Chapter 1 – Mission Impossible?
"No, we can't tell them! Do you have any idea how large of an impact this would have on their lives—all our lives?" Edwin argued passionately. I crept closer to the door to the games' closet and pressed myself along the wall beside it.
"But Casey has to know. What if she feels the same way? What if—" Lizzie was interrupted.
"No! It could only end badly," Edwin insisted. "In the best case scenario, they would get together and," Edwin trailed off. "Well, actually, this is the best case scenario. No one knows. No one gets hurt." There was a pause and then the door swung open, almost hitting me. But I pushed closer to the wall and Lizzie and Edwin walked away without ever noticing that I was there.
What was that all about? It was time for me to do some spying of my own. Or…observing—as Edwin preferred to call it.
I followed Lizzie and Edwin around a bit for a few days—hoping that I would find some information. But, as my luck would have it, it was a big waste of time.
I was sitting at my desk, finishing up some math calculations when something occurred to me—the binder. Surely, whatever they knew had been observed and "researched"—which meant that there would be notes about it in the big three-ring binder that Edwin toted around with him almost everywhere. So, my first task was to get it away from him. But how?
After spending an hour contemplating my options—and deciding that none of them worked, I decided to consult a professional.
Breezing into Derek's room without permission—it was important—I received a not-so-nice look from my stepbrother, who was sitting on his bed and strumming his guitar.
"You know, they say that being a good example is the best way to teach someone something," Derek quipped, referring to my policy about knocking—one that he had yet to pick up on.
"They also say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," I replied without missing a beat. He grinned, leaning on his guitar.
"I always knew that you secretly idolized me."
"I have a shrine in my closet and everything."
"Not that I don't enjoy our witty rapport," I raised my eyebrow. "Oh, don't give me that look. You and I both know that I have at least an eighth grader's vocabulary." I smiled and he continued, "But, I know that you must want something from me. The only question is what?" He paused. "And is there something in it for me?"
"I need your advice," I answered, interlacing my fingers together. Derek considered it.
"On the one hand—there's obviously nothing in it for me," He pointed out. I was about to say something, but he cut me off. "On the other hand, you almost never come to me for wisdom. So—what the hell? If you can name one professional hockey team—I'll give you my sagely advice," he offered. I sighed.
"You're difficult. Do you know that?" I said with annoyance. Why couldn't he ever just help someone for the sake of helping them? Why did there always have to be a catch or something in it for him?
"Make that two." He grinned cheekily. I all but growled at him. Okay, think. You're Canadian. Surely you can name just two professional hockey teams. You've had to watch about a thousand games with Derek before. Just think
"The Oilers." He nodded affirmatively. And some kind of leaves. There was one that had "leaves" in it, but what kind of leaves. Maple? I think it was Maple. "And the Maple Leafs?"
"Ding ding ding. Give the lady a prize!" He exclaimed mockingly. "You have my ear."
"Well, I overheard a conversation between Edwin and Lizzie the other day and it had something to do with me. I could tell that it was about something big, but I didn't know what." He nodded to indicate that he was paying attention. "So, I followed them around a bit, trying to figure out what they were hiding. But it was to no avail. I didn't get any more information."
"So you want me to snoop for you?" He asked incredulously.
"No! That would require actual work—which I know not to expect from you."
"Damn straight," he muttered. "I am not a lackey. Other people are my lackeys," Derek added for emphasis. I rolled my eyes. Not to say that I never asked Lizzie for favors, but it was almost cruel the way he used his siblings.
"Anyway, I decided that if I wanted information, I should go to the source," I informed him.
"Me?"
"No—the binder. That's where they write everything down." I paused and sighed. "The only problem is that Edwin practically has the thing chained to his ankle."
"Right," Derek agreed. "So you want me to tell you how to get it away from him?" He asked. I nodded and he cackled, placing his hands behind his head. "Oh, come on, Case! That's easy!" Derek chided arrogantly.
"Really? What's the plan then?" I challenged him. He rose to his feet and stood over me.
"What you need is a distraction," Derek replied effortlessly. "And you're lucky enough to have an eight-year-old girl at your disposal." I thought about it. He was right. Who better to be a distraction than Marti? It was genius!
"Wait! But what if she spills the beans?" I inquired. He thought about it for a moment.
"Well, if that should happen, you'll probably have gotten what you wanted by then. Just take the binder and sneak into the bathroom or something so you can lock the door," He advised, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. Rising, I gave him a big smile.
