Disclaimer: i don't own Life With Derek. I own my left shoe though. No lie i really do. My Friend owns my right one. Tear tear

"PAUL!" In room 118, Paul, afraid to look up sensed that it was time for his daily visit from Casey Mcdonald. Therefore when he looked up at the distraught woman in front of him he was not the bit surprised and had braced himself to listen to her nagging.

"Let me guess, Derek?"

"You think" Casey retorted with just a hint of sarcasm beneath the screechy voice she shouted in. "He has absolutely no respect, he's disgusting Paul. Why did my mom have to marry his dad? I mean don't get me wrong I love that she's happy but what about my happiness?"

"Maybe you should thin.." But he was cut off but Casey's rambling, as usual.

"Maybe I'm overreacting. I mean he is better than he used to be. He doesn't turn the whole school against me anymore. But still EVERY month, this guy steals all my clothes. Which leaves me with no choice but to wear his clothes. You'd think he'd like seeing me in them or something." Casey having realized she just implied that Derek, her step-brother Derek liked seeing her wear his clothes. She shuttered at the thought. Ew that's like incest. Well not really. We aren't related and we met when we were already mature enough and couldn't bond as brother and sister like Liz and Ed. What am I thinking. This is Derek. He wouldn't like me anyway. Wait, why do I even care?

While she was lost in thought, Paul had finally been able to give her a full three sentences of advice. " Why don't you just wear your mother's clothes? Why do you think he likes you wearing his clothes, what are you implying by that?" He waited for her response but she gave none. So he continued, just relieved for once he could put some input into their meetings. " You know if you like him, and you think he likes you. It wouldn't be incest because your not related."

Casey finally coming out of her thoughts only caught the last part. " What? Because who's not related?"

"You and Derek." Was he inside my head or something? How good is this guy/ How'd he know that's what I was thinking?

"I..uh have to go." She turned the doorknob and was half way out the door when Paul called her.

"Casey, I'm going to assign something for you to do." He waited for the nod of her head to make sure she had heard him. " Well I'm asking that you start a journal. Not a diary, just a way you can record what you feel after what you did each day. I want you to focus on your feelings. I'm not going to read this journal but I want you to analyze it and figure this whole Derek situation out for yourself." Casey just nodded and left room 118.

Paul had seen Casey at least once each school day for months. She always complained about Derek or at least mentioned his name once in each session. Paul had only met Derek Twice. Once in freshman year and once in sophomore year. Just to discuss his schedule. From what Paul remembered, he could care less.

He knew nothing about Mr. Venturi except "He's an insensitive jerk and a skirt chasing cad!" In the words of Casey Mcdonald. Since meeting Casey he had further regretted becoming a guidance counselor instead of a dentist. All she did was talk about her step-brother and she couldn't even comprehend she was falling for him.

TBC..