Chapter 1

"DE-REK," Casey yelled. "Where are my ballet slippers?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Casey," he replied casually.

By the time Derek finished his sentence Casey opened the door and entered his room. Without permission. Her Deep blue eyes looked angry, her hair was tied up in a messy bun, which was odd for Casey because she was a neat freak.

He laughed and with his hand signaled 'get out, now!' But Casey didn't move.

"Seriously, get out of my room. Didn't you read the sign?" he pointed to a sign on his door that said 'Do not come in.'

"Oh, I read the sign, Derek. But I won't be leaving until I get my ballet slippers back," said Casey with a firm voice.

Before she knew it Casey was hit on her right arm with both of her ballet slippers.

"Now get out," said Derek, smirking.

Casey looked at him; she narrowed her blue eyes as if to say 'I'm watching you.'

And then she was gone.

Derek Venturi had a big secret. He was in love with Casey MacDonald. He knew he was in love since the first day he saw her. Derek's problem was; he doesn't know how to love.

Derek is the kind of guy who goes on dates with the cute redhead at table 5 in Smelly Nelly's. He's the kind that kisses that blonde and runs after the brunette in the mini-skirt a day later, or as Casey would say; he was a skirt chasing playboy.

But Casey was different. Casey was beautiful; her blue eyes were unlike any other blue eyes Derek had ever seen. Casey was perfect.

Derek didn't know how to express his feelings for her, so he acted as if he couldn't care less, as if he hated her.

Casey's POV

Why is Derek always such a jerk? He always takes my stuff, always. Doesn't he know how much dance means to me? How much I hated him taking my stuff? Of course Derek knew all of that. He just wanted her to suffer.

Oh well, I kind of have to live with Derek, he is my step-brother, unfortunately.

Walking down this sidewalk seems different today. Why? I have no idea. It just seems like there are events waiting to happen. I hope one of the events is Truman. I want him to tell me he loves me tonight. I want to know for sure he is the one. I hope he's the one. I am pretty sure he is the one.

"Hey beautiful," Truman whispered into my ear, "Tonight I really have to tell you something."

"I need you to tell me something too, so I'm glad you're going to tell me something. If that made sense," I replied.

I have to admit; I'm nervous.

"Casey it's-"

Truman was cut off by a beautiful girl with blonde hair that was tied up in a pony-tail.

"Hello, Casey, I'm Sally, as you know. I'm going to be serving you tonight," she said with a smile to me and Truman, "Your table is that one, table 3."

Truman and I walked over to our table with Sally.

"What will you be having tonight at Smelly Nelly's?" asked Sally.

"Um, actually we won't be eating tonight, I'm sorry," Truman said to Sally then turned his head to me. "Casey I have to tell you something. I'm in love with your cousin Victoria."

Truman leaned in and kissed my hair, and then he just left without another word.

"Are… are you okay Casey?" asked Sally

"No, I'm far from okay," I replied.

I got up and ran to the door, tears streaming down my face.

What does Vicky have that I don't, doesn't he realize how much that hurt me or how much I loved him?

I felt a drop of water or my cheek, then another one, and another one, and now there I was, standing in the rain crying, on the sidewalk.

I went home.

"Why are you crying Casey?" asked Derek.

I turned to him, tear stains on my cheeks, the water still coming out of my eyes. I'm sure that my eyes are getting red and puffy. That always happens after I cry.

Stupid tears. Stupid Derek.

"Derek. Leave me alone. Why are you always such a jerk like Truman? Why can't you understand I don't want you to talk to me? There I said it. Get out of my life Derek, and take your obnoxious attitude with you!"

I can't believe I said that to my brother. I mean my step-brother.

"Ha. Drama queen alert," Derek replied like he didn't care, but I could hear the hurt in his voice and see it in his eyes.

He ran up the stairs and the next thing I heard was the slam of his door.

I started crying again. This is so crazy. I get why I was crying over Truman. But Derek? He was the bane of my existence, I shouldn't care about him. I shouldn't care about the hurt in his eyes. Derek was always hurting my feelings! Always taking my stuff and ruining my life. But for some reason this was different. I felt bad. I felt bad for Derek Venturi. Why is this happening to me? What is happening to me?

I stopped thinking and went to my room. I got into my bed and put my head into my pillow and soaked it with my tears or sorrow and confusion.

I realized what I had to do. I can't believe I'm saying this but, I had to apologize to Derek.

I knocked on his door. He didn't reply. I knocked some more. Still I heard nothing.

"Derek! Are you in there? Open the door! I need to say something to you," I yelled through the door.

Derek said nothing so I opened the door and entered his room. No one was in there. Then I noticed the rope hanging from his window.

I made my way over to the window and heard his car start. There was no time to climb down the ladder so I jumped. I didn't land so well. I landed on my leg. It was bleeding, badly.

Derek's POV:

"Casey! Are you stupid? Why did you jump? You shouldn't have come after me. By 7:00 I would have been in Toronto and I would have been out of your life," I yelled.

'I… I'm sorry," Casey replied weakly. "That's what I wanted to say. I'm sorry."

And she blacked out.