Derek's POV:
I rolled my eyes, leaned my head back, and groaned in unison with Edwin. Even though it was only early March, today had been dubbed "McDonald Mid-May Day." Apparently, girls didn't buy enough clothes during the rest of the year to make Nora happy, so she had started this tradition where both of her girls got 100 to spend on summer clothes they wouldn't wear until mid-May. Hence, "May Day." The corny, forced alliteration told me exactly who had come up with the name.
I chuckled to myself, thinking of the look Casey had been wearing when left for the mall.
"So explain this May Day thing again?"
"Derek, I told you three times already, and I'm holding everyone up!" Her eyes darted down the hallway. I knew the lateness was upsetting her, so I took my time replying. I shifted my weight to lean against my door frame.
"I get the process," I told her without quite saying 'duh.' "I just don't get the logic. I mean, at the rate you're going, you won't fit in these clothes come May." The fury on her face was instantaneous. "Ugh! Derek!" She shouted, punctuating my name as she pushed me in the chest. She reached past me for the door knob, slamming me into the silence of my room. For a moment, the only sound was her stomping footsteps. Then I laughed out loud, wondering what name she would come up with next year to include Venturi for Marti and Nora.
Nora modeled her clothes first. Edwin and I made sure to 'ooh' and 'aah' in all the right places. We may not have sounded as sincere as Dad, but I'm pretty sure he's who she was listening to anyway. I pretended to be disgusted by the way they were looking at each other and leaned back again, ignoring Lizzie's new clothes altogether.
Edwin made a crack about one of them that made me laugh, but I shook my head when he raised his hand for the high five. It wasn't that funny.
Marti I sat up for. On her first McDonald Mid-May Day she had spent her money on a pair of neon orange shorts, cowboy boots, a black tank top and a pet frog. Nora had kicked the frog out before getting in the car, but instead of crying, Marti had found it funny that her step mom was afraid of frogs.
Currently, Marti was parading around the living room in her new clothes, showing off the empty cage, reenacting Nora seeing the frog. Somehow, in all the screams and laughs, I heard the stairs creak, and then we were watching Casey in her new clothes.
I know nothing about fashion, but I noticed Casey's clothes alright. The heels made her long legs look even more perfect beneath her khaki skirt. The shirt was thin and clug to her tiny waist, revealing how off I was when teasing her about her weight.
"Wow Casey! You look pretty!" Marti exclaimed in her loud, little girl voice. Everyone was agreeing and "Beautiful…." just slipped through my lips.
The word lingered for a heartbeat or two. I'm not sure exactly, mine was stopped. I let my breath out in a rush out, "I mean, IF you can call a wet dog beautiful."
Edwin let out a laugh and held his hand up. The room seemed normal enough to me, and I relaxed again. Reaching up to meet Edwin's high five, I leaned back and slipped into my usual uncaring step-brother mode.
Even when they were so obviously a cover-up, all of my jokes were high five worthy.
A/N: So I was watching LWD the other day, and I told my friend "This show is awesome, but I just want it to go Marmalade Boy!" And she was like "ME TOO!" So I got online and found, not for the first time, that I'm not the only supporter of a random couple that I expected no one to agree with!
This scenario has been playing in my head ever since, and I actually have plans to continue this. Nothing epic, just 3 or 4 more chapters. Not this minute, though. I am pretty deep into my Zutara fic (so check it out if you ship that way!)
Let me know what you think! Even after my Zutara fic is done, I probably won't write more if no one likes it. That's not supposed to be a threat or anything, this is just my first LWD fic and IDK exactly what to think of it!
Also, it was pointed out that "May Day" isn't alliteration. I know this. I was referring to the McDonald Mid May part. Besides, it IS Derek talking! LOL
For those of you that don't know, Marmalade Boy is a Japanese manga where a girl and her new step bro fall in love. It's awesome!