nights; h.s.

33

thirty-three

brooklyn

"Sounds fun?"

"I didn't know what to say Derek!" I shouted caused him to chuckle, covering his brown lips with his hand. "It's not funny, help me!" I whined in defeat, shaking his being with my foot. We were in the hot tub, just like we scheduled earlier that day.

"Do you not like him?"

"I like him! He's Harry ofcourse I fucking like him, everyone likes him. He's just taking this so much more seriously than I thought he would," I sighed, sitting up in the hot tub since I was beginning to over heat. I picked my knees up, hugging them close to my chest.

"Is that bad?"

"No. It's good to be passionate I just feel like it's moving to fast.." I responded.

"Well, then tell him that!" Derek exclaimed, a little frustrated. I couldn't blame him though i was frustrated too. "I can't. He's gonna think I don't wanna be with him."

"Well do you?"

"I don't know! Just fucking-" I sighed, sinking down into the hot tub until my head was completely submerged. I could hear Derek's sweet laughter as he stood and grabbed me by my waist pulling me above water.

"That's not gonna help you dumbass, you need to deal with the issue." Derek said, pulling me over to him. This time I sat beside him, resting my head on his bare shoulders. "I know I do." I sighed for what felt like the millionth time.

"Do you wanna get something to eat?" He suggested, I picked my head up looking at him.

"Like what?"

"Pizza?" He offered and I nodded, climbing out of the tank. The cold mid December air hit my body causing chills to grow all over me.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," I cursed under my breath grabbing a towel and slipping flip flops onto my feet. I ran inside the house and Derek followed behind me, quickly closing the sliding door.

I wrapped the towel around my shoulders walking up the stairs to his room comfortably. The phone conversation between him and the pizza guy got more and more distant as i adventured up the stairs. I dried myself as well as I could, slipping a sweatshirt on top of my body as well as sweat pants onto my lower half. I dried as much of my box braids as I could and just left them to drip dry onto my back since I'd be taking them out soon.

Once I was clothed, I decided to check my phone. For the first time my eyes didn't meet my beautiful lock screen, but instead text messages.

Mom
Tell Derek that his mom is working late. She says he won't pick up his phone

Mom
Also please pick TJ up from Lacrosse practice at his school at 8:30

Mom
If you can order dinner too that would be great

Mom
Love you.

harry xx
hey

I sighed, throwing my head back. It was 8:15 and it took 20 minutes to walk to Juniors school. Plus it was so fucking cold and Derek couldn't drive me. I wrapped my soaking swimsuit in the clothes I wore from school, before bunching it up and putting it in my bag.

"Derek!" I called, jogging down the steps to meet him still shirtless in the kitchen. This boy had abs. He said he was going to Wexford for football, or in this case Soccer. Wexford was an all boys arts school; although more than 75% of the boys there were there for sports not anything else. Harry must've went for his drawing if Derek wasn't lying about him going to Wexford in like fourth grade. But what would he know? He wasn't even there in Grade 4.

"Brooklyn!" He shouted causing me to snap out of my head. "What is it?" He asked again, I shook my head.

"Right, my mom texted me and I have to go pick my brother up from Lacrosse practice and make dinner and yeah. So I have to go." I sighed, collapsing onto his floor and slipping my converse onto my foot with great force.

"He can have pizza with us," Derek suggested and I smiled widely.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'll be back in a little over half an hour. Don't finish the pizza fattie I don't wanna cook," I joked and he just chuckled waving me goodbye.

In 10 minutes of intense speed walking, i was at Junior's school. He rolled his eyes when he saw me, "I've told mom so many times I don't need to be walked. I'm not a fucking Chihuahua!" He shouted frustrated.

"Last time I didn't walk you mom grounded me," I said blankly, waiting as he walked to catch up to me, "put on your leash Beverly, lets go!" I joked smiling but junior only shook his head. After a bit of awkward silence I spoke up, "I was at Derek's house so we're eating dinner there, okay?"

"Derek?" Junior chuckled, looking at me and I nodded. "Like the neighbour Derek?" He scoffed.

"What?" I asked ignorantly.

"I thought you had a boyfriend. Harry?" Junior commented making me internally and externally squirm when I remembered the night Junior walked in on us.

"Derek and I are just friends," I told him and he just shrugged.

In a few minutes we arrived back at Derek's house.

I just walked in, since he left the door unlocked.

"Hey!" I greeted in a sing-ey tune, removing my jacket. "Hey Brooklyn, Hey..."

"-TJ," Junior continued.

"Right, sorry." He smiled, emerging from the kitchen, balancing a porcelain plate in his hand, and a slice of pizza in his other. Derek was still shirtless but had grey sweatpants hanging on his hips instead of his pineapple swim trunks.

"Pizza just got here," he said with his mouth full, cocking his head to the table. I watched as Junior took off his jacket and his boots, and set his big duffle bag down by the door. I walked over to his kitchen grabbing two plates from the cabinet and giving one to Junior.

I took one slice and he took four.

I sat down on the long couch inbetween Derek and Junior. I took this opportunity to check my phone. I texted my mom, letting her know I picked up and fed Junior and I texted back Harry. After we ate, I turned on the TV only to find Disney half way into a That's So Raven marathon.

So, we sat there, giggling at reruns all cuddled up in one blanket.