Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except Dorothy..hehehe it's funny to say that...D

I stared down at the envelope. It stared back. I took a deep breath and opened it. The letter fell into my lap. I closed my eyes and quickly opened them to see the words that would decide my fateful. 'Accepted.' I jumped from my seat at the kitchen and tried to remain calm as I made my way to my bedroom. But before I did I place the letter in one of drawers in the kitchen, where I kept all the bills and important papers.

"Happiness? From Casey? I must crush it!" I turned to see my room-mate/stepbrother Derek smirking at me. "So what's with all the smiles?" He shot me a fake grin with his all too white teeth.

I turned around. I sneered at him as I explained. "I have been accepted to the 'Academy of Literature and the Dance.'" My sneer turned into a grin.

Derek's brows furrowed. "And where is this 'Academia?' He asked as he waltzed past me to get to the kitchen. He swiped an apple off the table and bit into it.

My grin grew wider. "Paris." I turned to see Derek's reaction. I would soon regret.

He had put down the apple and stared at me with an expression I couldn't read. "You can't go." He told me. I snorted at his reply. When he started to walk out the room like he dismissed this conversion. I, however, had not.

I stormed after him. "What do you mean I can't go?" I blocked his path to the couch in the living room.

He stared at me like I was retarded. "I mean: You. Are. Not. Going. To. Paris." He answered ever so slowly. "And now if you'd excuse me, I have a hockey game to watch." He picked me up by the waist and carried me to the couch. He set me down before he sat down.

I swiped the remote before he could grab it and put it behind me. "Listen. Why don't you want me to go?" I asked. Curiosity got the better of me and I asked that instead of the game plan I had in my head. Things usually sounded better in my head anyway.

Derek raised an eyebrow. "You're not gonna tell me your going and that's final?" He looked me up and down. "C'est possible?"

I shook my head. "You suck at French. That why I'm going to Paris and you're not." I looked up as Derek moved to push a strand of hair away from my face. I flinched at his touch.

He looked at me and answered, an answer I knew was coming. "Because I need this apartment and the terms Nora and George gave us said we both have to live here without any problems." He turned to me and awaited the remote.

I shrugged and threw the remote at him. "Whatever." I mutter as I stormed to my room. I picked up my phone and dialed the person who came to mind. My best friend/med major, Dorothy. She picked up the phone, with a not too friendly, "Yeah?"

I sighed as I sat on my bed. "Dorothy? It's Casey."

She immediately perked up. "Casey! So what's with the smiles?" She asked sarcastically. "You seem super happy!" She tried to make me laugh with her best falsetto cheerleader voice.

I lay down and grabbed my pillow. "I am, it's just…I got accepted to the Academy in Paris, but Derek is being a drama queen about it and telling me I'm not going." I let out a sigh.

I heard a muffled laugh on the other line. "Dorothy? This isn't funny!"

"I know, I know. I just find it amusing how he could ruin your day with one comment. He has complete and total control over you." She explained her laughter.

I sat up with disgust evident on my face. "No he doesn't!" I screamed. I heard footsteps coming towards my door. As soon as Derek popped his head in I chucked the pillow I had in my hands at him.

He held up his hands in defense. "Ow! Just came in to see what the screaming like a teenage girl was about." He backed away from the door and made his way back to the couch.

Dorothy laughed on the other end again. "What?" I asked.

She somehow managed to make her laughing die down. "Unprovoked violence now eh? Interesting…" She giggled. "I could hear the ow from Derek." She explained her knowledge of my attack.

I rolled my eyes. "Assuming isn't nice…" I scolded.

"Cause it makes an ass out of u and me." She finished. "But in all seriousness Case, talk to him. Tell he's being a jackass and that him that you're going."

I grinned. "I love how simply you put things Dorothy." I turned around and saw a pile of papers on my desk. "I have to go. University work is calling my name."

"I have to go too, but be happy all you do is read books and write essays. I have to dissect a pig tomorrow." She told me, and I never wanted to hear that again. "Bye."

I pressed the end button and stared at the phone. The thought of calling my mom had crossed my mind but I just didn't want to hear congratulations yet. I stood up and walked over to my desk. I sat down and thought this situation through. I had been accepted to a school in Paris. Okay…I was going to go next semester…. Okay…. Did I really want to go? Great, Derek had yet again managed to plant doubts into my mind. How I loved his master mind skills. I sometimes wondered why he was going to film school not majoring in Psychology. Oh right, cause then he could have used his powers for evil.

I stared at the ceiling as I heard a knock at the door. I didn't get up. I knew it was probably one of Derek's dates. I continued to stare at the ceiling until I heard the door slam. I realized that I had been holding my breath. I exhaled and got down to the essay that was due next week.

---

I was curled up on the couch and staring the TV. It wasn't on. I was just staring at it. Like it would come alive and answer all of life's problems. If only. I heard the door open and Derek come in. He walked into the living room with that stupid leather jacket of his that he had since he was like 15. He stopped when he saw me.

"Why are you up so late?" He asked as he sat on the couch next to me.

I curled up tighter. "Can't sleep." I replied, never taking my eyes off the TV, as if something fascinating was on. "How was your date?" My default question kicked in.

Derek shrugged. "It was good, seen better, but good." He replied as he leaned back against the couch.

I turned to him. Somehow I just wanted to hit him. Where was the anger, the insult, the snark? If Derek wasn't gonna dish then I was. "Don't you mean you've done better?" I awaited a reaction. Anything to know that nothing had changed. That we still hated each other. That natural order would be restored. Even when I was leaving.

Nothing. Now it was Derek who was staring at the blank TV. I felt my stomach drop. This wasn't Derek. He was letting me win. He wasn't going to fight back. I didn't know what to do. So I stood up. And then I stood there. Awaiting some great big punch or something. Nothing. The silence was getting to deafening. I walked out of the living room and into my room.

I lay down in my bed and stared at the ceiling, it was getting to be a familiar sight. Everything seemed normal after I told him that I was leaving for Paris, until this date. What the hell happened on this date that made Derek so…unlike Derek? But it wasn't why he had changed so suddenly that scared the living daylights out of me; it was that I didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow. If everything was going back to normal or would be he be as unresponsive as tonight.

I buried myself under the covers and hoped that I wouldn't have to wake up.