Authors Note: I promised myself I wouldn't write another fanfiction but I couldn't help it, this idea was floating around in my head and I needed to write it out. It's just an idea and personally I don't really like the way it turned out. I thought I'd just post it and hopefully people will tell me whether I should continue or not.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Casey came down the stairs in jeans and a tank with her hair everywhere. She had dark bags under her eyes but she didn't care because she was experiencing a horrifying headache. Casey slowly made her way to the table and sat down for breakfast.
"Good morning honey!" Nora shouted from the kitchen but there was no response from Casey.
Derek looked up from his cereal, "Whoa, Casey!" he yelled between chewing, "having a bad hair day?"
He started to chuckle while milk was dripping down his chin. Derek had replaced Casey's shampoo with honey and usually, Casey would have come downstairs screaming while trying to strangle Derek. Today, she said nothing. Casey was just staring out into space.
"Dude" Edwin whispered in Derek's ear, "is she okay?"
"I have no idea, she should have reacted by now." Derek shrugged at Edwin and Lizzie while picking up his bowl and entering the kitchen.
Casey was still sitting at the table now with her hands around her head, fingers massaging her temples.
"Casey, are you okay?" Lizzie tried asking.
Casey finally spoke, "yeah Liz, I'm fine. I just have a really bad headache. I've had it all night and I couldn't get any sleep." She said in a groggy tone.
"Did you take any pain killers?" Nora asked while walking out of the kitchen and placing pancakes on the table.
"I did but it didn't help at all"
George came in with a crying Marti in his arms. Nora gave him a look that asked 'what's the matter'.
"Marti's just a bit upset that we can't take her to the play center at the mall today. I told Marti we would go next week…right Marti?" George asked the crying girl. Marti just started to cry harder.
"Mom, I can take her if you want." Casey interrupted.
"But Casey, you have a headache, are you sure?"
"It's okay, I'm sure I'll be fine. It's just probably because of all the stress at school and all the exams. I think the pain killers will kick in"
"Thank you Casey" said George, "Derek!"
Derek came in with his hockey equipment.
"Nora is taking the van to drive Lizzie to soccer practice, could you drive Marti and Casey to the mall and pick them up after hockey?" George asked.
"Anything for my Smarti," Derek turned around "Casey, get ready we're leaving in half an hour."
Casey finally got all of the honey out of her hair and was downstairs waiting for Derek with Marti in her arms. She was looking outside through the window when all of a sudden, something caught Casey's eye. A little girl was walking down the sidewalk in a bride's maid dress. She looked beautiful with her hair up in a bun and sparkly make up on her face. She was carrying a basket full of flowers. Casey opened the door, stepped outside and was watching her skip along past the house.
"Okay Case, ready to go?" Derek asked as he came out of the house, locking the door behind him.
"What about you Smarti?" Marti nodded a yes and he grabbed her from Casey's arms. Casey didn't move at all.
"Hey Case? You okay?" Casey still started out into space. Derek tried to find what she was looking at but nothing caught his eye.
Casey turned so she was looking at Derek "look at the little girl over there, isn't she cute!" Casey pointed out to the street.
Derek tried to look at what she was pointing at but he saw nothing.
"Where?"
"Right there" Casey pointed. Derek still saw nothing.
"Hate to break it to you case, but you've finally lost it."
"Why" Casey asked turning to face him.
"Because there's no one there"
Casey turned back to look at the little girl, but she was gone. Derek was tying Marti into her car seat and Casey sat in the passengers seat confused.
"I could have sworn she was there."
"Whatever Case"
Derek started the car and they were on their way to the mall.
Casey glanced at her watch, it was twelve o'clock and she had to meet Derek back in the entrance of the mall at four. She and Marti had lots of time to spend. Casey took Marti's hand and was walking through the mall.
"Hey kiddo, what do you want to do first?"
"Lets go to the play center!!" Marti screamed
"Okay, then after we get ice cream?"
"But Casey, I'm a cat" Marti explained while pointing at the furry ears at the top of her head "and cats don't like ice cream"
"What about Candy? Do cats like candy?"
Marti nodded
"Alright then after we come out of the play center, we'll get candy."
Marti let out a high-pitched 'yay' out into the air as she pulled Casey into the play center.
After about an hour Marti was finished playing and Casey bought her candy. While Marti was finishing off all of her sugary sweets, Casey thought she would look through the boutiques near the food court. She looked in one after another forgetting Marti was with her. While she was moving from one store to the next, Casey and Marti got separated. The weird thing was, Casey didn't notice.
Derek was changing out of his hockey gear when he heard his phone ring.
"Hello?"
"Hello is this Derek Venturi?"
"yes, who is this?"
"This is security from Oakridge Mall. Your sister Marti Venturi was separated from her sister in the mall, at least, that's what she has told us. When we asked if she knew her home phone number, she gave us yours."
Derek scratched the top of his head. How could Casey loose Marti?
"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
"Will Casey MacDonald please report to the security office at the west end of the mall."
Casey was searching through summer dresses in her favorite store. That announcement had been going on for twenty minutes but Casey didn't seem to hear it.
When Casey was finished looking at the dresses she felt thirsty so she bought herself a fruit smoothie and was sitting at the food court.
An angry Derek walked over to her table holding Marti in his arms. Casey looked up.
"Hey Derek, when did you and Marti get here?"
At that moment, Derek knew there was something definitely wrong with Casey.