Chapter Eight: Derrick's New Business

Derrick was sitting on his bed in his room, he was wearing a blue tracksuit when Amelia walked in, she was wearing a white hoodie and blue jeans. Derrick looked at Amelia and smiled, "Hey you okay?" he asked cheerfully. Amelia nodded her head and flashed Derrick a small smile, "Yes, Rick I am fine, how are you?" she replied cheerfully. Derrick nodded, "Yeah I'm fine, I'm just thinking about what my next move is going to be." he said with a look of confusion and wonder in his eyes. Amelia looked at Derrick with a flat-faced expression, "Next move for what?" she asked anxiously, Derrick shook his head, "I'm thinking about my business and how to expand it" he stated calmly.

Amelia nodded her head, "You work with public domain works right?" she asked, skeptically. Derrick flashed Amelia a playful smile, "Yeah, of course, my business is to republish public domain books" he stated calmly. Amelia nodded, "Have you tried doing something with public-domain music or films?" she asked calmly. Derrick shook his head, "Not since me and my friends fell out a long time ago" he stated. Amelia nodded, "Then the two of us should work on it, we could do it for free and run adverts on it to pay the bills, it would be fun, plus we can advertise the service online, what do you think?" she mumbled nervously.

Derrick stroked his chin, "You think we could do such a thing?" he asked in a calm and soft tone. Amelia nodded her head, "You understand this stuff more than I do, but I think it would be really cool, it would be a hub for classic films which no longer have distributors, I love watching classic films, especially silent films" she stuttered as she tried to avoid slurring her words. Derrick looked at Amelia with a raised eyebrow expression, "You're into classic films? Like from the nineteen-tens and nineteen-twenties?" he asked in a puzzled voice. Amelia nodded her head and smiled cheerfully, "Yeah of course I do, it's cool to see where the film industry came from and I feel like you could also get a ton of praise for preserving these films, you could also probably sell them on home media too" she stuttered nervously.

Derrick nodded his head, "Are you sure you aren't studying the wrong thing? Surely you should have been studying business" he joked cheerfully. Amelia shakes her head, unable to understand Derrick is making a joke, "No, I want to write books, I just figured because of the fallout of what happened with your friends I figured you'd want to fly solo on this one" she stated as she pulled her fingers. Derrick nodded his head and smiled at Amelia warmly, "You wouldn't want to be a part of this?" he asked calmly, Amelia stared at Derrick with wide eyes, "You want me to help? Are you sure? Nobody has ever wanted me to be involved with something as big as that!" squealed Amelia excitedly.

Derrick smiled cheerfully, "Obviously I want you involved, you're a fan of classic films so maybe you could help come up with some marketing opportunities for this idea" he stated. Amelia nodded her head, "Yes, I have a few ideas on how we could convince people to use this app" she chirped. Derrick smiled at Amelia warmly, "Brilliant, I'll call around to some people and see what I can do" he replied. Amelia nodded her head and walked out of Derrick's room. After five minutes of making phone calls, Derrick walked out of his bedroom and into the kitchen where Amelia was, she was clearly taking a pill of some sort and got anxious when she saw Derrick.

"Hey" stuttered Amelia anxiously, Derrick looked at Amelia with a concerned stare, "Hey, are you okay?" he asked in a calm and soft voice. Amelia bowed her head, she was unsure how to address the question, "If I say yes then you'll know I'm lying, if I say no however you'll ask me what's wrong" she mumbled as she slurred her words. Derrick put his hand on Amelia's shoulder, "Hey, babe, tell me what's bothering you, I'm here for you, what's the pill for, and what's wrong?" he asked calmly. Amelia shook her head, "If I tell you what's wrong, you'll stop loving me, you'll think my special needs are too much and you will leave me" she stuttered as her eyes started to water. "Amelia, the medication, it's an antidepressant, isn't it?" asked Derrick calmly.

Amelia nodded her head, "Yes, it is" she mumbled as she broke down in tears, Derrick hugged Amelia tightly as she sobbed, he didn't know the specifics of what she was dealing with but knew he would try to help. "Hey Ani, you're okay, breathe" whispered Derrick as Amelia started regulating her breathing. "Please don't hate me" stuttered Amelia anxiously, Derrick gently patted Amelia's back, "I'm not going to hate you, especially knowing what trauma you've experienced, I'm here for you, I will always be here to support you and help you where I can" he stated softly. Amelia backed out of her hug with Derrick and nodded her head, "Thank you for caring" she stuttered anxiously as she pulled her fingers.

Derrick nodded his head, "Tell me about what you're dealing with, tell me what issues you have and I will try to help" he stated calmly. Amelia bowed her head, "low moods, sleep issues, repetitive thoughts" she stuttered anxiously, Derrick looked at Amelia with a raised eyebrow, "Okay good, do you have any tendency to hurt yourself?" he asked calmly. Amelia shook her head, "No, I haven't done that, not now, not ever, I don't want to complete my mission I just struggle, something nobody ever tells you is when your parents die when you're really young you grow up faster than normal"  she stuttered anxiously.

