Misconceived

Chapter 3 "New Path"

Derek's Point of View

Why did I think that leaving a voice message was going work? In the movies, it always seemed to work, maybe my luck ran out. It's been a month since Athena drastically decided to pack her things and leave, it still didn't change that fact that she was gone, and there was nothing in my power that I could do to get her back. It was almost the end of the third term, and thank god, it had been dragging a little ever since my life took a turn for worse.

How did I manage to mess this all up for myself? It was going so good, until it wasn't. Who would have thought that I would been here a few months ago? Not me, that's for sure, this whole situation spiraled rapidly out of control, and once it started there was no stopping it.

I've been drowning in self-pity, not knowing what to do with myself, feeling guilty for the major part that I played in Athena leaving, hell I'm the only reason she left in the first place. When at school, I couldn't focus, physically there, but mentally far away. I would just exist, consumed by thoughts of regret and guilt.

I would walk around the school mindlessly, stopping at her locker recalling all the times I would see her in passing as she talked to her best friend Amelia animatedly. Her smile spread broad across her face as they continued their discussion, and when seeing me, would smile even brighter. I would sit in that one class we shared and recall all the times she would embrace me with her warm hugs and smile shyly at me once we separated, making my heart flutter. Over the last month, all I thought about was Athena, and how much I wanted to get her back, how much I needed her, how much I wanted to be "that guy" for her, because I was lost without her.

1 week later...

"Derek?", I heard a voice say softly, it was Amelia, Athena's best friend. "Hey" I said lifelessly as my head remained on the desk of history classroom. "You know the bell rang right, we can leave." "Yeah, what's the point of all this anyway?" I asked. "What?" she asked in confusion. "School, Life, what's the point of all this anyway, if I can't share it with the one person who gets me." "Dude get over yourself, you're not the only who lost someone here, you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself, get up off your ass, and do something about it. After all you're the reason she's no longer here." Amelia preached, and it struck a chord. "Maybe you're right, I should get over myself and something about it." Amelia was aback this statement, "Wait whaaaaat? What are you thinking of doing?" she asked intrigued. "How do you feel about a little field trip?" I said mischievously, with smirk on my face.

"Hold up.... You're not thinking of going there, are you?" Amelia asked, intrigued by the thought of Derek winning Athena and bringing her best friend back. "I mean, how else am I going to get her back? Are you joining me or what?" Derek asked in anticipation. "Damn right I'm going with you, I need to see this first hand, and make sure you don't mess this up any further!" Amelia said. "Then its settled, once examination week is over, we're going on a road trip." Derek said with a sense of finality in his voice.