THIS IS THE CHAPTER I WAS WORKING ON EVERYBODY. :D LOL, IT'S DONE. xD
This not the type of song I usually listen to, but I think it's good for a happy song, as so many people wanted. Thanks for everyone reviewing- especially those people who didn't login to review, because it KILLS me not to be able to thank you individually.

When you're around I don't know what to do
I do not think that I can wait
To go over and to talk to you
I do not know what I should say

And I walk out in silence
That's when i start to realize
What you bring to my life
Damn this guy can make me cry

It's so contagious
I cannot get it out of my mind
It's so outrageous
You make me feel so high

All the time

They all say that you're no good for me
But I'm too close to turn around
I'll show them they don't know anything
I think I've got you figured out

So I walk out in silence
That's when i start to realize
What you bring to my life
Damn this guy can make me smile

It's so contagious
I cannot get it out of my mind
It's so outrageous
You make me feel so high

All the time

I'll give you everything
I'll treat you right
If you just give me a chance
I can prove I'm right

It's so contagious
I cannot get it out of my mind
It's so outrageous
You make me feel so high

It's so contagious
I cannot get it out of my mind
It's so outrageous
You make me feel so high!

All the time

Chloe: 17; Derek: 18

Chloe had been waiting all day for Derek, Kit, and Simon to get back. She'd been stuck in the house with Aunt Lauren and Tori all day while the guys were getting new clothes. It was the girls' turn tomorrow to get new clothes. But that wasn't why Chloe was so excited when she knew they were getting home. She just couldn't stand to be around Lauren and Tori any more. Lauren was making small suggestions about how cute Simon was and how sweet Simon was and how nice Simon was. Then she'd slowly ease into the subject about how Derek had left bruises on Chloe's arm (once!) and how he didn't know his own strength and how he could hurt...people on accident and Chloe just didn't want to hear it any more.

And Tori- well Tori was being Tori; moody, rude, sometimes nice in a way that confused Chloe- was she trying to lull her into false security and then snap at her about something?

Both of them together made Chloe anxious for the guys to get back. That and the fact that she'd also realized how much she absolutely, completely, totally, loved Derek. It wasn't like she DIDN'T love him before, but she had just REALIZED how much she loved him. And she realized how much she liked just being around him- especially when he was gone, she noticed this.

His presence- addictive. She knew that. He didn't- he seemed quite baffled every time she mentioned something along the lines of him being someone that she wanted to be around a lot.

"Chloe?" They were here! She jumped up from the porch to help with the bags. Derek smiled at her, though he looked slightly puzzled. "Why are you outside?" he asked, shifting all of his bags to one arm so that he could hold her hand. She beamed up at him.

"No reason, really. I was just waiting for you guys." She said casually, because she'd forgotten what she wanted to talk to him about. She pressed her lips together to hide the smile that was fighting its way to her face. Derek looked at her strangely.

"Really. Why outside?"

"Because, I was hoping I'd relax more outside."

"By yourself?" he asked, eyes darkening with worry. "Chloe, you should've-"

"Derek." She sighed. "I was on the front porch and Aunt Lauren was right inside, probably watching me the whole time. I wasn't in any danger. I was fine." She smiled to prove just how okay she was. She really was fine- she felt good now that he was here.

They went upstairs to his room, Chloe promising to help put his clothes away. Aunt Lauren gave them a disapproving look, but Kit derailed her plans of stopping them, pulling her aside with "information we may need". Simon went straight to his room (Simon got his own room, as did Derek; Chloe and Tori shared).

"What'd you get?" Chloe asked, peeking through his bags.

"T-shirts. And jeans." He said, like she shouldn't have expected anything less.

"Right. Did you get new shoes?" she asked, looking down at his black running shoes. They looked the exact same as his old ones, except they were newer, less ready to fall apart.

"Yes." He replied, separating shirts from jeans. He got two black shirts, two blue shirts, two white shirts, and two dark green shirts. His jeans were black, dark blue, and light blue. Chloe sighed, rolling her eyes. "What?" he asked defensively. "There's no reason to get a bunch of colors."

