Derek was in love - in love with drumming, in love with his future college, and in love with Kelly. Derek had been playing percussion since the fifth grade, and now that he was eighteen, and headed off to his dream college to major in music education, everything seemed to fit - except Kelly.
Kelly was a year younger than Derek, and had met Derek through the school's marching band. She had long brown hair and freckles - 356 of them - Derek had counted. She wore cardigans, a strange cat shirt, and Converse sneakers to school, and she was a regular sight to Derek because they did everything together. Whether it was marching band, light crew, jazz band, concert band, pep band, math team, or the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Derek and Kelly were always together.
Their story is less than important, but after putting his arm underneath Kelly while watching a movie with friends, holing her had three separate times, and giving her rides home from school, Derek had finally grown the courage to ask her to be his girlfriend. They had been together for a year and three months now, and, before heading to college, Derek had given her a ring to signify that they were in a relationship that would attempt to stand the test of an hour and a half separation. To further this, a few months previous, Derek had told Kelly that he loved her. He received what he thought was an emotional
"I love you too", but it was actually a weak and unsure response. Derek didn't want to misuse the word "love", and suggested that they try not to say it often on order to protect its sacredness. Kelly agreed. They never spoke the word to each other again.
It would be false to say that Derek and Kelly had a "pure" relationship. It began with an innocent first kiss after playing catch in the yard. Kelly had hit Derek in the mouth with the ball after Derek clumsily moved his glove a little too far to the right. Derek, being the quick thinker that he was, had her doctor his bleeding lip, only to get her within range.
Kelly was a year younger than Derek, and had met Derek through the school's marching band. She had long brown hair and freckles - 356 of them - Derek had counted. She wore cardigans, a strange cat shirt, and Converse sneakers to school, and she was a regular sight to Derek because they did everything together. Whether it was marching band, light crew, jazz band, concert band, pep band, math team, or the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Derek and Kelly were always together.
Their story is less than important, but after putting his arm underneath Kelly while watching a movie with friends, holing her had three separate times, and giving her rides home from school, Derek had finally grown the courage to ask her to be his girlfriend. They had been together for a year and three months now, and, before heading to college, Derek had given her a ring to signify that they were in a relationship that would attempt to stand the test of an hour and a half separation. To further this, a few months previous, Derek had told Kelly that he loved her. He received what he thought was an emotional
"I love you too", but it was actually a weak and unsure response. Derek didn't want to misuse the word "love", and suggested that they try not to say it often on order to protect its sacredness. Kelly agreed. They never spoke the word to each other again.
It would be false to say that Derek and Kelly had a "pure" relationship. It began with an innocent first kiss after playing catch in the yard. Kelly had hit Derek in the mouth with the ball after Derek clumsily moved his glove a little too far to the right. Derek, being the quick thinker that he was, had her doctor his bleeding lip, only to get her within range.
