AN/ Just to let you guys know, I'M DYING FOR MORE REVIEWS!! And if I'm dead, then I can't post anymore and then all you people that read but REFUSED to review will feel guilty. Or SHOULD feel guilty, unless you're heartless creatures. In which case…I'm surprised.

So to all you 3 people that read and reviewed, THANKS. All you people that put me on alert, thanks, but some feedback would be nice too?

If you're stumped on what to say, you don't have to say much. Maybe let me know what you thought, what you think will happen next, if the characters are IN character…ANYTHING! Even awful hateful reviews are something…but try to stick to the nice ones, they make me happier. Lol.

WOW, longest note EVER! Props to those who read this far, I just hope you have enough reading left in you for…

A Day Full of Surprises

It was 2 weeks later and things were back to normal in the McDonald -Venturi residence. Edwin and Lizzie continued their studies on behavioral patterns, Marti continued wearing her tiara around the house, Casey and Derek could be heard yelling throughout the house, and George and Nora remained perfectly oblivious to the strange tendencies of all their children.

This week, there was another summer party at a different friends house. Derek was un-grounded, and invited (of course), so he planned to attend. He only had one little problem…

"Come ON Casey! We're gonna be late!" he screamed through her door.

Nora had insisted that he bring her along, to get her out of the house since her recent break up with Max. Little did she care about Derek, and his break-up with Sally, and that maybe, just MAYBE he didn't want to deal with Casey that night.

"Geez Derek, calm down! It's just a party!"

"I know," he replied arrogantly "but just because people don't care if YOU come, people might miss me if I don't show up promptly…how long does it take you to get ready anyways?"

"I don't know what to wear! Mom sprung this up on me SO last minute I didn't have time to plan!"

"So last minute? She told you yesterday morning!"

"Your smart-alec comments aren't helping me choose!"

Derek didn't feel like yelling at her through the door anymore, so he let himself in.

"DE-REK! I could've been NAKED!"

"Well thank god you weren't. Now hurry up!"

"But I CAN'T! Just go without me…"

"Yeah, as much as I would like that, I can't. Or else dad won't let me go."

Dilemmas, dilemmas.

"Just wear your babe raider outfit, problem solved. Lets go."

" Why would I wear THAT again?"

"I don't know, people at school liked your outfit, and you might not look like a total loser if you wore it. Now let's go!" He repeated, trying to get her out of the house faster.

"Well, thanks I guess…"

"Yeah, You're welcome…" he responded.

This little exchange was followed by an awkward pause, which in turn was followed by…

"Well, if you want to get out of here soon, you should, umm probably get out. You know…so I can change?"

"Oh, OH, yeah. I'll just be out here, if you need anyth— No, I mean yeah, I'll be waiting. Downstairs…and hurry up!" he finished, trying to retain some tiny bit of dignity. It failed.

Five minutes later, Casey appeared at the top of the stairs, her hair was down and she looked stunning. Not that DEREK would ever admit that, but some guys at the party most likely would. At the foot of the stairs Casey was met with a 'Finally' from Derek and a 'You look lovely' from her mother.

--

The party did not turn out as great as he had suspected, and almost all the girls that he found remotely attractive were occupied by the time they arrived. Derek was forced to spend most of the party with Casey and Ralph, until Ralph went to talk up 'a hot chick' (ew) and Casey disappeared mysteriously. Never mind that he was THE Derek Venturi, he spent almost his entire night in a corner, by the punch bowl, begging for someone to talk to him. This is why he was almost relieved when Casey came up to him and asked to go home, a request he gladly accepted.

In the car however, he realized that Casey, was not her usual chipper self. At the next stop sign, Derek turned to look at her, and there she was, fiddling with her hands and staring out ahead.

"Hey Space-Case?" were the words that broke her out of her reverie.

"Umm, y-yeah?" she replied, still somewhat dazed and still staring at nothing.

"What's up with you? You're acting well, a hell of a lot kookier than usual…"

"Why do YOU care?" she snapped, reverting to her old self.

"I don't, not really. Well, not about you. But if whatever's bugging you makes you act all weird like this. Then it affects me, which is something I care about. Very much." He responded, as he pulled up the driveway.

Casey looked up at Derek with vacant eyes and proceeded to open the car door. She was stopped however, by a firm grip around her other arm, and the click of the car being locked automatically.

"Spill." Derek commanded, in a stern, forceful, yet bored tone. And just like that, a surprised but submissive Casey "spilt" her problem.

"At the party, I saw Max, and…I went to talk to him, because, well I thought we were still friends. I mean, we ended well. But when I got close enough to hear his conversation…he was saying some, awful things. And it hurt. I thought we were friends! I thought he was a good person, and…I guess everything I thought was a lie…" She finished, dejectedly, and finally succumbing her tears.

"Of course Max isn't a good person. He' a football jerk, be glad that you're not with him anymore." Derek replied, almost kindly…which was a shock. For the both of them.

Casey wiped away some tears and responded, "Thanks Derek, that means a lot to me. And, I'm sorry. I know you don't do tears, it's just…"

"It's fine. You aren't crying obnoxiously…"

"Excuse me?" she asked, almost giggling, "Is that even possible?"

"Well, yeah! You know those girls that cry like…like, WAAAAAHH!!" he concluded, flapping his arms around with an over exaggerated cry.

Now Casey was full on laughing, and Derek joined in. It was almost a 'feel good family moment,' except, neither felt the 'family' between them. Their laughter subsided, and they found themselves with the hint of a smile still etched on both their faces, looking into each other's eyes. The car seemed to be growing hotter, and suddenly Derek pulled his gaze away from Casey, taking the keys out of the ignition and unlocking the doors. Casey averted her eyes and bent down to retrieve the purse under her seat. They left the car in silence. Derek opened the backdoor and held it open for Casey before going through it himself. Casey ran up the stairs while Derek was left alone to explain to the questioning/concerned family it wasn't his fault they had come home early, and that he didn't do anything to make her upset. After having sufficiently answered several questions, Derek followed Casey's path up the stairs, and walked into her room.

"Yeah, yeah…I know, I owe you. But, I just couldn't face them right now…" She said upon his entrance.

"Yeah, it's fine. But seeing how I was forced to answer millions of questions from the fams, you think you could answer one of mine?"

Casey simply shrugged.

"What did Max say to make you so upset?"

"I figured this was coming…" she said " and you're gonna hate me and think I'm completely overreacting."

"Go on…" he said

"Well, he was talking to a bunch of his friends. About me. And, well, silly me, I heard him say that the thing with 'girls like me' is that we may seem 'keener and prude.' So I thought he was going to defend me, and instead…he said that it was up to 'guys like him.' To open 'girls like me.' Introduce me to my 'first real kiss', and then I'll open up, be prude no longer, making 'everyone else's' job heck of a lot easier…"

Derek's fists clenched and unclenched as she finished her story.

"What a jerk." He said, "I knew he was, but…you're not overreacting. Let me just tell you that."

Casey lunged at Derek, wrapping her arms around his waist. Derek's arms went up in protest, to which Casey responded with,

"Oh quit being a baby Derek, and hug me back." To which Derek surprisingly complied with. My, my, he certainly was filled with surprises today.

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Hope you liked, now review! It's nice of me to update, considering how awful I usually am about that stuff… so just return the kindness? THAANKSSSS!