He slowly tells me his number and I enter it into my contact list as Aiden makes impatient noises.
“Chill, Aid.” Owen scowls at him. “We’re going, okay?”
“Later, Britt,” Aiden tells me, throwing a hand up, “sorry about your ankle again.”
I half-wave then let out a loud groan once they’re gone.
What have I done?
I made out with Owen.
I’m dating Derek.
Fake-dating Derek…there’s a difference.
I’m interested in Owen. Am I though?
Sure I find him attractive and all, but interested?
Ugh.
I should’ve never agreed to Derek’s plan.
I should’ve just moved on.
If I had, there could’ve been an actual chance for Owen and me.
You hardly know him.
Well, it’s not like I can get to know him.
I can’t back out of my deal with Derek.
That would ruin his chances of showing Liv what a great boyfriend his is.
But then again, it might give Liv the opportunity to let Derek know that she feels the same way about him that he feels about her.
I need advice. Derek’s advice, unfortunately.
I “select” his number then wait impatiently as the phone rings.
Pick up.
Pick up.
Pick up!
“Hey this is Derek, leave a message.”
No. Just no.
“It’s me,” I say after the “beep”. “Listen, I have a bit of a problem…we really need to talk, call me back!”
I end the call and toss my phone to the other end of the couch.
Why does my life suddenly suck so much?
It was perfect a few weeks ago.
My phone buzzes and I now regret tossing it so far away from me.
I lean over with a grunt and grab it.
Derek.
“Thank goodness,” I gush into the phone after answering it. “Derek, I—”
“What’s wrong?” he interrupts me. “Are you okay? Why—”
“Relax, I’m okay,” I assure him. “I just….can you come over? It’ll be easier to talk.”
“Sure, I’m on my way.” He pauses and adds, “You sure you’re okay?”
“Uh-huh. See you in a few.”
I end the call and let out a deep breath…then wait forever until he finally shows up.
“Sorry I took so long,” Derek apologizes, sitting on the coffee table across from me. “There was some traffic, what’s up?”
I anxiously bounce my left leg up and down. “I think I might be interested in someone.”
His eyebrows crease. “In who?”
Well, one thing I didn’t think about is the fact that Derek didn’t exactly seem fond of Owen at Del’s party.
He might not take this news well.
“I uh…” I laugh some with a tilt of my head. “I don’t know if I should tell you.”
“Britt.” His expression becomes solemn. “If there’s someone you’re interested in…I need to know.”
“I just don’t want to mess things up or anything,” I admit in all honesty. “Ya know?”
He sighs. “Just tell me, wouldja?”
“Owen,” I mumble under my breath.
“So I can hear you.”
“Owen,” I say his name a little louder, reluctantly maintaining eye contact with Derek. “I’m interested in Owen.”
“The guy from Moore’s party,” he clarifies, “right? Her cousin’s friend…the guy you were with?”
“Yep.” I click my tongue with a nod. “That’s the one.”
“You were hardly with him though,” he objects. “How can you possibly be—”
“He and Aiden came by today,” I interrupt him, “to see how I was doing. Long story short, Owen and I ended up…kind of…making out.”
This is so embarrassing.
“Kind of making out? What the—” He stands up, looking at me in disbelief. “Are you serious?”
“I’m sorry, Derek,” I apologize as he takes a few steps away from me, muttering under his breath. “It just kind of happened and—”
“You don’t even know the guy,” he hisses, “and you made out with him? What about Blake? Are you over him?”
Blake? I hadn’t even thought of Blake.
Not really anyway.
Crap, that makes things more complicated…of course I’m not over Blake.
How could I be?
I shake my head. “No.”
“Brittany, I—” He runs a hand through his hair with a groan. “You’re not making sense.”
“I know, I know,” I agree with him, “I just—I’m confused.”
Derek sits back down on the coffee table, resting his arms on his knees. “Britt, who do you want to be your boyfriend?”
My boyfriend. Which one do I want?
Owen?
Blake?
Owen?
Blake?
Which one do I want more?
Which one do I love?
“Blake,” I reply, smiling some, “I love Blake…he’s the one I want.”
He’s always been the one. He always will be.
“Okay.” Derek slowly nods. “What about Owen?”
Owen.
Hot, pleasurable, good-kisser Owen…
I let out a deep breath. “I shouldn’t have kissed him.”
“You’re gonna have to tell him what you told me,” Derek states in a matter-of-fact tone. “That you love Blake, and—”
“I can’t tell him that I love Blake.” I look at him like he’s crazy. “I’m supposed to be in love with you!”
“That’s right.” He sighs after cursing. “Well, if you can’t tell him that you love Blake…you’ll have to tell him that you love me.”
Love Derek? Tell Owen that?
It’s bad enough that I’ve been acting like I love Derek, but to actually say that I do…I can’t.
“I can’t do that,” I say in a quiet voice.
“What?” His eyebrows crease. “Why not?”
“It’s lying, Derek,” I try to explain. “Lying on a whole different level.”
“Okay.” He nods, motioning to me. “Well, what do you suggest?”
I offer a lame shrug. “I don’t know.”
