"How about we just wait two weeks and then see what happens? I'll go off to college, and we'll be bound to miss each other. We can still call each other on the phone and everything, but we'll just not do anything together. Does that work?"

Kelly was silent, one can only guess that the same thoughts of the futon and the field were weighing in her mind. Derek looked down at her hand. It was resting against her head as she looked down at the table with an unsure expression upon her face. She was not wearing the ring that he had given her, but this was already known. Kelly had lost the ring while marching in a parade and had refused to let Derek buy her a new one. Knowing this is what made Derek's heart shake.

They were silent, and after agreeing that they would wait two weeks, Kelly and Derek went up the stairs, and, managing to look as happy as they always were, went to separate rooms. Derek continued playing ping-pong, just as he had been before following Kelly down the stairs into the kitchen. Kelly went into the girl's sleeping quarters, where she had spent the majority of the night already. It was then that Derek felt most distant from her, and he feared that it would remain that way.


Two weeks had passed, and Derek was excited to call Kelly to invite her to visit him at college. So, far, through the constant worrying about Kelly, Derek was having a great time at college. Class hadn't started-up yet, and he was spending his time socializing - being very careful to make sure that everyone knew he was taken.

Derek's roommate was in the room at the time, and because Derek always left the room when talking on the phone, Derek headed to the hall. He speed-dialed Kelly's cellphone and was anxiously awaiting her answer.