The One Thing That's Never Logical
Casey MacDonald always believed in logic. It was one of the reasons she was so good at mathematics in school and so bad when it came to dating.
She used to date guys who in her eyes, or rather logically deduced reasoning, were perfect for her.
Let's take Sam, he wasn't that smart, but good-looking and was into sports (hockey). He balanced her, really smart, also good-looking and absolutely not into sports, perfectly out. So did Max. On paper Casey believed them to be perfect. But why was it that both relationships turned out to be wrong?
Thus she sat thinking in her room as suddenly her stepbrother, Derek Venturi, barged into her room, obviously without knocking.
"Derek what the hell are you doing in my room?!"
"Hey Casey, don't make that ugly face or it will stuck….thinking about it please go on!"
"Out, out, out, out!!"
"Relax, I just need your stapler for a school paper, damn mathematics."
"What? Since when do you even do school papers?"
"Need to pass this class or dad will cut my allowance. Uhmm….I heard about you and Max…..uhmmm….sorry he cheated on you, but really, you deserve better than him."
With those words and a tomato-red head he stumbled out of Casey's room, leaving his stepsister shocked beyond belief.
"Did he just say that he was sorry my ex-boyfriend cheated on me? Did he really just say that?"
See there was this theory Casey had logically put up about her and Derek: they were exactly the opposite of each other, thus they could never really get along, and fighting was the only thing that was absolutely logical in their relationship.
So when he just said that, it made something switch inside of Casey. She had noticed that her stepbrother had been acting more nicely towards her some time ago, if she had been able to see that fact, she might even have known the exact moment it all began: the day he broke up with Sally. But as it was, she only thought about his break-up as an occurrence that was bound to happen since Sally was way too good for Derek.
And this new side of Derek didn't seem to be going away, as it was, it seemed to grow. He would pass her the salad during dinner, insult her less, let her use the bathroom longer, don't complain when it was her turn to watch TV etc.
The, one day, Casey couldn't take it any longer and so she had to confront him about it:
"Derek, what the hell are you doing?"
"What do you mean, I'm watching TV."
"Yeah, after you let me pick the show and sit on your chair! What is wrong with you? You are supposed to argue with me about everything and not be nice, that's nowhere logically right!"
"OH MY GOD! There you go again trying to understand life by overanalyzing it and using logic as your only guideline. Can't you understand that logic isn't everything?! And if you must know, the reason for the way I'm behaving is the one thing that is never logical!"
With that, he stormed up the stairs and slammed his door.
Casey was stunned. And angry. And confused. What did he mean, "the one thing that is never logical"? That doesn't exist. Not for her. Unless he meant, no he couldn't, could he?
Her heart began to race, her palms became sweaty and her breath hitched. She had tried to suppress the one emotion she couldn't understand and therefore feared like hell.
Not knowing what to do, she went where all kids and even teenagers go to seek comfort and help:
"Mom, do you know what the one thing is that is never logical?"
"Oh sweetie, did you fall in love again? I'm so happy for you, after Max I was worried you would be hurt for a much longer time."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"The one thing that is never logical is love, dear. Look at me and George, we are incompatible on paper, but we fell in love with each other nonetheless. So tell me, who is the lucky guy?"
Completely thrown out of her mind, Casey muttered the one word that came into her mind:
"Derek…."
The moment she heard herself say that, she panicked: "Did I just tell my mom I'm in love with my step-brother?!"
Fearing the worst she began to make up excuses when she was interrupted by her mom hugging her and exclaiming:
"Finally! I never thought I would witness the day you two would end your pointless banter and admit you true feelings for each other!"
"What? Did Derek tell you he loved me?"
"Oh please, he didn't have to, the way he's been acting lately has been proof enough."
"But we are stepsiblings, isn't it wrong?
"It's not like you grew up together or are biologically related, it's not like people won't judge you either, but if they do, they'll have a tribe of very pissed off MacDonald's and Venturi's kicking their sorry asses, forgive my profane words! "
Mother and daughter laughed relieved and happy, and Nora sent Casey hurriedly to Derek, claiming not wanting to have two heartbroken teenagers in the house.
"What are you doing in my room Case Space?"
"I figured out what the one thing is."
"Oh, well, what do you…..
Derek's embarrassed mumbling was interrupted by Casey's lips crushing on his, giving him the most passionate kiss he had ever had, and thus making true both of their most hidden dreams and hopes.
And when Derek tenderly put his arms around Casey to hold her to him, she decided that she would now hate mathematics too.