Chapter 1: Predictably Unpredictable

Someone had once written that everything bad generally happened on a Thursday. Casey McDonald was inclined to agree. Her hardest tests were on Thursdays. Thursday was the only day she didn't have free period to do homework. Thursday was gym class this year, Thursday was baby sitting Marti because it was George and Nora's date night. And inevitably, it was Thursday when she and Derek got into their largest arguments.

This Friday was going to be the first day of winter break, so of course Thursday was the high school winter carnival. George and Nora cancelled their date to have some 'family fun time'. Edwin and Lizzie and Marti had run off to the rides, while George tried to win Nora purple stuffed bear, leaving the two eldest to their own devices. Most of Derek's friends had deemed the carnival too lame to attend, so he was in a bad mood before they'd even reached the lot. The Davis clan had driven off that afternoon, hoping to beat the traffic, so Casey didn't even have Emily to chat with. Instead, the two stared sullenly at each other, trying to stay out of the wind.

"Give me your tickets. I think I see Samantha over there," Derek demanded as soon as the parents were out of earshot.

"What? No way! If you want more tickets, go buy some." Casey's eyes narrowed.

"See, I would, but I'm broke."

"Well, then that's just too bad. You're not getting any of mine. You're eighteen for chrissake. Get a job." She pulled her scarf tighter around her neck.

"I'm a little busy. With a life, something you wouldn't know anything about."

"I have a life! Mine's just productive and worthwhile."

"Right, and you haven't had a boyfriend since that last date with Tinker. Which by the way, was one of the Casey MacDonald top ten most embarrassing moments."

Infuriated, Casey didn't know how to respond. "How dare you make fun of my love life! I like being single!" She shoved him and stomped off towards the food stalls.

Annoyed, he followed after her, unwilling to give up the bait. He caught up with her in line for some funnel bread. "If you're just going to stand here and eat all night, can I have your tickets so I can go flirt with Samantha? She definitely wanted a piece of me last weekend, until someone had to come in and ruin it." The words were pointed and loud, but Casey just huffed and ignored her stepbrother.

Derek was bound and determined to get another rise out of her. If she was going to respond, then he'd just have to step up the ammo. "Of course, if Emily wasn't out of town, I'd just stop over at her house, and I wouldn't have to worry about what happened last Friday."

"You stay away from Emily!" Casey practically yelled. "She and Trevor are finally dating again, and they don't need you barging in and trying to start something. If you want to go sleeping around with slutty Samantha, that's your prerogative, though you're likely to catch something. I did you an accidental favor on Friday, but I'm starting to regret it now."

He snorted, shaking his head. "Only Casey MacDonald could think that dumping someone's dripping wet laundry on top of me while I'm making out with my date was a favor!"

"I asked you seven times before you left to put it in the dryer, but you were too lazy, so excuse me if it bit you in the ass." The funnel cake line had barely moved, and Casey was starting to notice the disapproving looks from the parents and some of her classmates. Thinking quickly, she looked down at the red tickets in her hand. Nora had only given the older kids four apiece, expecting them to rely on their allowance if they wanted more. Apologizing to the people she bumped, Casey threaded her way out of line and towards the carnival attractions, hoping Derek wouldn't follow her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him barging through the crowd, doing his best to keep up with her.

She stopped at the first four ticket booth she found. It had heavy red velvet curtains over the entrance, and Casey laughed a little at the sign.

"Madame Tsitsi's Fortune Telling and Spell Casting. I'll believe that when I see it." She glanced back, and Derek was only few yards away. "Which I guess will be now." Casey handed her tickets over to the bored attendant and ducked inside the curtains.

Derek groaned as he watched Casey enter the tent. A fortune teller? He couldn't believe she was so desperate to get away from him that she'd use all of her tickets in one go. But the superstitious side of Derek was intrigued. Would he possibly learn anything juicy or embarrassing by following her in? He'd already resigned himself to the fact that this night would be a bust romantically, so this at least seemed the most intriguing place to find amusement. And it would bother Casey, so there was an added bonus.

The air inside the tent was pungent, filled with too much incense and not enough ventilation. It was dark, too, and it took a moment for her blue eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. There were two plastic folding chairs in front of her, and a short wooden table with a crystal ball and a deck of cards on it. Madame Tsitsi was no where to be seen. She took a seat, apprehensive, wishing she'd just gotten on a roller coaster or something.

Light streamed in behind her, and the last person she expected plopped down in the chair next to her. "You didn't think you'd get rid of me that easily, did ya Case?"

"Ugh, Derek, why can't you ever just leave me alone?"

"Because then I'd be annoyed and bored. At least this way, one of us is having fun."

"I can't believe you think it's fun to torment someone this way! Forget anything nice I've ever said about you. I wish I never had to see you again, Derek Venturi!" Casey hissed, trying to keep her voice low.

"Ahh, and who do we have here?" A wizened black woman wearing an overly large crimson turban popped her head out of the back room in the tent. Her muumuu was made from the same fabric as the tent, and the large gold chains she wore around her neck clattered as she waddled over to bean bag chair by the table. "A couple, come to seek a blessing for their love?"