"I have to admit—you do know how to scheme," I confessed. He shrugged, feigning modesty.
"Well, I am the best." He opened the door. "Now shoo! I don't have all day to spend on you, Charity Case," Derek teased, putting his hand on the small of my back and guiding me out of his room. The door closed behind me and I laughed—thinking about things had changed since we were first forced into each other's lives. We still bickered and made fun of each other, but it was much friendlier most of the time. Of course, we still had our moments.
"Derek Venturi, what the hell is your problem?" I yelled, slamming the front door behind me before marching over to the recliner where Derek was relaxing.
"My ugly stepsister?" He quipped. I kicked the chair, rattling him.
"Try again," I growled venomously, crossing my arms in front of me.
"You'll have to be more specific."
"Why did you tell Jimmy that I thought he was a jerk when you knew that I liked him?" I demanded crossly.
"'Cause Jimmy's a douche-bag," Derek justified—not looking sorry one bit.
"He is not!" I ranted defensively. "He's a nice boy and the first one to come close to asking me out after things with Sam went south!" Tears stung my eyes. "Why do you ruin everything?" His face fell and his expression softened.
"Casey," he started, standing up. I backed away.
"No. I've changed my mind. I don't care why. Just stay out of my life!" I shouted, shoving him backward into his chair before running up to my room.
He had apologized later, but refused to fix things with Jimmy. He stood by his previous statement. But, I explained things to Jimmy and we went out anyway. And Derek was wrong. Jimmy was a perfect gentleman. Well, until he came on to Emily after we'd been going out for three weeks.
And Sam—sweet Sam—decked him in the name of my honor. I didn't approve of violence as a solution to a problem—or even as a punishment in most cases—but it was still sweet and very uncharacteristic of my ex-boyfriend.
After thinking it over, I approached Marti to ask for her help. My sister quickly agreed and listened carefully to the instructions that I gave to her.
Then I sent Marti downstairs, waited five minutes, and followed her. As I expected, Edwin was sitting at the island counter, eating a snack and looking through his research. I hid from view—staying close to the kitchen and signaled to Marti to start. The small brunette grabbed the family's favorite video game, Babe Raider, and held it up high in the air.
"I want to play! I want to play!" She screeched. This caught Edwin's attention and he raced into the living room. She ran away from him.
"Marti, no! You don't want to play with that," Edwin insisted, chasing her around the living room as I sneaked into the kitchen.
"Yes I do!" She enthused stubbornly. I grabbed the binder and tucked it under my arm as I calmly walked upstairs without even registering on Edwin's radar.
Once I was out of view, I ran into the bathroom and locked the door. Then I put the toilet seat down and sat on it, opening up the binder in my lap. There were brightly colored tabs with the names of different subjects on them.
"How convenient," I said appreciatively. My eyes skimmed the tabs, looking for one that might indicate that I was involved. Then I saw one that said "Dasey" and paused. It was spelled wrong. Curious, I opened to that section. Lizzie and Edwin are both really smart. Why would they have trouble spelling a simple little word like "daisy"?
DASEY
September 25, 2005: Casey had trouble at school. She fell down the stairs and people—Derek—started calling her Klutzilla. Everyone kept teasing her and after a plea from Lizzie, Derek got people to lay off of Casey. Also, Derek accused Casey of having feelings for Sam and told her to back off. Why does he mind so much?
October 2, 2005: When Derek hosted a party while Mom and Dad were gone, the pair got stuck in the bathroom and was acting chummy. Casey stuck up for Derek against Mom and Dad—sharing in the blame.
October 16, 2005: Derek and Casey came together to stop Mom and Dad's fighting. Derek actually agreed with Casey—very strange indeed.
October 23, 2005: Derek and Casey worked together on a school project. Casey broke down and helped Derek—at the cost of her reputation. He returned the favor by keeping other people from calling her "Grade Grubber".
October 30, 2005: When Casey quit as the wedding planner, Derek took over and helped out. We think his claims of doing it for his movie were a load of bull. Then, there's the fact that Victoria, Casey's cousin that Derek made out with, looks a lot like Casey. Coincidence?
November 6, 2005: Derek asked Casey to help him with his business while he was out sick. When she got caught and got in trouble, he called in a favor with Frank and got him to take the blame.
How did they know all of that stuff? Did they have hidden video cameras all over the place or something—maybe people tailing us? And then it dawned on me. "Dasey" was "Derek" and "Casey" put together. But why?
