Crystal leaned against him after a moment and closed her eye to rest them and also so she wouldn't have to see the now frightening images on the screen. He breathing was calmed now, a steady pattern of inhaling and exhaling.

It didn't take long but she eventually fell asleep as she tuned out the television. Her expression was peaceful as though there were no concern in the world. She occasionally mumbled quietly in her sleep.

He smiled as he felt her fall asleep against him. He opened his eyes slightly as his phone vibrated, and he dug behind him for it. He read the message and shook his head. He couldn't get up because he wanted to let her sleep.

His "sisters" were coming over, and she would have to meet them eventually. Why not today after he coerced her into being bad? He slide his jacket from him and laid it over her, he closed his eyes and decided to sleep too. He put his arms around her waist as an after thought and fell into a dreamless sleep.

When Crystal woke she was slightly confused and when she glanced at her wrist she realized that she hadn't actually worn her watch that day. She put on the jacket that had been place over her and pulled away from him slowly. She hadn't touched her homework, if she didn't do that her parents would so angry at her.

A feeling of panic rose in her chest as she tried to determine whether or not her parents would have attempted to pick her up from school. SHe felt disorientated being in a strange place. She stood up quickly but collapsed back onto the couch when a dizzy spell hit her.

Chrishauna caught the girl easily and looked down at her shaking her head. This was who Derain had picked. Good Lord when Ashley found out.

"So you're Crystal..." Kira said as she walked around Chris to take a better look at the girl.

Niga sat on the couch and watched the whole by play then look at Derain. She poked him a couple of times but failed in waking him.

"Derain." all three called at the same moment.

Derain started then fell from the couch before rubbing his head and looking up and around. Oh this was gonna be sooo much fun... He thought sourly before sitting up.

Crystal panicked slightly when she felt someone ease her down to the couch. She looked around at the three girls finally with a confused expression. She wasn't used to being examined like that and it was daunting. "What are you staring at me for," she asked suddenly, as if she felt like they were digging into her secrets and about to reveal them.

She was staring at Derain then, waiting for him to give an explanation as to why these three people just suddenly appeared out of no where.

"Let me introduce. These three are all seniors about to graduate. They go to school with us and are very famous. But most importantly, they're like my older sisters. The light-skinned one with the short hair is the one who caught you. That's Chrishauna. The rude one is Kira, and she's really one of the only white girls I know who acts so black. And last Nija, she's just a fire cracker and a crack head." He ducked out of the way. And then sat down next to Nija, they were all tall but shorter than him. Kira was the tallest, then Chris then Nija. And then he turned to Crystal. "And guys this is Crystal."

"Nice to meet ya!" all three girls said with a big grin. Kira's crazy rainbowed blonde hair swung in her face. Chris' thick frame leaned against the T.V stand with familar ease. And Nija leaned forward on her knees, her big bosom almost uncontainable.

Derain smiled at them. They really were the only girls he could call friends. And he liked that fact.

"Great, not only will I not be able to do what my parents told me to do but I won't be worthy enough," she thought to herself as she forced herself to smile. It was uncomfortable knowing that he was so close to them, the way that they seemed to interact with their surroundings with uncanny ease. She suddenly felt very self-conscious then and the need to leave became overwhelming.

"It's nice to meet you," she said as she stood up again. "But I probably should get going now, I have to clean the kitchen at my house." It was lie and it was blatant, the kitchen at her house was always clean due to the maid that was nearly always on duty.

"Are you Derain's girlfriend?" Chris asked bluntly. The girl seemed to have this protective thing. Analyze the situation then get the hell outta dodge. She was gonna have fun with her. And it was be such fun to get her to say what she wanted to hear.

Derain stared at Cyrstal then at Chris he figured it'd be better to sit this one out. "Um... Chris please let it go. It's fine... if she wants to leave let her leave." he sighed and walked away dejectedly.

"Yo, Crystal.... You know he likes you right? We'll leave, we were just coming over to hang with him. He's our little brother. We've never thought of him in that way. Besides he's too young for our tastes. Right girls."

"Yeah." the other two answered. "We'll get out of your way, besides we have dates... So we'll see ya when ya might wanna hang with us." They each rose and walked out the front door chatting and laughing. Shaking their heads but then turning to smile at Cyrstal before closing the door behind them. It was only 3 they had sometime to kill before the night was over. And so would those two in the house.

Crystal bowed her head slightly when Chris asked the question, but also when she watched Derain walk away. She felt sick to her stomach suddenly when one of the other girls said that he liked her. She hadn't really been liked yet and she didn't want to ruin it. After they left she followed him where he'd gone.

"Derain," she said in a quiet voice. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings." She looked up at him sheepishly for a moment before bowing her head. She was disgusted with herself at the moment, trying to make up excuses to leave a place that she felt comfortable at.

Derain shook his head and turned around. "You didn't hurt my feelings. I hurt my own feelings. Did they say anything else, something to hurt your feelings?" He looked down at her a lopsided grin plastered determinedly across his face. No matter what, he should have known. When it came to it, he wouldn't be liked back.

He would have to suck it up and get over it. No matter what, girls hated guys that got stuck on them. And he didn't want to bother her. He sighed inwardly and just gazed down at her, she looked so cute he wanted to kiss her, so her hung his head and turned his face away.

