The straw seemed to swirl faster and faster as it floated around my non-alcoholic strawberry lemonade. Derek sat across from me grinning as he lazed back in his booth seat and took a swig of his beer. Thrown aside to the end of the table lay our finished plates of fries, wings and fried Oreo crumbs.

Although the quality of the sports bar's meal was above adequate, I really didn't want to be here. But alas, I did end up coming. My decision to attend tonight came before I knew the extent of the night's awkwardness. It started yesterday when Derek called me up in the middle of a lecture on economic theories and their relevance to today's economy. Since he rarely calls I considered the possibility that it was an eh- 'family' emergency, so I stepped out into the hall to phone him back.

"Hey Case." He started off before I could even say hello. "I was wondering if you might want to join Rebecca- his current girlfriend-and me for dinner and drinks tomorrow night."

I thought of saying no at first, but reconsidered at the mention of Rebecca. It was strange, why would Derek want to have a night out with me, his step-sister and Rebecca, his girl friend of what seemed like years now, but was probably only months. Then it came to me: it wasn't even Derek's idea, it was Rebecca's. Were things getting serious for her and Derek now? I believed so. My heart felt sympathetic towards this nice girl and a person who had to put up with Derek for an extended period of time demanded my respect.

So, somewhat reluctantly, I responded, "sure."

"Great," he responded, the tone of his voice unrecognizable to me. "So I'll see you tomorrow I guess. Rebecca can't drink anything alcoholic right now, so we will drive over to the bar and meet you there. Your method of transportation is up to you, but just don't rely on us Case when you get f***** up!" He said chuckling, sarcasm always laced through his voice like he was born with it.

I rolled my eyes at his childish nature for about 10 seconds before it hit me! Why can his girlfriend not drink right now? Only one solution came to mind in that second as I slipped back into the lecture hall.

"She's pregnant!" I said louder than I expected. A few dozen heads turned to give me a confused and utterly horrible look before returning their attention to the professor. I blushed lightly before I headed back to my seat.

"Casey!" Derek yelled over the high volume of conversation around us in the bar and waved a white slip of paper in my face.

"Huh," I responded, clueing back into reality and out of my hazy flashback.

"Bingo, Casey. Do you want to play bingo?" The question seemed only strange for a few seconds before I realized where we were and what was going on. I snatched the paper out of Derek's hand and set it down in front of me. Derek looked up at me with that foggy look in his eyes, the one he gets when he is wavering in between a few drinks and drunk, and dangled the bingo stamp in front of my face. I gave him that look that meant I was clearly not amused, but he ignored it and went back to his beer.

It wasn't fair. At least that was what selfish me thought. He could get as drunk as he needed to get with what he had just gone through, and I had to sit here sober and play along with his sad excuse for a night out. I had even taken a taxi here just incase I put back a few too many, but now it looked like I would be driving Derek home in the Prince and then taking a taxi back to my own apartment just outside of Queens.

We started bingo a few minutes later, but neither one of us looked like we were into the game at all. Two rounds went by with people winning t-shirts and free food and drink coupons before more thoughts of how weird this night was ending up came into my mind.

I was supposed to be sitting here enjoying a drink as I got to know Derek's new serious girlfriend. I would have prodded her for information on why she couldn't drink alcohol tonight and found out if she was really pregnant. Of course, with my luck, none of those things came true.

A couple hours earlier I was actually running late. I was stressing of whether to bring a snack or a bottle of water with me to the bar in case things were expensive when I realized I should of left 15 minutes ago. When my taxi finally pulled up to the small sports bar right off campus, I saw out front, Rebecca and Derek in deep conversation. Rebecca looked tense and worried and Derek looked put out and angry. His face was strained with furrowed eye brows and a thin lip, but his eyes by themselves looked like they were pleading with Rebecca; looking for some sign of good news. I waited silently in the car before slipping the taxi driver some money and quietly getting out. Right as I did so, Rebecca's eyes darted my direction and she stalked off away from Derek as he looked down with his fists clenched.

