After the lame party Kendra had thrown Casey, she and Max became pretty close. Both of them cam from divorced and divided families. Both were something they didn't really want to be. But wanted to burst out of the dull, mundane shells they seemed to be stuck in. What else were they supposed to be then? Life wasn't supposed to be about parties, and doing whatever you wanted. You're going to be told what to do from birth til the day you die anyways. The two could never be like Derek and his cronies, who were always so ill-minded that they couldn't even remember to bring a pencil to class.
No, they were the type who were praised by teachers, and parental units for always being prepared, and after so long of doing it, it became a hard habit to break. At one time they were free, and able to be as wild as they wanted. Then it was broken, along with their families. Casey's mother became distant and moody, and when Nora met with George, Casey couldn't help but step aside and hope for some normancy to return to her.
Similar, Max's father was killed in a terrible car crash when Max was about ten, leaving him and his mother alone to take care of his little brother and sister, Ellie and Lance. And like Nora and George either working or going out on the town, Max's mother had a date with a different man each night. Like casey having to watch the three terrors, and waiting for Derek the Moron's next antic, Max had to stay home each night to watch his siblings.
I guess that's why their friends weren't surprised that they became a couple. Two months into the relationship, and Marti and Lizzie were already planning their "wedding," and Derek was being a total snark about it as always with Edwin close to his heels. Derek would always say that Max only felt sorry for her, and for awhile Casey believed that to be true. After Kendra's fliers and those insane guys it would be pretty likely that he did.
But in time, his tenderness, and kind words made it prove against Derek's words.
Soon, near the end of the semester, the piles of homework and stresses at home were weighing down on her shoulders, and Max could tell. So he decided to fill Casey in on a little secret that he used to de-stress himself in his times of need. "Do you want to go to a pharm party with me Case?" "I guess, but what's a farm party do?" Max grinned broadly, "I'll pick you up at seven and you can find out for yourself."
Sorry the chapter's short, should be better next time, and I probably won't continue Don't Break The Circle, but I'm going to keep it up in case anyone wants to take it.