Macy closed her laptop and put it on her desk. “I’m fine. Just glad to have a long weekend.”
“Oh, that’s right. You guys have Monday off. I can’t believe I forgot about that. Have you thought about your birthday party?”
“Mom.” She moaned. “I’m too old for those.”
Not that anyone would come.
Her mom frowned. “But we have one for you every year. Since you turned one. We have to do something.”
She wasn’t going to give up. “Can’t we just have a family thing? Go out to dinner or something?”
“That’s a great idea!” Her mom’s face lit up. “Instead of a big party, we’ll do that and then get you something nice. Any ideas?”
“Actually, a new phone would be nice. Not one of yours or Dad’s old ones.”
She nodded knowingly. “You always say how slow yours loads.”
“You used to complain about the same thing before you gave it to me.”
“Oh, yeah. That thing was annoying.” She put a hand on Macy’s knee. “You pick out the restaurant and then we’ll take you to pick a phone. Sound good?”
Macy nodded. Maybe things were starting to turn around. Between the pictures, Jared showing interest in her, and a new phone, this could be the beginning a new life for her.
Her mom got up from the bed and kissed the top of her bed. “I’m glad. Don’t stay up too late. Alex already went to bed.”
Bed, right. Macy held in a bitter laugh. He was probably already out egging a house with his friends. “Okay, Mom.”
“‘Night, sweetie.” She left, closing the door behind her.
Macy let out a sigh of relief and then headed for the laptop. She’d totally left Jared hanging.
He’d left a few more messages in the conversation, asking where she’d gone.
Back. Sry. My mom interrupted and wouldn’t leave me alone.
I get that. My parents are annoying too.
Macy smiled. She continued talking with him as she got into her pajamas and into bed. She made sure to turn off the light so she wouldn’t have any more interruptions.
She chatted with him for hours, loving the attention. He thought she was funny and smart—and most amazingly, pretty. When her eyes grew heavy, she glanced at the time. It was after two!
I need to get some sleep. Chat tomorrow?
For sure. Want my number? We can text when I’m on breaks at my game.
Macy’s heart sped up.
She gave him her number.
If you enjoyed this short story, you’ll love reading what happens next in the USA Today bestselling Gone Trilogy. Read Gone for FREE today!www.stacyclaflin.com/newsletter
—ABOUT THE AUTHOR—
Stacy Claflin entertains readers in a variety of genres, from paranormal to suspense to sweet contemporary romance. She has been telling stories for as long as she can remember, and as a child would often get into trouble trying to convince friends her wild tales were true. Now she puts her creativity to better use by writing page-turning books that leave readers begging for more. Join Stacy’s newsletter to receive three free novels and new release updates.
Learn more about her books at www.stacyclaflin.com.
MORE THAN A CRUSH
Kat Stiles
“I am lovely,” I said to my reflection. It stared back at me, as if to mock me. It was hard to refute the image before me – stringy, dull brown hair of no striking length barely covering large ears, coupled with an acne-speckled complexion and thick glasses. Nevertheless, I had to try. It’s all in how you carry yourself. I read that in Cosmo, so it must be true.
The words of my guidance counselor rang in my ears. “You make your own reality. Visualize what you want, write it down, and then take steps to make it happen.” This coming from a man who I was pretty sure still lived with his mother. At first I disregarded his advice as new age hippie BS. But after careful consideration and binge-watching of coming-of-age teen movies, I came to conclusion he was right. I am the master of my destiny. And today is the day.
Derek Van Der Creek will be mine.
Derek Van Der Creek was the cutest boy in the whole school. I knew everything about him: the fact that he preferred Cheetos over Doritos, that he liked to watch soccer and old reruns of Supernatural, and that his dream was to be a doctor someday. A doctor, the noblest of professions. He was simply perfect.
