Time Cursed

CHAPTER 23

  “Excuse me Mr. Johnson; we have a flower delivery for Aria.” The office worker at the classroom door said. Mr. Johnson looked at Arlana, “Aria, this is getting to be a daily ritual. What on earth is going on? Say yes to the guy whoever it is and tell him to stop interrupting my class.” Mr. Johnson said with an amused look on his face.

  Arlana blushed. “Sorry Mr. Johnson.” She said as she got up and took the flowers. They were beautiful. Today it was a dozen of her favorite, blue Gerber daisies. Derek did his homework. Not only had he been sending her favorite things (such as Winnie the pooh beanies, foods she liked, homemade tapes with her favorite music etc) to her every day since the incident at lunch two weeks ago but he made sure that they arrived during her favorite class. e really knew herEnglish Literature with her favorite teacher, Mr. Johnson. She figured he knew she never ditched this class. It was eerie how well he knew her.

  She pulled the note “I am a jerk and am truly sorry for what I did. Please forgive me. Let me show you that I can be a good guy by going to Prom with me.” Every day he apologized. Today’s was less inventive and more honest. She sighed. What should she do? She needed to talk to Clarissa. Maybe Mr. Johnson was right and she should say yes. She had told him about what happened and his advice was that a man that would go to the efforts that Derek was going through deserved a second chance. She should also talk to Jillian about this.

  After class was lunch. She went out to meet Karyn and Luke. “NO WAY!” Karyn shouted. She knew how much Arlana loved blue Gerber daisies and how hard they were to find. “Maybe you should say yes.” Karyn said thoughtfully.

  “WHAT! FORGET IT! I FORBID YOU GOING OUT WITH THAT JERK!” Luke said emphatically.

  Arlana and Karyn looked at him in shock. Arlana was surprised at his outburst, Luke was usually very mild mannered. Karyn looked almost hurt by his statement. Which Arlana figured she must have mistaken.

  “Actually, Aria, I think you should say yes. Can I talk to you?” Jillian said as she walked up to Arlana. All three friends eyes widened in disbelief in Jillian’s attitude.

  “Um, sure.” Arlana said.

  They walked over to the baseball field. Arlana waited wondering what Jillian wanted to say.

  “Um, so, like, um like I lied. Um I like, um, oh this is so embarrassing. Ok so like I lied. I asked Derek to drive us to the “M” and like I took off my top and tried to um, you know, um more than make out with him. I just, I heard he asked you first and you said no and I was worried he would change his mind taking me so like I thought if I went all the way with him then he would want to be with me but then he like rejected me and said that he liked classy women like you and like he couldn’t stand to be around me and like I didn’t know what to do but I blamed you and well then like I thought it would be better for you to hate him and well…. I was wrong. He is hurting. Thinking you think of him as a player is hurting him and I like him too much to see him hurt.” Jillian blurted out in practically one breath.

  Arlana stared at Jillian in disbelief. She couldn’t decide if Jillian was telling her the truth or if she was making this up for some reason. Why would she lie about this? She wondered.

  “Jillian this is too weird. Why are you telling me this?”

  “Duh! Didn’t you hear me? Derek is hurting because he thinks you hate him. He is crazy about you! I was wrong.”

  “Thank you for telling me. I, uh, I need to think. Like this is totally weird and I am too confused.” Arlana said and walked away. What on earth was going on?

  She spotted Luke standing at the edge of the field looking concerned. She could tell he was trying to act cool but she could tell he was agitated. “What’s up Luke?” She asked.

  Luke put his hand through his hair which Arlana loved. He had such great hair and although they were truly just friends she sometimes wanted to run her hands through it. It reminded her of her dream man’s hair. She figured that is why she always gets that urge.

  “I wanted to make sure you were ok. …Aria, you aren’t thinking of going with Derek are you?”

  Arlana looked at Luke, “I honestly don’t know anymore. A few days ago I would have said definitely ‘NO’ but now I’m really not sure. I mean he keeps sending me my favorite things and now with what Jillian told me I feel like I misjudged him. UGH! What am I supposed to do! I think I need Clarissa to figure this out. Prom is a week away.”

