Casey's Point-of-View

It was Saturday, and Casey was woken by her alarm at 9:00 AM. It was nice to sleep in. She and Emily were going to the mall around 10:30 or so, and if she was going to get to use the car that her and Derek shared, she was going to need to get out of bed and take a shower, quickly. After her shower, competition free because Derek slept until 10:00 on game days, Casey headed downstairs to get some breakfast and leave. She made herself a bowl of cereal and a large glass of orange juice. She still had half an hour to kill, so she took her breakfast into the living room and turned on the television. She was busy flipping through channels when Derek appeared at the top of the stairs, followed closely by George, Nora, and Lizzie.

"Good morning, guys!" Casey yelled towards the stairs, and she got a groggy "mmm…morning" from George and Nora, but the other two completely ignored her.

Casey, having anticipated a fight over the car, walked into the kitchen and made Derek a huge bowl of his favorite carbo-loaded cereal. It was the breakfast he ate before every game and Casey handed it to him with a smile. Derek cocked his head at her and asked, in all seriousness, "Did you spit in this?"

Casey laughed and shook her head, "Of course not, Derek!" She tried smiling again, but was unsuccessful. Derek caught on quickly, "No, you can't take the car."

Casey started to protest, but he shook his head. "Case, you're the one that set up the car schedule. Today is my Saturday. Next week is yours. You're not getting the car."

Casey groaned, "Der-ek!" It will just before the afternoon! I'll be home before 2:00! You'll be at your game most of the time. Just let me have the car today…please?" She added as an afterthought. Derek shook his head, "No way. I'll be home around 1:00. What will I do without my car?"

"You'll live."

"No way, Casey."

"God! Der-ek! Stop being such an asshole!"

The word shocked him, briefly. Not that he hadn't been called that before, but he'd never heard her say it. He retorted, "Stop being such a bitch, then!" She threw up her hands in disgust and defeat and walked out of the kitchen and up to her room. She called Emily using speed dial.

"Hey Emily. Derek won't let me take the car…Something about needing it after the game…No, because they'll just side with him. I did make up the schedule…Do you think we could take your mom's car?...okay…you sure?...Alright, I'll be waiting." Casey hung up the phone and headed downstairs. Emily would be picking her up any minute in her mom's car. Emily's mom's car, a small Pontiac, was in much better shape than "The Prince", so Casey didn't mind having to take it instead. It sure smelled nicer.

Nora was still downstairs when Casey finally came down, and she told her mom about the mall.

"I'll be home around 2:00," Casey said.



"Alright, hun, be careful in the Davis's car, okay?"

"Alright, mom, we will." Casey smiled and heard the doorbell ring. She opened the door to an excited Emily.

"Let's go! One days sales won't last all day!" Emily said, completely oblivious to the irony in her last sentence. Casey grinned.

"Okay, okay!" She hugged Nora good-bye and stuck her nose up at Derek who just smirked, "See ya, Spacey."

As soon as the girls got out of the house, Casey let out a growl of frustration, "Why does he have to be so…so…EVIL?!"

"And adorable," Emily added.

"What?" Casey looked at her.

"Well, he is!"

"Nothing that evil is ever going to be considered adorable in my book," Casey said grimly.

Emily smiled sympathetically and they both got into the car. As Emily started the car, both the heater and the radio turned on. Casey turned up the radio and squealed at the song.

"I love this song!" She exclaimed.

Both of the girls started singing along to Vanessa Carlton's "Ordinary Day".

Just a day,

Just an ordinary day

Just trying to get by.

Just a boy,

Just an ordinary boy

But he was looking to the sky

And he asked if I would come along

I started to realize

That everyday he finds

Just what he's looking for

Like a shooting star, he shines.

Emily and Casey made their way onto the busy road outside their neighborhood and continued to sing along with the song. Emily slowed to a stop at a stop sign and took the opportunity to turn the volume on the stereo up.

He said, take my hand,

Live while you can



Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand.

Emily pulled out of the four way stop and into the intersection, still singing loudly. Neither one of them noticed the SUV that sped through the intersection. It hit them hard, on Casey's side, and the little Pontiac barely stood a chance. They barrel rolled twice before coming to a stop on its roof. The radio continued to blare through broken windows.

And he said, take my hand

Live while you can

Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand

In the palm of your hand

Neither Emily nor Casey were singing anymore. They both lay very still in the midst of tangled metal.

Please come with me

See what I see.

Touch the stars or time will not flee

Time will not flee.

Can you see?