NEVER A PRINCESS
AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER
This is set in Season 3 but Casey's never dated Max, so it's slightly AU. Be gentle since I haven't seen all of that season. Semi-inspired by Taylor Swift's "White Horse" and will use a variation of some of the lyrics. Life With Derek belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. Derek and Casey are out of character here, but it worked for the fic.
Derek was in the middle watching a hockey game when the front door banged open and a crying Casey ran up the stairs.
"What the-Casey?" he questioned. He followed her up the stairs and barged into her room.
"Get out!" Casey screamed, throwing a stuffed animal at him. He caught the projectile and stepped closer.
"What happened? Did somebody hurt you?" he queried.
"OUT! GET OUT!" she shrieked, hitting him.
"All right! Geez!" he huffed, leaving. See? This is what happens when I try to be nice. I get yelled at and hit, he thought to himself. He went back downstairs and resumed watching the game, and then forgot about Casey's strange behavior. In her room, Tears streamed down Casey's face as she wrote frantically on a sheet of paper. Should've known. I'm so stupid. What was I thinking? she wondered. It's just the same all the time. When am I going to learn? her thoughts continued. Presently, Marti, Edwin, and Lizzie came in and Derek was forced by Marti to relinquish the t.v. When dinner finally came around, everyone was surprised to see that Casey wasn't there.
"Derek, would you go see what's keeping Casey?" George asked.
"But-" Derek protested.
"Now," his father interrupted. With a sigh, he got up and did as he was told. Hearing that dinner was ready, she came down the stairs and joined everyone at the table. However, it soon became apparent that something was wrong. But she refused to talk about it, and everyone could sense that it wouldn't do any good. After they were done, everyone went to do their own thing. Derek tried to watch t.v. but his curiosity got the best of him and he headed up the steps to Casey's room. He heard her singing and shook his head. Figures. She's singing some sappy song, he thought to himself. He pushed the door open and was about to call her when she became louder.
I was never a princess, there's no fairytale. I'll never be the one swept off her feet and led up the stairwell. I'm not in Hollywood, I'm just in a small town. Why do I keep dreamin' just to be let down? And there'll be no prince with a white horse to come around
Derek felt his heart drop. What the-who made her feel like that? he wondered. Then, she began crying.
"Case?" he asked.
"What?" she snapped.
"What happened? Someone obviously hurt you," he stated, walking in.
"It doesn't matter. I was just being stupid. I'm fine," she replied.
"Hey, come on," he said, kneeling in front of her. Yeah, he didn't usually do tears, but something told him that this was serious.
"I got asked out on a date and-"
"And what?"
"He just asked me out to make his girlfriend jealous."
"Jerk." Casey sniffled and Derek took her into his arms and let her cry.