Learning to Love
By, awesometastic9
Standard Disclaimer
Chapter One
It Begins at University
"Hey," Derek says, looking up from the book he was holding as Casey enters the kitchen. "What're you doing up so late?"
"Picking courses for next year," Casey replied, looking up briefly at Derek – shoving his face with cereal – and chooses to ignore it. She is holding the same book. "There are so many amazing classes!"
"I know, Women's Literature, Feminist Theory?"
"Derek, you're only taking those to meet girls." Casey says with distain.
"Uh, yeah? But, maybe I should just take the classes you're taking and then take all your notes." He smirks.
"Forget it! And when you see me in the quad, pretend you don't know me."
"Psh, are you kidding, we're going to be best buds, and then you can introduce me to all your sorority sisters."
"Derek, you are the most annoying brother – "
"Step… brother." Derek corrects. A strange look crosses his face that Casey can't quite place.
"Same difference." Casey says, a little confused but not wanting to argue about that tonight.
"Yeah… alright." Derek allows. Then a thought occurs to him. "Hey! Maybe we can live in the same residence!"
"I'm living in an all girl's residence." Casey says matter-of-factly, happy to burst his bubble. But, it doesn't seem to faze him.
"I know." Derek says, the smirk back in place and that look gone.
"Oh, yeah?" Casey says, walking around the island towards Derek. "Well I can't wait to go to all your hockey games and embarrass you in front of all your friends."
"Uhhh, okay," Derek says, backtracking, "I won't take your classes if you'll stay away from my hockey games."
"No way! There might be some cute hockey guys, or some frat boys!" Casey says suggestively.
"Oh, no! You're not dating my fraternity brothers!"
---
"Oh, mom!" Casey cries, launching herself at Nora as carefully as she can – Nora is getting very pregnant - and latches herself onto her, crying.
"Oh, Casey," Nora sobs as well. "I'm going to miss you so much."
"Me, too, Mom. Me, too…" Casey cries.
Suddenly, Lizzie latches onto the group hug and cries as well.
"What am I going to do without my big sister?" she asks miserably.
Casey pulls away, wiping away her tears with a small laugh. "You'll do fine, Liz. You're strong. And besides," Casey pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to her, "You can call me anytime you need me, okay?"
Lizzie's smile lit up the room. "Okay!"
Marti then cried,
"Smer -ek!" with a bit of Casey flair. She grabbed onto Derek's knees, holding him tight. "I'm going to miss you!"
Derek chuckled, his voice a little choked up – but only Casey, being Casey with a super-sensitive Derek meter – noticed. She looked at him with a small smile on her face and he gave a small one back. Casey's eyes widened and, she tried to hide her shock by giving George a hug, too.
"Take care of Nora, George!" she said, pulling back and waggling a finger at him.
George laughed. "Of course, Casey." And he wrapped an arm around Nora's shoulders protectively.
Everyone then looked at Edwin, who was unusually quiet.
Lizzie looked at him with a steely glare and elbowed him in the ribs.
"Ow!" he cried and muttered, rubbing the back of him neck awkwardly, "I guess I'll miss you two, too."
"Oh get over here, man." Derek said holding out his arms with a laugh on his face.
Edwin looked at him like he had just grown five heads, but obliged – probably because he feared pain in he didn't – and gave Derek a big hug. It didn't last long – the hug – and Derek gave one last back clap to George and waved Casey along with him out the door.
Casey gave Nora one last hug and followed him outside.
And over the river and through the woods to University they went.
---
The drive to Queens University from their home in London, Ontario was long – 5 hours – but only because Derek decided to take too many rest stops – food, duh – and Casey (surprisingly) enjoyed the ride, even though she was with Derek. It was quite comfortable, actually, Casey realized halfway through. They barely fought and were pretty civil to each other.
Derek took the easy route though, heading East on Dundas Street towards Talbot Street, then turned right on Highbury Avenue North.
"Keep right to stay on Highbury North, Derek." Casey said.
"Okay," was his surprisingly non-snarky reply.
They took the ON-401 ramp to Toronto then King's Hwy 401/MacDonald-Cartier Fwy.
"Hey, Case. They named a road after you? What idiots," he said with a laugh.
Casey glared at him for a moment then chose to ignore him, and read more of the directions to him.
"Take exit 617 for Division Street towards Westport, County Road 10, Kingston, and then turn right at Division Street."
"Alright."
After about 5 kilometers later, Derek wined,
"Are we there yet, Casey?"
"Almost, winey baby." She said grinning. "Oh! Turn right here!"
Derek slammed on the brakes and swerved to the right making a sharp turn.
"Nice Case. Keep your eyes on those directions, will yah?"
Casey glowered. "34 miles left!" she cried excited.
Then,
"There it is!" Casey cried. "Get in the left turn lane!"
