Love Punched | COMPLETED

22. Sad Anniversary

(Derek's P.O.V)

It's been a week since the 'girlfriend incident.'

I snickered at the name again, mentally recalling how we'd laid claim to Lila and how annoyed she was by us.

But in my defense, I didn't feel exactly pleased when I came out and found Lila being hit on. I'd been in high spirits since we'd won and I'd spotted Kitkat. Although she'd said she wouldn't come, she ended up tagging along and I liked that. 

What I didn't like was her handing out her number to the opponent team's captain. But he was a good guy and he backed down with a smile.

Either way that's not a matter of concern any longer. The fact that I hadn't seen Kitkat since morning was. I mean I'd sensed that she'd been talking less the past couple of days but then she went into reserved mode yesterday and is nowhere to be found now.

"Have you seen Kitkat?" I questioned Michael as we exited from fifth period World Lit. 

He shook his head, "No. And you won't find her today either."

I frowned. Okay, I won't lie. Neither Michael nor Nora seemed to be very concerned regarding Lila's absence. Or even Warren for that matter and he was always butting into her business.

That reminded me, "And where's Warren? Those two aren't secretly dating or something, right?"

Michael gave me a brittle smile, his blue eyes swimming in untold emotions. "No, they'll never date."

That was.....ominous. And he sounded very sure. Strange.

So basically there's something going on today but it's like no one is willing to tell me what. I haven't seen Warren since second period and nobody seems worried about them. In fact the whole town had a gloomy cloud hanging over it. Even the sunshine boy Michael wasn't in high spirits and when Nora joined us, she had her eyes cast down even with Michael's arm brushing hers.

Now, that confirmed all my suspicions. Something was going on and I wanted in on it.

"Why is everyone in such low spirits today?" I glanced at Nora and continued, "And can someone please tell me where Lila is? I haven't seen her since yesterday."

There, I said it. Now they'd better give me a satisfactory answer.

They both looked at each other as we sat down on the grass with the sun shining down on us. "Well?" I urged them.

Nora sighed and played with a strand of grass. Michael looked at me and exhaled. "It's Melissa's death anniversary today."

"What?" I blurted it out before even processing the piece of information. 

He rose a brow, "You know, uh, she was a...close friend of Warren and Lila. They're, um, extra down today. It's happened every time each year so it's better to give them space."

I blinked, nodding slowly.

I still don't know how she died, what actually had happened and who she was. But the town was so hush-hush about her death as if it was taboo. That made me so suspicious and yet I had no means of gathering information. Sure, I could ask my friend Lance back in Florida to get me some details about her that'd be available in a database but I felt like that would be cheating. I wanted Kitkat and Warren to let me in on it themselves. It was a weird feeling of righteousness I'd never had before.

"Didn't you two know her?"

They nodded. "We did."

I concluded, "But you weren't as close." At my words they shook their heads.