“Well,” he drawls, “unless you can think of something…my idea’s the only option.”
I blow a loose strand of hair out of my face as I try to come up with an idea.
Nothing—ugh, why won’t he help me?
I cross my arms. “Why won’t you help me?”
Yes, I sound whiny. But I don’t care.
“I’m trying to, Britt.” He gives me an exasperated look. “But you’re not cooperating here.”
I purse my lips. “I am cooperating.”
“Crossing your arms and pouting isn’t cooperating,” he informs me in a dry voice, “it’s being stubborn.”
“Fine,” I scowl, uncrossing my arms. “I’ll do it.”
I’ll tell Owen that I love Derek.
——————
The next day, I’m sitting by myself in the cafeteria while mentally crying over how unfair my life is.
“Get. This.” Delanie sits across from me, her blue eyes wide with excitement. “Last night, Owen and Aiden came over…you won’t believe it, Owen was totally lovesick.”
I spit out the juice that I was drinking, causing me to accidentally spray her.
“Brittany!” She jumps up with a shriek. “What the heck!”
Crap.
“I’m so sorry, Del,” I don’t hesitate in apologizing. “I didn’t mean to—”
“Oh no!” she wails, looking down at her now pink-stained white tank. “My new top!”
I should’ve known.
“Del, I feel terrible.” I wince as she starts grumbling under her breath. “Really…I—”
She puts a hand out for me to stop. “I—am going to go change.”<
br />
Her blond hair whips behind her as she stomps off while cursing like there’s no tomorrow.
“Way to go, Britt,” I mutter, dragging my hands down the sides of my face.
“What happened to Del?” Liv asks, sitting down where Delanie had been sitting. “She wouldn’t even talk to me.”
I sigh. “I sprayed her with the juice that I was drinking.”
“What?” Liv’s amber eyes widen. “Why would you—”
“I didn’t do it on purpose!” I defend myself. “It just…happened.”
Lame excuse, Brittany.
Well it did!
She raises an eyebrow. “It just happened?”
I squirm, feeling incredibly guilty. “Yes…”
“Britt—”
“Hey,” I suddenly say, ignoring her unimpressed look. “Why didn’t you call me back last night?”
After Derek left yesterday, I wanted to see if she could come over and hang out because Del was busy…but for whatever reason, she didn’t answer her phone.
She shrugs, taking the lid off her fruit bowl. “Must’ve forgotten.”
Something’s wrong.
“Liv,” I say, tilting my head as I watch her, “are you okay?”
“Yeah, of course,” she replies, not looking up. “Why do you ask?”
“Because you’re putting salt on your fruit,” I sigh, “not sugar.”
She stops pouring the packet of salt over her fruit and blinks. “Oh.”
“What’s wrong, Liv?”
“Nothing.” She shakes her head as she tosses the packet aside. “I’m fine.”
“Liv, come on,” I coax, trying not to seem too pushy. “Talk to me.”
“It’s nothing,” she assures me. “Really, I promise.”
Before I can press again, Delanie is back and sits next to Liv with a huff—wearing a new, light-blue, clean tank.
“I can’t believe you, Britt.” She glares at me. “Do you know how many looks and comments I got? It was embarrassing!”
“Sorry, Del,” I apologize again. “I—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She waves me off. “You’re sorry and it was an accident—blah, blah, blah.”
I go back to eating as Del (unfortunately) resumes talking. “So anyway, like I was saying before getting soaked by Hurricane Brittany, Owen was totally lovesick last night…”
While she gives her opinions on Owen’s attitude and love life, I try to focus on eating and drinking.
It’s bad enough that we made out…but the fact that Del’s indirectly talking about it just makes the whole thing worse.
“Whoever he was with must be one heck of a kisser, ’cause—” Her words are cut off when I spit out my juice, spraying her…once again. “BRITT!”
I let out a choked gasp. “I’m so—”
“Save it!” she exclaims, standing up. “I can’t even flippin’ believe this!”
Me either.
“I don’t have another spare!” she informs me amid cursing. “What do you expect me to do?”
“I’m really sorry,” I try again. “I didn’t mean—”
“Whoa,” Derek says when he sees Delanie. “Moore, what happened to you?”
She points an accusing finger at me. “Ask. Your. Girlfriend.”
Liv goes after her as Delanie stomps off again and I let out a frustrated sigh.
“What did you do?” Derek asks, sitting next to me.
“It was an accident,” I mutter, stirring my yogurt. “I spit my fruit juice on her.”
And then he starts laughing.
“Fruit juice?” He shakes his head, still cracking up. “No wonder she was fuming. Her face was redder than—”
“Derek!” I whine. “It’s not funny!”
“All right, all right,” he says, calming down. “I’ll stop.”
I sigh. “Thank you…”
“So,” he drawls, “when are you going to talk to you-know-who?”
I offer a noncommittal shrug. “I don’t know.”
Honestly? I don’t want to talk to Owen.
I don’t think I’ll be able to do it—tell him that I love Derek?
It’s crazy.
“How do you not know?” He gives me a flat look. “You said that you’d tell him today.”