Derek obliged and got in the lane, and pulled up the gate.
"Student ID cards or Visitor Voucher please," said the guard.
"Oh!" Casey cried, digging in her bag by her feet. In seconds she pulled out an envelope and produced her and Derek's cards. She gave them to Derek who handed them to the guard. He entered something in his computer then handed them back.
"Welcome to Queen's Mr. Venturi, Miss MacDonald."
"Thanks!" Casey said enthusiastically and Derek drove through the now open gate.
"This is so exciting, Derek!" Casey squealed, bopping up and down.
"Yeah, I guess." Derek said, "Now, stop that bopping."
Casey sighed and said, "Whatever," but stopped all the same.
"Where's the main building?" Derek asked, driving slow through the streets.
"Uhhh," Casey consulted her map. "It's Ban Righ Hall. Right up there." She pointed, "To the left on Bader Lane."
Derek drove up there wordlessly. He pulled into a parking space smoothly, and turned off the car. The car wasn't the Prince, for it had kicked the bucket in July. Nora and George gave them a brand new Toyota Yaris as a late happy graduation present and a goodbye gift for college.
He and Casey got out, but Casey took a bit longer, grabbing all the necessary materials they needed to sign in and get their permanent course schedules.
The building was nice and cozy and Casey walked right up to the front desk, and an older woman welcomed her.
"Hello! Can I help you?"
"Yes," Casey said, and held out her and Derek's ID cards and a few papers. The woman looked at them briefly, and then typed something in her computer. She handed them back to Casey and said,
"You're all signed in! And wait, your schedules are printing."
She handed the papers to Derek and Casey, looking at them for a second, pausing at Casey's.
"Quite a lot of classes you're taking Miss MacDonald."
"Yes, I just couldn't decide on a few, so I just decided to take them all!" Casey grinned.
"Keener!" Derek coughed conspicuously.
Casey turned to glare daggers at Derek before turning back around to smile at the lady, whose name was Mrs. Hallington.
"Thanks, ma'am." and Casey began walking away.
"Oh! Sir!" Derek turned.
"Yes?"
"I forgot your Hockey practice schedule. Congrats on getting the Lou Jeffries Scholarship. Very impressive."
Derek nodded, embarrassed and followed Casey out of the room.
Once outside Casey spun on Derek with a steely glare.
"Der -ek!" she cried. "You never told me that you got a scholarship!"
"I didn't tell anybody." He shrugged. "And, it's not like you asked anyway. So, why are you caring now?"
Casey just stared at him. "I don't know. Why do I care?" she muttered and got in the car.
Derek stood outside for a moment longer and frown on his face then got in the car, silent.
Derek pulled out of the parking space carefully, and they headed over to the dorms. The girl's dorm Casey was in was just a few buildings down, so Derek stopped there first. They pulled up in an empty space just in front of the door.
"Oh, we're so lucky! We won't have to go as far!" Casey said.
"'We'?" Derek said, raising an eyebrow.
"You're helping me Derek. Whether you like it or not." Casey said, the steel back in her voice. Derek just rolled his eyes but didn't protest… much.
"I'm only dropping your crap out of the car on the walk. You can get it to your dorm. You're on the first floor Space Case. But, let's hope Klutzilla doesn't appear." He smirked.
"Ugh!" Casey groaned and stepped out of the car. She opened the back seat and began pulling out her boxes, and carrying them to the sidewalk. On the last trip – Derek only took one box making Casey do the rest – she had too much piled in front of her face and she forgot to step up onto the pavement. Everything went flying onto the ground.
"Ahhh!" Casey cried, scraping her knees and palms. "Ow, ow, ow!"
"Hey, are you okay?" said a smooth, male voice next to her head that wasn't Derek's. Casey lifted her head up curiously and saw a very handsome guy with golden hair and scorching blue eyes who was kneeling beside her.
"Here, let me help you up." He said, lifting her by the elbow to her feet.
"Ow…" Casey said quietly, limping slightly as she moved onto the sidewalk.
"Jeez," then came Derek's voice from behind her. "Nice one Klutzilla."
Casey turned back around fast to glare at him. "Stop calling me that, Derek."
"Hey, I just call them like I see them." He said with a nonchalant shrug.
Casey cried out in frustration and glared harder.
"Is this guy bothering you?" then asked the guy who had helped her up.
"Forever and always," she said bitterly, turning to him and then smiling. "But, it's okay. He's going now."
She then turned back to Derek, and repeated herself in a voice dripping with malice.
"Now."
Derek glared. "Fine, Space Case. I'll leave you and lover boy to get all cozy inside your dorm." He said meanly, got in the car and left.
Casey stared after him, very confused and sort of hurt by his harsh words. Her brow furrowed, she bent to pick up her stuff, which was just clothes – thank goodness – or Casey would've had a meltdown if it was something breakable. But, those were already safe and sound on the walk.
