Author's Note: Just a little oneshot I wrote after having a dicussion about Allergy Season and the reason Casey breaks up with Max...There are a few spoilers here and there...

Disclaimer: For the love of all things good and gracious, if you haven't realized by now that I don't own Life With Derek then you shouldn't be here right...you should be in school or something...

---

"You've changed you know that?"

Casey looked up from her breakfast. She knew what she meant but this wasn't the conversation she wanted to have so early in the morning. "And why would you care?" She mumbled, too tired to fight.

"I'm not saying I care, just an observation." Was Derek's reply as he shoved a piece of toast into his mouth.

Casey rolled her eyes in disgust. "Pig." She commented as she grabbed her bag and made her way to the door.

Derek jumped off his place on the counter. He managed to beat Casey to the door. He placed his hand on the doorknob. "Tell me you haven't changed." He challenged.

Casey felt her shoulders slump, why was he pressing this. "I haven't changed okay?" She threw up her hands in frustration. "Happy?"

Derek crossed his arms as a smirk crossed his face. "What happened to poetry, musicals, and feminism?" He asked.

"I just...umm...don't have time for those things anymore." She replied, not quite sure about her answer.

Derek uncrossed his arms. "So what do you do now?" He said in a voice that suggested that he knew the answer to that question.

Now it was Casey's arms that crossed against her chest. "I have other stuff that I enjoy just as much!" Her eyes narrowed as she tapped her foot against the wood floor.

"Like cheerleading?" Derek scoffed. "Remind me again why you joined the squad?"

"So I could spend more time with Max." She said without thinking.

"And since when do you care about wht people think of you?"

"It's important to have a good reputation."

"Casey, do you hear yourself?" Derek's arms dropped to his sides, as if in defeat. "A year ago you never woul have worried if a guy opene a door for you, or what people said about you. You would have told me that cheerleading is a sport designed so girls have an excuse to wear short skirts and to guys stare at them."

Casey's foot stopped tapping. She thought about what he said. "You're right." She mumbled, hoping that he wouldn't hear. "I have changed." She said louder. Derek, for once in his life, was right. Casey had changed, she had changed to fit into Max's stupid little world because she didn't feel like she could be herself anymore. She felt tears well up in her eyes.

Derek must have sensed it because he immediately backed into the door. "Okay now Case." He said nervously. "Maybe tears aren't the answer here."

Casey didn't hear his protests when she started sobbing. She wrapped her arms around his shoulder and buried her face in his chest. "Thank you." She mumbled through her sobs.

Derek's arms stiffened as she wrapped hers around him. "I wasn't trying to make you cry you know." He told her as her tears wet his t-shirt.

Casey finally stopped crying but stayed in his arms for awhile. "Why did you feel the need to tell me all this?" She asked, looking up at him.

Derek squirmed uncomfortably. "I missed the old Casey." He replied quietly, half hoping she wouldn't hear the quiver in his voice.

"Okay." She whispered as took a deep breath and finally let go of Derek. She took out some tissues from the box nearby and wiped off all her make-up that had been ruined by her morning cry. "Let's go."