the way it was
PROLOGUE:
Oh, the summer. A time Casey Macdonald could barely comprehend, let alone bring herself to enjoy.
"Why on earth would anyone think that giving restless adolescents nearly three solid months of free time would be a good idea?"
To Casey, "free time" was the twenty minutes every night after school, extracurriculars, and homework that she allowed herself to read for pleasure before going to sleep. On the final day of their tenth grade classes, Casey did not feel any of the soothing joy she experienced in anticipation of those nightly twenty minutes. Instead, she experienced sensations she likened to what one must feel standing at an enormous precipice overlooking a fathomless, gaping black hole: sheer terror and impending doom.
"Casey, honestly, you can't really be dreading summer?!" Though Emily was a trained expert in the field of Casey-freak-outs, she could not manage to conceal her astonishment at this particular rant. As they navigated their way through the buzzing cafeteria, Casey relaunched her list of summer anxieties.
"Emily, how can you not be dreading it? For years and years, you and I have attended every amazing academic camp available in our surrounding area, and for years and years we have used the summer months for productive and enriching experiences. And now, this year, thanks to all the fuss over Derek's stupid hockey championship, my mother had no time to review the opportunities I had carefully researched. And now it's too late! Everything is all booked up... no enrichment, no productivity, nothing for us! This is going to be the most dull, meaningless summer ever!" As the duo finally found an available table and took their seats, casey finished her tirade with a flourish, pounding her fists on the table for effect. Casey's luck immediately reverberated and rattled the wobbly cafeteria table, tipping her soda precariously towards the edge of her lunch tray. Just as the uncapped bottle began its disastrous decent, an oversized hand swooped in and swiftly settled the falling drink. The hand's owner slid nonchalant into the chair next to Casey and after assessing her with a lazy smirk began his taunting.
"And once again, Derek Venturi rescues the would-be victims of the terrifying Klutzilla!" He paused to grin at his own humor and glanced at Emily expecting a laugh. When he was deprived, he turned back and surveyed Casey. "What's a matter there, Space Case? Why the long face? Please tell me I had something to do with it." Derek was already in a good mood, but now his spirits soared with further proof that Casey was incapable of functioning like a normal human being. Not only was she wreaking her usual clumsy havoc, but she actually looked depressed on the last day of school. Though he was certainly late for his lunch appointment with the Popular Crowd, his curiosity simply could not be satiated without the sure-to-be entertaining details of Casey's latest sorrow.
Casey glared at Derek, which of course only heightened his amusement. Emily raised her eyebrows as Derek sat down at their table, but in order to prevent the verbal lashing Casey was certainly arranging in her mind, Emily offered explanation rather than inquiry as to his presence. "Indirectly, I guess, you could say you're the source. Casey's upset that she has no organized plans for the summer."
"Ooh, do tell how I caused this disaster?" The arrogance in his grin multiplied, as did the malice in Casey's stare. She could no longer hold back her assault.
"YOU did what YOU always do!! YOU pranced around vying for attention and YOU distracted MY mother and YOU and YOUR stupid hockey championship have ruined MY summer!" Casey's volume increased and the distance between her and Derek decreased. The risk of physical out lash was at an all time high, yet Derek dared to further Casey's annoyance. He stuck out his bottom lip in faux pout, and raised his massive championship ring on his hand and gazed upon it in melodramatic sorrow. Emily giggled and Casey huffed and rolled her eyes, turning away from her anger and Derek and back towards her best friend.
"Emily, I don't think you understand the severity of the situation. This," she said, motioning toward Derek, whose antics had dissolved into false sobs over the bejeweled ring, "is what I have to live with this whole lousy and plan-less summer!"
"Woah, lousy? And summer? In the same sentence? What's the deal, Casey?" Sam emerged from the bustling crowd and sat directly opposite Derek, next to Emily.
"Sam! My man!" Derek paused his taunting to engage in some strange male hand-shaking ritual. Emily and Casey locked eyes and shook their heads. "Wherever Derek goes, Sam is sure to follow," they agreed via their own female eye-talking ritual.
"Hi, Sam," Emily said, following a discreet giggle.
"Hi," Casey also murmured, erasing the smile that lingered from their understood conversation. She was quick to return to her anti-summer funk. Sam raised his eyebrows at Derek, implying a question.
Derek answered, "I have ruined Casey's summer." He smiled victoriously.
"Already?" Sam said, in a tone 50 congratulatory and 50 rebuking.
