Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize from outside this story. I claim only the plot, the characters, any places and such that I make up for the purposes of this story.

Homecoming Week

Chapter 1

Derek tugs the strap of his backpack higher on his shoulder and smiles before slipping the phone number of the blonde cheerleader he had been flirting with in his history class. He starts walking down the corridor sluggishly not looking forward to getting where he is going. You see Derek drew the metaphorical 'short straw' in life. Spending the couple hours he had in between his last class for the day and hockey practice in a meeting about Homecoming week is definitely not his idea of a good time. Usually he grabs a second lunch and depending on if he has practice or not, he either takes a nap or works out with his friend Rob. Yesterday though he was late for the house meeting for his fraternity and that's what got him into this. When he step into the living room, apparently his timing was awful. Right before he walked into the room, Cory, the chapter president, had just said, "Okay so how we are going to decide who gets this job is whoever walks in next goes tomorrow." This year was Derek's fraternity's turn to represent the Greek community on the committee and now he is said rep.

Derek walks through the door hoping there snacks. He sees few people he knows from around campus sitting around the large oval conference table. Paul, a member of student government, is chatting with Amber, a saxophone player in the marching band, over by a side table filled with pizza and cans of pop. He nods towards Kyle, a Korean computer science major, on the other side of the table as he sits down setting a Mountain Dew and couple slices of pizza in front. He had met Kyle when he stopped by "Hey Kyle, do you know who is heading up this thing?"

"Yeah, I think I heard it's going to be the president of the Dance Team," Kyle says taking a sip of his Pepsi.

Before new captain of the hockey team could process what this meant, a flurry of brown hair rushes through the door slapping a large binder and folders onto one head of the table. When the girl looks up, she looks around the table and freezes when she sees Derek. When he meets her eyes, Derek, just about, falls out of his chair. He knew since Casey had announced it a couple weeks ago when they last visited London that she had made captain but it is still a shock to see her. Casey passes out the blue folders she brought around the table and Derek rights himself fiddling with his pen trying to cover what just happened.

Paul leans over towards Derek nudging him on shoulder. "Hot right? Amber told me she heard her and Josh Kelly just broke up. I tried to ask her out the other day but guess I botched it up since she went on about something to do with closure."

Derek ponders how Casey got hooked up and then broken up with the Editor in chief of the newspaper so fast. He smirks when a thought occurs to him. She probably applied for the poetry corner again. He stops smiling when she stops behind him to rest one of her folders in front of him and her hand accidently brushes against his shoulder. She pauses, recovers and keeps talking as she walks around the table and back to her chair.

He feels a little a shock before shrugs it off. He tells himself it is only because he hardly saw her over the summer. This summer they were both gone to camps, internships or jobs all summer. When one would be home the other would be gone. This was exacerbated by the fact that since Casey's scholarships covered everything, Dennis bought her a used car. She lives in the dorms and after he pledged to his fraternity he moved into their frat house.

The group takes a break from arguing over themes for the events and Derek makes his way over to her getting a Mountain Dew. "Hey Casey, did you save your notes from that history class you took last year?"

"No I didn't Derek and if I did I wouldn't share them." She twirls around and walks back to her seat.

"Oh come on Case, you know you want to." Derek's brows furrow when she doesn't rise to the bait like she usually did and slumps back into his seat.

Derek vaguely hears her start to assign to each of the twelve people including him around the table one of the events leading up to the Homecoming game happening over the next two weeks to work on. Each of the twelve people represent different student organizations. Derek circles the one on the list his fraternity is supposed to head up when he notices Casey has given herself the largest event which is the night before the game and a variety show put on for students by students.

Derek tries to catch her eye a few times during the meeting and even made a few comments that normally would get her eyes rolling refocusing her attention all on him. Instead she didn't spare him a glance even when she rattles off what his fraternity is supposed to do to help out. Whatever progress they made towards becoming friends last year it seems is gone. He never even got around to telling her he was the one arranged for daisies to be left in front of her locker in the room before each of her dance team performances. He doesn't have time to stay behind and ask her what's eating her before hockey practice so he grabs his bag and nodding to Paul and Kyle he heads out after the meeting.

Derek shoves his hands in pockets and without a single glance back he leaves the room and heads outside towards the arena for practice with his focus on his feet. "Hey Derek!" Derek looks up just in time to catch a football and Rob to throw a fist in air. Derek tosses it back and they walk together towards the nearest parking lot. "Let me guess, you need a ride over to the stadium?"

"Well you wouldn't want me to miss football practice would you?"

Derek looks sideways at his friend and shakes his head. "Rob, you need to stop letting your girlfriend borrow your car when you actually need it."

"I can't help it D. I don't have the ability to say no to her it seems; besides it is only until hers is out of the shop." Rob slides into the passenger side of the Prince after they both throw their backpacks into the back. Derek never thought he would be good friends with a football player but it turns out he doesn't hate football or all football players.