Derrick looked at Amelia with a supportive stare, "You never really got to have fun when you were younger, did you?" he asked calmly. Amelia nodded her head, "My childhood is nothing but pain and suffering, that's why I grew up so fast" she mumbled as she pulled her fingers. Derrick was lost for words, he had no idea how to comfort Amelia in the situation they were in. Amelia looked up at Derrick and smiled, "Sometimes I just want to go see a movie or play some video games, I haven't been able to do those things in ten years" she stuttered as she tried to avoid slurring her words. Derrick flashed Amelia a warm smile, "I can fix that for you" he stated cheerfully.

Amelia blinked twice before looking at Derrick with a confused stare, "What do you mean?" she asked skeptically, Derrick smiled at Amelia lovingly, "There's a cinema near here and an arcade in which I have a financial interest in a few blocks down from the cinema" he stated cheerfully. Amelia nodded, "Then I would like to do at least one of those things, if that's okay" she stuttered nervously. Derrick shook his head, "Why do one? I can keep the arcade open late just so you can play some games, we can go see a film first if you'd like" he stated in a soft and loving voice. Amelia looked at Derrick with a flat-faced expression, "I would love that, please can we do both?" asked Amelia nervously. Derrick nodded his head, "Yeah of course we can, come on let's go" he stated cheerfully. Amelia shook her head, "I'll go get ready" she stuttered excitedly as she took her pill and ran out of the kitchen. Derrick pulled out his phone and scrolled through a trading app, he had investments in everything from gaming to medical companies to banks, "This secures my future nicely" he stated as he put his phone in his pocket and walked out to where Amelia was waiting for him.

An hour later Derrick and Amelia were stood in the middle of the cinema lobby, "Hey what kind of film do you want to see? Horror, anime, superhero?" asked Derrick calmly, Amelia smiled, "Anime romance if there's any film like that available to watch, if not I don't mind, maybe something funny?" she stuttered nervously. Derrick smiled warmly at Amelia, "What about Water Dude? You want to see that film?" he asked, Amelia nodded her head, "Yes, if it's funny then yes" she stuttered as she pulled her fingers, "Yeah it's pretty funny from what I've heard"  replied Derrick as they approached the counter. Derrick ordered the tickets for the movie before turning to face Amelia, "Hey Ani, do you want some popcorn or something>" he asked calmly. Amelia nodded her head, "That would be nice, but you'll probably find the way I like my popcorn weird" she mumbled, "Humour me" joked Derrick. Amelia smiled at Derrick cheerfully, "I like sweet and salty mixed together, it's what daddy use to get me when I was little, it's like a game on your tastebuds where you eat one and it's a different flavor to the one you ate before or the one you eat after" she chirped.

Derrick chuckled to himself, Amelia looked at Derrick with a gaze of annoyance, "Hey don't laugh at me Rick" she stuttered as she stamped her foot some type of evil business p playfully. Derrick smiled at Amelia warmly, "I just find it cute how quick you were to say something adorable" he stated calmly. Amelia smiled warmly, she was feeling loved for the first time in a long time, "Thank you Rick" she said softly. Derrick nodded his head, "It's fine Ani" he stated as he ordered some salty and sweet popcorn, Amelia smiled at Derrick with a thankful grin, "You're so kind and generous Rick, why are you the way you are? You have all the money you need and yet you're not some kind of evil businessman" she stuttered.

Derrick nodded his head, "Just because I have money, doesn't mean I'm going to use it as a weapon" he joked as he picked up the bucket of popcorn and handed it to Amelia. Amelia nodded her head, "Thank you, Rick, I love you" she mumbled nervously. Derrick smiled at Amelia warmly, "I love you too" he replied cheerfully as they walked into the cinema screen. After the movie had finished Amelia and Derrick headed to the local arcade.

Derrick and Amelia played many arcade machines until Amelia saw a fluffy stuffed dog teddy, Amelia was mesmerized by the small white teddy. Derrick noticed Amelia's eyes were fixed on the toy. "Let me give it a go" said Derrick cheerfully as he walked over to the claw machine and scanned his bank card, "I don't care if you win or not the gesture is very appreciated" mumbled Amelia anxiously. Derrick flicked the joystick and moments later the claw machine started playing a little tune, Amelia covered her ears with her hands, the tune was loud and triggering to her. Derrick collected the teddy and walked over to Amelia, "The noise is overwhelming you isn't it" he asked softly,  Amelia nodded her head, the loud sound of the claw machine still ringing in her sensitive ears.

Derrick looked at Amelia with a loving stare, "Come on Ani, come outside" he pleaded as the pair walked out of the arcade. Amelia uncovered her ears and looked at Derrick with a thankful stare, "Thank you Rick" she mumbled, Derrick nodded his head, "No problem Ani, here I won this for you" he replied as he handed Amelia the teddy dog. Amelia took the stuffed toy out of Derrick's hand before hugging Derrick tightly. "Thank you so much" she whispered, "It's fine my love, let's go home" replied Derrick as Amelia stopped hugging Derrick and grabbed his hand, the pair walked down the street side by side, "Hey Rick" whispered Amelia anxiously. Derrick looks at Amelia and smiled warmly, "Yes Ani?" he asked softly, "I love you" stated Amelia, Derrick nodded, "I love you too"  he replied.