“And I will,” I assure him. “I just don’t know when today.”
I’m hoping never. But I’ll have to anyway.
“Well…” he trails off, “you’re gonna have to figure it out.”
“I know!” I can’t help but snap at him. “You don’t have to keep reminding me, okay?”
“Hey,” he says, putting his hands up, “I’m just trying to help.”
“Well you’re not helping,” I inform him with a scowl. “So stop trying.”
Realizing that I’m being rude and somewhat of a brat, I quickly apologize. “Derek, I’m sorry.”
He nods, without much emotion showing on his face. “It’s okay.”
“No it’s not.” I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “I’m just kind of frustrated by all of—”
I stop when I see Delanie coming toward us. “Is that your gym top?”
It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the shirt, but she’s got it tied up in the front so that her belly button ring is exposed and it’s just kind of weird seeing metal there…’cause this is my first time physically seeing the piercing—and at school of all places.
What are the teachers going to say?
“I tried to talk her out of it,” Liv says, sitting next to Delanie. “Obviously I was unsuccessful.”
“I needed something to wear.” Del shrugs. “It was this or Darren’s jersey.”
She wrinkles her nose. “Just the thought grosses me out.”
Apparently his jersey always “reeks”, I think it’s just that she doesn’t want to be seen wearing it though.
Del grabs a piece of fruit from Liv’s bowl and before I can warn her, she puts it in her mouth—then spits it out, and there’s spit.
Actual spit.
And it’s kind of gross just watching her spit out any remaining flavor.
“Crap, Moore,” Derek says, amid gagging. “I’m trying to eat here.”
Delanie turns to Liv with a scowl. “Why the heck is there salt on your fruit?”
Liv just shrugs, mumbles a “sorry”, then goes back to her phone.
“Hey, Del,” I say in realization as she starts downing her water. “Where’s Darren?”
She sets the water bottle down and swallows. “Dentist appointment.”
Ugh—dentist appointments are the worse.
“So,” Delanie drawls, “I thought we could go shopping today after school.”
I bite my lip. “I can’t.”
Here it comes…
“What?” She arches an eyebrow. “Why the heck not?”
“Well…” I gulp. “I have a…a—”
“A date,” Derek cuts in, “with me.”
Thank God for Derek.
“That’s right.” I smile in agreement. “I have a date with Derek.”
And for good measure, I wrap my arm around his before kissing him on the cheek.
“Well, we can go before your date,” Delanie insists, “or after.”
“No can do, Moore,” Derek replies in a cool tone, “I’m keeping her all for myself.”
Uh, okay…awkward. Like really awkward.
Delanie makes a disgusted face as she pulls her phone out and Derek wiggles his eyebrows at me with a slight smirk.
Why, Derek? Just, why?
Chapter 32: It Was a Mistake
——————————————————
I take a deep breath and blankly stare at the front door.
Earlier I told Mom that Owen was coming over because he left his pen here.
Bad excuse, I know…but I made it better by saying that it was his lucky pen.
She seemed to buy it. I don’t even know how though.
I open th
e door before I change my mind and the next thing I know, Owen’s cupping my face and pressing his mouth against mine.
Unfortunately, I start to kiss him back then I remember why I invited Owen over. I love Blake and I’m fake-dating Derek.
I didn’t invite him over for this.
So, I pull away. “Owen, we need to talk.”
“You’re right.” He nods, appearing somewhat breathless. “I just…I’ve been thinking about you and yesterday—”
“Same here,” I sigh, “which is why we need to clear some things up.”
“Of course,” he agrees, “whatever you want.”
I move aside so he can come in and mentally groan as I close the door.
This isn’t starting off so well…
“All right,” I say once we’re sitting down in the living room, “so yesterday was wrong…and so was that, what you just—I’m dating Derek, Owen.”
“I know.” He licks his lips. “But I like you, Brittany. I want to get to know you.”
“You can’t,” I practically whine. “I’m with Derek, I—I lo—love him.”
There…I said it.
He tilts his head. “You don’t sound so sure about that.”
“Well, it’s the truth,” I lie, “whether I sound sure or not.”
“You kissed me,” he states the obvious. “You wanted to—”
“That doesn’t matter.” I shake my head. “It was a mistake. I shouldn’t have…the same goes for today.”
“We connected at Del’s party.” He looks at me with expectancy. “You can’t deny that. And I don’t think that you actually love Derek.”
“What?” I try not to seem guilty. “Why would you—”
“You wouldn’t have kissed me if you did love him,” he interrupts, “yesterday or today…so if you don’t love him, why are you trying to act like you do?”
This isn’t going well at all.
“Brittany?”
“It’s complicated,” I use the most cliché answer ever, “I can’t really explain.”
“Sure you can,” he verbally waves me off, “and I think I kind of deserve an explanation…don’t you?”
He does. But what am I going to tell him?
Derek and I didn’t talk about what to say if the whole “I-love-Derek” thing didn’t work.
It was supposed to work! What now? Do I just tell him the truth?
Tell Owen the truth?
No, Derek doesn’t want anyone to know the reasoning behind our “dating.”
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