Playing
PG
Casey, Derek, Marti
Notes: Set in the third season – Marti is 6 or 7.
Summary: Marti busts Casey and Derek.
Complete
--
Really, it was all Dimi's fault. If it weren't for Dimi, Marti wouldn't have gotten the bright idea to play artist. If it weren't for Dimi, Marti wouldn't have made Derek and Casey sit through detailed explanations of about ten different paintings. If it weren't for Dimi, Nora and George wouldn't have found out.
--
"CASEY!" Marti bellowed from the hallway.
Casey put her book down, walked over to her door, and opened it to find Marti grinning up at her.
"Marti, sweetie, if you want to talk to me, you can just knock on my door and wait for me to tell you to come in."
"Smerek never knocks." Marti retorted.
"That's true," Casey said. "But your dad and my mom knock, and Lizzie and Edwin knock. So maybe you could try it?"
"Okay!" Marti said, grabbing the knob to Casey's door and shutting it in Casey's face. Casey grinned as she heard a loud knock nano-seconds later.
"Come in!" Casey said. Marti opened the door and jumped up on Casey's bed to sit by her. "Good job!"
"Thank you." Marti replied. "Now, can I plll-ease play artist!?"
"What is 'artist'?" Casey asked, visions of paint-splattered walls crossing her mind.
"Dimi taught me! I do some paintings and I hang them up and then you get to come to my gallery!" Mart said, bouncing excitedly on Casey's bed.
"Sure," Casey said, picking up the little girl and dancing out of her room. "How about I help you set up your easel, okay?"
"Okay!"
--
"CASE – I mean," Marti stopped herself and knocked loudly on Casey's door.
Casey smiled and yelled "Come in!" from her computer.
"Casey, it's time for me to unveil my work!" Marti said excitedly before running next door and pounding on Derek's door.
"Smarti, when did you learn to knock?" Derek asked as he yanked opened his door.
"Casey taught me!" Marti replied.
"Of course she did." Derek replied, leaning against his doorframe. "What's up?"
"I'm an artist and I'm opening my gallery and you have to come!!" Marti replied, grabbing Derek's wrist and attempting to drag him down the hall.
Casey emerged from her room and grinned at the sight before her.
"Yeah, Derek, aren't you going to support your little sister?" She asked, pushing against his back to help get him down the stairs.
--
"And this one I call 'Dog with Spots'" Marti said proudly, motioning to the painting she had taped to the mantel.
"Ohh, I love this one, Marti. It looks just like Emily and Dimi's dog!" Casey replied, clapping.
"It is the Davis' dog, silly!" Marti said, moving across the room to the picture taped over the blank TV screen. "This one is 'House with Funny Mailbox.'" Marti said, explaining how she had seen the house the other day when Nora took her shopping for new shoes.
--
Thirty minutes and several drawn-out explanations later; Casey, Derek, and Marti were standing in the kitchen facing her easel, which was covered with a sheet.
"What's with the sheet, Smarti?" Derek asked, grabbing a stool to sit on.
"It's my greatest piece of work yet!" She declared gleefully.
"Well, I'm ready; are you, Derek?" Casey asked, sitting next to him.
"Ready." Derek replied. "Let's see it!"
Marti tore off the sheet and both Casey and Derek did a double take.
"This one I call 'Derek and Casey'" Marti said, giggling at her picture of her two older siblings embracing, their exaggerated red lips meeting.
"Uh, good work, Smarti." Derek said, grabbing the paper off the easel.
"Can I keep this?" Casey asked, grabbing it. "It's my favorite too." She said.
"Sure, Casey!" Marti replied. "I want to play again when Dad and Nora get home anyway."
Casey blushed while Derek grinned sheepishly.