I held my head up, for the first time ever, as I entered my high school. Ignoring the snickers and occasional girlie giggles took less effort today. It was as if I were invincible. I pictured the entire glorious scene in my head: With a confident stride, I’d walk straight up to Derek’s locker, grab him by the shirt and pull him in for an epic kiss. The kind of kiss that warrants a love song playing in the background, accompanied by a slow clap from onlookers. He would melt into my arms and finally realize I’m the one for him.
I took a slow, deep breath. My hands began to sweat as I neared Derek’s locker. Am I really doing this? He’s going to laugh at me. Or call me names, like all the other popular kids do.
No, I thought. Derek is different. Just the other day we made eye contact and he smiled at me. It was from all the way across the gym, but it still counted. We are clearly destined to be together.
Derek was stowing his books as I approached. His light brown hair seemed effortlessly flawless, like he just got out of bed looking that gorgeous. Oh how I dreamed of running my fingers through that hair. Only a few more feet, a few more seconds until his lips were on mine. I gulped. This is going to happen, I thought. As if I could will it into existence. His back faced me, and I reached out to him, my heart pounding in my chest. This is it.
Before I made contact, Jenn burst out of nowhere, practically knocking me over. The Jenn, the most popular girl in 11th grade and by far the prettiest with her long blonde hair, model-worthy skin, and curves in all the right places. “Derek!” she squealed.
It was clear her irritating cry startled him. Why does she constantly throw herself at him? She could have anyone she wants. Why my man?
Instead of dismissing her like the sad, desperate hag she was, he smiled and embraced her. “How’s my favorite girl?”
She giggled in a disgustingly flirtatious manner. My stomach dropped when her eyes locked on to me. “What do you want?” Derek turned around to see whom she addressed. No smile this time.
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came. What could I possibly say? The truth would have me ridiculed for the rest of my life. It was bad enough I didn’t get a kiss from Derek.
“You’re so creepy,” she muttered. And then she faced Derek once more, draping her arms around him in an intimate fashion. As if she owned him. Everyone knew they weren’t dating. Why would Derek waste his time with someone like her? Totally delusional.
I sighed and backed away. With Jenn around, it would be fruitless to even try to talk to Derek, let alone kiss him. I had to get him alone somehow. Another opportunity would present itself. If nothing else, I understood the value of patience.
* * *
The school day progressed like any other – not-so-subtle whispers behind my back, gazes averted as I walked past, conversations with friends that never took place. I spent my time focusing on a single thought:
Derek Van Der Creek will be mine.
In gym class, the teachers assigned us to mixed volleyball teams. Though I knew gym was the most pointless class in high school (beating out even woodshop), I kinda looked forward to it because Derek was there. With any luck, I’d see that amazing smile of his again.
Derek was picked for the team opposite me. Which meant I could at least covertly check him out while the rest of my classmates tried to hit the ball. I smiled at the thought.
Glancing around, I realized I wasn’t the only one with that idea. I actually heard one of my teammates sigh, her eyes focused on his gorgeous body. The first serve made it over the net, and the game began.
I watched the ball enough to avoid it, rationing my time betw
een it and Derek-gazing. There was more of him to see in his gym clothes, and I was relishing every second of it. He noticed me watching him and flashed a casual smile. I wanted to smile back, but I think I just gaped in confusion. I continued to stare at him, wondering if I was really the intended recipient of that dazzling smile, when one of the players on the other side spiked the ball at me. Before I could react, it pegged me straight in my face, sending my glasses flying and knocking me to the ground.
“Are you okay?” One of the gym teachers helped me to my feet, amidst a chorus of laughter from both teams. My face was red from embarrassment, I was sure. Another player handed me my glasses, but the frame was all bent out of shape. Great, this is just what I need.
“I’d like to rest, please,” I said quietly to the teacher. She nodded and walked me toward the locker room. I didn’t have the courage to look over at Derek, to see his reaction. It would be too painful if he were laughing along with the rest of them.
