Chapter 24 Testosterone Boys and Harlequin Girls
“So, what are you up to today?”
“Nothing much, just talking to this chick you know, the usual,” I can just hear the smirk that covers his face.
“Whatever,” I reply with my now usual eye roll. I already learned not to take his commentary to heart. Cockiness is just a trait of his that you get used to. “Wait, somebody’s knocking on my door,” I lower my voice and move over to the door my phone tightly clutched in my hands. Please don’t be who I think it is.
“What, afraid of your boyfriend finding out you’re talking with the object of your fantasies?” he teases, his ego growing by the second. I don’t respond and brace myself before pulling my bedroom door open. A breath of relief escapes my lips when Sammy looks up with a smile in my doorway. Thank God it wasn’t Drew.
“Hey Derek, I’ll call you later,” I say before ending the call and closing the door as Sammy jumps onto my bed. I prepare myself for the bombardment of questions I know will accompany the smirk on her face.
“Derek, the same Derek you’ve been talking to for the past two weeks since Lucy’s party?” her tone is inquisitive but the gleam in her eyes is widely curious. Yes, I was on the phone with Derek, the one I met at the book store with Drew. The one that reminds me of Sam Winchester, that’s an added bonus. I never meant to call him but for some unbeknownst reason to myself, I programmed his number onto my phone, he just seemed like an interesting person. I actually ended up accidentally calling him and we’ve been talking since, he’s a very intriguing person. Narcissistic and egotistical, but interesting all in all. Though I’ve been keeping our conversations a secret from Drew, for some reason I just don’t think he’ll find this new friendship to his liking.
“Yes, that Derek but don’t tell your brother,” I sigh. Sammy hasn’t stopped bugging me about Derek since she ‘happened’ to eavesdrop on one of my conversations with him.
“So, what were you guys talking about?” she makes herself comfortable on my bed, and I make sure my door is locked before moving over to my bean bag chair. “I need the scoop to fill Kim and Ruby in,” she smiles.
“You promised you wouldn’t tell,” I remark.
“I wouldn’t tell Drew, plus the girls know better than to tell the guys. We’ll just keep it in between us, especially with the way Kohl and Lucas love to gossip amongst themselves,” she rolls her blue eyes. I smile at the mention of my brother and the bromance he has with Lucas, those two are just too much.
“We weren’t really talking about anything, just the regular mindless chit-chat,” I shrug. She exaggerates an eye roll before falling down onto my bed with a deep sigh.
“Seriously, do you like him?” she lowers her voice, as if one of the guys could pop out of nowhere at any given second. I understand her concern because I wouldn’t put it past them. I purse my lips while pondering over the answer.
“In what way?” I finally ask.
“You know, in the way if someone were to lock you in a room with Damon Salvatore,” she smirks. Oh, the possibilities.
“No, not like that, it’s more of Matt Donovan to me, you know hot and adorable,” I smile. Beneath the cocky macho exterior, Derek really isn’t a bad guy, mysterious yes, but not bad.
“Will we ever meet him?” she sighs dreamily. I raise an eyebrow at her. “What,” she gives me an innocent look.
“What about Adrian?”
“What about him, he’s been annoying lately,” she scowls at what I’m sure must be a funny memory about the cold hearted bad boy.
“Sweet little Adrian annoying, never,” I remark sarcastically.
“Hey, he’s not that bad. He’s actually sweet in a very weird and aggressive way,” she smiles longingly. “You know he’s the one that taught me how to fight?” she asks with a different gleam in her eyes.
“You fight?” I pipe in curiously. She doesn’t really seem like the fighter type but I have noticed how the guys never joke about her being helpless or something.
“Yeah, my dad had us training since we were young just in case anything happened. He thought we needed to be able to protect ourselves no matter what our gender was,” she smiles. In her eyes I can see how close she was to her dad. She must miss him, something I can definitely relate with. While I loved my mom, Kohl was always closer to her and I took after my dad.
“How did Adrian come into the picture?” I make myself comfortable, eager to hear the story.
“I wouldn’t tell you his story if it was somebody else, but I know Adrian has taken a liking to you, which doesn’t happen often. You know how he always seems to know everything about your life?” she waits for my nod before continuing. “Well, his parents used to be like really big time hackers who worked in a freelance type of way to whoever paid the most. Adrian hadn’t been in their plans but they adjusted with a kid. They taught him everything they knew when he showed interest in computers and stuff. He was like their legacy, until they got offered a very exclusive job. He thinks it was for the government or someone very shady because they were extremely secretive.
