Coming Home

“Derrick!” Yelled Angela the minute the stepped into his old sleeping quarters.

“Still together?” He smiled impishly, casting Caleb an amused look. Caleb rolled his eyes before standing up and giving Derrick a man-hug.

“Move away Caleb! I wanna hug him too!” squealed Angela as Caleb rolled his eyes again when Angela practically latched herself onto Derrick.

“Good to be back,” he smiled, casting away his overcoat.

“So what’s up?” Derrick asked, lying back onto his bed. Nothing had changed, the springs were as taut as ever as his bed was as lumpy as he last remembered it.

“Got a job drawing the daily comic panels for the paper,” Caleb shrugged. Angela smiled languidly, as she chose to sit on Caleb’s lap.

“Been working at Vogue New York!” She exclaimed.

“Then why are you back here?” Derrick asked.

“Oh no, I’m heading back in 2 weeks. I came back to see you guys, silly!” Angela said, her eyes shining. Derrick smiled at her, happy to see that things had turned out well for them.

“How about you Caleb?”

“Oh, I’ll be joining her soon- got some stuff to settle with the company,” he shrugged, resting his chin onto Angela’s shoulder. Angela crinkled her nose in mock annoyance before breaking into a smile as she Caleb pressed his lip to her shoulder.

“How’s she holding up?” Derrick asked, as he shuffled to pull things out of his bag, afraid to meet their eyes. He felt the silence as soon as it hit the air. Calmly willing himself to pull out his things, he waited for their answer.

“She’s uh, different,” Caleb finally stammered. Derrick turned to see Angela pacing around the room as Caleb wheeled the chair around in circles.

“No, but I think the question, have you found your answers?” Caleb asked, his eyes never leaving the ceiling. Clearing his throat, Derrick gave Caleb a confirmatory reply.

Pleased with his tone, Caleb stopped spinning as Angela paused mid step, before coming forward to him.

“You know Derrick, I hated you for a long, long time after what you did to her,” she spoke, softly.

“Angie-“

“No, he needs to know.”

Derrick felt his insides twitch uncomfortably as he felt Angela’s eyes bearing into his.

“But Caleb told me, and I think I can forgive you,” she whispered into his ear, tip-toing slightly. Letting out a small sigh of relief, Derrick felt his shoulders sag in appreciation.

“Thanks Angie.”

“But I don’t think it’s my forgiveness you’re seeking,” she replied.

“Does she still hate me?” He asked, suddenly afraid of the answer.

Again the silence, as Caleb and Angela stared uncomfortably at each other.

“Maybe you should find out for yourself during the reunion dinner tonight,” Caleb muttered, running a hand through his cropped hair.

“She’s not the same girl you left behind Derrick,” muttered Angela, eyes worried and downcast.

Derrick swallowed uncomfortably, hating the mess that he had left.

~

Derrick was running late, he was supposed to be at the dinner 20 minutes ago and traffic was killing him. He had just gotten back from a board meeting with Sampson, discussing the status of their democratic party. The meeting went pretty well, Derrick’s experience during college had managed to impress many of the other politicians in the room.

Shrugging on his jacket in the cab and loosening his tie. Derrick barely noticed the crumbling remnants of the restaurant he once called his second home. He stopped what he was doing and watched as the cab whizzed past the cordoned off area, dusty and lonely. It looked like it just received a fresh visit from a wrecking ball, as the walls lay collapsed over one another. Like his memories, The Adam’s Oven lay desolate and neglected.

“They just tore it down, contractors are building a high-rise over it,” mentioned the cab driver, eyeing Derrick curiously through the car mirror.

“I see,” managed Derrick, before returning his attention to his tie.

~

As soon as he had paid and tipped the driver, Derrick rushed up the concrete steps and into the cafeteria, where the dinner was being held. He could hear the music thumping hard against the ground, it all seemed pretty juvenile. As he sneaked in through an open side door, he noticed the bright orange strobe lights, decorating the area with pockets of light. Ribbons adorned the ceilings, with an outrageous banner that read ‘WELCOME HOME ALUMNI”. Derrick scanned the crowd, before locating Angela waving at him.

As he sat down, the emcee started speaking into the microphone, his DJ-boombox voice smoothing over the racket the music was making.

“Welcome back dear alumni,” he said, and he was met with polite applause as people, both young and old, glanced up from their round tables.

“We are pleased to see you back at this old place. We’d like to thank Mrs. Robinson for her generous donation of –“ Derrick broke off from listening to the man, eyes scanning the crowd. Looking for her. He was greeted with a wash of strangers, many eyeing him curiously, no doubt recognising him.

“And today we are pleased to be graced by royalty-“Derrick snapped back as the light suddenly focused on him and Caleb. Glancing once at his brother, both managed awkward waves as the crowd broke into more applause and hoots.

“How nice to see that these young boys have made it out in the real world! As did many of other bright, young students we have educated,” Derrick saw Caleb’s stricken expression, evidently unaccustomed and unwelcoming to the idea of such attention.

Derrick didn’t like the way all eyes fell on both of him. Politely excusing himself, he made a run to the hallway.

As soon as he had made himself as far from the blaring sound system as he could, he slowed down to look at the lines of lockers in front of him. The wall had changed to a maroon colour, the lockers newly furbished.

“Derrick.”

