Author's Note: My second one shot, inspired by the season… enjoy!

New Year's Kiss

oOo Dasey oOo

One Day before New Years

As Casey sits on the kitchen stool spooning through the ice cream tub while reading one of her romance novels, Derek strides into the room.

"Hey, Casey. What's new?"

"Not that you would care, but I'm sitting here enjoying some peaceful time to myself, reading a romance book."

"Blah Blah Blah. Why do you read those things anyway? They look boring."

"That's what you think, but it actually helps some girls imagine what their romantic moments would be like someday," Casey states with a dreamy tinge in her voice. Derek walks over to the second stool and takes a seat.

"So, you read these to get out of your own pathetic, romance-less life?"

"DE-REK!" Casey jumps out of her seat and starts hitting Derek with her book.

"Okay! Okay! Sorry!"

"Did you just say sorry?!"

No," Derek quickly replied.

Casey calms down and sits again. After a moment or two of silence, Casey tries to start a simple conversation.

"Derek, do you know what we're doing for New Years?"

"Um, I think your mom say we were going to the park and doing fireworks or something lame."

"Oh yeah. I forgot. I hope I can stay up that late."

"Aww, poor little Casey can't stay up past midnight."

"Hey! I so can."

"Yeah, I'm sure you can," Derek retorted sarcastically. Casey gave him a glare and resumed reading her book again, as Derek continued eating his banana. They fell into a comfortable silence.

Casey read the next paragraph of her book, wishing that someday the scene in the story would happen in her life too.

Jasmine stared into Tom's eyes as the crowd around them started counting down.

5…

Tom grasped Jasmine's wrists.

4…

They took a step towards each other.

3…

Tom cupped her face in his hands.

2…

He inched his face closer to hers.

1…

He took one last glance at her perfectly crystal blue eyes.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!

They crashed their lips together, taking in the moment of wonderful passion.

'I wish something like this would happen to me, but who would it happen with. Sam's my ex-boyfriend and it would be so awkward, Max broke up with me, Derek… WAIT! Did I just list Derek as one of the choices? No. No I didn't . Did I?'

Derek looked over at Casey's face where he saw a wild mixture of emotions on her face, mostly confusion.

"Uh, Casey? Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm okay."

"Um, okay then."

"Hey, Derek. Have you ever had a New Year's kiss?" Casey decided to ask, just for the heck of it.

"Um, why?" Derek asked, looking puzzled.

"Oh, you know, just wondering."

"Oh. No, I don't think I've ever had a New Year's kiss, which is sad 'cuz I do kiss a lot of girls."

"Ugh. Yes, I know."

"Yeah. Well, have you had one?"

"No, but I want one. Maybe this New Years, something magical will happen to me."

"Yeah, well something magical has to happen if someone actually wants to kiss you."

"DE-REK! You're so annoying! Why do you always have to ruin such a nice moment I was having?"

"Because I don't do 'nice moments'. Come on Case. You should know that by now."

Derek swiftly stood up after that line and started walking to the door.

"Well, I hope we both get our first New Years kiss this New Years…" Derek said. Casey smiled a little at his comment before shifting her gaze back to her book.

"…with each other," Derek finished his sentence under his breath, making sure Casey couldn't hear. He swiftly walked past the living room where a resting Nora and George were watching TV, up the stairs where a hyper Marti sat playing with her dolls, and into his room and onto his bed, to sleep.

'Maybe this year, I'll get lucky.'