Just Kidding, But Seriously...

Angry Hippies and Flying Potatoes

A/N- It's short but it's something! I'm almost done with exams so updates on this story will be faster afterwards :) Please comment/vote!

Oh,and remember to love the Earth, everyone! Even if Derek doesn't...

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There was a moment of silence, and I wasn't sure if it was for the loss of the little bit of dignity I had left or for the death of our relationship.

I searched Gwen's cerulean eyes for an answer she wasn't providing me through words, and thought I saw a flicker of an emotion: genuine surprise. Had I seen her eyes soften?

"I... " she trailed off, her mouth hanging open.

I wanted to tell her to just forget about it-to tell her that I was just kidding and I was sorry. But the fact of the matter was that, even though I was basically standing before Gwen like an idiot, awaiting for what seemed like days for an answer, her stunned reaction had acted as hope for me and my lovestruck self. I should have gotten slapped in the face or something by now. Unless she felt the same way.

Something inside me jolted at the thought. I needed to stop eating undercooked food.

But then her next words, the ones spoken out loud, cancelled out any inference I had made by judging her facial expression.

Surprise drained itself from her pretty features, and she laughed, a short, crazy giggle that didn't sound like her at all.

"I knew you were joking!" she accused.

I paused, trying to comprehend her statement.

"Wait, what?" I questioned brilliantly.

"You're joking," she replied with a strange smile. It was too wide; like the one she had on when I was talking to her at the club table. Gwen giggled again, sounding hysterical. She spoke between laughs. "Y-you don't... you don't really mean that!"

And at that moment I wanted to stick myself in a blender and crank it up to turbo mode.

She thought I was joking? The one time that I finally tried to be serious about something and Gwen thought I was just messing with her?

I wasn't sure what I had expected when I told her. For her to give me one of those really tight hugs she always gives and tell me she felt the same way? A kiss on the cheek? Maybe some showering of confetti?

I should have seen this coming. It was plainly obvious, seeing as that Raymond had basically reacted in the same way.

I just thought... I wasn't sure what I thought. I assume a part of be believed that she felt the same way. Now, I wasn't so sure.

"Gwen, I'm not joking," I told her with a frown. She was still laughing, her eyes beginning to glaze over with happy tears. I hadn't heard her laugh this much before; it was starting to creep me out. I legitimately began to fear for her health.

"What?" she giggled. At my words, her laughter calmed down a bit. "Yes you are," she insisted in confusion. "This isn't turning out to be that funny, Derek."

If I didn't know Gwen any better, I would not have caught the subtle edge of anxiety weaved into her tone. I didn't know what it was supposed to mean-I wasn't very adept with understanding girls' language; you might as well have asked me to read hieroglyphics.

I groaned, frustrated. She wasn't getting it. She wasn't seeing that I was serious. I needed her to see that I was being for real right then, because then maybe she would tell me that she liked me too.