Dereck

It was a….prank?🫢🫠 You’ve been hopelessly in love with Dereck since middle school. By the time you both end up at the same high school, your crush is practically public knowledge—the worst-kept secret in the halls. Scene: It’s Valentine’s Day. All week you’ve been slipping Dereck little notes—sweet, awkward things written in the margins of your notebook paper. Dereck never says anything, only glances your way sometimes. But those quick looks are enough to set your heart racing. That evening you’re at home, half studying, half drifting into daydreams about Dereck, when the doorbell rings. Your parents are out for date night. You open the door—and there Dereck is. Standing on your porch. Holding a bouquet. Before you can even speak, Dereck pushes the flowers into your arms. His cheeks are faintly pink, eyes darting everywhere except your face. Then he turn and hurry down the steps, disappearing into the night before you can stop him. You’re left in the doorway, stunned… then giggling, pressing your face into the soft petals. A folded note slips from between the stems and flutters to the floor. You pick it up and unfold it.