Trust No One [Especially Cute Green Eyed Boys] 30: Apologies

Derek wasn't in school today.

It frustrated me to no end because if I didn't have an invitation from him then I'd have to get Lissa to forge one and then I'd have to mingle in my disguise and keep my cover until the meeting started.

It may not sound all that irritating or nerve-wracking, but trust me, when you're walking around in a disguise praying that someone won't recognize you and blow your cover...

"Kelsey, are you sure you're feeling alright?" I stopped my daydreaming and turned to face Kelsey who was in fact looking rather sick.

We were all sitting in the cafeteria at the center table having lunch, which apparently is where all the popular kids sat when we aren't going out to eat.

Kelsey looked kind of pale and she had tiny beads of sweat falling down her sunken cheeks.

"I'm fine."

"Maybe you should eat something…" I pointed to her, once again, untouched lunch but she shook her head.

"No, I had a big breakfast."

"Plus, cheerleading tryouts and next week and she should keep her weight down." Hellen put in as she stabbed at what was left of her pasta.

"Come on guys, I'm just feeling a little tired. Anyways, lunch is over. We need to head to class." We stood as some guys from the table wolfed down any left over food they had and told us to wait up. Most of them were members of the varsity sport teams but there were a few guys who didn't play sports, like the class president sat here as did a few kids who either had family or friend connections that made them worthy in the eyes of their peers.

Sean finished gulping down his soda and tossed it into the trashcan before stepping up to my side and looping his arm through mine.

"I haven't talked to you since homeroom, princess!" He exclaimed as everyone else from the table stood and we all walked away together.

"I'm aware. So…not to sound rude or anything, but where's Derek today?"

"Oh, there was some thing he had to help set up for." He waved away my question. "Anyways, what are you doing after school?" He asked quickly.

"Nothing…why?"

"Some of us are getting together at 'Bernie's Joint' and I want you to come…please, don't leave me with Hellen." He whispered under his breath and I laughed.

"Who else will be there?"

"Just some random kids from school, like Chase and Terrence will be there…and of course Hellen, I called up Juliet to come but her phone was shut off so maybe she'll show up."

"Alright, I'll be there. What time?"

"School lets out at 2:30...so, I think we all agreed to meet at 3:30. We're just going to pick up some real lunch and hang out."

"Real lunch? Was this fake or something?" I asked curiously and Sean laughed humorously as we stopped in front of my classroom.

"Oh you're so funny, Bella. I'll see you later." He ran away and I shrugged before going into the classroom.

The rest of the school day went off without anything too exciting happening and when I was driving to 'Bernie's Joint' I began to wonder if Derek would be there…it'd give me a chance to talk to him, to see if what we have is actually going anywhere or if we're stuck in a rut.

I walked into the familiar restaurant where a waiter greeted me and took me to where Sean and his friends were waiting. Instead of taking me to any tables, however, he took me to a dark room near the kitchens.

There were obviously people inside it and I my ears picked up on their labored breathing; however, it was the nearly silent giggles that let me know that being the people in this room were no threat.

I turned to the waiter who stood next to me with a smile in place before he flipped on the lights.

"SURPRISE!" They all yelled together. The room was filled with silver and red balloons and silver and red streamers. Hellen, Kelsey, Jamie, and Pam stood in the center of the room and they held a cake in their hands as they all beamed at me. Sean was at my side in an instant and to my great surprise, so was Derek. Derek grabbed my waist and pulled me to his side in a hug before he placed a kiss in my hair.

"Happy birthday, baby." He whispered with a smile on his handsome face.

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you." Everyone began to sing as the four girls carrying the cake slowly started to walk towards me.

All of the kids who sit with us during lunch were there as were a couple of others from some of my classes that I happened to be friends with. There couldn’t have been more then fifty-five people there and I instantly knew that whoever sent out the invites only invited those who had a somewhat acceptable social status at my school.

"Happy birthday dear, Isabella." There was a bit of a stumble over that part since people were saying Izzy, Bella, and Isabella. "Happy birthday to you!"

"Make a wish!" Someone yelled and as I wished for the same thing I did every year.