Casey snorted, and Derek made a gagging noise.

"As if. This is my stepbrother, Derek."

"Pleased to meet you Derek, I am Madame Tsitsi, conduit of the spirits. And you are, my lovely?"

"That's Casey, conduit of the pathetic."

"Yeah, well, that's better than being conduit of the retarded!"

Madame Tsitsi sat at the table while the shouting match escalated. Only when Casey got up to storm off did she clap her hands loudly. "Enough! It is clear what is necessary here. We need a meeting of the minds."

Casey laughed, "as far as I'm concerned, Derek doesn't have a mind to meet." However, she did return to her seat. Derek just kept quiet, glowering.

Waving off Casey's comment, Madame Tsitsi continued, "Yes, yes, what we have here is a simple misunderstanding. While it appears that you two shall be pitted against each other for all eternity, things aren't always as they seem. I have the perfect spell for you two. Wait here, I need to gather up supplies."

The elderly woman creaked as she stood and made her way to the back room again. There were several bangings and thumps, and one loud "Dammit!" before she reentered the public portion of her tent.

"Alright now, middle hands on the table, you two," she commanded, settling into her seat again and spilling her tools in front of her.

The two teenagers looked at each other, confused, then placed their wrists gingerly on the stained white tablecloth. Swiftly, Madame Tsitsi wrapped their wrists together with three cords.

"There, purple for wisdom, black for binding…" she mumbled, sorting out the bottles in front of her.

"What is the red for?" Derek asked, interrupting her work.

"Don't ask silly questions boy, this is magic. And I need complete silence from here on out. Understand me?"

Nodding, Casey was getting more freaked out by the second. Madame sprinkled a few different oils over the bindings, and then waved the incense burner over it three times. Suddenly, she held her hands over her head. Derek's eyes widened and he glanced over at the girl on his right, who looked just as unnerved as he felt.

"Spirits!" the fortune teller beckoned. "Heed me! I pray to you on be half of Darren and Katie…"

"That's Derek."

"And Casey," she chimed in.

"On behalf of Derek and Casey. Grant them understanding! Grant them your eyes, so that they may see only the truth of their souls! Spirits, heed my prayer!"

Madame Tsitsi was silent for a moment before bringing out a pair of shears and cutting the string that held their wrists together. "The spell is done. You may go."

"Uh, I think you forgot something." Derek held up his wrist, a red, black and purple cord still tied around it.

The smirk that the seer wore was unsettlingly similar to his own. "That I cannot remove. Only you can."

"Derek, I think it's time to meet up with Mom," Casey reminded him, trying to reconnect with the real world.

------------

Later that night, as the kids sat on the couch watching TV, Casey found herself toying with the bracelet on her arm, and wondered what it meant. Somewhere in the house, a clock struck midnight, and she yawned, staring blankly at the flickering screen. She could barely even remember what movie they were watching, except that it had the cute guy from 'the Fast and the Furious.'

The only thing that makes this movie worthwhile is Jessica Alba in a bikini. I wish she'd take her top off.

"Eww, Derek! Keep those kinds of thoughts to yourself!" Casey leaned over the arm of the couch and smacked him on the shoulder. "Disgusting."

"What the hell was that for? What thoughts? I haven't said a word!" Derek scooted over to the far side of his chair, trying to dodge any more slaps.

"Whatever, pig." Casey rolled her eyes until she saw Edwin and Lizzie staring strangely at her.

"Uh, Casey, Derek didn't say anything," Edwin told her gently. Lizzie agreed, trying to back her stepbrother up.

"For real?"

They nodded in unison.

Wow, I must be going crazy.

Derek chuckled, "well, we all knew it would just be a matter of time, Case."

"What would be a matter of time?" Edwin asked, completely befuddled.

"Until Casey went crazy," Derek stated grabbing the popcorn from the younger boy.

"Wait," Casey snatched the bowl in mid grab, "something weird is going on here."

"Yeah, you're touching my popcorn. Off limits, remember?"

"No. Not that…"

Derek, I think we can hear each other's thoughts.

The popcorn bowl went flying as Derek fell out of his chair. He gaped at her and the two middle kids shrugged and switched their attention to the TV. Casey and Derek were just weird sometimes.

Derek shook his shaggy brown hair, shaking out kernels and salt. It pains me to think it, but Casey, you might be right.

Author's Notes:

I wanted to do something a little more humorous and fun, since my other story is pretty much going to be angst only. As you can imagine, this plot could get easily out of hand, so I do expect the rating to go up in later chapters, so if you like it, keep an eye out for a change.

Like I've said before, I'm a very slow author, and not a very inspired one, so I know I won't be updating every week like most people do. I'm sorry! I work on my stories on my breaks at work, but if they get…not work safe...then I'll just be working on them in my spare time at home.

Thanks so much for your support and encouragement. I appreciate every review, and constructive criticism is always welcomed.

Carolyn