Title: No Raindrop on Roses
Author: Shalzi
Disclaimer: I do not own Life with Derek.. I have ideas if I did.
Summery: Will be done for every Chapter. It will be Dasey.

Chapter One Summery: Casey is starting to get fed up with being Miss Perfect. But no one seems to understand what she's going through.

Chapter One

Casey stood behind the counter in the kitchen making sandwiches for Edwin and Lizzie's lunches. They had some school field trip to a natural science museum that both of them seem overly excited to be going to. She could understand Lizzie's reasoning for being happy to be doing school work on a Saturday. But for the life of her she couldn't understand why Edwin was skipping into the kitchen with a smile.

Her mother, Nora, sat across from her sipping her cup of coffee. The question floated into her mind as to why she wasn't making their lunches. It kind of made her feel angry and used. But as soon as the thought entered her mind she yelled at herself. She shouldn't be so selfish. Nora needed help sometimes, obviously not at this moment, but sometimes. Casey would give anything to go back to her youth before her mother expected so much with no argument.

Lizzie sat at the counter in front of her bowl of cereal. She seemed so jittery and overly excited. That was how Casey was at her age. She remembered Lizzie used to be so jealous whenever Casey would go to one of these trips with all her friends. Lizzie would stand in her doorway and watch as her and her best friend Meghan got ready. Meghan was always making sure that Casey looked perfect for the boy she was trying to impress. These field trips were the only time she could dress down instead of a uniform. It was he chance to shine.

Back then she wasn't such a loser in school. Back then she was as well known as Derek.

Speaking of the devil himself. He entered the kitchen still in his pajamas. Marti must have woken him up because no way would he be up on his free will. He strolled over to the fridge and pulled out a half gallon of orange juice. As he opened it, Casey predicted him drinking right from it. So she grabbed it from his hands and a glass from the counter at the same time. She poured it and shoved the glass at him. He gave her a dirty look.

"Grow up," Casey said.

Sure, grow up, Derek. Become uptight. Become expected to do things. Become expected to make lunches without being asked to. Become Casey. Miss Perfect. Or well, Mister Perfect in his case. Become the type of person to give everything to be careless.

Derek went to open his mouth to respond but was stopped by the sound of a car horn. Lizzie and Edwin jumped up and grabbed their lunches. Nora kissed them goodbye. Edwin practically knocked Lizzie over to get out of the house. It suddenly became obvious as to why he was so excited. Derek. He couldn't wait to have a Saturday where he wasn't used as target practice.

"Casey?" Nora started.

What could this be? Would she have to clean the bathroom? Or maybe watch Marti? Maybe watch Derek? That would make sense.

Casey looked over at her. "Yes, mom."

"I set up a play date for Marti at noon," she explained. "There's this boy in her class that she's been playing with and we thought it would be good for her social skills. I was hoping maybe you could do some cleaning up around here while me and George are gone."

Cleaning. Why did they both have to go? Why couldn't Nora stay home and George take Marti? Marti was his daughter after all. This just wasn't fare. But there was nothing she could do or say to get out of it. Beside her Derek chuckled. She just shot him a dirty look which made him quickly sip his orange juice.

"Sure, mom," she slowly chocked out.

Nora smiled happily. "Great. I knew you wouldn't mind."

"Why would I mind," she said, trying not to sound annoyed.

Nora jumped out of her chair. "Oh and Derek, it wouldn't hurt to help."

"Sorry, I've got plans," Derek said.

Nora just nodded and walked away.

"Yeah, with the remote," Casey snapped.

He stepped behind her and whispered into her ear. "A plan's a plan."

Casey watched as he left the kitchen with disgust. What a jerk! They all left her to, of course, clean the kitchen all by herself. Her mom wasn't leaving right away. Would it hurt to do some dishes? Of course not. She knew that her darling Casey would do it all for her and she wouldn't have to worry about anything.

She started by dumping all the left over food into the trash and putting the dishes into the sink. Then she put away the milk and orange juice as the sink filled with soapy water. She started to scrub each dish. This was probably the worst part of the day. She had to clean off utensils that others had in their mouths and bowls where the food had actually stuck to it. It made her hands soggy and gross.

Nora entered the kitchen fully dressed. She smiled at Casey over at the sink. Casey could tell she was proud. But she wasn't proud of the great daughter doing all the house work. No. She was proud that she had raised the daughter doing all the house work. She did a great job creating a slave willing to do anything if you gave her the puppy dog/guilty "I raised you" look.

"Thanks, Casey," she said. "You're a big help."

"No problem," Casey responded.

Nora kissed her on the cheek before leaving again. She couldn't even offer to just help. A little bit of help would have been nice. She wasn't the mother or the house wife here. She was the daughter. She should be sitting on the couch doing nothing all day or going to the mall and spending all of her mother's money without once thinking she would need it. She shouldn't be doing these chores for no money. She could at least get an allowance. But she was to nice to ask for one.

She finished the dishes and wiped down the island with a rag to complete the kitchen. She grabbed a pen and paper from the counter and sat down at the now clear island. If she was going to be doing all the work, she might as well make a schedule. First upstairs. Her room, the bathroom, the hallways and then make all the beds. Then the laundry and while that was rinsing and drying she would work on the living room and dining room.

As soon as she finished she ran upstairs to start. She made all the beds, mopped the hallway, and disinfected the bathroom all before Nora, George and Marti left the house at 11:30. Yet again, no help. She was surprised when she wasn't asked to dress Marti.

After they left she loaded the washer machine with whites. Then she started to vacuum the rugs in the living room to Derek's dislike. After all, what an inconvenience to his day of television watching. He jumped up and unplugged it from the wall.

"Sit," he told her.

"What?" she asked.

He pointed to the couch. "Sit down."

"I have way to much to do!" Casey yelled. "And I am getting no help here from you. If I sit down I will get nothing done. You would like that, wouldn't you? Casey would finally disappoint her mother."

Derek just rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying that you could at least use a break."

"This house isn't going to straighten itself," she said. She bent over and plugged the vacuum back in, turning it on immediately. "Not with you living here anyway."

Derek threw his hands in the air before taking his seat once again. Casey watched him in disbelief. Why wouldn't anyone just help her?

When she got done the floor she went back to check on the laundry. She shoved the wet clothes into the drying and put more dirty ones into the wash. When she walked into the living room Derek was standing with the vacuum bag in hand.

"What are you doing?" she asked slowly.

"I am relinquishing you, my friend," he told her.

Casey pointed at him. "Do not do it."

"This is for the best," he said.

He took a hold of the bag with both hands and ripped it. Casey gasped as she watched all the dirt she had swept up flying all over the floor. She could barely see through it at Derek. Once it cleared she just stared at him in absolute shock.