5:37 PM

It was Sunday. Derek and Casey were all alone at home. Nora and George had gone out, Lizzie and Edwin went to see a movie with two of their friends, and Marti was playing at Dimi's.

Casey had been in the kitchen, reading a novel, and Derek was watching TV on his chair.

They had avoided seeing each other all day.

The weirdest thing had happened at 5:37 PM last night. Casey had already written about it at least four times in her diary.

Derek came into her room, as always, looking for an excuse to bug her. And he did.

Casey stood up, glaring at him, like always.

They just stared and stared and stared at each other.

Until, the weird thing happened.

Derek leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips.

Casey didn't give in, but deep down, she really wanted to.

"Why did you do that?" she asked when he finally pulled back.

"I've always wanted to, Case."

She didn't say anything.

"Got to go." he muttered, leaving her speechless.

Casey grabbed his arm as he tried to make his way out of her room.

"Wait," she pleaded. "Don't leave." And grabbing his face in her hands, she kissed him right back.

"What was that for?"

"I've always wanted to, Der."

They didn't talk for the rest of the evening, which brought them to Sunday.

Casey got up from her seat at the table. She went into the living room, where Derek was.

"We need to talk," Casey said.

"About what?" he asked.

"You know, Derek. You've been avoiding me."

"And you've been avoiding me." Derek said.

"Look," she said, "what happened with us last night caught me off guard and I'm confused about it. I need answers. Why did you kiss me last night?"

"I told you I wanted to," he said simply. "It was no particular reason. You were there, and I wanted to kiss you. Why did you kiss me back?"

"It felt right." she said. "In that moment, that's what I felt I needed to do."

She paused. "So…what now?"

"We pretend it didn't happen…?" Derek said.

"How can we not pretend?"

"I go one way, you go the other."

"Impossible; we live in the same house."

"Casey."

"Derek."

"It won't happen again, alright?" he said. "One time. That's all."

"Okay," she said slowly. "I don't regret it, though."

That got him out of his chair.

"You don't?"

"No."

"I don't either."

And before they realized what they were doing, they kissed each other again.

"Wait." she said.

"What?"

"Derek…did you know I've always liked you, since the day we met, since the first time I knocked on your door, since the time we got into that fight in the bathroom, since the time you let me in D-Rock, since the time you put the hula hoop around me, since the time we stayed home for March Break, since…forever?"

He clearly wasn't expecting that.

"Wow…" he said, sinking back into his chair. "I never knew that."

"Do you feel the same way about me?"

"Yeah." he said quietly. "I always have."

"What do we tell them?"

"We can't. What if they thought it was wrong?"

"What if they knew it was coming all along?"

Derek got back up from his chair and looked at her.

"You mean we should tell them?"

"Yeah. It's worth a shot." she smiled at him.

"Let's keep it between us for now." he said.

"A secret?"

"Our secret."

Casey agreed.