He turned around to find Jared staring at him, a smirk imprinted in his face.

“Jared?”

“The one and only,” smiled his best friend, wryly.

“What’s up? How’s life?”

“Not bad, dropped out of college after 2 years. Worked as a barista, broke up with my boyfriend. But now my mum’s got my sorry ass back into college. Partying with the girls and boys,” he commented snidely. Derrick looked at his best friend, eyes narrowed.

“Not everyone has a happy ending Derrick,” smiled Jared, revealing a silver glint on his tongue. Derrick looked at the boy whom used to be his confidant, suddenly remorseful of the fact that he had cut Jared out of his life as he did with Cassadee.

“I’m sorry,” he finally said. Hearing his own voice echo in the halls around them.

“No need to be Derrick, life’s a whale of a time. I just haven’t grabbed it by the horns yet,” shrugged Jared. Moving forward to join him, Derrick and Jared lapsed into a conversation about life- completely unaware and elusive to the strain in their friendship 6 years ago. It was thin ice they were walking on, and Derrick tried his best to avoid touching on the past as much as he could.

~

Rubbing her hands along the length of his member, Cassadee heard his moans surround her ears as she looked up at him.

Jackets and shirts lay strewn to the side as she stood over the same boy she had seen two nights ago, working her sexuality over him the way a lion marked his territory. Turns out he was the same boy she screwed last year during the school reunion. Cassadee had left the room as soon as the lights dimmed, suddenly afraid of seeing familiar faces. She had heard that he had returned, and she wanted to diminish any possibility of seeing him.

She looked at the boy in front of him, they hadn’t asked for each other’s name. There was no need, he was an accountant working below her editorial office. And they had screwed around enough to recognise each other’s faces. Cassadee understood the nature of their sexual escapades, sex as an escape, sex as a distraction.

He moaned again, growing harder against her. She knew he was about to climax, and slowed down, running her fingers painstakingly towards his balls.

“Stop, being, such- tease!” he moaned, loud enough to illicit a small laugh from Cassadee as she pressed herself gingerly onto his lips. Running her tongue against his, she continued her assault, cruel and slow, finally pulling away from the kiss- teasingly biting his bottom lip. Then she started again, faster and faster- until she felt his body shudder under hers, anticipating for his explosion.

Sure enough he did, he came all over her hand, yelling out in the process. Covering a hand over his mouth, she looked at him, smiling impishly.

“You said you would be quiet,” she spoke huskily, nipping his neck as he stopped shuddering.

“Can’t help it if you’re such a fucking tease,” he grunted, his shaft growing soft against her palms. Smiling, she turned away from him, looking at herself in the mirror.

She was in her skater dress which ended a few inches above her knee. Her bra peeked out from the rounded collar, and after washing her hands, she proceeded to readjust her dress before running a lazy finger through her hair. She was aware that he was struggling to zip up his pants and regain composure after what happened and she relished in the effect she had over men.

Then she felt him as he snaked his hands around her, travelling under her dress to gently press her breasts. Looking at the mirror, she saw his head over her shoulder, kissing her neck.

“I have to return the favour honey,” he whispered into her ear, before letting his fingers travel under her dress and letting them dance along the folds of her panties.

“Not here,” she whispered trying to turn around. But he knew she wanted it, he could tell from her face that she wasn’t a big fan of school reunion dinners. Sure enough, Cassadee relented and let herself melt against him. She looked at their reflection, and cringed inwardly at how crass she had become.

He had pulled her dress downwards, revealing her bra and lightly played with her nipples while kissing her neck. Moaning from the electricity shooting down her spine, she arched her back- just as he gently inserted two fingers into her aroused apex, gently pushing her panties aside.

“You’re wet,” he whispered into her ear, biting her lobes. Cassadee rolled her eyes, more of in sarcasm than in pleasure. She was hardly aroused until he stuck her fingers inside her, he was such a trash talker.

Looking at the mirror, Cassadee watched as he had his fingers in her, gently prodding and pushing. In and out, enough for her to let a moan escape. He fingered her first, before letting his other hand trail down to rub on her clit.

The added stimulation of gentle rubbing and fingering, coupled by another 3 minutes of teasing- left Cassadee shuddering in her first orgasm of the night.

Readjusting her outfit and hair while he washed his hands, Cassadee picked up her leather jacket hanging at the back of the door.

“That was fun,” he flashed her crooked smile, before she opened the door and stumbled out, slightly flushed from her climax.

She didn’t have to wait for him, as she clicked down the hallway in her wedges.

“I’ll see you later at 9?” He yelled again. Hardly looking back, Cassadee ran a hand through her hair, trying to smooth the mess.

“My place,” she replied, before running head first into someone, bumping face first into a hard chest.

“Oh, I’m so sorry-“She began before looking up.

She had expected this moment to arrive many times, and every time she imagined it, she would imagine angel choirs and wedding bells. But now, when it really happened, she made a mental note to write it down later, she felt a gut wrenching drop in her stomach. Her world spun for a while before readjusting to who was standing in front of her.

Wordlessly she looked at him, as if the everywhere else had vanished. She wondered what she saw in his eyes, was it love? Regret? Hate? Anger?

She settled on all four, deciding that there were no words to describe the plethora of emotions suddenly running head first into her.

And the funny thing was? He returned the very same look.