"I know." She shook her head, fighting a smile. "Is it because you're trying to blend in, or do you just like dark colors?" He moved his shoulders, mumbling something about nothing being wrong with darker colors. She smiled at him. "Alright, I'm kidding." She sighed, leaning back against his bed. He was quiet for a while, just watching her. She heard him take a breath, move all of his things, and lay back next to her. She looked over at him as he turned his head to face her.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing." She said easily, because she was happy, sort of. He frowned, still staring at her. She loved how he could just stare at someone without caring, not even if they noticed. He'd stare until he had them figured out, then he'd just move on. Move on? she thought with a little panic. Would he get bored with her and move on eventually?

"Chloe, I can feel your heart pounding, what's wrong?" he asked urgently, his fingers wrapped around her wrist gently. She shook him off, not moving. She felt her muscles stiffen.

"I was just...wondering...if you were...getting bored with me." She said the last four words in a rush, not looking at him.

"Bored?" he repeated like it was a strange word.

"Because...I don't know. You're so smart and I'm not and you don't seem to really like people much, and you're older than me-"

"One year." Derek said flatly, still confused.

"And I just thought that you might be getting bored with me."

"Chloe, I'm not going to get bored with you, like- like..." he seemed to struggle for a word, but Chloe interrupted.

"I just don't..." She took a breath. "I don't understand, for one thing. And for another...I know you know how much I love you, and so you know how easily you could make me cry." She breathed. "So..." Derek drew a sharp breath. Or maybe you don't know how much I love you...she thought wryly.

"Chloe Saunders how can you say something like that to me?" He snapped. "First of all, I'm just good at math, and you're at a perfectly normal intellect level; I don't care about other people, because, frankly, they don't care about us. We're strangers to them. And just because I'm older than you-by one YEAR- doesn't mean I'm going to pressure you into any thing and besides, I'm pretty sure it's YOU pushing at ME all the time..." he added something under his breath, something that sounded suspiciously like "not that I mind much..."

"But-"

"Chloe." He looked at her. "Look at me and tell me you think that I'm going to leave you." She slowly moved her eyes up to his, but she didn't see anything out of the ordinary in that bright green. Warmth, patience, something else, too, something that always made her shiver a little, feeling cared for and taken care of and...

"I do love you, you know." She whispered.

"I love you too." He leaned over and carefully kissed her until she responded, hands gripping the front of his shirt. He put his hands on her hips, gently. She sighed and wiggled closer, rolling so that he was pressed against the bed and she was on top of him. He started laughing. She looked at him, confused. He kept laughing, pecking her lips lightly.

"I told you." He said, chuckling. She started to laugh, too, and then they were both laughing together. The door opened and they both tried to sit up, landing in a heap on the floor, laughing again. Derek grunted in surprise, obviously trying not to crush her while at the same time weak with hysterical laughter. They both rolled over and looked up. It was Kit. Chloe laughed a little more, face reddening. Kit was frowning.

"Should I ask?" he asked, just as Aunt Lauren yelled, "What was that thump!"

"It was just a book, Aunt Lauren!" Chloe called, giggling still.

"What are you two doing?"

"We were putting my clothes away, Dad." Derek replied, bursting into laughter again when Chloe tried to get up and ended up doing something that resembled a worm doing the Cha-Cha. She was laughing, too, clutching her ribs and trying -in vain- to catch her breath. Kit was just watching them, his concern and anxiety at them being alone in his son's room melting away to something softer as he watched them laugh. It was clear how happy they were. He hadn't heard Derek laugh like that...in years. And Chloe, since he'd first met her, had seemed so quiet, and Lauren said she was normally quiet-happy, not quiet-solemn.

"Yeah, I can see that." He said, looking pointedly at the pile of discarded new clothes on the ground. For some reason, that sent them into a new fit of laughter. Kit shook his head, backing out.

Chloe looked at Derek, still sort of laughing. It was contagious laughter, and every time she heard him laughing, she started laughing, which made him start laughing too. It was sweet and it felt good. If she couldn't curl up and cry about everything she had been through lately, then, dammit, she was going to laugh about it.

She reached out and took Derek's hand, squeezing it tight, even as they started to laugh again. He squeezed back, his face bright with happiness and, well, laughter.

_

Hope you liked it! I thought it was cute- even if I did get a little distracted here and there. And, uh, sorry for the mix up (blush). I'm sorry if any body got really really confused. That one that you read was for the Offspring, a different story. It's no big deal, and all is posted where it should be now. Thanks for reading!