Chapter 1 New Facts, New Faces
Maybe it was his intense eyes, or the way his hair was always perfectly messy that had made her fall in love with him. Maybe it was the way he smirked at her or how he never took no for an answer. Everything about him annoyed her to no end, but it also made her love him that much more. Whatever it was, there was something about him that made it impossible for her to think of anyone else.
She found her self at times picking fights with him, just so he would talk to her. But it wasn't what she wanted. What she wanted was to grab him and kiss him right in front of everyone. But that was something the old Casey would have done, the real Casey. Not the grade-grubber, klutzilla that had appeared when she had moved into her step-father's house. That Casey was a promise to her mom that she wouldn't get into as much trouble as she used to. That Casey was a lie.
It was her senior year of high school and she and Derek had were planning on going to the same college the next year. Casey was sick of living in skirts and pink tops and longed for the days when she would go out partying with her friends. She wished that just once she could be seen here the same way she had been seen there. As the girl who was typically responsible, but could let it all go every now and then.
It was bright and early on a Saturday morning and Casey was still in bed, but Derek had been unable to sleep. So he had gotten up around the same time as Nora and helped her with breakfast. The door bell rang and Derek went to answer it. When he opened the door he saw a three people who looked like they didn't belong anywhere near his house. "Can I help you?"
"Does Casey McDonald live here?"
Derek nodded.
"Good! We're friends on hers, can you tell her we're here?"
At this Derek started to laugh. There was no way the Casey he knew would ever consider hanging out with these people who were dressed in mainly black and had a very punk-rock vibe to them. After a moment he caught his breath. "Sorry, nothing against all of you, but you might be looking for a different Casey McDonald."
One of the girls looked at a piece of paper in her hand. "Nope, this is the address she gave us."
Derek backed up. "Well, by all means come in. I don't mean to be rude, it just doesn't seem like Casey."
At that moment Nora walked into the living room and smiled as each of the two girls and one guy gave her a hug with Derek being even more shocked, and there was a screach heard from upstairs. "DEREK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"That sounds like Casey, though." Derek smirked and waited at the bottom of the stairs for Casey to run down and yell at him.
When Casey had woken up it had been to the sound of the door bell. She had sat up and looked around her room. Oh, no. He had done it again. Casey fumed as she got up and pulled her jeans on. Derek had taken her shirts again. She went into his room and grabbed one of his more punk shirts and screamed.
When she got to the top of the stairs she saw him standing there smirking. He was waiting for her to come down and yell at him. She knew it. So, she decided to pull out old Casey. She knew her mom wouldn't like it, but maybe this would be a good exception.
She ran down the stairs and yelled his name. WHen he turned round, still smirking, she punched him in side of his face. he fell to the floor caught completely off gaurd by such a move. She leaned over him and he looked up at her. "QUIT STEALING MY TOPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She made a move like she was going to hit him again, but as he used his arms to protect himself she heard Lizzy yell, "Megan!"
Casey looked up and forgot all her anger at Derek. Megan, Jasmine, and Chris were standing in front of the table watching her. Her face broke into a huge smile as she practically tackled her friends. Nora was scowling at her. She turned to see Derek still bunched up on the floor. She laughed a little and said, "You can get up now, Derek, I won't hit you."
He slowly got up as she walked into the kitchen. George had come up and Casey could hear Marti asking Derek what happened. Derek stammered as Casey returned with an ice pack. "I hit him." She handed him the ice pack and he took it and went to his recliner.
Casey's friends spent the rest of the day at the house, but left after dinner for their hotel. Derek had spent the majority of the day pouting in his recliner. He had gone up to his room right after dinner and waited for Casey to come up. When she did he was leaning against his door frame and stopped her as he spoke. "Nice punch, didn't think you had it in you."
Casey stopped smiled at him. "Well, I guess that was just one prank too many. Where are my tops, by the way?"
He produced a bag that was stuffed. "Please, take them back, I don't want to get hit again." The swelling on his cheek hadn't really been bad to begin with and was practically gone, now, but the bruise was several beautiful shades of purple, green and black.
She laughed a little and reached up to touch his cheek. "I really didn't mean to hit you that hard."
Derek snorted. "Yeah, right." He disappeared into his room and closed the door in Casey's face.
Casey stared at the door for a minute then went into her own room.
Derek leaned his head against the door. Why did she have to do that? Why did she have to touch him as if she actually cared that she had hurt him? She was probably dancing for joy that she had managed it. Derek threw himself onto his bed and listened to his heart beat as he tried to keep from thinking about the touch. But with every beat he could feel his heart cracking a little more.
God, he loved that girl.
A/N: This chapter is fairly short compared to most of the other chapters. Please keep reading, I promise it will pick up. Review button! Push the pretty review button!