Storming Ice: Derek Monroe

Savannah sat on the frigid concrete bench, trying to understand why Darmineus had coldly told her to stay away while he visited his friends. Around her, she could hear laughter, chatter, and skateboards rumbling by in the courtyard of what may very well be the worst place to display her unpleasant feelings.

Though college seemed a lot less dramatic than high school did, it would probably be alarming seeing someone crying in a courtyard filled with lively students.

Luckily, she didn’t cry. She did, however, attempt to understand why Darmineus didn’t want to be seen with me.

Loathing who she'd become and wondering what would become of her, Savannah thought of nothing. She felt nothing. Consumed by the nothingness in her head and the music playing in her ears, she started dancing with her feet. Thumping away to every beat.

A random sound of laughter caught her attention. She noticed a group of three guys, all in very good shape—strong and energetic.

They seemed amused by something in the bushes. And while she was curious to ask what they were looking at, she dared not speak. She simply stayed to herself.

But as they continued to laugh and jump with excitement, she grew more and more intrigued.

Savannah was gaining the courage to get up and ask what they were chattering about when she met the eyes of one of the young gentlemen. He smiled at her as if he knew what she was thinking, and then walked up to her.

“You have to come see this,” he said. Signaling with his hands for her to follow him.

She removed her headphones from her ears and nodded.

The guys seemed very much like eight year olds discovering the world for the very first time, fascinated by something they’ve never seen before. When she finally approached the bushes, she'd discovered that her assumptions were too close to what she had imagined.

A group of ants carrying crumbs about 5 times their size. The more ants appeared carrying bigger pieces, the more excited the guys got.

The young man who originally invited her said, “Don’t you find it fascinating that ants may very well be stronger than humans? I mean, compared to their size, yes we are bigger, but they have the ability to carry something heavier and bigger than them. That’s pretty awesome!”

“You're absolutely right, I never actually thought about that. Thank you for sharing this... experience. It was enlightening,” she said, smiling her way back to her now semi-warm spot on the concrete bench.

Savannah continued to look at the guys, wondering how they found the smallest thing in that whole place, and managed to find joy in it.

She looked down to the floor, headphones back in place. She took off her sandals and stretched out her feet, pointing and flexing, practicing movements she's done before.

She was so into her own world, that she didn’t notice someone had approached her. A shadow.

And for a moment, she stiffened. Darmineus?

“Are you a dancer?” A familiar voice asked. She could barely hear them over her music, but it was clear enough for her to understand.

Savannah didn’t really make an effort to look up, she simply answered, “I used to, but now I don’t. But I miss it very much.” She looked at her feet for a moment, reminiscing how it felt to wear pointe shoes.

Then finally looked up, wondering who she was answering to.

It was him again, the guy from before. She didn’t realize it then, but he had a very handsome, well shaven jawline. His short brown hair and hazel eyes complimented his fairly tanned skin.

She removed her headphones, as if to attempt to see his features clearer.

“I only ask because I’m a dancer too. I noticed that you have really good footwork. You should dance again, I bet you’re amazing,” he said.

Savannah was stunned by his aura. He seemed to glow almost.

“Are you alright?” He had asked.

“I… I think I am,” she replied. She was slightly confused at first, but then just let it go. “Never mind, I’m fine.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I properly introduced myself. My name is Derek, and these are my dancer friends, Fin and Jacob.”

“Hi, nice to meet you,” they said at the same time.

“They’re twins, so that happens a lot,” Derek said, pushing them away.

“Listen,” he continued as he sat next to her, “we have to head over to our next class in a few. But I’d like to stay in touch with you, so can I have your number? Maybe we can dance together some time. I’d like to see some of your moves.”

She did not expect for someone like him to be interested in someone like her.

“Umm. I can’t remember my phone number,” she admitted.

“Oh? Well, that’s alright. I can give you mine.” He paused for a moment, and then said, “But, I can’t seem to remember mine either.”

They both giggled.

“Derek!” The twins shouted.

“It’s time for me to go. I remember now. Can I have your phone, please?” he said.

Savannah quickly gave him her phone, and he added his number under his name, Derek with a smiley emoji.

"I’ll see you later...” he paused, waiting for her to say something.

"Savannah."

"Savannah. I'll be looking forward to your text," he said to her, smiling mysteriously. He grabbed his belongings and joined his friends. He looked back once more before they lost sight of each other.

Savannah sat there for a moment, trying to process if this was a real moment in her life. But a phone call confirmed that this was not a dream, this was her reality.

Darmineus was ready to leave, and so she gathered herself and met up with him. She contemplated on whether she should text Derek or not. She figured that if she did, she should wait. But a part of her was afraid that if she waited, it’d be too late.

With her mind being elsewhere, Darmineus had no choice but to notice. He asked her why she seemed spaced out, and she was honest. She told him that she made a new friend, they exchanged numbers, and she was happy.