* * *
Eighth period rolled around and I still hadn’t gotten Derek alone. A mixture of sadness, disappointment and depression welled up in me. I began to question the utter futility of my quest, which only exacerbated my lingering self-esteem issues. Today was going to turn out like any other day at this crappy school, I thought. Nothing is ever going to change.
On my way out, my head drooped in defeat. It was stupid to think I would actually be with him. Once in my car, I rested my forehead against the steering wheel. I’m such a loser.
As if the universe were agreeing with me, my car wouldn’t start. I groaned. “Really? Hit me when I’m down, why don’t you…”
I rested my head back down on the steering wheel and left it there. I don’t know how much time had passed before the knock on the window came. Afraid to look up, I knew it would be a teacher or some other authority figure telling me to leave.
But it was him.
My eyes grew big and I hastily ran my fingers through my hair to attempt damage control. I could only imagine how horrible I looked. Derek motioned to roll down the window, and I wanted to smack myself for not doing it sooner.
“Are you having car trouble?” he asked. His big blue eyes stared into mine. I had a deer-in-the-headlights moment, getting lost in those radiant eyes.
I finally shook it off to answer him. “Yes, my stupid car won’t start.”
“Wait, you’re the girl from gym class, right?” He focused on my nose. “It’s already starting to bruise… Man this just isn’t your day.”
I gasped. Without my glasses, it was difficult to assess the damage earlier. I fished the mangled frame out of my purse and attempted to look through the lenses in my rearview mirror. Sure enough, there was a reddish purple twinge to my nose.
“No, it doesn’t look that bad…” he said, but I knew he was only trying to make me feel better. I looked like I got my ass kicked. The feelings of utter humiliation resurged. It was like I was reliving the incident at gym all over again.
“Hey, uh… Do you want me to take a look at your car?” He avoided my gaze, probably afraid to set me off or to avoid having to lie about my appearance again. It was almost considerate, and I appreciated the gesture.
But as far as my car was concerned, I didn’t think there was even a remote chance he could help – it had so many different issues it was a wonder it ran at all. But I saw the car as a kind of kindred spirit, so against my mother’s urging, I held on to it. She still had a few more good years, and I wasn’t about to give up on her.
“Actually I could use a ride. Probably safer not to drive without these anyway,” I said, motioning to my glasses. I knew my house was close to his, but I didn’t want to disclose that at the risk of sounding like a stalker. “I live on Elmhurst.”
“Oh, that’s only a couple blocks from my house. No problem.”
A warm glow spread through me and I couldn’t hold back the grin that materialized. “Thank you so much, Derek!”
He opened the door for me to let me out and I blushed as he helped me out of the car. What a perfect gentleman, I thought. My knight in shining armor.
I couldn’t help staring at him as I followed him to his car. The way he walked just exuded confidence. And every other step stretched his jeans so that I could catch a glimpse of his muscle definition. I wanted to shriek in glee at my good fortune.
His car was a muscle car of some sort. Cars weren’t really my thing, so I didn’t know the model, but his looked like a fast one.
Once inside, the full force of his body spray caressed my senses, as if he’d put it on for the sole purpose of seducing me. I breathed in that fine musky smell and felt my inhibitions melt.
He started the car up, and the deep throaty noise it emitted confirmed my suspicion. “Nice ride.”
“Thanks. What’s your number?”
My number? He’s asking for my number? My heart felt like it would burst out of my chest. I rattled off the digits so quickly it made me dizzy afterwards. Or perhaps it was just euphoria. It’s happening! It’s really happening!
He chuckled. “I meant the number of your house.”
“Oh,” I said flatly, trying to pass it off like I was all casual. “It’s 223.”
My ego deflated a little, but I was still stupid happy. I’m in Derek’s car, and he’s driving me home. Should I make my move in the car? I decided it would be better to wait until we’re stopped. Wouldn’t want to get into an accident because of a life-altering kiss, after all.
“I broke my nose once,” he said, out of the blue. “It was black and blue for days.”