December 4, 2005: Derek acts weird after Sandra asks him if Casey is his girlfriend. We covertly caught him staring at her several times.
December 11, 2005: Derek admitted to Edwin that he actually felt bad about hurting Casey's ankle. He didn't entirely take the blame—or actually admit that he was at fault—but he coerced Edwin into doing favors for her and persuaded a kid at school to buy a bear for her without saying that Derek had anything to do with it.
December 18, 2005: We caught Derek staring at Casey again when she dressed up like Babe Raider. He couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of her. He also got upset when he found out that she had been getting closer to Sam. We're starting to suspect that Derek has a crush on Casey.
December 25, 2005: Derek asked Lizzie for advice about what to get Casey for Christmas. For some reason, possibly that he likes her, he wanted to get her something special. He actually ended up getting her a package of socks, but Lizzie swore that she saw him tuck away a DVD of "The Notebook"—one of Casey's favorite movies.
December 31, 2005: Derek tried really hard to get Casey to go with him to a New Year's Eve party at school. She went and spent a lot of time talking to Sam. Once again, Derek was not happy. We think he's jealous.
January 22, 2006: Sam and Casey express an interest in each other—but not to each other—and Derek tries really hard to keep them apart. He even invents something he calls "The Male Code" that says that you can't date your best friend's sibling—or stepsiblings. They end up wrestling in the living room and Casey yells at them. Then, for some strange reason, Derek changes his mind and gives permission for Sam to date her—but still looks unhappy about it.
February 22, 2006: Derek goes out with Emily to bother Casey. We suspect that he was also trying to make her jealous. Casey followed him to the restaurant—poorly disguised—and interrupted the evening, forsaking her one-month anniversary with Sam to do so. Was it true friendship to Emily or jealousy?
Hey! I only went because I was concerned about Emily. I wasn't jealous. The idea was ridiculous. And that was a good disguise for the spur of the moment! I was lucky to have a wig and trench coat on hand…
March 7, 2006: When Sam and Casey broke up for good, Derek worked with Emily to try to get them back together so that he could go to Sweden. We thought that he didn't catch us observing, but he once glanced at us and didn't say anything. It was almost as if he wanted to fail—keeping Sam and Casey apart.
March 15, 2006: Casey persuaded Derek to run for school president and helped him until he decided to turn it into a smear campaign against his competitor. Then Casey ran too and she accidentally betrayed Derek and told Sheldon about Derek's shameful secret. She tried to make up for it the next day, but—in the end—no one cared and all was forgiven.
March 24, 2006: Derek's band needed a lead singer for the Clash of the Bands. When Edwin showed him how well Casey could sing, he agreed that she was perfect for the part. We worked out a contract between the two and Casey joined D-rock. Derek was hostile towards Ralph after he made the sexist quote about Casey, though he pretended like he was just grossed out. In the video that we saw of the performance, the pair looked awfully close—dancing together while they performed. We're beginning to suspect that whatever is going on between them is fully reciprocated. The real question is what exactly that entails and whether or not the pair is aware of it.
April 10, 2006: Derek works really hard to help Casey lie about her science project. On this note, Derek seems to be more than willing to help Casey on any occasion that she seems to need it. When they had to work on a makeup project after Mrs. Pummelman caught them, Derek even helped with the work—though Casey had to nag him about it.
April 21, 2006: When Lizzie's soccer coach asked out Casey, he seemed to be fine with it—until he found out that the guy was a scum bag. Then, when he realized that Casey was going to keep seeing him, he started going stir crazy. He assumed that it was guilt that he was feeling—and it was—but he was definitely jealous as well—though he didn't seem to notice. Edwin really picked up on the resentment when Derek confessed his guilty feelings, but he saw it even before when Derek was sneering about him at breakfast that morning.
April 30, 2006: Derek pranks Casey and doesn't mind when she wears his shirt to school. Lizzie later saw him smile adoringly at her while she was wearing it. He definitely has some serious feelings for her.
Could it be? Does Derek really have feelings for me? And, if he does, just how serious are they? Is he just crushing on me—though that would be a really long time for a crush to last—or is it something more? Could he even—no. That's ridiculous. I turned the page and noticed that there was a different format for the next day. And, it was much longer than every page before it had been.
May 08, 2006
Derek called Edwin into his room—looking frantic and disturbed.
Derek: Edwin, sit. (he complied)
Edwin: (confused) What's going on, Derek? You don't look so good.
