Moonstruck ⟡ HS

03

Sleep deprived and emotionally strung, she storms out of the school and climbs into her car, not caring about the class period she's missing or the question she'll get from her father when the school calls him, but about sitting in the driver's seat of her car while resting her head against the steering wheel. She isn't sure whether it's the idea of Derek hooking up with Kelley that sends her crying, or if it's the combination of everything going on around her, but regardless she can't keep herself from hiccuping with teary cheeks as she turns on her car.

The drive home was shorter than she anticipated with her mind wound up in every suffocating thought in her mind, and as she pulls into the driveway and parks her car, she can't help but notice a new car in Harry's driveway, a newer looking Mercedes-Benz that was chic enough to catch anyone's eye. She doesn't look for too long, her hiccups coursing through her while tearing her out of her daze, and as she makes her way up to the front door, she's quick to unlock it before pushing her way inside.

The house was vacant, both of her family members busy with work, and as she drops her book bag to the floor beside the front door, she's quick to head up the stairs and to her bedroom. The tears don't stop, neither does the heavy beating of her heart, and as she collapses on to the bed, she can't help but lie on her side to face the wall, feeling her jaw tremble with her arms wrapped around her stomach. For years Derek has been her person, despite how back and forth they go with his flirtatious tendencies and her subtle insecurity, but they were Derek and Josephine and that's just how it was.

But deep down, she knows that their relationship was anything but rainbows and butterflies, no matter how badly she wanted it to be that way.

She isn't sure how long she lays there for, teary eyed and sniffling to herself, but when someone rings the doorbell, her tears have dried on to her cheeks, leaving her with a red nose and swollen lips. She pushes herself up from the bed and wipes at her eyes, looking out the window to see Derek's car parked out front, and as she looks at the alarm clock on her nightstand, she assumes he came straight from school. She can't help but wonder if he knows about the note someone left her, here to try and worm his way out of the claim, though she's sure as soon as he sees her, he will be ready to do whatever he can to make things right.

    "What are you doing here?" She asks as soon as she swings the door open, obtaining a small croak to her voice as the words leave her lips, though he doesn't answer, but steps past her and inside the house. She rolls her eyes, but shuts the door, only before turning to face him with her arms crossed over her chest.

    "Why did you ditch last period?" Derek asks her in response, disregarding her question entirely, which doesn't help his case right now, "And why are you crying? Tommy told me he saw you running out of the school in tears—"

    "Did you mess around with her?" The words tumble from her lips like her sobs did when reading the note, knowing in her gut that there was some truth to it, and immediately, Derek sighs and runs a hand down his face.

    "Josephine, we talked about this—" He groans into his hands, and while she would let him shake her off any other day, she was at her breaking point. The pressure was too much, the suspense and uncertainty was clawing at her sanity, and she was unsure of who to trust and what to believe at this point.

So she snaps.

    "Well, we're talking about it again!" The volume her voice reaches is unprecedented, yelling like that is out of her nature and sends Derek looking at her with wide eyes, full of shock as her chest moves up and down with every heavy breath. She swallows thickly, having no more tears to cry for him or the missing girl, but sadness and despair overcomes her as she looks to him. "Did you mess around with her?"