CHAPTER 1:

Casey McDonald sat on her bed quietly as she finished her history homework for that evening. She could hear Edwin and Lizzie chasing each other through the halls over some worthless toy that hadn't learned to share yet. Marti was on the couch downstairs sleeping peacefully just where I left her Casey thought. Derek, her stepbrother, had not come home from the date he planned with his lately girlfriend "Vivian" or "Vivi" as he had so grossly dubbed her.

"President Roosevelt was born in…"

Casey couldn't concentrate so? It wasn't a sin. Honestly! The sinful part about her constant distraction was that it was her brother. All she could think about was how sickeningly CLINGY he was with Vivian. Despite his fear of Publicly Displaying his Affections he was still clingy. I mean holding and opening the door for her? You'd think she was disabled or something. Oh! And don't forget the ENDLESS name calling. "Sweetie, babe, Hun, Dawek…"

Casey glared as she recalled the conversation she overheard between Vivi and her step brother. Vivi ended it, of course, with a very audible smack on the lips, with her own and a "I'll call you later!!!...Daywy-poo!!" EW Casey added. The grip she held on her pencil tightened dangerously. That was a SICK name. No, seriously, Dawek? What the hell kinda name was THAT? Maybe one for a baby, but….Dawek? She finally decided to take a break from her homework. Casey walked down stairs to the kitchen. She stood there staring at the cabinets when the front door opened and closed. Casey, knowing exactly who it was, ignored it and pulled the milk from the fridge. She grabbed a glass and began to pour the milk when she suddenly felt a strong, loud gust of hot air against her ear. Casey jumped, spilling the milk all over her shirt.

"Dang it, Derek…" She said closing her eyes. Derek snickered as he reached for the milk jug behind his step sister.

"Oh, thanks for the towel, Dawek, it really helped." Casey shot at him as he chugged the milk right out of the carton. Derek not understanding the sudden burst of sarcasm frowned and responded:

"I didn't give you a towel, Case, you're either hallucinating or hoping…" then he walked up the stairs to his room, leaving poor Casey to clean up the mess.

Casey, all cleaned and somewhat dry, was on her way to her room when she heard a soft thud coming from the other side of her door. The door was open just enough for Casey to see someone looking through her desk. Casey threw open the door and glared at the intruder. The figure spun around to face her. Derek. The bane of her existence. The plank in her eyes. The stitch in her side. The, well, you get the idea.

"Casey…uh…" he looked down at the objects currently residing in his grasp, her diary and safety scissors.

"Derek…what are you doing?" she asked, slightly panicked.

"Oh, I was looking for…" he blanched. Casey could tell he was making up one of his 'on the second stories'

"I was looking for your…"

"My what?"

"mthhmrk…" he mumbled

"My WHAT?!?" she was confused; she knew 'mthhmrk' meant something in derekinian, but she didn't speak that language.

"Your math homework." He said with a sigh "I'm looking for your math…." Casey rested against the doorframe and crossed her arms over her chest.

"My math homework." she smiled smugly

"Yes, alright?", he threw her diary onto her bed, a safe distance from his prying eyes.

"And did you even think about looking in my book bag?" she asked, walking over to pull her math notebook from her backpack and holding it to dangle in front of his face. Derek grabbed for it, but Casey being better with the reflexes, pulled it back before he could even touch it.

"Nuh uh, what do I get out of this?"

"The pride that you helped a lesser student achieve his dreams?

"What 'dreams'?" she asked, skeptically rolling her eyes

"The dreams where his girlfriend only likes guys that are good at math."

"Ooooh boy, you know it's not nice to lie 'Dawek'"

"Now that's not nice."

"So your girlfriend is allowed to call you names but that girl that you live with isn't?"

"Well, yeah…you're…different…" Dereks face suddenly turned brilliant red, throwing Casey into another case of confusion. Casey went up and grabbed her diary off her bed and placed it in her desk.

"I better, uh, go…" Derek fled her room and ran to his room, closing the door quickly behind him.

"Crap, I'm sooo stupid!!" Derek's palm came up and smacked loudly against his forehead. Casey, on the other hand was sitting on her bed, bewildered by her step brother, yet again.

"He's so weird." She said finally as she turned off her lights and slipped under her covers.