Okay, I am actually really proud of this one! Yesterday, I was at karate waiting for my class and was extremely bored and then… this popped into my head. And I knew I wouldn't be able to write it until today so I just pretty much thought of every single line in my head and repeated it so I wouldn't forget it. I tried a new writing style with this one. I noticed that most of the good Life With Derek fics have this one writing style that works so well that usually involves a lot of italicizing and (parentheses) and most of the ones that don't have styles like this, don't' work as well. So I tried it and I love it! I hope everyone likes it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Review please! I'd really appreciate it.

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Derek and Casey have always had this… cycle. They had to have one to keep up some sense of normalcy and hide their true feelings from each other. It started something like this…

They would fight. Everyday, tooth and nail, back and forth, always annoying the other and the other one's comeback was never too far behind. To them it expressed their pure "hatred" for each other but for everyone else, it was playful banter, leaning towards flirting. They constantly talked to their friends about whatever the other had said or done. When they argued it was like no one else was in the room. Everyone else got pretty sick of it.

That would go on for two, maybe three months, and then someone, well actually Derek (because isn't it always Derek?) would say something like

"You know, the reason you can't hold a relationship is that you're clingy and whiny and there's not enough good qualities about you for a relationship for it to even be worth it." and then he'll instantly regret it, because it was harsh, and unnecessary, and so not what he thought at all. And oh God, is she crying? because Derek can't stand when any girl (but mostly her) cries.

And then she'll usually say something that resembles

"You know Derek, you always toe that fine line between being mean and just being you, well you just crossed it." And she will kick him out of the room.

And then… silence.

You would think that maybe that's a relief. No loud fighting (flirting), no one of them going on and on and on and annoying their friends about the other. But it's still the same, only different. Because Derek is not any of his usual self because of Casey, and Casey is not anywhere near her usual self because of Derek and it's just always about the other for them isn't it? So this… this… silence goes on for about a week. Then eventually, Derek comes to her, whether at school or in her room, and says

"I'm really sorry Case, you know I didn't mean it."

So then Casey stares at him for a little bit, then sighs, then smiles and goes

"Yeah, I know."

And there's these- these five or so minutes, when they're both quiet, smiling, and looking into each others eyes, and all the bystanders (Sam, Emily, Ralph, Paul, Max, Noel, Truman, Kendra, Sally, Lizzie, Edwin, George, Nora, even, Marti!) wonder, is this it? Is this the moment when they finally break the cycle. Finally admit their true feelings for each other?

But then Derek (because it's always Derek) will say something like

"Well, I should probably go, I'm sure you have some keener-ing to get back to."

And Casey's response will always be

"Der-ek!"

And George and Nora will go to sleep that night both relieved and depressed thinking, not tonight.

And so the cycle restarts.