The Girl Hidden Within

Chapter 16: Little Talks Part 2

Little did Tessa know that while she was caught up in her thoughts Derek had been watching her. He saw her blinding smile, then her frown. In his head he had come to his own conclusions of what had occurred, they were much different than what her family had concluded. Derek put his arm around Tessa's shoulders and she leaned her head into his chest.

Derek did want to know what happened, but he understands that this is very emotional for Tessa and he doesn't want to push her.

The two on the bench were so caught up in their thoughts that they didn't see the figure approach the lake. The figure had went to find Derek and couldn't believe what he saw. He saw the two on the bench and came to his own conclusions. Hurt crossed his features and left before they knew he was there.

The third presence wasn't known to Tessa or Derek. They sat unaware of what the person had seen.

A few minutes after the unknown visitor left Tessa lifted her head up slightly. It was just enough that she could look at Derek's face. Derek's eyes locked with her's, green met blue. He leaned down and Tessa knew what he was doing. When he was centimeters from her faces she put her palm against his chest. Hurt flashed across his face. She closed the distance between them, but kissed him on the cheek. With her lips near his ear she whispered, "Not yet, you might want to know the whole story first." A smile lite up his face, knowing she had possible feelings for him.

She sat up but his arm was still on her shoulders, now looser than before. Tessa was now ready to continue her story, "You see, my parents had the wrong reason. I didn't change during my first year at BrookStone. It was the summer before I started." Tessa took a deep breath, then continued,"I was spending the summer with my Aunt Susan and Uncle Peter and their sons. They had a large house in the Berkshires and there was a huge storm that night. It was my first night staying there and I didn't know my way around well, this was the first time I had been to their new house. The electricity was knocked out and they didn't have gas for their generator. It was pitch black, I couldn't see a thing in front of me. When I held put my hand in front of my face I saw nothing but blackness. I was still fairly young, just twelve years and I had never been in a place so dark. I let out a scream calling for help, my older cousin Mark heard me. He was carrying a flashlight but I was so scared I didn't notice him enter. He was looking in front of him and he didn't see my leg lying on the ground. He tripped over my leg and fell into the mirror on the wall in front of him."

Tessa took another deep breath and continued, her voice shaking, "Mark's flashlight had dropped to the floor and when I looked up I saw him lying unconscious on the ground with a gash across his head and a pool of blood around him. At that moment I let out a blood curling scream and the lights came on. When my Uncle Peter found me I was curled up on the floor sobbing. He went to ask what was wrong but as he continued to enter the room he fell to his knees. Ge held Mark's body in his arms and called to my aunt. She came rushing in and he told her to take care of me. Aunt Susan wrapped her arms around me and hugged me, she wiped away my tears and calmed me down. I tried to stand, I knew my uncle would need help alerting authorities, but I couldn't. I cried out in pain. When my aunt checked my foot she discovered a large piece of glass wedged in it. I rode to the hospital in the ambulance beside Mark."

She continued although now she was in tears, "My other cousin Andrew, Mark's brother told me the news. Mark was in a coma."

Derek hugged Tessa and she cried into his shirt. But she still went on, "No, I have to finish. Mark and I were really close. Growing up he was like a brother to me, he would always play with me at family gatherings and tea. When I was still too young for tea time and boys aren't allowed, we would spend the day together. Exploring the house of whoever tea was being hosted at." She let out a laugh. "Even when he was too old for the games me still played with me. When he came looking for me and the power was out he was seventeen. He's still in the coma now, four years later. That's the reason I changed. Mark and I were so close I was scared to get close to anyone anymore. So I distanced myself, the only way I knew how by acting spoiled and stuck up. Eventually when I realized it wouldn't change anything I still continued because it was my way of coping."

Tessa kept explaing,"I was scared my best friend, Ava, would hate me when she found out. I knew she would find out because we told each other everything. So I decided instead I acted mean to her. I thought it would be better if she hated me for what I was pretending to be, rather then for what I really did. One day I took it took far I only realized it too late, you were right I am a terrible friend."

Derek had his arm around Tessa once again. She had her face turned away now ashamed for what she had done. He slowly, as not to scare her, reached up and tilted her chin towards him.

He spoke in a calm, sure voice,"Tessa you are not a terrible friend, you are a great one. How dare you blame what happened to Mark on yourself. I'm very sorry for what has happened. But you are not to blame for his coma, so don't pin that on you. It was an accident, I'm sure your family doesn't blame you so you shouldn't either."

Tessa looked him in the eyes, "So you don't hate me? You don't think I'm a monster?"

Derek looked affronted, "No of course not. You don't take me as a cruel person,right?" Then he answered his own question,"I know you don't. Listen Tessa I'm glad that you have "changed" back but you shouldn't have distanced yourself in the first place. I understand that it was your way to cope but you should have talked to someone about it. If would have given your best friend, Ava?" Tessa nodded her head. "If you would have given Ava a chance I'm sure she would agree with me."

Tessa smiled, the weight was truly lifted off her shoulders, now for good.

Glad so see she smiling Derek smirked, "Though I am happy that you didn't realize this until now otherwise I wouldn't have gotten to meet you."

Tessa said, "Well I guess that is one good thing that came out of me "changing", I gut to meet all of you guys, your sister and her friends." She hit him in the shoulder,"By the way how come you didn't tell me that you had a twin sister?"

Derek smiled cheekily, "Cause you didn't ask." Tessa hit him again harder. "Ow, woman you don't need to be so abusive, your acting like Bri."

Tessa jumped up, "Oh that reminds me I have to meet her and the rest of the girls in town for dinner." She took a look at the sky, it was almost dark. "Wow, look at the sky, what time do you think it is? We must have missed lunch."

Derek looked up too, "Yeah we defiantly missed lunch." Like it heard him, his stomach grumbled loudly right after the words left his mouth. They both laughed. "Come on Tessa we better head up before they send out a search party."

They slowly strolled up to the farm house. Tessa was glad to finally have accepted that it was an accident and wasn't her fault. When the two reached the porch Derek walked ahead to open the door and held if for Tessa. As soon as they entered the house Mrs. Cassie squealed, "Just where have you two been, you had us nearly sick when you didn't show up for lunch."

Derek shared a quick look with Tessa. Then he shared a detailed story of how when walking around the farm he ran into Tessa who came to get a bit of fresh air. How they ended up walking together and were by the far field by lunch time. Since they knew they were too far away to make if on time they decided to eat some of the food stored on their camp ground behind the field. Mrs. Cassie quickly accepted this excuse as well did the rest of the group, except for one person who knew the truth.

The eyes of the figured narrowed knowingly as Derek blurted out a lie.

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Ooo cliffhanger. I'm so sorry I haven't been updating if you read my last author's note it explained why I'm not going to explain it again because it's late. But I stayed up to write this for you guys so I hope you like it. I made it extra long I know this has been the chapter you have been waiting for, you finally find out what happened to Tessa.

Well I will be updating more often but when I can I have a lot of graduations and parties this weekend so it may only be one posted on Monday.

Till Tomorrow,

LittleBug6453