“Apparently, a kid would bring them down on their efficiency and they took him to the local state facility promising him that they would come back for him. I think that hurt him a lot, it was betrayal from his parents, you know? He escaped from the foster home he’d been placed in, and started living on the streets until he ran into my dad and mouthed off to him. My dad took a liking to him and brought him home, which took a lot of convincing on Adrian’s part. He didn’t talk much to us in the beginning, more like found every chance to insult us. Drew and he went at it a couple of times until some kids from school were going to jump Drew. Adrian helped him kick their asses. Ever since they were close friends and Adrian immediately became the last member of their trio.
“It was different with me, Adrian hated me. He was the meanest guy I’ve ever encountered, until he started doing my one-on-one training. He thought I was going to be an easy win, but I always sneaked in when the guys in my dad’s crew would train in our gym. They started teaching me a couple of techniques when they caught me. I managed to pin him down in less than two minutes; it pissed him off even more. I don’t know, along the way we just clicked. He was Drew’s age, which isn’t much older than me, just ten months. We made it official sophomore year when we were fifteen, Drew found out Junior year. It didn’t go so well until I gave him a black eye,” ha, I would’ve paid to see that. Drew got beat up by his little sister.
“So, Adrian doesn’t scare you?” I voice. She replies with a laugh.
“No, he’s actually really sweet,” she gives me a serious look. She holds that look for 4. 5 seconds before laughing loudly and shaking her head. “I’m kidding, Adrian sweet would be like Kohl landing Kim. I have the bastard wrapped around my finger,” she explains and I nod. It’s so true.
“His parents were assholes,” I point out subconsciously.
“Now you see where he gets it from,” she nods. True, very true. “Okay, now that story time is over. Please do tell me when we get to meet Derek, the book store hottie?”
“Why do you want to meet him so bad?” I groan.
“Please,” she kneels on the mattress and brings her hands up in that praying manner.
“I don’t want Drew to see him, imagine what’s going to happen if he sees me,” my eyes widen at the possibilities.
“The guys are gone, they went to buy some more equipment for the workout room by the basement,” she explains. That’s why the house has been so quiet. I finally concede to Derek coming over and he was a little too happy to oblige. It only takes ten minutes for the four of us to be united in the living room waiting for his arrival.
“So Ruby, what you been up to lately?” I ask. She takes a sip of her coke before looking up at me with a tired smile.
“I’ve been working on this project for a fashion scholarship but I need a model to wear the design and I haven’t found any guy willing to do the show,” she pouts. I smirk as a thought pops into my head.
“You should ask Lucas, I know for a fact he won’t turn you down,” her eyes light up instantly.
“You think so?” both Sammy and I nod frantically.
“What about you Khloe, any future plans?” Kim directs towards me.
“Well, I’m going to the state university before Kohl and I take over our parent’s businesses,” I explain. I’m actually looking forward to run my mom’s fashion company. I used to go over there all the time with her.
“What did they work in?” Ruby questions.
“Well, my dad was the founder and owner of an import and exporting company. My mom was the owner of Mason Fashion Industry,” I answer. Ruby’s eyes widen in surprise.
“Your mom was that Emily Mason?”
“Yeah, how do you know of her?” I ask.
“You’re mom’s an inspiration. She started off as a model before becoming big and starting her own fashion company,” I nod as I recall all of my mom’s attributes.
“Yeah, I could give you a tour of the company if you want,” I shrug. She nods before we hear the sound of a car pulling up. Kim immediately jumps up and runs towards the window before looking back at us with a scared look.
“It’s the guys,” all of us immediately run out the door and meet them out on the driveway.
“What are you guys doing back so early?” Sammy asks Adrian when he moves closer to her to plant a kiss on her forehead.
“We finished early,” Lucas explains. The four of us back away a little from them when the unmistakable rumble of a motorcycle engine approaches. We watch as Derek pulls into the driveway in fashion, clad in a leather jacket and a smirk on his face. The girls and I watch as he climbs off the bike and places the helmet on the back.
“Damn,” comes out of our mouths simultaneously as we watch the scene entranced.
“Hey Khloe,” he comes closer and we all sigh at the same time. He really is cute.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Drew speaks up, snapping us out of our reverie.
“Yeah, who the hell is he?” Kohl scowls as he watches Kim practically drool at Derek.
“This is Derek,” I introduce him and Sammy immediately greets him with a beaming smile.
“That’s Derek,” Adrian tells Drew, who nods in response. Apparently they’ve talked about him since the incident at the store.
“Why is he here?” Drew looks at me for an answer.
“Uhm, the girls wanted to meet him,” I answer sheepishly. We all go inside the house, including Derek. There’s a sudden tension in the room as the guys glare at Derek, even Adrian as he’s ignored by his girlfriend who’s chatting animatedly with him.
