It’s only a few minutes before Derrin joins me. I stopped trying to look better a while ago. He’s seen me worse.

We sit in silence for a while before I break the silence.

“Why?” I ask him, my voice devoid of emotion.

He seems reluctant to answer, “Why what?”

I give the typical pissed-off response, “What do you think?”

He gives me that look of his, the one that tells me that I really didn’t have be as angry at him as I was. The one that usually set my heart a-flutter. Now, it only spurs on my rage.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I give the impression that I was gonna baby you? Because after what I just saw, it’s obvious you don’t need me anymore.”

He seems taken aback. Bastard. “Really, Arli, I have no clue why you’re so mad.”

“Why am I so mad, he asks me,” I laugh hysterically, “Why am I so fucking mad? Why do you think? It could not have a single thing to do with that little speech you gave at lunch, or how you were all over that absolute slag Charlotte-”

“Arli! She was your best friend!”

“She seems a little more chummy with you at the moment,” I spit out icily.

He doesn’t have a response. He never does. It’s surprising he even has a Y chromosome, considering his lack of balls.

There’s a silence that speaks volumes. I stare straight ahead.

“I’ll only ask one. More. Time. Derrin,” I close my eyes, “Why?”

He doesn’t speak for a long time. The tension is palpable. The normally-breezy tree house is stiflingly hot. I wouldn’t even think he was still there, but for his loud and steady breathing beside me.

“I did it…but it wasn’t me.”

I tightly close my eyes and growl slightly, “This isn’t the time for games, Derrin. What made you do it?”

“I…I…”

I turned to him and glared. “Yes?”

“I…You’d never believe me.”

I decide to end it now, before he can pull me in with a big, fat lie of his. “No, I wouldn’t believe you, Derrin; I’ll never believe another word that you say, you heartbreaking jackass!”

I cry and I run and mostly I try to not hear him following me down the road and to the park. He eventually stops, and I only turn around when I’m sure I’ve lost him. And for a moment, there seem to be two of him, arguing with each other.

I shake my head to get rid of these thoughts, and keep running until I get to Jillian’s house. I stay the night and we talk about her crush, Matt. Eventually, we fall asleep in the middle of a late night showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

My dream is very strange that night. It seemed to be some sort of action movie, with Derrin as the star. I was supposed to be the damsel in distress, I knew, but I couldn’t bear being saved, not by him. I freed myself easily, finding my cage made of spaghetti, and watched Derrin drown in the moat I had recently so easily crossed. It seemed very symbolic, but then, I often think my dreams are symbolic. Especially when they involve me marry Dr. McDreamy of Grey’s Anatomy. Mmmmm, I love me some Patrick Dempsey.

School the next morning? I can’t even handle it. One of the most dramatic moments of my life, I get on a train to lord-knows-where. I don’t know where I am, or who I’ll meet next…

All I do know is that this will make a great Lifetime movie once I’m killed by the scary hobo sitting - no, sleeping – next to me.