I Found A Way

Chapter 24- Fighting For Their Lives Saturday, September 13, 2014

I've been wanting to write this forever. I hope you like it. 

Recap: Derek and Melly are expecting a child at sixteen. Right now they're on summer vacation, working at Target(well, Melly works at Starbucks, but it is in Target). Derek encountered his father for the first time in twelve years and his father was trying to make up for it by inviting Derek and Melly to dinner, which they took, but Derek refuses to cooperate with him. During their first day of school, Melly and Derek were harassed by their classmates, resulting in Derek's car being graffitied by the popular clique in their school. Melly ran out of the school crying, only for Derek to come back home seeing her perfectly fine on the couch. The next day the couple went into the school being stopped by their tormentors, but instead of Melly tormented by the Queen Bee, Brittany, she gave her a piece of her mind and knocked her pom poms out of her hands. The next few weeks Derek describes Melly behavior as of late as bitchy. Not being able to condone the behavior from her any longer, Derek gave his girlfriend a piece of his mind, hopefully to get her head back to earth, but he failed and got slapped in the face. And then he drove off without her.

I was a couple of blocks away from my house, when I pulled over to the side, not being able to drive with these overwhelming emotions inside of me. Sadness, anger, despair, regret, confusion all mixed into one. That's not a good condition to drive in. I turned off the car, but left the keys in the ignition, putting my head in my hand in sadness. I cried into my hand as the scene from earlier replaying in my head. That was our very first fight and it was a nothing, but a disaster. Sure, we had bickered before, but it was always light and fun. Nothing as serious as this. I didn't mean half of the things I said to her. I don't think she's a monster, but she has been having a soured attitude lately. I was so mad at her behavior lately, I guess I didn't see the real picture; a pregnant girl who is hurting from the crap that she's been through. She was trying to come off as anything but a hurt creature. Still doesn't excuse her horrible behavior, but I do see where she's coming from. I should've helped her, but I ignored all the signs that has been in my face all along.

I rolled my eyes, leaned my head back on the seat, and hit my hand on the horn as I thought about what I just did. What was I thinking in leaving a helpless, pregnant teenage girl to walk her way back home in the middle of the night? So many things could happen to her and our child, and I wouldn't know. It would be her blood on my hands if something happen to her.

Should I go back to look for her? I mean overall, she was acting like a bitch, but I obviously still do care about her to consider to go look for her. But she slapped me and I don't want her to think that I will go back to her immediately, making her think she's right about everything. But she's still my girl. She's still the woman I love. She's a young girl who's about to have a baby in less than a few months. And fuck, I'll be damned if I get a call that they're dead.

I put my car in drive, did a U-turn, and raced down the road trying to find her. I called her phone multiple times to see where I can pick her up, but it keeps leading me to her voicemail. I cursed as I looked up and down town looking for her. Then a thought hit me.

-Flashback-

We were twelve years old and we just discovered Our Hill. Sure, people may have been there before and it's in a public area, but at the time not one human has been there before. As I said before, we liked it because of how peaceful it is and how we can practically have this open space to ourselves. So many things have happened there since day one. This is the place that we've been dreaming of for a long time. This is where I placed a brand new ring on Melly's finger and told her that I don't want to have sex with her until we were married. This is the place where we considered ourselves to be really serious with each other. I mean of course, we were always boyfriend and girlfriend, that was a special moment between, because it was when we were talking about our future and what not. We weren't playing around like before.

After writing our initial inside of a heart on the tree, I said these simple words to her, "If we ever fight or have an argument, and we stormed off towards anywhere, let's meet each other here. At Our Hill. We can even call it Somewhere Only We Know for reference in front of other people or even ourselves, whatever you want. But just know this is the place to go to if we ever argue."

"Okay. Fair enough." Melly said, admiring the peaceful setting.

"I love you." I said.

"I love you too." She said, before kissing me.

-End of Flashback-

I instantly turned my car around, going to the place only we know. I parked my car, when I noticed a bearded, old man waving his shotgun around to a terrified Melly, while holding her by the neck. Oh fuck no! I quickly got out of my car, running up the hill only to slow down when he spotted me.

"Ohh, looks like you got a friend here, girlie. This makes everything better." The old man said in a creepy voice, continuing to hold his arm around Melly's neck.

"Derek, get out of here! I don't want you to get involved with this, you've done a lot today." Melly told me, not wanting her boyfriend to get hurt.

"No! I won't leave you again." I told her, cautiously taking one step.

"Haha, you better listen to her, if you know what's good for all of you." The man said, his gun firmly on her stomach. I felt my anger increased, seeing Melly cry as this coward let his free hand to go up her bare thigh(she's wearing a dress). That was enough to run up to man and push him off of her, before he could create a tragedy.

"Derek!" Melly cried.

"I came all the way to find you." I told her as I wrestled this psycho on the ground. This is so dangerous as this guy still has a firm grip of his gun in his hand, but I don't care if I die, if it means Melly and our baby could live. "I was worried that something might happened to you. Good thing I got here just in time as you deserve to live as much as everyone else. So what if you were acting like a jerk? We all have. But somehow I know deep inside you that you don't mean it. I'm sorry for not being able to understand you before. I'm sorry that I didn't realize it before to help you. I didn't mean what I said before. You're not a monster. You were just being mean and I didn't like that."

"I'm sorry for our fight!" Melly cried. "I never meant to be a monster or anything. I never meant to hurt anyone, including you. I'm sorry for slapping you or yelling at you for whatever reason it may be. You're an amazing guy and I love you so much. I'm sorry I got you into this."

I grunted as I kicked the guy in the stomach, distracting him to grab his gun. "Don't worry about it, doll. I'm happy to fight for you. I appreciate the apologize. Even you affected everyone else negatively, this is the first step towards reconciliation with people, though it may take some work. But for now, your apology is good enough for me." I looked at her seeing tears stream down her face more as I wrestled for the gun with the bad guy. The gun pointed at me, while his finger was near the trigger. We grunted and panted, but I managed to continue what may be last speech. "Just know that I love you, no matter what. I literally can't stand a second without you. You're still the woman I love. The one I want to marry, have a kid, and a future with. And I'm sorry if I can't be there for you, but I don't care if that means I could save your lives. Just know, no matter what, I love you and I will be there for you forever and always."

I screamed in pain as a bullet went through my stomach, causing me to bleed from the wound to my mouth.

"Derek!" Melly running towards me.

The gunman pointed the gun at her, but I managed to use the last few minutes of my life to seize the gun and shoot the man in his chest, before I collapsed onto the green grass, my blood spewing everywhere. I feel Melly lifting my head onto her lap and the sound of ambulances coming around the corner.

"Stay with me, stay with me. You'll be alright." Melly whispered as I drifted off into darkness.

I thought this chapter would be long. Sorry for updating with short chapters lately. :(

Ruh roh. What's going to happen next? Is Derek dead? Did I kill off a good character? Is Melly truly apologetic? Will this side of the story continued? Or will everything be okay in the end? Read on to find out. :).