  “But I thought we were going together.” Luke said shyly.

  Arlana looked at him and smiled apologetically. “I don’t know yet but you still have Karyn.”

  Arlana went home after school that day, bowing out of hanging out with Karyn at the mall. Her brain was fried. She arrived home and noticed Clarissa’s Porsche in the driveway. “I’m home!” She hollered when she got in.

  “In here, sis!” called out Clarissa.

  “Hey Clarissa! I am so glad you are home early. I really need to talk...” Arlana said but stopped abruptly. She had walked into the living room and spotted Derek sitting across from Clarissa on the sofa.

  “Hi Aria, I, um, had hoped to talk to you. Sorry for just dropping by.” Derek said sheepishly.

  “Uh-huh. Um Clarissa can I talk to you in the kitchen.” Arlana said and walked out of the room.

  “Sure, we will be back Derek.” Clarissa said looking surprised.

  Once they were in the kitchen Arlana closed the door and turned on Clarissa. “Why is he here?” She whispered.

  “He called yesterday while you were out and told me what happened. Jillian lied which is not surprising. He really likes you and wants to go to the Prom with you. He knows he has been a jerk and is trying hard to make up for it.”

  “So you think I should go to the Prom with him?” Arlana asked surprised by her sister’s attitude. When she had first told Clarissa about what had happened her sister said she dodged a bullet but why the about face? Should she give Derek a chance? He really is making an effort.

  “I really think you should. He has really made such an effort to apologize and well Jillian is not very reliable when it comes to the truth.”

  “She told me she lied today. This is so weird. Besides I already have plans for Prom.”

  “Plans meaning you, Luke and Karyn or is it just you and Luke?” Clarissa asked her eyebrows going up.

  “The three of us.”

  “Aria, if you are not in to Luke more than a friend, which I think you are and unwilling to admit, then you should let Karyn and Luke go together. Karyn is crazy about Luke and although I think he would prefer you I think that Karyn shouldn’t have to share him. Derek is trying and he will look good in Prom photos.” Clarissa said with a wink.

  Arlana rolled her eyes. Clarissa always made her friendship with Luke sound more than it was. Yes he was hot but Derek was hotter. Luke was solid and good and the best friend she could ever have. “Clarissa, Luke is the guy you marry not the guy you date. Fine, I’ll tell Derek I’ll go with him. If this blows up in my face I blame you.” Arlana said with a smile.

  She walked out into the living room. “Thank you for waiting.”

  “Aria, I deserve to wait however long you want me to. I was a jerk and I am so sorry. I got it in my head that you would like me like that. Go figure you look at personality. I mean it is good I just never met a girl like you and I really like you and want a second chance. Please go to Prom with me. I promise it will be fun.” He said pleadingly.

  Arlana took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure why but she felt like she had to say yes no matter what. “Sure, I’ll go with you. Jillian told me what really happened. I am not sure how much I believe but I am willing to give you a chance, but if that jerk I saw at lunch shows up then it is off,” replied Arlana.

  Derek jumped up off the sofa and hugged Arlana and then froze. “Uh, sorry, I am just so happy you said you would come with me. I promise you won’t regret it,” he said grinning ear to ear. His excitement made Arlana smile. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad.

  Derek stayed for
dinner and then left. Everything was very platonic. He didn’t even try to kiss her at the door. Maybe this would be ok. She thought. She realized that she better call Karyn and Luke.

  “Hey Karyn, how was the mall?”

  “Like totally fun! You missed out! Luke was so funny. What did your sister say? Are you going to say yes?”

  Arlana laughed. She loved that Karyn always got to the point. “Well, I got home and oh my gosh, Derek was here talking to Clarissa. So like I was put off at first. Like stalker much and then I talked to Clarissa in the kitchen and she said that he seemed totally real and that I should go with him so like I thought about it and I said yes and then he had dinner with us and left and like I need a breath,” Arlana said out of breath.

