author's notes: This is my crack at the ipod shuffle meme – the challenge is to take ten random songs and write a short blurb for each, ending when the song ends. Try it out! It's a lot harder than I thought it would be.
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On The Go
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1 Pretty Girls (Prozzak)
Casey's one of those awkward girls you don't think about much, except when she does something really noticeable. Like, when she sang with D-Rock? That was noticeable. When she dressed up in costume? She totally got herself noticed, both by the gossip gang and the local geek community, who couldn't quite believe that she never intended to cosplay (whatever that was).
She's selfrighteous, and a show off, and so Derek isn't entirely sure why he noticed her more recently. Maybe because she's fought back? Maybe because she isn't so awkward. She's almost pretty, in a way.
He shakes his head. Maybe not.
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2 Natural Anthem (The Postal Service)
They fight, they sort of make up; the usual. It's getting to a point, though, where they sort of know what to expect from each other, and the fighting isn't quite so interesting. Derek doesn't prank her at school anymore, although he'll complain about her almost as much as she complains about him. It's a little like a broken record. Sometimes, there's an extra skip where you think it's moving on, and then you realize that no, even though Casey's starting to follow the Venturi pranking tradition, you really haven't changed that much at all.
Derek's dad keeps bringing up that they're blended. It's been almost two years that they've lived together, shared space. It's jarring, like they aren't quite a family, even though it's like they are.
Sometimes, Derek does forget that Casey isn't really his sister. But most of the time something keeps nagging him so that he can't forget. Like when she helps him write a song for Sally even after he's been a jerk about it. Even after he put his foot in his mouth and gave her blackmail material to last forever, she still helps.
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3 I Want To Hold Your Hand (The Beatles)
They get lost in the Funhouse. This is dumb, she thinks, but then something creaks in the distance and she jumps. Of all people, she's stuck with Derek.
The mirror maze is dark and spooky. She presses closer, and for a split second their fingers brush. He's having the time of his life, she thinks, even lost. He used to know this like the back of his hand, but apparently not anymore.
"Are you serious," he says suddenly, before grabbing her hand and taking her to the exit.
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4 All You Wanted (Michelle Branch)
In their world, there are no other people. It's a world for two, filled with arguments and suspicious treaties. When he has a breakup and doesn't feel like dealing with it, he turns to her for a distraction. When she's stressing out over dance and school and doesn't know how to put up with all that pressure, she takes it out on him. It's a little unfair, but they understand. In a family that big, it's easier to deal with someone your age, who understands where you're coming from. Someone who might care a little more than they'd like you to think.
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5 One Girl Revolution (Superchick)
Casey MacDonald's going to change the world. If there was ever a better candidate for the Organizer of the World—well, it would probably be her clone, or something. She's a pretty good translator from Guy to Girl (Emily doesn't bother pointing out that it's more like Derek to Girl, by way of Casey, since Casey to Guy seems to fail abruptly) and is always up for helping the people of the world by spreading the gospel of the importance of homework and the good cheer of optimism and good grades; respectfulness and honesty, truth and love.
Casey MacDonald is the face of Idealism, of girls who put on too much makeup to try and look pretty for guys. He thinks, sometimes, idly, that he'd like to change that. Tell girls that they don't need vague ideals and too much eyeshadow. Just themselves. Just her. That's fine.
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6 Melatonin (Radiohead)
Everyone has dreams they don't talk about. Things that don't make sense; the brain doling out images it's collected into a neat mix of unlikely possibilities. These aren't the dreams you interpret, these are the dreams you forget about, if you can.
Things like reliving that moment a little differently. Not breaking up. Wondering what it would be like to actually kiss Casey. Wondering what it would be like to see Derek as a guy, and not just a jerk.
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7 Clocks (Coldplay)
"Coldplay?" Derek repeated, staring at the CD. "No. No way."
"I'm serious!" Casey insisted, frowning. "Sally'll love it. Unless," she added deviously, "you'd rather get her that girlgroup CD I pointed out before, you know.."
Derek's eyes widened, suddenly fearful. He knew the cashiers who worked here. All of them. If word got out that Derek Venturi bought something like the Dixie Chicks, it wouldn't matter that it was for a girlfriend. His image would be so ruined.
"But they're so overplayed," he protested. "I mean, seriously."
Casey shrugged. "Sally remembers when this song first came out. I don't think you can go wrong by inducing some good old fashioned nostalgia."
"Unless it's Patrick-related nostalgia," he mumbled, but Coldplay and Rage Against went through the register, followed by Casey's new Vanessa Carlton.
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8 Fake Frowns (Death Cab for Cutie)
Her frustrated expression was the first thing he noticed. She wanted to ask him why he went to another stupid party, but luckily she didn't. It was enough he was back. For now. He wanted to throw himself onto the bed and bury his face under his pillow. Maybe then the headache would go away.
She followed him in, leaving the aspirin next to a glass of water. "George and Mom aren't home yet," she said quietly. "The car broke down. Marti missed you."
Unspoken: I hope you didn't drive the car like this. Unspoken: yeah, he did, a little bit. It was scary enough that he didn't take anyone with him.
She wants to say more to him, or else she would have left already. But she doesn't. Just watches.
No one else asked how he was doing, before he left.
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9 Pictures in an Exhibition (Death Cab for Cutie)
If D-Rock's going to be a house band, they need to have more songs than just food tributes. "I feel like pizza, yes, with a side of chamomile tea/that's what, that's what she said to me" just won't cut it. Their fame is at stake, so Derek confronts pen and paper with bravado and no interruptions.
He can't put down his feelings. He can't put down anything serious. Just jokes and puns that don't go anywhere. This is not the way to excellence.
Look at it from a different perspective, Imaginary Casey snaps in his head. You're so self-centered.
He looks at it through fingers curled into a camera screen. Man, if his life were a movie, it would be the most boring thing ever.
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10 Hot Topic (Le Tigre)
Gossip flies through the halls. What about Casey? Klutzilla? Did you hear what she did now?
The hockey team snickers in the locker room. Man, lucky Derek. Not. How awkward is that.
Casey, meanwhile, tries to pretend that she isn't affected by all the rumors that have started since she tripped into Derek in the lunch line, very nearly mouth first.
Derek runs through all his wise knowledge, compilations of band lyrics and fortune cookie quotes, and finds nothing that will help. He runs through all the bad words he knows instead.
There'll be another rumor, soon, but it's harder for them to forget anything happened. Or stop reading things into it. Whatever it was.
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"Your iPod is ridiculous," Derek announced, leaning against the doorpost of her room. "Seriously, Case. Get some taste, why don't you."
"Der-ek!" Casey shrieked, suddenly regaining her voice as Derek tossed her iPod back to her. "You're the one who took it?" She fumbled with the iPod for a moment before finally tossing it onto her desk, jumping to her feet, but Derek was already halfway down the hall.
Annoyed, she turned her attention back to the iPod, quickly scrolling through the playlists.
At least it was charged.