This is my first LWD fanfic. And I hope you all like it. It's sad and made me cry while writing it. Review please and I own nothing
Casey hated this. It was a rainy day and they all stood around. The hockey team was carrying the coffin. The carefully put it on the leaver.
Sam took our Derek's jersey and placed it on top of the black coffin. Casey chocked back a sob. This shouldn't have happened. She loved him! And now he left her. That wasn't right!
"Casey you wanted to say something?" George asked. She nodded. Even though George was her step-dad he was also her boyfriend's father.
"I—I…I thought how to express to you all how much I love Derek. And I couldn't come up with anything. All…all I could think was that my boyfriend wasn't here anymore. He wasn't there to comfort me. He wasn't there to hold me when I was sad. But then I thought about all of you…" She turned to look at the group around her. Some were looking at her. Others the coffin. Some the ground, or their hands. But Casey took her eyes back to the jersey.
"When I think about the lives that Derek has touched it's more than any of us will know. I know he's changed my life." She was staying strong. She had to. "I know he's changed some of your lives as well. Some for the good. Some for the bad." She shrugged. "Marti…" She leaned down in front of the little girl. "I wanted to tell you that Derek loves you." Casey kissed her forehead before standing up. "Now we will morn his loss. I know I will. But Derek will not be remembering with loss! But with joy! I love Derek and I know that my love will never be past tense. But how will you remember him." And with that Casey pulled out a single red rose and placed it on top of the jersey. She kissed the coffin and turned away. Nora put her arm around her eldest daughter and let her sob into her shoulder.
"Derek!" She cried in her sleep that night. Her siblings heard her. And wanted to comfort her. But they didn't know how since they too were in pain.
Casey woke up and walked across the hall and opened Derek's door and lay down on his bed. She stared up at the ceiling; she was hugging his pillow to her chest. It smelled like him. Was all she could think.
She didn't hear it but Edwin and Lizzy walked in. Edwin slipped a CD into the CD player before joining their sister on the bed.
Lizzy curled up on her sisters on side. And Edwin on the other. Edwin was trying to be the strongest. In the hospital Derek made him promise to take care of the family. Including Casey. Most especially Casey. So now Edwin was living up to that duty as he brought his older sisters head to his shoulder. Lizzy laid her head on Casey's stomach.
The song on the player made Casey look towards her younger brother. "Where did you get this?" Her voice was rough from her yells and tears.
"Derek gave it to me. Said to hide it till your birthday. Thought you'd want it." She nodded as she listed. When their song came on she cried harder.
We were both young when I first saw you
I closed my eyes and the flashback starts
I'm standing there
On a balcony in summer air
See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns
I see you make your way through the crowd
And say hello
Little did I know
That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles
And my daddy said, "stay away from Juliet"
And I was crying on the staircase
Begging you, please don't go
And I said
Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story
Baby, just say yes
So, I sneak out to the garden to see you
We keep quiet cause we're dead if they knew
So close your eyes
Escape this town for a little while
Oh oh
Cause you were Romeo, I was the scarlet letter
And my daddy said, "stay away from Juliet"
But you were my everything to me
I was begging you, please don't go
And I said
Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story
Baby, just say yes
Romeo, save me
They try to tell me how I feel
This love is difficult, but it's real
Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess
It's a love story
Baby, just say yes
Oh oh
I got tired of waiting
Wondering if you were ever coming around
My faith in you is fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town
And I said
Romeo, save me
I've been feeling so alone
I keep waiting for you, but you never come
Is this in my head
I don't know what to think
He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring
And said
Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone
I love you and that's all I really know
I talked to your dad
Go pick out a white dress
It's a love story
Baby, just say yes
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
'Cause we were both young when I first saw you
When the song first came out and Derek calmed it their song. She started calling him Romeo. He said that she was his Juliet. His beautiful Juliet. At the time it was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever called her.
Then as the song came to an end Derek's voice came on, "Marry me Juliet. Get that ring out of my sock drawer." Casey sat up and set out to find the ring. "I know you can find it." And when she did she opened the ring and gasped at the plain simple ring. But to her it was perfect. "I love you Casey." And then another song came on.
She slipped the ring on her finger and looked down at it. She climbed back in bed with Edwin and Lizzy.
Casey didn't like being stuck at home. And she wouldn't listen to her parent's pleas to stay home. No she left not two days after Derek's funeral did she go back to school.
Around the stairs of the school were pictures, teddy bears, flowers, candles. People were swarmed around the memorial.
"Casey what are you doing here?" She heard Sam asked. She looked up at him and shook her head before looking back at the picture of Derek.
"Could ask you the same thing." She said in a small voice. People came up to her hugged her, cried on her, pleaded with her to go home, said they were sorry for her loss. But nothing changed her heart.
After a month Casey was still in the funk that she called life. Most people at school had moved on with their lives putting Derek to the memorial and the posters around school.
When it came to the first game of the season the coach asked Casey to pick the new captain and also help put Derek's number on the wall. The wall with all the other famous, super star skaters.
So now Casey stood in the middle of the ice rink. The hockey team was in a circle around her. Well a semi circle. The all had there heads bowed at the number 22 (I don't know what number he was.) jersey hanging in the middle.
"I was asked to pick the new captain. But I really like the old one." She said with a teary laugh. "But I went throw the list I was given. I remembered the games. I though of who Derek would want to wear this 'C' on their chest. So me being me I went throw the list again and again. And then I knew. I was so stupid from the beginning not to realize who I should give this to." She held the mike tight in her shaking hands. "Not many of you know but the hockey team got new uniforms." The team's eyes grew wide. Edwin and Lizzy skated out with a box in their hands. Casey pulled out the jerseys all of them had number 22. And DV on them. "So boys come and get 'um." The boys picked out the uniforms hugging her as they went.
"Now Sam come here." He walked over to her. And she put his hand out. And placed Derek's torn, battened, shredded, captain patch in his hand. She felt the tears fall down her face.
"Do great Sam. Be great. And make Derek proud." Sam hugged her. But Edwin and Lizzy had a gift for Casey. They handed her one of the new uniforms with Derek's number on it.
And now a year later Casey sat at Derek's grave where that same jersey.
"I wish you could have been there Der. George was so proud. I don't think he stopped smiling. When Isabella gets older I bring her to see you. She would have loved you as much as I do." Casey looked back at the car. She saw Lizzy and Edwin waiting. "I love you Derek." She kissed her hand and placed it on the stone. She got into the car. And as she drove home she held tight to the jersey in her small pale hand.