He seemed displeased, but she didn’t care. If he only knew that it was because of him that they had the chance to meet, he’d be furious.

Darmineus was jealous.

Savannah was trying to gather her thoughts, but simply didn’t understand why. He was the person that flirted with girls all the time. He lied to her plenty of times about going out with other girls.

He brought out ugly parts of her that she'd never ask for—jealousy, insecurities, and pure darkness.

With Derek, she saw light, and that seemed to scare Darmineus.

She felt this sense of pleasure in giving him a little taste of his own medicine, but in the most genuine way. She did nothing, just simply let the cards play out.

She went off to work contemplating on what she should do. She spoke to her co-worker, a rebel in disguise, and was convinced. And so she did, she texted him.

She felt this rush in her body, a release. Like a part of her was able to break free, and she liked it.

Derek had asked her to meet him that same day. He wanted to show her something.

Savannah's co-worker gave her a lift home and helped her get all fixed up. She wore a white sundress decorated with yellow and black flowers all around, with her black combat boots. Her hair was styled in a half ponytail.

Her colleague told her to text her often so she knew she was alive. And she did, for the most part.

Savannah rode the bus to the metro station. Then rode the metro to the public place where he’d chosen to meet. A very well known mall called Avalon Mall.

It’d been a while since she'd been asked out. Darmineus and Savannah weren't necessarily an item. They were exes, but they seemed used to each other’s company.

He was texting her a lot, and she was very honest with him. She told him she had a date, and stopped responding all together.

Savannah was at the meeting spot Derek had chosen by 6:10 PM. The sun would be setting soon, so she texted him letting him know she made it, and he replied that he was on his way.

Many people come and went, couples held hands, families laughed and played together, and cars zoomed by from time to time. There was even this one instance where a car parked in front of her and for a moment she thought it was him.

She mentally prepared herself to approach the car when it suddenly drove off.

She was getting nervous. Ten minutes went by, then fifteen, then twenty.

How long should I wait? Should I text him to see where he was? Should I call?

After a minute or two of doubting her decision, she heard a loud throaty growl from a motorcycle. She didn’t quite notice that this motorcycle had been there for a few minutes. She'd glance at it once before but never actually paid attention to it.

The rider wore all black with a matching helmet. The bike itself was black with red trimmings and accents. The rider approached and then stopped in front of me. Savannah was so fascinated by how hardcore they looked and wondered how the person underneath may look like.

And with the will of my her thoughts, the rider had stationed his bike and began to unfasten his helmet. She looked around to see if she could spot Derek nearby, but no sign.

After a mere moment of distraction, she was surprised to find herself face to face with the man she'd had been waiting for all along.

Derek stood there with his helmet in hand.

“No way,” she said. “Derek, you were here the whole time.”

“I was. And I thought it was fun watching you. You’re so cute. Did you think I wouldn’t come?”

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure, but I’m glad you did.” She was thrilled.

“Here, put on my helmet. Hop on.” He helped her onto his bike. “Is this your first time?”

“Nope,” she answered confidently. He chuckled.

He placed her hands on his chest and brought her closer to his body. He was warm and smelled delightful.

He cranked up the bike and off they were.

He mentioned that he wanted to take her somewhere special, but she never got the chance to ask where. They rode through the city so quickly that the city lights looked like colorful strings passing by.

They ended up on a lonely road. The road was long and narrow, with grassy fields on both sides. She was able to spot an upcoming bridge, and so she lifted the glass cover from the helmet to admire the scene.

The sky was beautiful with different colors— orange, red, purple, yellow, and pink. In the distance she could see a disturbance in the sky, dark clouds brewing. Lightning made its way through them, threatening the peaceful skies. It was almost as beautiful as a painting, very serene.

As they got closer to the bridge, a cool, briny wind from the ocean nearby brushed her cheek. She could almost smell the rain coming.

A chilled wind blew her my dress as they crossed the long, tall bridge, so she held on to Derek tighter, trying to embrace the warmth of his body.

She felt his abs, and was startled. She loosened her grip a little, but he held onto her hand. He placed it back on his abs, and pulled her closer.

Savannah was able to get a quick glance at Derek's handsome, quirky smile for just a brief moment when he looked back to check up on her.

In the distance, she could see lights sparkling like stars.

They made it to a small private island. And as she had feared, they got caught in the rain. She had noticeably had a great deal fun running from place to place trying to find some cover.

But her dress was soaked and so was his clothes.

They ended up at a restaurant a few minutes from the beach. He spoke to someone in the kitchen, then came back with some towels.

“Do you mind taking off your dress?” He politely asked.

“Excuse me?”

Savannah, was shocked by his straight forwardness. The way he had asked sounded more seductive than she had expected. Or maybe it was her imagination.

“We can sit outside near the fireplace. I’m a server here and we have towels and a dryer in the back. I brought you a warm towel.”

