Emily's POV

"Look, Spacey, I really don't care. Why don't you just run along and tell that stupid boyfriend of yours," Derek said callously. "Maybe he'll do it just to make you shut up. I don't know why he puts up with you in the first place." Casey had been going on and on about some essay he needed to finish, and in all honesty, even I was a little annoyed, but he what he'd said was going too far.

He probably already had it finished, and he was just pretending that he didn't to get a raise out of Casey. He didn't even know that Casey wasn't dating Truman anymore. I saw hurt flash momentarily in Casey's eyes before she masked it with anger again. So I, personally, wanted to slap him but, something he said stood out to me. It actually held me speechless for a moment.

"Come on Emily," Casey huffed at me. Turning back to Derek, she said, "I hope you fail, you miserable, insufferable… cad!"

"Whatever you say, Space Case," he said laughing. How have I not noticed this before?

She narrowed her eyes at him and grabbed my arm to drag me off with her, but I pulled away.

"You go on ahead," I said. "I'll meet you in the library in ten. There's something I… have to do."

She was in no state to ask what I was going to do, so she just huffed again and stormed away. Derek watched her go with bright eyes, and I wondered how I'd never noticed it before.

With a smirk, Derek turned to walk away, but I called out to him.

"You called her Spacey."

He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around, confusion written all over that ridiculously handsome face of his.

"What?" he asked me.

"You called her Spacey," I repeated, as if I were talking to a small child. Honestly, when I talk to him, it sometimes feels like I am.

"Because she's a complete Space Case," he said smirking, completely pleased with himself for the insult.

I wanted to laugh. He didn't even know what he was doing. He was showcasing his love for his step-sister.

"You call Marti Smarti," I said in the same tone.

"Because she's the smartest person I know!" he exclaimed proudly.

"And you love her," I finished for him.

"Of course," he said. Now he was looking at me like I'd lost my mind. This was really, really funny.

"You call Marti Smarti, you call Casey Spacey. Are you seeing a pattern here? Because I sure am," I said. Derek just looked like I'd hit him with a ton of bricks.

"I—I don't—I mean, come on! I don't—how could you say that—I'm not in love with Casey!" he said desperately. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"I never said that you were," I said. "But you are. The 'S' means you love her." Then I spun on my heel and walked away. He had enough to think about. I could add the fact that Casey loved him back another day.

All in due time, I thought. Right now, I have to go meet Casey.

Derek's POV

"Look, Spacey, I really don't care. Why don't you just run along and tell that stupid boyfriend of yours," I said, trying to keep the smile out of my voice. I didn't need to tell her that I already had the essay finished. That would totally ruin the moment. "Maybe he'll do it just to make you shut up. I don't know why he puts up with you in the first place."

Her eyes flashed up at me, and I could see that my words had hit their mark. I tried to shake off the guilt I felt at seeing her take my words so seriously, but she covered up whatever it had been with anger.

"Come on Emily," Casey huffed at her friend. I'd forgotten Emily was even there. Turning back to me, she said, "I hope you fail, you miserable, insufferable… cad!"

"Whatever you say, Space Case," I said laughing. She really was cute when she tried to insult me.

She narrowed her eyes at me and grabbed Emily's arm to drag her off, probably to some boring study session. Surprisingly, Emily pulled away.

"You go on ahead," she said. "I'll meet you in the library in ten. There's something I have to do."

So I was right: boring study session. Sometimes it's a little scary how well I know Casey. The thought made me smirk. That was probably about the least scary thing about Casey.

Casey was in no state to ask what it was that Emily had to do, and I certainly didn't care, so she just huffed again and stormed away. I couldn't help watching her go. I was still exhilarated from our fight, and she looked amazing walking away. It didn't hurt that I knew she was thinking about me while she stormed to the library. Me and not that stupid Truman.

With a smirk, I turned to walk away, but Emily called out to me.

"You called her Spacey."

I stopped walking and turned to face her with a 'what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about' look on my face. What was so surprising about that? I call her Spacey all the time. Personally, I think it's pretty clever.

"What?" I asked when she didn't volunteer an explanation. What's your point is more like it.

"You called her Spacey," she repeated condescendingly. (Big word, I know. Casey's been rubbing off on me, but don't tell her that.) Really, I saw no reason for such a tone. She was being completely nonsensical.

"Because she's a complete Space Case," I said with a smirk. Well, it's true!

She looked to be holding back a laugh. That, or she was going to puke. Gross.

"You call Marti Smarti," she said that same tone.

"Because she's the smartest person I know!" I exclaimed proudly.

"And you love her," she finished for me.

"Of course," I said. I think she's losing her mind!

"You call Marti Smarti, you call Casey Spacey. Are you seeing a pattern here? Because I sure am," I said.

I didn't know what to say. Smarti, Spacey. Smarti, Spacey. I kept running over when I started calling either of them that, but I couldn't remember.

What was Emily insinuating? I mean, she couldn't know that I—

"I—I don't—I mean, come on! I don't—how could you say that—I'm not in love with Casey!" I said desperately. She couldn't know what I'd been trying so hard to hide! She just couldn't!

"I never said that you were," she said. "But you are. The 'S' means you love her." Then she spun on her heel and walked away, but I didn't watch her.

I had way too much going through my head. Like, oh I don't know, the fact that someone else knew I was in love with my STEP SISTER! And that someone else was her best friend. Did the universe hate me or something? This was probably some sort of due punishment for violating the laws of nature or something.

So yeah, I know it's different, but it's not like we're actually related. By blood. Right?

What's Casey going to think if she finds out?

All I knew was, I had to do everything in my power to keep that from happening.

Casey's POV

"Look, Spacey, I really don't care. Why don't you just run along and tell that stupid boyfriend of yours," Derek said with that stupid smirk of his. "Maybe he'll do it just to make you shut up. I don't know why he puts up with you in the first place."

Well that hurt.

I mean, ouch, and he just had to bring up Truman. We weren't dating anymore. We'd never actually been dating. See, we had this arrangement. I pretended to be his girlfriend so that he could retain his rep, and he pretended to be my boyfriend because… well, Truman didn't know this, but I was trying to get over my step-brother. Classy, right?

"Come on Emily," I said to my friend, giving up on my clueless step-brother. Turning back to Derek, I said, "I hope you fail, you miserable, insufferable… cad!"

"Whatever you say, Space Case," he said laughing.

I narrowed my eyes at him, galled that he could be so irresponsible about his grades, but I wasn't entirely surprised. If I was being honest (which I wasn't), I would also say that I felt exhilarated. Fighting with him was the greatest feeling in the world. (It still is.)

I reached out and grabbed Emily's arm, but she pulled away from me.

"You go on ahead," she said. "I'll meet you in the library in ten. There's something I… have to do."

Whatever, I thought as I just turned and walked away. I felt like I was floating on air as I walked down the hall. I thought I felt his eyes follow me as I walked, but I must have been imagining it. He couldn't feel the same way…

I shook my head to clear away such thoughts. He didn't feel the same way, so I'd just have to get over him. Yeah, I could do that.

Right?