Saving Stephenie

Saving Stephenie - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

                Over the next couple weeks, I found myself hanging out with Derek regularly - more often than Trey. It was partly due to the fact he no less than stalked me at work and had decided to be in my company whenever I was given a break. I didn't exactly mind it. Actually, I rather began to like the idea of it even if I was creating a friend; a close one at that.

                Trey didn't seem to like it too much, but after being chewed out so many times he knew to keep his opinions to himself. He also couldn't complain much because I was spending more time than originally planned with Trey as well, even if it wasn't as often as Derek. I think Trey had decided to drop the whole feelings for me thing and tried his hardest to be my friend. I hesitantly accepted, but knew it was unavoidable. Somehow things never turn out the way I plan. I wonder if it's just the universe at work trying to change my mind, or if it's just trying to annoy me. Either way, it wasn't getting to me so I decided to ride it out.

                One day after school, when I didn't have work, Trey and I were walking through the small shopping mall a couple miles outside of town together when I finally decided to breach the subject of the reason for discourse between Trey and Derek. What finally made the decision for me to bring it up was once again, was Trey tightening his eyes and pursing his lips when I mentioned Derek in an anecdote about this lady we had watched waddling into the store on my break at work last week.

                "What problem do you have with him anyway?" I asked curiously.

                His eyes flashed and I once again sensed a long story. I grabbed Trey's hand in encouragement like I was grasping at the chance to find out. He grinned warmly down at me and without thinking I returned it. It was much easier being with him than I had thought. Once we got passed feelings and all the relationship type things he was hung up on, we really clicked. Well, we clicked as well as two vastly different people could.

                "I never really liked him; you know walking around like the biggest jerk off, especially to girls! And he never cared about them. Ever. It always made me so angry. Still does." His hand tightened around mine and his other hand was clenched into a ball.

                "I guess that's understandable, but it seems a little extreme to have such hate towards each other over that; the way he acts," I stated trying to decipher their situation.

                "That's not the only reason," he muttered darkly. "He, well he, screwed over my sister." Trey was crushing my hand now.

                "Trey," I said pointedly looking down at my hand with a grimace.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He retracted his hand and ran both of them through his hair looking a little panicked. "It just makes me so angry when I think about him and what he did. She's only a year younger than us and he just played with her like some object. Like some toy. He'll play with you too." He looked at me with crazy eyes; concern etched into every inch.

I started laughing to lighten the mood. "He's my friend, nothing more - never will be more. Plus, he can't break my heart even if he tried. I don't let people break my heart."

He gave me a half smile saying he didn't believe it just as I didn't believe that that was the end of it. I knew there had to be more. And sure enough he continued on without my prodding.

"I got so aggravated that I stole this girl away from him. She was beautiful -- and apparently he held more than a shallow attraction for her." For some reason a pang of jealousy ran through me at her description. It was not jealousy over the fact that Derek had liked some girl; it was the fact that she was supposedly beyond beautiful. I envied any girl who would be so lucky as to inherit beauty and attractiveness. "I guess you could call it his first real girlfriend and I snatched her up and wooed her. He was furious, and we just never resolved our differences. And never will."