I wasn’t sure if that was supposed to comfort me or not. But I reasoned my nose probably wasn’t broken, so perhaps it was meant to give me hope I wouldn’t look so ridiculous that long.
I didn’t know how to respond to that offering, so I merely asked, “Did it hurt?”
“Hell yeah.” He paused for a moment. “Does yours hurt?”
“It’s not that bad, just a little sore.” I found it sweet that he was concerned about my pain. “I don’t think it’s broken.”
“That’s good.”
The rest of the short drive was silent. When we arrived at my house, I noticed my mother’s car was absent from the driveway. “Can you come in for a quick drink?”
He rubbed his neck and a pained grimace appeared. “I don’t have much time, I have to get back.”
“Please, it’s the least I can do, for the ride home,” I said in an even tone, trying hard not to sound like I was begging. Which I totally was. “It’ll only take a minute.”
Derek sighed. “Okay, but it’s got to be quick.” He flashed a sweet smile, and I nearly melted again. It took every ounce of self-reserve in my being to not throw my arms around him right then and there.
I fumbled with the lock on the front door, still on edge that my dream was coming true. Alone time with Derek. His easy smile appeared once more, as if girls acting nervous around him were a daily occurrence, and his canned reaction was to feel flattered.
The first room noticeable upon entering my house is the massive living room area, with a huge bookshelf of movies next to the big screen TV. In the free time I didn’t spend with friends, I watched movies. Horror movies were my favorite, followed closely by romantic comedies. And of course, coming-of-age teen flicks, can’t forget about those little nuggets of life wisdom.
“Cool, I love your house!” He browsed the titles on the bookshelf and mentioned the ones he’d seen and liked.
The smile that initially formed when Derek offered me a ride remained plastered on my face. I couldn’t believe my luck. I had to make the most of this.
Derek Van Der Creek will be mine.
After grabbing a spare set of eyeglasses, I slipped into the kitchen to prepare our drinks - a cocktail of several fruit juices I loved. Derek eventually joined me, looking all around as if he were a tourist. “This is really nice.”
He wasn’t being kind. My mother worked as a lawyer, so you could say we lived comfortably
. She often worked late, which I normally hated, but was very okay with at that moment.
“Thank you.” I stirred the drinks a final time and handed Derek his.
“You should probably get some ice on that,” he said, pointing to my nose. “Might help with the swelling.”
I nodded and retrieved an ice pack from the freezer. My spare glasses hurt a little to wear them, but I didn’t want anything to be out of focus. It was a relief to remove them and feel the cool ice on my injury.
He lifted his drink, observing it. “What is this?” His eyes stared into mine as he waited for a response, and for a moment my breathing stopped. It took a serious effort to process and answer the question.
“It’s like a fruit cocktail,” I said, then felt immediately stupid afterwards. “I mean, it is a fruit cocktail.”
He took a sip and made an “mmmm” sound. “This is great!”
“I’m so glad you like it.” I watched him down the drink in a few gulps.
* * *
Derek Van Der Creek is in my house! With me! I never thought I could be so lucky, that we would be alone together. No Jenn, no mother, no distractions of any kind. Just Derek and me.
In all of my fantasies about Derek, one detail remained consistent - they always took place in my bedroom. On the way, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a hallway mirror. I was a bit disheveled with a few stray hairs crowding my face, but overall not that bad, all things considered. My nerves were still in high gear. Being alone with Derek was everything I dreamed of, for so long. And now it was actually happening.
I led Derek to my bed, as I didn’t have any chairs in my room. My mother and I were in the process of redecorating, so the room was rather stark. Derek didn’t seem to mind.
The nervousness resurfaced, and for a second I thought for sure I was going to vomit. I made my way across the sizeable room in several strides, to the window. I opened it and the cool breeze that wafted in helped me regain control. After a few deep breaths, I was ready to talk to Derek about my feelings. I joined him on the bed.
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