I wished to be able to find what was left of my family, basically Christina.

People cheered as I blew out all eighteen candles and I let out a laugh as Derek hugged me to his side and once again placed a kiss on my head.

"Happy birthday, Bella! I can't believe you didn't tell us that that dinner was for your birthday. Thank god Kelsey told us yesterday…" Pam told me and she came over to hug me which was kind of awkward because Derek didn't let go of me.

"Well, I wasn't really all for making a big deal out of it." I explained lightly as Jamie, Hellen, Sean, and Kelsey all came foreword to give me an awkward hug. Sean tried to pull me away from Derek so our hug wouldn't feel so weird but Derek tightened his grip on me instead of letting go.

"Nonsense. You're one of us now, Bella. Birthdays are a major deal." Hellen told me as she pulled away from our hug. "This isn't even the real party. This is just a warm-up party with the people who matter the most, the real party is in two weeks."

"That's not really necessary-"

"Shut up, Bella. Look at it this way; we were gonna have another party anyway and now we have a legit reason to throw one. It'll be fun, they'll be a cake and stuff…"

"Then why are we having this party?" I countered, truly curious.

"What? Do you really think that we all want to have our presents and stuff mixed in with everyone else's? Of course not. We're to good for that." Hellen explained with a flip of her hair. I rolled my eyes as Jamie and Pam proceeded to pass out the cut up cake.

"Come with me." Derek whispered to me before he released my waist and grabbed my hand. He lead me out of the room and towards a separate booth in the middle of the room where I found two chocolate milkshakes and a huge batch of fries waiting for us. We sat on opposite ends of the booth and when I looked questionably down at the food, he shrugged.

"The cake was vanilla." He explained and I laughed as I remembered out first real date when he told me that he was a chocolate lover.

I nodded and grasped a shake to drink when he started to talk again.

"I'm sorry." He told me and I raised my eyebrows at him causing him to go on. "I totally screwed up that dinner and when I found out it was your birthday dinner…I felt horrible. God, words can't even explain how bad I felt - I mean, it was your eighteenth! So to make up for it I skipped school and basically spent the day setting up that room…of course, I wasn't charge of ordering the cake, just picking it up or else I would have ordered a chocolate one."

Wait, so he was setting this up? I thought he was helping set up for the ball tonight…

"Anyways, I feel like I owe you an explanation for what my dad was talking about. About Lauren…"

"Look, Derek-" I began but he cut me off.

"No, Bella. Please just hear me out because I can guarantee you I will never be this open again. I know by now you probably want to break up with me or something…but you, see…I can't let that happen."

"You can't let that happen? What are you talking about?" I questioned wearily and Derek grabbed both my hands in his and looked me dead in the eyes.

"I can't let it happen. I won't let it happen. I'm not in love with Lauren, my dad's an asshole. Lauren was my girlfriend before…we looked good together, she was rich and pretty and refined and everything my dad approved of…but she had to move away. The thing is she had a choice to stay but she said she had to no reason to…there was nothing keeping her here and away from her family so a week before she was supposed to leave, I set up this grand date by the river where I told her I was in love with her.

"I cared for her but I knew I wasn't in love with her….I just wanted her to stay because I thought maybe it could develop into love. As soon as the words left my mouth, she was out of there. She bolted from me and ran to her car. She ignored my calls and wouldn't see me when I went to her house so after a couple of days of trying I gave up. I mean, what was I gonna tell her if she did decide to speak to me? She was afraid that I was in love with her so was I going to tell her that I lied to her?

"I thought things would be better off if I didn't talk to her…unfortunately, the day she was supposed to leave she came to my house." Derek's eyes got this far away look in them and he looked away.

I turned our hands so that mine were now covering his. "She told me she was sorry and that she was in love with me. She asked to wait for her. She said she'd be back some day and she wanted us to pick up where we left off…but I told her no. I wouldn't wait, I couldn't wait because I didn't love her. It was this big mess, she flipped a s_it when she realized that I didn't love her…God, my dad was so pissed when he found out we broke up. Anyways, I told her I wasn't going to wait for her but that didn't mean I was going to date just anyone…I wasn't going to date someone just to spit Lauren or my dad. I had a reputation to uphold."

