Innocence Lost On the Gamble of Love

Innocence Lost On the Gamble of Love: Chapter 15

"Not...really."

"Just say it." he pleaded, hating being closed off from Penelope's inner thoughts. "I won't laugh."

Penelope sighed before saying, "I was going to say, 'you could kiss me,' but I've never been kissed before so..."

"That's hard to believe," Derrick retaliated.

He had assumed that Penelope would have already been approached by other guys before himself. She seemed so... well, she seemed like damn good girlfriend material, so what had gone wrong? 

"I've been dying to kiss you," he admitted shamefully. Her pink lips looked so inviting. He wondered how they would feel against his skin. How they would taste... "But I don't want to cross your boundaries or anything."

He was more of a gentleman than he gave himself credit for. At least, he was an ideal boyfriend when it came to having the right girl on his arm. Penelope made him want to be a better person. Someone worthy of her presence. Derrick was trying so to live up to her expectations. He didn't want Penelope to ever regret being with him.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Penelope deemed longingly, her voice gentle.

Damn, that's right. She just gave me permission.

Derrick stopped walking and moved in front of Penelope while trying to control his breathing since his stomach was doing somersaults. Fuck, he was nervous. The pressure was on.

He stared into those hopeful brown eyes that reflected all that was good and wonderful in the world before taking a sharp intake of breath.

Penelope's heart was racing, and she was pleading to herself not to faint or get hit with a wave of nausea or anything that would ruin this epic moment in her life. She slowly squeezed her eyes closed and focused on the intensity that she had seen in Derrick's eyes. She trusted him. 

She felt his mouth pressing softly onto her own. The movement was gentle, careful. When Penelope parted her lips, she could feel Derrick breathing into her, and at that moment she had never felt more alive.

Too soon for her liking, Penelope felt him pulling back so she put a hand on his neck to hold him in place. Derrick's smile molded against her lips and the feeling of weightlessness overtook Penelope. It was as if gravity didn't exist for those few seconds- she felt like she was floating.

Slowly, as if fearfully, they broke apart and Derrick rested his forehead against Penelope's. They both exhaled, and the cool air mixed with their hot breath which formed small clouds of air to cling around their faces if only for half of a second or so.

Something between them had changed just now, and there was no going back.

.....................................

"Okay, I got to go," Penelope said after hanging up her phone call.

She made her round of goodbyes with hugs while reciting the same lines to each friend which consisted of the basic phrase, "Take care, see you later." Only Liz, being the exception of being her best friend, received an, "I'll text you when I get home." To which she nodded in understanding and reciprocated the embrace.

Penelope turned to bid her final farewell to Derrick. She hugged him just as fiercely as she had with the others.

"Thanks for coming," she said in his ear. "I had fun."

"Me too."

He wished that they could stay in this embrace forever, but he knew very well that life did not work in his favor. He didn't live in a world where good things constantly happened to him. He had to let go.

"I'll see you," she said, pulling away, preparing to leave.

"Oh, wait," he said, grabbing onto her hand.

"Derrick, I really have to go," Penelope whined. She also was wishing she could stay, but she didn't dare want to endure the wrath of an angry parent for testing their waiting limit.

Derrick pulled out a piece of paper from the front pocket of his jeans and handed it over.

"It's Ritchie's written apology like you asked," he explained. "I think it's two sentences. I was watching him write it, but I didn't read what he wrote."

Penelope quickly snatched the paper with her free hand while the other clutched desperately onto her BlackBerry. "Oh, okay, thanks."

They shared a chaste kiss, and after some waving, Penelope jumped into her car. 

The feeling of emptiness crept upon her. She hated being away from her friends. Her second family, she referred to them as.

"How'd it go?" her mom asked as they exited the mall.

Penelope held in a sob. How long would it be until her goodbye would become official?

There was a lump in her throat as she responded through a constricted voice, "It was fun."

"Who ended up going?"

"Liz, Carina, Adrian, Hannah, Lili, Vergil, and Derrick. Basically the bench."

Penelope then distracted herself by unfolding the paper in her hands. It read: Dear Penelope, I'm sorry that I said you can't make a difference in others because you obviously have in Derrick. It's a good change though, don't worry. I don't know what else to say, and he's watching me write this so can we be friends again? Please? It's awkward not having you here during lunch. -Ritchie

"What's that?" Penelope's mom asked, noticing the wrinkled paper in her daughter's hands.

"Proof that people can't stand having me being mad at them," Penelope said with a smirk.

She always had this certain appeal to people. They always seemed to be the ones to apologize first even if Penelope was the one who had made the wrong move to begin with.

Throughout the ride home, she proceeded to unveil the drama to her mother with exaggerated imitation of voices, hand gestures and lots of laughter.

.....................................