Chapter 2

Derek's POV

Sleep is not helping at all. Ugh, I can't believe I drank so much last night. I feel like crap. Note to self, I will never drink past 2AM again. I'm serious, I wasn't able to get a good night's sleep even after getting into my bed at 5AM. I kept tossing and turning, feeling like my body is getting squished by a giant boulder. Bad idea to drink when you are in a depression, too. I blame Casey for this hangover. I don't want to get out of bed until I stop feeling so lousy.

I hear the door opening to my room, and I pull my bedsheet over my head to avoid talking to whoever has come in. "Go away if you know what's good for you!" I groan from underneath my sheet.

"Is that anyway to treat the ex-girlfriend who saved your butt last night from getting alcohol poisoning?" A female voice answered.

My eyes open wide in shock and pull back my bedsheet to look at my visitor. "EMILY?!?!? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I found you in that bar on the corner down the street from your apartment. You were pretty messed up last night. The bartender told me that if I knew you, I should take you home to mellow out," Emily replied.

"You still care about me, Emily? Gee, I shouldn't have gotten you so pissed off back then, huh."

Emily laughs at this. "Don't flatter yourself, Derek. I am not here to get back together with you. That ship has sailed. I am only here because you needed to get home last night, and I am still a good friend to Casey."

"Why aren't you with Casey then? She probably wants to talk to her best friend right now."

"I haven't seen Casey since yesterday."

"Where is she?"

"I don't know, Derek, but I wouldn't worry about her. She is a big girl and can take care of herself."

I play this off, nonchalantly. "Me? Worry about Casey? I don't worry about anyone but myself."

Emily just looks at me and scoffs. "Yeah, your drunken stupor last night would say otherwise."

I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Don't you dare give me that look, Derek Venturi! You know perfectly well what I am talking about with last night."

Smirking, I ask, "And what? Pray tell, are you refering to?"

"I'm talking about the shouting of your never-ending love for Casey, and how you cannot live another minute without knowing where she is," Emily informs me, exsperated.

"I am not that emotional, Emily. You are pulling that stuff out of you know where."

"Mhmm, I have a bartender on the corner that says differently."

I feel like kicking myself really hard in the butt right now. Stupid Derek. Stupid Alcohol. Stupid Drunken man with stupid girl problems. Stupid Bloody Hangover. "Em, do you have a cure for the hangover?"

"I wish I did, but I can only say that Ibuprofen helps a little bit. I wouldn't drink any caffinated beverages though because it makes your headache ten times worse."

"Thanks Emily. You are a good friend."

At that moment, Emily's phone started playing "Human" by The Killers.

"Who is that, Em?"

"That's my ringtone for Casey. She has just left me a message."

"What does it say?"

"Hm, it says that she is going out to dinner with Sam tonight, and she won't be back in until late," Emily snorted, "ha, she left before I got home last night."

"Sam's in town? Since when?"

"Aren't you guys roommates still?"

"He probably got in after I went out last night, and he snuck out this morning without my noticing him."

"You are quite the heavy sleeper, Derek."

"Alcohol really doesn't help sleep though."

Emily laughs, "Of course it doesn't."

"Sam and I haven't really been that close since Rebecca came into his life."

"Who's Rebecca?"

"Sam's bitchy ex-girlfriend."

"That's not very nice, Derek. What did she ever do to deserve that?"

"You are one to talk, Emily. You bad mouth Truman all the time because he went out with you as well as all the other girls he wanted to conquer."

"Did Rebecca go out with you, Derek?"

"No she didn't officially go out with me. I was weak and she was the only girl around me at the time."

"Did you sleep with Sam's girlfriend?"

"Yeah, I hate myself for it, too."

"Why do you want to avoid him, Derek? You two were such good friends. You shouldn't let a girlfriend come between a friendship. Isn't that what the mantra 'Bros Before Ho's' is about in the first place?"

"Try telling that to Sam, he only talks to me in this cordial manner now whenever we happen to be in the same room together. He has been out of town recording a new album with his band though so I have enjoyed the peace and tranquility that replaced the awkward silences between us."

