Chapter Text
Trevor was dreading her first night at the new school, especially since the administration refused to let her room with the girls. The sting of being sidelined hurt more than she wanted to admit, and now she was stuck in a co-ed situation with Derek—someone who, at first glance, seemed completely insufferable. He was cocky, always smirking, and the moment she walked through the door, he turned his bright blue eyes on her with an amused grin.
“Well, look who I get to room with,” Derek drawled, lounging back on his bed, hands behind his head. “A beautiful girl. I must be living right.”
Trevor froze in the doorway, her duffle bag slung over her shoulder. The comment stung, not because of its flirtatious nature, but because it made her question whether he saw her, really saw her. “Yeah, you’re living the dream,” she muttered, rolling her eyes. She dumped her bag on the floor and focused on anything else but the warmth creeping up her cheeks. Derek’s constant flirting was bound to get old fast.
Derek, for his part, didn’t seem to mind her sharp response. In fact, it seemed to encourage him. “Come on, don’t act like you hate it,” he teased, sitting up with a grin. “I’m harmless. Just trying to make you feel welcome.”
Trevor tried her best to stay unaffected, focusing on unpacking, her back turned to him. But his words were persistent, his tone always light, teasing—like he didn’t take anything seriously, especially her cool demeanor. “Seriously, Derek, give it a rest,” she said, feigning irritation.
But deep down, there was a flicker of something. An unexpected flutter she couldn’t quite place. Every time he complimented her—whether it was with a wink or a casual comment—it made her stomach flip in a way that was both confusing and a little thrilling. She wasn’t supposed to like it. She was supposed to be annoyed, irritated that her space was being intruded upon by this loud, flirty guy. But there was something about the way Derek looked at her, like she was someone worth his attention. The real her.
One night, after weeks of their back-and-forth banter, Derek sat at the edge of his bed, watching Trevor as she focused on her laptop. He leaned forward, his voice softer than usual. “You know I’m just messing with you, right? I’m not trying to be an ass.”
Trevor glanced up from her screen, her heart doing that annoying flip again. There was something different in his tone tonight—genuine, almost vulnerable. She shrugged, not wanting to give away too much. “Yeah, I know. Doesn’t mean you’re not annoying.”
Derek laughed, running a hand through his messy hair. “You like it,” he teased, but his voice was quieter, the edge of playfulness dulled by something more sincere.
Trevor’s heart pounded, and she bit her lip to hide a smile. “Whatever you say, Derek.”
For the first time, their room felt… comfortable. And maybe, just maybe, Derek wasn’t as bad as she’d thought. Every day, it became harder to pretend she didn’t like the attention, harder to ignore the growing warmth in her chest whenever he was near. But for now, neither of them said a word about the feelings quietly building between them, content to exist in their strange, unspoken dance.