fallout

Derrick was possibly on the outs with everyone. At home.

It seemed that Josie didn't like Derrick around the baby. There was fall out. Lots of arguing about what to do.

The plan was to eventually move out. Derrick didn't know that meant sooner than later. Of course, Josie wouldn't move out until Derrick moved out. She could move back to her mother's. Derrick lived at Amanda's (He would never refer to the place as Asa's). But the choice was becoming clear that he needed to move back to his brother's.

Instantly, he retaliated. Derrick more or less stayed at Cedric's. No one really seemed to mind. And Josie didn't make a big deal about it. She thought he was a bad influence around Dylan.

"Supposedly, its a safer environment for him." Derrick rolled his eyes at that. But there was plenty to drink and smoke at Cedric's so he wasn't going to complain much. He smiled at the fact he probably could have moved in to Josie's house. Her mother was the only one nice to him, as far as he was concerned.

Derrick didn't know about Asa, anymore. He was actually getting the hang of babyhood, and Max was still around. So it wasn't like Asa was home alone with Dylan. Asa would have probably let him stay if there hadn't been all the yelling.

Derrick decided he was better off at Cedric's. At least for the moment. There were people from work to hang with, and Cedric always had a story to tell about somebody.

"Its a shame that Dorian fella, ain't around anymore." Cedric was passing around something to smoke. There were nachos in the kitchen and some Gatorade.

Derrick only knew one Dorian and now he wondered where Dorian had gone too. He sat quiet for some time, thinking he'd been meaning to call him, but this stuff with Josie was a real headache, and he didn't want Dorian to have to listen to him vent, all the time. Dorian always left him messages, but he never got back to him.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that since he broke up with Henry, he just couldn't quite enjoy being completely with Dorian. Actually, he didn't know what he wanted. But it was all so quaint now. Hanging out with Cedric.

Actually, Cedric's place was pretty big, an old farm house in the middle of a corn field. It wasn't that far from work. Of course, Derrick was possibly working more than he was going to school these days. But Derrick was staying out of everyone's hair.

"I can only think of one Dorian, and he sure wouldn't be at any of your house-parties." Derrick finally got in on the conversation.

"Dorian?" Cedric squinted hard, then he let out a laugh. He was high already. "That boy was the biggest pot head." Cedric laughed as if he knew something Derrick, didn't.

"Yeah, right." Derrick laughed as if that would have been wild. That was definitely, not the Dorian he knew.

"No, I'm serious, man." He sat on the crummy couch, leaning back as if he was going let the smoke alone from the homemade cigarette settle through him. "He liked this shit." He just about choked, but somehow came to his senses.

Derrick couldn't help but smile. Cedric was totally wrong about Dorian. He had to be.