“So, you kept his number?” Drew asks loudly, seizing all conversation in the room.
“Yeah,” I answer.
“Pretty boy, where’d you steal the bike from?” Lucas snaps.Owned by NôvelDrama.Org.
“I bought it from a junkyard and fixed it up,” Derek smirks, not being fazed by the male tension around us. I don’t know why the guys are so riled up. Drew suddenly gets up from his seat and storms up the stairs. “I don’t think he likes me,” Derek states and no one contradicts him.
“Wow, you fixed that bike all by yourself?” Kim seems impressed. “You must be so strong,” she caresses his bicep.
“You like bikes, I have one. Without training wheels,” Kohl adds in loudly. I don’t think his jealousy allowed his brain to process his words before he spoke them out loud. We all give my brother weird looks before music blasts from upstairs, from Drew’s room no doubt. I’ve got more wit, a better kiss. A hotter touch, a hotter fuck than any boy you’ll ever meet…
“We know who that song is directed to,” Adrian states and everybody gives me pointed looks.
“What,” I scowl. He can’t seriously be threatened by Derek, can he?
“When are you leaving?” Lucas asks way too innocently.
“I was invited here for a sleepover,” Derek teases, achieving in riling the guys up.
“Come on Sammy, we’re going on a date,” Adrian holds up his keys and heads for the door. A romantic, that one. Sammy smiles before following him.
“Don’t have too much fun,” I give them a knowing look. They scowl before Adrian lets the front door shut behind him.
“It’s getting late, come on Kim, let’s go to bed,” Kohl fakes a yawn.
“What?” Kim looks at him, misunderstanding what he meant.
“You know cause you must be tired from today and all. You know what, forget it,” he throws his hands up before trudging up the stairs with a pout on his face and his shoulders slumping. I laugh to myself quietly.
“Oh Lucas, I was wondering if you’d be my model for my fashion project,” Ruby asks the brown eyed boy before she forgets.
“Yeah,” Lucas smiles a little too widely.
“I’m going to go check on Drew, Derek I’ll see you later,” I jog up the stairs, the music thumping the walls. I don’t blame his taste in music. Panic At The Disco will always be a good choice. I walk in without knocking knowing he wouldn’t hear it with how loud his music is. I smile as I watch him leaning against his headboard, his head against the wall and legs stretched out in front of him.
“You can’t seriously be mad,” I say over the music before lowering the volume. He opens his eyes enough to glare at me before shutting them again. With a sigh, I take a seat on the bed, right next to him. His eyes are closed, I can stare at his abs as much as I want to but they’re concealed by his blue shirt.
“I can feel you staring at me,” he voices without looking at me. My head immediately snaps up to look at the wall across the room. “I didn’t say stop,” his voice just causes me to smile.
“I wasn’t staring at you,” I mutter before I find myself under a blue eyed gaze. How the hell did he get on top of me so fast? I’m totally not staring at his biceps as they hold him up.
“I’d prefer it if you were,” I roll my eyes playfully causing him to smirk.
“I’m just going to adjust the music, don’t mind me,” we watch incredulously as Derek walks in to switch the song. “I gotta go, I’ll talk to you later,” he smirks before leaving and closing the door behind him. Just as the song begins to play, SoMo’s Ride.
“I still don’t like him,” Drew grumbles looking down at me.
“He’s just a friend,” I shrug smiling up at him. His face suddenly grows serious before he leans down to place a sweet kiss on my lips.
“Hey guys, wanna watch a, never mind. They won’t come down, they’re doing the dirty,” Kim walks in and right out. What’s with all the interruptions? I scowl at the situation. Loud footsteps are heard coming down the hall right after her comment.
“We’re watching a movie guys, come on, chop, chop,” Kohl’s obnoxious voice snaps as he pokes his head in. We scramble right up before heading out the door, the scowl on Drew’s face is nothing but adorable. The guys are all about to head to the theater room, Kim and Ruby hanging off Derek’s arms. Lucas and Kohl sulk behind them.
“Hey Kim, can you help me make get some drinks?” I call out. She nods and heads off to the kitchen with me after I send Drew down with the guys. Kim and I grab some popcorn and drinks when a thump on the kitchen door makes us both jump. I open the door only for a tall figure to fall through the doorway.
“Oh my God,” Kim gasps as a small trail of blood trickles out of the man’s body. I turn him around with all my force only to drop his head again as I see the same jaw structure from Drew’s face. This is not good. Daddy Collins is here, hurt and unconscious. There’s one thing straight.
Movie night just got interesting.
No time for popcorn.