Chapter Two

(Casey's POV)

I just couldn't believe it. I had wasted a year on that two-timing idiot. I know he said that he wasn't cheating, but I don't believe that in the slightest. I know that I had been busy the past month, and Max and I hadn't spent much quality time together, and that was the excuse I used to explain the recent distance between us. Apparently I had been wrong. Very wrong. I assume that he had been meeting with Amy the past few weeks, while I had been busy. I was really hurt that he had betrayed me like that. Then leaving me at the park! I know I told him to leave, but I wish he would have at least put up a fight about it... But he didn't. So I had to call Derek. I mean it when I say that he was my last resort. If Emily hadn't been going out of town with her family for the weekend, I would have called her, but they had left right after school.
The ride home was awful. I couldn't stop crying. I was humiliated. In front of my arrogant step-brother nonetheless. Suprisingly, when he came, he restrained himself from making stupid comments. I don't know how he managed, but i was grateful. Now we are sitting silently, pretending to watch TV. Suddenly the Tv was muted. That disrupted my trance, ans I frantically wiped my cheeks with my fingers, realizing I was crying again. When I looked up, I saw Derek watching me.

"What?" I asked. My voice was shaky from trying to hold back tears, and slightly hoarse from unuse.

"Are you gonna tell me what happened?" I was shocked at the suden kindness in his voice. I didn't really want to talk about it with him, but I couldn't call Emily. It was too late. I sat there for

a minute, he was still watching me when I finally spoke again.

"He wanted to date other people... well, more specifically, his ex-girlfriend, Amy. But he wanted us to keep dating until they figured if they could work it out!" I spat out the last part, finally finding my anger, and it showed in my voice. "So I decided it was a waste of time dating the indecisive moron, and i broke up with him."

Derek had to chuckle at her description of Max. It finally was close to his own. He had hated Max, and for someone as smart as Casey, he was surprised at how long it had taken her to figure it out. "What an ass", he said. "And you forgot egotistical jerk." He knew he was being uncharacteristically nice, and he wasn't quite sure why. He decided it was because she had finally agreed with him.

She laughed quietly. He knew it wasn't a real laugh though. This laugh was just to keep herself from crying again. She looked over at him, his face was thoughtful. She was sure if he was any nicer, that she would burst into tears again. She stood up, picking up her shoes. Looking at the couch where she had been sitting. "I think I'm going to try to get some sleep." She walked towards the stairs before he could respond. Standing on the bottom step she turned.

"Derek?" her voice was quiet.

"Hmm?" He didn't turn around. The TV was still on mute.

"Thanks for picking me up." She quickly walked up the stairs, careful to avoid the squeaky steps, not to wake her younger siblings.

Casey went to her room to grab her pajamas before walking to the bathroom to brush her teeth before bed and change out of her dress. She pushed the bathroom door closed, cringing at the loud noise. She hadn't meant to push it that hard. She wriggled out of the dress, putting on a black tank top and grey shorts before bushing her teeth. she looked at her self in the mirror. "UGH!" Her make up was streaked down her face, and the curl was coming out of her hair. Quickly washed her face before grabbing her hairbrush and taking her frustration out on her hair, returning it to its normal state of straightness. She left the bathroom and went to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. As she turned, she let out a gasp of surprise. Derek was sitting at her computer desk.