Crystal wrapped his arms around him suddenly, surprised by her own actions as she felt tears welling up in her eyes. She wasn't sure why she was crying but the way he looked scared her. He looked sad and it didn't matter if he said she didn't hurt his feelings, it felt like that. Her hands clutched the fabric of his sweatshirt as she tried to calm herself.

"I'm sorry," she said through her tears. "I don't act like this normally."

Derain just laid his hand on her head and stroked back her hair soothingly as he held her to him. "I told you, if you ever needed anything I'm here for you." He kissed the top of her head as he ended those words. She was smaller than he had first thought. She didn't reach his six foot height, and she was on the slight side.

He brought her head up with a finger under his chin. "It's okay, cry all you like." he said softly and gave her a smile just as soft and comforting as his words.

Crystal felt like a child being comforted when he looked down at her. His smiled warmed her heart as she tried to stop crying. Her parents had always taught her that it was a weakness to cry in front of someone or even to cry at all. His eyes were entrancing now that she looked at him more closely. She wanted to know the girls that were his friends but they had frightened her.

"When the girls came," she started to say. "I thought you would rather be around them than be around me." She wasn't very comfortable with admitting this and her voice was quiet.

"No, they are truely like my older sisters and I love them. We've known each other forever. But that can't compare to a girl that I like." he said sincerly as he twirled her hair around his finger. He didn't know what else to tell her but the truth. He'd never been much against tears. And he hoped that he could make her stop crying. He ran a soothing hand down her back as he murmured encouraging words to her.

She felt goosebumps on her arms as he ran his hand down her back. It was soothing her and she felt herself calm again. She hadn't eaten yet that day and her stomach started to growl. She looked self-conscious as her crying slowly stopped and she looked up at him with a slight giggle before hiccuping. She still felt the need to apologize for thinking that, for wanting to leave because of some lame excuse.

"I'm sorry for trying to leave," she said as she looked up at him. "I shouldn't have done that." She wanted to add more to what she was saying but knew that it wouldn't help in any way.

"You have any and all rights to leave. I can't nor will I stop you... But yu seem hungry... Let's go into the kitchen. I'm sure that there is something in here we could get. Or would you rather order out?" he grinned sheepishly down at her. A hand scratching the back of his head as he smiled down at her.

All he wanted was to pull her close and keep her from crying and being sad. He couldn't explain it and he didn't need to nor did her want to. He just looked down ar her.

"Whatever you want," Crystal said with a brief smile. The way that he looked at her made her feel comfortable for some reason. It was the hungry adolescent hormone rage that she'd seen in some people but rather a soft and caring expression. The way that he scratched the back of her head in an endearing way added to the comfort. If she could stay here, she would, but she knew that her parents would want her to do what they wanted her to do. They could reveal her to him, they could ruin it for her, and they would if they needed to.

"Alright... let's see..." he turned around quickly clearing his voice as he felt a blush rise to his face. With his light caramel complexion it wasn't all that hard to see it.... He walked slowly to the kitchen and then opened the fridge and dug around for a minute before pulling out an AMP'D for himself and then looking at her he smiled before asking, "We have basically everything simple you could ask for... what would you like?"

"Do you have fruit loops," she asked after a moment's pause, it was something her parents never got but she loved it nonetheless. She looked at the drink he got with curiosity, many of the foods in her house were considered 'healthy' or 'low-carb' or the most annoying title of 'fat-free.' There was the organic fat-free low-carb whole grain cereal that her mother always bought with the skim milk to go with it. "Or anything that doesn't have any diet labels on it, like fat-free or low-carb?"

"Nothing in this kitchen is diet.... that's a scary thought... well technically my Rice Chex are but they good as all get out..." he stated with a smile on his handsome face before turning to serch the cabinets.

He pulled the box down with a small smile and looked at her shaking it before setting it before her. "Want a bowl or milk or something?" he asked lookint at her...

"Good," Crystal said before breathing a sigh of relief. "Could I have something other than cereal? All my parents buy are diet and fat-free foods." She was smiling up at him now, she would take the cereal if he said no, but if she could have something else she would be even happier.

"What do you want?" he asked quirking and eyebrow as he looked at her. She looked do please and he would do anything to keep that expression on her face, and he would. No mater what he had to do he would make this girl happy because...

Well he didn't know why, but he just had to. It was a compulsion in his blood.

"Do you have a nice yard," she asked and then looked ashamed for a moment she realized he probably had a nice yard. Her parents had always pressed the importance of appearances and she hadn't failed so much in one day to keep appearance good as this day. "We could go outside, I like taking walks, it's good to get fresh air."

Why did she keep changing the subject? Well as long as she was talking to him... he'd listen to anything she had to say. "Well yeah, but only cuz I'ma child or nature... plenty of plants and trees out back, a couple of dogs running around, cats even... um mutts and pure breeds... then there's well it's my only exotic pet... its a white tiger, his name is White Blaze, he's tame and loves girls... if you want I could show you him..." the imformation fell readily from his lips along with the desire to walk outside with her.

He smiled and offered her his hand, and waited for her to take it.

Crystal wasn't changing the topic on purpose, she'd misheard him but upon hearing the vast description of the 'pets' that he had she was partially annoyed by him. She had the typical dog and cat, plus a fish or two, but going overboard with a tiger was something she'd researched many times. "I don't want to see the tiger," she said. "But if you promise he won't maul me I might go see him later."

She took his hand after a moment, feeling it heat up her hands, which were frequently cold. She looked up at him with a smile before waiting for him to guide her wherever they would go.