Lips Sealed

Another Hit

The next morning in school, my mind was full of questions for Derek. He may not have had answers, but I needed to voice them to maintain sanity. Last night’s events felt like a dream, but something in the back of my mind warned me it was reality. 

Sleep had evaded me, and as I walked through the doors of my high school, I could feel the effects taking over. My body felt numb to its surroundings, and it was a struggle to keep my eyelids open. I focused on the task at hand intently, hoping that it would help me stay awake, but I found that it was fruitless when I failed to open my locker three times. 

“Having a little trouble this morning?” Andy smirked.

I groaned, leaning my forehead against the cold metal before me. “Hello, Andy.”

“Need any help?” 

I moved out of the way, reciting the numbers as my friend made his attempt at opening my locker. He succeeded on the first try, throwing me a smug grin. I ignored his silent boating and grabbed my books from my locker. 

Today was not going to be a good day.

Andy and I spent the remainder of the time before school began with Emily and Cory. I could barely hold a conversation with my friends as I felt exhaustion tugging at my eyes. It would happen that the moment unconsciousness calls, I would happen to be in school.

The bell rang, splitting the four of us up as we made our way toward our destinations. My heartbeat quickened in anticipation. First period with Derek meant that I would hopefully have the opportunity to quiz him on last night. 

But Derek never showed up that day.

~*~

Two more days passed before Derek showed up again. 

As I walked into first period on Friday, my eyes widened in surprise at the boy sitting behind me. The classroom was slowly filling up, but not many were around us. Swallowing nervously, I hurried over to my seat, hoping to grab a word with him before the school day began. 

Derek’s eyes met mine as I dropped into my chair. His body tensed when I turned to face him. The questions had been adding up over the days, and their words burned on my lips. After all the time that had passed without a word from him, I had started to question whether the event had happened. But there was something in the way those red eyes watched me that sent chills down my spine. 

It wasn’t a look easily forgettable.

“Hey.” 

He held my eyes. His fingers fiddled with a paperclip, bending and twisting it out of its intended design.

“Hello.” His voice was low and husky—exactly how I remembered it from Monday evening. I licked my lips slowly in an attempt to calm myself. 

It wasn’t in my agenda to get myself labeled a lunatic in this boy’s life. 

“I haven’t seen you in a while.” I commented. My voice was smooth, but my heart wasn’t. This was the moment I had waited days for. 

He shrugged, shifting in his seat. Derek dropped the bent paperclip onto his desk only to swipe it off with the back of his hand. My eyes followed the piece of metal until it landed on the carpeted floor. When I looked back at the boy before me, his eyes were darker than anticipated.

“I’ve been out.”

“Why?”

He raised an eyebrow, giving me an amused look. “We got tied up with the moving process. I decided a few days off wouldn’t hurt.”