"So D econ class was totally boring and I swear this professor almost makes me not excited for this semester. Why were you over this way anyway? This isn't near the library or the café'. Someone steal your napping spot?"

"Can it, asshat. I got roped into going to the Homecoming committee meeting today."

Rob says spinning his football player in his hands, "That sucks. How was it? Sounds boring."

Derek parks over by the arena which isn't too far from the stadium. "Hey we are both going to be late for practice soon if we don't hurry up and I don't feel like running extra drills for being late. I will see you at poker tonight."

Casey piles her papers and folder up and holds them for a moment in her arms standing rooted at the spot she was standing minutes ago when she waved goodbye to everyone. Casey's knees start to shake and she drops into chair behind her setting her stuff back on the table. She closes her eyes and leans her head back.

She feels a small smile form as she remembers just how complicatedly strange her and Derek can be. Last year when they moved to campus they had made a deal they wouldn't tell anyone the nature of their relationship except that they knew each other from high school. They agreed to go their separate ways after orientation week and thought that was that. What she didn't factor in was what would happen if she missed home (because she certainly didn't miss him, or so she tried to tell herself least year.) It took about a month for something to develop that would last through both semesters.

Derek accidently bumped into her in the hall of the library near the periodicals. They started to bicker and banter like no time had passed and she could feel the stress that had been building up inside her since she got to Queen's easing away. Derek conned her into buying him and went with her to her practice claiming "it is my duty to meet your teammates besides I should warn them just in case Klutzilla strikes again."

This led to them "accidently" bumping into each other about every two weeks gradually morphing into what appeared to be a routine. They would fight in a way felt more like banter while grabbing a meal then not speaking to each other until the next time it happened. The only evidence she gave that she ever missed him was at a home game Derek found a small bucket with a Gatorade, a towel, Tylenol, a protein shake, a box of crackers, a large fortune cookie and lastly a CD burned with hockey songs and motivational anthems. The CD is now played in the locker room before each game.

Casey snaps from her thoughts when she hears the door open. She turns to see her roommate and teammate Janice standing there in dark washed bootleg jeans, brown plaid pumps and a beautiful blue sweater. She always looks like she has somewhere important she has to be. Janice sits down next to her and popping her gum she rubbed on more chapstick. Casey shakes her head. "Really Janice? More chapstick? You need to chill with that stuff."

"Ok whatever. So was that Venturi I saw leaving here?" Janice asks raising her eyebrows suggestively.

Casey kicks her friend's chair. "How do you know Derek?"

"I like hockey remember. You couldn't make it to their scrimmage game a few days ago so you didn't see it but the team is amazing this year. Besides he's not bad looking. So what happened?"

"Nothing. That's the problem. I couldn't even look at him without freezing up."

"Which is weird since last year I swear you two were so entertaining. I guess zero happened over the summer?"

"How could it? We were never in the same place at the same time all summer." Casey drops her head into her hand to rest it on table twisting her necklace made of a leather chord with silver beads on it.

"It can't be that bad. You can be such a drama queen; kinda funny seeing as I am the Drama major here. Blah Blah two ships passing in the night blah blah. Does this mean you are over this and we can go party tonight?" Janice says twirling her chapstick and pointing it at her.

Seeing the chapstick pointed at her, Casey scoffs. "You cannot compare your chapstick addiction to this."

"Yeah whatever. Addiction is addiction. You two saw each other last year like clockwork. Though I did get tired of seeing you two circling around each other and date other people. And also . . ."

Casey abruptly gets up shoving her bag on her shoulder and cuts off her rant. "You want to get some pizza with me before going anywhere?"

Janice snaps her gum and puts her gold oversized bag on her shoulder leading the way out. "Come on, I have Robby's car parked nearby. Let's go somewhere off campus to eat. We should go dancing tonight, what do you say? It's Thursday night so college night." Janice nudges Casey's shoulder. "It would get your mind off things."

"Yeah sure, we haven't gone out in a while. Rob lent you his car again?"

Janice, elated she said she would go, starts walking backwards pulling Casey towards the car. "I know, I know. It took me a while to save up the money to get my car fixed. He is so sweet, makes me almost glad my favorite shoes broke in the computer lab last month so he took pity on me and bought me lunch. Maybe I can get Robby and one of his cute friends to ditch poker and join us."

****End of Chapter 1?****

Note: Hey Everybody, thought of this today and posted it wanting to know if I should continue. This is just a little something I thought of at work today. So please review and let me know what you think. No idea if they are OOC or not, though I don't think so. Please be honest if you don't like it or it needs work. Please excuse my spelling and grammar mistakes. I edit my stuff myself.

As far as I can tell there are no Greek organizations at Queen's or a Homecoming week like this there so that will be completely made up by me.

If any of you are reading my other story, don't worry I am writing it. Updates coming soon I promise.