1Chapter 4:

I couldn't sleep as I stared at the ceiling. All I wanted was to be back in Phoenix. With Jordan, Keira, and Frazier. I hated it here. I was so alone. I hated feeling alone while my brother was always surrounded by people bowing down to him. It was only his first day for Pete's sake! A tear slid down my cheek and I wiped it away furiously. Why was I crying? I hated crying. It made me feel so immature, futile, and vulnerable.

I stood up from my bed and walked towards my balcony. The light breeze felt good as it blew away my tears. I looked down and from here I could see the river water. It glistened with the light of the moon. I felt at peace for a moment as I watched the water ripple. It looked so serene and peaceful at night. Looking away I could see into Derrick's backyard. There was a football laying on the ground unnoticed. And then I saw two figures blended in the darkness. I noticed them right away it was Derrick and Sharon. They were hugging one another. I could hear her giggle from up here. And for some reason I felt something tug at my heart. Was it sadness? No. I barely knew Derrick. They moved closer into the light and Sharon leaned in and kissed him. He pulled her close to him and she wrapped her arms around his neck. They separated and he stroked her cheek. I forced myself to look away and lightly closed the doors to the balcony. Laying on my bed again I closed my eyes and pictured Derrick as he stroked Sharon's cheek and what he said to me earlier came into mind. "Not really we're on an on and off basis now."How it must feel to have someone you can lean on whenever you need it. I shut those thoughts out of my mind and fell into an uneasy sleep.

The next day at school I struggled to keep up. I wrote my draft for the essay for Ms. Dickinson and worked on some math problem Mr. Grover had given the whole class. History went by extremely slow as we read aloud from our textbooks and took notes. Mr. Taylor corrected me as I misread a couple words and muttered something inaudible under his breath. This guy was my least favorite teacher.

Finally lunch came and I sat at my usual table. The kids there paid me no mind and neither did I to them. It was a mutual understanding. I unwrapped my cheese and ham sandwich and took a bite as someone sat beside me. I so needed to get my Ipod so I wouldn't have to hear when someone sat beside me.

"Hey Chase." Derrick smiled at me.

I smiled and finished chewing. "Why aren't you with the guys?" I asked

"Decided to keep you company. Is that okay?" He asked in a soft tone.

"Yeah I guess." I replied. "It's not that I need company or anything you know."

"Sure got it." Derrick smirked. "So that English assignment is almost ending."

My eyes widened. "Oh I totally forgot."

Derrick chuckled. "So what monologue are we rehearsing?"

"I don't know." I mumbled.

"You haven't thought up anything?" Derrick asked in disbelief.

"Well I'm not the only one in this am I?" I retorted.

"Yeah but- "

I waited with one eyebrow up.

"I've got nothing." He gave up.

"I knew it. Listen how about you just pass by my house and we'll pick something. We'll rehearse it for a while and that's it."

"Grand plan." Derrick laughed.

"I know." I chuckled.

My parents actually picked me up on time. Jack had gone to hang out with that same girl and here I was going home with my parents while I was already 16 years old.

"When can I get my own car?" I groaned as we reached a stop light.

"When you get your driver's license." My mom responded.

"And when we get money." My dad added. "You do know that cars aren't free."

"Yeah." I mumbled as we reached our house. I jumped out and headed inside and up the stairs to freshen up. I took a long warm shower letting the water relax my tense muscles and calm me down. It was about five' o clock when I got out. I wrapped a robe around me and a towel around my dripping wet hair. I walked out of my room and down the stairs to the kitchen. I made myself an herbal tea which always seemed to keep me calm. After it was done I was about to head upstairs before my brother called to me from the living room.

I walked in. "What do you - " I gasped and dropped my mug on the floor and it shattered at my feet. Derrick was sitting on my couch and there I was standing in my bathrobe nothing underneath, completely naked. O MY GOD!!!! The tea did I forget.

"Oh Jesus I mumbled as I began to pick up the pieces. "Im so so so so so so stupid."

He was kneeling before me helping me picking up the pieces. "You're a total klutz you do know that right?"

I ignored him and that's when I felt the towel slipping off of my head and landing on the floor. "Great I muttered.

DERRICK'S POV

There she was standing before me in a robe and a towel wrapped around her head. She looked cute actually. Her face was flushed and then she did the most idiotic thing ever. She dropped her mug. And for a few seconds it seemed as though she didn't notice. Her eyes were transfixed on mine. Then she snapped out of it and began o pick up the pieces. She muttered the word stupid to herself as I helped her pick it up.

"You're a total klutz you do know that right?" I joked. She didn't respond. Was she really that nervous? Then the towel wrapped around her head fell and I could smell the scent of strawberries. She smelled like strawberries and soap. She smelled nice. "You smell nice."

She looked at me incredulously. Did I just say that out loud? "Um thanks." She mumbled.

"Ow." She whimpered.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "Did you cut yourself?"

She looked up at me confused. Her green eyes swirled with confusion. Then it disappeared. "I'm fine. I'll just go throw these out and put a warm cloth on it."

"I'll get those pieces. You just go put something on that cut and get dressed." Jack cut in and helped pick up the piece and headed into the kitchen. I followed suit.

"Man you got my sister freaked out there." Jack laughed.

"Huh?" I replied.

"My sister. She freaked when she saw you. She rarely does that."

"I didn't mean to startle her."

"There's no problem. She must have just been weirded out that you saw her in her robe." Jack laughed then grabbed the mop and exited the kitchen.

She did look really nice in that robe. Compared to the way she looked when she went to school. Hair loose regular tee-shirts and a pair of sneakers and converse.

CHASE

God why was I so stupid? Couldn't I just have acted normal? Said my hellos asked to be excused and exit gracefully? No I couldn't God I'm so dumb. I mentally cursed myself as I slipped into some jeans and white tank. My hair was still wet and I didn't even bother to fix it. And what about that comment Derrick had said. You smell nice? Why did that catch me so off guard?

There was a knock on my door and I opened it. Derrick stood there smiling. "How's your finger?"

"It's okay." I admitted sheepishly.

"Sorry for not letting you know I was going to show up." Derrick apologized.

"Oh it's okay." I smiled. "Come in."

He stepped in and I smelled his cologne. Curve. Oh it smelled so good. God strike me now please.

"So..." He looked around my immaculately clean room. "Very clean."

"I try to keep it that way." I hung my towel on my doorknob and faced him. "So...Othello?"

"Othello." He agreed.

A/N: Short chapter but whats coming up you will all enjoy