Adjusting to the View
By Widderschynnes
Disclaimer: I do not own Life with Derek. No copyright infringement intended.
CHAPTER ONE – A NEW PERSPECTIVE
"Derek Venturi needs glasses?" Emily shrieked as Casey's laughter and furious nodding confirmed the news. The two girls had spent their Saturday morning in and out of the mall's various boutiques, and they now headed home, lugging several large bags in each of their hands. "Won't he want contacts?"
Casey's grin widened. "George didn't want to spend money on glasses and contacts. He told Derek to spend his own money on contacts if he wanted them so bad, but Derek blew off his last paycheck on that necklace Sally had been begging him for since her birthday. She couldn't believe that he could be so insensitive that he'd give her an empty photo album for a present – but really, what can you expect from Derek? He doesn't have a single romantic bone in his body. Plus, it's not like he's ever been good at saving money, but I'll give him that his contacts are kind of expensive." She paused for breath before smirking. "Having to wear glasses will take him down the popularity ladder a peg or two, and I'll finally get my revenge for all his pranks and give him a taste of his own medicine. Emily, you're going to help me tease him, right?"
Receiving no response, Casey turned to look at her best friend… who was no longer by her side. She began retracing her footsteps and found her best friend rooted outside the JC Penny's entrance. Emily's mouth gaped in shock.
"Em!" Casey wailed. "We need to hurry home. That English test on Monday isn't going to ace itself, you know. I need to study!"
Emily blinked twice but still seemed fazed. After nearly a minute of an irked Casey's impatient foot-tapping, she regained her composure. "I am so sorry, but I was trying to imagine the Derek Venturi, wearing glasses."
"Yeah, he can wave bye-bye to his line of blonde bimbos." Casey's sour mood immediately dissipated as a new thought stuck her. "I'll need to come up with a new nickname. 'Insensitive jerk' and 'Dereka' are getting a little old," she said while tugging Emily and her shopping bags towards the exit.
Emily raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Casey, Derek's the king; the kids at school are still going to be swooning over his charm. If anything, those glasses are lucky to be worn by him."
Casey frowned. "Em, the popularity pool is too shallow to accept his new appearance. For once, Derek is not going to get what he wants, and I warn you, by the end of this year, he will learn a lesson, even if it means I have to teach it to him myself!" Emily couldn't help it. She giggled. Casey's perfectionist ways always seemed to land her into some debacle with her step-brother. No doubt, the introduction of glasses would be no different.
Oh, this was going to be good.
--
"Dad, wouldn't it be easier if you just bought the contact lenses and forewent the glasses altogether?" Derek asked. The two of them had been trying various designer frames while Derek's prescription lenses were prepared for the frame they had selected earlier. The process would only take an hour, and while Nora left to pick Lizzie up from tae-kwon-do practice, Derek opted to stay with George to attempt to sway his father's latest verdict.
"You heard the optometrist. Glasses for at least one week so your eyes can adjust to the clear view sans squinting. And don't even think I'm going to do otherwise, because I have no intention of buying you something I know you won't be responsible enough to take care of."
"Contacts aren't that hard to take care of," Derek bluffed. No way was he losing his reputation without a fight.
"My point exactly," George replied. "You say that, because you don't really know." He tried on a pair of sleek, no-rimmed glasses and briefly wondered if they could fool a courtroom into believing he was smarter than he actually was.
"Yeah, well what about the Prince, huh? I've obviously taken good care of it," Derek countered.
"There're two flaws in your argument. First, I didn't buy it, so really, no loss on my wallet's part. Second, you ended up putting a dent in my car. Hardly responsible," George replaced the frames on the shelf before continuing, "Really, Derek, you should know better than to mess with an active lawyer. You'll always lose."
"This, coming from the wannabe rock star who never signed a record deal," Derek replied.
"Hey!" George protested, "George and the Jungle was really popular when we were around. And it's not like D-Rock has fared any better."
"Seeing as we're barely starting out and have already performed in several gigs, I'd say we're doing better than better," Derek said before returning the subject back to the dire dilemma of his fragile reputation. "Yeah, I'm not seeing how this has anything to do with my 'irresponsibility' or why you can't get me contact lenses."
George noticed Derek's change of subject but refused to take the bait, "Come on, you've been playing for what, three years now? And you're songs have more grunts than words. I've got to say, that's one pretty impressive group you've got. Really, it's tons better than George and the Jungle."
His sarcasm was not lost on Derek. "Glad you could see it my way. But now, if we could get to the problem at hand?" He twirled a pair of sunglasses around his index finger, but noticing the price tag, immediately put it back on the rack.
George just laughed, "Yeah, that's your problem."