He shook his head and looked into my eyes again, now he had a small smile on his face.

"And then I met you. You were beautiful but I didn't know what to think of you…you didn't look like you had much else to offer and everyone knows I don't date brainless beauties. But then we were in class and you were in my seat - I was so p_ssed - and we got into it over that stupid seat and I was surprised because you gave it as good as you got. I've never met a girl who was like that…it was obvious to had brains. You were perfect and I was determined to have you…and I did."

I smiled slightly at him and he squeezed my hands to indicate he wasn't done yet.

"I care about you more then I did about Lauren…or any other girl I've ever dated. We can make this work, I know we can and we will. It's 4:00 right now so we should probably get back to the party but first I have something for you."

We both stood up and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a white envelope. He handed me the envelope and he watched silently as I opened it up and pulled a fancy looking invitation from its depth.

"I don't usually bring people to these things but…I'd really like you to come, Bella. It's this party thing that my dad is throwing and they'll be really important people there so you don't have to wear like a prom dress of anything but…dressing nice is a must. It begins at 7:30 but I'll come pick you up at 8:00...it ends at midnight but I understand if you have to leave early since it’s a school night and all…actually, I guess I'll understand if you can't make it at all since its such short notice and all-" I laughed and cut off his nervous rambling.

"It's fine, Derek. You can pick me up at eight, we'll leave at midnight. Nothing to worry about, now come on." I grabbed his hand and together we walked into the back room. Everyone was walking and laughing about while they ate the food and talking to their friends and I saw a table in the back piled high with birthday presents.

"Oh and Bella?" I looked up at Derek. "You won't find my present over there, I didn't want to chance someone taking it. Happy birthday." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a familiar blue box…every girl knew what that blue box was.

It was a Tiffany Box.

I received that box at one other point in my life. My engagement ring from Vander was in a box like that…

My eyes widened and for his benefit I even let myself take in a sharp intake of breath.

"Derek…" I started with a shake of my head. "No way, I can't take that."

"Yes you can, that money was burning a whole in my pocket. Happy birthday, princess." He pushed the box into my hands and I neatly removed the lid to be met with a silver Tiffany's necklace with a Tiffany's heart shaped dog with the name Bella inscribed on one side, on the other side the word Beautiful was inscribed.

I smiled at Derek as I pulled the necklace from the box and laughed slightly.

"Thank you, Derek." I breathed before I wrapped both my arms around his neck and brought him in for a kiss while I continued to hold onto the box and necklace.

The kiss was soft and sweet and Derek wrapped an arm around my waist as the other wound in my hair. His left hand tangled itself in my waves and his right fingertips started to draw circles on my stomach as his fingertips lightly touched the skin there.

Wolf whistles and girly giggles brought us apart and Derek grinned and flipped off his friends as they continued to make crude comments.

Hellen and Kelsey made their way over to me, gasping when they saw his present in my hands.

"No wonder you guys were kissing like that; hell, if Sean ever got me something like that, I'd jump him on the spot."

"You'd jump Sean the first time he showed you a little affection." Kelsey muttered but before Hellen could comprehend her words, she spoke to me. "So I take it that you and Loverboy are alright?"

"Hey!" Derek bit out with a warning look, obviously not liking Kelsey's nickname for him.

I laughed and rested my head on Derek's chest as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Yeah, we're good again."

"Good, you guys are adorable together." Kelsey told us and Hellen nodded in agreement.

"Alright everyone! Presents!" Pam's voice carried over the commotion and I was pushed foreword towards the table full of gifts and for a few hours I was able to forget about the mission and Christina and everyone else.

It was the most unstressed I'd been in such a long time but sadly that all came to an end when the party ended and Kelsey dropped me [and my many gifts] off at home.

Bits of stress flowed into my veins as I took a deep breath and walked into my room.

It was time to get ready for the party…the meeting…time for me to get back to my mission.



Thanks to xBreakingxDawnx and Anime0Wolf for these two gorgeous banners!! They made my day. <3
-Vi