"You done with that?" Rebecca asked me, pointing toward the cab I had just stepped out of and got in before I replied.

I was speechless and for once in my life, at a loss for words. I slowly approached Derek, not sure if it was my place to say anything. When I was standing right in front of him, he didn't acknowledge my presence, but just stood there looking off into space. Finally after what seemed like hours, Derek ushered me inside the bar and we took a seat at the booth we have been sitting in for about an hour.

I didn't bother saying anything to him once inside. I didn't think of asking him anything while we were eating our dinner either. And when the waitress asked us if we wanted anything to drink, Derek answered for us saying, "she'll have a lemonade and I'll have your most expensive beer." I was surprised that he knew my favorite drink, but still aggravated that he assumed I would be driving him home. Flashbacks from high school came up momentarily. Times I saved his butt because he did something stupid. But I couldn't help thinking of the times he had saved mine as well.

So as we sat there, without a word exchanged between the two of us, it was only a little bit shocking when Derek stood up from his seat and yelled "Bingo!"

The MC that was reading off the numbers and giving away the prices, was just about to head over our direction to double check Derek's score card when another guy from the other side of the bar sitting at the counter screamed bingo as well.

The MC was only a few feet away from our booth, but there was already a sly grin on his face.

"Thank you sir," the MC said as Derek handed him his bingo card. The numbers were double checked before the MC said into his microphone. "We have our first winner for the round!"

Everybody around us looked a bit too excited as theirs eyes held steady with the other man who had yelled bingo.

I turned around in my chair and tapped the lady behind us on the shoulder. "What happens if there is a tie?" I asked since I had never played bingo or any game at this bar before."

She smiled mischievously as well and replied, "There are no ties here. If there is a tie, he comes up with some weird tie-breaker to find a winner," she said in between laughs. "Last time four guys had to have a dance off to find a winner."

I nodded and turned back around, as Derek looked caught up in the rowdiness as well. He looked like a boy ready to open up his first present on Christmas. If this other guy had in fact won, Derek and him would be going head to head for the $50 dollar gift card, which was this round's prize.

With a loud applause from the crowd, the MC happily awarded a tiebreaker for Derek and the other guy at the counter a minute later. Microphone in hand, the MC first addressed the other guy.

"So…" The MC began. I'd like everyone to meet…"

"Trevor." The other guy said into the mic as the MC waited for his name.

"So Trevor, who is with you here tonight?"

Trevor looked a tad shy but quickly answered, "my beautiful fiancé Natalia."

The MC got a kick out of this and jumped up with excitement. I wondered how anyone could get this wound up without anything in his or her system.

"Well hello, Natalia and Trevor, I'm Desmond. Now, can you both make your way over to the DJ booth over there while I talk to the other contestant."

Even though I was not the one who won, I couldn't help but feel nervous as all eyes wandered toward Derek and I.

"And you are?" Desmond said holding the microphone out to Derek.

"Derek."

"And?" Desmond asked looking at me. I froze, like literally nothing could escape my mouth.

"That's Casey," Derek jumped in, saving my butt again.

Desmond waited like we were not giving him all the information he needed. "Is she your girlfriend Derek?" Desmond finally asked winking at me.

I was about to laugh when Derek budded in again. "Course." He replied smiling. I wanted to punch him. I really did. But I just couldn't. I didn't know what had happened with him and Rebecca, but I knew it wasn't good. Letting him play this one out seemed alright, but I was still apprehensive. Why would he lie like that? The thought of me being his girlfriend was absurd, yet I almost scared myself at how cool and collected I was acting.

"Well, Derek and Casey… If you guys would make your way up to the DJ booth as well, we can start our contest to see who will win the $50!"

Thanks for reading. Part 2/2 will be up shortly. I just love the cliff hangers :D