Im not asking anyone to give me their opinions about my story, although im not asking them not to. Wink I do ask anyone that reads this to please tell me if I mispelled anything or if I worded a sentence or two wrong. Don't slash my story, because it won't do you any good. That's just rude. If you don't like my story, move on.

Chapter one: (1)

"Mom! Derek used all of the hot water." Casey managed to keep her firm infascist on her words, even as she ranted.

Nora was fixing chocolate chip pancakes when Casey came marching into the kitchen. She was wearing her purple pajama's and pink, fuzzy bunny slippers. She glared at Derek who had his back to her and half of his body inside the refrigerator. Everything he did annnoyed her and the worst part about that was, he did it on purpose. He just loved to get under her skin, and he did it so well.

Lizzie popped her head in. "Hurry up or were all going to be late."

Casey looked at her watch. "Lizzie it's only seven o'clock. We have plenty of time."

"I know that," Lizzie said quickly, "but if I don't get their early I want be the first one who get to present her project."

Casey made a face at her. "You and those projects. Their are more important things. Like my hair that I can't wash, because there just happens to not be any hot water. She then turned her attention back to her mother. "Mom could you please tell Derek not to hog the hot water in the mornings?"

Without looking up Nora said, "Derek could you please try not to hog the hot water anymore so that Casey can take her morning shower?"

Derek just shrugged.

Annoyed, Casey plopped into the seat next to Marti and continued. "How am I supposed to go about my normal daily routine if someone.." she shot a look at Derek, "persists on ruining it every morning. It makes me edgy and stresses me out. It could ruin my academics."

"Casey it's just a shower. You can get one when you get home." Nora flipped the pancakes over and pressed them down with her spatula. Casey opened her mouth to say something else but George cut in.

"Wow! Are those chocolate chip pancakes? My favorite. Let me just... Ow!" He cradled his hand. "Why'd you do that?"

"The pancakes are for the kids." Nora had smacked his hand and was now putting the pancakes on two seperate plates, one for Edwin and one for Casey. "After all of the kids have had breakfast I'll make some for you."

"...but im hungrey nowww!" he whined.

"Dad. Give it up." Derek said, "Children first." He swiped one of Casey's pancakes and headed toward the livingroom.

"Hey!" Casey started to go after him, but decided that she didn't want that pancake back. She'd get him for that later. Right now, she was starving, so she settled for the one lonely pancake left on her plate. She slathered it with butter and drowned it with syrup. "Mmmm.." she moaned as she took her first bite. Her anger was forgotten atleast for now.

Chapter One:(2)

Emily bit her lower lip. Casey hadn't stopped complaining about Derek since she had caught up with her coming out of the library.

"Can you believe him. I mean, first he uses all of the hot water, and I can't take my morning shower. A scedule is very important. Then, he actually takes my food off of my plate and eats it. Plain, no less. How can anyone do that? That's not the worst part. Oh no! On our way to school Derek spills soda all down the front of my new bubble gum sweater. That stain is never coming out. He said sorry, but I don't think he meant it. I think he did it on purpose. I spent twenty dollars on that sweater and for what? For Derek to get butter fingers and ruin it the first time I get to wear it." She started to pace.

"Casey. Calm down." She gritted her teeth when Casey cut her off.

"I mean, who doen he think he is? He's no one. He's..He's...Well, he's Derek." She was going to continue, but the bell rang. "See you at lunch Em." She turned and marched toward her second class. Derek owed her twenty bucks, or a new sweater. One or the other. He was not going to get away with this.

Emily closed her locker and shook her head. "Conversations with Casey were usually one way. She listened and Casey talked, and normally...Casey was talking about Derek. When were those two going to get along? They had lived in the same house for a year now and they still fought like cats and dogs. Hearing about it had gotten old, fast.

Rolling her eyes, she headed towards her Spanish class.

Chapter one:(3)

After school Emily walked a block to the community library. She had two books to return and she was anxious to check out two more. Shelves packed with books of all kinds lined the walls of Seeder Library. This was her second favorite place to be. Her first was anywhere that Derek was, but that was a different story.

Her books thunked as they hit the bottom of the check in box. She was always secretly glad that books weren't glass, because that fall would have definantly broke them. Why couldn't they use a basket or something to put the books in? Something less vile.

Excitment bubbled as she ran her finger tips acrossed the spines of the first shelf of books. She loved the dry sound they made. It kinda reminded her of a sand storm in a dry, dusty desert. For a moment her mind drifted to that desert and she imagined herself there with Derek and they were alone and... She snapped out of her fantasy and blushed. She hated it when she done that..and a desert no less.

A book a few rows away caught her attention and she quickly closed the space, snatched the book off the shelf and began to look for the second book she would eventually check out. She liked to be suprised when she chose books, so she never read the titles before she checked them out.

The second book took an hour to find. It was much larger than her normal choices, but when her instincts told her to check something out she always checked that something out. It always made life interesting.

The spin was cracked and the color was fading, but it seemed to be in ok shape. The letters of the title were written in a sqiggly hand. She made a face as she realized that she probably wouldn't be able to make out the title if she had even wanted to.

With her two new books securely in her backpack she waited for her mother to pick her up. Ten minutes later her mother pulled into the parking area and ushered her to hurry up. "Always so impatient." she thought as she hurried to her family vehicle and got in.