He started removing his clothes.

“Are you crazy?”

“Not at all. We’re by the beach. People come here in their bathing suits all the time, just look at them?” He pointed at an older couple who had obviously been to the beach.

Savannah looked back at him to find a near naked body. His brawny arms screamed athlete and his abs were absolutely perfect. Looking down at his side she couldn’t help but notice the emphasis on his external oblique muscles. Where were they leading to?

She bit her bottom lip, and swallowed deeply. Realizing then just how thirsty she was.

Noticing where her mind was going, she snapped her attention back to his face. Only to find herself looking at a very satisfied smile. His expression told her that he knew where her mind was going, but he said nothing, just smiled.

He's a little devious. How does he know how to titillate my curiosity?

She followed his lead and gave him her dress. Her boots were still alive, but nonetheless, she took them off and set them aside. Her undergarments were barely wet. The towel was warm and fluffy, better than she'd expected it to be.

It stormed as they ate. Thunder shook the ground with great force.

And as if the clouds knew that Savannah and Derek were getting ready to head back out, they dispersed, leaving the skies clear.

They walked down a small flight of stairs where they ended up under a pier. There were a few people walking around, but not enough to disturb the peace.

They talked about many things for some time, from their exes to their goals and aspirations.

Savannah dipped her feet in the ocean and played with the sand in between her toes. The water was warm and calm.

Derek kneeled down to pick something up from the ground. He dusted the object he found, removing wet sand from it.

“Here, I want you to have this. I hope that you keep it and think about me and this special night for some time.”

He handed her a seashell, an oyster fully intact. She rubbed off the remaining sand from it.

The seashell was a decent size with a little bit of weight on it.

“Thank you. It’s beautiful,” she said, admiring it for a while. Then placing it in her hand bag for safekeeping.

“You mentioned you were a dancer earlier. Do you mind showing me some moves?” He asked, imitating some graceful steps himself.

It obvious that he was a very talented dancer just from the small gestures he did.

“I’m a little shy. It’s been quite a while and… I’m not really good at being in the spotlight.”

“I see. Well, good thing there are no spotlights here.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Savannah's heart was thumbing loudly in her ear. Her nerves were starting to panic.

“It’s ok. You don’t have to show me your moves, yet. Are you afraid of heights?”

“No, actually I’m not. Why such a random question? Are you like…going to try and murder me or something?” She started backing away slowly.

“Is that what you think? That I brought you to a private island, where I obviously have connections, where there are barely any people, to murder you?”

“Well, yeah," she replied with a giggle.

“I can see why that’s a concern, but not what I want to do. Far from that actually.”

Derek came closer to her, put his hands around her waist, and slowly walked her backwards from under the pier. She could feel his warm breath on her neck.

He looked into her eyes and smirked. He brought his face close to hers, and she closed her eyes, ready for their lips to touch.

“Are you ready?” He whispered in her ear.

“Yes,” she whispered back, still waiting for that kiss.

“Alright, hold on tight,” he said.

Wait, ready for what?

And off the ground they were. Savannah felt the coolness of the evening night sky all around her. That was the last thing she remembered.

She woke up the next day in her bed. She didn’t couldn't recal how she got home.

The morning sun rays were brightly shining through her window curtain.

Was I dreaming?

She laid in bed staring at the spinning fan on the ceiling for some time, thinking about the night before. Trying to search for some type of evidence that last night was real. She searched in her thoughts about what could have happened, and all she got were snippets of what she felt was real.

The motorcycle ride. The thunder storm. The seashell.

The seashell!

She got out of bed quickly, and searched in her handbag for the seashell.

Nothing.

Disappointed, she sluggishly walked back to her bed.

Her phone pinged, disrupting her thoughts. Savannah picked up her phone from the nightstand.

It was Darmineus.

Good morning!

Uninterested, she placed her phone back on the nightstand and sighed as she plopped herself back into bed. Back to reality.

A loud boom startled her. It came from her window, and sounded like if a bird had flown into it. She went to see what it was.

Savannah opened her window only to find a seashell. Her heart dropped.

She looked around the sky and everywhere else searching for someone.

But there was no one.

She picked up the seashell, and it instantly opened to her touch. Revealing the most beautiful pearl. And then flashes of the night before came to mind. Clear visions of what she thought was a dream.

He was a fallen angel. He took her for a flight. His wings were formidable and beautiful. They danced in the sky as he hummed tunes in her ear. They laughed a lot. She lost her seashell during their flight. They searched for it with no luck. He flew her home. They kissed.

She touched her lips, finally able to recall the sensation of his lips on hers. She smiled to herself and closed the window.

To Be Continued… STAY TUNED!

This story was created for the Word Hunt Challenge, with the intent to connect to my Stroming Ice Series. Check it out!

NOW PUBLISHED! - Storming Ice: The Prologue

Learn about how the story began! Read my blog post.

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