"Hey, who was that guy anyway?" asked the guy who had helped her.
"Oh, that's just Derek, my annoying stepbrother." Casey said disdainfully. "But, let's not talk about him…"
"Fine by me. I'd rather focus on the very pretty girl standing before me."
"Ahh, thanks, umm…?"
"James Rupert," he said with a charmingly coy smile. Casey smiled back.
"Hey, why don't I take you out sometime? You know show you around Kingston." He asked.
"Oh, that's okay. I'm very capable. And, besides, my boyfriend, Truman, is coming to visit from U of T next weekend. So, yeah." Casey looked away awkwardly. "I'll see you around?"
"Yeah, sure." He said, and looked a bit disappointed. "Bye - oh! I never caught your name!"
"Casey - Casey MacDonald."
"Okay, then. Bye Casey." And he walked off.
Casey frowned to herself. "What kind of guy asks out a girl without knowing her name first?" she muttered, then slapped her forehead. "A guy like Derek." She groaned. No matter what she did, her life always seemed to revolve around him.
Casey sighed and picked up a box and walked into her dorm building. She walked down to A57, which was at the very back of the building, by one of the nice gardens. Casey walked into the room and gasped almost dropping the box: there was a sliding glass door that opened into the garden and it was bursting with color.
As was the room.
"Oh! Hey!" said a voice, and Casey set down her box on the empty bed to see a girl – her roommate Chelsea Winters – standing before her. And she was gorgeous. She had long red hair with beautiful green eyes and freckles across her nose. She was tall and dressed nicely, accenting her slim but curvy body. Casey smiled.
"Hello! You're Chelsea?" Casey asked, holding out her hand for her to shake.
"Yeah! And you're Casey!" Chelsea cried, vigorously shaking Casey's hand, and then grasped her in a tight hug. "Oh! This is going to be wonderful! We're going to be best buds! And you have to meet Lauren, my bestie from back home! She lives just down the hall." She let go and jumped up and down clapping.
Casey smiled, happy to have a peppy roommate, and said, "Yeah! This is going to be great! What classes are you taking?"
"Oh, who wants to talk about classes now? They don't start for another week!" said a new voice, and Casey turned to the doorway to see another gorgeous girl, who must be Lauren. She was blonde with baby blue eyes and such a slim figure she was almost petite. "Oh! You must be Casey!"
"Yeah, that's me."
"Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" Lauren said and waved for Casey and Chelsea to follow her.
"Can you hold on a sec?" Casey asked timidly. "My stuff is still sitting on the sidewalk."
"Oh, sure!" Chelsea answered. "We'll help you get it."
Lauren and Chelsea followed Casey outside and they all grabbed as much as they could and we able to get it all back to the dorm in one trip. Once everything was set down, Lauren grabbed Casey and Chelsea's arms and dragged her out the back door and Casey saw immediately was she was talking about: rolling green hills and magnolia trees all round, some still with blossoms, even in August.
"It's crazy, isn't it?" Chelsea said, "They bloom all year round here you know. For some odd reason…"
"It's beautiful! I'm glad I chose Queens. It's so gorgeous and the academics are so great!"
"You got here on scholarship?"
"Yeah, why?" Casey asked, confused.
"Which one?" Lauren asked.
"Uh, the Harrison-LeCaine Scholarship."
Chelsea and Lauren looked at each other then back at her.
"Were you valedictorian?"
"Uh, why does this matter?" Casey said, getting nervous.
"Nothing, it's just, no one has earned that scholarship in 30 years. What did you have like a 4.5 GPA?"
Casey blushed. "Uh, maybe?"
"Extracurriculars, community service, et cetera?" Chelsea said.
Casey started fidgeting.
"Hey, we were just shocked. I heard someone had gotten it, and everyone was buzzing about who. I'm glad it was you, because I suck at studying. Like, seriously." Said Lauren.
Casey gave a nervous laugh. "It's alright."
"Good, because we're taking you out for ice cream. Like, now."
---
A/N: okay, so I did a LOT of research on Queen's University, and I have a lot of it saved on my computer so the places will be pretty accurate - as far as the names and location - but I'm not sure what classes are where or whatever, so I'm going to be picking and choosing the buildings, okay? just go along. ;] and the scholarship Casey got? yeah, made it up off one of the campus buildings, because I couldn't find a name for one. lol. but Derek's scholarship is real. by the way. and I have a LOT in store for this story. just FYI.
Oh, and to my Fearless fans, I think I'm going to stop with that FOR NOW. I'm definately going to finish it; I just have major writers block and everything I type isn't coming out right. ack.
So, next chapter up soon! and PLEASE REVIEW!!!
-awetast9