  “SERIOUSLY!!! I am so excited! I mean once I realized Jillian lied I was so back into you going with him and like you are and I am so excited. We could like double date!” Karyn squealed.

  “Totally!” Arlana said feeling Karyn’s excitement. “I am going to call Luke and let him know he will only have one girl to worry about. I’ll chat with you tomorrow.”

  For some reason Arlana dreaded calling Luke. He hated Derek and she was worried he would disapprove. She dialed his number three times hanging up each time. Finally the fourth time she waited for him to pick up.

  “HELLO?” said an annoyed male voice.

  “Um, Luke?” Arlana asked.

  “Hey Aria. Have you been calling?”

  “Um, no, why do you ask?” she lied casually. Embarrassed that she had hung up so many times.

  “Nothing somebody keeps calling and hanging up. Very annoying…unless some girl has a crush on me, and that would be ok then.” Arlana laughed.

  “Actually I was calling because I have decided to go with Derek to the Prom so you and Karyn will have to go without me in tow. We talked and I decided to say yes.”

  “What! After how he treated you and Jillian? I can’t believe you would ditch me for that jerk! Why?” Luke said angrily.

  “I talked to Clarissa and she thinks that he seems to really be trying and I feel bad. He has done so much to show he cares. Please don’t be mad. It will be ok. If it goes bad I promise you can say I told you so but Derek has been so sweet these past few weeks.”

  “Fine! I think it is a bad idea and that is all I am going to say. I have to go.” Luke hung up.

  Arlana was surprised and looked at the phone.

  “What was that all about,” Arlana wondered out loud. She felt like Luke was disappointed in her decision and started second guessing herself all over again. She lay across her bed stretching out feeling anxiety tightening in her chest. She let out a deep breath. The more she thought about the situation she realized she couldn't please everyone. She decided to stick with her decision. Enough back and forth, she was tired of it. “It's just a dance already!” she moaned aloud. Just then her phone rang, she wondered if it was Luke calling her back. She jumped up quickly reaching out for her phone.

  “Hello?” she called out meekly.

  “Hey babe, is that you? Did I wake you?”

  “Babe? If by babe you mean Aria then yes, this is her,” Arlana replied with a laugh.

  “Oh babe, you don't mind if I call you that do you?”

  “Well Derek, we are just going to a dance together, it's only our first date, why don't we just stick with our names for now.”

  “Ok, I'll try. I was just calling so we could talk about our plans for the dance.”

  “Oh, awesome. I was wanting to get all the details.”

  “Cool. Well first I wanted to let you know that I will pick you up around five. Me and some of my teammates are renting a limo. We'll go to dinner first and then head to the dance.”

  “That sounds great. What restaurant are we going to?”

  “That is a surprise.”

  “Oh, ok.” Aria started to feel a little bit nervous when she thought about hanging out with his friends. She also felt a little sad that Karyn and Luke wouldn't be with her to enjoy the evening.

  “Is everything alright, you sound a little disappointed.”

  “No, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to sound that way. Hey, do you think it would be ok if Karyn and Luke came with?”

  “I guess, if they want to. I get the impression lately that that Luke guy isn't too keen on me.”

  “Why would you say that?” Arlana didn't think she had let on at all about Luke's dislike of Derek.

  “Eh, I don't know. He like gives me the evil eye anytime he sees me talking to you, and he's like always around you,” Derek said in a slightly irritated tone.

  “Well, he is one of my best friends.”

  “Yeah, I get that. That's why I said they can come, anything to make you happy.”

  “Thanks Derek.”

  “What color is your dress going to be?”

  “It's a baby blue color, almost a blue green.”

  “I can't wait to see you in it,” Derek said in a breathy tone, “and I'm so excited that I'll get to have you with me all night, I can't wait to wrap my arms around you on the dance floor.”

  Arlana let out a nervous laugh. “Well, I better go, I'll see you soon.”

  She quickly hung up the phone after Derek's goodbye and got ready to call Karyn and give her the news, she wasn't quite ready to call Luke yet, maybe she would let Karyn do that.