Derek: (pacing) I don't feel so good. (stops and leans over Edwin threateningly) Edwin, what I'm about to tell you can never leave this room. If I ever find out that it has, I will bury you, got it?
Edwin: (nodded)
Derek: Okay. (pauses thoughtfully and then continues pacing) I feel sick.
Edwin: And…?
Derek: I can't stop thinking about this girl.
Edwin: (intrigued) What girl?
Derek: (defensive) Just a girl! (calms down and clears his throat) Anyway, the point is that I can't get her out of my head. And whenever she's around, I can't take my eyes off of her. And I can't stand to see her with other guys and—
Edwin: So why haven't you asked her out already?
Derek: It's complicated.
Long pause.
Edwin: (sighs) Derek, I know that you're talking about Casey.
Derek: (incredulous) What? No! That's…that's. (drops the act) That's right. How did you know?
Edwin: To the careful observer, it's obvious. Plus, Lizzie and I are watching everything.
Derek: How?
Edwin: We have our sources.
Derek: Wait, "observer"? (angrily grabs Edwin's collar) Are any of these observations in that binder of yours, Ed?
Edwin: No, of course not! (Derek is satiated and lets him go, becoming calm again)
Derek: (defeated) So what do I do?
Edwin: Well, the way I look at it, you have two options. Either, you could tell her and risk rejection or you could go on pretending that she's just a stepsister to you.
Derek: (puts his head in his hands and sighs) What do you recommend?
Edwin: That depends. Just exactly how do you feel about Casey?
Derek: (fidgets uncomfortably) I don't know. (Edwin gives him a pointed look) I really like her…or something.
Edwin: So you're not in love with her?
Derek: (scoffs) Love? No.
Edwin: Then you should leave things as they are.
Edwin's Notes: I don't believe him when he says that he doesn't love her. I think he does. Maybe he doesn't know it yet, but I'd say that it much more than just an attraction or even an infatuation.
My eyes bulged out of their sockets. It's impossible! Derek can't be…in love with me? Wouldn't he have asked me out already if that were true? But then there's that whole kind of incestuous thing. Edwin must be mistaken. Maybe he just has a crush on me. I buried my head in my hands. My stepbrother has feelings for me!
The door rattled and fists banged on it from the other side.
"Casey! Give me back my binder! And whatever you do—don't read it!" Edwin cried desperately from the other side. I rolled my eyes. Could he be any more obvious? I decided that I had read enough and stood up, smoothing out my clothing. Then I took a minute to compose myself—it wasn't every day that you found out that your stepsibling had romantic notions about you—and opened the door.
"Take it," I said dismissively, handing the binder over. Edwin clung to it greedily, looking happy and terrified at the same time.
"You didn't read anything in it, did you?" Edwin asked suspiciously. I ignored him, walked into my room, and shut the door behind me. Thankfully, he didn't follow me.
I flopped down onto my bed. Nothing good could come of this. Then my door flew open and Derek strode inside with a smug air about him. My eyes popped open and my eyebrows shot up. Derek's expression changed, looking puzzled, as he plopped down into my computer chair and scooted it up to the bed—leaning his chin on his hands.
"What's with the face?" He asked.
"Nothing," I squeaked, failing miserably at lying convincingly.
"Uh huh. Right," Derek replied—not believing me. "Whatever it is—I don't really care." I scoffed. How sensitive of you, Der. "But, I want to see that binder," he added. My eyes bugged out again.
"What? Why?" I protested in a very strained, very high-pitched voice.
"So all this weirdness has to do with something in the binder," Derek realized, grinning.
"No," I lied weakly.
"Oh come on, Case. I taught you better than that," Derek chided, looking ashamed of me. "Even a three-year old would see right through this." Then something dawned on him. "So whatever this secret is, it must be really good."
"No! It's not the least bit interesting!" I cried defensively, cringing. Derek jumped to his feet, an excited air about him.
"Sure it isn't. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get my hands on that notebook," Derek called over his shoulder as he walked out of my room.
Disclaimer: I don't own "Life With Derek" or any of its characters.
A/N: First off, I hope that I stayed pretty in character for everyone. For some reason, it seems really hard for me for this show. Second, the dates in the research binder started off with the original airdates of the stuff described in each episode (except for the stuff that was made up). Thirdly, I made a fake trailer for LWD that goes along with the idea that this story is made from, so you might want to check it out. Please read and review! I openly welcome (and ask for, really) constructive criticism!