Free Fix Up by Stephanie Witter

harder than it looks in this small packed place. It's as if everybody came here for a coffee at the same time.
    "What are you doing here, Derek?" I ask him as I sit down, tugging on the black turtleneck top I bought with Kate. It's too short and too snug on my body for my liking, but I guess I just have to get used to showing more of my small curves and a bit of skin.
    Derek looks at me, and his smile broadens. We're a lot closer since what happened to me. It's weird to think that way because I haven’t known him for that long, but it's like he's my protective older brother. Sweet, caring and always trying to guide me if I need it.
    "I'm trying to read something before my next class in twenty minutes. I had to go to my mother's place ... something with my little brother."
    "Is everything all right?" I know there're some issues with his young brother. From what he told me, his mother has no authority over him, and he takes advantage of it. Only Derek succeeds in doing something, but it's often draining on him although he tries not to show it or talk much about it. In fact, I discovered that he has a brother only a couple of weeks ago. Being discreet with it, he's really a thoughtful guy. That's probably why we like each other. In some ways we're the same.
    "Yeah. He's just messing up all his chances, but I guess now that he's getting closer to his eighteenth birthday, I won't be able to do much about it."
    "I'm sure it'll get better." Words mean nothing, but that's all I can offer him right now. It's not like I'm an expert in helping others. I still have a hard time helping myself, so helping others is out of the equation right now.
    Closing his textbook with a shrug, he forces a smile. It's his way of closing the subject. He takes a sip of his coffee, and I do the same. Of course, it's too hot and my eyes get all watery.
    "How is it going with your psychologist? Duke told me it does you some good."
    I nod and feel the bite in my stomach. Since my talk with Kate yesterday, I feel weird whenever I think about Dr. Marshall, and I'm pretty sure it'll be worse once I see Duke later. He's picking me up to go have dinner with his family. I'm not exactly sure what to do anymore. I hate feeling this out of control about something that shouldn't be messing with my head in the first place.
    "It's helping. It's still difficult to talk about Sean, but I'm slowly getting there. It'll be a while before I can say that I don't need this anymore." I look around us and see a table of five guys looking at us. I know them from being in Derek's frat, but they don't look like they want to talk to Derek. I hope it's not because of me. I’ve never really thought about it, but I guess the atmosphere at the house must be awkward after all the drama with Sean and how Derek immediately took my side without any proof aside from my words. I'd like to ask him, apologize even, but I know he's not going to take it well if I apologize for Sean once again. I really need to stop this thing inside of me that makes me want to apologize whenever anything is Sean related. Though, there's something else I'd love to talk about with him because I don't like where it's all going. "What's going on with Kate?"
    He clears his throat and closes his strong fists like he's about to go into a ring for a fight. I’ve noticed that whenever he's not comfortable, angry or just moody, his boxing mannerisms take ahold of him. It should frighten me after all the violence I had to go through, but with Derek it's different. I know him, and I know if there's someone who is strong enough to control his urges, it's him. I think boxing taught him that. I’m safe here with him.
    "It's going nowhere. We're friends."
    "But you were about to be more that day. You were together ."
    "We were talking when Duke called, but we never really talked about the important things. And after everything, I guess we just grew apart even more. I lost the urge to fight."
    "But why? I mean, I understand if