Love Like Cyanide
Being Anti-Social Isn't A Crime
Once I set the phone down it immediately rang again. Reflex reaction, I picked it up without remembering that this wasn't exactly my house (yet) and it wasn't accustom for people to pick up the phone at someone else's house.
Too late. "Hello?" I answered looking at Derrik. I wondered for half a wild second if it was Kathryn calling back to change her mind.
Highly doubtful.
"Uhh...is this the wrong number?" a male's deep voice came from the other side.
"Depends. This is the Shay residence."
"Oh. Yeah. Okay. Listen, hun, is Derrik there?" His voice was very loud in my ear; the whole time I was holding the phone a couple inches from my ear.
I handed the one to Derrik, but I thought I saw some reluctance in him as he took it from me and said, "Yeah?"
I was exactly trying to eavesdrop on the conversation, it's just that the guy talked so loud. And well, it wasn't like I was really doing anything else in the still unfamiliar kitchen.
"Derrik! It's been forever! What's up man?!"
"Not a whole lot. Same old same old." He fiddled idly with some decorative flowers in the vase on the table.
"Oh really?" The guy's voice was sarcastic. "Who was that I just talked to on the phone? Did you get back with Kathryn? Man, that's hot! Me like-y." I wasn't glad that I could hear him make a noise in the back of his throat. I gagged.
Derrik paused and looked at me. He knew I was listening then; my jaw had dropped completely.
"John," Derrik said sternly, "she's my daughter."
There was a long pause and then he said, "You're using your daughter for sex?"
"No!" Derrik's face was red now. Embarrassment? "Look, what do you want?"
"Hey, man, I just wanted to hang out. You know, go down to the ol' pub and catch up. I haven't talked or seen you in forever."
"And yet I'm not at all missing you," Derrik muttered so quietly John did have the hopes of hearing.
And he didn't. "So what do you say? Just you, me, and a couple of the guys."
It sounded like an inviting offer. Derrik pondered that for a moment. He looked up at me. You should go, I mouthed to him. There was a slight grimace on his face for a moment. Then he said to John, "Fine. What time?"
"Be at the Old Miller's Pub at seven. Aww, this is going to be awesome! Can't wait to see ya, man!" And without another word from either of them he hung up.
Derrik exhaled deeply and put the phone back.
"I think it's a good idea," I told him. "You need to get out and be social."
"Being anti-social isn't a crime," he insisted. I narrowed my eyes at him. I mean, if I had more than just one friend, I'd be getting together with them all the time. You shouldn't just waste them like that. Or put them off. 'Cause you don't know when they'll be gone.
Just like Mark... a voice in my head whispered but I shut it up right away.
"It'll be fun," I told him reassuringly.
"Ha! Fun," he scoffed. But his face softened as he turned and looked directly at me. A small smile planted on his face as he took his hand and smoothed the black hair out of my face. His fingers brushing against my skin made me feel tingly on the surface. "I'll probably be out with the guys past midnight. Will you be okay til then?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said. "I will."
Too late. "Hello?" I answered looking at Derrik. I wondered for half a wild second if it was Kathryn calling back to change her mind.
Highly doubtful.
"Uhh...is this the wrong number?" a male's deep voice came from the other side.
"Depends. This is the Shay residence."
"Oh. Yeah. Okay. Listen, hun, is Derrik there?" His voice was very loud in my ear; the whole time I was holding the phone a couple inches from my ear.
I handed the one to Derrik, but I thought I saw some reluctance in him as he took it from me and said, "Yeah?"
I was exactly trying to eavesdrop on the conversation, it's just that the guy talked so loud. And well, it wasn't like I was really doing anything else in the still unfamiliar kitchen.
"Derrik! It's been forever! What's up man?!"
"Not a whole lot. Same old same old." He fiddled idly with some decorative flowers in the vase on the table.
"Oh really?" The guy's voice was sarcastic. "Who was that I just talked to on the phone? Did you get back with Kathryn? Man, that's hot! Me like-y." I wasn't glad that I could hear him make a noise in the back of his throat. I gagged.
Derrik paused and looked at me. He knew I was listening then; my jaw had dropped completely.
"John," Derrik said sternly, "she's my daughter."
There was a long pause and then he said, "You're using your daughter for sex?"
"No!" Derrik's face was red now. Embarrassment? "Look, what do you want?"
"Hey, man, I just wanted to hang out. You know, go down to the ol' pub and catch up. I haven't talked or seen you in forever."
"And yet I'm not at all missing you," Derrik muttered so quietly John did have the hopes of hearing.
And he didn't. "So what do you say? Just you, me, and a couple of the guys."
It sounded like an inviting offer. Derrik pondered that for a moment. He looked up at me. You should go, I mouthed to him. There was a slight grimace on his face for a moment. Then he said to John, "Fine. What time?"
"Be at the Old Miller's Pub at seven. Aww, this is going to be awesome! Can't wait to see ya, man!" And without another word from either of them he hung up.
Derrik exhaled deeply and put the phone back.
"I think it's a good idea," I told him. "You need to get out and be social."
"Being anti-social isn't a crime," he insisted. I narrowed my eyes at him. I mean, if I had more than just one friend, I'd be getting together with them all the time. You shouldn't just waste them like that. Or put them off. 'Cause you don't know when they'll be gone.
Just like Mark... a voice in my head whispered but I shut it up right away.
"It'll be fun," I told him reassuringly.
"Ha! Fun," he scoffed. But his face softened as he turned and looked directly at me. A small smile planted on his face as he took his hand and smoothed the black hair out of my face. His fingers brushing against my skin made me feel tingly on the surface. "I'll probably be out with the guys past midnight. Will you be okay til then?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said. "I will."
♠ ♠ ♠
*takes deep breath* Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry. *exhales*I am SO sorry it took so long for me to update this story. Comment and forgive me? =)