Call Me Crazy [Book 2]

Chapter Eleven

"You look like someone who listens to the pop crap on the radio. We have a lot to catch up on then," He said, and I smiled when he starting singing along with the song. 

Derek really wasn't as bad as I thought he was, and that scared me a little. 

***

"Make yourself at home gorgeous," Derek told me, and I slipped off my Sperrys at the door. 

"Derek, is that you?" A pretty girl who I assumed was Derek's sister walked into the room, and I was a bit shocked when I noticed a baby in her arms. "Thank God. Take Jenny, I need to run some errands. She's been crying for you all day!" My eyes widened, and thoughts and questions and assumptions jumbled my brain. Derek's sister glanced at me and gave him a curious look, her eye brows raised at him. "Well since Derek sucks at introducing people, I'm Katie, Derek's sister." I shook her outstretched hand, slightly selfishly jealous of how pretty she was. 

"Nice to meet you," I finally said, feeling incredibly stupid now. 

"You too," She replied, smiling warmly at me, and I returned the gestures. "I'll be back later Derek," Katie told him as she grabbed her purse and flew out the door before Derek could say anything to her. It stayed silent for a couple seconds after she left, Derek holding Jenny in his arms and making incoherent noises to her as she cackled. 

"Kris, this is Jenny." He held her out to me, and I took the baby graciously, immediately smiling at her. Jenny was the cutest little baby, and her presence calmed me in a sense, and I liked it. But I still need to know who Jenny belongs to...

"She's beautiful," I murmured, bopping her noise and laughed when she started cackling again, a toothless grin spread across her small face. "Um, who-it's Katie's daughter right?" I asked awkwardly, and Derek's eyes widened. 

"Oh God yeah. Did you think she was my daughter?" My face turned pink, and Derek started laughing. "You're funny Kristen. No, she's Katie's. Jenny is about 7 or 8 months old,  and Katie had her when she was 19." I smiled down at Jenny, who seemed like she was dozing off. 

"What about her dad?" Derek sighed, and I instantly knew it was a touchy subject. 

"When Tyler, Jenny's dad, found out that Katie was pregnant, he left, just like that. Katie barely hears from him anymore but he calls her every once in a while, but that's pretty rare." I frowned, immediately feeling bad for Katie and Jenny. Now Jenny won't have a father, and Katie has to tend to Jenny all by herself. 

"What a jerk. So where does she live? Does she go to school?"

"She's trying to do college online so she can get a good job to take care of Jenny and herself. She bought herself an apartment with some of her college money and lives about 20 minutes away from here." All this news was a bit overwhelming, and I just met Katie, but I felt so bad for her. I want to help as much as I can now. 

 "So I've been helping Katie out by watching Jenny while she runs errands and stuff so she doesn't have to worry about Jen." I sat down on the couch and set Jenny in my lap. 

"Wow, who knew Derek had a heart?" I joked, chuckling and smiling at Jenny. 

"Why do always say that?" He sighed, looking down at the carpeted ground. 

I chuckled, "Oh come on Derek, when I first met you, you were kind of a-" I glanced at Jenny, covering her ears with my hands. "-a dick." He sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. 

"That makes me feel awesome Kris," He muttered sarcastically. I mentally facepalmed, because yeah that was kind of harsh, but I was just stating the truth. 

Derek sighed again, taking Jenny from my arms. "I'm thinking Jenny needs a nap. I should probably drive you to your car." I sighed, standing up from the couch. I didn't mean to hurt Derek. I guess I don't really have a filter sometimes. 

"Don't worry about it, I'll just walk to my car. I don't want you to worry about bringing Jenny and stuff...I'll uh, see you tomorrow..." I shoved my hands in my sweatpants pockets after I gave a small wave to Derek, finding myself to the door and down the sidewalk with Derek and his conflicted expression in my peripheral vision. 

***

I made myself some Ramen Noodles for dinner, considering I had no one else at home with me to make me anything, and no money to go out. I was lonely, and now that Derek and I are unintentionally speaking, I I felt this sort of deflation in my heart that I did not like feeling. It's as if Derek took up a small, tiny little piece of my heart, and now that we are being stupid, well, I'm being stupid, the small, tiny little piece of my heart is empty, and I feel like such an idiot for admitting it to myself. Where the hell is my boyfriend when I need him...

***

-Carter-

"Dude, we have to go!" I sighed, shoving my Pre Med textbook off my lap and closing my eyes. 

"Maybe I should study to be something else..." I muttered, mostly to myself. "Maybe a Doctor was the wrong choice..."

"You've been wanting to be a doctor for as long as I've known you dude," Brendan told me. "Remember when I fell off my bike in 5th grade? You basically knew all the procedures to fix me up, and you were what, 11?" I laughed at how he remembered that. 

"Okay, taking a break from studying. What were saying about somewhere we have to go?"

"One of the girls' sororities is having a bonfire tonight. We are going, right?"

"Duh," I answered, leaping off my bed, ready for a nice bonfire to ease my stress. 

***

I rolled my eyes when I glanced over at Brendan, already flanked with two girls on his arms, and we weren't even here fifteen minutes. What a whore. I mentally laughed at my stupid insult towards him. I looked around the large, open backyard of one of the sorority houses, the smell of the bonfire smoke strong and already scenting my NYU hoodie and dark khaki pants. 

"Alright babe, I'll give you a call," Brendan told some girl, and I rolled my eyes. She walked away from us, making sure to sway her hips a bit more than usual, and a bit far from being civil. 

"She's a slut," I cough, and Brendan shoved me out of my balance. 

"I know, but she was hot, so..." 

"Nice logic," I replied sarcastically, and we laughed. 

"Come on, let's go get drunk drunk call people and forget why we are even in college."

"Sounds perfect to me man." 

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Guys I am so sorry for being so distant from my stories! God I feel like it's been months seriously...thanks for being patient with me, and if you get annoyed with me please feel free to message me and scold me because it will help me get my ass on my laptop and update more :P 

I hope you enjoy this short, poor excuse for a chapter!!!