammazed. There are two stumps ahead of us. Lyla sits on one of them motioning for me to on the other. I look at her blond hair. Then taking a seat I look back at what's in front of me. It's a pond. In it are lily pads and tulips and all beautiful things, but most of all I saw our reflection. She runs back to the meadow and I follow. Once I reach where she is she has made two flower necklaces. She places one over my head. We laugh and fall onto the grass looking up at the sky. I turn towards her fining her gaze. I look into her eyes. I feel my body moving closer. "Derek, Derek, Derek," she looks me in the eye, but her lips aren't moving. Who's saying that? I feel shakes on my body moving me farther away for Lyla.
**

My eyes shot open. "Lyla?" I question. I squint my eyes trying to focus on who's shaking me.

"It's Amy, who's Lyla?" Amy asks pondering. "No one! Get out!" I yell angry. She ruined my dream. I watch as she runs out the room yelling "Mommy!"

Great

"Did you yell at your sister?" My moms asks leaning at the door.
"Yeah," I confess. "But she ruined my dream, I'm sorry." She looks at me smiling. "Ok, you are free to go." She says and leaves. I walk up the stairs to my room. Today is Saturday, and Saturday morning are always perfect. I plop down on my bed and stare at the ceiling.
I have to see Lyla. Maybe if I just-
Suddenly I jerk up and throw on a pair of baggy shorts and a t-shirt. I take a swig of water from the water bottle on my desk and grab my basketball.
"Mom! I'm going out!" I yell as I run down the stairs smoothing my hair with my fingers.
"Ooh," she says and get a michevious grin. "With your girlfriend?" All of a sudden Amy comes rushing into the room and starts chanting:
"Derek has a girlfriend! Derek has a girlfriend!" She giggles and I glare at mom.
"Mom, I am going out to the front yard by myself. And in case you are wondering, I don't have a girlfriend," I glare at her and Amy again and walk out the front door.
There she is.
I see her once I step outside. She's playing volleyball again, this time a pole is holding her ball, and she has a soccer goal a little behind it. Lyla does this thing with her feet that looks complicated and then jumps up really high, smacking the ball into the soccer goal as she comes down.
Wow.
I snap back into the moment and remember what I have to do. I dribble my basket ball, pretending to dodge players again, but this time, I never take my eyes off Lyla. I dribble and dodge, dribble and dodge, dribble and shoot! I chuck the ball at the hoop trying to miss on purpose. My ball flies over the hoop and once again bounces across the street into Lyla's yard.
Yes!
As I run across the street to pick it up she grabs the ball and starts spinning the basketball on her finger. She has a michevious grin on her face, which shows her dimples and makes her look extra beautiful.
"Again Derek?" She says and keeps spinning the ball. I blush and scratch the back of my neck.
"Uh, yeah sorry. Guess I gotta work on my aim huh?" I wink and she laughs.
"No kidding, you really do." She chucks the ball and me and I catch it nearly falling over form the force of her toss.
"So you play?" She asks me and motions toward the basketball.
"Uh yeah," I say and toss the ball up and down. She starts saying something about how she used to play basketball or whatever but I'm not really listening. I just hear her beautiful voice in my mind saying:
Derek, Derek. I'm so pretty. I like you. Derek I really like you. I love you Derek will you be my boyfrie-
"Derek, are you even listening to me?" I snap back into the moment. Lyla is glaring at me, her hands on her hips.
"Yeah." I say and grin. "Do you wanna play two-on-two at my place?" I ask and she smiles.
"Race ya," she says and starts sprinting across the street. I grin even bigger and run after her.