"I really think you should patch your friendship up with Sam. Rebecca is out of the picture now, and you two need to reconnect like the two brothers I saw you as growing up."

"It isn't that simple, Emily. He was extremely hurt when I did what I did to him."

"He should be a bigger man and accept an apology from you."

"I don't even know if I want to do that. I don't regret doing it. Rebecca was always ripping on Sam for some reason or another. It was like she wanted to crush his dreams. I wasn't going to sit by and let her do that."

Emily's mouth drops in surprise. "Wow, Derek, that is the sweetest thing I ever heard you say. You need to patch up your friendship with Sam for that reason alone."

"Bah, that's like telling me that I have to get Casey back, it just doesn't seem right. I can't do it like that," I snap my fingers for emphasis, "I am not going to do that emotional crap routine."

"Well, if you aren't going to go right out and ask for Sam's friendship or Casey's heart, then you might be inclined to do a little spying on the two of them out to eat."

Smirking mischieviously, I reply, "Emily, Emily, Emily, I never knew you to be so devious. When did this suddenly occur?"

"I have always wanted to do this, and I see now that Sam needs you as well as Casey. You are their counterbalance. Sam was always the smarter of the two of you in school, and you kept him loose and relatively cool by keeping him in hockey when he was on the verge of quitting in elementary school. Casey needs you because she complements your personality. You two are like the colors blue and orange. Blue is a very dominating color, and it outshines many others in the fact that blue is basically everyone's favorite color (A/N: not mine), and orange is a warm and sunny color. It looks next to blue. In the United States, the University of Illinois' Fighting Illini have their school colors as blue and orange. They have one of the greatest Basketball teams in the Big Ten."

"Illinois? Isn't that the state where the newly elected President of the United States is from?"

"Yeah, I have a pen pal from Illinois. She told me that President-elect Obama is nothing special."

"How old is she?"

"23, she says she had the courtesy of voting against him twice. She said no to him being her U.S. Senator in 2004 because she doesn't trust Chicago Democrats anymore."

"I wonder if she has some good gut instincts about her."

"She does. She showed me the picture of Barack Obama shirtless, and she said she wasn't impressed by him in the slightest. She prefers guys to have some defined pecks if they go around shirtless, and he definitely does not have it. She said Will Smith and Donald Faison are more looking than him, and I must say, I happen to agree with her."

"Ok, I think I have heard enough talk of the United States' drama. I hate drama, and I swear I have seen nothing but what seems like good things about this President."

"Yeah, let's go see what Sam and Casey are up to, shall we?"

I finally get out of bed only to realize I am only in my boxers. "After you, I have to get dressed if I want to be seen in public."

"That sounds like a good idea, I will meet you by the door in five minutes," Emily smiled, closing the door.

Ashley: Where's Derek at?

Michael: You don't want to know.

Ashley: Tell me, Michael, or so help me!

Michael: It will only anger you to know where he is.

Ashley: Try me!

Michael: I don't like the sound of that. I have a feeling you are going to rip me a new one if I told you.

Ashley: I could rip you a new one if you don't tell me. How about that?

Michael: Wow! You are a little bit testy today, aren't we? Casey on her period?

Ashley: No she isn't. I am upset because you need to inform me of where Derek is.

Michael: For what purpose does that involve?

Ashley: I need to know who he hangs out with at this time.

Michael: Um, he's by himself at the moment.

Ashley: Doing what?

Michael: Whacking off? What's it to ya?

Ashley: Shut the front door, Mike. I know you are lying.

Michael: Darn. I wanted to shut you up.

Ashley: You are a horrible liar. It is a shame you didn't learn from the master.

Michael: You need to stop reading my mind. It gets really annoying when you do that.

Ashley: I told you before, I don't read minds. I read your face. It was clear on your face that you were B. me.

Michael: Yeah, you caught me, but I really don't think you need to worry about Derek.

Ashley: Why not?

Michael: Emily is with him.

Ashley: WHAT!?!?!?


Author's Note: Okay, I might have gone off on a little bit of a tangent with Emily, but I swear the Devil made me do it. You can read my opinion on B. Hussein Obama in my profile if you are interested.