Emily again began an explanation. From there the conversation flowed; Casey had never before realized it, but the pairs of best friends complimented one another effortlessly. Amid Emily's neutral retelling of the situation, Sam tossed support to both Derek and Casey. Derek, of course, livened the table with his typical arrogant behavior, and Casey, of course, let no moment of Derek's egocentric babble go unchallenged. When the debate concerning the legitimacy of Casey's summer woes came to an end, Casey was surprised that Derek and Sam stuck around. Though she had been very involved in defending her position and discussing it with them, she found it hard to believe that they were entertained. Normally their social priorities kept them chasing girls or at least remaining within the proper realm of Populardom throughout the lunch period, but today they seemed utterly contented to eat lunch with Casey and Emily. Casey had to say, she was enjoying it, too.
It seemed strange that the four of them hadn't hung out more often considering the proximity of the friendships, but this honestly had to be one of the first times they united without Emily enamored with Derek, or Casey and Sam absolutely smitten/brokenhearted over each other, or Derek obsessed with maintaining his status, or something of the sort. And it fit. It just felt right. Somehow the four of them meshed perfectly, and quickly the lunch hour filled with talk extending far beyond Casey's summer blues. In fact, Casey forgot entirely about her anxieties concerning the summer. Everything about the four together made her so comfortable. She wasn't the only one benefiting. The union brought out the best in all of them: Emily's sweet agreeability had never been so evident, and Sam's simple wisdom was at last unmarred by his tendency towards insecurity. Even Derek and Casey interacted fluidly; though they bickered as often as ever, somehow the ease of their best friends at their flanks softened the edges of their hostility. Yet still they argued, and a question planted itself in Casey's mind as to why she offered him reaction to his provocations, and why on earth she was actually enjoying it so much. Casey determined it must be the feeling the foursome provided.
Casey had never felt freer. Her anxieties melted and the need to plan and organize subsided. All that mattered was that very moment, the joke Derek was telling, the face Sam made, the sound of Emily's laughter so securely happy beside her. Blame it on the circumstance, the last day of school, or the tiny bit of irrational teenager residing in Casey, but regardless, she had never felt more free.
The four paid no mind as the cafeteria crowds dwindled around them, and their raucous laughter only subsided when the bell for class interrupted. At the noise, reality suddenly descended upon them. Casey glanced frantically at her watch and gasped at the possibility of being late for class; Derek scanned the cafeteria wondering who all had seen him eating lunch with his anal stepsister and her loser best friend. Sam combed his fingers through his hair and hoped his girlfriend would buy whatever excuse he could manage for why he ditched her and ate lunch with his ex-girlfriend; Emily was already up and emptying her tray into the garbage. Instantly Derek and Sam followed her, and Casey was left alone at the table. Though Casey couldn't even remember what she had been upset about earlier, she felt her smile fade again and inexplicably into a frown.
"Casey, come on! We're going to be late for chemistry!" Emily turned and called to her.
Casey sat frozen, watching Derek attempt to trip Sam and Sam dodge his foot and laugh, the goofy friends back to their private mischief. Emily bit at her thumbnail, again as anxious as ever. Casey suddenly felt a sadness much deeper than simple distress over lack of summer plans. In a flash she analyzed the situation: she had been sad, then she was happy, now she's sad again. No, that didn't seem to explain what she was feeling at all. Though normally objectifying the situation helped Casey sort out her emotions, her typically concrete-solid path of logic left her more confused than before. Maybe logic couldn't explain the desperate disappointment she was suddenly feeling. Maybe the thought of all of them just heading off towards their separate lives and resuming their separate friendships was too much to handle in contrast with the past hour of perfect togetherness. Maybe all the analyzing in the world couldn't have prepared her for that unexpected glimpse of comfort, belonging, and freedom. Maybe a glimpse was all anyone got; maybe grasping for more would ruin what little she got. Maybe she was the only one who realized that lunch hour as something special.
"Hey!" Casey's thoughts were interrupted as Derek turned in the doorway, facing and addressing the other three. "Let's hang out tonight. The four of us... you know, like a kick off the summer kind of thing."
"I'm down for that!" and "That sounds fun!" were the respective responses from eager Sam and Emily. Though Derek was already looking at her, now the other two turned towards Casey in search of agreement. Casey simply beamed and nodded.
"... Or maybe this summer won't be so dull and meaningless after all," she thought as she rose from the table with a grin etched on her face and began her walk to class.
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Wowzers. That took a lot longer that I thought it would. I meant for this just to be an opening intro type thing, but I got kinda carried away. Stayed tuned for a taste of summer in the midst of this dreary winter, and some sexy awesome Dasey-ness. This was my first fic ever so pleeeease be nice, or, better yet, constructive with the critiques. That is hoping I get reviews. Hope you enjoyed; thanks for your time!
