You Are the Shell to My Tortoise | ✓

53

Derek swung around and glared at everyone who was staring at him.

"What are you all looking at?!" he snarled.

Unfortunately, with how flustered his cherry red face looked right now, it didn't have quite the desired effect on the audience gathered in the hallway. A couple of students sniggered.

Someone, rather well-hidden in the crowd, called out, "Go on! We're listening!"

"I need some popcorn for this," I heard a person nearby whisper.

Melissa still hadn't said anything. Her hazel eyes were the widest I'd ever seen them.

"Go, Derek!" another person cheered.

When she heard that, Melissa started.

Was that his friend? I didn't recognize the voice, but then again, I wasn't very well-acquainted with all of his other guy friends.

I didn't think it was even possible, but Derek's face grew even redder.

"Shut up!" he yelled in the general direction of that voice.

Then he grabbed Melissa's wrist.

"Come on," he said, grumpiness evident in his tone. "Let's go."

"What?" she said, almost gasping the word out. "Go where?"

"Somewhere with a little more privacy, where else do you think?" he snapped. "Or do you really want to hear this in front of the whole school?"

She stopped resisting and let him pull her along.

"Uh, all the best, guys," I said softly, unsure if it would put Derek in a worse mood.

"Good luck," Ashley whispered, and I wondered whom she was saying that to.

The two of them neither responded nor slowed down.

A bunch of people started chattering as he tugged her away.

"Aww, leaving already?"

"You can do it!"

"Go for it!"

"You could just confess here!"

Derek turned back at the last sentence which had been uttered loudly to give everyone a dirty look.

Within seconds, they had turned a corner and were out of sight.

Ashley's mouth, which had stayed in an open gawk this whole time, finally closed when I pulled at her arm.

"Okay, let's go," I said, slipping my arm around hers.

I began marching in the direction of where they had gone.

"Wait, where are we going?" she said, almost stumbling over the ground as she tried to keep up with me. "Chels, don't walk so fast!"

"Following them, obviously!" I said, slowing down just the slightest bit for her to regain some balance. "Did you even hear what Derek was saying? He's going to confess. Confess, Ash! There's no way I'm missing out on this."

Gaping at me, she came to a halt. "You want to eavesdrop on them? Are you insane? What about their privacy?"

I resumed my task of pulling at her. "It'd be fine! We just have to hide really well in a corner. They won't even know we're there."

Apparently, it was her turn to yank at my arm now. "Speak for yourself. I'll probably give myself away in three seconds flat."

We were wasting way too much time arguing over this.