Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Life With Derek.
Chapter 1:
I remember when Derek Venturi and I first became friends. We had a great, and deep, and meaningful relationship. I could tell him anything, and he understood. He got me like no other person ever got me before, even myself. He was kind, considerate, compassionate, loving. All these things I, Casey MacDonald got from him.
I know this seems a little strange, because as you well know, Derek Venturi isn't all these things, but you know, stranger still was that he was with me. We were the closest to best friends that you could possibly be, and he loved me. Oh, he loved me, but stupid me, I didn't love him back. Or didn't realize. But he still accepted it, and we still talked all the time.
Yes, I had the perfect life with him in it, but all this was before we were apart. Before he started to hate me, before he realized I was to become something to him that was unacceptable, before he found out I was his new step-sister. It's not the time for me to tell you why this simple fact disturbed him so much, just know that it did.
Looking at us now you never know how we used to be, but as they say, 'thems the breaks'. I'm going to tell this story in two distinctly different parts; TOGETHER, and APART. I feel that only this way will you truly be able to see the difference.
First, I'll tell you how we met.
Part ONE: Together
I was working on this play at the local drama studio, as I did every summer. Let me tell you now, I, Casey MacDonald, am a confessed drama buff, there I said it. I love acting, dancing, singing. Anything to do with performing and I was there.
This summer the play was A Midsummer Night Dream by William Shakespeare, my favorite play of all time. I was trying out for the part of Helena, the shy, insecure ,lovesick and truly romantic young maiden, true to and in love with Demetrius, even though has abandoned her . I felt that this would be the perfect part for me. I was so desperate to get the part. Looking back now it doesn't seem all that important anymore.
My best friend at the time was a girl named Ashley. I had met her a couple of weeks ago when she moved here from Illinois and we had hit it off right away. She was as into drama as I was, except she was passionate for the backstage details. She was an amazing artist. She painted, sculpted, wrote, composed, everything. She has done the sets in all the plays in her hometown since she was fourteen years old. She was that good.
Anyway, we were walking home from practice when this guy drove past us. It was an old car, convertible, made a lot of noise and badly needed a wash, but the guy in it acted as if it were a Lamborghini. He was overly confident, so confident in fact that he pulled over in front of us and asked me out.
"Hey gorgeous," he said, "how bout' you hop in here and I'll give you a ride?" He says and wriggles his eyebrows suggestively. I looked him up and down. He was pretty tall, about 5'11. He had slightly reddish-brown hair, curlyish, kinda long. One piece was hanging in his eye. Cute but sadly not exactly my type.
Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing against know-it-all, arrogant, and admittedly, maybe just slightly, hot guys, that is, if you like that sort of thing. I just prefer not to you know, date them. I'm one of those girls who typically date nice, easy to get along with, kind, sweet, down-to-earth guys. It's just who I am or was. Anyway, like I was saying, back to the story.
"Um, how about I not?" I said turning back to Ashley, "Let's go."
"Ooh, feisty. Me like." He says to my back. I turn around and glare at him.
"Derek, why don't you just shut up," she said to the boy. I look at her surprised. "Sorry, Casey, this is my idiot twin brother. Idiot twin brother, this is Casey, you know the girl I told you about."
He hopped out over the side and came and stoop next to Ashley. "Thanks for the introduction, sis." To me, he says, "Casey, so beauty does have a name." I roll my eyes.
"Interesting line. Where'd you get it? The back of a cereal box?"
"No actually, I got it from this new book of lines I got called 'Ways To Pick Up Chicks.'" He pretends to think for a while. "They actually work. I might have to write a thank you letter to the manufacturer." He says in a perfectly serious tone of voice.
"Um . . Interesting isn't a good thing. Really, if you paid money for that you really are an idiot."
"Hey, I never said I paid money for it." He says carrying on the charade.
"So what, you're trying to convince me, that you're some smalltime book thief? Wow," I say, really accentuating the word. "That's really, really impressive. It does wonders for that bad boy image you're trying to portray." He smiles humorously.
"It was a gift." He says as a comeback, thinking he's got me.
"Oh," I say sympathetically, "Then you must have even stupider friends than you, as hard as that for me to believe, for them to put that kind of thing into your hands knowing that you'd probably use it."
"No way are my friends stupider than me, that's impossible!. . . –Oh, wait, that came out wrong."
"Nope, I think you got it exactly right. It does seem quite impossible." I say, effectively locking him.
"And, Point 1 goes to, drum roll please, Casey MacDonald!" Ashley intercepts and gives me a high five.
"Ouch, Casey, my heart."
"Um, brother, I think you should get used to that." Ashley tells him, putting her arm around his shoulder.
"Na, she knows she's actually in love with me." He grins and looks at me. I play like this crack in the sidewalk is the most fascinating thing since sliced bread. Then looking up I say.
"I'm sorry what? Did you say something?" I ask him playing innocent.
"You want to try that again?" She laughs again.
"Never mind. So you guys want a ride or what?"
"Casey, what do you think?"
"Are you sure that thing is architecturally sound?" I ask, eying the thing warily. He just laughs.
"You're funny. Hop in." As the car speeds off, or tries to. I hurriedly put on my seatbelt and it comes off in my hand.
"Um, you guys, I was serious."
So that's the first time I met Derek Venturi. Though I couldn't admit it until now, that was one of the best days in my life.
